A tumor volume and performance status model to predict outcome before treatment in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

International audienceAggressive large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) has variable outcomes. Current prognostic tools use factors for risk stratification that inadequately identify patients at high risk of refractory disease or relapse before initial treatment. A model associating 2 risk factors, total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) >220 cm3 (determined by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography coupled with computed tomography) and performance status (PS) ≥2, identified as prognostic in 301 older patients in the REMARC trial (#NCT01122472), was validated in 2174 patients of all ages treated in 2 clinical trials, PETAL (Positron Emission Tomography-Guided Therapy of Aggressive Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas; N = 510) and GOYA (N = 1315), and in real-world clinics (N = 349) across Europe and the United States. Three risk categories, low (no factors), intermediate (1 risk factor), and high (2 risk factors), significantly discriminated outcome in most of the series. Patients with 2 risk factors had worse outcomes than patients with no risk factors in the PETAL, GOYA, and real-world series. Patients with intermediate risk also had significantly worse outcomes than patients with no risk factors. The TMTV/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-PS combination outperformed the International Prognostic Index with a positive C-index for progression-free survival and overall survival in most series. The combination of high TMTV > 220 cm3 and ECOG-PS ≥ 2 is a simple clinical model to identify aggressive LBCL risk categories before treatment. This combination addresses the unmet need to better predict before treatment initiation for aggressive LBCL the patients likely to benefit the most or not at all from therapy

BB & BL resistance into IR58025B

Not AvailableIR 58025A is a very popular wild-abortive cytoplasmic male sterile (WA-CMS) line of rice and is extensively used for hybrid rice breeding. However, IR 58025A and many hybrids derived from it possess mild aroma (undesirable in some parts of India) and are highly susceptible to bacterial blight (BB) and blast diseases. To improve IR 58025A for BB and blast resistance, we have introgressed a major dominant gene confer- ring resistance against BB (i.e. Xa21) and blast (i.e. Pi54) into IR 58025B, the maintainer line of IR 58025A. An introgression line of Samba Mahsuri (i.e. SM2154) possessing Xa21 and Pi54 genes in homo- zygous condition and fine-grain type was used as donor parent, and backcross breeding strategy was adopted for targeted introgression of the resistance genes. PCR-based molecular markers tightly linked to Xa21 and Pi54 were used for selection of BB- and blast-resistant lines, while closely linked markers were used for identification of backcross-derived plants devoid of Rf4 and aroma. At BC2F5, four backcross-derived lines possessing resistance against BB and blast, devoid of aroma, high yield, short plant stature, long-slender grain type and with recurrent parent genome recovery ranging from 88.8% to 98.6% were selected and advanced for further evaluation. The improved versions of IR 58025B, viz. SB54-11-143-9-44-5, SB54-11-143-9-44-98, SB54-11-143-9-44-111 and SB54-11-143-9-44-171, behaved as perfect maintainers when test- crossed with WA-CMS lines. Agronomically superior lines of improved IR 58025B are being converted to CMS line through backcrossing for developing high-yielding and biotic stress-resistant rice hybrids.Not Availabl