Rapamycin prevents experimental sclerodermatous chronic graft-versus-host disease in mice

Background: The most widely used mice model of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is an MHC-matched bone marrow transplantation model of sclerodermatous cGvHD. A limitation of that model is that mortality is relatively low, making difficult to study the impact of potentially therapeutic compounds. Aims: To develop a more severe model of cGVHD and to assess the impact of Rapamycin administration in that model. Results: Lethally irradiated Balb/C mice were injected with 10x106 bone marrow cells and 70x106 splenocytes from B10.D2 donor mice. Twenty-one days later, all mice developed cGvHD. For the severe model, donor B10.D2 mice were injected with 0.5x106 splenocytes from Balb/C twenty-one days before transplantation. All mice from the severe model (n=8) died a median of 32 days while 3 of 7 mice in the classical model survived beyond day 52. Mean survival was decreased in the severe model compared to the classical model (32 days versus 37 days; p=0.0185). Recipient mice in the severe group experienced higher weight loss, hair loss and skin fi brosis. Numbers of T lymphocytes (231.9 ± 151.4 versus 951 ± 532.8; p=0.0032) and CD4+ T cells (63.25 ± 41.93 versus 135.0 ± 14.39; p=0.0018) per microliter of blood at day 21 were lower in the severe group than in the classical model. Moreover, number of regulatory T cells (Tregs) was decreased in the severe model (1.250 ± 0.8864 versus 8.000 ± 6.753; p=0.0151). We then investigated whether rapamycin administration could prevent GVHD in the severe model. All (n=8) mice treated with PBS (placebo) died a median of 32 days after transplantation, while 6 of 8 mice given 1 mg/kg/day i.p. rapamycin survived beyond day 52 (p=0.0012). Number of Tregs/μl was higher at day 21 in rapamycin-treated mice than in mice given PBS (2.000±1.195 versus 1.250±0.8864; p=0.0796). Moreover, number of naïve CD4+T (10.00±4.192 versus 30.25±5.185; p= 0.0089) and effector memory T cells (EMT) (30.67±3.180 versus 67.33±7.881; p= 0.0125) were higher in rapamycin mice. Finally, proliferation of EMT (assessed by fl ow cytometry using Ki-67) was higher in PBS than in rapamycin mice (45.28%±4.084 versus 31.90%± 2.003; p=0.0474). Conclusion: We have developed a mice model of severe cGVHD. Interestingly, rapamycin prevented death from cGVHD in that model, perhaps through in vivo expansion of Treg

Translation validation of a new back pain screening questionnaire (the STarT Back Screening Tool) in French

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a major public health problem and the identification of individuals at risk of persistent LBP poses substantial challenges to clinical management. The STarT Back questionnaire is a validated nine-item patient self-report questionnaire that classifies patients with LBP at low, medium or high-risk of poor prognosis for persistent non-specific LBP. The objective of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the English version of the STarT Back questionnaire into French. Methods: The translation was performed using best practice translation guidelines. The following phases were performed: contact with the STarT Back questionnaire developers, initial translations (English into French), synthesis, back translations, expert committee review, test of the pre-final version on 44 individuals with LBP, final version. Results: The linguistic translation required minor semantic alterations. The participants interviewed indicated that all items of the questionnaire were globally clear and comprehensible. However, 6 subjects (14%) wondered if two questions were related to back pain or general health. After discussion within the expert committee and with the developer of the STarT Back tool, it was decided to modify the questionnaire and to add a reference to back pain in these two questions. Conclusions: The French version of the STarT Back questionnaire has been shown to be comprehensible and adapted to the French speaking general population. Investigations are now required to test the psychometric properties (reliability, internal and external validity, responsiveness) of this translated version of the questionnaire

What Is The Role For Regulatory T-Cells After Nonmyeloablative Conditioning?

peer reviewe

Predictors of neutralizing antibody response to BNT162b2 vaccination in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

peer reviewedBACKGROUND: Factors affecting response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) recipients remain to be elucidated. METHODS: Forty allo-HCT recipients were included in a study of immunization with BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine at days 0 and 21. Binding antibodies (Ab) to SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) were assessed at days 0, 21, 28, and 49 while neutralizing Ab against SARS-CoV-2 wild type (NT50) were assessed at days 0 and 49. Results observed in allo-HCT patients were compared to those obtained in 40 healthy adults naive of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood cells was performed before vaccination to identify potential predictors of Ab responses. RESULTS: Three patients had detectable anti-RBD Ab before vaccination. Among the 37 SARS-CoV-2 naive patients, 20 (54%) and 32 (86%) patients had detectable anti-RBD Ab 21 days and 49 days postvaccination. Comparing anti-RBD Ab levels in allo-HCT recipients and healthy adults, we observed significantly lower anti-RBD Ab levels in allo-HCT recipients at days 21, 28 and 49. Further, 49% of allo-HCT patients versus 88% of healthy adults had detectable NT50 Ab at day 49 while allo-HCT recipients had significantly lower NT50 Ab titers than healthy adults (P = 0.0004). Ongoing moderate/severe chronic GVHD (P  0.5, P < 0.01) and more weakly with the number of follicular helper T cells (r = 0.4, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic GVHD and rituximab administration in allo-HCT recipients are associated with reduced Ab responses to BNT162b2 vaccination. Immunological markers could help identify allo-HCT patients at risk of poor Ab response to mRNA vaccination. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at clinicaltrialsregister.eu on 11 March 2021 (EudractCT # 2021-000673-83)

Les urgences en oncologie au niveau du médecin traitant

Les urgences en oncologie au niveau du médecin traitan

Progress in the treatment of advanced CRC

Regimens currently used in the treatment of colorectal cancer combine four drugs (oxaliplatin, irinotecan, cetuximab and bevacizumab) with 5-FU and leucovorin. The best way to associate these drugs is still unclea

Cetuximab: an IgG(1) monoclonal antibody for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing tumours.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an essential role in normal cell growth and differentiation and in the survival of healthy and cancerous cells. EGFR expression is a common feature of non-haematological malignancies and is associated with poor clinical prognosis. Cetuximab is an IgG(1) monoclonal antibody that blocks EGFR activation. It has efficacy alone, and in combination with irinotecan, in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer that has progressed on irinotecan-containing therapy. It has been approved for use in combination with irinotecan in both Switzerland and the US and as monotherapy in the US. Cetuximab also has efficacy in cancers of the head and neck and non-small cell lung cancer. Cetuximab is well-tolerated and does not exacerbate the side effects of co-administered cytotoxic chemotherapy

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) : high dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation

In the United States, it is estimated that the yearly incidence of lung cancer is about 150.000 with approximately 110.000 deaths from this disease. Lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer among males, accounting for 35% of cancer death. Among female, the incidence of lung cancer has recently surpassed that of all other cancers, included breast cancer and deaths of lung cancer in the female population accounts for 19% of the all cancer deaths. This evolution is clearly related to smoking habits (Spiro S.G., 1988). There are four major histological subtypes of lung cancer namely squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma (collectively referred to as non-small cell lung cancer), and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). SCLC accounts fro 25% of all new cases of lung cancer. Among the various histological types of lung cancer, SCLC is the most chemo- and radiosensitive. While the majority of patients will obtain an initial response to cytotoxic therapy, overall survival is poor and less than 5% of all patients will be cured. With the most effective treatment, the median survival time for SCLC patients ranges from 9 to 13 months. As in many other areas on oncology, our basic understanding of small cell lung cancer has increased over the past years and many data suggest that biological properties inherent within the tumor cells themselves may be of prognostic importance, including expression of genes or oncogenes. In the first chapter, we will discuss recently discovered biological properties of SCLC, including their first applications to the management of patients with the disease. This management will be the subject of the second chapter. Because it is well recognized that prognostic factors and stratification are crucial to compare the results of different studies, we will focus on these points before describing the up-to-date therapy of SCLC. As was pointed hereabove, patient’s survival is short and new studies are needed to improve therapy. SCLC is chemosensitive and a clear dose-response relationship was demonstrated in the 1980s leading to the present therapeutic results. With the use of autologous bone marrow transplantation, higher doses of cytotoxic therapy can be delivered, overcoming the limiting toxic effect of most cytotoxic drugs i.e. the bone marrow aplasia. We initiated a randomized trial to compare the effect of a late high-dose intensification therapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation with the results of conventional dose chemotherapy. This trial and its impact on SCLC therapy either at the present time or in the future form the third chapter of this work. The technique of autologous bone marrow transplantation raises some questions among which the risk of the bone marrow contamination with neoplastic cells and the need of purging such graft. Newly developed techniques to solve such problems as well as our contribution in this field are treated in the fourth chapterThèse d'agrégation de l'enseignement supérieur (faculté de médecine) -- UCL, 199

Intérêt de quelques marqueurs tumoraux

Intérêt de quelques marqueurs tumorau

Final results from PRIME: Randomized phase III study of panitumumab with FOLFOX4 for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

Background: The Panitumumab Randomized trial In combination with chemotherapy for Metastatic colorectal cancer to determine Efficacy (PRIME) demonstrated that panitumumab-FOLFOX4 significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus FOLFOX4 as first-line treatment of wild-type (WT) KRAS metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), the primary end point of the study. Patients and methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to panitumumab 6.0 mg/kg every 2 weeks + FOLFOX4 (arm 1) or FOLFOX4 (arm 2). This prespecified final descriptive analysis of efficacy and safety was planned for 30 months after the last patient was enrolled. Results: A total of 1183 patients were randomized. Median PFS for WT KRAS mCRC was 10.0 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.3-11.4 months] for arm 1 and 8.6months (95% CI 7.5-9.5 months) for arm 2; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.80; 95% CI 0.67-0.95; P = 0.01. Median overall survival (OS) forWT KRAS mCRC was 23.9 months (95%CI 20.3-27.7 months) for arm 1 and 19.7 months (95% CI 17.6-22.7 months) for arm 2; HR = 0.88; 95% CI 0.73-1.06; P=0.17 (68%OS events). An exploratory analysis of updated survival (>80%OS events) was carried out which demonstrated improvement in OS; HR = 0.83; 95%CI 0.70-0.98; P=0.03 forWT KRASmCRC. The adverse event profile was consistent with the primary analysis. Conclusions: In WT KRAS mCRC, PFS was improved, objective response was higher, and there was a trend toward improved OS with panitumumab-FOLFOX4, with significant improvement in OS observed in an updated analysis of survival in patients with WT KRAS mCRC treated with panitumumab + FOLFOX4 versus FOLFOX4 alone (P = 0.03). These data support a positive benefit-risk profile for panitumumab-FOLFOX4 for patients with previously untreated WT KRAS mCRC. KRAS testing is critical to select appropriate patients for treatment with panitumumab. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved