MD Anderson Research Highlights for January 22, 2025 | newswise

MD Anderson Research Highlights for January 22, 2025 | newswise


Houston – University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterResearch Highlights reflect the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading physicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic and back.

Novel allogeneic NK cell therapy from induced pluripotent stem cells shows encouraging efficacy in relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma patients.
relapsed or refractory patients B-cell lymphoma Treatment options are limited, although new immune and cell therapies are being developed. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or natural killer (NK) cells derived from umbilical cord blood are a new source for cancer cell therapy. In a new Phase I trial, Paolo Strati, MDand colleagues evaluated the safety and efficacy of FT596 – a novel allogeneic iPSC-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapy – as a monotherapy and in combination with rituximab in 86 patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma. with. The cells were boosted with three antitumor approaches, including a CD19-targeted CAR, a modified CD16 receptor, and an interleukin-15 receptor fusion protein. According to this first-in-human trial, both regimens were well tolerated, and patients with indolent and aggressive transformed B-cell lymphoma achieved deep and durable responses. Less than 15% of patients experienced low-grade cytokine release syndrome, and no neurotoxicity was observed, suggesting that the cell therapy was safe for this patient population. Learn more in The Lancet,

Targeted treatments show responses in pre-treatment HER2-Mutant Metastatic Breast Cancer
HER2 protein helps cells grow and divide, but it can cause cancer breast, stomach And COLON When it functions abnormally. While existing treatments target excessive HER2 activity, they have not been widely tested in specific cases. HER2 Mutation. In the second phase of testing, Paula Pohlman, MD, Ph.D.and colleagues evaluated two HER2-targeted therapies, tucatinib and trastuzumab, in 31 women with advanced breast cancer. These women had metastatic disease HER2-negative breast cancer harbors specific HER2 mutation and had already undergone other treatments. The results showed that 42% of patients experienced tumor reduction with targeted treatmentOn average, their cancer remained controlled for about 9.5 months, with treatment benefits lasting about 12.6 months. These findings suggest that tucatinib and trastuzumab may provide a treatment option for these patients and support further research to confirm their broader potential. Learn more in naturopathy,

Triplet combination is safe, shows promise for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma
The tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sitravatineb has shown antitumor responses and increased efficacy when used in combination immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat patients Advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC). In the first phase trial, researchers led Pavlos Massouel, MD, Ph.D., Linghua Wang MD, Ph.D.And Jianjun Gao, MD, Ph.D.The safety and efficacy of the triplet combination of sitravatinib, nivolumab, and ipilimumab was investigated in 22 previously untreated patients with advanced ccRCC. The trial established a safe dose that resulted in a 45.5% objective response rate, 86.4% disease control rate, and a median progression-free survival of 14.5 months. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the researchers also identified tumor cell-specific gene signatures that predicted treatment resistance and clinical outcomes. These results provide important insights to improve therapeutic strategies for patients with ccRCC. Learn more in nature communication,

efficacy of treatment KRAS G12C-Mutational lung cancer varies with co-mutation
non-small cell lung cancerharboring (NSCLC) KRAS G12C The mutation is extremely difficult to treat. While KRAS G12C inhibitors, such as adagrasib, have successfully targeted KRAS, many patients still experience a poor prognosis. Understanding the genomic differences that exist may improve treatment selection and identify new targets. In the Phase I/II CRYSTAL-I trial, Marcelo Negrão, MDand colleagues characterized the genomic characteristics of 121 patients KRAS G12C-Mutant NSCLC treated with adagrasib. Overall, 32% of patients survived long-term with adagrasib monotherapy. Presence of high NRF2 signaling and/or KEAP1 And STK11 Co-mutations were associated with shorter survival. Addition of mTOR inhibitor improves treatment efficacy in laboratory models KEAP1 And STK11 co-mutation, suggesting its therapeutic potential. Study highlights the importance of considering co-mutations and other genomic features in treatment selection to improve outcomes for patients KRAS G12C-Mutant NSCLC. Learn more in Clinical Cancer Research,

Combination therapy produces strong response in patients with refractory lymphoma.
refractory patient Lymphomaespecially those who did not benefit from it Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell TherapyDo not respond well to subsequent treatments and face a poor prognosis. This highlights the need for more effective high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) combinations with autologous stem cell transplant Preclinical studies showed remarkable synergy between the PARP inhibitor olaparib and HDC in refractory lymphoma in cell lines, leading to Yago Nieto, MD, Ph.D.,And colleagues will evaluate the efficacy and safety of this combination in a Phase I trial. In 50 adult patients, the overall and complete response rates were 100% and 90%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 30 months, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 72% and 82%, respectively. For 17 patients with prior CAR T cell therapy failure, EFS and OS rates were 71% and 88%, respectively. These results show that this combination is safe and promising for patients with refractory lymphoma. Learn more in Clinical Cancer Research,

Study reveals novel biomarker, potential therapeutic target for renal medullary carcinoma
renal medullary carcinoma(RMC) is a rare and aggressive kidney cancer involving loss of the SMARCB1 tumor suppressor that predominantly affects young individuals of African descent with sickle cell trait. Patients with RMC have a poor prognosis and treatment options are limited, and the need for clinically relevant biomarkers for early detection remains unmet. led by researchers Pavlos Massouel, MD, Ph.D.Integrated profiling of primary untreated RMC tumor tissues and paired adjacent kidney controls was used to uncover potential biomarkers. he identified MUC16 – The gene encoding serum cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) – is one of the most significantly upregulated genes in RMC tumor tissues, linking it to metastatic tumor burden. Further analysis of RMC cell lines showed that SMARCB1 loss is necessary but not sufficient. MUC16 expression, explaining why elevated serum CA-125 levels are seen in most, but not all, RMC patients. Study shows that serum CA-125 may serve as a clinical biomarker for RMC and highlights MUC16 As a potential therapeutic target. Learn more in clinical cancer research,

Epigenetic pathway involved in persistent inflammatory pain
Inflammation can sensitize neurons and cause persistent pain. While studies have shown that this pain is associated with increased expression of TRPA1 and TRPV1 pain receptors, little is known about the underlying mechanisms driving this process. led by researchers Hui-Lin Pan, MD, Ph.D.and Krishna Ghosh, Ph.D., examined preclinical models of persistent inflammation to identify potential epigenetic pathways. They found that the G9a enzyme is involved in modifying histones inside sensory neurons, which may control the accessibility of gene transcription regulatory elements. This increases access to and production of TRPA1 and TRPV1 pain receptors, which sensitize neurons and promote inflammatory pain. The study highlights the therapeutic potential of targeting G9a to reduce pain receptor activity and persistent inflammatory pain. Learn more in Neuroscience Journal,

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