KRAS G12C inhibitor combination therapies: current evidence and challenge

Although KRAS G12C inhibitors have proven that KRAS is a "druggable" target of cancer, KRAS G12C inhibitor monotherapies have demonstrated limited clinical efficacy due to primary and acquired resistance mechanisms. Multiple combinations of KRAS G12C inhibitors with other targeted therapies, such as RTK, SHP2, and MEK inhibitors, have been investigated in clinical trials to overcome the resistance. They have demonstrated promising efficacy especially by combining KRAS G12C and EGFR inhibitors for KRAS G12C-mutated colorectal cancer. Many clinical trials of combinations of KRAS G12C inhibitors with other targeted therapies, such as SOS1, ERK, CDK4/6, and wild-type RAS, are ongoing. Furthermore, preclinical data have suggested additional promising KRAS G12C combinations with YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitors, FAK inhibitors, and farnesyltransferase inhibitors. The combinations of KRAS G12C inhibitors with immunotherapies and chemotherapies have also been investigated, and the preliminary results were reported. More recently, KRAS-targeted therapies not limited to KRAS G12C are being developed, potentially broadening the treatment landscape of KRAS-mutated cancers. Rationally combining KRAS inhibitors with other therapeutics is likely to play a significant role in future treatment for KRAS-mutated solid tumors.

High indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase transcript levels predict better outcome after front-line cancer immunotherapy

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), which catabolizes tryptophan, is a potential target to unlock the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Correlations between IDO1 and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy remain unclear. Herein, we investigated IDO1 transcript expression across cancers and clinical outcome correlations. High IDO1 transcripts were more frequent in uterine (54.2%) and ovarian cancer (37.2%) but varied between and within malignancies. High IDO1 RNA expression was associated with high expression of PD-L1 (immune checkpoint ligand), CXCL10 (an effector T cell recruitment chemokine), and STAT1 (a component of the JAK-STAT pathway) (all multivariable p < 0.05). PIK3CA and CTCF alterations were more frequent in the high IDO1 group. High IDO1 expression was an independent predictor of progression-free survival (adjusted HR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.20-0.99, p = 0.049) and overall survival (adjusted HR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.11-0.87, p = 0.026) after front-line ICIs. IDO1 expression warrants further exploration as a predictive biomarker for immunotherapy. Moreover, co-expressed immunoregulatory molecules merit exploration for co-targeting.

Transcriptomic analysis of GITR and GITR ligand reveals cancer immune heterogeneity with implications for GITR targeting

Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor related protein (GITR) is a transmembrane protein expressed mostly on CD25+CD4+ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and upregulated on all T-cells upon activation. It is a T-cell co-stimulatory receptor and has demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity in pre-clinical studies. To date, however, the efficacy of GITR agonism has been discouraging in clinical trials. This study explores GITR and GITR ligand (GITR-L) ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression in solid tumors in an attempt to delineate causes for variable responses to GITR agonists. RNA expression levels of 514 patients with a variety of cancer types were normalized to internal housekeeping gene profiles and ranked as percentiles. 99/514 patients (19.3%) had high GITR expression (defined as ≥ 75th percentile). Breast and lung cancer had the highest proportion of patients with high GITR expression (39% and 35%, respectively). The expression of concomitant high GITR and low-moderate GITR-L expression (defined as <75th percentile) was present in 31% and 30% of patients with breast and lung cancer respectively. High GITR expression also showed a significant independent association with high RNA expression of other immune modulator proteins, namely, PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) ≥1 (odds ratio (OR) 2.15, P=0.008), CTLA4 (OR=2.17, P=0.05) and OX40 high RNA expression (OR=2.64, P=0.001). Overall, these results suggest that breast and lung cancer have a high proportion of patients with a GITR and GITR-L RNA expression profile that merits further investigation in GITR agonism studies. The association of high GITR expression with high CTLA4 and OX40 RNA expression, as well as positive PD-L1 IHC, provides a rationale for a combination approach targeting these specific immune modulator proteins in patients whose tumors show such co-expression.

Viewing the immune checkpoint VISTA: landscape and outcomes across cancers

BACKGROUND

Optimizing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy may require identification of co-targetable checkpoint pathways via immune profiling. Herein, we analyzed the transcriptomic expression and clinical correlates of V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA), a promising targetable checkpoint.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

RNA sequencing was carried out on 514 tissues reflecting diverse advanced/metastatic cancers. Expression of eight immune checkpoint markers [lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3), tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 14 (TNFRSF14), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), programmed death-ligand 2 (PD-L2), B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA), T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4)], in addition to VISTA, was analyzed, along with clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

High VISTA RNA expression was observed in 32% of tumors (66/514) and was the most common highly expressed checkpoint among the nine assessed. High VISTA expression was independently correlated with high BTLA, TIM-3, and TNFRSF14, and with a diagnosis of pancreatic, small intestine, and stomach cancer. VISTA transcript levels did not correlate with overall survival (OS) from metastatic/advanced disease in the pan-cancer cohort or with immunotherapy outcome (progression-free survival and OS from the start of ICI) in 217 ICI-treated patients. However, in ICI-treated pancreatic cancer patients (n = 16), median OS was significantly shorter (from immunotherapy initiation) for the high- versus not-high-VISTA groups (0.28 versus 1.21 years) (P = 0.047); in contrast, VISTA levels were not correlated with OS in 36 pancreatic cancer patients who did not receive ICI.

CONCLUSION

High VISTA expression correlates with high BTLA, TIM-3, and TNFRSF14 checkpoint-related molecules and with poorer post-immunotherapy survival in pancreatic cancer, consistent with prior literature indicating that VISTA is prominently expressed on CD68+ macrophages in pancreatic cancers and requiring validation in larger prospective studies. Immunomic analysis may be important for individualized precision immunotherapy.

OX40/OX40 ligand and its role in precision immune oncology

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the treatment landscape for various malignancies; however, their benefit is limited to a subset of patients. The immune machinery includes both mediators of suppression/immune evasion, such as PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and LAG-3, all of which can be inhibited by specific antibodies, and immune-stimulatory molecules, such as T-cell co-stimulatory receptors that belong to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF), including OX40 receptor (CD134; TNFRSF4), 4-1BB (CD137; TNFRSF9), and glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related (GITR) protein (CD357; TNFRSF18). In particular, OX40 and its binding ligand OX40L (CD134L; TNFSF4; CD252) are critical for immunoregulation. When OX40 on activated T cells binds OX40L on antigen-presenting cells, T-cell activation and immune stimulation are initiated via enhanced T-cell survival, proliferation and cytotoxicity, memory T-cell formation, and abrogation of regulatory T cell (Treg) immunosuppressive functions. OX40 agonists are in clinical trials both as monotherapy and in combination with other immunotherapy agents, in particular specific checkpoint inhibitors, for cancer treatment. To date, however, only a minority of patients respond. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that OX40 and OX40L expression vary between and within tumor types, and that only ~ 17% of cancer patients have high OX40 and low OX40L, one of the expression patterns that might be theoretically amenable to OX40 agonist enhancement. Taken together, the data suggest that the OX40/OX40L machinery is a critical part of the immune stimulatory system and that understanding endogenous expression patterns of these molecules and co-existing checkpoints merits further investigation in the context of a precision immunotherapy strategy for cancer therapy.

High CTLA-4 transcriptomic expression correlates with high expression of other checkpoints and with immunotherapy outcome

Background

CTLA-4 impedes the immune system's antitumor response. There are two Food and Drug Administration-approved anti-CTLA-4 agents - ipilimumab and tremelimumab - both used together with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents.

Objective

To assess the prognostic implications and immunologic correlates of high CTLA-4 in tumors of patients on immunotherapy and those on non-immunotherapy treatments.

Design/methods

We evaluated RNA expression levels in a clinical-grade laboratory and clinical correlates of CTLA-4 and other immune checkpoints in 514 tumors, including 489 patients with advanced/metastatic cancers and full outcome annotation. A reference population (735 tumors; 35 histologies) was used to normalize and rank transcript abundance (0-100 percentile) to internal housekeeping gene profiles.

Results

The most common tumor types were colorectal (140/514, 27%), pancreatic (55/514, 11%), breast (49/514, 10%), and ovarian cancers (43/514, 8%). Overall, 87 of 514 tumors (16.9%) had high CTLA-4 transcript expression (⩾75th percentile rank). Cancers with the largest proportion of high CTLA-4 transcripts were cervical cancer (80% of patients), small intestine cancer (33.3%), and melanoma (33.3%). High CTLA-4 RNA independently/significantly correlated with high PD-1, PD- L2, and LAG3 RNA levels (and with high PD-L1 in univariate analysis). High CTLA-4 RNA expression was not correlated with survival from the time of metastatic disease [N = 272 patients who never received immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)]. However, in 217 patients treated with ICIs (mostly anti-PD-1/anti-PD- L1), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly longer among patients with high versus non-high CTLA-4 expression [hazard ratio, 95% confidence interval: 0.6 (0.4-0.9) p = 0.008; and 0.5 (0.3-0.8) p = 0.002, respectively]; results were unchanged when 18 patients who received anti-CTLA-4 were omitted. Patients whose tumors had high CTLA-4 and high PD-L1 did best; those with high PD-L1 but non-high CTLA-4 and/or other expression patterns had poorer outcomes for PFS (p = 0.004) and OS (p = 0.009) after immunotherapy.

Conclusion

High CTLA-4, especially when combined with high PD-L1 transcript expression, was a significant positive predictive biomarker for better outcomes (PFS and OS) in patients on immunotherapy.

Pan-cancer analysis of TIM-3 transcriptomic expression reveals high levels in pancreatic cancer and interpatient heterogeneity

BACKGROUND

T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3), an immune checkpoint receptor, dampens immune function. TIM-3 antagonists have entered the clinic.

METHODS

We analyzed TIM-3 transcriptomic expression in 514 diverse cancers. Transcript abundance was normalized to internal housekeeping genes and ranked (0-100 percentile) to a reference population (735 tumors; 35 histologies [high≥75 percentile rank]). Ninety tumors (17.5%) demonstrated high TIM-3 expression.

RESULTS

TIM-3 expression varied between and within tumor types. However, high TIM-3 expression was more common in pancreatic cancer (20/55 tumors, 36.4%; odds ratio, 95% confidence interval (pancreatic vs. other tumors) = 3.176 (1.733-5.818; p < 0.001, multivariate]). High TIM-3 also significantly and independently correlated with high PD-L1 (p = 0.014) and high CTLA-4 (p < 0.001) transcriptomic expression (multivariate).

CONCLUSIONS

These observations indicate that TIM-3 RNA expression is heterogeneous, but more common in pancreatic cancer and in tumors exploiting PD-L1 and CTLA-4 checkpoints. Clinical trials with patient selection for matched immune-targeted combinations may be warranted.

Cancer-Immunity Marker RNA Expression Levels across Gynecologic Cancers: Implications for Immunotherapy

Our objective was to characterize cancer-immunity marker expression in gynecologic cancers and compare immune landscapes between gynecologic tumor subtypes and with nongynecologic solid tumors. RNA expression levels of 51 cancer-immunity markers were analyzed in patients with gynecologic cancers versus nongynecologic cancers, and normalized to a reference population of 735 control cancers, ranked from 0 to 100, and categorized as low (0-24), moderate (25-74), or high (75-100) percentile rank. Of the 72 patients studied, 43 (60%) had ovarian, 24 (33%) uterine, and 5 (7%) cervical cancer. No two immune profiles were identical according to expression rank (0-100) or rank level (low, moderate, or high). Patients with cervical cancer had significantly higher expression level ranks of immune activating, proinflammatory, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte markers, and checkpoints than patients with uterine or ovarian cancer (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). However, there were no significant differences in immune marker expression between uterine and ovarian cancers. Tumors with PD-L1 tumor proportional score (TPS) ≥1% versus 0% had significantly higher expression levels of proinflammatory markers (58 vs. 49%, P = 0.0004). Compared to patients with nongynecologic cancers, more patients with gynecologic cancers express high levels of IDO-1 (44 vs. 13%, P < 0.001), LAG3 (35 vs. 21%, P = 0.008), and IL10 (31 vs. 15%, P = 0.002.) Patients with gynecologic cancers have complex and heterogeneous immune landscapes that are distinct from patient to patient and from other solid tumors. High levels of IDO1 and LAG3 suggest that clinical trials with IDO1 inhibitors or LAG3 inhibitors, respectively, may be warranted in gynecologic cancers.

T-cell priming transcriptomic markers: implications of immunome heterogeneity for precision immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint blockade is effective for only a subset of cancers. Targeting T-cell priming markers (TPMs) may enhance activity, but proper application of these agents in the clinic is challenging due to immune complexity and heterogeneity. We interrogated transcriptomics of 15 TPMs (CD137, CD27, CD28, CD80, CD86, CD40, CD40LG, GITR, ICOS, ICOSLG, OX40, OX40LG, GZMB, IFNG, and TBX21) in a pan-cancer cohort (N = 514 patients, 30 types of cancer). TPM expression was analyzed for correlation with histological type, microsatellite instability high (MSI-H), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Among 514 patients, the most common histological types were colorectal (27%), pancreatic (11%), and breast cancer (10%). No statistically significant association between histological type and TPM expression was seen. In contrast, expression of GZMB (granzyme B, a serine protease stored in activated T and NK cells that induces cancer cell apoptosis) and IFNG (activates cytotoxic T cells) were significantly higher in tumors with MSI-H, TMB ≥ 10 mutations/mb and PD-L1 ≥ 1%. PD-L1 ≥ 1% was also associated with significantly higher CD137, GITR, and ICOS expression. Patients' tumors were classified into "Hot", "Mixed", or "Cold" clusters based on TPM expression using hierarchical clustering. The cold cluster showed a significantly lower proportion of tumors with PD-L1 ≥ 1%. Overall, 502 patients (98%) had individually distinct patterns of TPM expression. Diverse expression patterns of TPMs independent of histological type but correlating with other immunotherapy biomarkers (PD-L1 ≥ 1%, MSI-H and TMB ≥ 10 mutations/mb) were observed. Individualized selection of patients based on TPM immunomic profiles may potentially help with immunotherapy optimization.

LAG-3 transcriptomic expression patterns across malignancies: Implications for precision immunotherapeutics

BACKGROUND

Lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) or CD223 is a transmembrane protein that serves as an immune checkpoint which attenuates T-cell activation. Many clinical trials of LAG-3 inhibitors have had modest effects, but recent data indicate that the LAG-3 antibody relatlimab, together with nivolumab (anti-PD-1), provided greater benefit than nivolumab alone in patients with melanoma.

METHODS

In this study, the RNA expression levels of 397 genes were assessed in 514 diverse cancers at a clinical-grade laboratory (OmniSeq: https://www.omniseq.com/). Transcript abundance was normalized to internal housekeeping gene profiles and ranked (0-100 percentile) using a reference population (735 tumors; 35 histologies).

RESULTS

A total of 116 of 514 tumors (22.6%) had high LAG-3 transcript expression (≥75 percentile rank). Cancers with the greatest proportion of high LAG-3 transcripts were neuroendocrine (47% of patients) and uterine (42%); colorectal had among the lowest proportion of high LAG-3 expression (15% of patients) (all p < 0.05 multivariate); 50% of melanomas were high LAG-3 expressors. There was significant independent association between high LAG-3 expression and high expression of other checkpoints, including programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), PD-1, and CTLA-4, as well as high tumor mutational burden (TMB) ≥10 mutations/megabase, a marker for immunotherapy response (all p < 0.05 multivariate). However, within all tumor types, there was inter-patient variability in LAG-3 expression level.

CONCLUSIONS

Prospective studies are therefore needed to determine if high levels of the LAG-3 checkpoint are responsible for resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 or anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Furthermore, a precision/personalized immunotherapy approach may require interrogating individual tumor immunograms to match patients to the right combination of immunotherapeutic agents for their malignancy.

Abstract 928: Correlation among actionable gene mutations, microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden in advanced colorectal cancer and association with survival

Introduction: Targeted therapies and immunotherapies have changed the treatment strategy for advanced colorectal cancer. Characterizing associations of actionable gene mutations with microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) could suggest mechanistically intriguing combinations of targeted and immunotherapies.

Methods: Publicly available genetic and overall survival (OS) data of patients with colorectal cancer were analyzed. (N=3,548, MSK-MET through cBioPortal for cancer genomics) We investigated the correlations among actionable gene mutations (BRAF V600E, KRAS G12C, HER2 amplification, NTRK fusion, and RET fusion), MSI and TMB (&gt;20/Mb). The association of actionable mutations, MSI and TMB patterns with OS was analyzed.

Results: BRAF V600E, KRAS G12C, HER2 amplification, NTRK fusion, RET fusion, MSI and TMB &gt;20 was observed in 6.9, 3.1, 2.8, 0.3, 0.2, 9.2 and 9.9%, respectively. BRAF V600E showed mutual exclusivity toward KRAS G12C and HER2 amplification. MSI and TMB &gt; 20 were associated with the presence of BRAF V600E, NTRK fusion, and RET fusion and the absence of KRAS G12C and HER2 amplification. MSI and TMB &gt; 20 were highly correlated. (Table) Among patients with MSI (N=316), BRAF V600E was associated with shorter OS. (Hazard ratio (HR) 2.22, 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.12 - 4.41) In the patients without MSI, TMB &gt;20 showed significantly longer OS, compared with TMB ≤20. (HR 0.26, 95% CI; 0.085 - 0.82) Association of NTRK or RET fusion with survival could not be reliably assessed due to small sample size (n &lt; 10 for both).

Conclusion: There is significant correlation among targetable genetic mutations, MSI and TMB in colorectal cancer, and biomarker profiles are associated with differences in OS. Future studies should evaluate whether combinations of targeted therapies and immunotherapy have better efficacy than monotherapy approaches in selected patients.

Correlation among actionable gene mutations and immunomic signatures (OR and 95 % CI) KRAS G12C HER2 amp NTRK fusion RET fusion MSI TMB &gt;20 BRAF V600E 0 (0 - 0.44) * 0 (0 - 0.49) * 0 (0 - 6.79) 0 (0 - 9.31) 10.0 (7.39 - 13.5) * 8.76 (6.52 - 11.7) * KRAS G12C 0.31 (0.01 - 1.78) 0 (0 - 16.0) 0 (0 - 21.9) 0.18 (0.02 - 0.67) * 0.16 (0.02 - 0.61) * HER2 amp 0 (0 - 17.5) 0 (0 - 23.9) 0.10 (0.00 - 0.57) * 0.09 (0.00 - 0.51) * NTRK fusion 0 (0 - 315) 20.0 (4.25 - 124) * 18.4 (3.91 - 115) * RET fusion 24.9 (4.06 - 261) * 23.0 (3.74 - 241) * MSI 1.52 x 104 (4.20 x 103 - 4.50 x 1015) *

Citation Format: Hirotaka Miyashita, Gabriel Brooks, Razelle Kurzrock, Shumei Kato. Correlation among actionable gene mutations, microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden in advanced colorectal cancer and association with survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 928.

Cancer immunity marker RNA expression levels across gynecologic cancers: Implications for immunotherapy

Background: Our objective was to characterize cancer immunity marker expression in gynecologic cancers and compare immune landscapes between gynecologic tumor subtypes and with non-gynecologic solid tumors. Methods: RNA expression levels of 51 cancer-immunity markers were analyzed in patients with gynecologic cancers vs. non-gynecologic cancers, and normalized to a reference population of 735 control cancers, ranked from 0-100, and categorized as low (0-24), moderate (25-74), or high (75-100) percentile rank. Results: Of the 72 patients studied, 43 (60%) had ovarian, 24 (33%) uterine, and 5 (7%) cervical cancer. No two immune profiles were identical according to expression rank (0-100) or rank level (low, moderate, or high). Patients with cervical cancer had significantly higher expression level ranks of immune activating, pro-inflammatory, tumor infiltrating lymphocyte markers and checkpoints than patients with uterine or ovarian cancer (p<0.001 for all comparisons). However, there were no significant differences in immune marker expression between uterine and ovarian cancers. Tumors with PD-L1 TPS =>1% versus 0% had significantly higher expression levels of pro-inflammatory markers (58 vs. 49%, p=0.0004). Compared to patients with non-gynecologic cancers, more patients with gynecologic cancers express high levels of IDO-1 (44 vs. 13%, p<0.001), LAG3 (35 vs. 21%, p=0.008) and IL10 (31 vs. 15%, p=0.002.) Conclusions: Patients with gynecologic cancers have complex and heterogeneous immune landscapes that are distinct from patient to patient and from other solid tumors. High levels of IDO1 and LAG3 suggest that clinical trials with IDO1 inhibitors or LAG3 inhibitors, respectively, may be warranted in gynecologic cancers.

First-line therapy for elderly patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC): A systemic review and network meta-analysis

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Background: Multiple regimens incorporating tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), either alone or in combination, confer a significant OS benefit in 1L metastatic clear cell RCC. However, guidance for optimal treatment selection in elderly patients remains limited. A network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to compare the efficacy of 1L treatments for elderly patients with aRCC. Methods: Database search was performed through Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating first-line regimens for patients with aRCC older than 65 years old. The primary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Indirect comparisons of available regimens were estimated using a random-effects NMA. Results: 14 RCTs with more than 2,100 patients and 5 RCTs with 1,529 patients were eligible for PFS and OS analyses, respectively. Compared with sunitinib (Sun), the pembrolizumab (Pem) + axitinib (Axi) (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48-0.97) and Pem + lenvatinib (Len) (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.4-0.94) regimens were associated with significantly improved OS. In comparing the TKI-ICI combinations with dual ICI nivolumab (Niv) + ipilimumab (Ipi), no significant OS differences were observed (Pem + Len: HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.40-1.27; Pem + Axi: HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.47-1.34; Avelumab (Ave) + Axi: HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.58-1.85; Niv + cabozantinib [Cab]: HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.57-1.93, using Niv + Ipi as a reference). Pem + Len, Niv + Cab, Pem + Axi, and Cab alone each showed improved PFS over Sun (Table). Among these, Pem + Len showed a PFS advantage compared to Pem + Axi (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.91), but no PFS difference compared with the other regimens (vs Niv + Cab: HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.39-1.03; vs Cab alone: HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.40-1.77). Conclusions: Pem + Len and Pem + Axi provided the largest OS benefit in elderly patients for 1L aRCC. Pem + Len showed improved PFS compared with Pem + Axi, but no difference compared with Niv + Cab or Cab alone. Further validation using real-world data is needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of first-line regimens for the geriatric population with aRCC.[Table: see text]

Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of immune checkpoint markers in a pancancer cohort: Implications for response and resistance

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Background: Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized cancer treatment, not all patients with cancer benefit from ICB. One possible explanation for poor responders/resistance is the variable expression level of the target molecules (e.g., PD-1 and PD-L1) in the tumor microenvironment. There are recent or ongoing trials targeting variable pathways for immune evasion (e.g., LAG3 or IDO1). It is therefore of interest to know the expression levels related to variable immune checkpoints so that clinical trials can focus on the patients who can benefit from the cognate treatment. Methods: Overall, 514 patients with various solid tumors seen at the University of San Diego, Moores Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy were analyzed. The expression levels of checkpoint markers (ADORA2A, BTLA, CD276, CTLA4, IDO1, IDO2, LAG3, NOS2, PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, PVR, TIGIT, TIM3, VISTA, and VTCN) in the tumor samples were measured through RNA sequencing and normalized to internal housekeeping gene profiles, and ranked from 0 to 100 percentile based on a reference population. The expressions of each checkpoint marker were correlated with cancer types, microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status on immunohistochemistry. Results: In this cohort, 60% were female, median age of 60, and included 30 different tumor types, with colorectal cancer being the most common (27%). The rank values of all checkpoint markers were distributed broadly from 0 to 99 or 100. CD276 and NOS2 had the highest (68th percentile) and lowest (13.5 percentile) median rank values, respectively. When rank values were categorized to “Low” (0-24), “Intermediate” (25-74), and “High” (75-100), 41.6% of patients showed high expression of CD276 while only 13% showed high expression of PD-L1. Each patient had a distinctive protfolio of the categorical expression levels of 16 checkpoint markers. Several checkpoint markers, especially NOS2, showed a significant correlation with cancer type. (median rank values in colorectal, stomach, pancreatic, and breast cancer were 79, 76, 5 and 0 respectively, p < 0.001) Five markers (IDO1, LAG3, PD-1, PD-L1, and TIGIT) showed significant correlation with MSI, while seven markers (CTLA4, IDO1, LAG3, PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, and TIGIT) were significantly associated with positive PD-L1 status. However, no significant association was seen based on TMB or tissue-specific grouping of patients. Conclusions: The expression of immune checkpoint markers varies from patient to patient, though transcript expression of several markers correlates with cancer type, MSI, and PD-L1 status. Clinical trials with patient selection based on the expression level of checkpoint markers matched to the corresponding ICB drug are warranted.

The use of SPECT/CT to assess resorptive activity in mandibular condyles

The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical significance of bone metabolism in the mandibular condyles in determining condylar resorptive changes. Twelve condyles of patients with idiopathic condylar resorption and degenerative joint disease were analysed using ^99mTc HMDP SPECT/CT at baseline and subsequent computed tomography during the follow-up period. Twenty-two healthy condyles were enrolled as controls. After generating three-dimensional SPECT/CT images, two independent observers scored the degree of condylar uptake and measured the morphological changes in the condylar height and condylar volume. In the group with positive condylar uptake, the follow-up computed tomography showed significant decreases in condylar height (-1.69 ± 0.93 mm) and condylar volume (-12.51 ± 10.30%) when compared to healthy controls (condylar height, 0.09 ± 0.54 mm; condylar volume, -0.29 ± 4.22%) (P < 0.001). Moreover, the degree of uptake correlated with the changes in condylar height (observer 1, P = 0.012; observer 2, P = 0.039) and condylar volume (observer 1, P = 0.005; observer 2, P = 0.037). These results suggest that condylar bone metabolism is closely related to the resorptive activity. Thus, SPECT/CT would be useful in the prognostic evaluation or determination of treatment strategies for idiopathic condylar resorption and degenerative joint disease.

Bone-modifying agents for bone loss in patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy; insights from a network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The data of head-to-head comparisons of the effect of bone-modifying agents (BMAs) in patients with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer without skeletal metastasis is limited. Thus, we conducted a network meta-analysis to compare each BMA for the efficacy of bone mineral densities (BMDs) and the risk of fracture.

METHODS

We performed a network meta-analysis to compare the change of BMDs and the risk of vertebral fracture in the studies included using a random-effect model. The primary outcomes are the change of BMD of the lumbar spine (LS) and the total hip (TH) from the baseline at 1 year from the initiation of the BMA and the risk of vertebral fracture.

RESULTS

We identified and included 15 studies in this analysis. All BMAs except risedronate showed a significant increase of BMD of the LS compared with groups without BMA, among which zoledronate showed the most BMD gain. At TH, bisphosphonates (alendronate, pamidronate, and zoledronate) and denosumab showed significant elevation compared with the no-BMA group. Denosumab was associated with the most BMD gain at the TH. Only denosumab reduced the risk of vertebral fracture (relative risk [95% confidence interval]: 0.40 [0.20-0.81]). Although zoledronate showed the highest BMD gain at the LS, it did not reduce the risk of vertebral fracture in this analysis.

CONCLUSION

Most bisphosphonates and denosumab significantly increased BMD at the LS and the TH in patients receiving ADT for prostate cancer without skeletal metastasis. In particular, zoledronate and denosumab were the most potent BMAs in terms of BMD increment at the LS and the TH, respectively. However, denosumab, not zoledronate, was the only BMA that showed a significant risk reduction of vertebral fracture. We need further studies to examine the change of bone quality and the effect on the risk of non-vertebral and hip fractures.

Risk factors of skeletal-related events in patients with bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer undergoing treatment with zoledronate

BACKGROUND

Skeletal-related events (SREs) are related to morbidity and mortality in patients with bone metastatic prostate cancer, and preventive strategies based on patient risk assessment are recommended. However, potentiating factors for SREs in patients with bone metastatic prostate cancer are not well elucidated.

METHODS

We analyzed the clinical data from a controlled arm of a clinical trial comparing denosumab with zoledronate in patients with bone metastatic, castration resistant prostate cancer (ClinicalTrial.gov ID: NCT00321620) available at Project Data Sphere, a broad-access research platform. The primary endpoint was the first SRE after the inclusion to the trial, and the time to the first SRE was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards model based on patients' baseline characteristics including age, race, ECOG performance status (PS), Gleason score, TNM stage at diagnosis, metastasis pattern, and urine and serum laboratory data.

RESULTS

Seven hundred ten patients without documented history of osteopenia or osteoporosis whose data was available in the zoledronate arm of the trial were analyzed. The median age of the patients was 71 years old, the median follow-up was 225 days, and 295 patients (42%) had at least one SRE during this period. The univariate analysis showed that history of SREs, Gleason score ≥ 7, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and high urine N-telopeptide cross-links/creatinine ratio (NTx/Cre) are significant baseline risk factors for SREs. Patients with the characteristics of history of SREs, Gleason score ≥ 7 and elevated serum ALP also showed a significantly higher hazard ratio of SREs in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of SREs in patients with bone metastatic prostate cancer may be higher in those with history of SREs, Gleason ≥ 7, and elevated serum ALP.

Incidence of hepatitis associated with addition of immune checkpoint blockade to conventional solid tumor therapy: A meta-analysis of phase 3 randomized clinical trials

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Background: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for many solid tumors. Although safe for many patients, ICB causes immune-related adverse events (irAEs) including hepatitis, which may result in morbidity and treatment disruption. Severe hepatitis requires immunosuppression, including corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials to investigate the effect of adding ICB to conventional solid tumor therapy on the incidence of hepatitis. Methods: Phase 3 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing ICB and conventional therapy to conventional therapy alone were chosen by database search on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The odds ratios [OR] of any-grade and grade ≥3 hepatitis, elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were calculated. Meta-analysis was conducted to determine the incidence of hepatitis, elevated AST, and elevated ALT among patients receiving ICB and those receiving conventional therapy alone. Subgroup analysis based on the mechanism of ICB (Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 [CTLA-4] inhibitor, programmed cell death protein 1 [PD-1] inhibitor, and programmed death-ligand 1 [PD-L1] inhibitor) was also conducted. Results: A total of 29 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling 18,829 participants were analyzed. Incidence of hepatitis was derived from 24 RCTs enrolling 15,183 patients, and incidence of grade ≥3 hepatitis was derived from 22 RCTs enrolling 13,846 patients. Incidence of elevated AST was extracted from 18 RCTs, and incidence of elevated ALT was extracted from 20 RCTs. Addition of ICB to conventional therapy was associated with an increase in incidence of any-grade hepatitis (OR 2.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.82-3.55) and grade ≥3 hepatitis (OR 4.22, 95% CI 2.51-7.11). The addition of ICB was also associated with an increase in incidence of elevated AST (any grade: OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.59-3.03; grade ≥3: OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.85-5.48) and elevated ALT (any grade: OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.47-2.92; grade ≥3: OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.40-4.14). Subgroup analysis based on the mechanism of ICB demonstrated increased incidence of grade ≥3 hepatitis associated with CTLA-4 inhibitor, PD-1 inhibitor, and PD-L1 inhibitor therapy (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.26-6.14; OR 6.30, 95% CI 2.23-17.78; OR 4.73, 95% CI 1.83-12.23, respectively). No significant difference of heterogeneity was observed among subgroups ( I2= 0%, p = 0.43). Conclusions: Addition of ICB to conventional solid tumor therapy was associated with increased incidence of any-grade and severe hepatitis, and elevations of AST and ALT, regardless of the mechanism of ICB. Clinicians should weigh the risk of liver toxicity when considering addition of ICB therapy in patients with solid tumors.

An Evaluation of Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Levels in Patients with COVID-19 in New York City

AIM

Deterioration of patients from COVID-19 is associated with cytokine release syndrome attributed to an elevation in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D reduces proinflammatory cytokines, and has the possibility of reducing complications from respiratory tract illnesses.

METHOD

This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of patients with COVID-19 disease within a New York City Health System. Adult patients were included if they tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and had a serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level (25(OH)D) within the three previous months prior to their detected SARS-CoV-2 test. Patients were compared and evaluated based upon their 25(OH)D levels. The primary endpoints were hospitalization, need for oxygen support, and 90-day mortality.

RESULTS

437 COVID-19 patients were included [67 (IQR: 56-79) years] within this cohort. Deficient plasma 25(OH)D levels (<20 ng/ml) were associated with an increased likelihood of oxygen support [OR:2.23 (95% CI: 1.46-3.44, p = 0.0002)] from COVID-19. Deficient plasma 25(OH)D levels were not independently associated with 90-day mortality or risk of hospitalization. Hospitalization rates (98%), oxygen support (93%), and mortality rates (49%) were highest in patients who had 25(OH)D levels less than 10 ng/ml when compared to other 25(OH)D levels.

CONCLUSION

Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels may affect the need for oxygen support therapy in patients with COVID-19.

Cardiovascular and renal outcomes with SGLT-2 inhibitors versus GLP-1 receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence suggests that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular and renal events in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. However, no study to date has compared the effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors with that of GLP-1 RAs in type 2 DM patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We herein investigated the benefits of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 RAs in CKD patients.

METHODS

We performed a systematic literature search through November 2020. We selected randomized control trials that compared the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and a composite of renal outcomes. We performed a network meta-analysis to compare SGLT-2 inhibitors with GLP-1 RAs indirectly. Risk ratios (RRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were synthesized.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were selected with a total of 32,949 patients. SGLT-2 inhibitors led to a risk reduction in MACE and renal events (RR [95% CI]; 0.85 [0.75-0.96] and 0.68 [0.59-0.78], respectively). However, GLP-1 RAs did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular or renal adverse events (RR 0.91 [0.80-1.04] and 0.86 [0.72-1.03], respectively). Compared to GLP-1 RAs, SGLT-2 inhibitors did not demonstrate a significant difference in MACE (RR 0.94 [0.78-1.12]), while SGLT-2 inhibitors were associated with a lower risk of renal events compared to GLP-1 RAs (RR 0.79 [0.63-0.99]). A sensitivity analysis revealed that GLP-1 analogues significantly decreased MACE when compared to placebo treatment (RR 0.81 [0.69-0.95]), while exendin-4 analogues did not (RR 1.03 [0.88-1.20]).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with type 2 DM and CKD, SGLT-2 inhibitors were associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular and renal events, but GLP-1 RAs were not. SGLT-2 inhibitors significantly decreased the risk of renal events compared to GLP-1 RAs. Among GLP-1 RAs, GLP-1 analogues showed a positive impact on cardiovascular and renal outcomes, while exendin-4 analogues did not.

Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 in New York City

BACKGROUND

New York City emerged as an epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with mortality in a large patient population in the USA.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

6493 patients who had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with clinical outcomes between March 13 and April 17, 2020, who were seen in one of the 8 hospitals and/or over 400 ambulatory practices in the New York City metropolitan area MAIN MEASURES: Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

KEY RESULTS

A total of 858 of 6493 (13.2%) patients in our total cohort died: 52/2785 (1.9%) ambulatory patients and 806/3708 (21.7%) hospitalized patients. Cox proportional hazard regression modeling showed an increased risk of in-hospital mortality associated with age older than 50 years (hazard ratio [HR] 2.34, CI 1.47-3.71), systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg (HR 1.38, CI 1.06-1.80), a respiratory rate greater than 24 per min (HR 1.43, CI 1.13-1.83), peripheral oxygen saturation less than 92% (HR 2.12, CI 1.56-2.88), estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2 (HR 1.80, CI 1.60-2.02), IL-6 greater than 100 pg/mL (HR 1.50, CI 1.12-2.03), D-dimer greater than 2 mcg/mL (HR 1.19, CI 1.02-1.39), and troponin greater than 0.03 ng/mL (HR 1.40, CI 1.23-1.62). Decreased risk of in-hospital mortality was associated with female sex (HR 0.84, CI 0.77-0.90), African American race (HR 0.78 CI 0.65-0.95), and hydroxychloroquine use (HR 0.53, CI 0.41-0.67).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with COVID-19, older age, male sex, hypotension, tachypnea, hypoxia, impaired renal function, elevated D-dimer, and elevated troponin were associated with increased in-hospital mortality and hydroxychloroquine use was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality.