MD Anderson Research Highlights for June 5, 2024

Featuring an option for lower-intensity AML treatments, a novel cell therapy for treating bone marrow failure, and the use of MRI to analyze metabolic changes in tumors

2024-06-05

(Press-News.org) HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.

Recent developments at MD Anderson offer insights into a lower-intensity therapy combination for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a novel T cell therapy for patients with bone marrow failure syndromes, a proof-of-concept study using MRI to detect metabolic changes inside tumors, a molecular target to overcome treatment resistance in patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), and presurgical targeted therapy to improve outcomes for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Lower intensity triplet combination offers favorable outcomes in older patients with AML
Despite improvements in treatment options for older patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), long-term survival remains poor in this population. To provide insights, researchers led by Tapan Kadia, M.D., analyzed survival outcomes of older patients receiving a triplet combination of venetoclax, cladribine and low-dose cytarabine, followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). They compared results from a Phase II clinical trial to those of a retrospective cohort of older patients who underwent SCT after intensive chemotherapy. The two-year relapse-free survival rate was superior in patients receiving the triplet combination (88%) compared to those receiving SCT and intensive chemotherapy (65%). The overall survival rates for both groups were comparable, at 84% and 70%, respectively. These results suggest that the lower-intensity combination could offer superior long-term survival outcomes, including the possibility of SCT without high-intensity regimens. While the trial evaluated patients aged 60 and older, the researchers suggest it could be applied to a broader population. Learn more in Cancer.

Cell therapy shows promising efficacy in patients with refractory bone marrow failure
Patients with aplastic anemia, myelofibrosis and myelodysplasia have an inflammatory bone marrow environment that can lead to bone marrow failure syndromes. T regulatory (Treg) cells often are decreased and defective in aplastic anemia, and adoptive therapy with Tregs has been shown to reverse bone marrow failure, suggesting its therapeutic potential. In a Phase I clinical trial led by Tapan Kadia, M.D., researchers infused a single dose of CK0801 – an allogeneic, umbilical cord blood-derived Treg cell therapy – in nine patients with aplastic anemia, myelofibrosis or myelodysplasia who experienced poor responses to prior lines of therapy. The overall response rate at 12 months was 67%, with 75% of patients with aplastic anemia achieving a partial response. These results provide proof of concept that targeting inflammation with T cell therapy is safe and can improve outcomes for patients with refractory bone marrow failure. Learn more in NEJM Evidence.

First-in-human hyperpolarized MRI enables clinical analysis of tumor metabolism
Metabolic shifts within tumors may be predictive of treatment response as well as tumor aggressiveness, but clinical translation is limited due to the inability to precisely monitor these shifts. In a first-in-human study led by Stephen Lai, M.D., Ph.D., researchers demonstrated the potential of hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging (HP-MRI) to assess these shifts in a patient with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Using a hyperpolarized carbon 13 pyruvate tracer, the researchers were able to measure intratumoral metabolic shifts with high resolution, and the test-retest reproducibility showed strong potential for clinical translation. With this successful proof of concept, researchers now are evaluating how to scale up HP-MRI for use in patients prior to and during treatment to enable adaptive treatment strategies. Learn more in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

RAS pathway insights lead to potential therapeutic target for leukemia subtype
Patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), a type of blood cancer, often are treated with hypomethylating agents (HMA). However, those patients harboring RAS mutations often develop treatment resistance and have a high risk of progressing to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In an effort to understand the underlying mechanisms, researchers led by Simona Colla, Ph.D., found that RAS mutations induce inflammatory signal pathways and cause gene expression changes in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which expand at disease progression after HMA therapy. These cells also rely on the anti-apoptotic MCL1 protein, which prevents cell death, for their survival. The results provide insights into why some patients with CMML don’t respond well to treatment and suggest targeting MCL1 as part of a combined therapeutic approach could overcome treatment resistance and improve outcomes for patients with RAS-mutated CMML. Learn more in Cell Reports Medicine.

Combination treatment improves outcomes and highlights predictive biomarkers for triple-negative breast cancer subset
Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are treated with neoadjuvant, or presurgical, chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy, but not all patients benefit. Targeted therapy with androgen receptor (AR) blockade has improved responses and survival in some patients, but it remains unclear which characteristics determine treatment. In a Phase II study, researchers led by Bora Lim, M.D., combined the AR inhibitor enzalutamide with paclitaxel chemotherapy as secondary neoadjuvant treatment in 24 patients with luminal AR (LAR)-enriched TNBC. Four patients (17%) achieved a pathological complete response and six (25%) had residual cancer burden-I (minimal burden), resulting in a response rate of 42%, exceeding historical rates of 5-20%. None of the patients experienced serious side effects. The researchers also identified AR-responsive gene sets that could be predictive biomarkers for treatment response. The results showed that the combination is effective and safe to induce a response before surgery for patients with early-stage LAR-enriched TNBC. Learn more in Cell Reports Medicine.

Awards and honors

Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer, was awarded the 2024 Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine by the American-Italian Cancer Foundation (AICF) MD Anderson at ASCO 2024
Read below for highlights from MD Anderson at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. More information can be found at MDAnderson.org/ASCO.

ASCO: Proton therapy demonstrates advantages in Phase III head and neck cancer trial ASCO: Novel targeted cancer therapies demonstrate activity and safety in metastatic solid tumors ASCO: Novel CAR T therapy and shorter targeted therapy durations show promise for patients with leukemia ASCO: MD Anderson’s Sharon Giordano and Richard Gorlick honored as 2024 Special Awards Recipients MD Anderson Research Highlights: ASCO 2024 Special Edition Read this press release in the MD Anderson Newsroom.

- 30 -

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New study finds many of the world’s most threatened species lack evidence of sufficient conservation efforts

2024-06-05

-With images- A new study has revealed alarming gaps in the implementation of conservation interventions for thousands of the world's most threatened species. The research, published in the journal Nature, shows that most terrestrial plant and animal species at risk of extinction from threats like habitat loss, over-exploitation for trade, and invasive species are not receiving the appropriate types of conservation efforts needed to protect them. The study findings suggest that there is a serious mismatch between the ...

BU study: Black-specific incarceration rates are associated with Black firearm homicide rates

2024-06-05

(Boston)—Firearm-related injury remains a significant burden in the U.S. with more than 45,000 people dying from these injuries in 2020. Suicides continue to account for the majority of all gun deaths. The number of homicides due to gun violence decreased between 1990 and 2010, but the last decade has seen an uptick. Homicides now make up 45% of all gun-related deaths, and Black and other minorities are overrepresented among firearm homicide victims. Moreover, there has been a stark increase in incarcerated populations in the U.S since the 1980s largely due to differential drug sentencing, ...

New technique reveals how gene transcription is coordinated in cells

2024-06-05

The human genome contains about 23,000 genes, but only a fraction of those genes are turned on inside a cell at any given time. The complex network of regulatory elements that controls gene expression includes regions of the genome called enhancers, which are often located far from the genes that they regulate. This distance can make it difficult to map the complex interactions between genes and enhancers. To overcome that, MIT researchers have invented a new technique that allows them to observe the timing of gene and enhancer activation in a cell. When a gene is turned on around the same time as a particular enhancer, it strongly suggests the enhancer ...

Major cause of inflammatory bowel disease discovered

2024-06-05

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, working with UCL and Imperial College London, have discovered a new biological pathway that is a principal driver of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and related conditions, and which can be targeted using existing drugs. About 5% of the world’s population, and one in ten people in the UK1, are currently affected by an autoimmune disease, such as IBD, the umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases are also becoming more common, with over half a million people living with IBD in the UK as of 2022, nearly double the 300,000 previously estimated2. Despite increasing prevalence, current treatments do not ...

Cooperative proteins help the immune system identify and attack invaders

2024-06-05

LA JOLLA (June 5, 2024)—Bacteria, parasites, viruses—the immune system tackles them all. At the front line of the human immune response are cells called macrophages, which are responsible for correctly identifying intruders and then directing how the entire immune system responds. Researchers at the Salk Institute have now discovered a molecular mechanism that helps macrophages mount a coordinated response tailored to a specific immune challenge. Activating macrophages requires the work of three versions of a protein complex called SWI/SNF: cBAF, ncBAF, and PBAF. Scientists already knew these variants had slightly different structures, but ...

Why do 1 in 10 Americans get eczema? Is it too much salt?

2024-06-05

Why Do 1 in 10 Americans Get Eczema? Is it Too Much Salt? UCSF Study finds that changes in daily salt intake may explain eczema flares. A high sodium diet may increase the risk of eczema, according to researchers at UC San Francisco (UCSF), who found that eating just one extra gram of sodium per day – the amount in a Big Mac – increases the likelihood of flares by 22%. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic disease that causes dry, itchy skin. It’s one of ...

Banning false information traffickers online improved public discourse

2024-06-05

When Twitter banned more than 70,000 traffickers of false information from its platform in the wake of the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the impact went beyond the silencing of those users. A study co-authored by UC Riverside public policy and political science scholars published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, June 5, found that the crackdown by Twitter (now called X after it was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk in late 2022) also significantly reduced the number of misinformation posts by users who stayed on the platform but had been following those who were kicked off. Additionally, the study found that many of the misinformation ...

Cannabis use common among patients, with most using it to manage a symptom or health condition

2024-06-05

One in six patients in primary care reported cannabis use, with 35% of those using at levels indicating moderate- to high-risk for cannabis use disorder, new UCLA research finds. The findings, to be published June 5 in JAMA Network Open, suggest that most patients reported using cannabis for symptom management, despite identifying as recreational users, indicating the need for routine cannabis screening. Currently few healthcare systems offer this screening in primary care settings. “Patients may not tell their primary care providers about their cannabis use, and their doctors ...

Large-scale study reveals functional diversity of DNA transposons and expands genome engineering toolbox

2024-06-05

In a study published in Cell, a research team led by ZHANG Yong'e and WANG Haoyi from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has characterized the diversity of DNA transposons and expanded the genome engineering toolbox. "Our systematic and comparative framework complements conventional case studies in elucidating basic biology and strengthening applied biology," said Prof. ZHANG, corresponding author of the study. Since the first discovery of transposons by Barbara McClintock in the 1940s, scientists ...

Preoperative antibiotic treatment in pediatric elbow fracture surgery is not necessary

2024-06-05

Antibiotic treatment prior to surgical repair of a pediatric elbow fracture does not reduce the risk for post-operative infection, according to new findings from a team of researchers and surgeons from the University of Missouri School of Medicine. A humerus bone fracture near the elbow is a common injury among children who fall. The typical surgical approach for repairing pediatric elbow fractures is a procedure called closed reduction percutaneous pinning (CRPP). It involves inserting pins or wires through the skin to promote stability and healing of the bone. CRPP is a minimally invasive, safe and effective ...

MD Anderson Research Highlights for June 5, 2024

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: