Gene network-based and ensemble modeling-based selection of tumor-associated antigens with a predicted low risk of tissue damage for targeted immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-associated antigens and their derived peptides constitute an opportunity to design off-the-shelf mainline or adjuvant anti-cancer immunotherapies for a broad array of patients. A performant and rational antigen selection pipeline would lay the foundation for immunotherapy trials with the potential to enhance treatment, tremendously benefiting patients suffering from rare, understudied cancers. METHODS: We present an experimentally validated, data-driven computational pipeline that selects and ranks antigens in a multipronged approach. In addition to minimizing the risk of immune-related adverse events by selecting antigens based on their expression profile in tumor biopsies and healthy tissues, we incorporated a network analysis-derived antigen indispensability index based on computational modeling results, and candidate immunogenicity predictions from a machine learning ensemble model relying on peptide physicochemical characteristics. RESULTS: In a model study of uveal melanoma, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) docking simulations and experimental quantification of the peptide-major histocompatibility complex binding affinities confirmed that our approach discriminates between high-binding and low-binding affinity peptides with a performance similar to that of established methodologies. Blinded validation experiments with autologous T-cells yielded peptide stimulation-induced interferon-γ secretion and cytotoxic activity despite high interdonor variability. Dissecting the score contribution of the tested antigens revealed that peptides with the potential to induce cytotoxicity but unsuitable due to potential tissue damage or instability of expression were properly discarded by the computational pipeline. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of the de novo computational selection of antigens with the capacity to induce an anti-tumor immune response and a predicted low risk of tissue damage. On translation to the clinic, our pipeline supports fast turn-around validation, for example, for adoptive T-cell transfer preparations, in both generalized and personalized antigen-directed immunotherapy settings.

Tirbanibulin 1% Ointment Significantly Reduces the Actinic Keratosis Area and Severity Index in Patients with Actinic Keratosis: Results from a Real-World Study.

BACKGROUND: Actinic keratosis (AK) is a cutaneous lesion resulting from the proliferation of atypical epidermal keratinocytes caused by long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation. AK may progress to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and therefore is often treated with topical agents such as 5-fluorouracil, diclofenac, imiquimod, and photodynamic therapy. Tirbanibulin has been approved based on two phase III trials in the USA. However, real-world evidence for tirbanibulin is absent. METHODS: This was a single-centre study of adult patients with clinically typical, visible AK on the face or scalp treated with tirbanibulin 1% ointment. Treatment was administered as per label once daily for 5 consecutive days on the same lesions or field. Treatment outcomes were assessed 4 weeks after treatment, with additional optional assessments conducted at later time points. Efficacy was measured using the actinic keratosis area and severity index (AKASI) and digital dermoscopy. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients were treated of whom 30 were analysed. The median AKASI score was 5.6 (1.4-11) pre-treatment and 1.2 (0-7.4) post-treatment (p < 0.0001). Complete clearance as defined by AKASI scores less than 1 was achieved in 47% (n = 14) and 57% (n = 13) at the first and second follow-up, respectively. All local reactions resolved spontaneously and without sequelae. The most common local reactions were erythema (80%, n = 26) and flaking or scaling (43%, n = 13). CONCLUSIONS: Tirbanibulin 1% ointment significantly and rapidly reduced the AKASI score in a real-world setting. The complete clearance rates were in line with those observed in the two pivotal trials.

Bispecific antibodies redirect synthetic agonistic receptor modified T cells against melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma is an immune sensitive disease, as demonstrated by the activity of immune check point blockade (ICB), but many patients will either not respond or relapse. More recently, tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy has shown promising efficacy in melanoma treatment after ICB failure, indicating the potential of cellular therapies. However, TIL treatment comes with manufacturing limitations, product heterogeneity, as well as toxicity problems, due to the transfer of a large number of phenotypically diverse T cells. To overcome said limitations, we propose a controlled adoptive cell therapy approach, where T cells are armed with synthetic agonistic receptors (SAR) that are selectively activated by bispecific antibodies (BiAb) targeting SAR and melanoma-associated antigens. METHODS: Human as well as murine SAR constructs were generated and transduced into primary T cells. The approach was validated in murine, human and patient-derived cancer models expressing the melanoma-associated target antigens tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) and melanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (MCSP) (CSPG4). SAR T cells were functionally characterized by assessing their specific stimulation and proliferation, as well as their tumor-directed cytotoxicity, in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: MCSP and TYRP1 expression was conserved in samples of patients with treated as well as untreated melanoma, supporting their use as melanoma-target antigens. The presence of target cells and anti-TYRP1 × anti-SAR or anti-MCSP × anti-SAR BiAb induced conditional antigen-dependent activation, proliferation of SAR T cells and targeted tumor cell lysis in all tested models. In vivo, antitumoral activity and long-term survival was mediated by the co-administration of SAR T cells and BiAb in a syngeneic tumor model and was further validated in several xenograft models, including a patient-derived xenograft model. CONCLUSION: The SAR T cell-BiAb approach delivers specific and conditional T cell activation as well as targeted tumor cell lysis in melanoma models. Modularity is a key feature for targeting melanoma and is fundamental towards personalized immunotherapies encompassing cancer heterogeneity. Because antigen expression may vary in primary melanoma tissues, we propose that a dual approach targeting two tumor-associated antigens, either simultaneously or sequentially, could avoid issues of antigen heterogeneity and deliver therapeutic benefit to patients.

Assessment of the Quality, Understandability, and Reliability of YouTube Videos as a Source of Information on Basal Cell Carcinoma: Web-Based Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with skin cancer increasingly watch online videos to acquire disease-related information. Until now, no scientific evaluation of the quality of videos available for German-speaking patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has been performed. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to identify and evaluate videos about BCC provided on YouTube. METHODS: A video search on YouTube was conducted in July 2020, using German BCC-related keywords (eg, "Basalzellkarzinom," "Basaliom," "weißer hautkrebs," and "heller hautkrebs"). The first three pages (ie, 60 videos) were searched by two independent researchers for each keyword. Two authors evaluated videos that met the predefined eligibility criteria. The quality of the information of the videos was evaluated using the DISCERN tool and the Global Quality Scale (GQS). The understandability and actionability were assessed with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V). The reliability was assessed with the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) criteria score. Subgroup differences were identified using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: A total of 41 videos were included in the evaluation. The mean assessment scores were as follows: DISCERN, 3.3 (SD 0.80); GQS, 3.8 (SD 1.1); JAMA, 27.74% (SD 22.1%); understandability, 70.8% (SD 13.3%); and actionability, 45.9% (SD 43.7%). These values indicated that the videos were of medium to good quality and had good understandability, low actionability, and poor reliability. The quality of videos provided by health professionals was significantly higher than that of videos provided by laypersons. CONCLUSIONS: Optimization of health-related videos about BCC is desirable. In particular, adaptation to reliability criteria is necessary to support patient education and increase transparency.

How Neural Crest Transcription Factors Contribute to Melanoma Heterogeneity, Cellular Plasticity, and Treatment Resistance.

Cutaneous melanoma represents one of the deadliest types of skin cancer. The prognosis strongly depends on the disease stage, thus early detection is crucial. New therapies, including BRAF and MEK inhibitors and immunotherapies, have significantly improved the survival of patients in the last decade. However, intrinsic and acquired resistance is still a challenge. In this review, we discuss two major aspects that contribute to the aggressiveness of melanoma, namely, the embryonic origin of melanocytes and melanoma cells and cellular plasticity. First, we summarize the physiological function of epidermal melanocytes and their development from precursor cells that originate from the neural crest (NC). Next, we discuss the concepts of intratumoral heterogeneity, cellular plasticity, and phenotype switching that enable melanoma to adapt to changes in the tumor microenvironment and promote disease progression and drug resistance. Finally, we further dissect the connection of these two aspects by focusing on the transcriptional regulators MSX1, MITF, SOX10, PAX3, and FOXD3. These factors play a key role in NC initiation, NC cell migration, and melanocyte formation, and we discuss how they contribute to cellular plasticity and drug resistance in melanoma.

Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What Do We Currently Know in 2020?

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer that predominantly arises in chronically sun-damaged skin. Immunosuppression, genetic disorders such as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), exposure to certain drugs and environmental noxae have been identified as major risk factors. Surgical removal of cSCC is the therapy of choice and mostly curative in early stages. However, a minority of patients develop locally advanced tumors or distant metastases that are still challenging to treat. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) targeting CTLA-4, PD-L1 and PD-1 has tremendously changed the field of oncological therapy and especially the treatment of skin cancers as tumors with a high mutational burden. In this review, we focus on the differences between cSCC and cutaneous melanoma (CM) and their implications on therapy, summarize the current evidence on ICB for the treatment of advanced cSCC and discuss the chances and pitfalls of this therapy option for this cancer entity. Furthermore, we focus on special subgroups of interest such as organ transplant recipients, patients with hematologic malignancies, XP and field cancerization.

Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for the Development and Update of Clinical Practice Guidelines: Viewpoint.

Following the rapid spread of a new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), nearly all countries have introduced temporary restrictions affecting daily life, with "social distancing" as a key intervention for slowing the spread of the virus. Despite the pandemic, the development or actualization of medical guidelines, especially in the rapidly changing field of oncology, needs to be continued to provide up-to-date evidence- and consensus-based recommendations for shared decision making and maintaining the treatment quality for patients. In this viewpoint, we describe the potential strengths and limitations of online conferences for medical guideline development. This viewpoint will assist guideline developers in evaluating whether online conferences are an appropriate tool for their guideline conference and audience.

Patient Perception of Mobile Phone Apps for the Care and Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: In the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, various health-related apps have been launched, including apps for sexually transmitted diseases. Until now, little has been known about how patients perceive the value of such apps. OBJECTIVE: To investigate patient's attitudes and awareness toward sexually transmitted disease-related apps in an outpatient sexually transmitted disease clinic setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a dermatovenereological outpatient unit between April and July 2019. Patients completed a self-administered questionnaire on their perceptions of the popularity and usefulness of sexually transmitted disease-related apps. Descriptive analysis was performed with expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median, range, and interquartile range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were used to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and items of the questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 226 patients were surveyed (heterosexual: 137/193, 71.0%; homosexual: 44/193, 22.8%; bisexual: 12/193, 6.2%); 11.9% (27/225) had previously used health-related apps. Nearly half of the patients (97/214, 45.3%) specifically considered sexually transmitted disease-related apps useful, 47.8% (100/209) voted that they could supplement or support the consultation of a physician. Interestingly, only 35.1% (74/211) preferred a printed patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases over downloading and using an app, but 64.0% (134/209) would download a sexually transmitted disease-related app recommended by their physician. General information regarding sexually transmitted diseases (93/167, 55.7%), evaluation of skin diseases based on photos or videos (78/167, 53.3%), information on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (76/167, 45.5%), mediation of nearby contact points or test sites (74/167, 44.3%), anonymous medical advice (69/167, 41.3%), and calculation of the risk of having a sexually transmitted disease (63/167, 37.3%) were rated as the most important features. Men were more likely than women to find sexually transmitted disease-related apps useful in general (P=.04; χ2=6.28) and to pay for such apps (P=.01; χ2=9.19). Patients aged <40 years would rather download an app recommended by their physician (P=.03; χ2=7.23), whereas patients aged >40 years preferred reading a patient brochure on sexually transmitted diseases (P=.02; χ2=8.14). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated high general interest in the use of sexually transmitted disease-related apps in this sample of dermatovenereological outpatients. In particular, young age and male sex were significantly associated with a positive perception, underlining the high potential of apps in the prevention and early recognition of sexually transmitted diseases in this group. Future studies are warranted to validate these findings in other populations.

The Role of Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Uveal Melanoma.

Uveal melanoma (UM) represents the most common intraocular malignancy in adults and accounts for about 5% of all melanomas. Primary disease can be effectively controlled by several local therapy options, but UM has a high potential for metastatic spread, especially to the liver. Despite its clinical and genetic heterogeneity, therapy of metastatic UM has largely been adopted from cutaneous melanoma (CM) with discouraging results until now. The introduction of antibodies targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1 for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized the field of cancer therapy and has achieved pioneering results in metastatic CM. Thus, expectations were high that patients with metastatic UM would also benefit from these new therapy options. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview on the role of ICB in UM. We give a summary of UM biology, its clinical features, and how it differs from CM. The results of several studies that have been investigating ICB in metastatic UM are presented. We discuss possible reasons for the lack of efficacy of ICB in UM compared to CM, highlight the pitfalls of ICB in this cancer entity, and explain why other immune-modulating therapies could still be an option for future UM therapies.

Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer-Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: In the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, skin cancer-related apps represent useful tools to support dermatologic consultation and examination. Yet, little is known about how patients perceive the value of such apps. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate patient attitudes and their awareness toward skin cancer-related apps. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including 200 patients from the oncological outpatient unit was conducted at the University Hospital (LMU Munich, Germany) between September and December 2018. Patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on the popularity and usefulness of health-related and skin cancer-related apps. A descriptive analysis was performed with the expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median and range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were performed to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and selected items of the questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 98.9% (195/197) of patients had never used skin cancer-related apps or could not remember. In 49.7% (93/187) of cases, patients were unsure about the usefulness of skin cancer apps, whereas 42.6% (78/183) thought that skin cancer apps could supplement or support the professional skin examination performed by a physician. However, 47.9% (90/188) were interested in acquiring more information by their dermatologists about skin cancer apps. Young age (P=.002), male gender (P=.02), a previous history of melanoma (P=.004), and higher educational level (P=.002) were significantly associated with a positive attitude. Nevertheless, 55.9% (105/188) preferred a printed patient brochure on skin cancer to downloading and using an app. CONCLUSIONS: The experience and knowledge of skin cancer-related apps was surprisingly low in this population, although there was a high general interest in more information about such apps. Printed patient brochures were the preferred information source.

Patient Attitude towards Videodermatoscopy for the Detection of Skin Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Videodermatoscopy (VD) is a useful device for supporting dermatologists in the distinction between benign and malignant lesions. However, only few patients have access to VD in daily practice. OBJECTIVES: To investigate patient attitudes towards VD. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2018. Patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on the popularity of VD. Descriptive analysis was performed including contingency tables and χ2 tests to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and the popularity of VD. RESULTS: A total of 61.2% (123/201) of the patients had not heard of VD at the time of assessment or were unsure. Of the 38.8% of patients (78/201) who already knew of VD, 64.1% (50/78) reported that they had already been investigated by VD; 57.5% (111/193) were willing to pay an extra fee for VD. A high level of education and private insurance status had a statistically significant association with the popularity of VD (p = 0.036 and p = 0.026, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There was a strong information deficit, especially in patients with lower education and statutory health insurance. Nevertheless, the willingness to pay an extra fee for a VD-assisted skin examination was high. Dermatologists should actively offer and inform their patients about VD when performing skin cancer screening.

The myelin protein PMP2 is regulated by SOX10 and drives melanoma cell invasion.

The transcription factor sex determining region Y-box 10 (SOX10) plays a key role in the development of melanocytes and glial cells from neural crest precursors. SOX10 is involved in melanoma initiation, proliferation, invasion, and survival. However, specific mediators which impart its oncogenic properties remain widely unknown. To identify target genes of SOX10, we performed RNA sequencing after ectopic expression of SOX10 in human melanoma cells. Among nine differentially regulated genes, peripheral myelin protein 2 (PMP2) was consistently upregulated in several cell lines. Direct regulation of PMP2 by SOX10 was shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation, electrophoretic mobility shift, and luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, a coregulation of PMP2 by SOX10 and early growth response 2 in melanoma cells was found. Phenotypical investigation demonstrated that PMP2 expression can increase melanoma cell invasion. As PMP2 protein was detected only in a subset of melanoma cell lines, it might contribute to melanoma heterogeneity.

Cervicofacial Botryomycosis: Is Atopic Dermatitis a Predisposing Factor?

BACKGROUND: Botryomycosis is a rare infectious disease which usually affects the skin. The low virulence of the bacteria tending to form grains and the immune status of the host are important factors in the development of the disease. METHODS: We report a case of cervicofacial botryomycosis and review the current literature. RESULTS: A 47-year-old male with a long history of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis presented with painful and suppurative nodules of the head and neck. A skin biopsy revealed granules consisting of Gram-positive bacterial colonies in a blossom-like assembly in the center and an eosinophilic rim in the periphery, which are pathognomonic features of botryomycosis. The lesions responded well to systemic antibiotics; however, they rapidly relapsed upon cessation of the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the well-defined histologic features and recall an almost forgotten disease. We review common predisposing conditions and present evidence that atopic dermatitis might be an additional predisposing factor.