LAG-3 Inhibitors: Novel Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Changing the Landscape of Immunotherapy.

One of the most important steps forward in the management of cancer was the discovery of immunotherapy. It has become an essential pillar in the treatment paradigm of cancer patients. Unfortunately, despite the various options presented with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the benefit is still limited to select patients and the vast majority of these patients gain either minimal benefit or eventually progress, leaving an unmet need for the development of novel therapeutic agents and strategies. Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), an immune checkpoint receptor protein, is a molecule found on the surface of activated T-cells. It plays a major role in negatively regulating T-cell function thereby providing tumors with an immune escape in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Given its importance in regulating the immune system, LAG-3 has been considered as a promising target in oncology and precision medicine. To date, two LAG-3-directed agents (eftilagimod alpha and relatlimab) have been approved in combination with programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors in the setting of advanced solid tumors. In this review, we discuss the structure of LAG-3, its mechanism of action, and its interaction with its ligands. We also shed light on the emerging treatments targeting LAG-3 for the treatment of solid tumors.

Mechanisms of Resistance to Antibody-Drug Conjugates.

The treatment of cancer patients has dramatically changed over the past decades with the advent of monoclonal antibodies, immune-checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific antibodies, and innovative T-cell therapy. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have also revolutionized the treatment of cancer. Several ADCs have already been approved in hematology and clinical oncology, such as trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), and sacituzumab govitecan (SG) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, and enfortumab vedotin (EV) for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma. The efficacy of ADCs is limited by the emergence of resistance due to different mechanisms, such as antigen-related resistance, failure of internalization, impaired lysosomal function, and other mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the clinical data that contributed to the approval of T-DM1, T-DXd, SG, and EV. We also discuss the different mechanisms of resistance to ADCs, as well as the ways to overcome this resistance, such as bispecific ADCs and the combination of ADCs with immune-checkpoint inhibitors or tyrosine-kinase inhibitors.

Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in elderly patients (≥70 years) with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Recent meta-analysis showed that immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have comparable activity between younger and older patients. However, little is known about efficacy and safety of ICI in elderly patients with relapsed/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN). The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of ICI for patients aged ≥70 y to that for younger patients, while taking into account potential confounding factors. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at four hospitals in France. Patients treated with ICI for R/M SCCHN between September 2014 and December 2018 were eligible. Patients' charts were reviewed for clinical and radiological data as well as oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: We included 226 patients, of whom 67 were aged ≥70 years. Objective response rate (ORR), median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were 23%, 9.7 months and 2.7 months, respectively, for elderly patients, compared to 13%, 8.7 months and 1.9 months for younger patients (respective p-values: 0.071, 0.87 and 0.21). After adjustment for performance status, site of progression, number of ICI drugs, time between initial diagnosis and ICI start and number of previous lines, age ≥70 years was significantly associated with a better PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; p = 0.021) but not OS (HR, 0.91; p = 0.59). Grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 15% of patients aged ≥70 years and in 8% of younger patients (p = 0.13). CONCLUSION: Patients aged ≥70 years with R/M SCCHN may respond to ICI similarly as younger patients in terms of ORR, OS and PFS, while maintaining comparable rate of AEs.

Urothelial carcinoma in the era of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Bladder cancer is the seventh most frequent cancer worldwide. The majority of patients present with nonmuscle invasive disease, while 20% of the patients are diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The treatment of nonmuscle invasive disease is endoscopic resection followed by intravesical adjuvant treatment for high risk patients. The standard treatment of localized muscle-invasive disease is neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment in locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of metastatic urothelial carcinoma as second-line treatment or first-line in platinum-ineligible patients. Recently, pembrolizumab have been approved in bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-refractory nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. This review summarizes the current evidence concerning immunotherapy in the treatment of urothelial carcinoma.

Lay abstract Bladder cancer is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide with multiple known risk factors such as cigarette smoking and occupational exposures. The majority of patients present with a superficial disease treated with endoscopic resection and intravesical treatment if needed. The localized form of bladder cancer is treated with chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy. Metastatic bladder cancer is an incurable disease and historic treatment remains on chemotherapy. Recently, immunotherapy has been approved for the treatment of bladder cancer after progression on chemotherapy. In this article we reviewed the most recent available data concerning immunotherapy for the treatment of early-stage and advanced disease.

Expression of CD94 by ex vivo-differentiated NK cells correlates with the in vitro and in vivo acquisition of cytotoxic features.

The administration of ex vivo-expanded Natural Killer (NK) cells in leukemia therapy is still challenging, in part due to the difficulty to generate in sufficient quantities fully mature and functional NK cells and Identification of surface markers indicative of NK maturation and functionality is therefore needed. Here, based on the analysis of surface receptors of ex vivo-expanded NK cells, we identified CD94 as a surface marker correlating with high lytic potential against leukemic cell lines and immunological synapse formation. CD94-positive ex vivo-expanded NK cells displayed higher expression of NKG2 receptors and the adhesion molecule LFA-1, as compared with their CD94-negative counterparts. We also tested the in vivo anti-leukemic capacity of ex vivo-expanded NK cells against patient-derived acute myeloid leukemia cells. Although no anti-leukemic effect was detected, we noticed that only CD94-positive ex vivo-expanded NK cells were detected in leukemic mice at the end of the 2-week treatment. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis showed a subpopulation harboring CD94 (NK) and CD34 (leukemic cells) double staining, indicative of conjugate formation. Therefore surface expression of CD94 on ex vivo-differentiated NK cells emerged as an indicator of in vitro and in vivo killer cell functionality.

Febuxostat-associated eosinophilic polymyositis in marginal zone lymphoma.

Febuxostat is an orally administered selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase approved for the treatment of gout and prevention of tumor lysis syndrome. It is a relatively safe medication. Hypersensitivity reactions associated with the use of febuxostat are quite rare with only one reported case of DRESS syndrome. Recently, two case reports of rhabdomyolysis following the initiation of febuxostat were published. We hereby present the first case of rhabdomyolysis with hypereosinophilia following the administration of febuxostat to a 50-year-old patient newly diagnosed with marginal zone lymphoma. Three weeks after the initiation of febuxostat for tumor lysis syndrome prophylaxis, the patient presented with generalized weakness, diffuse myalgia and low-grade fever. Initial studies showed creatinine kinase level of 4471, hypereosinophilia of 1900/mm3, and LDH of 2691. All infectious and autoimmune diseases were ruled out. TSH level was normal. Muscle biopsy showed myonecrosis in addition to an eosinophilic inflammatory infiltrate in the endomysium and perimysium. Discontinuation of febuxostat led to prompt symptom resolution and normalization of blood tests eight days later.

Characteristics of incident female breast cancer in Lebanon, 1990-2013: Descriptive study of 612 cases from a hospital tumor registry.

Despite the fact that breast cancer is a major health issue, very few studies describe its characteristics in the Arab world or the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon. We report in this article a retrospective pilot study of the characteristics of breast cancer in Lebanon. The pathological characteristics of 624 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2013 randomly chosen from the archives of an oncology clinic affiliated to Hotel Dieu de France Hospital are analyzed. The mean age at diagnosis is 54.6±13.4 years with 43% diagnosed before the age of 50 years. The infiltrative ductal carcinoma represents the major pathological subtype. One third of the tumors had a size of more than 2 cm at diagnosis. Estrogen-receptors are positive in more than 50% of our patients and Her2-neu is overexpresssed in 30%. Luminal A represents 45.5% and the triple negative subgroup constitutes only 8.3%. Breast cancer in Lebanon is evolving to a more indolent disease. Therefore, public awareness and institution of screening programs are required. These programs should be based on national epidemiological data and necessitate the activation of the national cancer registry.