Race-related Differences in Sipuleucel-T Response Among Men with Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Sipuleucel-T is an autologous cellular immunotherapy that targets prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and is available for treatment of men with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). In this single-arm, two-cohort, multicenter clinical study, potential racial differences in immune responses to sipuleucel-T in men with mCRPC were explored. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients' blood samples were obtained to assess serum cytokines, humoral responses, and cellular immunity markers pre- and post-treatment. Baseline cumulative product parameters (total nucleated and CD54+ cell counts, and CD54 upregulation) were evaluated. IgM titers against the immunogen PA2024, the target antigen PAP, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were quantified by ELISA. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity was determined by ELISpots, and cytokine and chemokine concentrations by Luminex. RESULTS: Twenty-nine African Americans (AA) and 28 non-African Americans (non-AA) with mCRPC received sipuleucel-T. Baseline total nucleated cell count, CD54+ cell count, CD54 expression, and cumulative product parameters were higher in non-AA. Although PSA baseline levels were higher in AA, there were no racial differences in IgM antibody and IFN- ELISpots responses against PA2024, PAP, PSA and PSMA pre- and post-treatment. Expression of co-stimulatory receptor ICOS on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and the levels of Th1 cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and chemokines CCL4 and CCL5, were significantly higher in AA pre- and/or post-treatment. Despite no difference in the overall survival, PSA changes from baseline were significantly different between the two races. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that immune correlates in blood differ in AA and non-AA with mCRPC pre- and post-sipuleucel-T.

Prevalence of Dietary Modification and Supplement Use in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Receiving Systemic Therapy.

Many patients diagnosed with cancer adopt dietary changes and supplement use, and a growing body of evidence suggests that such modifications can affect outcomes to cancer therapy. We sought to assess the prevalence of these practices and the surrounding physician-patient dialogue among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. An online survey was administered by Kidney Cancer Research Alliance (KCCure), interrogating dietary modification patterns, supplement usage, out-of-pocket expenditure related to supplements, and patients' views toward alternative medicine practices. Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving combination therapy were actively solicited. In total, 289 unique responses were collected. The most common first-line treatments were nivolumab/ipilimumab (32.4%) and axitinib/pembrolizumab (13.1%). Within the cohort, 147 (50.9%) started using supplements following diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma; the most utilized supplements were probiotics, cannabidiol (CBD) oil/marijuana, and Vitamin C, reported by 70 (47.6%), 61 (41.4%), and 54 (36.7%), respectively. Dietary modifications following cancer diagnosis were reported by 101 (34.9%) respondents, of which 19.8% followed the Mediterranean diet and 18.8% adopted a ketogenic diet. Most respondents (71.3%) noted that they consistently report supplement usage to their physicians. A substantial proportion of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma utilize dietary modification and supplements as an adjunct to antineoplastic therapy. Considering the widespread adoption of these practices and the reported effects on cancer treatment, it is crucial for healthcare providers to engage in discussions with patients regarding supplement use.

Adjuvant Everolimus in Patients with Completely Resected, Very High-risk Renal Cell Carcinoma of Clear Cell Histology: Results from the Phase 3 Placebo-controlled SWOG S0931 (EVEREST) Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: EVEREST is a phase 3 trial in patients with renal cell cancer (RCC) at intermediate-high or very high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy who were randomized to receive adjuvant everolimus or placebo. Longer recurrence-free survival (RFS) was observed with everolimus (hazard ratio [HR] 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-1.00; p = 0.051), but the nominal significance level (p = 0.044) was not reached. To contextualize these results with positive phase 3 trials of adjuvant sunitinib and pembrolizumab, we conducted a secondary analysis in a similar population of EVEREST patients with very high-risk disease and clear cell histology. METHODS: Postnephrectomy patients with any clear cell component and very high-risk disease, defined as pT3a (grade 3-4), pT3b-c (any grade), T4 (any grade), or node-positive status (N+), were identified. A Cox regression model stratified by performance status was used to compare RFS and overall survival (OS) between the treatment arms. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: Of 1499 patients, 717 had clear cell histology and very high-risk disease; 699 met the eligibility criteria, of whom 348 were randomized to everolimus arm, and 351 to the placebo arm. Patient characteristics were similar between the arms. Only 163/348 (47%) patients in the everolimus arm completed all treatment as planned, versus 225/351 (64%) in the placebo arm. Adjuvant everolimus resulted in a statistically significant improvement in RFS (HR 0.80; 95%CI 0.65-0.99, p = 0.041). Evidence of a survival benefit was not seen (HR 0.85; 95%CI 0.64-1.14, p = 0.3) CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: In patients with clear cell RCC at very high-risk for recurrence, adjuvant everolimus resulted in significantly improved RFS compared to placebo but resulted in a high discontinuation rate due to adverse events. Although the treatment HR for OS was consistent with RFS findings, it did not reach statistical significance. With a focus on risk stratification tools and/or biomarkers to minimize toxicity risk in those not likely to benefit, this information can help inform the design of future adjuvant trials in high-risk RCC PATIENT SUMMARY: We assessed treatment with everolimus in comparison to placebo after complete surgical removal of clear-cell kidney cancer at very high risk of recurrence. We found that survival outcomes were better for patients treated with everolimus, although these patients had a higher rate of side effects.

Extragonadal germ cell tumors: A clinicopathologic study with emphasis on molecular features, clinical outcomes and associated secondary malignancies.

Extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGCTs) are rare, representing <5% of all germ cell tumors (GCTs). Whilst EGCTs share morphological and immunohistochemical features with their gonadal counterparts, they tend to be more aggressive and are frequently associated with secondary somatic malignancies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features, and to analyze tumors for chromosomal abnormalities of 12p, in addition to any novel genetic alterations, in a series of EGCTs. Seventy-seven EGCTs were included. Anterior mediastinum was the most common anatomic site, followed by central nervous system, retroperitoneum, sacroccygeal area, and neck. Whole genome SNP array identified isochromosome 12p in 26% of tumors. Additional cytogenetic abnormalities included the presence of gain of chr 21 in 37% of tumors. Somatic-type malignancies were identified in 8% of patients. Disease progression (metastasis and/or recurrence) was documented in 8 patients, most of whom died from their relapse. Three patients who died of disease had somatic-type malignancies. Mediastinal seminomas had a significantly better overall survival when compared to mediastinal non-seminomatous GCTs. Our study demonstrates that EGCTs share similar histologic features, but diverse clinical outcomes compared to their gonadal counterparts. Outcomes vary according to anatomic location and histologic subtypes. Our data corroborate that somatic-type malignancies are frequently encountered in mediastinal EGCTs and that their presence portends a poorer prognosis.

Evaluating Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancers with Deleterious CDK12 Alterations in the Phase 2 IMPACT Trial.

PURPOSE: CDK12 inactivation in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) may predict immunotherapy responses. This phase 2 trial evaluated the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with CDK12-altered mCRPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had mCRPC with deleterious CDK12 alterations and any prior therapies except ICI. Cohort A received ipilimumab (1 mg/kg) with nivolumab (3 mg/kg) every 3 weeks for up to 4 cycles, followed by nivolumab 480 mg every 4 weeks. Cohort C received nivolumab alone 480 mg every 4 weeks. Patients with CDK12-altered non-prostate tumors were enrolled in cohort B and not reported. The primary endpoint was 50% reduction in PSA (PSA50). Key secondary endpoints included PSA progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and safety. RESULTS: PSA was evaluable in 23 patients in cohort A and 14 in cohort C. Median lines of prior therapy were 2 in cohorts A and C, including any prior novel hormonal agent (74% and 79%) and chemotherapy (57% and 36%). The PSA50 rate was 9% (95% CI 1-28%) in cohort A with 2 responders; neither had microsatellite instability or a tumor mutational burden ≥10 mutations/megabase. No PSA50 responses occurred in cohort C. Median PSA-PFS was 7.0 months (95% CI 3.6-11.4) in cohort A and 4.5 months (95% CI 3.4-13.8) in cohort C. Median OS was 9.0 months (95% CI 6.2-12.3) in cohort A and 13.8 months (95% CI 3.6-not reached) in cohort C. CONCLUSIONS: There was minimal activity with ICI therapy in patients with CDK12-altered mCRPC.

Clinical Applications of the Gut Microbiome in Genitourinary Cancers.

Recently recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancer, the microbiome consists of symbiotic microorganisms that play pivotal roles in carcinogenesis, the tumor microenvironment, and responses to therapy. With recent advances in microbiome metagenomic sequencing, a growing body of work has demonstrated that changes in gut microbiome composition are associated with differential responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) because of alterations in cytokine signaling and cytotoxic T-cell recruitment. Therefore, strategies to shape the gut microbiome into a more favorable, immunogenic profile may lead to improved responses with ICIs. Immunotherapy is commonly used in genitourinary (GU) cancers such as renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cancer, and to a limited extent, prostate cancer. However, a subset of patients do not derive clinical benefit with ICIs. Gut microbiome-based interventions are of particular interest given the potential to boost responses to ICIs in preclinical and early-phase prospective studies. Novel approaches using probiotic therapy (live bacterial supplementation) and fecal microbiota transplantation in patients with GU cancers are currently under investigation.

p300/CBP degradation is required to disable the active AR enhanceosome in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is an exemplar of an enhancer-binding transcription factor-driven disease. The androgen receptor (AR) enhanceosome complex comprised of chromatin and epigenetic coregulators assembles at enhancer elements to drive disease progression. The paralog lysine acetyltransferases p300 and CBP deposit histone marks that are associated with enhancer activation. Here, we demonstrate that p300/CBP are determinant cofactors of the active AR enhanceosome in prostate cancer. Histone H2B N-terminus multisite lysine acetylation (H2BNTac), which is exclusively reliant on p300/CBP catalytic function, marked active enhancers and was notably elevated in prostate cancer lesions relative to the adjacent benign epithelia. Degradation of p300/CBP rapidly depleted acetylation marks associated with the active AR enhanceosome, which was only partially phenocopied by inhibition of their reader bromodomains. Notably, H2BNTac was effectively abrogated only upon p300/CBP degradation, which led to a stronger suppression of p300/CBP-dependent oncogenic gene programs relative to bromodomain inhibition or the inhibition of its catalytic domain. In vivo experiments using an orally active p300/CBP proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) degrader (CBPD-409) showed that p300/CBP degradation potently inhibited tumor growth in preclinical models of castration-resistant prostate cancer and synergized with AR antagonists. While mouse p300/CBP orthologs were effectively degraded in host tissues, prolonged treatment with the PROTAC degrader was well tolerated with no significant signs of toxicity. Taken together, our study highlights the pivotal role of p300/CBP in maintaining the active AR enhanceosome and demonstrates how target degradation may have functionally distinct effects relative to target inhibition, thus supporting the development of p300/CBP degraders for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Characterization of Responses to Lenvatinib plus Pembrolizumab in Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma at the Final Prespecified Survival Analysis of the Phase 3 CLEAR Study.

In the phase 3 CLEAR trial, lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab (L + P) showed superior efficacy versus sunitinib in treatment-naïve patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). The combination treatment was associated with a robust objective response rate of 71%. Here we report tumor responses for patients in the L + P arm in CLEAR, with median follow-up of ∼4 yr at the final prespecified overall survival (OS) analysis. Tumor responses were assessed by independent review using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1. Patients with a complete response (CR; n = 65), partial response (PR) with maximum tumor shrinkage ≥75% (near-CR; n = 59), or PR with maximum tumor shrinkage <75% (other PR; n = 129), were characterized in terms of their baseline characteristics. The median duration of response was 43.7 mo (95% confidence interval [CI] 39.2-not estimable) for the CR group, 30.5 mo (95% CI 22.4-not estimable) for the near-CR group, and 17.2 mo (95% CI 12.5-21.4) for the other PR group. The 36-mo OS rates were consistently high in the CR (97%), near-CR (86%), and other PR (62%) groups. Robust objective response rates were observed across International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium favorable-risk (69%, 95% CI 60-78%), intermediate-risk (73%, 95% CI 67-79%), and poor-risk (70%, 95% CI 54-85%) subgroups. The robust response to L + P supports this combination as a standard-of-care first-line treatment for patients with aRCC. PATIENT SUMMARY: The CLEAR trial enrolled patients with advanced kidney cancer who had not previously received any treatment for their cancer. Here we report results for tumor shrinkage observed in the group that received lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab combination treatment during the trial. Shrinkage of target tumors with this combination was long-lasting and was observed in patients irrespective of their disease severity. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT02811861.

Development of an orally bioavailable mSWI/SNF ATPase degrader and acquired mechanisms of resistance in prostate cancer.

Mammalian switch/sucrose nonfermentable (mSWI/SNF) ATPase degraders have been shown to be effective in enhancer-driven cancers by functioning to impede oncogenic transcription factor chromatin accessibility. Here, we developed AU-24118, an orally bioavailable proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) degrader of mSWI/SNF ATPases (SMARCA2 and SMARCA4) and PBRM1. AU-24118 demonstrated tumor regression in a model of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) which was further enhanced with combination enzalutamide treatment, a standard of care androgen receptor (AR) antagonist used in CRPC patients. Importantly, AU-24118 exhibited favorable pharmacokinetic profiles in preclinical analyses in mice and rats, and further toxicity testing in mice showed a favorable safety profile. As acquired resistance is common with targeted cancer therapeutics, experiments were designed to explore potential mechanisms of resistance that may arise with long-term mSWI/SNF ATPase PROTAC treatment. Prostate cancer cell lines exposed to long-term treatment with high doses of a mSWI/SNF ATPase degrader developed SMARCA4 bromodomain mutations and ABCB1 (ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1) overexpression as acquired mechanisms of resistance. Intriguingly, while SMARCA4 mutations provided specific resistance to mSWI/SNF degraders, ABCB1 overexpression provided broader resistance to other potent PROTAC degraders targeting bromodomain-containing protein 4 and AR. The ABCB1 inhibitor, zosuquidar, reversed resistance to all three PROTAC degraders tested. Combined, these findings position mSWI/SNF degraders for clinical translation for patients with enhancer-driven cancers and define strategies to overcome resistance mechanisms that may arise.

A phase Ib study evaluating the recommended phase II dose, safety, tolerability, and efficacy of mivavotinib in combination with nivolumab in advanced solid tumors.

Mivavotinib (TAK-659/CB-659), a dual SYK/FLT3 inhibitor, reduced immunosuppressive immune cell populations and suppressed tumor growth in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy in cancer models. This dose-escalation/expansion study investigated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of mivavotinib plus nivolumab in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients received oral mivavotinib 60-100 mg once-daily plus intravenous nivolumab 3 mg/kg on days 1 and 15 in 28-day cycles until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The dose-escalation phase evaluated the recommended phase II dose (RP2D; primary endpoint). The expansion phase evaluated overall response rate (primary end point) at the RP2D in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). During dose-escalation (n = 24), two dose-limiting toxicities (grade 4 lipase increased and grade 3 pyrexia) occurred in patients who received mivavotinib 80 mg and 100 mg, respectively. The determined RP2D was once-daily mivavotinib 80 mg plus nivolumab 3 mg/kg. The expansion phase was terminated at ~50% enrollment (n = 17) after failing to meet an ad hoc efficacy futility threshold. Among all 41 patients, common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) included dyspnea (48.8%), aspartate aminotransferase increased, and pyrexia (46.3% each). Common grade ≥3 TEAEs were hypophosphatemia and anemia (26.8% each). Mivavotinib plasma exposure was generally dose-proportional (60-100 mg). One patient had a partial response. Mivavotinib 80 mg plus nivolumab 3 mg/kg was well tolerated with no new safety signals beyond those of single-agent mivavotinib or nivolumab. Low response rates highlight the challenges of treating unresponsive tumor types, such as TNBC, with this combination and immunotherapies in general. TRIAL REGISTRATION ID: NCT02834247.

A global phase II randomized trial comparing oral taxane ModraDoc006/r to intravenous docetaxel in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer.

STUDY AIM: ModraDoc006, an oral formulation of docetaxel, is co-administered with the cytochrome P450-3A4 and P-glycoprotein inhibitor, ritonavir (r): ModraDoc006/r. The preliminary efficacy and safety of oral ModraDoc006/r was evaluated in a global randomized phase II trial and compared to the current standard chemotherapy regimen of intravenous (i.v.) docetaxel and prednisone. METHODS: 103 mCRPC patients, chemotherapy-naïve with/without abiraterone and/or enzalutamide pretreated, with adequate organ function and evaluable disease per RECIST v1.1 and PCWG3 guidelines were randomized 1:1 into two cohorts. In Cohort 1, 49 patients received docetaxel 75 mg/m2 i.v. every 3 weeks (Q3W). In Cohort 2, 52 patients received ModraDoc006/r; 21 patients with a starting dose of ModraDoc006 30 mg with ritonavir 200 mg in the morning and ModraDoc006 20 mg with ritonavir 100 mg in the evening (30-20/200-100 mg) bi-daily-once-weekly (BIDW) on Days 1, 8, and 15 of a 21-day cycle. To alleviate tolerability, the starting dose was amended to ModraDoc006/r 20-20/200-100 mg in another 31 patients. All patients received prednisone 10 mg daily. Primary endpoint was rPFS. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in rPFS between the 2 arms (p = 0.1465). Median rPFS was 9.5 months and 11.1 months (95% CI) for ModraDoc006/r and i.v. docetaxel, respectively. Partial response was noted in 44.1% and 38.7% measurable disease patients, and 50% decline of PSA was seen in 23 (50%) and 26 (56.5%) evaluable cases treated with ModraDoc006/r and i.v. docetaxel, respectively. The safety profile of ModraDoc006/r 20-20/200-100 mg dose was significantly better than i.v. docetaxel, with mild (mostly Grade 1) gastrointestinal toxicities, no hematologic adverse events, and neuropathy and alopecia incidence of 11.5% and 25%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ModraDoc006/r potentially represents a widely applicable, convenient, effective, and better tolerated oral taxane therapy option for mCRPC. Further investigation of ModraDoc006/r in a large randomized trial is warranted.

Novel Approaches with HIF-2α Targeted Therapies in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Germline inactivation of the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor is the defining hallmark in hereditary VHL disease and VHL-associated renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, somatic VHL mutations are also observed in patients with sporadic RCC. Loss of function VHL mutations result in constitutive activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α), which leads to increased expression of HIF target genes that promote angiogenesis and tumor growth. As of 2023, belzutifan is currently the only approved HIF-2α inhibitor for both VHL-associated and sporadic metastatic RCC (mRCC). However, there is potential for resistance with HIF-2α inhibitors which warrants novel HIF-2α-targeting strategies. In this review, we discuss the potential resistance mechanisms with belzutifan and current clinical trials evaluating novel combinations of belzutifan with other targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors which may enhance the efficacy of HIF-2α targeting. Lastly, we also discuss newer generation HIF-2α inhibitors that are currently under early investigation and outline future directions and challenges with HIF-2α inhibitors for mRCC.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy Before Nephrectomy for Locally Advanced and Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Review.

Importance: The therapeutic landscape of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has rapidly evolved in the past 2 decades, with the advent of cytokines therapy followed by targeted therapies and novel immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). This article aims to review the current evidence and ongoing trials of neoadjuvant or prenephrectomy ICI therapy in patients with locally advanced and metastatic RCC. Observations: A literature search was performed using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, and PubMed as well as relevant medical society meetings for English-language studies, articles, and abstracts published before January 31, 2023. Currently, level I evidence supports the use of ICI-based combination therapy as the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic RCC with the potential option of deferred nephrectomy in those who respond to treatment. Nevertheless, limited prospective data are available regarding the role and outcomes of nephrectomy (cytoreductive or consolidative) in conjunction with ICI therapy in both metastatic and locally advanced RCC. Although data from retrospective case series confirmed the feasibility and safety of deferred nephrectomy in this setting, the sequence of nephrectomy and whether it should be considered in patients with metastatic RCC is a common clinical dilemma. However, although neoadjuvant targeted therapy for nonmetastatic RCCs has been associated with some advantages yet not accepted as a standard, current data from a phase 3 randomized clinical trial failed to demonstrate the oncologic benefit of neoadjuvant nivolumab for locally advanced RCC. Conclusion and Relevance: The findings of this review suggest that ICI-based combination therapy is the standard of care as the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic RCC. However, the role of neoadjuvant ICIs in locally advanced RCC is an active area of investigation. Deferred nephrectomy after ICI-based immunotherapy for metastatic RCC is feasible and safe yet should be performed in high-volume health centers by experienced surgeons. The multidisciplinary and careful approach is critical for treatment decisions.

Hybrid Oncocytic Tumors (HOTs) in Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome Patients-A Tale of Two Cities: Sequencing Analysis Reveals Dual Lineage Markers Capturing the 2 Cellular Populations of HOT.

Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is associated with an increased risk of multifocal renal tumors, including hybrid oncocytic tumor (HOT) and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC). HOT exhibits heterogenous histologic features overlapping with chRCC and benign renal oncocytoma, posing challenges in diagnosis of HOT and renal tumor entities resembling HOT. In this study, we performed integrative analysis of bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data from renal tumors and normal kidney tissues, and nominated candidate biomarkers of HOT, L1CAM, and LINC01187 , which are also lineage-specific markers labeling the principal cell and intercalated cell lineages of the distal nephron, respectively. Our findings indicate the principal cell lineage marker L1CAM and intercalated cell lineage marker LINC01187 to be expressed mutually exclusively in a unique checkered pattern in BHD-associated HOTs, and these 2 lineage markers collectively capture the 2 distinct tumor epithelial populations seen to co-exist morphologically in HOTs. We further confirmed that the unique checkered expression pattern of L1CAM and LINC01187 distinguished HOT from chRCC, renal oncocytoma, and other major and rare renal cell carcinoma subtypes. We also characterized the histopathologic features and immunophenotypic features of oncocytosis in the background kidney of patients with BHD, as well as the intertumor and intratumor heterogeneity seen within HOT. We suggest that L1CAM and LINC01187 can serve as stand-alone diagnostic markers or as a panel for the diagnosis of HOT. These lineage markers will inform future studies on the evolution and interaction between the 2 transcriptionally distinct tumor epithelial populations in such tumors.

Phase II Trial of Concurrent Nivolumab and Radiation Therapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer of Older or Chemotherapy-Ineligible Patients.

PURPOSE: Bladder cancer is predominantly a disease of older individuals. Concurrent chemotherapy and radiation is a bladder-sparing strategy for management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer; however, many patients are not candidates for chemotherapy due to comorbidities or impaired performance status. We conducted a study in a chemotherapy-ineligible patient population with the objectives of evaluating the safety, efficacy, and quality-of-life effect of the combination of nivolumab and radiation therapy in patients with localized/locally advanced urothelial cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eligible patients had muscle-invasive bladder cancer and were not candidates for standard chemoradiation strategy due to at least one of the following: performance status of 2, creatinine clearance ≤60 mL/min, cardiac disease, neuropathy, and intolerance to previous treatment. Creatinine clearance ≥40 mL/min, normal marrow, and liver function were required. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 12 months. Nivolumab was started within 3 days of radiation therapy and administered at a dose of 240 mg intravenously every 2 weeks for a maximum of 6 months. Radiation therapy was per standard of care for bladder cancer. Imaging and cystoscopy and biopsy evaluation were required at months 3, 6, and 12 and then annually until progression. RESULTS: Twenty patients were enrolled, with a median age of 78.5 years (range, 58-95 years); 80% of patients were >70 years of age, and 8 (40%) were >80 years of age. Median creatinine clearance was 52 mL/min. Nine patients (48%) were progression free at 12 months. Median progression-free survival was 11.4 months (90% CI, 7.5-23.7 months), and median overall survival was 15.6 months (90% CI, 9.1-26.1 months). CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent nivolumab and radiation therapy is tolerable but demonstrated limited efficacy in an older population with multiple comorbidities. Immune correlates demonstrated that patients with baseline programmed cell death ligand 1 combined prognostic score ≥5% had numerically longer progression-free survival.

Analysis of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) Reveals an M0 Macrophage-Enriched Subtype: An Exploration of Prognostic and Biological Characteristics of This Immune Phenotype.

There is a need to optimize the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients at high recurrence risk after nephrectomy. We sought to elucidate the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of localized ccRCC and understand the prognostic and predictive characteristics of certain features. The discovery cohort was clinically localized patients in the TCGA-Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (KIRC) project (n = 382). We identified an M0 macrophage-enriched cluster (n = 25) in the TCGA-KIRC cohort. This cluster's median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 40.4 and 45.3 months, respectively, but this was not reached in the others (p = 0.0003 and <0.0001, respectively). Gene set enrichment (GSEA) analysis revealed an enrichment of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and cell cycle progression genes within this cluster, and these patients also had a lower predicted response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) (4% vs. 20-34%). An M0-enriched cluster (n = 9) with shorter PFS (p = 0.0006) was also identified in the Clinical Proteomics Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) cohort (n = 94). Through this characterization of the TIME in ccRCC, a cluster of patients defined by enrichment in M0 macrophages was identified that demonstrated poor prognosis and lower predicted ICB response. Pending further validation, this signature can identify localized ccRCC patients at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy and who may require therapeutic approaches beyond ICB monotherapy.

Pathogenic Germline Mutational Landscape in Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma and Associated Clinicopathologic Features.

PURPOSE: A subset of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases occur because of a hereditary predisposition. However, the prevalence and profiling of germline alterations in RCC have not been fully characterized. Additionally, clinicopathologic factors associated with pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline variants in patients with RCC remain poorly understood. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with RCC who underwent genetic evaluation was performed. The frequency of P/LP germline variants and genes was evaluated in this cohort. The association between genetic testing outcomes and clinicopathologic features was also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 321 patients with RCC who had germline testing were identified. Within this cohort, 42 patients (13.1%) had P/LP variants. Genes with the most frequent germline mutations were FLCN (n = 10, 3.1%), SDHB (n = 4, 1.2%), VHL (n = 4, 1.2%), MLH1 (n = 3, 0.9%), and CHEK2 (n = 4, 1.2%). Among patients with P/LP variants, 19 (45.2%) had a potentially targetable mutation. The presence of bilateral or multifocal tumors was associated with P/LP variants (P = .0012 and P = .0098, respectively). Patients who had targeted gene testing had higher rates of P/LP variants compared with multigene panel testing (P = .015). Age and family history of cancers (RCC and non-RCC) did not have any statistically significant association with germline testing outcomes. CONCLUSION: Among patients with RCC, unselected for a known familial predisposition, 13.4% had P/LP variants. Almost half of patients with P/LP variants had a potentially targetable mutation. Targeted gene panel testing is a feasible option for patients, particularly if syndromic features are present. Age and family history were not associated with P/LP variants. Future studies are needed to optimize current genetic evaluation criteria to expand the detection of patients with RCC who may have germline mutations.

Adaptor proteins mediate CXCR4 and PI4KA crosstalk in prostate cancer cells and the significance of PI4KA in bone tumor growth.

The chemokine receptor, CXCR4 signaling regulates cell growth, invasion, and metastasis to the bone-marrow niche in prostate cancer (PCa). Previously, we established that CXCR4 interacts with phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIα (PI4KIIIα encoded by PI4KA) through its adaptor proteins and PI4KA overexpressed in the PCa metastasis. To further characterize how the CXCR4-PI4KIIIα axis promotes PCa metastasis, here we identify CXCR4 binds to PI4KIIIα adaptor proteins TTC7 and this interaction induce plasma membrane PI4P production in prostate cancer cells. Inhibiting PI4KIIIα or TTC7 reduces plasma membrane PI4P production, cellular invasion, and bone tumor growth. Using metastatic biopsy sequencing, we found PI4KA expression in tumors correlated with overall survival and contributes to immunosuppressive bone tumor microenvironment through preferentially enriching non-activated and immunosuppressive macrophage populations. Altogether we have characterized the chemokine signaling axis through CXCR4-PI4KIIIα interaction contributing to the growth of prostate cancer bone metastasis.