Efficacy and safety of MIL62, a novel glycoengineered type â ¡ anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, combined with lenalidomide in patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma or marginal zone lymphoma: a multicentre, single-arm, phase 1b/2 trial.

Background: MIL62, a novel glycoengineered type Ⅱ anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, with a nearly completely afucosylated N-glycans in Fc region, has demonstrated superior activity compared with rituximab and obinutuzumab in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Methods: This multicentre, single-arm, phase 1b/2 trial aimed to explore the efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety of MIL62 combined with lenalidomide in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) or marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). Eligible patients included those who had histopathologically confirmed CD20 positive FL (grade 1-3a) or MZL and failed to be treated with rituximab. Patients received intravenously infused MIL62 1000 mg (cycle 1: day 1, 15; cycles 2-8: day 1, cycles 10 and 12: day 1) combined with oral lenalidomide (once a day, days 2-22, the initial dose was 10 mg, and the maximum dose was 20 mg) for 12 cycles, 28 days as a cycle. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) assessed by investigator per Lugano 2014 criteria every 3 cycles. This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04110301). Findings: Between November 22, 2019 and December 22, 2020, 54 patients were enrolled from 11 hospitals in China and received study treatment. Fifty patients were included in the efficacy analysis set, and 43 patients (86%, 95% CI: 73, 94) achieved objective response, meeting the pre-specified primary endpoint. Disease control rate was 96% (48/50, 95% CI: 86, 100), proportion of patients with duration of response (DoR) > 6 months was 77% (33/43). The median follow-up for survival was 12.3 months (IQR 12.0-12.6). The 1-year progression-free survival rate was 72% (95% CI: 57, 83), 9-month DoR rate was 74% (95% CI: 58, 85), and 1-year overall survival rate was 98% (95% CI: 85, 100). Most common TRAEs were neutropenia (93%, 50/54), leukopenia (85% 46/54), thrombocytopenia (61% 33/54), lymphopenia (32% 17/54), and alanine aminotransferase increased (20% 11/54). Interpretation: MIL62 combined with lenalidomide showed promising efficacy in patients with R/R FL and MZL. A multicentre, randomized, open-label, phase Ⅲ trial of MIL62 combined with lenalidomide versus lenalidomide in anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody refractory FL patients is ongoing (NCT04834024). Funding: Beijing Mabworks Biotech Co. Ltd, Beijing China and the National Science and Technology Major Project for Key New Drug Development (2017ZX09304015).

Can the radiation dose be safely reduced in the treatment of nk/T cell lymphoma?

The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility and safety of dose reduction in the radiotherapy of NK/T-cell lymphoma. A retrospective collection of clinical and treatment data was conducted on 41 patients. The analysis aimed to assess whether the reduction in radiation therapy dosage affected patients' local control and survival. Among the 41 patients, all achieved complete remission after the initial treatment. With a median follow-up of 28.4 months, all except one patient demonstrated good control within the irradiated area. In the entire cohort, a total of 6 patients died and none of the deaths were caused by local tumor failure. The 3-year overall survival rate and progression-free survival rate was 83.8%, 94.4%, respectively. The incidence of long-term toxicity was low. It seems safe to reduce the prophylactic radiation dose to 45 Gy and the preliminary treatment results are satisfactory, with further reduction in side effects.

Improved efficacy and safety of zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL) in China: a subgroup of ALPINE.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) has different epidemiology in Chinese vs. Western patients, but there are few studies of CLL/SLL in large populations of Chinese patients. ALPINE is a global phase 3 trial investigating Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors zanubrutinib vs. ibrutinib to treat relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL/SLL. Here we report results from the subgroup of Chinese patients. Adults with R/R CLL/SLL were randomized 1:1 to receive zanubrutinib (160 mg twice-daily) or ibrutinib (420 mg once-daily) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Data were analyzed descriptively. Ninety patients were randomized in China (zanubrutinib, n = 47; ibrutinib, n = 43). Baseline characteristics were balanced between groups, with fewer male patients in the zanubrutinib vs. ibrutinib group (55.3% vs. 69.8%). Median age was 60.5 years, 11% had del(17p) mutation, and 32% had tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutation. With median 25.3 months follow-up, ORR was 80.9% with zanubrutinib vs. 72.1% with ibrutinib. PFS was improved with zanubrutinib vs. ibrutinib (HR = 0.34 [95% CI, 0.15, 0.77]), and the HR for OS was 0.45 (95% CI, 0.14, 1.50). Rates of Grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs; 64.4% vs. 72.1%), AEs leading to discontinuation (6.4% vs. 14.0%), and serious TEAEs (35.6% vs. 51.2%) were lower with zanubrutinib vs. ibrutinib. Zanubrutinib demonstrated improved ORR, PFS, and OS vs. ibrutinib and a more favorable safety profile in patients with R/R CLL/SLL in China. These results are consistent with the full global population of ALPINE. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03734016, registered November 7, 2018.

Metabolic pathway-based subtyping reveals distinct microenvironmental states associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma outcomes.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a biologically and clinically heterogeneous disease that requires personalized clinical treatment. Assigning patients to different risk categories and cytogenetic abnormality and genetic mutation groups has been widely applied for prognostic stratification of DLBCL. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that dysregulated metabolic processes contribute to the initiation and progression of DLBCL. Metabolic competition within the tumor microenvironment is also known to influence immune cell metabolism. However, metabolism- and immune-related stratification has not been established. Here, 1660 genes involved in 84 metabolic pathways were selected and tested to establish metabolic clusters (MECs) of DLBCL. MECs established based on independent lymphoma datasets distinguished different survival outcomes. The CIBERSORT algorithm and EcoTyper were applied to quantify the relative abundance of immune cell types and identify variation in cell states for 13 lineages comprising the tumor micro environment among different MECs, respectively. Functional characterization showed that MECs were an indicator of the immune microenvironment and correlated with distinctive mutational characteristics and oncogenic signaling pathways. The novel immune-related MECs exhibited promising clinical prognostic value and potential for informing DLBCL treatment decisions.

Real-world experience of commercial relmacabtagene autoleucel (relma-cel) for relapsed/refractory central nervous system lymphoma: a multicenter retrospective analysis of patients in China.

BACKGROUND: Relapsed/refractory (R/R) central nervous system lymphomas (CNSLs) are associated with a poor prognosis. Relmacabtagene autoleucel (relma-cel), expressing the same chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) as lisocabtagene maraleucel, with an optimized commercial-ready process developed in China, demonstrated remarkable efficacy and manageable safety in the pivotal RELIANCE study. However, no published data are available on the "real-world" use of relma-cel, especially for patients with CNS involvement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analyses were conducted for commercial relma-cel used in patients with R/R CNSL at 12 clinics. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the proportion of patients who achieved complete response (CR) at 3 months. Secondary endpoints included best complete response (BCR), progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR), overall survival (OS), and the incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: Among the 22 CNSL patients (12 primary CNSLs; 10 secondary CNSLs), the best overall response rate was 90.9% and the BCR rate was 68.2%. With median follow-up of 316 days (range, 55-618 days), the estimated 1-year PFS rate, DOR, and OS rate were 64.4%, 71.5%, and 79.2%, respectively. Significant clinical benefits were observed in patients who were in durable CR or partial response to the most recent prior therapy preleukapheresis and received relma-cel as consolidation therapy (n=8), with 1-year PFS rate of 100.0% versus 41.7% (p=0.02). In addition, in terms of primary endpoint, non-CR at 3 months postinfusion seemed to be predictive of a worse prognosis, with an estimated 1-year PFS of 83.3% versus 37.0% (p=0.03), respectively. CRS occurred in 72.9% of patients (grade 3: 4.5%) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome in 36.4% of patients (grade 3: 4.5%). With the add-on agent PD-1 inhibitor (tislelizumab) to the ongoing BTKi, significant re-expansions of CAR T-cell were detected by quantitative PCR or flow cytometry after a median of 2 weeks (range, 12-32 days). CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first and largest real-world study of commercial relma-cel for R/R CNSL, demonstrating promising efficacy and acceptable safety. We reaffirmed the benefit of immuno-agents such as BTKi or PD-1 inhibitor on CAR T-cell re-expansion and hypothesized a dual-agent CAR-T related combinatorial therapies, which warrants further validation. Most importantly, we highlighted the earlier use of CAR T-cell therapy as a consolidative therapy for patients sensitive to salvage therapy, which provided an impetus and inspired-future strategy.

Efficacy of chidamide maintenance therapy versus autologous stem cell transplantation versus observation as a post-remission choice in the survival of adult patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma: Post hoc analysis of a prospective, multicenter, phase 2 study in China.

In this prospective, multicenter, Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02987244), patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) who had responded to first-line chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin or epirubicin, vincristine or vindesine, etoposide, and prednisone (Chi-CHOEP) were treated by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or with chidamide maintenance or observation. A total of 85 patients received one of the following interventions: ASCT (n = 15), chidamide maintenance (n = 44), and observation (n = 26). estimated 3 PFS and OS rates were 85.6%, 80.8%, and 49.4% (P = 0.001). The two-year OS rates were 85.6%, 80.8%, and 69.0% (P = 0.075).The ASCT and chidamide maintenance groups had significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) than the observation group (P = 0.001, and P = 0.01, respectively). The overall survival (OS) differed significantly between the chidamide maintenance group and the observation group ( P = 0.041). The multivariate and propensity score matching analyses for PFS revealed better outcomes in the subjects in the chidamide maintenance than observation groups (P = 0.02). The ASCT and chidamide maintenance groups had significant survival advantages over the observation group. In the post-remission stage of the untreated PTCL patients, single-agent chidamide maintenance demonstrated superior PFS and better OS than observation. Our findings highlight the potential benefit of chidamide in this patient subset, warranting further investigation through larger prospective trials. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrial.gov, NCT02987244. Registered 8 December 2016, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02987244 .

Treatment patterns, clinical outcomes and gene mutation characteristics of hepatitis B virus-associated mantle cell lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an uncommon and incurable B-cell lymphoma subtype that has an aggressive course. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been associated with an increased risk for B-cell lymphomas, and is characterized by distinct clinical and genetic features. Here, we showed that 9.5% of MCL Chinese patients were hepatitis B surface antigen positive (HBsAg+). Compared to HBsAg-negative (HBsAg-) patients, HBsAg+ MCL patients had a greater incidence of elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), but no difference was observed in the other clinical characteristics, including sex, age, ECOG ps, Ann Arbor stage, MIPI, extranodal involvement and Ki-67. The HD-AraC (high-dose cytarabine) regimen was the main first-line induction regimen for younger HBsAg+ patients, and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) were used for elderly patients. HBsAg seropositivity was associated with a significantly shorter PFS than HBsAg seronegativity when patients were treated with rituximab or CHOP-based regimens. Compared with CHOP, the HD-AraC regimen was associated with longer PFS in HBsAg+ patients. Treatment with a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) alone can also cause HBV reactivation. Among the 74 patients who underwent targeted deep sequencing (TDS), the nonsynonymous mutation load of HBsAg+ MCL patients was greater than that of HBsAg- MCL patients. HDAC1, TRAF5, FGFR4, SMAD2, JAK3, SMC1A, ZAP70, BLM, CDK12, PLCG2, SMO, TP63, NF1, PTPR, EPHA2, RPTOR and FIP1L1 were significantly enriched in HBsAg+ MCL patients.

Phase 1/2 multicenter trial of acalabrutinib in Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

Acalabrutinib studies have limited Asian participation. This phase 1/2 study (NCT03932331) assessed acalabrutinib in Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Primary endpoint was blinded independent central review (BICR)-assessed overall response rate (ORR). Overall, 34 patients were enrolled. Most patients were men (88%); median age was 63 years and 59% had ≥3 prior treatments. Median treatment duration was 14 months (range, 1-24). Any-grade adverse events (AEs) and grade ≥3 AEs occurred in 85.3% and 44.1% of patients, respectively. AEs causing treatment discontinuation were aplastic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and gastrointestinal infection (n = 1 each). Fatal AEs occurred in 2 patients (aplastic anemia and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome [n = 1 each]). BICR-assessed ORR was 82.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 65.5, 93.2); 12 (35.3%) patients achieved complete response. Estimated 12-month OS was 84.5% (95% CI: 66.6, 93.3). Acalabrutinib yielded tolerable safety and high response rates in Chinese patients with R/R MCL.

Sublethal effects of chlorantraniliprole on immunity in Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Promote encapsulation by upregulating a heat shock protein 70 family gene SfHSP68.1.

As an agricultural pest, the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, poses a severe threat to agriculture in China. Chlorantraniliprole has been widely used to control this pest. In our previous studies, we discovered that LD10, LD20, and LD30 chlorantraniliprole promoted encapsulation in the 4th instar larvae of the FAW, with LD30 chlorantraniliprole having the most significant effect. To further investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the sublethal effects of chlorantraniliprole on encapsulation in the FAW, this study conducted the effects of encapsulation in 4th instar larvae of the FAW exposed to LD30 chlorantraniliprole. Then, we analyzed the transcriptome of the FAW hemolymph treated with LD30 chlorantraniliprole and identified genes related to encapsulation using RNAi. Our results showed that the encapsulation in the FAW was enhanced at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h after exposure to LD30 chlorantraniliprole. Additionally, LD30 chlorantraniliprole significantly affected the expression of certain immune-related genes, with the heat shock protein 70 family gene SfHSP68.1 showing the most significant upregulation. Subsequent interference with SfHSP68.1 resulted in a significant inhibition of encapsulation in FAW. These findings suggested that LD30 chlorantraniliprole can promote encapsulation in the FAW by upregulating SfHSP68.1 expression. This study provides valuable insights into the sublethal effects of chlorantraniliprole on encapsulation in the FAW and the interaction between encapsulation and heat shock proteins (HSPs).

CD58 alterations govern antitumor immune responses by inducing PD-L1 and IDO in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Recurrent abnormalities in immune surveillance-related genes affect the progression of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and modulate the response to therapeutic interventions. CD58 interacts with the CD2 receptor on T cells and natural killer (NK) cells and is recurrently mutated and deleted in DLBCL, suggesting it may play a role in regulating antitumor immunity. Herein, we comprehensively analyzed the genomic characteristics of CD58 through targeted next-generation sequencing, RNA-sequencing, whole-exome sequencing, and single-cell RNA-sequencing in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. The CD58 mutation rate was 9.1%, and the copy number loss rate was 44.7% among all enrolled DLBCL patients. Notably, CD58 genetic alterations, along with low CD58 expression, significantly correlated with reduced rates of response to R-CHOP therapy and inferior progression-free and overall survival. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that CD58 expression in tumor cells was negatively correlated with CD8+ T cell exhaustion/dysfunction status. Insufficient T-cell activation resulting from CD58 alterations could not be attributed solely to CD2 signaling. CD58 inhibited the activity of the JAK2/STAT1 pathway by activating the Lyn/CD22/SHP1 axis, thereby limiting PD-L1 and IDO expression. Elevated PD-L1 and IDO expression in CD58 deficient DLBCL cells led to immune evasion and tumor-intrinsic resistance to CAR T-cell therapy. Direct activation of CD58-CD2 costimulatory signaling in combination with anti-PD-L1 blockade or IDO inhibitor sensitized CD58-deficient DLBCL to CAR T-cell therapy. Collectively, this work identified the multiple roles of CD58 in regulating antitumor immune responses in DLBCL.

Epidemiological features and prognosis for primary gastrointestinal follicular lymphoma.

Primary gastrointestinal follicular lymphoma (PGI-FL) is a rare extra-nodal lymphoma. Its epidemiology and prognosis remain unclear. We performed a retrospective analysis of eligible patients with 1648 PGI-FL and 34 892 nodal FL (N-FL) in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The age-adjusted average annual incidence of PGI-FL was 0.111/100000. The median overall survival (OS) for PGI-FL and N-FL patients was 207 and 165 months respectively. The 5-year diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) transformation rates were 2.1% and 2.6% respectively. Age, sex, grade, Ann Arbor stage, primary site and radiation were independent prognostic factors (p < 0.05). Nomograms were constructed to predict 1-, 5- and 10-year OS and disease-specific survival (DSS). The receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration plots showed the established nomograms had robust and accurate performance. Patients were classified into three risk groups according to nomogram score. In conclusion, the incidence of PGI-FL has increased over the past 40 years, and PGI-FL has a better prognosis and a lower DLBCL transformation rate than N-FL. The nomograms were developed and validated as an individualized tool to predict survival. Patients were divided into three risk groups to assist clinicians in identifying high-risk patients and choosing the optimal individualized treatments.

Genomic features reveal potential benefit of adding anti-PD-1 immunotherapy to treat non-upper aerodigestive tract natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a highly heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis. However, the genomic characteristics and proper treatment strategies for non-upper aerodigestive tract NKTCL (NUAT-NKTCL), a rare subtype of NKTCL, remain largely unexplored. In this study, 1589 patients newly diagnosed with NKTCL at 14 hospitals were assessed, 196 (12.3%) of whom had NUAT-NKTCL with adverse clinical characteristics and an inferior prognosis. By using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) data, we found strikingly different mutation profiles between upper aerodigestive tract (UAT)- and NUAT-NKTCL patients, with the latter group exhibiting significantly higher genomic instability. In the NUAT-NKTCL cohort, 128 patients received frontline P-GEMOX chemotherapy, 37 of whom also received anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. The application of anti-PD-1 significantly improved progression-free survival (3-year PFS rate 53.9% versus 17.0%, P = 0.009) and overall survival (3-year OS rate 63.7% versus 29.2%, P = 0.01) in the matched NUAT-NKTCL cohort. WES revealed frequent mutations involving immune regulation and genomic instability in immunochemotherapy responders. Our study showed distinct clinical characteristics and mutational profiles in NUAT-NKTCL compared with UAT patients and suggested adding anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in front-line treatment of NUAT-NKTCL. Further studies are needed to validate the efficacy and related biomarkers for immunochemotherapy proposed in this study.

Effects of the Host Plants of the Maize-Based Intercropping Systems on the Growth, Development and Preference of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

In this paper, the effects of maize and its three intercropping plants, sweet potato, soybean and peanut, on the growth and development of FAW, feeding preference of larvae, olfactory response and oviposition preference of adults were studied in the laboratory. The results showed that maize and peanut were suitable for the survival and development of FAW, while sweet potato and soybean were not suitable for multigenerational reproduction. The larvae significantly preferred to feed on maize compared to the other three plants. The olfactory response test indicated that soybean showed a strong deterrent effect against FAW adults. Furthermore, the intercropping plants reduced the host selection rate of adults compared to maize alone. In two-choice tests of the maize vs. the intercropping plants, the female adult preferred to oviposit and lay more eggs on maize rather than on the intercropping plants. The intercropping plants significantly reduced the oviposition selection of FAW adults when the combination (maize + intercropping plant), especially soybean and sweet potato, was compared to maize alone. These may be the reasons for why the maize-soybean intercropping system reduced FAW damage in the field. We also speculated that the maize-sweet potato system may also reduce the FAW damage. This study provided a theoretical basis for the comprehensive management of FAW by utilizing an intercropping system.

Phase I study of the Syk inhibitor sovleplenib in relapsed or refractory mature B-cell tumors.

Sovleplenib (HMPL-523) is a selective spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitor with anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of B-cell malignancy. We conducted a dose-escalation and dose-expansion phase I study of sovleplenib in patients with relapsed/ refractory mature B-cell tumors. Dose escalation followed a 3+3 design; patients received oral sovleplenib (200-800 mg once daily [q.d.] or 200 mg twice daily [b.i.d.], 28-day cycles). During dose expansion, patients were enrolled into four cohorts per lymphoma classification and treated at the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) (clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT02857998). Overall, 134 Chinese patients were enrolled (dose escalation, N=27; dose expansion, N=107). Five patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities: one each of amylase increased (200 mg q.d.), febrile neutropenia (800 mg q.d.), renal failure (800 mg q.d.), hyperuricemia and blood creatine phosphokinase increased (200 mg b.i.d.) and blood bilirubin increased and pneumonia (200 mg b.i.d.). RP2D was determined as 600 mg (>65 kg) or 400 mg (≤65 kg) q.d.. The primary efficacy end point of independent review committee-assessed objective response rate in indolent B-cell lymphoma was 50.8% (95% confidence interval: 37.5- 64.1) in 59 evaluable patients at RP2D (follicular lymphoma: 60.5%, marginal zone lymphoma: 28.6%, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinemia, 0%). The most common (≥10% patients) grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events in the dose-expansion phase were decreased neutrophil count (29.9%), pneumonia (12.1%) and decreased white blood cell count (11.2%). Pharmacokinetic exposures increased dose-proportionally with ascending dose levels from 200-800 mg, without observed saturation. Sovleplenib showed anti-tumor activity in relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma with acceptable safety. Further studies are warranted.

Golidocitinib, a selective JAK1 tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, in patients with refractory or relapsed peripheral T-cell lymphoma (JACKPOT8 Part B): a single-arm, multinational, phase 2 study.

BACKGROUND: Golidocitinib, a selective JAK1 tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, has shown encouraging anti-tumour activity in heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma in a phase 1 study (JACKPOT8 Part A). Here, we report the full analysis of a phase 2 study, in which we assessed the anti-tumour activity of golidocitinib in a large multinational cohort of patients. METHODS: We did a single-arm, multinational, phase 2 trial (JACKPOT8 Part B) in 49 centres in Australia, China, South Korea, and the USA. Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma who had received at least one previous line of systemic therapy and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2. Patients were given oral golidocitinib 150 mg once daily until disease progression or other discontinuation criteria were met. The primary endpoint was the CT-based objective response rate, assessed by an independent review committee (IRC) per Lugano 2014 classification. The activity analysis set included all patients who received at least one dose and whose pathological diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphoma had been retrospectively confirmed by a central laboratory and who had at least one measurable lesion at baseline assessed by IRC. The safety analysis set included all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04105010, and is closed to accrual and follow-up is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Feb 26, 2021, and Oct 12, 2022, we assessed 161 patients for eligibility, of whom 104 (65%) were enrolled and received at least one dose of study drug; the activity analysis set included 88 (85%) patients (median age 58 years [IQR 51-67], 57 [65%] of 88 were male, 31 [35%] were female, and 83 [94%] were Asian). As of data cutoff (Aug 31, 2023; median follow-up was 13·3 months [IQR 4·9-18·4]), per IRC assessment, the objective response rate was 44·3% (95% CI 33·7-55·3; 39 of 88 patients, p<0·0001), with 21 (24%) patients having a complete response and 18 (20%) having a partial response. In the safety analysis set, 61 (59%) of 104 patients had grade 3-4 drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events. The most common grade 3-4 drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events were neutrophil count decreased (30 [29%]), white blood cell count decreased (27 [26%]), lymphocyte count decreased (22 [21%]), and platelet count decreased (21 [20%]), which were clinically manageable and reversible. 25 (24%) patients had treatment-related serious adverse events. Deaths due to treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in three (3%) patients: two (2%) due to pneumonia (one case with fungal infection [related to golidocitinib] and another one with COVID-19 infection) and one (1%) due to confusional state. INTERPRETATION: In this phase 2 study, golidocitinib showed a favourable benefit-risk profile in treating relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma. The results of this study warrant further randomised clinical studies to confirm activity and assess efficacy in this population. FUNDING: Dizal Pharmaceutical.

Upregulation of tumor suppressor PIAS3 by Honokiol promotes tumor cell apoptosis via selective inhibition of STAT3 tyrosine 705 phosphorylation.

The natural product Honokiol exhibits robust antitumor activity against a range of cancers, and it has also received approval to undergo phase I clinical trial testing. We confrmed that honokiol can promote the apoptotic death of tumor cells through cell experiments. Then siRNA constructs specific for PIAS3, PIAS3 overexpression plasmid and the mutation of the STAT3 Tyr705 residue were used to confirm the mechanism of Honokiol-induced apoptosis. Finally, we confrmed that honokiol can promote PIAS3 upregulation, in turn suppressing STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation through the in vivo and in vitro experiments. Honokiol was ultimately found to reduce tumor cell viability by promoting apoptosis through a mechanism dependent on the ability of Honokiol to promote PIAS3 upregulation and the selective inhibition of p-STAT3 (Tyr705) without affecting p-STAT3 (Ser727) or p-STAT1 (Tyr701) levels. PIAS3 knockdown and overexpression in tumor cells altered STAT3 activation and associated DNA binding activity through the control of Tyr705 phosphorylation via PIAS3-STAT3 complex formation, ultimately shaping Honokiol-induced tumor cell apoptosis. Honokiol was also confirmed to significantly prolong the survival of mice bearing xenograft tumors in a PIAS3-dependent fashion. Together, these findings highlight a novel pathway through which Honokiol can promote PIAS3 upregulation, in turn suppressing STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation and promoting the apoptotic death of tumor cells.

Genetic and transcriptomic analyses of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with poor outcomes within two years of diagnosis.

Despite the improvements in clinical outcomes for DLBCL, a significant proportion of patients still face challenges with refractory/relapsed (R/R) disease after receiving first-line R-CHOP treatment. To further elucidate the underlying mechanism of R/R disease and to develop methods for identifying patients at risk of early disease progression, we integrated clinical, genetic and transcriptomic data derived from 2805 R-CHOP-treated patients from seven independent cohorts. Among these, 887 patients exhibited R/R disease within two years (poor outcome), and 1918 patients remained in remission at two years (good outcome). Our analysis identified four preferentially mutated genes (TP53, MYD88, SPEN, MYC) in the untreated (diagnostic) tumor samples from patients with poor outcomes. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed a distinct gene expression pattern linked to poor outcomes, affecting pathways involved in cell adhesion/migration, T-cell activation/regulation, PI3K, and NF-κB signaling. Moreover, we developed and validated a 24-gene expression score as an independent prognostic predictor for treatment outcomes. This score also demonstrated efficacy in further stratifying high-risk patients when integrated with existing genetic or cell-of-origin subtypes, including the unclassified cases in these models. Finally, based on these findings, we developed an online analysis tool ( https://lymphprog.serve.scilifelab.se/app/lymphprog ) that can be used for prognostic prediction for DLBCL patients.

Systematic analysis reveals distinct roles of USF family proteins in various cancer types.

BACKGROUND: Upstream stimulatory factors (USFs) are members of the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factor family, including USF1, USF2, and USF3. The first two members have been well studied compared to the third member, USF3, which has received scarce attention in cancer research to date. Despite a recently reported association of its alteration with thyroid carcinoma, its expression has not been previously analyzed. METHODS: We comprehensively analyzed differential levels of USFs expression, genomic alteration, DNA methylation, and their prognostic value across different cancer types and the possible correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and drug response by using different bioinformatics tools. RESULTS: Our findings established that USFs play an important role in cancers related to the urinary system and justify the necessity for further investigation. We implemented and offer a useful ShinyApp to facilitate researchers' efforts to inquire about any other gene of interest and to perform the analysis of drug response in a user-friendly fashion at http://zzdlab.com:3838/Drugdiscovery/.