Search

Productivity of the food web supporting small pelagic fishes in the upper San Francisco Estuary is chronically low, and some of the native fish species are in a long-term decline. The low-salinity (oligohaline) zone (LSZ) is particularly depauperate in phytoplankton and zooplankton. Based on prior empirical studies, it is hypothesized that freshwater flow increases the subsidy of a key copepod prey species (Pseudodiaptomus forbesi) from its freshwater population center into the LSZ. We combined hydrodynamic and particle-tracking modeling with Bayesian analysis in a box-model approach to estimate the magnitude of this subsidy and its dependence on freshwater flow rates. Net gains of P. forbesi into the LSZ came mostly from freshwater, landward regions of higher copepod abundance. The subsidy increased with freshwater flow, a finding that supports previous empirical analyses. However, in the context of persistent drought and ongoing climate change, the levels required to achieve a detectable net gain may be difficult and costly to achieve.

Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FCBGA) packages, together with many other heterogeneous integration packages, are widely used in high I/O (Input/Output) density and high-performance computing applications. The thermal dissipation efficiency of such packages is often improved through the use of an external heat sink. However, the heat sink increases the solder joint inelastic strain energy density, and thus reduces the board-level thermal cycling test reliability. The present study constructs a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model to investigate the solder joint reliability of a lidless on-board FCBGA package with heat sink effects under thermal cycling testing, in accordance with JEDEC standard test condition G (a thermal range of −40 to 125 °C and a dwell/ramp time of 15/15 min). The validity of the numerical model is confirmed by comparing the predicted warpage of the FCBGA package with the experimental measurements obtained using a shadow moiré system. The effects of the heat sink and loading distance on the solder joint reliability performance are then examined. It is shown that the addition of the heat sink and a longer loading distance increase the solder ball creep strain energy density (CSED) and degrade the package reliability performance accordingly.

In the phase 3 POLARIX study (NCT03274492), polatuzumab vedotin combined with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisone (Pola-R-CHP) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) with similar safety in previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients were randomized 1:1 to 6 cycles of Pola-R-CHP or R-CHOP plus 2 cycles of rituximab alone. For registration of POLARIX in China, consistency of PFS in an Asia subpopulation (defined as ≥50% of the risk reduction in PFS expected in the global population) was evaluated. Overall, 281 patients were analyzed: 160 patients from Asia in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population of the global study and 121 from an ITT China extension cohort. Of these, 141 were randomized to Pola-R-CHP and 140 to R-CHOP. At data cut-off (June 28, 2021; median follow-up 24.2 months), PFS met the consistency definition with the global population and was superior with Pola-R-CHP versus R-CHOP (hazard ratio 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-1.03). Two-year PFS was 74.2% (95% CI, 65.7-82.7) and 66.5% (95% CI, 57.3-75.6) with Pola-R-CHP and R-CHOP, respectively. Safety was comparable between Pola-R-CHP and R-CHOP, including rates of grade 3-4 adverse events (AEs; 72.9% vs 66.2%, respectively), serious AEs (32.9% vs 32.4%), grade 5 AEs (1.4% vs 0.7%), AEs leading to study treatment discontinuation (5.0% vs 7.2%), and any-grade peripheral neuropathy (44.3% vs 50.4%). These findings demonstrate consistent efficacy and safety of Pola-R-CHP versus R‑CHOP in the Asian and global populations in POLARIX.

IoT has continued to evolve over the years with a promise to provide the users with effective means to interact, communicate, transact and create strong relationship. The invention and the development of IoT have created benefits for many businesses and individuals. However, as the IoT continues to evolve and develop, it has been subjected to certain threats and vulnerabilities. The common vulnerabilities notable in IoT include the security, privacy and data protection concerns. These issues have not been addressed by many scholars thus necessitated the need for this research study. Therefor the research study was concerned with the developed of a new IoT model that can enhance the security and privacy of the users of the IoT. The results indicate that the new model can be effective in addressing the needs of the IoT users. However, it noted that future research studies are still needed to improve the performance of the IoT security models.

Background and Aims: Expert endoscopists previously reported ERCP outcomes for the first commercialized single-use duodenoscope. We aimed to document usability of this device by endoscopists with different levels of ERCP experience. Methods: Fourteen “expert” (>2000 lifetime ERCPs) and 5 “less-expert” endoscopists performed consecutive ERCPs in patients without altered pancreaticobiliary anatomy. Outcomes included ERCP completion for the intended indication, rate of crossover to another endoscope, device performance ratings, and serious adverse events. Results: Two hundred ERCPs including 81 (40.5%) with high complexity (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy grades 3-4) were performed. Crossover rate (11.3% vs 2.5%, P =.131), ERCP completion rate (regardless of crossovers) (96.3% vs 97.5%, P =.999), median ERCP completion time (25.0 vs 28.5 minutes, P =.130), mean cannulation attempts (2.8 vs 2.8, P =.954), and median overall satisfaction with the single-use duodenoscope (8.0 vs 8.0 [range, 1.0-10.0], P =.840) were similar for expert versus less-expert endoscopists, respectively. The same metrics were similar by procedural complexity except for shorter median completion time for grades 1 to 2 versus grades 3 to 4 (P Conclusions: In consecutive ERCPs including high complexity procedures, endoscopists with varying ERCP experience had good procedural success and reported high device performance ratings. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT04223830.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the perceived benefits and clinical utility of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) from the perspectives of physiotherapists and patients and to explore the factors that influence adopting CPET in a stroke rehabilitation setting. Method: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Physiotherapists ( n = 6) participated in a focus group to discuss the use of CPET in practice. Patients ( n = 8) who had completed CPET during stroke rehabilitation participated in a semi-structured interview to explore their experiences. Thematic analysis was performed. Results: CPET increased the physiotherapists’ confidence in prescribing exercise, especially for medically complex patients. Ongoing medical management early post-stroke was a barrier to referral. Physiotherapists expressed decreased confidence in interpreting test results. Consultation with local experts facilitated the use of CPET. Patients described how CPET increased their confidence to participate in exercise. They desired more information before and after CPET to better understand the purpose and results and their relation to their rehabilitation goals. Conclusions: Both physiotherapists and patients described the benefit of having CPET available to support them as they participated in exercise in a stroke rehabilitation setting. Physiotherapists would benefit from having educational tools to support their interpretation and application of test results, and patients would benefit from improved communication and education to support their understanding of the relevance of CPET to their rehabilitation goals. Future research should explore these findings in other stroke rehabilitation settings.

Impulsivity is a multidimensional heritable phenotype that broadly refers to the tendency to act prematurely and is associated with multiple forms of psychopathology, including substance use disorders. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of eight impulsive personality traits from the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and the short UPPS-P Impulsive Personality Scale (N=123,509-133,517 23andMe research participants of European ancestry), and a measure of Drug Experimentation (N=130,684). Because these GWAS implicated the geneCADM2, we next performed single-SNP phenome-wide studies (PheWAS) of several of the implicated variants inCADM2in a multi-ancestral 23andMe cohort (N=3,229,317, European; N=579,623, Latin American; N=199,663, African American). Finally, we producedCadm2mutant mice and used them to perform a Mouse-PheWAS (“MouseWAS”) by testing them with a battery of relevant behavioral tasks. In humans, impulsive personality traits showed modest chip-heritability (∼6-11%), and moderate genetic correlations (rg=.20-.50) with other personality traits, and various psychiatric and medical traits. We identified significant associations proximal to genes such asTCF4andPTPRF, and also identified nominal associations proximal toDRD2andCRHR1. PheWAS forCADM2variants identified associations with 378 traits in European participants, and 47 traits in Latin American participants, replicating associations with risky behaviors, cognition and BMI, and revealing novel associations including allergies, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraine. Our MouseWAS recapitulated some of the associations found in humans, including impulsivity, cognition, and BMI. Our results further delineate the role ofCADM2in impulsivity and numerous other psychiatric and somatic traits across ancestries and species.

Remdesivir is an antiviral used for the treatment of COVID-19 requiring hospitalisation. Information on its cardiovascular safety profile is scarce. We report the case of a 37-year-old man with COVID-19 who developed bradycardia after receiving remdesivir. We recommend a baseline ECG for all patients prior to receiving remdesivir and continuous cardiac monitoring during treatment, especially among those with underlying cardiovascular disease, elderly and using β-blockers.

Gene editing following designer nuclease cleavage in the presence of a DNA donor template can revert mutations in disease-causing genes. For optimal benefit, reversion of the point mutation in HBB leading to sickle cell disease (SCD) would permit precise homology-directed repair (HDR) while concurrently limiting on-target non-homologous end joining (NHEJ)-based HBB disruption. In this study, we directly compared the relative efficiency of co-delivery of a novel CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein targeting HBB in association with recombinant adeno-associated virus 6 (rAAV6) versus single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs) to introduce the sickle mutation (GTC or GTG; encoding E6V) or a silent change (GAA; encoding E6optE) in human CD34+ mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (mPBSCs) derived from healthy donors. In vitro, rAAV6 outperformed ssODN donor template delivery and mediated greater HDR correction, leading to both higher HDR rates and a higher HDR:NHEJ ratio. In contrast, at 12–14 weeks post-transplant into recipient, immunodeficient, NOD, B6, SCID Il2rγ−/− Kit(W41/W41) (NBSGW) mice, a ∼6-fold higher proportion of ssODN-modified cells persisted in vivo compared to recipients of rAAV6-modified mPBSCs. Together, our findings highlight that methodology for donor template delivery markedly impacts long-term persistence of HBB gene-modified mPBSCs, and they suggest that the ssODN platform is likely to be most amenable to direct clinical translation. Keywords: sickle cell disease, gene editing, rAAV6, ssODN, homology-directed repair, Crispr/Cas9, hemoglobin disorders, NHEJ versus HDR, in vivo engraftment, NBSGW41 mice, CD34, hematopoietic stem cells, stem cell cures

Elements within the γ-hemoglobin promoters (HBG1 and HBG2) function to bind transcription complexes that mediate repression of fetal hemoglobin expression. Sickle cell disease (SCD) subjects with a 13-bp deletion in the HBG1 promoter exhibit a clinically favorable hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) phenotype. We developed TALENs targeting the homologous HBG promoters to de-repress fetal hemoglobin. Transfection of human CD34+ cells with TALEN mRNA resulted in indel generation in HBG1 (43%) and HBG2 (74%) including the 13-bp HPFH deletion (∼6%). Erythroid differentiation of edited cells revealed a 4.6-fold increase in γ-hemoglobin expression as detected by HPLC. Assessment of TALEN-edited CD34+ cells in vivo in a humanized mouse model demonstrated sustained presence of indels in hematopoietic cells up to 24 weeks. Indel rates remained unchanged following secondary transplantation consistent with editing of long-term repopulating stem cells (LT-HSCs). Human γ-hemoglobin expressing F cells were detected by flow cytometry approximately 50% more frequently in edited animals compared to mock. Together, these findings demonstrate that TALEN-mediated indel generation in the γ-hemoglobin promoter leads to high levels of fetal hemoglobin expression in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that this approach can provide therapeutic benefit in patients with SCD or β-thalassemia., Graphical Abstract

Background and aims Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding has been observed amongst patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Recently, anticoagulation has shown to decrease mortality, but it is unclear whether this contributes to increased GI bleeding. The aims of this study are: (i) to examine whether there are risk factors for GI bleeding in COVID-19 patients and (ii) to study whether there is a mortality difference between hospitalized patients with COVID-19 with and without GI bleeding. Methods This is a propensity score matched case-control study from a large health system in the New York metropolitan area between March 1st and April 27th. COVID-19 patients with GI bleeding were matched 1:1 to COVID-19 patients without bleeding using a propensity score that took into account comorbidities, demographics, GI bleeding risk factors and length of stay. Results Of 11, 158 hospitalized with COVID-19, 314 patients were identified with GI bleeding. The point prevalence of GI bleeding was 3%. There were no identifiable risk factors for GI bleeding. Use of anticoagulation medication or antiplatelet agents was not associated with increased risk of GI bleeding in COVID-19 patients. For patients who developed a GI bleed during the hospitalization, there was an increased mortality risk in the GI bleeding group (OR 1.58, P = 0.02). Conclusion Use of anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents was not risk factors for GI bleeding in a large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Those with GI bleeding during the hospitalization had increased mortality.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are immunoconjugates and comprise a monoclonal antibody that is chemically attached to a cytotoxic drug (or payload) via a stable chemical linker. Since the approval of the first ADC in 2000, there are now nine different approved agents and over 100 ADCs in the drug-development pipeline.This review briefly describes the ADCs approved for treatment of lymphoma and their distinguishing factors in terms of target, linker and payload. The clinical implications of the use of ADCs are also considered. Here, we focus on polatuzumab vedotin, an ADC targeted to CD79b, which is approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL) who have received at least one (EU approval) or two (US approval) prior therapies and are not eligible for bone marrow transplantation. The characteristics of polatuzumab vedotin are discussed and clinical data are presented. The future of polatuzumab vedotin clinical development, and ADCs in general, are also considered.ADCs represent a significant advance in the treatment of lymphoma. Polatuzumab vedotin has shown clinical efficacy and a tolerable safety profile in both first-line and R/R DLBCL; future studies are planned to further investigate this ADC.

Cholestatic liver injury is associated with intrahepatic biliary fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis. Resident hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) expressing Prominin‐1 (Prom1 or CD133) become activated and participate in the expansion of cholangiocytes known as the ductular reaction. Previously, we demonstrated that in biliary atresia, Prom1(+) HPCs are present within developing fibrosis and that null mutation of Prom1 significantly abrogates fibrogenesis. Here, we hypothesized that these activated Prom1‐expressing HPCs promote fibrogenesis in cholestatic liver injury. Using Prom1CreERT2‐nLacZ/+;Rosa26Lsl‐GFP/+ mice, we traced the fate of Prom1‐expressing HPCs in the growth of the neonatal and adult livers and in biliary fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation (BDL). Prom1‐expressing cell lineage labeling with Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) on postnatal day 1 exhibited an expanded population as well as bipotent differentiation potential toward both hepatocytes and cholangiocytes at postnatal day 35. However, in the adult liver, they lost hepatocyte differentiation potential. Upon cholestatic liver injury, adult Prom1‐expressing HPCs gave rise to both PROM1(+) and PROM1(‐) cholangiocytes contributing to ductular reaction without hepatocyte or myofibroblast differentiation. RNA‐sequencing analysis of GFP(+) Prom1‐expressing HPC lineage revealed a persistent cholangiocyte phenotype and evidence of Transforming Growth Factor‐β pathway activation. When Prom1‐expressing cells were ablated with induced Diphtheria toxin in Prom1CreERT‐nLacZ/+;Rosa26DTA/+ mice, we observed a decrease in ductular reactions and biliary fibrosis typically present in BDL as well as decreased expression of numerous fibrogenic gene markers. Our data indicate that Prom1‐expressing HPCs promote biliary fibrosis associated with activation of myofibroblasts in cholestatic liver injury., In this study, we demonstrate that during cholestatic liver injury following bile duct ligation that cholangiocytes derived from Prominin‐1‐expressing hepatic progenitor cells promote biliary fibrosis; ablation of Prom1‐expressing cells decreases fibrosis.

Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is typically the first-line therapy for gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE). However, many patients are refractory to APC ablation.We examined the safety and efficacy of nitrous oxide CryoBalloon cryotherapy ablation for GAVE refractory to APC.This is a retrospective review of patients with refractory GAVE treated with the CryoBalloon system. Technical success was defined as successful ablation of the visualized GAVE. Clinical success was defined by transfusion independence and percentage of GAVE that was eradicated.Twenty-three patients with GAVE were included, of whom 16 patients (70%) had two treatments with the CryoBalloon and seven patients (30%) had one treatment. Technical success was achieved in all patients. At six months, 19/23 (83%) were transfusion independent, while 20/23 (87%) had more than 75% of the GAVE eradicated. Patients were transfused an average of 1.8 units/month one year prior to cryotherapy and an average of 0.3 units/month up to six months post-cryotherapy (CryoBalloon ablation is an efficacious and safe modality for the treatment of GAVE. Prospective studies need to be conducted to determine comparative results to standard therapies.

Background: The current standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is R CHOP; however, approximately 40% of patients are not cured. The CD79b-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, polatuzumab vedotin, is approved in relapsed/refractory DLBCL in combination with bendamustine and rituximab, and has also demonstrated promising first line activity and safety when combined with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (pola-R-CHP) in a Phase Ib/II study (Tilly, et al. Lancet Oncol 2019). Thus, in the Phase III POLARIX study (NCT03274492) we compared pola-R-CHP with R-CHOP in patients with previously untreated DLBCL. Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, international study, patients with previously untreated DLBCL and an International Prognostic Index (IPI) of 2-5 were randomized 1:1 to receive six cycles of pola-R-CHP (with a vincristine placebo) or R-CHOP (with a polatuzumab vedotin placebo); all patients also received two additional cycles of rituximab. Patients received polatuzumab vedotin 1.8mg/kg or vincristine 1.4mg/m² administered on Day 1, plus intravenous rituximab 375mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 750mg/m², doxorubicin 50mg/m², and placebo on Day 1, and oral prednisone 100mg once daily on Days 1-5. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included investigator-assessed event-free survival (EFS), independent review committee-assessed complete response (CR) rate at the end of treatment by positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results: Overall, 879 patients were randomized, 440 to pola-R-CHP and 439 to R-CHOP. Median age was 65 (range 19-80) years, and the majority of patients had IPI 3-5 (62.0%). At the data cut-off of June 28, 2021, and after a median follow-up of 28.2 months, PFS was superior with pola-R-CHP vs R CHOP (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.95; P Conclusion: The pola-R-CHP combination demonstrated a 27% reduction in the relative risk of disease progression, relapse, or death compared with R-CHOP, with a similar safety profile in the first-line treatment of patients with DLBCL. Disclosures Tilly: Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Meeting attendance and travel, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen-Cilag: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Morschhauser: AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZenenca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Epizyme: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Chugai: Honoraria; Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy; Janssen: Honoraria; Genmab: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Servier: Consultancy; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Sehn: Novartis: Consultancy; Genmab: Consultancy; Debiopharm: Consultancy; Teva: Consultancy, Research Funding; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy; Acerta: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Apobiologix: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Lundbeck: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Morphosys: Consultancy; Sandoz: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; Verastem: Consultancy. Friedberg: Bayer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Acerta: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Trněný: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Morphosys: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Portola: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Honoraria. Sharman: AbbVie: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Lilly: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Consultancy; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy; Centessa: Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy; Velos: Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Herbaux: Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. Burke: Verastem: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Morphosys: Consultancy; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy; Kura: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Kymera: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; X4 Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Consultancy; Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy. Matasar: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Current Employment; Merck Sharp & Dohme: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Research Funding; IGM Biosciences: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Rocket Medical: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Research Funding; ImmunoVaccine Technologies: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Teva: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria. Rai: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd: Speakers Bureau; ONO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd: Speakers Bureau; Janssen Pharmaceutical: Speakers Bureau; Eisai Co., Ltd: Speakers Bureau. Izutsu: AbbVie: Honoraria; Allergan Japan: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; BeiGene: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Chugai: Honoraria, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Eisai: Honoraria, Research Funding; Fuji Film Toyama Chemical: Honoraria; Genmab: Honoraria, Research Funding; Huya Biosciences: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Kyowa Kirin: Honoraria, Research Funding; MSD: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Ono Pharmaceutical: Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Solasia: Research Funding; Symbio: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Yakult: Research Funding. Mehta-Shah: C4 Therapeutics: Consultancy; Kiowa Hakko Kirin: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Ono Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Secura Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Innate Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Roche/Genentech: Research Funding; Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Verastem: Research Funding. Oberic: Celgene: Honoraria; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; Janssen: Honoraria, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; AbbVie: Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Jurczak: Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology: Current Employment; Jagiellonian University: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Greil: Sandoz: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses; Merck Sharp & Dohme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, Research Funding. Pinto: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; Gilead Sciences: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; MSD: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Support for attending meetings and/or travel, Speakers Bureau. Abrisqueta Costa: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hirata: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; Genentech/Roche: Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Jiang: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Yan: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lee: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Flowers: AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Denovo Biopharma: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genmab: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics/Janssen: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Spectrum: Consultancy; 4D: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Adaptimmune: Research Funding; Allogene: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; EMD: Research Funding; Guardant: Research Funding; Iovance: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Nektar: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Xencor: Research Funding; Ziopharm: Research Funding; Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Research Funding; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group: Research Funding; National Cancer Institute: Research Funding; Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas: CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding. Salles: Bayer: Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; BeiGene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Debiopharm: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genmab: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Ipsen: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Loxo: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Miltenyi: Consultancy; Morphosys: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Rapt: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Regeneron: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Velosbio: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Allogene: Consultancy. OffLabel Disclosure: Polatuzumab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD79b on malignant B-cells. Polatuzumab vedotin in combination with bendamustine and rituximab (pola-BR) improved complete response rate and overall survival compared with BR alone in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Pola-BR is approved for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, after at least two prior therapies.

A series of new Luotonin A derivatives with substituents at rings A and E was synthesized, together with some E-ring-unsubstituted derivatives. Subsequently, the compound library was examined in silico for their binding into a previously proposed site in the DNA/topoisomerase I binary complex. Whereas no convincing correlation between docking scores and biological data from in vitro assays could be found, one novel 4,9-diamino Luotonin A derivative had strong antiproliferative activity based on massive G2/M phase arrest. As this biological activity clearly differs from the reference compound Camptothecin, this strongly indicates that at least some Luotonin A derivatives may be potent antiproliferative agents, however with a different mode of action.

Introduction Little is known about the additive yield of wide-area transepithelial sampling with computer-assisted three-dimensional analysis (WATS-3D) after a thorough examination with advanced imaging. The aim was to evaluate the adjunctive yield of WATS-3D after advanced imaging. Methods This is an observational cohort study from January 2017 to December 2018 for consecutive patients who underwent an examination that consists of high-definition white light endoscopy (HDWLE), narrow-band imaging (NBI), volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE), and Seattle protocol (SP) biopsies (collectively termed HDWLE-NBI-VLE-SP examination). Raised lesions were removed by endoscopic resection. Areas suspicious for dysplasia on NBI and VLE were biopsied. This was followed by random biopsies and WATS-3D brush biopsies. Results One hundred thirty-eight cases were included in this study. Thirty-five cases (25% of the total) were identified as some degree of dysplasia on the HDWLE-NBI-VLE-SP examination. Adjunctive use of WATS-3D yielded an additional 12 new cases of dysplasia (9 with crypt dysplasia and 3 with low-grade dysplasia [LGD]), for added yield of 34.3% (=12/35, 95% confidence interval 14.6%-62.2%). When restricting the analysis to LGD and higher, 21 dysplastic cases (15% of the total cases) were identified by HDWLE-NBI-VLE-SP, while WATS-3D found 4 additional new cases (3 with LGD and 1 with high-grade dysplasia) for an added yield of 19% (=4/21, 95% confidence interval 0.6%-45.7%). Discussion The addition of WATS-3D to an already thorough examination with HDWLE-NBI-VLE-SP may increase the yield of dysplasia detection.

ObjectiveVolumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) is an advanced imaging modality used in Barrett’s oesophagus (BE) to help identify dysplasia in the oesophagus. VLE criteria exist for oesophageal dysplasia but not for dysplasia in the gastric cardia. The aim of this study was to determine if there are in vivo VLE features that can predict gastric cardia dysplasia in BE.DesignThis was a single-centre observational cohort study from August 2016 to August 2018. Patients were included if they had BE, were undergoing a VLE exam as standard of care, and had a suspicious target laser marked at the gastric cardia. The following VLE features were correlated to histology to determine if an association existed between histology subtype and VLE feature: wide crypts, irregular surface, one large isolated gland, multiple glands, and complex glands.ResultsA total of 110 in vivo gastric cardia targets in 77 patients with BE were analysed. The following abnormalities were identified: 61 wide crypts, 34 isolated glands, 16 irregular surfaces, 15 multiple glands, and 11 complex glands. Complex glands were the only VLE feature that correlated to any histology subtype. They were present in 71% of targets with high-grade dysplasia (HGD), T1a cancer or T1b cancer and had a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 71%, 99%, and 85%, respectively. Of the 10 patients with complex glands on VLE and HGD/cancer on histology, 4 had a normal-appearing mucosa (40%) on endoscopy.ConclusionIdentification of complex glands on VLE may aid in detection of HGD or early cancer in the gastric cardia in BE. This is particularly important, as dysplasia at the gastric cardia can be difficult to see endoscopically.

Summary Background Polatuzumab vedotin, an antibody–drug conjugate targeting the CD79b component of the B-cell receptor, has demonstrated activity as a single agent and in combination with rituximab in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In this study, we evaluated the safety and preliminary activity of polatuzumab vedotin in combination with rituximab or obinutuzumab and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (CHP) in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Methods This was an open-label, non-randomised study composed of a phase 1b dose escalation and a phase 2 dose expansion at 11 hospitals and health centres in the USA and France. Patients aged 18 years or older with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma were eligible. Exclusion criteria included peripheral neuropathy with grade greater than 1, major surgery within 4 weeks before enrolment, known CNS involvement of lymphoma, and uncontrolled heart disease. Phase 1b dose escalation had a three-plus-three design and established the recommended phase 2 dose. Phase 2 expansion evaluated the recommended phase 2 dose of polatuzumab vedotin in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with an International Prognostic Index (IPI) of 2–5. Patients received cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2 on day 1 intravenously, doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 on day 1 intravenously, and prednisone 100 mg once daily on days 1–5 of each 21-day cycle orally (CHP), plus either rituximab 375 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 of each cycle (R-CHP) or obinutuzumab 1000 mg intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of cycle 1 and on day 1 of the following cycles (G-CHP). Polatuzumab vedotin was administered on day 2 of cycles 1 and 2, and on day 1 of the following cycles at 1·0–2·4 mg/kg during the escalation phase and at the recommended phase 2 dose during the expansion phase. Treatment could last six or eight cycles, depending on investigator preference. The primary endpoints of the study were safety and tolerability, and determination of the maximum tolerated dose (or recommended phase 2 dose) of polatuzumab vedotin. All endpoints were analysed per protocol in the safety evaluable population, defined as all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01992653. Findings Between Dec 4, 2013, and July 26, 2016, 85 patients were enrolled. 82 patients were included in the safety and activity evaluable populations, 25 in phase 1b and 57 in phase 2. In light of information from other studies using polatuzumab vedotin reported during this study, in which the safety profile associated with exposure to polatuzumab vedotin at doses higher than 1·8 mg/kg every 3 weeks was not outweighed by any clinical benefit, the recommended phase 2 dose was set to 1·8 mg/kg in the R-CHP cohort and no higher doses were explored in this study. 66 patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma received the polatuzumab vedotin recommended phase 2 dose (45 R-CHP; 21 G-CHP). In 66 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who received the recommended phase 2 dose, the most common adverse events of grade 3 or worse were neutropenia (20 [30%]), febrile neutropenia (12 [18%]), and thrombocytopenia (six [9%]). Among the 70 patients (any histology) who received the recommended phase 2 dose, 19 (27%) had grade 1 peripheral neuropathy, eight (11%) grade 2, and two (3%) grade 3. Four deaths were reported during follow-up: two treatment-related (one complication of atrial fibrillation and one septic shock) and two due to disease progression. As of the cutoff date of Dec 29, 2017, median follow-up time was 21·5 months (IQR 16·7–24·3) for the untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cohort treated at the polatuzumab vedotin recommended phase 2 dose. 59 (89%) patients achieved an overall response at end of treatment (51 [77%] patients had a complete response, and eight [12%] patients had a partial response). Interpretation The safety of incorporating polatuzumab vedotin to R-CHP or G-CHP was as expected and managable. Preliminary clinical activity in newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma seems promising and encouraged a phase 3 trial comparing polatuzumab vedotin with R-CHP to R-CHOP. Funding F Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech.

Tracheal intubation is common in the care of critically ill adults and is frequently complicated by hypotension, cardiac arrest, or death. We aimed to evaluate administration of an intravenous fluid bolus to prevent cardiovascular collapse during intubation of critically ill adults.We did a pragmatic, multicentre, unblinded, randomised trial in nine sites (eight ICUs and one emergency department) around the USA. Critically ill adults (≥18 years) undergoing tracheal intubation were randomly assigned (1:1, block sizes of 2, 4, and 6, stratified by study site) to either an intravenous infusion of 500 mL of crystalloid solution or no fluid bolus. The primary outcome, assessed in the intention-to-treat population, was cardiovascular collapse, defined as a new systolic blood pressure65 mm Hg; new or increased vasopressor receipt between induction and 2 min after tracheal intubation; or cardiac arrest or death within 1 h of tracheal intubation. Adverse events were assessed in the as-treated population. This trial, which is now complete, is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03026777.Patients were enrolled from Feb 6, 2017, to Jan 9, 2018, when the data and safety monitoring board stopped the trial on the basis of futility. By trial termination, 337 (63%) of 537 screened adults had been randomly assigned. Cardiovascular collapse occurred in 33 (20%) of 168 patients in the fluid bolus group compared with 31 (18%) of 169 patients in the no fluid bolus group (absolute difference 1·3% [95% CI -7·1% to 9·7%]; p=0·76). The individual components of the cardiovascular collapse composite outcome did not differ between groups (new systolic blood pressure65 mm Hg 11 [7%] in the bolus group vs ten [6%] in the no-bolus group, new or increased vasopressor 32 [19%] vs 31 [18%], cardiac arrest within 1 h seven [4%] vs two [1%], death within 1 h of intubation two [1%] vs one [1%]). In-hospital mortality was not significantly different in the fluid bolus group (48 [29%]) compared with no fluid bolus (59 [35%]).Administration of an intravenous fluid bolus did not decrease the overall incidence of cardiovascular collapse during tracheal intubation of critically ill adults compared with no fluid bolus in this trial.US National Institutes of Health.

Efficient exfoliation of graphite in solutions to obtain high-quality graphene flakes is desirable for printable electronics, catalysis, energy storage, and composites. Graphite oxide with large lateral dimensions has an exfoliation yield of ~100%, but it has not been possible to completely remove the oxygen functional groups so that the reduced form of graphene oxide (GO; reduced form: rGO) remains a highly disordered material. Here we report a simple, rapid method to reduce GO into pristine graphene using 1- to 2-second pulses of microwaves. The desirable structural properties are translated into mobility values of >1000 square centimeters per volt per second in field-effect transistors with microwave-reduced GO (MW-rGO) as the channel material and into particularly high activity for MW-rGO catalyst support toward oxygen evolution reactions.

While there are several small molecule, gene therapy, and gene editing approaches for treating sickle cell disease (SCD), these strategies do not result in the direct elimination of the causative sickle β-globin (HbS) variant itself. The reduction or complete removal of this pathologic globin variant and expression of normal β-hemoglobin (HbB) or other non-polymerizing β-globin variant may increase the likelihood of beneficial outcomes for SCD patients. Adenine base editors (ABEs) can precisely convert the mutant A-T base pair responsible for SCD to a G-C base pair, thus generating the hemoglobin variant, Hb G-Makassar, a naturally occurring β-globin variant that is not associated with human disease. Our studies have identified ABEs that can achieve highly efficient Makassar editing (>70%) of the sickle mutation in both sickle trait (HbAS) and homozygous sickle (HbSS) patient CD34+ cells with high cell viability and recovery and without perturbation of immunophenotypic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) frequencies after ex vivo delivery of guide RNA and mRNA encoding the ABE. Furthermore, Makassar editing was retained throughout erythropoiesis in bulk in vitro erythroid differentiated cells (IVED) derived from edited CD34+ cells. To gain an understanding of allelic editing at a single clone resolution, we assessed editing frequencies of clones from both single cell expansion in erythroid differentiation media, as well as from single BFU-E colonies. We found that we could achieve >70% of colonies with bi-allelic Makassar editing and approximately 20% of colonies with mono-allelic Makassar editing, while Previously, conventional hemoglobin capillary electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were unable to distinguish between HbS and HbG-Makassar. Here, we developed an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method that resolves sickle globin (HbS) from Hb G-Makassar globin in IVED cells. The Makassar globin variant was further confirmed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). By developing this new method to resolve these two β-globin variants in edited HbSS cells, we were able to detect, in bulk IVED cultures, >80% abundance Hb G-Makassar of total β-globins, which corresponded to a concomitant reduction of HbS levels to 70% of cells that had bi-allelic Makassar editing. Moreover, in the approximately 20% of colonies that were found to be mono-allelically edited for the Makassar variant, there was a 60:40 ratio of Hb G-Makassar:HbS globin abundance in individual clones, at levels remarkably similar to the HbA(wildtype HbB):HbS levels found in HbAS individuals, with minimal observable in vitro sickling when exposed to hypoxia. Thus, with our ABEs, we were able to reduce HbS to 90% of IVED cells and found that in vitro sickling under hypoxia inversely correlated with the level of Hb G-Makassar globin variant installation and corresponding reduction in HbS levels. By converting HbS to Hb G-Makassar, our direct and precise editing strategy replaces a pathogenic β-globin with one that has been shown to have normal hematologic parameters. Coupled with autologous stem cell transplant, this next generation gene editing strategy presents a promising new modality for treating patients with SCD. Disclosures Chu: Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lam:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Packer:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Olins:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Liquori:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Marshall:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lee:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Yan:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Decker:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Gantzer:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Haskett:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Bohnuud:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Born:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Barrera:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Slaymaker:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Gaudelli:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Hartigan:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ciaramella:Beam Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

SUMMARY Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) for real-time, microscopic cross-sectional imaging. A US-based multi-center registry was constructed to prospectively collect data on patients undergoing upper endoscopy during which a VLE scan was performed. The objective of this registry was to determine usage patterns of VLE in clinical practice and to estimate quantitative and qualitative performance metrics as they are applied to Barrett's esophagus (BE) management. All procedures utilized the NvisionVLE Imaging System (NinePoint Medical, Bedford, MA) which was used by investigators to identify the tissue types present, along with focal areas of concern. Following the VLE procedure, investigators were asked to answer six key questions regarding how VLE impacted each case. Statistical analyses including neoplasia diagnostic yield improvement using VLE was performed. One thousand patients were enrolled across 18 US trial sites from August 2014 through April 2016. In patients with previously diagnosed or suspected BE (894/1000), investigators used VLE and identified areas of concern not seen on white light endoscopy (WLE) in 59% of the procedures. VLE imaging also guided tissue acquisition and treatment in 71% and 54% of procedures, respectively. VLE as an adjunct modality improved the neoplasia diagnostic yield by 55% beyond the standard of care practice. In patients with no prior history of therapy, and without visual findings from other technologies, VLE-guided tissue acquisition increased neoplasia detection over random biopsies by 700%. Registry investigators reported that VLE improved the BE management process when used as an adjunct tissue acquisition and treatment guidance tool. The ability of VLE to image large segments of the esophagus with microscopic cross-sectional detail may provide additional benefits including higher yield biopsies and more efficient tissue acquisition. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02215291

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic mucosal resection of large non-pedunculated colon polyps is challenging. OBJECTIVE: To determine if the time of day or daily endoscopic workload play a role in outcomes of endoscopic mucosal resection for large non-pedunculated colon polyps greater than 20 mm. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent endoscopic mucosal resection of large non-pedunculated colon polyps. The time of day and endoscopic workload were compared across the following outcomes: the rate of complete resection of the polyp, the rate of referral for surgery, and the rate of residual neoplasia on follow-up. RESULTS: One hundred and three endoscopic mucosal resection procedures were performed. There were no differences in the rates of complete resection (80.8% vs. 70.0%; P = 0.25), the need for surgery (27.4% vs. 33.3%; P = 0.55), and rate of residual neoplasia (24.5% vs. 50.0%; P = 0.07) when comparing the time of day. Colon polyps greater than 40 mm were less likely to be completely resected versus polyps sized 20–39 mm (56.8% vs. 91.9%; P

The median survival for metastatic melanoma is in the realm of 8–16 months and there are few therapies that offer significant improvement in overall survival. One of the recent advances in cancer treatment focuses on epigenetic modifiers to alter the survivability and immunogenicity of cancer cells. Our group and others have previously demonstrated that pan‐HDAC inhibitors induce apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and changes in the immunogenicity of melanoma cells. Here we interrogated specific HDACs which may be responsible for this effect. We found that both genetic abrogation and pharmacologic inhibition of HDAC6 decreases in vitro proliferation and induces G1 arrest of melanoma cell lines without inducing apoptosis. Moreover, targeting this molecule led to an important upregulation in the expression of tumor associated antigens and MHC class I, suggesting a potential improvement in the immunogenicity of these cells. Of note, this anti‐melanoma activity was operative regardless of mutational status of the cells. These effects translated into a pronounced delay of in vivo melanoma tumor growth which was, at least in part, dependent on intact immunity as evidenced by the restoration of tumor growth after CD4+ and CD8+ depletion. Given our findings, we provide the initial rationale for the further development of selective HDAC6 inhibitors as potential therapeutic anti‐melanoma agents.

Introduction: Our objective was to develop a prognostic model that predicts progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) to enable risk-adapted strategies in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We retrospectively investigated the value of quantitative image texture features (i.e. 'radiomics' evaluating tumor heterogeneity) using FDG PET/CT data sets in a large, prospective Phase III trial, GOYA (NCT01287741). Methods: In the GOYA trial, which compared obinutuzumab versus rituximab both in combination with CHOP chemotherapy, there was no significant treatment effect between the two arms, thus the two arms were combined for this study. Baseline PET/CT images with regions of interests (ROIs) defined by qualified physicians were analyzed for radiomics features. Image texture features (ITF) were computed using the open-source and validated PET Oncology Radiomics Test Suite (PORTS). The clinical risk factors (International Prognostic Index [IPI], Ann Arbor stage, extranodal disease, bulky disease), cell of origin (COO), standard PET-derived metrics (standard uptake value [SUV]-mean, SUV-max, total metabolic tumor volume [TMTV], total lesion glycolysis [TLG]), SUV histogram metrics (variance, skewness, and kurtosis), and ITF were evaluated for prediction of PFS and OS. TMTV was estimated using adaptive thresholding. Prognostic models were generated by means of multivariate Cox regression analysis, modeling PFS, and OS. In the absence of an independent patient cohort for external model validation, an internal validation, based on c-index and Brier score, was carried out using bootstrap resampling methods. Stratification of patients into risk groups was achieved through maximally selected rank statistics. Multivariate analysis was also carried out on a subgroup of patients with available COO information. Results: The median follow-ups for PFS and OS were 46 and 50 months, respectively. Baseline PET scans were available for 1334 patients with detectable lesions, and 1077 baseline scans were evaluable for calculating ITFs. In the univariate analysis, high TMTV, histogram mean, histogram variance, and the ITFs gray-tone spatial dependence matrices (GTSDM) difference entropy and low gray-level zone length matrix (GLSZM) small zone high gray emphasis were risk factors for PFS, while high TMTV, histogram mean, and the ITF GTSDM inverse difference moment were risk factors for OS (Table 1, showing 95% CI, HR, and p-values for both univariate and multivariate analyses). In multivariate analysis, the risk factors included IPI, Ann Arbor stage, high TMTV, histogram mean, and GTSDM inverse difference moment; results were generally consistent in the multivariate subgroup analysis on patients with COO data available (Table 1). Based on the multivariate model, the probabilities for PFS and OS at 2 and 4 years for individual patients were established (Table 2). By combining TMTV (four categorical groups) with ITF, COO, and predictive clinical factors, three prognostic subgroups of treatment failure risk were identified: low (55% of patients), intermediate (34%), and high (11%). Hazard ratios for high and intermediate risk compared with low risk were 2.16 (p Conclusion: A model including PET-derived quantitative ITF, in addition to significant clinical features, was able to predict survival probability for untreated DLBCL patients with good precision. The proposed PET-based prognostic model may help identify patients who could benefit from risk-adapted treatment modifications or novel approaches. Acknowledgments: GOYA was sponsored by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Third-party editorial assistance, under the direction of Lale Kostakoglu, was provided by Katie Smith of Gardiner-Caldwell Communications and was funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Disclosures Kostakoglu: F. Hoffman-La Roche: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy. Dalmasso:I-See s.r.l.: Employment. Pierce:Precision Sensing LLC: Equity Ownership. Vitolo:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Juno Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Kite: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Martelli:Servier: Honoraria; F. Hoffman-La Roche, Celgene, Janssen, Sandoz, Novartis, Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffman-La Roche, Celgene, Janssen, Sandoz, Novartis, Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Servier: Honoraria. Sehn:Janssen-Ortho: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen-Ortho: Honoraria. Trněný:Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy, Honoraria; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Incyte: Consultancy, Honoraria; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Nielsen:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Employment, Equity Ownership. Bolen:Genentech, Inc.: Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Equity Ownership. Sahin:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Employment, Equity Ownership. Lee:Genentech: Employment; F. Hoffman-La Roche: Equity Ownership. El-Galaly:Roche: Employment, Other: Travel support; Takeda: Other: Travel support. Mattiello:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Employment. Kinahan:Co-founded PET/X LLC: Equity Ownership; Philips Medical: Research Funding; GE Healthcare: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy. Chauvie:International Agency on Atomic Energy (IAEA): Consultancy; Co-owner of Dixit srl (spin-off University of Torino): Equity Ownership; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Research Funding; Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo (CRC): Research Funding; Italian Foundation on Lymphoma (FIL): Research Funding; Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC): Research Funding; SIRTEX: Speakers Bureau.