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Purpose: Combination therapies targeting immunologic checkpoints have shown promise in treating multiple tumor types. We report safety and tolerability of MEDI0562, a humanized IgG1K OX40 mAb, in combination with durvalumab (anti-PD-L1), or tremelimumab (anti-CTLA-4), in adult patients with previously treated advanced solid tumors. Patients and Methods: In this phase I, multicenter, open-label study, patients received escalating doses of MEDI0562 (2.25, 7.5, or 22.5 mg) every 2 weeks in combination with durvalumab (1,500 mg) or tremelimumab (75 or 225 mg) every 4 weeks, intravenously, until unacceptable toxicity or progressive disease. Tumor assessments were performed every 8 weeks. The primary objective was to evaluate safety and tolerability. Results: Among the 27 and 31 patients who received MEDI0562 + durvalumab or MEDI0562 + tremelimumab, 74.1% and 67.7% reported a treatment-related adverse event (AE), and 22.2% and 19.4% experienced a treatment-emergent AE that led to discontinuation, respectively. The MTD of MEDI0562 + durvalumab was 7.5 mg MEDI0562 + 1,500 mg durvalumab; the maximum administered dose of MEDI0562 + tremelimumab was 22.5 mg MEDI0562 + 225 mg tremelimumab. Three patients in the MEDI0562 + durvalumab arm had a partial response. The mean percentage of Ki67+CD4+ and Ki67+CD8+ memory T cells increased by >100% following the first dose of MEDI0562 + durvalumab or tremelimumab in all dose cohorts. A decrease in OX40+FOXP3 regulatory T cells was observed in a subset of patients with available paired biopsies. Conclusions: Following dose escalation, moderate toxicity was observed in both treatment arms, with no clear efficacy signals demonstrated.

Figure S5: Dual MoA of MEDI0562

Purpose:Immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated clinical benefits across multiple solid tumor types; however, resistance and relapse often occur. New immunomodulatory targets, which are highly expressed in activated immune cells, are needed. MEDI0562, an agonistic humanized mAb, specifically binds to the costimulatory molecule OX40. This first-in-human study evaluated MEDI0562 in adults with advanced solid tumors.Patients and Methods:In this phase I, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, dose-escalation (3+3 design) study, patients received 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, or 10 mg/kg MEDI0562 through intravenous infusion every 2 weeks, until confirmed disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective evaluated safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints included antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamics.Results:In total, 55 patients received ≥1 dose of MEDI0562 and were included in the analysis. The most common tumor type was squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (47%). Median duration of treatment was 10 weeks (range, 2–48 weeks). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 67% of patients, most commonly fatigue (31%) and infusion-related reactions (14%). Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 14% of patients with no apparent dose relationship; no TRAEs resulted in death. Two patients had immune-related partial responses per protocol and 44% had stable disease. MEDI0562 induced increased Ki67+ CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-cell proliferation in the periphery and decreased intratumoral OX40+ FOXP3+ cells.Conclusions:MEDI0562 was safely administered at doses up to 10 mg/kg in heavily pretreated patients. On-target pharmacodynamic effects were suggested in this setting. Further evaluation with immune checkpoint inhibitors is ongoing.

Purpose:Combination therapies targeting immunologic checkpoints have shown promise in treating multiple tumor types. We report safety and tolerability of MEDI0562, a humanized IgG1K OX40 mAb, in combination with durvalumab (anti-PD-L1), or tremelimumab (anti-CTLA-4), in adult patients with previously treated advanced solid tumors.Patients and Methods:In this phase I, multicenter, open-label study, patients received escalating doses of MEDI0562 (2.25, 7.5, or 22.5 mg) every 2 weeks in combination with durvalumab (1,500 mg) or tremelimumab (75 or 225 mg) every 4 weeks, intravenously, until unacceptable toxicity or progressive disease. Tumor assessments were performed every 8 weeks. The primary objective was to evaluate safety and tolerability.Results:Among the 27 and 31 patients who received MEDI0562 + durvalumab or MEDI0562 + tremelimumab, 74.1% and 67.7% reported a treatment-related adverse event (AE), and 22.2% and 19.4% experienced a treatment-emergent AE that led to discontinuation, respectively. The MTD of MEDI0562 + durvalumab was 7.5 mg MEDI0562 + 1,500 mg durvalumab; the maximum administered dose of MEDI0562 + tremelimumab was 22.5 mg MEDI0562 + 225 mg tremelimumab. Three patients in the MEDI0562 + durvalumab arm had a partial response. The mean percentage of Ki67+CD4+ and Ki67+CD8+ memory T cells increased by >100% following the first dose of MEDI0562 + durvalumab or tremelimumab in all dose cohorts. A decrease in OX40+FOXP3 regulatory T cells was observed in a subset of patients with available paired biopsies.Conclusions:Following dose escalation, moderate toxicity was observed in both treatment arms, with no clear efficacy signals demonstrated.

Supplementary Figure from Safety and Tolerability of MEDI0562, an OX40 Agonist mAb, in Combination with Durvalumab or Tremelimumab in Adult Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

Supplementary Data from Safety and Tolerability of MEDI0562, an OX40 Agonist mAb, in Combination with Durvalumab or Tremelimumab in Adult Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

Severe aplastic anemia, a disease characterized by pancytopenia and a hypocellular marrow, is treatable by either immunosuppressive therapy (IST) or hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Much is understood about the immune-mediated pathophysiology of AA now, but the inciting factor remains elusive. Many groups around the globe contributed to understanding the disease pathophysiology and optimizing the IST regimen. Horse antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine, the initial IST regimen, achieved a hematologic response rate in about 60% to 65% of treated patients, with less than 10% achieving a complete count recovery. However, adding a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, eltrombopag (EPAG), to IST improved these response rates to nearly 80% and an unprecedented increase in complete response to almost 40%. The latest report indicates that a high-risk clonal evolution to myeloid malignancies is not increased with hematopoietic stem cell stimulation by adding EPAG in the front line setting. Despite the great success of IST and EPAG in improving early outcomes, relapse remains a problem. Further optimization of upfront therapy and treatment protocol is needed to prevent relapses and decrease clonal evolution rates for even better long-term results.

There is no standard or widely effective treatment of patients with moderate aplastic anemia (MAA) or hypo-productive uni-lineage cytopenias (UC). Eltrombopag (EPAG), a small molecule thrombopoietin mimetic, has previously been shown to result in durable multi-lineage hematologic responses with low toxicity in patients with refractory severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Its safety and efficacy in MAA are unknown. This prospective phase 2 study enrolled previously untreated and treated MAA and UC patients with clinically relevant cytopenias. EPAG was administered at doses escalating from 50 to 300 mg/d. Hematologic responses were assessed at 16 to 20 weeks. Responding patients were continued on EPAG until reaching defined robust or stable blood counts. EPAG was reinstituted for relapse. Thirty-four patients were enrolled between 2012 and 2017, including 31 with MAA and 3 with UC. Seventeen patients responded in at least 1 eligible lineage by the primary end point. A striking improvement in anemia was observed in a patient with Diamond-Blackfan anemia. EPAG was well tolerated, and it was discontinued for robust or stable blood counts in 12 of 17 patients after a median of 8 months. A majority required re-initiation of EPAG for declining counts, and all regained response. Two of 34 patients developed non–chromosome 7 bone marrow cytogenetic abnormalities while taking EPAG, without dysplasia or increased blasts. Somatic mutation allele frequencies in cancer genes did not increase overall on EPAG. EPAG is a well-tolerated oral treatment of cytopenias in patients with MAA/UC. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01328587.

BACKGROUND: Loss-of-function mutations in genes that encode for components of the telomere repair complex cause accelerated telomere shortening. Hepatic involvement has been recognized as a cause of morbidity in telomere diseases, but very few studies have characterized the nature and extent of liver involvement in affected patients. We report the prevalence and characteristics of liver involvement in a large cohort of patients with telomere disease evaluated serially at the National Institutes of Health. METHODS: One hundred twenty-one patients with known or suspected telomere disease were screened; 40 patients with liver involvement were included in the current study. Median follow up was 2.4 years. Data were collected regarding their demographic information, laboratory analysis, imaging and histopathology. RESULTS: Forty patients (40% of the cohort) with a median age of 42 years were found to have liver involvement. Liver enzyme elevation was cholestatic in pattern; 8(21%) had drug related enzyme elevations. The most common imaging finding was increased hepatic echogenicity on ultrasound in 39% (9) patients, followed by hepatomegaly in 26% (6) subjects. Biopsies were infrequent due to risk associated with thrombocytopenia, but in six patients there were varying findings: nodular regenerative hyperplasia, steatohepatitis, hemosiderosis, cholestasis, and cirrhosis with hepatic steatosis. Almost half the cohort had pulmonary diffusion abnormalities, and 25% died during the follow up period. CONCLUSION: In patients with telomere disease, hepatic involvement is common and can present in diverse ways, including elevated liver enzymes, histopathologic as well as imaging abnormalities. Liver disease has important implications for morbidity and mortality in patients with telomere disease.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of clonal myeloid disorders characterized by low blood counts and a propensity to develop acute myeloid leukemia. The management of lowerrisk (LR) MDS with persistent cytopenias remains suboptimal. Eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin-receptor agonist, can improve platelet counts in LR-MDS and trilineage hematopoiesis in aplastic anemia. We conducted a phase II dose modification study to investigate the safety and efficacy of eltrombopag in LR-MDS. The eltrombopag dose was escalated from 50 mg/day to a maximum of 150 mg/day over a period of 16 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was hematologic response at 16-20 weeks. Eleven of 25 (44%) patients responded; five and six patients had uni- or bi-lineage hematologic responses, respectively. The predictors of response were presence of a paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clone, marrow hypocellularity, thrombocytopenia, and elevated plasma thrombopoietin levels at study entry. The safety profile was consistent with that found in previous eltrombopag studies in aplastic anemia; no patients discontinued the drug due to adverse events. Three patients developed reversible grade 3 liver toxicity and one patient had increased reticulin fibrosis. Ten patients discontinued eltrombopag after achieving a robust response (median time 16 months); four of them reinitiated eltrombopag because of declining blood counts, and all attained a second robust response. Six patients had disease progression not associated with expansion of mutated clones and no patient progressed to develop acute myeloid leukemia on study. In conclusion, eltrombopag was well-tolerated and effective in restoring hematopoiesis in some patients with low or intermediate-1 risk MDS. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00932156.

The anemia of MDS often results in decreased quality of life, which is invoked to justify red cell transfusions; however, there are sparse data regarding the minimum hemoglobin (Hb) at which it is safe to forgo transfusions for patients with no evidence of end-organ damage. This issue is even more important in the COVID-19 era, where decreases in blood donations have stressed the blood supply. In March 2018, using a modified Delphi method, we convened a panel of 13 expert MDS clinicians for three iterative rounds to discuss a minimum safe Hb for this population. While the panel was unable to reach the pre-set consensus of 75% for a specific Hb threshold, there was 100% consensus that it be no greater than 7.5 g/dL. Our data suggest that, given no end-organ effects of anemia, patients with MDS can safely forgo transfusions with a Hb of 7.5 g/dL or higher.

Acquired severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) has an immune pathogenesis, and immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with anti-thymocyte globulin and cyclosporine is effective therapy. Eltrombopag (EPAG) added to standard IST was associated with higher overall and complete response rates in patients with treatment-naive SAA compared to a historical IST cohort. We performed a paediatric subgroup analysis of this trial including all patients aged

GATA2 deficiency is an inherited or sporadic genetic disorder characterized by distinct cellular deficiency, bone marrow failure, various infections, lymphedema, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and predisposition to myeloid malignancies resulting from heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the GATA2 gene. How heterozygous GATA2 mutations affect human hematopoietic development or cause characteristic cellular deficiency and eventual hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome or leukemia is not fully understood. We used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to study hematopoietic development in the setting of GATA2 deficiency. We performed hematopoietic differentiation using iPSC derived from patients with GATA2 deficiency and examined their ability to commit to mesoderm, hemogenic endothelial precursors (HEPs), hematopoietic stem progenitor cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Patient-derived iPSC, either derived from fibroblasts/marrow stromal cells or peripheral blood mononuclear cells, did not show significant defects in committing to mesoderm, HEP, hematopoietic stem progenitor, or NK cells. However, HEP derived from GATA2-mutant iPSC showed impaired maturation toward hematopoietic lineages. Hematopoietic differentiation was nearly abolished from homozygous GATA2 knockout (KO) iPSC lines and markedly reduced in heterozygous KO lines compared with isogenic controls. On the other hand, correction of the mutated GATA2 allele in patient-specific iPSC did not alter hematopoietic development consistently in our model. GATA2 deficiency usually manifests within the first decade of life. Newborn and infant hematopoiesis appears to be grossly intact; therefore, our iPSC model indeed may resemble the disease phenotype, suggesting that other genetic, epigenetic, or environmental factors may contribute to bone marrow failure in these patients following birth. However, heterogeneity of PSC-based models and limitations of in vitro differentiation protocol may limit the possibility to detect subtle cellular phenotypes.

Objectives To determine fluorescently labeled aerolysin (FLAER) binding and glycophosphatidylinositol–anchored protein expression in bone marrow (BM) cells of healthy volunteers and patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) detected in peripheral blood (PB); compare PNH clone size in BM and PB; and detect PNH in BM by commonly used antibodies. Methods Flow cytometry analysis of FLAER binding to leukocytes and expression of CD55/CD59 in erythrocytes. Analysis of CD16 in neutrophils and CD14 in monocytes in BM. Results FLAER binds to all normal BM leukocytes, and binding increases with cell maturation. In PNH, lymphocytic clones are consistently smaller than clones of other BM cells. PNH clones are detectable in mature BM leukocytes with high specificity and sensitivity using common antibodies. Conclusions PNH clone sizes measured in mature BM leukocytes and in PB are comparable, making BM suitable for PNH assessment. We further demonstrate that commonly used reagents (not FLAER or CD55/CD59) can reliably identify abnormalities of BM neutrophils and monocytes consistent with PNH cells.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive form of NHL where frequent relapse following standard therapies remains a serious concern, even for promising new treatments such as combinations of a BTK inhibitor with the selective Bcl2 inhibitor venetoclax. Previous studies have also shown that MCL cells develop resistance through tumor microenvironment interactions that increase levels of Mcl1, BclxL, and/or Bfl1. Given the ability of CDK9 inhibition to deplete Mcl1 and Bfl1 (Boiko et al 2021), we explored the potential of clinical-stage inhibitor AZD4573 to induce apoptosis in MCL cell lines and PDX models as a monotherapy or in combination with acalabrutinib. Currently, AZD4573 is being evaluated as a monotherapy in a first-in-human study for relapsed or refractory hematological malignancies (NCT03263637) as well as in combination with the BTK inhibitor, acalabrutinib, in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (NCT04630756). CDK9 is a serine/threonine kinase that mediates transcription elongation via phosphorylation of serine 2 of the RNA polymerase II carboxyl-terminal domain (pSer2-RNAP2). As previously shown, potent and selective inhibition of CDK9 by AZD4573 results in reduction of pSer2-RNAP2 levels leading to preferential depletion of labile proteins, including the Bcl2 family anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl1 and Bfl1 (as well as other known oncoproteins like Myc). This in turn drives rapid induction of apoptosis in a broad range of preclinical cancer models, particularly those derived from hematologic malignancies (Cidado et al 2020). Here, we used 7 MCL cell lines and 1 PDX organoid to assess the rapid apoptogenic potential of AZD4573 in vitro. Cleaved caspase-3 (CC3), a hallmark of apoptosis, was measured immediately following acute treatment (6h) using Caspase-Glo 3/7. Four models were sensitive to CDK9 inhibition (EC 50 < 100nM; max. CC3 > 50%) while 1 cell line exhibited intermediate sensitivity (EC 50 < 100nM; max. CC3 < 50%) and 3 others were resistant (EC 50 > 100nM; max. CC3 < 50%). Regardless of sensitivity, AZD4573 caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction of pSer2-RNAP2, Mcl1, and Myc, consistent with our prior reports. Most MCL cell lines are not responsive to BTK inhibition and, therefore, did not show combination benefit with AZD4573. We, therefore, chose to evaluate the in vivo activity of AZD4573 +/- acalabrutinib in 3 disseminated r/r MCL PDX models. In DFBL-44685, an acalabrutinib-unresponsive model harboring a CARD11 mutation, AZD4573 showed moderate activity, reducing MCL cells in all compartments analyzed (peripheral blood, bone marrow, and spleen) by >40% two weeks into treatment and increasing overall survival benefit (P80% and significantly increased survival over vehicle as well as monotherapy treatments (P50% and significantly increased survival over vehicle (P Our findings show that targeting CDK9 with AZD4573 can effectively induce apoptosis in a range of MCL cell lines and PDX models, including acalabrutinib-sensitive and -insensitive models as well as those expressing high levels of Bfl1. In 3 r/r MCL PDX models, single agent AZD4573 significantly reduced the tumor burden in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and spleen of the affected mice, resulting in increased survival. Combination of AZD4573 with acalabrutinib resulted in greater anti-tumor activity than either monotherapy. Altogether, these data suggest that AZD4573, alone or in combination with acalabrutinib, could be an effective therapy for patients with r/r MCL. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Boiko: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Andersen: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Liang: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Dowdell: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Reimer: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Drew: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Townsley: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Cidado: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

Natural killer (NK) cells have long been considered short-lived effectors of innate immunity. However, recent animal models and human studies suggest that subsets of NK cells have adaptive features. We investigate clonal relationships of various NK-cell subsets, including the adaptive population, by taking advantage of naturally occurring X-linked somatic PIGA mutations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). The affected HSPCs and their progeny lack expression of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors on their cell surface, allowing quantification of PIGA-mutant (GPI-negative) HSPC-derived peripheral blood cell populations. The fraction of GPI-negative cells within the CD56dim NK cells was markedly lower than that of neutrophils and the CD56bright NK-cell compartments. This discrepancy was most prominent within the adaptive CD56dim NK-cell population lacking PLZF expression. The functional properties of these adaptive NK cells were similar in PNH patients and healthy individuals. Our findings support the existence of a long-lived, adaptive NK-cell population maintained independently from GPIposCD56dim.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated clinical benefits across multiple solid tumor types; however, resistance and relapse often occur. New immunomodulatory targets, which are highly expressed in activated immune cells, are needed. MEDI0562, an agonistic humanized mAb, specifically binds to the costimulatory molecule OX40. This first-in-human study evaluated MEDI0562 in adults with advanced solid tumors. Patients and Methods: In this phase I, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, dose-escalation (3+3 design) study, patients received 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, or 10 mg/kg MEDI0562 through intravenous infusion every 2 weeks, until confirmed disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective evaluated safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints included antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and pharmacodynamics. Results: In total, 55 patients received ≥1 dose of MEDI0562 and were included in the analysis. The most common tumor type was squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (47%). Median duration of treatment was 10 weeks (range, 2–48 weeks). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 67% of patients, most commonly fatigue (31%) and infusion-related reactions (14%). Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 14% of patients with no apparent dose relationship; no TRAEs resulted in death. Two patients had immune-related partial responses per protocol and 44% had stable disease. MEDI0562 induced increased Ki67+ CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-cell proliferation in the periphery and decreased intratumoral OX40+ FOXP3+ cells. Conclusions: MEDI0562 was safely administered at doses up to 10 mg/kg in heavily pretreated patients. On-target pharmacodynamic effects were suggested in this setting. Further evaluation with immune checkpoint inhibitors is ongoing.

GATA2 deficiency syndrome is caused by autosomal dominant, heterozygous germline mutations with widespread effects on immune, pulmonary and vascular systems. Patients commonly develop hematological abnormalities including bone marrow failure, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We present a patient with GATA2 mutation and MDS who progressed to AML over four months. Whole exome and targeted deep sequencing identified a new p.Q61K NRAS mutation in the bone marrow at the time of AML development. Rapid development of AML is possible in the setting of germline GATA2 mutation despite stable MDS, supporting close monitoring and consideration of early allogeneic transplantation.

The aetiology of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a somatic mutation in the X-linked phosphatidylinositol glycan class A gene (PIGA), resulting in global deficiency of glycosyl phosphatidylinositol–anchored proteins (GPI-APs). This study applied RNA-sequencing to examine functional effects of the PIGA mutation in human granulocytes. CXCR2 expression was increased in GPI-AP− compared to GPI-AP+ granulocytes. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor, a CXCR2 agonist, was significantly higher in plasma of PNH patients. Nuclear factor-κB phosphorylation was upregulated in GPI-AP− compared with GPI-AP+ granulocytes. Our data suggest novel mechanisms in PNH, not obviously predicted by decreased production of the GPI moiety.

Clinical utility of gene panel-based testing for hereditary myelodysplastic syndrome/acute leukemia predisposition syndromes

Prevalence of somatic mutations in patients with aplastic anemia using peripheral blood cfDNA as compared with BM

Background: Oncolytic viruses selectively infect tumors and activate antitumor immune responses via innate and adaptive pathways, which may potentiate the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. MEDI5395 is a recombinant Newcastle disease virus incorporating a granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) transgene that exhibits tumor cell-specific viral replication, stimulates PD-L1 expression, and induces tumor regression in murine and patient-derived xenograft models. Increased T cell recruitment and expression of IFNγ-inducible genes observed in vitro suggest immune activation in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Antitumor activity is enhanced by concurrent PD-L1 blockade. This clinical study is evaluating IV MEDI5395 in combination with the anti-PD-L1 antibody durvalumab in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods: This is a Phase 1, first-in-human, multicenter, open-label trial (NCT03889275) enrolling patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, non-small-cell lung cancer or melanoma. Eligibility criteria include relapsed/refractory disease or intolerance to standard therapy after ≥1 prior line of treatment for recurrent/metastatic disease, and ≥1 tumor measurable by RECIST v1.1. Exclusion criteria include rapidly progressing disease precluding a break of ≥8 weeks from systemic therapy, life expectancy ≥12 weeks by GRIm Score, uncontrolled metastatic central nervous system disease, and concomitant immunosuppressive therapy. The initial dose escalation phase will enroll up to 84 patients across all eligible tumor types. Three sequentially ascending dose levels of MEDI5395 will be evaluated. Durvalumab is administered either sequentially or concurrently with MEDI5395, for up to 2 years or until radiologically confirmed disease progression, clinical deterioration, withdrawal of consent, or unacceptable toxicity. The subsequent dose expansion phase will include 2 cohorts of ~40 patients, each enrolling a single tumor type. The tumor types, MEDI5395 dose level and schedule will be selected based on dose escalation data. On-treatment biopsies of the primary tumor or a metastatic site are required in the dose escalation phase and optional in the dose expansion phase. Primary objectives are evaluating the safety, tolerability and incidence of dose-limiting toxicities of MEDI5395, and identifying the optimal dose/schedule in combination with durvalumab. Secondary objectives include assessing MEDI5395 pharmacokinetics (viremia and GM-CSF transgene expression), pharmacodynamics in the TME, immunogenicity, and initial efficacy in combination with durvalumab. The trial is actively accruing. Citation Format: Grace K. Dy, Diwakar Davar, Evanthia Galanis, Danielle Townsley, Djuro Karanovic, Maria Schwaederle, Beth Kelly, Dmitriy Zamarin, Mitesh Borad, Kevin Harrington. A phase 1 study of IV MEDI5395, an oncolytic virus, in combination with durvalumab in patients with advanced solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr CT244.

A causal link between hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) dysfunction and DNA damage accrual has been proposed. Clinically relevant strategies to maintain genome integrity in these cells are needed. Here we report that eltrombopag, a small molecule agonist of the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor used in the clinic, promotes DNA double strand break (DSB) repair in human HSPCs. We demonstrate that eltrombopag specifically activates the classical non-homologous end joining (C-NHEJ) DNA repair mechanism, a pathway known to support genome integrity. Eltrombopag-mediated DNA repair results in enhanced genome stability, survival and function of primary human HSPCs, as demonstrated in karyotyping analyses, colony forming unit assays and after transplantation in immunodeficient NSG mice. Eltrombopag may offer a new therapeutic modality to protect human HSPCs against genome insults.

On behalf of the Clinical Care Consortium for Telomere-associated Ailments (CCCTAA)., Vascular complications such as bleeding due to gastrointestinal telangiectatic anomalies, pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, hepatopulmonary syndrome, and retinal vessel abnormalities are being reported in patients with telomere biology disorders (TBDs) more frequently than previously described. The international clinical care consortium of telomere-associated ailments and family support group Dyskeratosis Congenita Outreach, Inc. held a workshop on vascular abnormalities in the TBDs at the National Cancer Institute in October 2017. Clinicians and basic scientists reviewed current data on vascular complications, hypotheses for the underlying biology and developed new collaborations to address the etiology and clinical management of vascular complications in TBDs.

Germline mutation in GATA2 can lead to GATA2 deficiency characterized by a complex multi-system disorder that can present with many manifestations including variable cytopenias, bone marrow failure, myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML), and severe immunodeficiency. Penetrance and expressivity within families is often variable. There is a spectrum of bone marrow disease in symptomatic cytopenic patients ranging from hypocellular marrows without overt dysplasia to those with definitive MDS, AML, or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Relatives of probands with the same mutations may demonstrate minimal disease manifestations and normal marrows. A comprehensive clinical, hematological and genetic assessment of 25 patients with germline GATA2 mutation was performed. MDS-associated mutations were identified in symptomatic GATA2 patients both with overt MDS and in those with hypocellular/aplastic bone marrows without definitive dysplasia. Healthy relatives of probands harboring the same germline GATA2 mutations had essentially normal marrows that were overall devoid of MDS-associated mutations. The findings suggest that abnormal clonal hematopoiesis is a common event in symptomatic germline mutated GATA2 patients with MDS and also in those with hypocellular marrows without overt morphologic evidence of dysplasia, possibly indicating a pre-MDS stage warranting close monitoring for disease progression.

Eltrombopag (EPAG) received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of refractory severe aplastic anemia (rSAA) based on treatment of 43 patients with doses escalating from 50 to 150 mg daily for 12 weeks. Response kinetics suggested that more prolonged administration of EPAG at a dose of 150 mg could speed and improve response rates. We enrolled 40 patients with rSAA in a study of EPAG 150 mg daily, with a primary end point of response at 24 weeks. Twenty (50%) of 40 patients responded at 24 weeks; 5 (25%) of 20 would have been deemed nonresponders at 12 weeks, the end point of the previous study. Fifteen of the 19 responding patients continuing on EPAG had drug discontinued for robust response; 5 of the 15 required EPAG re-initiation for relapse, with all recovering response. To analyze risk of clonal progression, we combined long-term data from the 83 patients with rSAA enrolled in both studies. Evolution to an abnormal karyotype occurred in 16 (19%), most within 6 months of EPAG initiation. Targeted deep sequencing/whole-exome sequencing was performed pre-EPAG and at primary response end point and/or time of clonal evolution or longest follow-up. Cytogenetic evolution did not correlate with mutational status, and overall mutated allele fractions of myeloid cancer genes did not increase on EPAG. In summary, extended administration of EPAG at a dose of 150 mg for 24 weeks rescued responses in some patients with rSAA not responding at 12 weeks. The temporal relationship between clonal evolution and drug exposure suggests that EPAG may promote expansion of dormant preexisting clones with an aberrant karyotype. The studies were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00922883 and #NCT01891994.

TO THE EDITOR: The thrombopoietin receptor agonist eltrombopag (EPAG) has been shown to restore hematopoiesis in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) refractory to immunosuppressive therapy and to significantly improve response rates when used in combination with immunosuppressive therapy in

Memory stem T cells (TSCMs) constitute a long-lived, self-renewing lymphocyte population essential for the maintenance of functional immunity. Hallmarks of autoimmune disease pathogenesis are abnormal CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation. We investigated the TSCM subset in 55, 34, 43, and 5 patients with acquired aplastic anemia (AA), autoimmune uveitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and sickle cell disease, respectively, as well as in 41 age-matched healthy controls. CD8+ TSCM frequency was significantly increased in AA compared with healthy controls. An increased CD8+ TSCM frequency at diagnosis was associated with responsiveness to immunosuppressive therapy, and an elevated CD8+ TSCM population after immunosuppressive therapy correlated with treatment failure or relapse in AA patients. IFN-γ and IL-2 production was significantly increased in various CD8+ and CD4+ T cell subsets in AA patients, including CD8+ and CD4+ TSCMs. CD8+ TSCM frequency was also increased in patients with autoimmune uveitis or sickle cell disease. A positive correlation between CD4+ and CD8+ TSCM frequencies was found in AA, autoimmune uveitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Evaluation of PD-1, CD160, and CD244 expression revealed that TSCMs were less exhausted compared with other types of memory T cells. Our results suggest that the CD8+ TSCM subset is a novel biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for AA.

Summary Background T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukaemia (T-LGL) is a lymphoproliferative disease that presents with immune-mediated cytopenias and is characterised by clonal expansion of cytotoxic CD3+ CD8+ lymphocytes. Use of methotrexate, ciclosporin, or cyclophosphamide as first therapy improves cytopenias in 50% of patients, but long-term use of these can lead to toxicity. We aimed to explore the activity and safety of alemtuzumab, an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody, in patients with T-LGL. Methods We did this single-arm, phase 2 trial in consecutively enrolled adults with T-LGL referred to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, USA. Alemtuzumab was given intravenously at 10 mg per day for 10 days. The primary endpoint was haematological response at 3 months after infusion. A complete response was defined as normalisation of all affected lineages, and a partial response was defined in neutropenic patients as 100% increase in the absolute neutrophil count to more than 5 × 10 8 cells per L, and in those with anaemia, as any increase in haemoglobin of 20 g/L or higher observed in at least two serial measurements 1 week apart and sustained for 1 month or longer without exogenous growth factors support or transfusions. Analysis was by intention to treat. We report results from the first stage of this Simon two-stage design trial; enrolment into the second stage is continuing. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00345345. Findings From Oct 1, 2006, to March 1, 2015, we enrolled 25 patients with T-LGL. 14 patients (56%; 95% CI 35–76) had a haematological response at 3 months. Four patients with associated myelodysplastic syndrome and two who had received haemopoietic stem cell transplantation had either no response or were not evaluable, meaning 14 (74% [49–91]) of the 19 patients with classic T-LGL responded. All patients had an infusion reaction (24 [96%] patients grade 1–2, one [4%] patient grade 3), which improved with symptomatic therapy. All patients developed lymphopenia, with 22 (88%) patients having grade 3 or 4 lymphopenia. The other most common grade 3 and 4 adverse events were leukopenia (eight [32%]) and neutropenic infections (five [20%]). Seven patients died; all were non-responders. Interpretation This is the largest and only prospective study of alemtuzumab in patients with T-LGL. The activity reported with a single course of a lymphocytotoxic drug in patients with mainly relapsed and refractory disease suggests that haematological response can be achieved without continued use of oral immunosuppression. Funding National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is the catalytic subunit of telomerase complex that regulates telomerase activity to maintain telomere length for all animals with linear chromosomes. As the Mus musculus (MM) laboratory mouse has very long telomeres compared to humans, a potential alternative animal model for telomere research is the Peromyscus leucopus (PL) mouse that has telomere lengths close to the human range and has the wild counterparts for comparison. We report the full TERT coding sequence (pTERT) from PL mice to use in the telomere research. Comparative analysis with eight other mammalian TERTs revealed a pTERT protein considerably homologous to other TERTs and preserved all TERT specific-sequence signatures, yet with some distinctive features. pTERT displayed the highest nucleotide and amino acid sequence homology with hamster TERT. Unlike human but similar to MM mice, pTERT expression was detected in various adult somatic tissues of PL mice, with the highest expression in testes. Four different captive stocks of PL mice and wild-captured PL mice each displayed group-specific average telomere lengths, with the longest and shortest telomeres in inbred and outbred stock mice, respectively. pTERT showed considerable numbers of synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations. A pTERT proximal promoter region cloned was homologous among PL and MM mice and rat, but with species-specific features. From PL mice, we further cloned and characterized ribosomal protein, large, P0 (pRPLP0) to use as an internal control for various assays. Peromyscus mice have been extensively used for various studies, including human diseases, for which pTERT and pRPLP0 would be useful tools.

Background & Aims Short telomeres and genetic telomerase defects are risk factors for some human liver diseases, ranging from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to cirrhosis. In murine models, telomere dysfunction has been shown to metabolically compromise hematopoietic cells, liver, and heart via the activation of the p53-PGC axis Methods Tert- and Terc-deficient mice were challenged with liquid high fat diet (HFD). Liver metabolic contents were analyzed by CE-TOFMS and liver fat content was confirmed by confocal and electronic microscopy Results Tert-deficient but not Terc-deficient mice develop hepatocyte injury and frank steatosis when challenged with liquid HFD. Upon HFD, Tert-/- hepatocytes fail to engage the citric acid cycle (TCA), with an imbalance of NADPH/NADP+ and NADH/NAD+ ratios and depletion of intermediates of TCA cycle, such as cis-aconitic acid. Telomerase deficiency caused an intrinsic metabolic defect unresponsive to environmental challenge. Chemical inhibition of telomerase by zidovudine recapitulated the abnormal Tert-/- metabolic phenotype in Terc-/- hepatocytes Conclusions Our findings indicate that in telomeropathies short telomeres are not the only molecular trigger and telomerase enzyme deficiency provokes hepatocyte metabolic dysfunction, abrogates response to environmental challenge, and causes cellular injury and steatosis, providing a mechanism for liver damage in telomere diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Exosomal microRNAs modulate cancer cell metabolism and the immune response. Specific exosomal microRNAs have been reported to be reliable biomarkers of several solid and hematologic malignancies. We examined the possible diagnostic and prognostic values of exosomal microRNAs in two human bone marrow failure diseases: aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. After screening 372 microRNAs in a discovery set (n=42) of plasma exosome samples, we constructed a customized PCR plate, including 42 microRNAs, for validation in a larger cohort (n=99). We identified 25 differentially expressed exosomal microRNAs uniquely or frequently present in aplastic anemia and/or myelodysplastic syndromes. These microRNAs could be related to intracellular functions, such as metabolism, cell survival, and proliferation. Clinical parameters and progression-free survival were correlated to microRNA expression levels in aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndrome patients before and after six months of immunosuppressive therapy. One microRNA, mir-126-5p, was negatively correlated with a response to therapy in aplastic anemia: patients with higher relative expression of miR-126-5p at diagnosis had the shortest progression-free survival compared to those with lower or normal levels. Our findings suggest utility of exosomal microRNAs in the differential diagnosis of bone marrow failure syndromes. (Registered at clinicaltrials.gov identifiers: 00260689, 00604201, 00378534, 01623167, 00001620, 00001397, 00217594).

Single-stranded oligonucleotides containing deoxyuridine are aptamers (SOMAmers) that can bind proteins with high specificity and affinity and slow dissociation rates. SOMAscan, an aptamer-based proteomic technology, allows measurement of more than 1,300 proteins simultaneously for the identification of new disease biomarkers. The aim of the present study was to identify new serum and plasma protein markers for diagnosis of acquired aplastic anemia (AA) and response to immunosuppressive therapies (IST). SOMAscan was used to screen 1,141 serum proteins in 28 AA patients before and after therapy and 1,317 plasma proteins in seven SAA patients treated with standard IST and a thrombopoietin receptor agonist. From our analysis, 19 serum and 28 plasma proteins were identified as possible candidate diagnostic and prognostic markers. A custom immunobead-based multiplex assay with five selected serum proteins (BMP-10, CCL17, DKK1, HGF, and SELL) was used for validation in a verification set (n = 65) of samples obtained before and after IST and in a blinded validation cohort at baseline (n = 16). After technical validation, four biomarkers were employed to predict diagnosis (accuracy, 88%) and long-term response to IST (accuracy, 79%). In conclusion, SOMAscan is a powerful tool for the identification of new biomarkers. We propose further larger studies to validate new candidate serum and plasma diagnostic and prognostic markers of AA. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of ISEH – Society for Hematology and Stem Cells.

The treatment of aplastic anemia is currently with immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine, to which two thirds of patients respond. However, a significant proportion of these responders relapse and many have persistent cytopenias. The management of these patients is challenging. Modifications to this standard approach using alternative immunosuppressive agents or adding hematopoietic cytokines such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and erythropoietin (EPO) have not improved outcome. A recent trial has shown that eltrombopag, a thrombopoeitin mimetic, is efficacious in the treatment of patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) refractory to IST. There is evidence that this drug works by directly stimulating marrow stem and progenitor cells thereby promoting hematopoietic recovery in patients with bone marrow failure. Several trials are ongoing in our institution using this very promising drug in combination therapy in the upfront treatment of SAA, in IST-refractory SAA and in moderate disease.

DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) mediates de novo DNA methylation. Mutations in DNMT3A are associated with hematological malignancies, most frequently acute myeloid leukemia. DNMT3A mutations are hypothesized to establish a pre-leukemic state, rendering cells vulnerable to secondary oncogenic mutations and malignant transformation. However, the mechanisms by which DNMT3A mutations contribute to leukemogenesis are not well-defined. Here, we successfully created four DNMT3A-mutated K562 cell lines with frameshift mutations resulting in truncated DNMT3A proteins. DNMT3A-mutated cell lines exhibited significantly impaired growth and increased apoptotic activity compared to wild-type (WT) cells. Consistent with previous studies, DNMT3A-mutated cells displayed impaired differentiation capacity. RNA-seq was used to compare transcriptomes of DNMT3A-mutated and WT cells; DNMT3A ablation resulted in downregulation of genes involved in spliceosome function, causing dysfunction of RNA splicing. Unexpectedly, we observed DNMT3A-mutated cells to exhibit marked genomic instability and an impaired DNA damage response compared to WT. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated DNMT3A-mutated K562 cells may be used to model effects of DNMT3A mutations in human cells. Our findings implicate aberrant splicing and induction of genomic instability as potential mechanisms by which DNMT3A mutations might predispose to malignancy.

Cancer cells frequently exhibit chromosomal abnormalities. Specific cytogenetic aberrations often are predictors of outcome, especially in hematologic neoplasms, such as monosomy 7 in myeloid malignancies. The functional consequences of aneuploidy at the cellular level are difficult to assess because of a lack of convenient markers to distinguish abnormal from diploid cells. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to study hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from the bone marrow of 4 healthy donors and 5 patients with bone marrow failure and chromosome gain or loss. In total, transcriptome sequences were obtained from 391 control cells and 588 cells from patients. We characterized normal hematopoiesis as binary differentiation from stem cells to erythroid and myeloid-lymphoid pathways. Aneuploid cells were distinguished from diploid cells in patient samples by computational analyses of read fractions and gene expression of individual chromosomes. We confirmed assignment of aneuploidy to individual cells quantitatively, by copy-number variation, and qualitatively, by loss of heterozygosity. When we projected patients' single cells onto the map of normal hematopoiesis, diverse patterns were observed, broadly reflecting clinical phenotypes. Patients' monosomy 7 cells showed downregulation of genes involved in immune response and DNA damage checkpoint and apoptosis pathways, which may contribute to the clonal expansion of monosomy 7 cells with accumulated gene mutations. scRNA-seq is a powerful technique through which to infer the functional consequences of chromosome gain and loss and explore gene targets for directed therapy.

Although hematopoietic growth factors are at high levels in aplastic anemia (AA) patients, little is known about their dynamic change over time post treatment. We examined plasma concentrations of hematopoietic growth factors sequentially in 55 severe AA patients (45 treatment-naïve patients who had received immunosuppressive therapy (IST) or IST and eltrombopag; 10 IST-refractory patients who had received eltrombopag only), focusing on thrombopoietin (TPO). TPO concentrations were much higher than normal range in patients before treatment, then decreased in responders but not in non-responders. We followed up a cohort of 9 patients who obtained stable complete remission for up to 7 years post immunosuppressive therapy, and found that TPO levels declined gradually by 3 months post treatment accompanying an increase in platelet counts, but stabilized at the levels higher than normal range. An inverse correlation was noted between TPO levels and platelet counts. The increased plasma TPO levels could be required to maintain normal platelet counts in remission, as well as attributed to the reduced consumption by circulating platelets.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare acquired disorder originating from hematopoietic stem cells and is a life-threating disease characterized by intravascular hemolysis, bone marrow (BM) failure, and venous thrombosis. The etiology of PNH is a somatic mutation in the phosphatidylinositol glycan class A gene (PIG-A) on the X chromosome, which blocks synthesis of the glycolipid moiety and causes deficiency in GPI-anchored proteins. PNH is closely related to aplastic anemia, in which T cells mediate destruction of BM. To identify aberrant molecular mechanisms involved in immune targeting of hematopoietic stem cells in BM, we applied RNA-seq to examine the transcriptome of T cell subsets (CD4+ naive, CD4+ memory, CD8+ naive, and CD8+ memory) from PNH patients and healthy control subjects. Differentially expressed gene analysis in four different T cell subsets from PNH and healthy control subjects showed distinct transcriptional profiles, depending on the T cell subsets. By pathway analysis, we identified novel signaling pathways in T cell subsets from PNH, including increased gene expression involved in TNFR, IGF1, NOTCH, AP-1, and ATF2 pathways. Dysregulation of several candidate genes (JUN, TNFAIP3, TOB1, GIMAP4, GIMAP6, TRMT112, NR4A2, CD69, and TNFSF8) was validated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and flow cytometry. We have demonstrated molecular signatures associated with positive and negative regulators in T cells, suggesting novel pathophysiologic mechanisms in PNH. These pathways may be targets for new strategies to modulate T cell immune responses in BM failure.

Acquired aplastic anemia results from immune-mediated destruction of bone marrow. Immunosuppressive therapies are effective, but reduced numbers of residual stem cells may limit their efficacy. In patients with aplastic anemia that was refractory to immunosuppression, eltrombopag, a synthetic thrombopoietin-receptor agonist, led to clinically significant increases in blood counts in almost half the patients. We combined standard immunosuppressive therapy with eltrombopag in previously untreated patients with severe aplastic anemia.We enrolled 92 consecutive patients in a prospective phase 1-2 study of immunosuppressive therapy plus eltrombopag. The three consecutively enrolled cohorts differed with regard to the timing of initiation and the duration of the eltrombopag regimen (cohort 1 received eltrombopag from day 14 to 6 months, cohort 2 from day 14 to 3 months, and cohort 3 from day 1 to 6 months). The cohorts were analyzed separately. The primary outcome was complete hematologic response at 6 months. Secondary end points included overall response, survival, relapse, and clonal evolution to myeloid cancer.The rate of complete response at 6 months was 33% in cohort 1, 26% in cohort 2, and 58% in cohort 3. The overall response rates at 6 months were 80%, 87%, and 94%, respectively. The complete and overall response rates in the combined cohorts were higher than in our historical cohort, in which the rate of complete response was 10% and the overall response rate was 66%. At a median follow-up of 2 years, the survival rate was 97%; one patient died during the study from a nonhematologic cause. Marked increases in bone marrow cellularity, CD34+ cell number, and frequency of early hematopoietic progenitors were noted. Rates of relapse and clonal evolution were similar to our historical experience. Severe rashes occurred in two patients, resulting in the early discontinuation of eltrombopag.The addition of eltrombopag to immunosuppressive therapy was associated with markedly higher rates of hematologic response among patients with severe aplastic anemia than in a historical cohort. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01623167 .).

Our understanding of the pathophysiology of aplastic anemia is undergoing significant revision, with implications for diagnosis and treatment. Constitutional and acquired disease is poorly delineated, as lesions in some genetic pathways cause stereotypical childhood syndromes and also act as risk factors for clinical manifestations in adult life. Telomere diseases are a prominent example of this relationship. Accelerated telomere attrition is the result of mutations in telomere repair genes and genes encoding components of the shelterin complex and related proteins. Genotype-phenotype correlations show genes responsible for X-linked (DKC1) and severe recessive childhood dyskeratosis congenita, typically with associated mucocutaneous features, and others (TERC and TERT) for more subtle presentation as telomeropathy in adults, in which multiorgan failure may be prominent. Telomerase mutations also are etiologic in familial pulmonary fibrosis and cryptic liver disease. Detection of a telomere disease requires awareness in the clinic, appropriate laboratory testing of telomere content, and genetic sequencing. In treatment decisions, genetic screening of related donors for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is critical, and androgen therapy may be helpful. Telomeres shorten normally with aging, as well as under environmental circumstances, with regenerative stress and oxidative damage. Telomere biology is complexly related to oncogenesis: telomere attrition is protective by enforcing senescence or apoptosis in cells with a long mitotic history, but telomere loss also can destabilize the genome by chromosome rearrangement and aneuploidy.

About a quarter of patients with severe aplastic anemia remain pancytopenic despite immunosuppressive therapy. We have previously demonstrated that eltrombopag has efficacy in this setting with 44% (11/25) of patients having clinically significant hematologic responses. We now report safety and efficacy data on a further 18 patients and long-term follow-up on the entire cohort of 43 patients. The overall response rate was 17 of 43 patients (40%) at 3 to 4 months, including tri- and bilineage responses. The majority of patients who remained on eltrombopag in an extension study (14/17) continued to show improvement, and 7 eventually had significant increases in neutrophil, red cell, and platelet lineages. Five patients with robust near-normalization of blood counts had drug discontinued at a median of 28.5 months after entry (range, 9-37 months), and all maintained stable counts a median of 13 months (range, 1-15 months) off eltrombopag. Eight patients, including 6 nonresponders and 2 responders, developed new cytogenetic abnormalities on eltrombopag, including 5 with chromosome 7 loss or partial deletion. None evolved to acute myeloid leukemia to date. Eltrombopag is efficacious in a subset of patients with aplastic anemia refractory to immunosuppressive therapy, with frequent multilineage responses and maintenance of normalized hematopoiesis off treatment. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00922883.

Nontransplant therapeutic options for acquired and constitutional aplastic anemia have significantly expanded during the last 5 years. In the future, transplant may be required less frequently. That trilineage hematologic responses could be achieved with the single agent eltrombopag in refractory aplastic anemia promotes new interest in growth factors after years of failed trials using other growth factor agents. Preliminary results adding eltrombopag to immunosuppressive therapy are promising, but long-term follow-up data evaluating clonal evolution rates are required before promoting its standard use in treatment-naive disease. Danazol, which is traditionally less preferred for treating cytopenias, is capable of preventing telomere attrition associated with hematologic responses in constitutional bone marrow failure resulting from telomere disease.