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Purpose: Sustained minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity is associated with long-term survival in multiple myeloma. The gut microbiome is affected by diet, and in turn can modulate host immunity, for example through production of short-chain fatty acids including butyrate. We hypothesized that dietary factors affect the microbiome (abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria or stool butyrate concentration) and may be associated with multiple myeloma outcomes. Experimental Design: We examined the relationship of dietary factors (via a food frequency questionnaire), stool metabolites (via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry), and the stool microbiome (via 16S sequencing - α-diversity and relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria) with sustained MRD negativity (via flow cytometry at two timepoints 1 year apart) in myeloma patients on lenalidomide maintenance. The Healthy Eating Index 2015 score and flavonoid nutrient values were calculated from the food frequency questionnaire. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to evaluate associations with two-sided P < 0.05 considered significant. Results: At 3 months, higher stool butyrate concentration (P = 0.037), butyrate producers (P = 0.025), and α-diversity (P = 0.0035) were associated with sustained MRD negativity. Healthier dietary proteins, (from seafood and plants), correlated with butyrate at 3 months (P = 0.009) and sustained MRD negativity (P = 0.05). Consumption of dietary flavonoids, plant nutrients with antioxidant effects, correlated with stool butyrate concentration (anthocyanidins P = 0.01, flavones P = 0.01, and flavanols P = 0.02). Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate an association between a plant-based dietary pattern, stool butyrate production, and sustained MRD negativity in multiple myeloma, providing rationale to evaluate a prospective dietary intervention.

Supplementary Table 1

Patients with multiple myeloma have a compromised immune system, due to both the disease and antimyeloma therapies, and may therefore be particularly susceptible to COVID-19. Here, we report outcomes and risk factors for serious disease in patients with multiple myeloma treated at five large academic centers in New York City in the spring of 2020, during which it was a global epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Of 100 patients with multiple myeloma (male 58%; median age 68) diagnosed with COVID-19, 75 were admitted; of these, 13 patients (17%) were placed on invasive mechanical ventilation, and 22 patients (29%) expired. Of the 25 nonadmitted patients, 4 were asymptomatic. There was a higher risk of adverse outcome (intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, or death) in Hispanics/Latinos (n = 21), OR = 4.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.3–16.7), and African American Blacks (n = 33), OR = 3.5 (1.1–11.5), as compared with White patients (n = 36). Patients who met the adverse combined endpoint had overall higher levels of inflammatory markers and cytokine activation. None of the other studied risk factors were significantly associated (P > 0.05) with adverse outcome: hypertension (n = 56), OR = 2.2 (0.9–5.4); diabetes (n = 18), OR = 0.9 (0.3–2.9); age >65 years (n = 63), OR = 1.8 (0.7–4.6); high-dose melphalan with autologous stem cell transplant n = 7), OR = 0.9 (0.2–5.4); and immunoglobulin G n = 42), OR = 0.9 (0.3–2.2). In this largest cohort to date of patients with multiple myeloma and COVID-19, we found the case fatality rate to be 29% among hospitalized patients and that race/ethnicity was the most significant risk factor for adverse outcome.Significance:Patients with multiple myeloma are immunocompromised, raising the question whether they are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. In this large case series on COVID-19 in patients with multiple myeloma, we report 29% mortality rates among hospitalized patients and identify race/ethnicity as the most significant risk factor for severe outcome.See related video: https://vimeo.com/486246183/559a80cfaeSee related commentary by Munshi and Anderson, p. 218.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 215

Supplementary Figure S1. Volcano plot showing the difference in the relative abundance of butyrate producers between sustained MRD negative and MRD positive/non-sustained MRD negative.

Purpose:Sustained minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity is associated with long-term survival in multiple myeloma. The gut microbiome is affected by diet, and in turn can modulate host immunity, for example through production of short-chain fatty acids including butyrate. We hypothesized that dietary factors affect the microbiome (abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria or stool butyrate concentration) and may be associated with multiple myeloma outcomes.Experimental Design:We examined the relationship of dietary factors (via a food frequency questionnaire), stool metabolites (via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry), and the stool microbiome (via 16S sequencing - α-diversity and relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria) with sustained MRD negativity (via flow cytometry at two timepoints 1 year apart) in myeloma patients on lenalidomide maintenance. The Healthy Eating Index 2015 score and flavonoid nutrient values were calculated from the food frequency questionnaire. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to evaluate associations with two-sided P < 0.05 considered significant.Results:At 3 months, higher stool butyrate concentration (P = 0.037), butyrate producers (P = 0.025), and α-diversity (P = 0.0035) were associated with sustained MRD negativity. Healthier dietary proteins, (from seafood and plants), correlated with butyrate at 3 months (P = 0.009) and sustained MRD negativity (P = 0.05). Consumption of dietary flavonoids, plant nutrients with antioxidant effects, correlated with stool butyrate concentration (anthocyanidins P = 0.01, flavones P = 0.01, and flavanols P = 0.02).Conclusions:This is the first study to demonstrate an association between a plant-based dietary pattern, stool butyrate production, and sustained MRD negativity in multiple myeloma, providing rationale to evaluate a prospective dietary intervention.

Patients treated with cytotoxic therapies, including autologous stem cell transplantation, are at risk for developing therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (tMN). Pre-leukemic clones (i.e., clonal hematopoiesis; CH) are detectable years before the development of these aggressive malignancies, though the genomic events leading to transformation and expansion are not well-defined. Here, leveraging distinctive chemotherapy-associated mutational signatures from whole-genome sequencing data and targeted sequencing of pre-chemotherapy samples, we reconstruct the evolutionary life-history of 39 therapy-related myeloid malignancies. A dichotomy is revealed, in which neoplasms with evidence of chemotherapy-induced mutagenesis from platinum and melphalan are hypermutated and enriched for complex structural variants (i.e., chromothripsis) while neoplasms with non-mutagenic chemotherapy exposures are genomically similar to de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Using chemotherapy-associated mutational signatures as temporal barcodes linked to a discrete clinical exposure in each patient's life, we estimate that several complex events and genomic drivers are acquired after chemotherapy is administered. For patients with prior multiple myeloma who were treated with high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation, we demonstrate that tMN can develop from either a reinfused CH clone that escapes melphalan exposure and is selected following reinfusion, or from TP53-mutant CH that survives direct myeloablative conditioning and acquires melphalan-induced DNA-damage. Overall, we reveal a novel mode of tMN progression that is not reliant on direct mutagenesis or even exposure to chemotherapy. Conversely, for tMN that evolve under the influence of chemotherapy-induced mutagenesis, distinct chemotherapies not only select pre-existing CH, but also promote the acquisition of recurrent genomic drivers.

BACKGROUND: Daratumumab-based combination therapies have shown high rates of complete response (CR) and minimal residual disease negativity in patients with multiple myeloma. However, daratumumab, an IgGκ monoclonal antibody, interferes with electrophoretic techniques making it difficult to reliably define residual disease versus CR, especially in patients with IgGκ multiple myeloma. METHODS: Enrichment with polyclonal sheep antibody-coated magnetic microparticles combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis was used to detect M-proteins in serial samples from newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with daratumumab-based therapy. The performance of the MALDI-TOF MS assay was compared to that of a routine test panel (serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP), immunofixation (IFE) and serum free light chain (FLC)). RESULTS: Comparison of MALDI-TOF MS to SPEP/IFE/FLC showed a concordance of 84.9% (p

Most eukaryotes harbor two distinct pre-mRNA splicing machineries: the major spliceosome, which removes >99% of introns, and the minor spliceosome, which removes rare, evolutionarily conserved introns. Although hypothesized to serve important regulatory functions, physiologic roles of the minor spliceosome are not well understood. For example, the minor spliceosome component ZRSR2 is subject to recurrent, leukemia-associated mutations, yet functional connections among minor introns, hematopoiesis and cancers are unclear. Here, we identify that impaired minor intron excision via ZRSR2 loss enhances hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal. CRISPR screens mimicking nonsense-mediated decay of minor intron-containing mRNA species converged on LZTR1, a regulator of RAS-related GTPases. LZTR1 minor intron retention was also discovered in the RASopathy Noonan syndrome, due to intronic mutations disrupting splicing and diverse solid tumors. These data uncover minor intron recognition as a regulator of hematopoiesis, noncoding mutations within minor introns as potential cancer drivers and links among ZRSR2 mutations, LZTR1 regulation and leukemias. Loss of function of the minor spliceosome component ZRSR2 enhances hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal through minor intron retention of its target LZTR1, which is a regulator of RAS-related GTPases. Minor intron retention of LZTR1 was also identified in Noonan syndrome and diverse solid tumor types.

Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has revolutionized cancer care, including the treatment of advanced metastatic disease. However, most patients derive little or no clinical benefit from these therapies and many cancer types are notoriously non-responsive. Motivated by (1) the correlation between tumor neoantigen abundance and anti-tumor immunity and (2) that most cancers are characterized by widespread dysregulation of RNA processing, we reasoned that pharmacologic modulation of RNA splicing might increase cancer cell immunogenicity via the generation of splicing-derived neoantigens. We demonstrated that two compounds which modulate RNA splicing via distinct mechanisms, inhibited tumor growth and enhanced response to immune checkpoint blockade in a manner dependent on host T cells and peptides presented on tumor MHC class I. Critical for their clinical translatability, therapeutic doses of splicing inhibitors were non-toxic, tolerated by the host immune system, and did not affect T cell activation, proliferation, and anti-cancer killing activities. Mechanistically, splicing modulation induced stereotyped, dose-dependent “splicing failure” — dramatic intron retention, alternative exon skipping, etc. — that was consistent across multiple mouse and human tumor types. By combining RNA-seq-based peptide predictions and mass spectrometry of the MHC I-bound immunopeptidome, we identified drug-induced, splicing-derived peptides that promote the expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and trigger anti-tumor T cell responses in vivo. These data definitively identify splicing modulation as an untapped source of immunogenic peptides and provide a means to enhance response to checkpoint blockade that is readily translatable to the clinic. Citation Format: James D. Thomas, Sydney X. Lu, Emma De Neef, Erich Sabio, Benoit Rousseau, Mathieu Gigoux, David A. Knorr, Benjamin Greenbaum, Yuval Elhanati, Simon J. Hogg, Andrew Chow, Arnab Ghosh, Abigail Xie, Dmitriy Zamarin, Daniel Cui, Caroline Erickson, Michael Singer, Hana Cho, Eric Wang, Bin Lu, Benjamin H. Durham, Harshal Shah, Diego Chowell, Austin M. Gabel, Yudao Shen, Jing Liu, Jian Jin, Matthew C. Rhodes, Richard E. Taylor, Henrik Molina, Jedd D. Wolchok, Taha Merghoub, Luis A. Diaz Jr, Omar Abdel-Wahab, Robert K. Bradley. Pharmacologic modulation of RNA splicing enhances anti-tumor immunity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5742.

Patients treated with cytotoxic therapies, including autologous stem cell transplantation, are at risk for developing therapy-related myeloid neoplasms1, 2. Pre-leukemic clones (i.e., clonal hematopoiesis) are detectable years before the development of these aggressive malignancies3-5, though the genomic events leading to transformation and expansion are not well-defined. Here, leveraging distinctive chemotherapy-associated mutational signatures6-12 from whole-genome sequencing data and targeted sequencing of pre-chemotherapy samples, we reconstruct the evolutionary life-history of 39 therapy-related myeloid malignancies. A dichotomy is revealed, in which neoplasms with evidence of chemotherapy-induced mutagenesis from platinum and melphalan are relatively hypermutated and enriched for complex structural variants (i.e., chromothripsis), while neoplasms with alternative exposures bear a similar profile to de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Using chemotherapy-associated mutational signatures as a temporal barcode in each patient’s life, we estimate that several complex events and genomic drivers are acquired after chemotherapy exposure. In the case of treatment with high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation, we demonstrate that the procedure allows clonal hematopoiesis to escape chemotherapy exposure entirely, and to be reinfused to expand to malignancy. This information reveals a novel mode of malignant progression for therapy-related malignancies that is not reliant on direct mutagenesis or even exposure to chemotherapy, itself, and prompts further investigation into leukemia-permissive effects of cytotoxic drugs.

BACKGROUND: Covalent (irreversible) Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors have transformed the treatment of multiple B-cell cancers, especially chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, resistance can arise through multiple mechanisms, including acquired mutations in BTK at residue C481, the binding site of covalent BTK inhibitors. Noncovalent (reversible) BTK inhibitors overcome this mechanism and other sources of resistance, but the mechanisms of resistance to these therapies are currently not well understood. METHODS: We performed genomic analyses of pretreatment specimens as well as specimens obtained at the time of disease progression from patients with CLL who had been treated with the noncovalent BTK inhibitor pirtobrutinib. Structural modeling, BTK-binding assays, and cell-based assays were conducted to study mutations that confer resistance to noncovalent BTK inhibitors. RESULTS: Among 55 treated patients, we identified 9 patients with relapsed or refractory CLL and acquired mechanisms of genetic resistance to pirtobrutinib. We found mutations (V416L, A428D, M437R, T474I, and L528W) that were clustered in the kinase domain of BTK and that conferred resistance to both noncovalent BTK inhibitors and certain covalent BTK inhibitors. Mutations in BTK or phospholipase C gamma 2 (PLCγ2), a signaling molecule and downstream substrate of BTK, were found in all 9 patients. Transcriptional activation reflecting B-cell–receptor signaling persisted despite continued therapy with noncovalent BTK inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: Resistance to noncovalent BTK inhibitors arose through on-target BTK mutations and downstream PLCγ2 mutations that allowed escape from BTK inhibition. A proportion of these mutations also conferred resistance across clinically approved covalent BTK inhibitors. These data suggested new mechanisms of genomic escape from established covalent and novel noncovalent BTK inhibitors. (Funded by the American Society of Hematology and others.)

Background and Scientific Rationale Solitary plasmacytoma of the bone (SPB) is a rare entity representing 5% of all plasma cell dyscrasias. SPB treated with radiation therapy (RT) has a 10% risk of progression to multiple myeloma (MM) over 3 years if there is no marrow involvement, whereas there is a 60% chance of progression over 3 years in patients with minimal marrow involvement. Median time to progression in the latter group is 26 months. Presently, despite mounting evidence of a significant risk of progression to MM, there is no FDA-approved therapy and patients are usually treated with localized RT. This is an area of unmet need. A similar opportunity exists in the setting of MM patients relapsing with localized disease amenable to RT. This group of patients may not immediately require long-term systemic therapy especially if RT combined with epigenetic modulation and lenalidomide results in therapeutically relevant immune responses. A few studies combining lenalidomide and azacitidine have shown responses even in a lenalidomide refractory population with upregulation of cancer testis antigen (CTA) as well as CTA specific T cell responses (Table 1). These synergistic mechanisms focus on: 1) manipulating antigen expression and enhancing antigen presentation (both neoantigens and cancer testis antigens) with oral azacitidine (CC-486), and 2) augmentation of antigen specific immune responses via increased IL2 production leading to an increase in the proliferation of T cells with lenalidomide. This combination with RT would serve to inflame the tumor microenvironment and potentially lead to therapeutically active systemic immune responses via an abscopal effect. Study Design and Methods This is an open-label, single center, single-arm study of CC-486, lenalidomide plus RT, which will enroll a total of 20 patients in two cohorts. Clinical trial registry number NCT04174196, actively recruiting. Study population and inclusion criteria Each cohort will enroll ten patients - Cohort 1: i) Histologically confirmed newly diagnosed solitary plasmacytoma of the bone or lytic bone lesion ii) Minimal marrow involvement (Detectable clonal bone marrow (BM) plasma cells by multicolor flow cytometry and ≤ 10% clonal plasma cells in a BM biopsy by immunohistochemistry, morphology, or flow cytometry) iii) Secretory M protein < 3 g/dL Cohort 2: i) Relapsed multiple myeloma with plasmacytomas appropriate for RT on imaging ii) Relapsed (reappearance of M-spike/serum FLC) or progressive myeloma defined by a 25% increase from nadir in M-spike or involved serum FLC on 2 separate measurements; or with BM involvement by clonal plasma cells detectable by IHC iii) Any prior number of therapies is permitted, including prior RT iv) Allogeneic transplant patients are permitted Statistical methods We estimate the historical rate of stringent complete response (sCR) is approximately 5% (based on the rate for newly diagnosed myeloma with lenalidomide and dexamethasone on the MAIA study of 7.3% and for relapsed myeloma with Rd based on the POLLUX study of 4.6%). The primary endpoint of the study will be reported separately for the two cohorts. With 10 patients in each cohort, the maximum half-width of the exact 95% confidence interval for the response rate is +/- 0.31. A sCR rate of ≥20% would be considered promising for either cohort. Study treatment In the study, patients will be treated with CC-486 100 mg on day 1-21 and lenalidomide 25 mg on day 1-21 for 6 cycles. RT to the plasmacytoma will be initiated after cycle 2. Total dose may vary between 30-50 Gy (45-50 Gy for cohort 1) based on clinical judgement. (Figure 1) Endpoints Primary To provide preliminary efficacy data based on the rate of sCR by 2016 IMWG Criteria on post-treatment BM biopsy and aspirate specimens with no new lesions by PET. Secondary - To assess the safety of this combination. - To estimate the progression free survival and overall survival Exploratory - To evaluate antigen expression at the tumor site pre and post RT - To further characterize the antigen specific T cell response pre and post RT at the tumor site - To assess changes in epigenetic marks - To assess changes in the tumor microenvironment Disclosures Shah: Physicians Education Resource: Honoraria; Celgene/BMS: Research Funding. Mailankody:Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Janssen Oncology: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; PleXus Communications: Honoraria; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria. Korde:Astra Zeneca: Other: Advisory Board; Amgen: Research Funding. Hultcrantz:GSK: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy. Smith:Precision Biosciences: Consultancy; Fate Therapeutics: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. Shah:Janssen Pharmaceutica: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Lahoud:MorphoSys: Other: Advisory Board. Scordo:McKinsey & Company: Consultancy; Angiocrine Bioscience, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Omeros Corporation: Consultancy; Kite - A Gilead Company: Other: Ad-hoc advisory board. Dahi:Kite: Consultancy. Chung:Genentech: Research Funding. Hassoun:Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Barker:Elekta: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Alpha Tau Medical: Other: Travel expenses, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding. Giralt:KITE: Consultancy; MILTENYI: Consultancy, Research Funding; OMEROS: Consultancy, Honoraria; CELGENE: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AMGEN: Consultancy, Research Funding; NOVARTIS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; JAZZ: Consultancy, Honoraria; ACTINUUM: Consultancy, Research Funding; TAKEDA: Research Funding. Landgren:Adaptive: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck: Other; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck: Other; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Lesokhin:Janssen: Research Funding; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Research Funding; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties. OffLabel Disclosure: CC-486 is an is an oral hypomethylating agent that has been studied in acute myeloid leukemia. This study combines CC-486 with lenalidomide and radiation therapy in plasma cell disorders.

Introduction The current standard to assess chemotherapy tolerability and health related quality of life (HRQOL) relies on patient (PT) self-reporting. Continuous passive monitoring using mobile wearable devices can objectively aggregate and monitor "activity" over long periods of time without potential reporting bias. Due to the nature of the disease, multiple myeloma (MM) PTs are often ridden with bone disease and pain, thereby limiting activity while impacting HRQOL. In this prospective clinical study, we enrolled 40 newly diagnosed MM PTs and remotely monitored their activity (steps/24 hrs) while administering electronic PT reported outcome (ePRO) surveys at baseline (BL) and through induction therapy. The study aim was to assess whether wearables can establish patterns of physical activity while receiving therapy and how these activity bioprofiles correlate with HRQOL outcomes. Methods PTs were eligible for the study if they had newly diagnosed MM, not having received any systemic therapy, and if they owned a device (iOS or Android) compatible with Garmin Vivofit® (GV) device. Regimens were determined by treating physicians. PTs were given GV® devices and asked to download a GV® application and Medidata ePRO app. PTs were assigned to either Cohort A - PTs VGPR Responders (Res) vs. < PR Sub-responders (Sub-Res). Associations between physical activity measurements, QLQC30 and MY20 scores, and time from the start of treatment were estimated using a linear mixed model with a random intercept. A Wald-test was used to compute p-values for the significance of association. Results Between Feb 2017 and Sep 2019, 40 PTs (21 M and 19 F) were enrolled with 20 in cohort A (mean 54 yrs, 41-64) and 20 in cohort B (mean 71 yrs, 65-82). Treatment regimens included KRd 14(35%), RVd 12(30%), Dara-KRd 8(20%), VCd 5(12.5%), and Rd 1(2.5%). Activity bioprofiles were compiled among 24/40(60%) PTs: 14 full sets (7/7 cycle periods) and 10 partial sets [1 PT - 2/7(28.5%) cycle periods; 2 PTs - 3/7(42.8%); 1 PT - 4/7(57.1%); 2 PTs- 5/7(71.4%); 4 PTs 6/7(85.7%)]. PT activity increased over time by 179 steps/24 hrs per cycle (p=0.001, 95% CI: 68-289) for the entire study. Mean activity pre- vs. post- for cohort A was 6,041 vs. 7,266 steps/24 hrs, respectively with an increase of 116 steps/24 hrs per cycle (p=0.2, 95% CI: -60-293), and for cohort B 2,984 steps/24 hrs vs. 5,007 steps/24 hrs with an increase of 260 steps/24 hrs per cycle (p PTs reported improvement in ePRO MY20 disease burden symptoms over time, -1.6 score/cycle (p=0.001, 95% CI -2.6- -0.6). There was no observed change in time over self-body image (p=0.5), while PTs reported worsening of future perspective, -2.8 score/cycle (p Conclusion Our study demonstrates that passive wearable monitoring can successfully capture PT activity in newly diagnosed MM, and that PT activity bioprofiles correlate well with traditional HRQOL measurements. Of clinical relevance, our study shows that activity bioprofiles improve with therapy, regardless of depth of response. Significant gains in activity were attributable to the older cohort, suggesting a greater functional impact at BL in this population. Future studies are needed to elucidate how mobile wearables may aid the clinician in passive monitoring of therapy tolerability in the outpatient setting. Figure 1 Disclosures Korde: Amgen: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Mailankody:PleXus Communications: Honoraria; Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Janssen Oncology: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria. Hassoun:Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Lesokhin:Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Research Funding. Lendvai:Janssen: Current Employment. Smith:Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics: Consultancy; Precision Biosciences: Consultancy. Hultcrantz:Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; GSK: Research Funding; Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy; Amgen: Research Funding. Shah:Physicians Education Resource: Honoraria; Celgene/BMS: Research Funding. Shah:Amgen: Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceutica: Research Funding. Giralt:Jazz: Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding; Actinuum: Research Funding; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Quintiles: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Adienne: Research Funding. Landgren:Adaptive: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck: Other; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck: Other.

SF3B1 is the most commonly mutated RNA splicing factor in cancer1–4, but the mechanisms by which SF3B1 mutations promote malignancy are poorly understood. Here we integrated pan-cancer splicing analyses with a positive-enrichment CRISPR screen to prioritize splicing alterations that promote tumorigenesis. We report that diverse SF3B1 mutations converge on repression of BRD9, which is a core component of the recently described non-canonical BAF chromatin-remodelling complex that also contains GLTSCR1 and GLTSCR1L5–7. Mutant SF3B1 recognizes an aberrant, deep intronic branchpoint within BRD9 and thereby induces the inclusion of a poison exon that is derived from an endogenous retroviral element and subsequent degradation of BRD9 mRNA. Depletion of BRD9 causes the loss of non-canonical BAF at CTCF-associated loci and promotes melanomagenesis. BRD9 is a potent tumour suppressor in uveal melanoma, such that correcting mis-splicing of BRD9 in SF3B1-mutant cells using antisense oligonucleotides or CRISPR-directed mutagenesis suppresses tumour growth. Our results implicate the disruption of non-canonical BAF in the diverse cancer types that carry SF3B1 mutations and suggest a mechanism-based therapeutic approach for treating these malignancies. A range of SF3B1 mutations promote tumorigenesis through the repression of BRD9, a core component of the non-canonical BAF complex, and correcting BRD9 mis-splicing in these SF3B1-mutant cells suppresses tumour growth.

Patients treated with chemotherapy (CT) and/or autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) are at risk for therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (tMN). Certain cytotoxic agents introduce mutations within distinct trinucleotide contexts resulting in a unique barcode for each exposed cell. We leveraged mutational signatures to investigate the role of CT in the genomic landscape of tMN with respect to antecedent clonal hematopoiesis (CH). We analyzed 32 tMN and 2 tALL from 33 patients and interrogated for copy number abnormalities (CNA), structural variants (SV), single nucleotide variants (SNV), and mutational signatures. For 7 patients with tMN post-melphalan/ASCT, we investigated antecedent CH using targeted sequencing on pre-melphalan samples, including autograft products. CH variants that became clonal in tumor were seen in 5/7 pre-melphalan/ASCT samples (TP53, RUNX1, NCOR1, NF1, CREBBP, DNMT3A, and PPM1D). Complex SV were seen in 7 tMNs; including chromothripsis in 6 (19.4%). In 4 cases, chromothripsis involved chromosome 19 with hyper-amplification of the SMARCA4 locus (≥5 copies). Mutational signature analysis revealed 6 known single base substitution (SBS) signatures in tMN including melphalan (SBS-MM1) and platinum signatures (SBS31, SBS35, and E-SBS37). TMNs with CT signatures had higher mutation burden than those without (p = 0.004). 17 patients with exposure to agents other than melphalan/platinum did not have increased mutational burden with respect to de novo AML (TCGA; NEJM, 2013). All patients with prior platinum exposure (including tALL, n=9) had platinum SBS signatures while only 2 of 7 patients with prior melphalan/ASCT had a melphalan signature (SBS-MM1). Detection of CT signatures in bulk sequencing relies on one cell, with its barcode of mutations, to expand to clonal dominance. Given pre-existent CH, including in 3/3 autograft products, absence of a CT signature despite melphalan exposure implies progression by a clone that escaped CT exposure with stem-cell collection and reinfusion. Conversely, all platinum-exposed tAML had signature evidence of exposure confirming existence of CH prior to exposure and supporting post-CT single-cell expansion. TMNs from 3 patients exposed to sequential platinum and melphalan/ASCT had platinum but not melphalan signatures confirming single-cell expansion of the pre-tMN CH clone post-platinum but with escape from exposure to melphalan via leukapheresis. Chromothripsis events bore only non-duplicated CT-induced mutations, indicative of acquisition prior to, and not directly caused by, CT exposure. These disparities suggest that ASCT provides a mechanism for CH clones to escape CT and re-engraft with transplant. Coupled with driver events accrued prior to CT, this suggest that CT-induced mutagenesis may be less important than other factors, such as CT-induced immunosuppression, in the expansion of pre-TMN CH clones. Citation Format: Benjamin Diamond, Bachisio Ziccheddu, Eileen M. Boyle, Kylee Maclachlan, Justin Taylor, Justin M. Watts, Sydney X. Lu, David G. Coffey, Niccolo Bolli, Elli Papaemmanuil, Kelly Bolton, Jae H. Park, Heather Landau, Karuna Ganesh, Mikkael A. Sekeres, Stephen Nimer, David J. Chung, Caleb H. Ho, Mikhail Roshal, Alexander Lesokhin, Gareth Morgan, Ola Landgren, Francesco Maura. Chemotherapy-related mutational signatures reveal the origins of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5747.

Background Lenalidomide maintenance improves progression-free survival for patients with multiple myeloma, although its optimal duration is unknown. Clearance of minimal residual disease (MRD) in the bone marrow results in superior outcomes, although its attainment or sustainment does not alter clinical decision-making. Studies that have evaluated MRD serially are limited in length. We therefore aimed to evaluate longitudinal changes in MRD-status (dynamics) and their association with progression-free survival in patients with multiple myeloma.In this single-centre, single-arm, phase 2 study, we enrolled patients aged 18 years and older from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY, USA) who had newly diagnosed multiple myeloma following unrestricted frontline therapy and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of 2 or lower, including patients who started maintenance before study enrolment. All participants received lenalidomide maintenance at 10 mg for 21 days of 28-day cycles until progression or unacceptable toxic effects for up to 5 years on protocol. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 60 months per protocol and key secondary endpoints were MRD rates after completion of the 12th, 24th, and 36th cycle of maintenance and the association between progression-free survival and annual measurement of MRD status. MRD was assessed from first-pull bone marrow aspirates at baseline and annually by flow cytometry per International Myeloma Working Group criteria, (limit of detection of at least 1 × 10Between Sept 8, 2015, and Jan 25, 2019, 108 patients (100 evaluable for the primary endpoint) were enrolled. Median follow-up was 40·7 months (95% CI 38·7-45·0). At 60 months, progression-free survival was 64% (95% CI 52-79). Median progression-free survival was unreached (95% CI unreached-unreached). MRD dynamics were assessed using 340 MRD assessments done over 5 years for 103 evaluable patients. Patients who sustained MRD negativity for 2 years (n=34) had no recorded disease progression at median 19·8 months (95% CI 15·8-22·3) past the 2-year maintenance landmark. By contrast, patients who lost their MRD-negative responses (n=10) were more likely to progress than those with sustained MRD negativity (HR infinite; p0·0001) and those with persistent MRD positivity (HR 5·88, 95% CI 1·18-33·33; p=0·015) at the 2-year landmark. Haematological and non-haematological serious adverse events occurred in 19 patients (18%). The most common adverse events of grade 3 or worse were decreased lymphocyte count in 48 (44%) patients and decreased neutrophil count in 47 (44%) patients. One death occurred on study due to sepsis and heart failure and was considered unrelated to the study drug.Serial measurements of MRD allow for dynamic assessment of risk for disease progression. Early intervention should be investigated for patients with loss of MRD negativity. Sustained MRD positivity is not categorically an unfavourable outcome and might portend prolonged stability of low-level disease.Memorial Sloan Kettering and Celgene.

Summary Although mutations in DNA are the best-studied source of neoantigens that determine response to immune checkpoint blockade, alterations in RNA splicing within cancer cells could similarly result in neoepitope production. However, the endogenous antigenicity and clinical potential of such splicing-derived epitopes have not been tested. Here, we demonstrate that pharmacologic modulation of splicing via specific drug classes generates bona fide neoantigens and elicits anti-tumor immunity, augmenting checkpoint immunotherapy. Splicing modulation inhibited tumor growth and enhanced checkpoint blockade in a manner dependent on host T cells and peptides presented on tumor MHC class I. Splicing modulation induced stereotyped splicing changes across tumor types, altering the MHC I-bound immunopeptidome to yield splicing-derived neoepitopes that trigger an anti-tumor T cell response in vivo. These data definitively identify splicing modulation as an untapped source of immunogenic peptides and provide a means to enhance response to checkpoint blockade that is readily translatable to the clinic.

In the original version of [this article][1] ([1][2]) as it was published online on July 30, 2020, a reference to the study ([2][3]) reporting 23 patients from Mount Sinai included in this cohort has been inadvertently omitted from the Methods. Information on patients per hospitals in this study is

Medical records uncover clinical and demographic characteristics associated with severity of COVID-19 in a large multicenter cohort of patients with multiple myeloma., Patients with multiple myeloma have a compromised immune system, due to both the disease and antimyeloma therapies, and may therefore be particularly susceptible to COVID-19. Here, we report outcomes and risk factors for serious disease in patients with multiple myeloma treated at five large academic centers in New York City in the spring of 2020, during which it was a global epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Of 100 patients with multiple myeloma (male 58%; median age 68) diagnosed with COVID-19, 75 were admitted; of these, 13 patients (17%) were placed on invasive mechanical ventilation, and 22 patients (29%) expired. Of the 25 nonadmitted patients, 4 were asymptomatic. There was a higher risk of adverse outcome (intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, or death) in Hispanics/Latinos (n = 21), OR = 4.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.3–16.7), and African American Blacks (n = 33), OR = 3.5 (1.1–11.5), as compared with White patients (n = 36). Patients who met the adverse combined endpoint had overall higher levels of inflammatory markers and cytokine activation. None of the other studied risk factors were significantly associated (P > 0.05) with adverse outcome: hypertension (n = 56), OR = 2.2 (0.9–5.4); diabetes (n = 18), OR = 0.9 (0.3–2.9); age >65 years (n = 63), OR = 1.8 (0.7–4.6); high-dose melphalan with autologous stem cell transplant

ImportanceNew York City is a global epicenter for the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with a significant number of individuals infected by the virus. Patients with multiple myeloma have a compromised immune system, due to both the disease and anti-myeloma therapies, and may therefore be particularly susceptible to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, there is limited information to guide clinical management.ObjectiveTo assess risk factors and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with multiple myeloma.DesignCase-series.SettingFive large academic centers in New York City.ParticipantsPatients with multiple myeloma and related plasma cell disorders who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 10th, 2020 and April 30th,2020.ExposuresClinical features and risk factors were analyzed in relation to severity of COVID-19.Main Outcomes and MeasuresDescriptive statistics as well as logistic regression were used to estimate disease severity reflected in hospital admissions, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, need for mechanical ventilation, or death.ResultsOf 100 multiple myeloma patients (male 58%; median age 68, range 41-91) diagnosed with COVID-19, 74 (74%) were admitted; of these 13 (18%) patients were placed on mechanical ventilation, and 18 patients (24%) expired. None of the studied risk factors were significantly associated (P>0.05) with adverse outcomes (ICU-admission, mechanical ventilation, or death): hypertension (N=56) odds ratio (OR) 2.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9-5.9); diabetes (N=18) OR 1.1 (95% CI 0.3-3.2); age >65 years (N=63) OR 2.0 (95% CI 0.8-5.3); high dose melphalan with autologous stem cell transplant Conclusions and RelevanceAlthough multiple myeloma patients have a compromised immune system due to both the disease and therapy; in this largest disease specific cohort to date of patients with multiple myeloma and COVID-19, compared to the general population, we found risk factors for adverse outcome to be shared and mortality rates to be within the higher range of officially reported mortality rates.

International audience; Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) may soon replace routine electrophoretic methods for monitoring monoclonal proteins in patients with multiple myeloma. To further evaluate the clinical utility of this assay, we compared the performance of MALDI-TOF-MS head-to-head with an established bone marrow-based measurable residual disease assay by flow cytometry (Flow-BM-MRD), using Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's 10-color, single-tube method. Our results suggest that MALDI-TOF-MS adds value to bone marrow-based MRD testing and may be most useful for early detection of relapse in peripheral blood compared to current electrophoretic methods.

The past decade, several highly efficacious drugs have been approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Many of these newer drugs are less toxic than older chemotherapy drugs. Using modern combination therapy in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, high proportions of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients obtain minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity and MRD testing has rapidly become an integral part of clinical trials focusing on patients in this setting. Only recently, MRD negativity was reported in clinical trials focusing on older newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients (ie, nontransplant candidates), as well as studies focusing on patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. In the past, deeper responses were rarely seen in these patient categories due to inferior therapies and lack of MRD assays. The reason for the rapidly increased interest in MRD testing in all types of clinical trials is the fact that MRD negativity is closely correlated with longer progression-free survival which has been documented in recent meta-analyses. Consequently, MRD negativity has the potential to soon become a regulatory surrogate end-point for drug approval. This review dissects and discusses current data on MRD in multiple myeloma, it outlines new hypotheses, which can be tested in future clinical studies, and it discusses opportunities and future avenues for translational research. The goal of this article is to stimulate critical analysis of our current treatment landscape and development of future translational research involving MRD testing.

The genomic landscape of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia (WM) is characterized by recurrent somatic mutations in MYD88, with a lower incidence of mutations affecting CXCR4, ARID1A, CD79B and the NFKB signaling pathway (Hunter et. al. Blood 2014). We aimed to characterize the relationship between single base substitutions (SBS), mutational signatures, copy number aberrations (CNA) and structural variants (SV) in WM. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) on 14 primary samples from WM patients at various clinical stages, including IgM monoclonal gammopathy (n=1), smoldering (n=5), newly diagnosed (n=7) and relapsed WM (n=1). We identified a median of 2806 clonal SBS per sample (IQR 1870-3079), and 12/14 (85%) samples harbored MYD88 mutations. To investigate which mutational processes are involved in shaping the genomic landscape of WM we performed a mutational signature analysis. Four previously reported SBS signatures were detected: SBS1 and SBS5 (aging), SBS9 (germinal center; GC) and SBS8, with the contribution of age-related signatures SBS1/SBS5 being directly correlated with age at presentation (R 2=0.44, p=0.014). The GC signature SBS9 demonstrated sustained GC activity, as evidenced by the same proportion of mutations attributable to SBS9 at both the clonal and subclonal level (24%). At the immunoglobulin loci, we observed evidence of clustered SBS84 (AID), reflecting somatic hypermutation, with SBS84 accounting for 30% of signature contribution from subclonal mutations. Overall, these data suggest that, similarly to MM and other hematological malignancies, the interaction between WM and the GC is sustained over time. We have previously demonstrated that SV and complex events are critical in the pathogenesis and clinical outcomes of multiple myeloma. In contrast, in this WM WGS cohort, we found a low prevalence of complex SV, with no chromothripsis detected, and a single chromoplexy event found in 3 patients (21%), all of whom had progressed to symptomatic WM. To explore WM CNA features in a larger cohort, we examined the WGS data together with 38 MYD88-mutated WM samples for which targeted sequencing was available (MSK-IMPACT-Heme 400 gene panel). In this combined dataset (n=52), GISTIC analysis identified significantly deleted regions at 6q16.1, 7q34, 17p13.1 (TP53) and 21q22.2, along with significant amplification at 6p22.1 (HLA-A). To better characterize the HLA loci using the loss of heterozygosity in human leukocyte antigen (LOHHLA) tool (McGranahan et. al. Cell 2017) we found the presence of HLA-specific loss of heterozygosity in 1 sample, while 4 samples had HLA CN >2.5 (all from patients who progressed to symptomatic WM). CNA analysis demonstrated that while some samples harbored typical CNA features, others had minimal changes, with MGUS / smoldering WM samples having less CNA compared with those who progressed to symptomatic WM. The 2 MYD88 wild type WGS contained a clonal gain affecting chromosome 12, which is typically an early event in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Molecular time analysis (the corrected ratio between duplicated and non-duplicated clonal mutations within large chromosomal gains [Maura et al. Nat Comm 2019]) demonstrated that these 2 chromosomal gain events occurred early in cancer development (relative timing 0.5) and tended to be subclonal. This data suggests that, while MYD88-mutations are central to WM clone establishment and can be observed in precursor disease, CNA may contribute to later phases and disease progression. In summary, WGS in WM allows the demonstration that germinal center activity is sustained over time. CNA in WM are not random in distribution, with specific loci being significantly amplified or deleted, and a potential role for HLA CNA. In contrast to MYD88 mutations, which are carried by stable precursor patients, the subclonal status and late molecular time of most CNA changes suggest a late role in cancer progression. Disclosures Kastritis: Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Genesis Pharma: Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Diamond: Sanofi: Honoraria; Medscape: Honoraria. Kazandjian: Arcellx: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Papaemmanuil: Isabl Technologies: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma: Consultancy. Dogan: Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; EUSA Pharma: Consultancy; Peer View: Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Physicians' Education Resource: Honoraria. Lesokhin: Trillium Therapeutics: Consultancy; Serametrix, Inc: Patents & Royalties; Genetech: Research Funding; Iteos: Consultancy; bristol myers squibb: Research Funding; Behringer Ingelheim: Honoraria; pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Landgren: Janssen: Other: IDMC; Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Other: IDMC; GSK: Honoraria. Palomba: Rheos: Honoraria; Pluto: Honoraria; Lygenesis: Honoraria; Ceramedix: Honoraria; Seres: Honoraria, Other: Stock, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Nektar: Honoraria; PCYC: Consultancy; Wolters Kluwer: Patents & Royalties; Notch: Honoraria, Other: Stock; Priothera: Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Magenta: Honoraria; WindMIL: Honoraria; BeiGene: Consultancy; Juno: Patents & Royalties. Maura: OncLive: Honoraria; Medscape: Consultancy, Honoraria. Dimopoulos: Amgen: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; BeiGene: Honoraria.

Background and Scientific Rationale Lenalidomide maintenance after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients has demonstrated an improved progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) when compared to placebo or observation in a meta-analysis (McCarthy et al. JCO 2017). Despite these improvements, patients on maintenance had higher rates of second primary malignancy and discontinuation due to treatment-emergent adverse events which may lead to decreased quality of life (QoL). Most MM patients are treated with lenalidomide maintenance in the absence of great alternatives. Thus, there is an unmet clinical need to develop alternative maintenance strategies. Daratumumab is well tolerated and effective in MM, with many studies continuing daratumumab as maintenance until disease progression. The proposed study seeks to further investigate and directly compare patient reported QoL between maintenance lenalidomide and daratumumab. Study Design and Methods This is an open-label single-center randomized pilot study of daratumumab versus lenalidomide maintenance in 100 newly diagnosed MM patients (Figure). Clinical trial registry number : NCT04497961, actively recruiting. Study population A total of 100 patients will be enrolled, randomized 1:1 to each arm (50 patients per arm). Randomization for enrollment will be stratified by patient age ( Inclusion criteria Newly diagnosed MM treated with combination therapy with or without ASCT Documentation of a very good partial response or better.Enrollment within 6 months of completing initial combination therapy.Enrollment following minimum 100-day washout per standard guidelines in ASCT recipients.ECOG performance status ≤ 2. Exclusion criteria Progressive or refractory MM.History of disease refractory to lenalidomide or daratumumab.History of prior anti-myeloma therapy for smoldering MM.Currently receiving other investigational agents to treat MM. Study treatment The length of therapy on both arms is 36 cycles of 28 days (~3 years), or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Subjects under the lenalidomide arm will be treated with a maintenance dose of lenalidomide 10mg per day on days 1 to 21 of each cycle. Subjects under the daratumumab arm will be treated with a standard subcutaneous dose of 1800mg weekly in cycles 1 & 2, followed by every 2 weeks in cycles 3-6 and every 4 weeks cycles 7-36. Study assessments Subjects will complete three validated questionnaires - EORTC QLQ-C30 (general QOL in cancer patients), EORTC QLQ-MY20 (QOL in MM patients) and PRO-CTCAE (adverse events). These will be collected at baseline, day 1 of cycle 2, every cycle day 1 thereafter, at study/therapy discontinuation, and at 1-month post therapy follow-up. The GHS score will be calculated based on questions from the EORTC QLQ-C30. Endpoints Primary To compare differences in GHS scores between patients receiving lenalidomide versus daratumumab maintenance Secondary To explore differences in EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-MY20 and PRO-CTCAE scoresTo compare CTCAE adverse eventsTo evaluate differences in PFS and OSTo estimate differences in minimal residual disease statusTo explore the association between minimal residual disease status and clinical outcomes Exploratory To compare minimal residual disease techniques of multi-parametric flow with next-generation sequencing and mass spectrometryTo assess differences in T cell, NKT, NK cell subtypesTo explore associations between disease biology and clinical outcomes using genomic sequencing.To assess changes in the stool microbiome Statistical methods This protocol is a randomized pilot study to estimate the difference in the global health status for patients receiving lenalidomide maintenance to patients receiving daratumumab maintenance. The primary endpoint is the GHS from EORTC QLQ-C30. The primary analysis will be performed using a linear mixed effects model. The randomization stratification factors will be included as covariates in the regression model. The primary endpoint evaluation will use all GHS available up until the final evaluation at 36 cycles. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Shah: Celgene/BMS: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Mailankody: Bristol Myers Squibb/Juno: Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics: Research Funding; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; Evicore: Consultancy; Legend Biotech: Consultancy; Plexus Communications: Honoraria; Jansen Oncology: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding. Korde: Medimmune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding. Hultcrantz: Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Curio Science LLC: Consultancy. Hassoun: Celgene, Takeda, Janssen: Research Funding. Scordo: Angiocrine Bioscience: Consultancy, Research Funding; Omeros Corporation: Consultancy; Kite - A Gilead Company: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; i3 Health: Other: Speaker; McKinsey & Company: Consultancy. Dahi: Kite / Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Lahoud: MorphoSys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Landau: Takeda, Janssen, Caelum Biosciences, Celgene, Pfizer, Genzyme: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Research Funding; Genzyme: Honoraria. Shah: Janssen: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Giralt: Actinnum: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; SANOFI: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AMGEN: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CELGENE: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PFIZER: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GSK: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; JENSENN: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; JAZZ: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Lesokhin: Behringer Ingelheim: Honoraria; bristol myers squibb: Research Funding; pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Serametrix, Inc: Patents & Royalties; Trillium Therapeutics: Consultancy; Genetech: Research Funding; Iteos: Consultancy; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Landgren: Amgen: Honoraria; Janssen: Other: IDMC; Amgen: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Research Funding; Takeda: Other: IDMC; GSK: Honoraria.

Background: Patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapies and/or autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) are at risk for therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (tMN). As these agents yield increased mutation burden in relapsed malignancies and leave evidence of exposure via mutational signatures, we studied the genomic and temporal relationship between chemo exposure and progression of clonal hematopoiesis (CH) to tMN. Methods: We analyzed 32 tMN whole genomes (WG) from 31 patients [27 acute myeloid leukemias (AML), 4 myelodysplastic syndromes]. For 7 patients with tMN post-high-dose melphalan/ASCT, we investigated the presence of antecedent CH using targeted sequencing (MSK-IMPACT; Bolton et al. Nat Gen 2020) on pre-melphalan blood mononuclear cells, granulocytes, or CD34+ apheresis samples. Results: TMN was diagnosed a median of 4.2 years (IQR, 2.6-6.6) following primary treatment. When compared to data from 200 de novo AML from TCGA (NEJM, 2013), tMNs had fewer mutations in FLT3 (9.7% v 28.0%; p = 0.028) and NPM1 (3.2% v 27.0%; p = 0.003). TP53 loss was enriched in tMNs (25.8% v 10.5%; p = 0.035 ). Mutational signature analysis revealed 5 known single base substitution (SBS) signatures in tMN: the hematopoietic stem-cell (SBS-HSC), aging (SBS1), melphalan (SBS-MM1), and platinum signatures (E-SBS1, E-SBS20) (Rustad et al. Nat Comm 2020, Pich et al. Nat Gen 2019). Complex structural variants (SV), defined as ≥3 breakpoint pairs involved in simultaneous copy number changes (Rustad et al. Blood Can Disc 2020), were observed in 7 tMNs; including chromothripsis in 6 tumors (19.4%), chromoplexy in 2 (6.5%), templated insertion in 1 (3.2%), and unspecified complex SV in 2 (6.5%). Chromothripsis has not been previously reported in de novo AML and, in 4 cases, involved chromosome 19 with hyper-amplification of the SMARCA4 locus (≥5 copies). CH variants that became clonal in tumor were seen in 5/7 pre-melphalan/ASCT samples and included mutations in TP53, RUNX1, NCOR1, NF1, CREBBP, DNMT3A, and PPM1D. Chemotherapy introduces hundreds of mutations, leaving each exposed cell with a unique catalogue (i.e., barcode). In fact, TMNs with evidence of chemo signatures had a higher mutation burden (median 1574 single nucleotide variants) than those without (median 938; p = 0.004). Detection of chemo signatures in bulk genome sequencing relies on one cell, with its catalogue of mutations, to expand to clonal dominance (Fig 1a, Landau et al. Nat Comm 2020). Given the long latency between exposure and tMN diagnosis, this single-cell expansion model was expected for all samples exposed to melphalan or platinum-based regimens (i.e., agents with a measurable signature). Strikingly, all patients with pre-tMN platinum exposure (n=7) had evidence of platinum SBS signatures whereas only 2 of 7 patients with prior melphalan/ASCT had a melphalan signature (SBS-MM1). As all platinum-exposed tMN had mutational evidence of exposure, a CH clone must have existed prior to exposure, supporting a single-cell expansion model. Absence of a chemo signature for 5/7 post-melphalan/ASCT tumors despite exposure implies tumor progression driven either by multiple clones in parallel (Fig 1b) or by an unexposed clone. As latency largely excludes the former, this suggests pre-tMN CH clones were re-infused during SCT, thus avoiding chemo exposure (Fig 1c). This is supported by two lines of evidence: 1) tMNs from 2 patients exposed to sequential platinum and melphalan/ASCT had platinum but not melphalan signatures confirming single-cell expansion of the pre-tMN CH clone post-platinum but with escape from exposure to melphalan in the ASCT (Fig 1d); 2) targeted sequencing of pre-tMN samples from melphalan/ASCT patients identified tMN genomic mutations at the CH level in 5/7 cases, including in all 3 tested apheresis samples - one of which (TP53) expanded to dominance without a melphalan signature. Conclusion: WG sequencing identified novel features of tMN revealing the key driver role of complex SV. Mutational signature analyses and targeted sequencing of pre-tMN samples can increase our understanding of tMN pathogenesis and demonstrate that tMNs arising post-ASCT are often driven by CH clones that re-engraft after escaping melphalan exposure. This mode of expansion suggests that a permissive, immunosuppressed, post-transplant environment might play a more important role than chemotherapy-induced mutagenesis in tMN pathogenesis. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Diamond: Sanofi: Honoraria; Medscape: Honoraria. Watts: Rafael Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Aptevo Therapeutices: Research Funding. Kazandjian: Arcellx: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Bradley: AbbVie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Bolli: Amgen: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria. Papaemmanuil: Isabl Technologies: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma: Consultancy. Scordo: Kite - A Gilead Company: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; i3 Health: Other: Speaker; Omeros Corporation: Consultancy; Angiocrine Bioscience: Consultancy, Research Funding; McKinsey & Company: Consultancy. Lahoud: MorphoSys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stein: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Foghorn Therapeutics: Consultancy; Blueprint Medicines: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences, Inc.: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Syndax Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; PinotBio: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy; Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy. Sauter: Precision Biosciences: Consultancy; Kite/Gilead: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy; Gamida Cell: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genmab: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Juno Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi-Genzyme: Consultancy, Research Funding. Hassoun: Celgene, Takeda, Janssen: Research Funding. Mailankody: Bristol Myers Squibb/Juno: Research Funding; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; Plexus Communications: Honoraria; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; Jansen Oncology: Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Legend Biotech: Consultancy; Evicore: Consultancy. Korde: Medimmune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding. Hultcrantz: Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy; Curio Science LLC: Consultancy; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Shah: Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Shah: Janssen Pharmaceutica: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Park: Servier: Consultancy; Affyimmune: Consultancy; Autolus: Consultancy; Minerva: Consultancy; PrecisionBio: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Kura Oncology: Consultancy; Curocel: Consultancy; Artiva: Consultancy; Innate Pharma: Consultancy; Intellia: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Kite Pharma: Consultancy. Landau: Genzyme: Honoraria; Takeda, Janssen, Caelum Biosciences, Celgene, Pfizer, Genzyme: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Research Funding. Sekeres: BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda/Millenium: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Ho: Blueprint Medicine: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Roshal: Celgene: Other: Provision of services; Auron Therapeutics: Other: Ownership / Equity interests; Provision of services; Physicians' Education Resource: Other: Provision of services. Lesokhin: pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Iteos: Consultancy; Serametrix, Inc: Patents & Royalties; Genetech: Research Funding; Trillium Therapeutics: Consultancy; bristol myers squibb: Research Funding; Behringer Ingelheim: Honoraria. Morgan: BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jansen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncopeptides: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GSK: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Landgren: Janssen: Other: IDMC; Janssen: Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Other: IDMC; GSK: Honoraria. Maura: OncLive: Honoraria; Medscape: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Introduction Belantamab mafodotin is an antibody drug conjugate targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on plasma cells and was the first BCMA-targeted drug approved by the FDA. Single agent effect was around 31-34% in a recent phase II study (Lonial et al, Lancet Oncology 2020). Side effects, including keratopathy and reduced visual acuity, necessitate dose reduction and dose delays that may limit efficacy. Patients enrolled on clinical trials, however, often do not reflect a real-world population due to eligibility criteria that limit comorbidities and include wash-out periods not typical of clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess response rates, dose modifications, and frequency of ocular adverse events in patients treated with belantamab mafodotin in a real-world setting. Methods All patients treated with commercial drug belantamab mafodotin at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center since October 2020 were included in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to assess patient characteristics, response rates, and rate of adverse events. Results Forty-two relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients were treated with belantamab mafodotin between October 2020 and the data cut off July 2021, including 55% (N=23) women; median age was 67 years. Twelve patients had been included in the Expanded Access Program with belantamab mafodotin prior to transitioning to commercial drug. Thirty patients (71%) had high risk cytogenetics, including gain 1q, t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), complex karyotype, and MYC-translocations. Patients had been treated with a median of 7 (range 4-14) prior lines of therapy. All patients had received an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 antibody. Eleven patients had received a BCMA-targeted agent in clinical trials, including bi-specific antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, and one patient had received prior trial therapy with belantamab mafodotin. Patients received a median of 3 cycles (range 1-17) of belantamab mafodotin. The majority, 95% (N=40) as single agent, while two patients were treated with belantamab mafodotin in combination with other standard myeloma treatments. The overall response rate (ORR) in all patients was 43%; 18/42 patients. Of these, 7 achieved a partial response (PR); 5 patients achieved a very good partial response (VGPR), 4 patients achieved a complete response (CR) and 1 patient achieved a stringent CR (Table 1). Median duration of response for patients in the ORR cohort was 11 months (95% confidence interval: 9.1-not reached). Three patients achieved a minimal response (MR), 6 patients had stable disease (SD), and 1 patient was not evaluable for response assessment. After a median follow up of 7.5 months, 14 patients had progressive disease and 10 patients had died. Sixteen patients continued on belantamab mafodotin therapy at the time of data cutoff, July 31 st 2021. In a separate analysis of patients not included in the Expanded Access Program, the ORR was 33%; 5 achieved a PR, 4 patients VGPR, 1 patient CR. Two patients achieved a MR, 3 patients had SD, and 14 patients had progressive disease. Twenty-seven patients (64%) had any grade of ocular toxicity on ophthalmology exam. Using the Keratopathy and Visual Acuity (KVA) scale, 12 patients had grade 1 keratopathy, 7 had grade 2, and 8 had grade 3 keratopathy. Fourteen patients had presence of corneal microcysts. Eighteen patients experienced a decline in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA); 10 patients had grade 1, 5 had grade 2, and 3 patients had grade 3 decline in BCVA. The dose of belantamab mafodotin was reduced from the starting dose of 2.5 mg/kg to 1.92 mg/kg in 17 patients: 16 patients due to ocular toxicity and 1 patient due to baseline cytopenia. Additionally, one or more doses were delayed in 9 patients due to keratopathy; the majority of patients (N=8) were able to continue therapy with maintained response on a lower dose after the delay. Conclusion In this heavily pre-treated multiple myeloma population, the ORR was 33-43% which is similar or better than reported in a recent phase II study. The rate of ocular toxicity (64% keratopathy) was also comparable to previous reports. These data demonstrate encouraging results for belantamab mafodotin treatment in the real-world setting with responses and toxicities comparable to clinical trial subjects. Additional patients and updated follow up will be reported at the meeting. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Hultcrantz: Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy; Curio Science LLC: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Peterson: GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy. Hassoun: Celgene, Takeda, Janssen: Research Funding. Korde: Medimmune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding. Mailankody: Bristol Myers Squibb/Juno: Research Funding; Jansen Oncology: Research Funding; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; Plexus Communications: Honoraria; Fate Therapeutics: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Evicore: Consultancy; Legend Biotech: Consultancy. Landau: Takeda, Janssen, Caelum Biosciences, Celgene, Pfizer, Genzyme: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Research Funding; Genzyme: Honoraria. Shah: Amgen: Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceutica: Research Funding. Lahoud: MorphoSys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Scordo: McKinsey & Company: Consultancy; Angiocrine Bioscience: Consultancy, Research Funding; Omeros Corporation: Consultancy; Kite - A Gilead Company: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; i3 Health: Other: Speaker. Landgren: Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Other: IDMC; Janssen: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Other: IDMC; GSK: Honoraria. Giralt: CELGENE: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AMGEN: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; SANOFI: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Actinnum: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PFIZER: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; JANSENN: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GSK: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; JAZZ: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Lesokhin: Trillium Therapeutics: Consultancy; Behringer Ingelheim: Honoraria; bristol myers squibb: Research Funding; Genetech: Research Funding; Iteos: Consultancy; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Serametrix, Inc: Patents & Royalties.

Background and Scientific Rationale: Multiple myeloma (MM) is often preceded by the premalignant conditions monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). Obesity, low adiponectin levels, and diets high in inflammatory, insulinemic foods or lacking plant-based foods are known risk factors for the development of MGUS/SMM, as well as for progression to MM. Therefore, there is an opportunity to study a dietary intervention in cancer progression among patients with MGUS/SMM, for which the standard of care is observation even though some patients will eventually progress to MM. This is a pilot nutrition-based intervention study of a whole food, plant-based diet (WFPBD) in overweight and obese MGUS and SMM patients to enable weight loss, assess associated changes in disease biomarkers, epigenetics, and the gut microbiome. We expect that the findings will enable larger lifestyle-based studies of prevention and survivorship in plasma cell disorders. Study Design and Methods: This is a single-arm, single-center pilot study of a WFPBD for 12 weeks and nutrition counseling for 24 weeks which will enroll 20 patients (Figure). Clinical trial registry number: NCT04920084, actively recruiting. Study Population and Inclusion Criteria i) SMM or MGUS ii) Body mass index ≥25 iii) Monoclonal protein spike ≥0.2 g/dL or abnormal free light chain ratio with increased level of the appropriate involved light chain iv) ECOG performance status 0-3 v) Willingness to comply with study-related procedures Statistical Methods: The average weight loss from baseline at 12 weeks will be reported as sample mean along with 95% confidence interval. Adherence will be estimated by sample proportion, with confidence intervals based on exact binomial distribution. Patients who have completed evaluation at 12 weeks will be evaluable for the weight loss outcome. All patients who have received at least one WFPBD intervention will be evaluable for adherence assessment. We will consider this intervention promising if 1) we detect weight loss at 12 weeks and 2) estimated adherence to the intervention is ≥70%. Study Treatment: For 12 weeks, patients will receive two premade meals per day, for lunch and dinner for 6 days per week, prepared and shipped by Plantable. The meals will have a low glycemic index and contain vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based fats that have undergone minimal processing. Detailed recommendations for snacks and breakfasts meeting the standard of a WFPBD will also be given to supplement their daily calorie needs with access to an online portal or phone application from Plantable which contains education materials and access to a coach daily for 24 weeks. Patients will receive dietary education and counseling from a research dietitian every 2 weeks for the 12-week intervention period. Endpoints: Primary: - To determine the feasibility of a WFPBD, as measured by weight loss and adherence at 12 weeks. Secondary: - To determine the feasibility of a WFPBD, as measured by safety, and quality of life. - To assess weight loss at 24, and 52 weeks. - To assess alterations in metabolic, and myeloma markers. Exploratory: - To assess alterations in T cell and plasma cell epigenetic markers - To assess alterations in the fecal microbiome - To assess changes in body composition as determined by PET imaging and correlate with weight change as well as disease markers. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Shah: Janssen: Research Funding; Celgene/BMS: Research Funding. Adintori: Vidafuel Inc.: Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Mailankody: Jansen Oncology: Research Funding; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb/Juno: Research Funding; Plexus Communications: Honoraria; Fate Therapeutics: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Legend Biotech: Consultancy; Evicore: Consultancy. Korde: Medimmune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding. Hultcrantz: Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy; Amgen: Research Funding; GlaxoSmithKline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Curio Science LLC: Consultancy. Hassoun: Celgene, Takeda, Janssen: Research Funding. D'Souza: Sanofi, Takeda, Teneobio, CAELUM, Prothena: Research Funding; Imbrium, Pfizer, BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen, Prothena: Consultancy. Giralt: AMGEN: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; PFIZER: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; JAZZ: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GSK: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; SANOFI: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Actinnum: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; JENSENN: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CELGENE: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Iyengar: Novartis: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Novartis: Research Funding. Landgren: Janssen: Other: IDMC; Janssen: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Takeda: Other: IDMC; GSK: Honoraria. van den Brink: Pluto Therapeutics: Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company, Other: has consulted, received honorarium from or participated in advisory boards ; Novartis (Spouse): Other: has consulted, received honorarium from or participated in advisory boards; Forty-Seven, Inc.: Honoraria; MagentaTherapeutics: Honoraria; Da Volterra: Other: has consulted, received honorarium from or participated in advisory boards; Wolters Kluwer: Patents & Royalties; Ceramedix: Other: has consulted, received honorarium from or participated in advisory boards ; Notch Therapeutics: Honoraria; DKMS (nonprofit): Other; Pharmacyclics: Other; Kite Pharmaceuticals: Other; GlaskoSmithKline: Other: has consulted, received honorarium from or participated in advisory boards; Lygenesis: Other: has consulted, received honorarium from or participated in advisory boards ; Nektar Therapeutics: Honoraria; Rheos: Honoraria; Seres: Other: Honorarium, Intellectual Property Rights, Research Fundingand Stock Options; Amgen: Honoraria; Therakos: Honoraria; WindMILTherapeutics: Honoraria; Juno Therapeutics: Other; Merck & Co, Inc: Honoraria; Frazier Healthcare Partners: Honoraria; Priothera: Research Funding; Synthekine (Spouse): Other: has consulted, received honorarium from or participated in advisory boards; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria. Lesokhin: pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genetech: Research Funding; Trillium Therapeutics: Consultancy; Behringer Ingelheim: Honoraria; Serametrix, Inc: Patents & Royalties; bristol myers squibb: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Iteos: Consultancy.

Classical hairy cell leukemia (cHCL) is characterized by a near 100% frequency of the BRAFV600E mutation, whereas ∼30% of variant HCLs (vHCLs) have MAP2K1 mutations. However, recurrent genetic alterations cooperating with BRAFV600E or MAP2K1 mutations in HCL, as well as those in MAP2K1 wild-type vHCL, are not well defined. We therefore performed deep targeted mutational and copy number analysis of cHCL (n = 53) and vHCL (n = 8). The most common genetic alteration in cHCL apart from BRAFV600E was heterozygous loss of chromosome 7q, the minimally deleted region of which targeted wild-type BRAF, subdividing cHCL into those hemizygous versus heterozygous for the BRAFV600E mutation. In addition to CDKN1B mutations in cHCL, recurrent inactivating mutations in KMT2C (MLL3) were identified in 15% and 25% of cHCLs and vHCLs, respectively. Moreover, 13% of vHCLs harbored predicted activating mutations in CCND3. A change-of-function mutation in the splicing factor U2AF1 was also present in 13% of vHCLs. Genomic analysis of de novo vemurafenib-resistant cHCL identified a novel gain-of-function mutation in IRS1 and losses of NF1 and NF2, each of which contributed to resistance. These data provide further insight into the genetic bases of cHCL and vHCL and mechanisms of RAF inhibitor resistance encountered clinically.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) are myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) overlap disorders characterized by monocytosis, myelodysplasia, and a characteristic hypersensitivity to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Currently, there are no available disease-modifying therapies for CMML, nor are there preclinical models that fully recapitulate the unique features of CMML. Through use of immunocompromised mice with transgenic expression of human GM-CSF, interleukin-3, and stem cell factor in a NOD/SCID-IL2Rγnull background (NSGS mice), we demonstrate remarkable engraftment of CMML and JMML providing the first examples of serially transplantable and genetically accurate models of CMML. Xenotransplantation of CD34+ cells (n = 8 patients) or unfractionated bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (n = 10) resulted in robust engraftment of CMML in BM, spleen, liver, and lung of recipients (n = 82 total mice). Engrafted cells were myeloid-restricted and matched the immunophenotype, morphology, and genetic mutations of the corresponding patient. Similar levels of engraftment were seen upon serial transplantation of human CD34+ cells in secondary NSGS recipients (2/5 patients, 6/11 mice), demonstrating the durability of CMML grafts and functionally validating CD34+ cells as harboring the disease-initiating compartment in vivo. Successful engraftments of JMML primary samples were also achieved in all NSGS recipients (n = 4 patients, n = 12 mice). Engraftment of CMML and JMML resulted in overt phenotypic abnormalities and lethality in recipients, which facilitated evaluation of the JAK2/FLT3 inhibitor pacritinib in vivo. These data reveal that NSGS mice support the development of CMML and JMML disease-initiating and mature leukemic cells in vivo, allowing creation of genetically accurate preclinical models of these disorders.

Mutations in RNA splicing factors are amongst the most common genetic alterations in myeloid malignancies. Mutations in the splicing factors SF3B1, SRSF2, and U2AF1 occur as heterozygous, missense mutations and have been shown to confer a change-of-function. In contrast, the X chromosome encoded ZRSR2 is enriched in nonsense/frameshift mutations in males, consistent with loss of function. To date however, we do not understand the basis for enrichment of ZRSR2 mutations in leukemia. Moreover, ZRSR2 is the only one of these factors that primarily functions in the minor spliceosome. While most introns are spliced by the major spliceosome, a small subset ( The rarity and conservation of minor introns offered a unique opportunity to investigate splicing factor mutations and identify potential tissue-specific roles of the minor spliceosome. Modeling loss-of-function mutations in ZRSR2 via a mouse model for induced deletion of Zrsr2 revealed strikingly enhanced self-renewal of Zrsr2-deficient male and female hematopoietic cells (Fig. A-C). This was in stark contrast to the effects of hotspot mutations in Sf3b1and Srsf2 and similar to those of Tet2 loss on increasing self-renewal and numbers of HSCs. Zrsr2 loss was also associated increased myeloid cells in the blood and long-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the marrow (Fig. C). To understand the mechanistic basis by which ZRSR2 loss causes aberrant HSC self-renewal, we quantified transcriptome-wide splicing patterns in MDS patients. ZRSR2-mutant samples had widespread, dysfunctional recognition of minor introns- 48% of minor introns exhibiting significantly increased retention (Fig. D). We next systematically mimicked the effects of nonsense-mediated decay caused by minor intron retention in ZRSR2-mutants. Every gene containing a ZRSR2-regulated minor intron was targeted by 4 sgRNAs via a positive-enrichment CRISPR screen using pools of lentiviral sgRNAs in cytokine-dependent human and mouse hematopoietic cell lines. This identified several minor intron-containing genes whose downregulation conferred cytokine independence. Strikingly, just one gene was enriched in all lines (Fig. E): LZTR1, a cullin-3 adaptor for ubiquitin-mediated suppression of RAS-related GTPases which is subject to loss-of-function mutations in several cancers and the RASopathy Noonan Syndrome. Minor intron retention in LZTR1 correlated with reduced LZTR1 protein in MDS patients (Fig. F-G). Inducing mutations in either the protein-coding region of LZTR1 or its minor intron resulted in cytokine independence (Fig. H), reduced LZTR1, and dramatic accumulation of RIT1, a RAS GTPase substrate of LZTR1. In a Noonan Syndrome family wherein one child died of AML, the mother and all children carried an intronic mutation within LZTR1's minor intron (Fig. I-J). Fibroblasts from each family member revealed clear LZTR1 minor intron retention with impaired LZTR1 protein expression and RIT1 accumulation in subjects bearing the LZTR1 minor intron mutation (Fig. J). We next interrogated LZTR1 minor intron splicing across all cancers in the TCGA. While LZTR1's minor intron was efficiently excised in normal samples, a notable subset of tumors in almost all cancer types exhibited significantly increased retention within LZTR1's minor intron. These data indicate LZTR1 is frequently dysregulated via perturbed minor intron splicing - much more so than by protein-coding mutations alone. Here we uncover a heretofore unrecognized role of minor intron excision in regulating HSC self-renewal, a molecular link between ZRSR2 mutations and aberrant LZTR1 splicing and expression, and frequent LZTR1 minor intron retention in diverse cancers and cancer predisposition syndromes. Given frequent post-transcriptional disruption of LZTR1 in the absence of protein-coding mutations, our data additionally motivate study of other cancer-associated minor intron-containing genes which may be dysregulated via similar, and as-yet-undetected, aberrant splicing. Figure Disclosures Abdel-Wahab: Merck: Consultancy; Envisagenics Inc.: Current equity holder in private company; H3 Biomedicine Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy.

Background. Consensus from prior studies shows that the use of maintenance therapy after completion of combination therapy leads to longer progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with multiple myeloma with some studies showing an overall survival (OS) benefit. Currently, lenalidomide is the standard of care; however, there are limited published data on long-term use regarding ability to sustain minimal residual disease (MRD)-negativity and late toxicities. We were motivated to develop a study focusing on continuous, induction-agnostic lenalidomide maintenance with integration of clinical and correlative data. Here, we report formal results of this phase II study with focus on MRD dynamics and tolerability. Methods. This single arm, phase II trial enrolled 100 evaluable patients. Lenalidomide 10 mg is given days 1-21 on a 28-day cycle. Per protocol, patients underwent bone marrow biopsies and aspirates as well as PET/CT at baseline, annually, at progression/end of study; blood work was done every 3 months. The study was statistically powered for the primary endpoint of PFS at 36 months. Correlative assays included MRD testing (10-color single-tube flow cytometry and IGHV sequencing; sensitivity ≤10-5), genomic characterization of detectable disease, and profiling of the bone marrow microenvironment performed on serially banked samples. Results. 100 evaluable patients were enrolled (63% males) between September 2015 and January 2019. Baseline characteristics include median age 63 years (range 38-87 years) and median ECOG score 1 (range 0-1). Prior to enrollment, 22 (30%) patients had high-risk FISH/SNP signature defined as one or more of: 1q+, t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), and 17p- and 48 patients had undergone autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT). At abstract submission, median cycles delivered is 39 (range 9-62). 74% of patients have completed ³24 cycles and 55% have completed ³36 cycles. Overall PFS at 36 months was 77% (95% CI: 0.69-0.87) and PFS at 60 months was 63% (95% CI: 0.51-0.78). All patients had MRD testing at least once. 46% were MRD-negative at enrollment. 7 patients who were MRD+ at enrollment converted to MRD-negative. At median follow up 39.4 months (range 7-56 months), 20/100 patients (20%) have progressed. In consideration of the entire follow-up time from initial MRD-negativity, 44 (of 95 tested; 46%) and 37 (of 73 tested; 51%) achieved sustained MRD-negativity at 1 and 2 years, respectively. 22 patients were MRD-negative at 3 years (of 51 tested; 43%). Among those who sustained MRD-negativity for 2 years, with median follow-up of 19 months past the 2-year landmark analysis (max 120 months), there were no progression events. Age, induction regimen, and MRD status at enrollment were the only significant variables associated with PFS regardless of cytogenetic risk or transplant status. At 1 and 2-year landmark analysis, MRD-negativity superseded all else as the most significant factor associated with PFS with HR 0.06(p=0.0004) and HR 1/Inf (p=0.015), respectively. Toxicities (grade 3) included neutrophil count decrease (20%), hypertension (3%), diarrhea (3%), lung infection (2%), and maculo-papular rash (2%), and toxicities (grade 4) include sepsis (2%) and platelet count decrease (7%). The most common non-grade 3/4 toxicities were diarrhea (55%), fatigue (36%), and upper respiratory infection (30%). 7% developed a secondary malignancy on study: 3 adenocarcinoma, 1 squamous cell carcinoma, 1 CMML, 1 MDS, 1 ALL, and 1 glioblastoma. One evaluable patient required dose reduction due to toxicities/tolerability. Conclusions. This prospective study of continuous lenalidomide maintenance, agnostic to induction regimen or AHCT usage, was designed to evaluate the dynamics of MRD-negativity in relation to PFS. It expands on the importance of MRD as a predictor of outcome and illustrates how continuous maintenance therapy can deepen and sustain MRD-negative responses achieved with modern combination therapy. For this cohort, MRD-negativity at each landmark profoundly outweighed the impact of all other variates. Among those who had sustained MRD-negativity at 2 years (37% of the cohort), regardless of MRD status at enrollment, none have had progression events at median 43 months. Our results support cross-sectional MRD testing as a surrogate endpoint for drug approval, and the use of longitudinal MRD tracking in clinical management. Disclosures Korde: Amgen: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Other: Advisory Board. Lesokhin:Genentech: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Smith:Precision Biosciences: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics: Consultancy. Shah:Physicians Education Resource: Honoraria; Celgene/BMS: Research Funding. Mailankody:Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; PleXus Communications: Honoraria; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; Janssen Oncology: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Research Funding. Hultcrantz:Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy; Amgen: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; GSK: Research Funding. Hassoun:Takeda: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy. Scordo:McKinsey & Company: Consultancy; Angiocrine Bioscience, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Omeros Corporation: Consultancy; Kite - A Gilead Company: Other: Ad-hoc advisory board. Chung:Genentech: Research Funding. Shah:Amgen: Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceutica: Research Funding. Lahoud:MorphoSys: Other: Advisory Board. Thoren:Sebia: Research Funding; The Binding Site: Research Funding. Ho:Invivoscribe, Inc.: Honoraria. Dogan:AbbVie: Consultancy; EUSA Pharma: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Physicians Education Resource: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; National Cancer Institute: Research Funding. Giralt:MILTENYI: Consultancy, Research Funding; ACTINUUM: Consultancy, Research Funding; KITE: Consultancy; OMEROS: Consultancy, Honoraria; NOVARTIS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; CELGENE: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; JAZZ: Consultancy, Honoraria; AMGEN: Consultancy, Research Funding; TAKEDA: Research Funding. Landgren:Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck: Other; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Merck: Other; Adaptive: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Cancer evolution is fueled by epigenetic as well as genetic diversity. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), intra-tumoral DNA methylation (DNAme) heterogeneity empowers evolution. Here, to comprehensively study the epigenetic dimension of cancer evolution, we integrate DNAme analysis with histone modification mapping and single cell analyses of RNA expression and DNAme in 22 primary CLL and 13 healthy donor B lymphocyte samples. Our data reveal corrupted coherence across different layers of the CLL epigenome. This manifests in decreased mutual information across epigenetic modifications and gene expression attributed to cell-to-cell heterogeneity. Disrupted epigenetic-transcriptional coordination in CLL is also reflected in the dysregulation of the transcriptional output as a function of the combinatorial chromatin states, including incomplete Polycomb-mediated gene silencing. Notably, we observe unexpected co-mapping of typically mutually exclusive activating and repressing histone modifications, suggestive of intra-tumoral epigenetic diversity. Thus, CLL epigenetic diversification leads to decreased coordination across layers of epigenetic information, likely reflecting an admixture of cells with diverging cellular identities., In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), evolution is driven by transcriptional and epigenetic heterogeneity. Here, the authors integrate epigenomic analyses to show how intra-tumoral epigenetic diversity results in divergent chromatin states in CLL cells, increasing cell-to-cell transcriptional heterogeneity.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are essential modulators of transcription and translation frequently dysregulated in cancer. We systematically interrogated RBP dependencies in human cancers using a comprehensive CRISPR/Cas9 domain-focused screen targeting RNA-binding domains of 490 classical RBPs. This uncovered a network of physically interacting RBPs upregulated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and crucial for maintaining RNA splicing and AML survival. Genetic or pharmacologic targeting of one key member of this network, RBM39, repressed cassette exon inclusion and promoted intron retention within mRNAs encoding HOXA9 targets as well as in other RBPs preferentially required in AML. The effects of RBM39 loss on splicing further resulted in preferential lethality of spliceosomal mutant AML, providing a strategy for treatment of AML bearing RBP splicing mutations.

Histiocytoses are clonal hematopoietic disorders frequently driven by mutations mapping to the BRAF and MEK1 and MEK2 kinases. Currently, however, the developmental origins of histiocytoses in patients are not well understood, and clinically meaningful therapeutic targets outside of BRAF and MEK are undefined. In this study, we uncovered activating mutations in CSF1R and rearrangements in RET and ALK that conferred dramatic responses to selective inhibition of RET (selpercatinib) and crizotinib, respectively, in patients with histiocytosis.

8040 Background: Passive monitoring using wearables can objectively measure sleep over extended time periods. MM patients (PTs) are susceptible to fluctuating sleep patterns due to pain and dexamethasone (dex) treatment. In this prospective study, we remotely monitored sleep patterns on 40 newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) PTs while administering electronic PT reported outcome (ePRO) surveys. The study aim was to establish sleep bioprofiles during therapy and correlate with ePROs. Methods: Eligible PTs for the study had untreated NDMM and assigned to either Cohort A – PTs < 65 years or Cohort B – PTs ≥ 65 years. PTs were remotely monitored for sleep 1-7 days at baseline [BL] and continuously up to 6 therapy cycles. PTs completed ePRO surveys (EORTC - QLQC30 and MY20) at BL and after each cycle. Sleep data and completed ePRO surveys were synced to Medidata Rave through Sensorlink technology. Associations between sleep measurement trends and QLQC30 scores were estimated using a linear mixed model with a random intercept. Results: Between Feb 2017 - Sep 2019, 40 PTs (21 M and 19 F) were enrolled with 20 in cohort A (mean 54 yrs, 41-64) and 20 in cohort B (mean 71 yrs, 65-82). Regimens included KRd 14(35%), RVd 12(30%), Dara-KRd 8(20%), VCd 5(12.5%), and Rd 1(2.5%). Sleep data was compiled among 23/40 (57.5%) PTs. BL mean sleep was 578.9 min/24 hr for Cohort A vs. 544.9 min/24 hr for Cohort B (p = 0.41, 95% CI -51.5, 119.5). Overall median sleep trends changed for cohort A by -6.3 min/24 hr per cycle (p = 0.09) and for cohort B by +0.8 min/24 hr per cycle (p = 0.88). EPRO data trends include global health +1.5 score/cycle (p = 0.01, 95% CI 0.31, 3.1), physical +2.16 score/cycle (p < 0.001, 95% CI 1.26, 3.07), insomnia -1.6 score/cycle (p = 0.09, 95% CI [-3.47, 0.26]), role functioning +2.8 score/cycle (p = 0.001, 95% CI 1.15, 4.46), emotional +0.3 score/cycle (p = 0.6, 95% CI -0.73, 1.32), cognitive -0.36 score/cycle (p = 0.44, 95% CI -1.29,0.56), and fatigue -0.36 score/cycle (p = 0.4, 95% CI -1.65, 0.93). No association between sleep measurements and ePRO were detected. Difference in sleep on dex days compared to all other days during the sample cycle period for cohort A was 81.4 min/24 hr (p = 0.004, 95% CI 26, 135) and for cohort B was 37.4 min/24 hr (p = 0.35, 95% CI -41, 115). Conclusions: Our study provides insight into wearable sleep monitoring in NDMM. Overall sleep trends in both cohorts do not demonstrate significant gains or losses, and these trends fit with HRQOL ePRO insomnia responses. Upon further examination, we demonstrate objective differences (younger PTs) in intra-cyclic sleep measurements on dex days compared to other cycle days (less sleep by > 1 hr). For older patients, less variation in sleep profiles was detected during dex days, possibly due to higher levels of fatigue or longer sleep duration. Sleep is an integral part of well-being in the cancer patient. Future studies should continue to characterize sleep patterns as it relates to HRQOL.

INTRODUCTION. Recent studies show that ~25% of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with 8 cycles of bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd) achieve minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity. Recently, 42% stringent complete response (sCR) rates were reported with the use of VRd combined with the CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody daratumumab (VRd-D). Here, we present the final results from a phase 2 study using weekly dosing of carfilzomib 56 mg/m2 with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in combination with daratumumab (wKRd-D). The primary endpoint of our study was to demonstrate >60% and to target up to 80% MRD negativity rate with wKRd-D. METHODS. This phase II clinical trial is based on Simon's optimal two-stage design. The wKRd-D dosing schedule is as follows: 8 cycles of treatment; 28-day cycles with IV carfilzomib 20/56 mg/m2 days 1, 8, and 15; PO lenalidomide 25 mg days 1-21; PO/IV dexamethasone 40 mg weekly cycles 1-4, 20 mg after cycle 4; and IV daratumumab 16 mg/kg days 1, 8, 15, and 22 cycles 1-2, days 1 and 15 cycles 3-6, and day 1 cycles 7-8. For fit patients, stem cell collection is recommended after 4 to 6 cycles of therapy; wKRd-D therapy resumed after collection to a total of 8 cycles wKRd-D. Treatment response is being assessed with parallel bone marrow-based MRD assays (10-color single tube flowcytometry and invivoscribe IGHV sequencing); per IMWG guidelines both MRD assays allows detection of 1 myeloma cell in 100,000 cells (10^-5). Baseline bone marrow samples are evaluated with targeted DNA sequencing for FISH-Seq and somatic mutational characteristics (myTYPE). RESULTS. The study is fully enrolled; between October 2018 and November 2019 a total of 41 evaluable patients were enrolled. Baseline characteristics include; median age 59 years (range 30-70 years); 25 (61%) females;16 (39%) males; 20 (49%) patients had high-risk FISH/SNP signature defined as one or more of the following: 1q+, t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), and 17p-. At submission of this abstract, 39 out of 41 patients have completed 8 cycles of treatment and end of treatment evaluations. Of those 39, 29 patients were MRD negative and 10 patients MRD positive. Two patients are pending end of treatment evaluations for response (currently receiving cycle 8 of wKRd-D). Thus, among patients treated on the weekly cohort (wKRd-D) and who were evaluable for the MRD primary endpoint at this analysis, we found 29/39 (74%) to be MRD negative. We further show no added major clinical toxicities with wKRd-D compared to our institution standard of care KRd. At a median follow-up of 10 months, none of the MRD negative patients have progressed. Among 29 patients found to be MRD negative after 8 cycles of wKRd-D, 2 patients have been assessed for MRD at 1 year of follow-up and 2/2 (100%) show 1-year sustained MRD negativity. There are no deaths on the study. CONCLUSIONS. Among patients evaluable for the MRD primary endpoint, in the absence of an autologous bone marrow transplant, here we show a 29/39 (74%) MRD negativity rate among newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with wKRd-D, including weekly carfilzomib 56 mg/m2 dosing. At a median follow-up of 10 months, none of the MRD negative patients have progressed. These results compare favorably with previously published results with KRd, VRd, or VRd-D. Using optimized IV fluid management (250 ml saline prior to first dose of carfilzomib only, and thereafter no IV fluids) coupled with baseline work-up with EKG/echocardiograms for all patients, we did not observe excess rates of cardiovascular or renal adverse event. The wKRd-D dosing schedule has a total of 27 infusions and offers an attractive treatment modality for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. Based on these promising results, a large randomized multi-center study ("ADVANCE") evaluating wKRd-D in relation to established standard of care has been opened for enrollment. Disclosures Landgren: Adaptive: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Merck: Other; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Cellectis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Glenmark: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Merck: Other; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding; Binding Site: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharma: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Independent Data Monitoring Committees for clinical trials, Research Funding. Hultcrantz:Intellisphere LLC: Consultancy; Amgen: Research Funding; GSK: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding. Lesokhin:BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties. Mailankody:Janssen Oncology: Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; PleXus Communications: Honoraria; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding. Hassoun:Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding. Shah:Celgene/BMS: Research Funding; Physicians Education Resource: Honoraria. Scordo:McKinsey & Company: Consultancy; Angiocrine Bioscience, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Omeros Corporation: Consultancy; Kite - A Gilead Company: Other: Ad-hoc advisory board. Chung:Genentech: Research Funding. Shah:Amgen Inc.: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Lahoud:MorphoSys: Other: Advisory Board. Thoren:The Binding Site: Research Funding; Sebia: Research Funding. Murata:Abbott Laboratories: Research Funding. Ho:Invivoscribe, Inc.: Honoraria. Dogan:Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Physicians Education Resource: Consultancy; Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; EUSA Pharma: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; National Cancer Institute: Research Funding. Giralt:CSL Behring: Research Funding; Jazz: Research Funding; Actinuum: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Quintiles: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Adienne: Research Funding; Kite: Research Funding. Korde:Astra Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Daratumumab, Carfilzomib, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone in Newly-Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma. These drugs are included in the current clinical and correlative Phase II study

Over the course of the past decade-plus, the therapy of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma has seen incredible advances in the domains of diagnostic evaluation, active medical therapy, and response evaluation. This manuscript reviews the evaluation and management of newly diagnosed active multiple myeloma, with a focus on major clinical trials and IMWG recommendations. The paper describes a current approach for the initial evaluation and workup for patients with putative active myeloma, with consideration towards potential MRD-directed therapeutic approaches and future clinical trials, and then discusses management with a focus on induction regimens with attention primarily to modern three and four-drug combinations for transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible patients, and those with organ dysfunction. Finally, this article briefly reviews minimal residual disease directed therapy approaches, primarily in the context of whether eligible patients should be referred for high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue. Maintenance therapy for both transplant eligible and ineligible patients is discussed elsewhere in this issue.

Mutations affecting RNA splicing factors are the most common genetic alterations in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients and occur in a mutually exclusive manner. The basis for the mutual exclusivity of these mutations and how they contribute to MDS is not well understood. Here we report that although different spliceosome gene mutations impart distinct effects on splicing, they are negatively selected for when co-expressed due to aberrant splicing and downregulation of regulators of hematopoietic stem cell survival and quiescence. In addition to this synthetic lethal interaction, mutations in the splicing factors SF3B1 and SRSF2 share convergent effects on aberrant splicing of mRNAs that promote nuclear factor κB signaling. These data identify shared consequences of splicing-factor mutations and the basis for their mutual exclusivity.

Background. Prior studies consistently show that the use of maintenance therapy after completion of combination therapy translates into longer progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with multiple myeloma. Some studies show that maintenance therapy prolongs overall survival (OS). Typically, maintenance therapy is used in the setting of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma; however, emerging data suggest that (at least a subset of) patients in the early relapse setting, for example those who achieve MRD negativity, may also be candidates for maintenance therapy integrated with careful disease monitoring. Currently, lenalidomide is considered the standard of care for maintenance; however, there is only limited published data on long-term use, with respect to the ability to sustain MRD negativity, mechanisms of relapse, and late toxicities. We were motivated to develop a study focusing on long-term lenalidomide maintenance therapy and to study clinical and correlative data. Here, we report on sustained MRD negativity and clinical tolerability. Methods. This single arm, phase 2 was designed to enroll 100 evaluable patients. Per protocol, maintenance therapy with lenalidomide 10 mg is given days 1-21 on a 28-day cycle. The initial study design had a total duration of 36 months; it was subsequently extended with additional 24 months (i.e., total of 60 months). Per standard procedures for protocol amendments, patients were offered to re-consent for the extension. Per protocol, patients underwent bone marrow biopsies and aspirates as well as PET/CT exams at baseline, annually, at progression/end of treatment; blood work was done every 3 months. Bone marrow and blood samples were banked longitudinally per the research protocols. Based on practical considerations, the study was statistically powered for the primary end-point progression-free survival, which provided sufficient numbers of samples for the planned correlative assays focusing on MRD testing, genomic characterization of detectable disease, and profiling of the bone marrow microenvironment. All these assays were conducted in serial samples collected over time and assessed in relation to clinical outcomes. Results. A total of 100 evaluable patients meeting eligibility criteria were enrolled (63% males) between September 2015 and January 2019. Baseline characteristics include median age 63 years (range 38-86 years) and median ECOG score 1 (range 0-1). At the submission of this abstract, the median number of cycles delivered is currently 26 (range 1 to 48); 86 patients have completed 12 or more cycles, 57 patients have completed 24 or more cycles, and 29 patients have completed 36 or more cycles. MRD testing had been completed at least once in all patients. Thirty-four patients were MRD negative at enrollment. At median followup time of 28 months (range 3.4 to 45.6), 15/100 (15%) patients have progressed. Considering the entire follow-up time from initial MRD negativity to last follow-up on study, we found 39 (of 85 tested; 46%) and 25 (of 57 tested; 44%) to have evidence of 1 and 2 years sustained MRD negativity, respectively. Only 19 patients were tested for MRD at 3 years and 16 (84%) had sustained MRD negativity. Toxicities (grade 3) include neutrophil count decrease (N=9), hypertension (N=3), diarrhea (N=2), lung infection (N=2), and rash maculo-papular (N=2), and toxicities (grade 4) include sepsis (N=2) and platelet count decrease (N=1). The most common 1/2 toxicities were diarrhea (N=51), fatigue (N=33), and upper respiratory infection (N=23). Among evaluable patients, dose reductions of lenalidomide due to toxicities and tolerability issues were done in 6 (6%) patient. Conclusions. Among evaluable patients who were treated with lenalidomide 10 mg maintenance therapy days 1-21 on a 28-day cycle on this study, at a median followup of 28 months, we found 46% and 44% to have evidence of 1 and 2 years sustained MRD negativity, respectively. Currently, 19 patients have been tested for MRD at 3 years; 16 (84%) show evidence of 3 years sustained MRD negativity. The toxicity profile was in accord with prior studies and tolerability was quite good reflected in only 6 patients requiring dose reductions due to toxicities. Correlative assays focusing on mechanisms of sustained MRD negativity in this study are presented in a separate abstract at this meeting. Disclosures Landgren: Adaptive: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Theradex: Other: IDMC; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Merck: Other: IDMC. Lesokhin:Genentech: Research Funding; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria. Smith:Celgene: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics and Precision Biosciences: Consultancy. Mailankody:Juno: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; CME activity by Physician Education Resource: Honoraria. Hassoun:Janssen: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy. Landau:Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Caelum: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Prothena: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Scordo:Angiocrine Bioscience, Inc.: Consultancy; McKinsey & Company: Consultancy. Arcila:Invivoscribe, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria. Ho:Invivoscribe, Inc.: Honoraria. Roshal:Physicians' Education Resource: Other: Provision of services; Celgene: Other: Provision of Services; Auron Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Other: Provision of services. Dogan:Roche: Consultancy, Research Funding; Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy.

Introduction Mass spectrometry-based methods have been shown to be more sensitive for detecting monoclonal proteins (M-protein) in serum compared to current electrophoretic techniques, serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and immunofixation (IFE). In particular, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) may soon replace these techniques for the routine monitoring of multiple myeloma (MM) patients due to its relatively low cost and high throughput. In this study, we evaluate the performance of MALDI-TOF MS in the follow up of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients treated with a daratumumab-based combination therapy. We report our findings compared to SPEP and IFE results and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the technique in the serial analysis of patients. Patients and Methods Twenty-seven NDMM patients treated with daratumumab-based combination therapy were included in this study; median age 57 years (range 33-79 years) and 52% were males. Each patient had 10 time points of follow-up: baseline, day 15 of cycle 1, the first day of each cycle from cycle 2 to cycle 8, and at the end of treatment (EOT). All samples were analyzed in a blinded fashion by MALDI-TOF MS. First, immunoglobulins were purified from serum using magnetic beads specific for IgG and IgA heavy chains or kappa and lambda light chains. Immunoglobulins were eluted from the beads and the light chains and heavy chains were separated by adding a reducing agent. Purified samples were analyzed using a Microflex LT MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer (Bruker). Samples taken at baseline were used to identify the mass to charge ratio (m/z) of the M-protein which served as a surrogate marker in the analysis of subsequent samples. MALDI-TOF MS results were compared to SPEP, IFE and the kappa/lambda free light chain (κ/λ) ratio. Results At baseline, IFE and MALDI-TOF MS were positive for all 27 patients while SPEP was negative for M-protein in 2 patients. Different M-protein isotypes were observed including 3 free kappa, 1 free lambda, 15 IgG kappa, 3 IgG Lambda, 3 IgA kappa and 2 IgA lambda. The κ/λ ratio was abnormal for 26/27 patients. Twenty-three patients completed the 8 cycles of treatment. During the follow-up, 14 of the 23 patients remained positive until the EOT by MALDI-TOF MS. Regarding these patients, 3 were negative by SPEP and IFE at the EOT. Nine of the 23 patients became negative by MALDI-TOF MS in a median time of 5 cycles (range 2- 8). Among these 9 patients, 1 reached a complete response (CR) and 6 reached stringent CR in a median time of 3 cycles (range cycle 2 - EOT). The 2 patients that did not reach CR but were negative by MALDI are suspected to have a false positive IFE result. These patients' IgG kappa M-protein overlaps with daratumumab on IFE and the Hydrashift assay (Sebia) was unavailable at the time of analysis. In these cases, MALDI provided better specificity compared to IFE as the M-protein could be distinguished from daratumumab based on m/z. However, daratumumab could not always be distinguished from the M-protein at some timepoints for some patients. The patient that still had an abnormal κ/λ ratio but was negative by MALDI had κ light chain MM. MALDI-TOF MS may be less sensitive for the detection of free light chains in serum. We observed differences between the M-spike intensity of the heavy- and light-chain specific purifications especially when the M-protein was at low levels. This may be due to differences in the polyclonal background for each purification reaction and will affect the sensitivity of M-protein detection. Conclusions This study is important because it helps to understand the performance of MALDI-TOF MS in the follow-up of MM patients under therapy. The use of serial samples allowed us to characterize patterns of immune markers longitudinally in relation to given therapy. The m/z ratio at baseline is a key for the interpretation during the follow-up and to avoid interference with other monoclonal immunoglobulins, like daratumumab, for example. When more than one monoclonal immunoglobulin is present, their relative concentration, not just their m/z values, is important for distinguishing two different peaks. MALDI-TOF MS is useful for monitoring patients under therapy because it provides higher specificity and sensitivity than electrophoretic methods. This may be especially important in clinical trials and in accurately defining CR and sCR. Disclosures Lesokhin: BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Genentech: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria. Mailankody:Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; CME activity by Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; Juno: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding. Smith:Celgene: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics and Precision Biosciences: Consultancy. Hassoun:Janssen: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding. Landgren:Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Theradex: Other: IDMC; Merck: Other: IDMC; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Background: Several studies have indicated that the depth and duration of treatment response in multiple myeloma are both reduced in the relapsed setting. With further lines of therapy, responses continue to weaken in depth and shorten in duration. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines suggest that regimens may be repeated in the relapsed setting if there has been a duration of at least 6 months since that regimen was given; however, there is limited information regarding treatment response and duration in the setting of re-treating patients with agents previously utilized. Moreover, preliminary data has suggested that carfilzomib-based regimens in the frontline may be able to attain deeper and longer responses than alternative therapies, which has led to carfilzomib being used more frequently in the frontline. This motivated us to investigate the treatment response, depth, and safety of re-challenging patients with carfilzomib in the relapsed setting. Methods: In this retrospective chart review, we identified all patients who were treated with multiple courses of carfilzomib-based regimens at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between January 1, 2014 and November 30, 2018. Our primary objectives were to assess the response, duration of response and treatment, and safety of re-exposure to carfilzomib-based regimens. Responses were assessed as per IMWG 2016 consensus criteria (Lancet Oncol 2016). In this review we describe the clinical course, safety, and efficacy of re-challenging patients with carfilzomib in the relapsed and refractory settings. Results: Fifteen patients were identified as having received multiple, independent lines of carfilzomib-based therapy. The median age of the cohort was 58 years (49-76) with 53% male (8); two patients had R-ISS stage 1, eight stage 2, and five stage 3 disease. Five of these patients received their initial carfilzomib in the frontline as part of KRD; four of whom attained a sCR with the fifth attaining a VGPR. The remaining ten patients received their initial carfilzomib in the second-line (4) or 3rd and subsequent lines (6). Upon re-exposure to carfilzomib, patients were heavily treated with a median of four lines of therapy (2-15). All but three patients had at least one adverse cytogenetic abnormality; eight with 17p-, five with 13q-, three with t4;14, and six with 1q+. Regimens utilized in the relapsed setting included KRD (N=4), KPD (N=3), Cyklone (N=2), KD + HDAC inhibitor (N=3), KD (N=1), KCD (N=1), and KRD + daratumumab (N=1). Four patients received carfilzomib at a dose of 27 mg/m2 while the remaining 10 received > 36 mg/m2. Responses were seen in all but four patients (two VGPR, five PR, and four MR), with one patient experiencing progression during carfilzomib with no response; notably, this patient only attained a MR to primary carfilzomib therapy and their second exposure was the 15th line of therapy. The median time to next therapy was 4.8 months (1.9-19.4) with one patient being bridged to autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), one to allogeneic HCT, and three are currently receiving ongoing carfilzomib treatment (13.9, 2.8, 2.5 months with VGPR, MR, and PR, respectively). Exacerbation of baseline hypertension was identified in three patients, but these instances were treated successfully with standard medications with no further complications. No additional cardiovascular events were identified in the frontline or re-treatment settings. Conclusions: We report that in a heavily pre-treated, high risk patient cohort, patients previously treated with carfilzomib-based regimens may be safely re-challenged with carfilzomib. Importantly, none of these patients experienced cardiovascular adverse effects other than exacerbation of underlying hypertension, further supporting the ability to safely re-treat a select group of patients with carfilzomib. We conclude that depending on the patient and treatment history, re-challenging with carfilzomib at relapse may be appropriate salvage therapy, particularly as a bridge towards HCT and/or clinical trials. Disclosures Hassoun: Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Mailankody:Juno: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; CME activity by Physician Education Resource: Honoraria. Lesokhin:Genentech: Research Funding; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties; Janssen: Research Funding; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria. Smith:Celgene: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics and Precision Biosciences: Consultancy. Landau:Prothena: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Research Funding; Caelum: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria. Shah:Janssen Pharmaceutica: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding. Scordo:Angiocrine Bioscience, Inc.: Consultancy; McKinsey & Company: Consultancy. Giralt:Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Miltenyi: Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Actinium: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Johnson & Johnson: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite: Consultancy. Landgren:Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Theradex: Other: IDMC; Merck: Other: IDMC; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

Introduction Immunomodulatory agents (IMiD's) are associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), particularly when combined with high dose steroids. Studies evaluating the use of lenalidomide-bortezomib-dexamethasone (RVD) and carfilzomib-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (KRD) in the frontline setting for multiple myeloma (MM) have reported a 6% and 24% incidence of thrombosis, respectively, despite primary thrombotic prophylaxis with aspirin (ASA) (Richardson, et al. Blood. 2010; Korde, et al. JAMA Oncol 2015). Recent data, including the Hokusai VTE Cancer Trial, have suggested that safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are preserved in the setting of treatment of solid malignancy-associated thrombosis (Raskob, et al. N Engl J Med. 2018; Mantha, et al. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2017). Despite this data, there is limited experience and use of DOACs in prevention of thromboses in the setting of hematologic malignancies, specifically MM. After careful review of literature, since early 2018, we changed our clinical practice and routinely placed newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients receiving KRD at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) on concomitant rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily, regardless of VTE risk stratification. In the following abstract, we present VTE rates and safety data for newly diagnosed MM patients receiving RVD with ASA vs. KRD with ASA vs. KRD with rivaroxaban prophylaxis. Methods This was an IRB-approved, single-center, retrospective chart review study. All untreated patients with newly diagnosed MM, receiving at least one cycle of RVD or KRD between January 2015 and October 2018 were included. The period of observation included the time between the first day of therapy until 90 days after completion of induction therapy. Patients were identified by querying the pharmacy database for carfilzomib or bortezomib administration and outpatient medication review of thromboprophylaxis with rivaroxaban or ASA. VTE diagnoses were confirmed by ICD-10 codes and appropriate imaging studies (computed tomography and ultrasound). Descriptive statistics were performed. Results During the observation period, 241 patients were identified to have received RVD or KRD in the frontline (99 RVD with ASA; 97 KRD with ASA; 45 KRD with rivaroxaban). Baseline characteristics were well distributed among the three arms, with a median age of 60 (30-94) in the RVD ASA arm, 62 (33-77) in the KRD ASA arm, and 60 (24-79) in the KRD rivaroxaban arm. Patients had International Staging System (ISS) stage 3 disease in 13% (N=13), 9.3% (N=9), and 11% (N=5) of the RVD ASA, KRD ASA, and KRD rivaroxaban arms, respectively. Median weekly doses of dexamethasone were higher in both KRD arms, 40 mg (20-40) vs. 20 mg (10-40) in the RVD ASA arm. The average initial doses of lenalidomide were 22 mg in the RVD ASA arm compared to 25 mg in both the KRD ASA and KRD rivaroxaban arms. After querying the pharmacy database, no patients were identified to have a history or concomitant use of erythropoietin stimulating agent (ESA) use. Treatment-related VTE's occurred in 4 patients (4.0%) in the RVD ASA arm, 16 patients (16.5%) in the KRD ASA arm, and in 1 patient (2.2%) in the KRD rivaroxaban arm. Average time to VTE was 6.15 months (Range 5.42, 9.73) after treatment initiation in the RVD ASA group, while it was 2.61 months (Range 0.43, 5.06) in the KRD ASA group and 1.35 months in the KRD rivaroxaban group. Minor, grade 1 bleeding events per the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) were identified in 1 (1.1%) patient in the RVD ASA arm, 5 (5.2%) patients in the KRD ASA arm, and 1 (2.2%) patient in the KRD rivaroxaban arm. Conclusion More efficacious MM combination therapies have been found to increase the risk of VTE when using ASA prophylaxis, indicating better thromboprophylaxis is needed. We found patients receiving ASA prophylaxis with KRD were more likely to experience a VTE and these events occurred earlier compared to patients receiving ASA prophylaxis with RVD. Importantly, the rate of VTE was reduced to the same level as ASA prophylaxis with RVD when low-dose rivaroxaban 10 mg daily was used with KRD, and without necessarily increasing bleeding risk. Our retrospective data support the development of prospective clinical trials further investigating DOAC use in thromboprophylaxis for NDMM patients receiving carfilzomib-based treatments. Figure Disclosures Hassoun: Novartis: Consultancy; Janssen: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Lesokhin:BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; GenMab: Consultancy, Honoraria; Serametrix Inc.: Patents & Royalties; Genentech: Research Funding; Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria. Mailankody:Juno: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Takeda Oncology: Research Funding; CME activity by Physician Education Resource: Honoraria. Smith:Celgene: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics and Precision Biosciences: Consultancy. Landgren:Theradex: Other: IDMC; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Merck: Other: IDMC; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Off-label use of rivaroxaban for outpatient prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) will be explicitly disclosed to the audience.

Mutations in the RNA splicing factor SF3B1 are common in MDS and other myeloid malignancies. SF3B1 mutations promote expression of mRNAs that use an aberrant, intron proximal 3' splice site (ss). Despite the consistency of this finding, linking aberrant splicing changes to disease pathogenesis has been a challenge. Here we identify aberrant splicing and downregulated expression of BRD9, a member of the recently described ATP-dependent non-canonical BAF (ncBAF) chromatin remodeling complex, across SF3B1 mutant leukemias. In so doing, we identify a novel role for altered ncBAF function in hematopoiesis and MDS. To systematically identify functionally important aberrant splicing events created by mutant SF3B1, we integrated differential splicing events in SF3B1 mutant versus wild-type MDS with a positive enrichment CRISPR screen mimicking splicing changes induced by mutant SF3B1 that promote NMD (non-sense mediated mRNA decay). We tested whether loss of any gene functionally inactivated by SF3B1 mutations promoted transformation of Ba/F3 and 32D cells. This identified a specific NMD-inducing aberrant splicing event in BRD9 which promoted cytokine independence (Fig. A) and exhibited striking aberrant splicing across CLL and MDS and across all mutational hotspots in SF3B1 (Fig. B). SF3B1 mutations cause exonization of a normally intronic sequence in BRD9, resulting in inclusion of a poison exon that interrupts BRD9's reading frame (Fig. C) and reduced BRD9 mRNA and protein expression through NMD (Fig. D). We confirmed that mutant SF3B1 suppressed full-length BRD9 levels without generating truncated BRD9 protein. Loss of BRD9 impaired ncBAF complex formation as indicated by abolished interaction between the ncBAF specific component GLTSCR1 and the ATPase subunit BRG1 upon chemical or spliceosomal BRD9 ablation (Fig. D). Given that prior work has linked mutant SF3B1 to use of aberrant 3' ss, we sought to understand the molecular basis for aberrant exon inclusion in BRD9 by mutant SF3B1. Lariat sequencing of SF3B1 mutant versus WT K562 cells and BRD9 minigene analyses identified use of a deep intronic branchpoint adenosine by mutant SF3B1 to promote BRD9 poison exon inclusion (Fig. E). The data above suggest a role for BRD9 downregulation in SF3B1 mutant leukemia. While prior work indicated that BRD9 is required in MLL-rearranged AML (Hohmman et al. Nature Chemical Biology 2016), the role of BRD9 in normal hematopoiesis or other subtypes of myeloid neoplasms has not been evaluated. Genetic downregulation of BRD9 in normal human hematopoietic progenitors from cord blood promoted myelopoiesis while impairing megakaryopoiesis. Interestingly and unexpectedly, BRD9 loss in CD34+ cells promoted terminal erythroid differentiation in vitro. To further evaluate BRD9's role in hematopoiesis in vivo, we also generated mice with inducible knockout of the bromodomain of BRD9 (required for BRD9 function) and generation of a frameshift transcript resulting in reduced Brd9 expression (Fig. F). Loss of Brd9 resulted in macrocytosis with bone marrow erythroid dysplasia in a dosage-dependent manner, along with impaired lymphopoiesis and myeloid skewing. Moreover, competitive transplantation of hematopoietic precursors from these mice revealed that ablation of Brd9 function impaired lymphoid reconstitution while promoting advantage of myeloid cells and hematopoietic precursors (Fig. G-I). In myeloid leukemia cells, introduction of SF3B1K700E or downregulation of BRD9 resulted in increased chromatin accessibility at promoters with a significant overlap in commonly upregulated genes. This finding suggests shared epigenetic effects of SF3B1K700E mutations and BRD9 loss (Fig. J). These data identify aberrant splicing of BRD9 across the spectrum of SF3B1 mutant cancers and identify a novel role for downregulation of ncBAF function in MDS pathogenesis. Consistent with human genetic data, genetic ablation of BRD9 function in mouse and human hematopoietic cells resulted in myeloid skewing and dyserythropoiesis. These data suggest that targeted correction of aberrant BRD9 splicing might serve as a novel therapeutic approach for SF3B1-mutant leukemias. Of note, treatment with drugs impairing the binding of mutant SF3B1 to RNA resulted in a dose-dependent rescue of aberrant BRD9 splicing in vitro (Fig. K) and in treatment of an SF3B1 mutant AML patient-derived xenograft in vivo. Figure Disclosures Kadoch: Foghorn Therapeutics: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

IMPORTANCE: Multiple myeloma is consistently preceded by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Risk models that estimate the risk of progression from MGUS to multiple myeloma use data from a single time point, usually the initial workup. OBJECTIVE: To longitudinally investigate the alterations of serum immune markers with stable vs progressive MGUS. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective cross-sectional cohort study included 77 469 adult participants aged 55 to 74 years in the screening arm of the National Cancer Institute Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial who had a diagnosis of progressing MGUS (n = 187) or stable MGUS (n = 498), including light-chain subtype, from November 1993, through December 2011. For each participant, all available serially stored prediagnostic serum samples (N = 3266) were obtained. Data analysis was performed from April 2018, to December 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Serum protein and monoclonal immunoglobulin levels, serum free light chains, and serum light chains within each immunoglobulin class were measured. RESULTS: Of 685 individuals included in the study, 461 (67.3%) were men; the mean (SD) age was 69.1 (5.6) years. In cross-sectional modeling, risk factors associated with progressive MGUS were IgA isotype (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.80; 95% CI, 1.03-3.13; P = .04), 15 g/L or more monoclonal spike (adjusted OR, 23.5; 95% CI, 8.9-61.9; P 10) serum free light chains ratio (adjusted OR, 46.4; 95% CI, 18.4-117.0; P