New Insights Into Cancer Chronotherapies

Circadian clocks participate in the coordination of various metabolic and biological activities to maintain homeostasis. Disturbances in the circadian rhythm and cancers are closely related. Circadian clock genes are differentially expressed in many tumors, and accelerate the development and progression of tumors. In addition, tumor tissues exert varying biological activities compared to normal tissues due to resetting of altered rhythms. Thus, chronotherapeutics used for cancer treatment should exploit the timing of circadian rhythms to achieve higher efficacy and mild toxicity. Due to interpatient differences in circadian functions, our findings advocate an individualized precision approach to chronotherapy. Herein, we review the specific association between circadian clocks and cancers. In addition, we focus on chronotherapies in cancers and personalized biomarkers for the development of precision chronotherapy. The understanding of circadian clocks in cancer will provide a rationale for more effective clinical treatment of tumors.

Olfactory Training and Visual Stimulation Assisted by a Web-Application for Patients With Persistent Olfactory Dysfunction After SARS-CoV-2 Infection

IntroductionWe aimed to quantify the benefit of olfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web application for patients who experienced olfactory dysfunction for ≥1 month after Sars-Cov-2 infection and compared it with published cohorts of spontaneous recoveries.Materials and MethodsWe performed a prospective observational study. Participants performed olfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web-application. Improvement was defined as a 2-point increase on a 10-point, self-assessed olfactory visual analogue scale.ResultsIn total, 1155 patients were assessable. Improvement was observed in patients who trained 4 weeks and 4 to 8 weeks with high concentration oils in 63.0% (58/92) and 72.9% (137/188) respectively, whereas in historical cohorts, a spontaneous improvement was observed in 7% to 27% without training respectively (p<.001). The benefit was observed regardless of the duration of the olfactory dysfunction. No or mild toxicity was reported by 86.6% (662/764) of patients. Severe toxicity leading to stop training was reported in 0.5% of patients.ConclusionsOlfactory training and visual stimulation assisted by a dedicated web application seems to accelerate olfactive improvement in persistent olfactory dysfunction following SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially after 30 days of olfactory training. Maximal duration of training appeared to be 8 weeks.

Treatment of Patients with T Cells Expressing a Fully-Human Anti-BCMA CAR with a Heavy-Chain Antigen-Recognition Domain Caused High Rates of Sustained Complete Responses and Relatively Mild Toxicity

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy of plasma cells that is nearly always incurable. T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) that target B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) can recognize and eliminate MM. The murine or other non-human sequences in the single-chain variable fragments (scFv) of many anti-BCMA CARs can elicit recipient immune responses against CAR T cells. We constructed a CAR incorporating an anti-BCMA fully-human heavy-chain variable domain designated FHVH33. FHVH33 lacks the light chain, the artificial linker sequence, and the 2 linker-associated junctions of a scFv, so FHVH33 is smaller than a scFv and is likely to be less immunogenic. The FHVH33-containing CAR utilized in this clinical trial also incorporated a CD8a hinge and transmembrane domain, a 4-1BB domain, and a CD3z domain. The CAR was designated FHVH33-CD8BBZ and was encoded by a gamma-retroviral vector. T cells expressing FHVH33-CD8BBZ were designated FHVH33-T. The FHVH33-T production process was initiated with unsorted peripheral blood mononuclear cells and took 7 days. The treatment protocol was 300 mg/m 2 of cyclophosphamide and 30 mg/m 2 of fludarabine on days -5 to -3 followed by infusion of FHVH33-T on day 0. Twenty-five patients received FHVH33-T infusions. Median age of the treated patients was 62 (range 39-73). Patients received a median of 6 prior lines of therapy (range 3-10). Five dose levels were assessed (Table). Dose level 4, 6x10 6 CAR + T cells/kg was identified as the maximum feasible dose after considering efficacy and manufacturing factors. Twenty-three of 25 patients (92%) obtained objective responses (OR) of partial response (PR) or better. Seventeen patients (68%) attained a best response of stringent complete response (sCR) or very good partial response (VGPR). Thirteen patients have ongoing responses. To date, the median duration of response is 50 weeks for the highest two dose levels. At present, the overall median progression free survival (PFS) is 78 weeks; as responses are ongoing in 13 patients (52%), PFS will likely improve. Nine of 25 patients had extramedullary plasmacytomas at baseline; patients with extramedullary plasmacytomas at baseline were less likely to achieve sCR (P=0.011). All 25 treated patients were evaluable for toxicity. Eighteen patients had grade 1 or 2 cytokine-release syndrome (CRS), and 6 patients had grade 3 CRS. One patient had no CRS. No patients had grade 4 CRS. Five patients received tocilizumab and 4 patients received corticosteroids for CRS. Two of twenty-five patients had grade 3 neurological toxicity possibly attributable to FHVH33-T. No patient had grade 4 neurologic toxicity attributable to CAR T cells. One patient died of influenza pneumonia. We assessed blood CAR+ cells by quantitative PCR. The median peak blood CAR+ cell level was 126.5 cells/µl (range 3-1071 cells/µl), and the median time post-infusion of peak blood CAR + cell levels was 10.5 days (range 7-14). Peak CAR T-cell level was not associated with obtaining a sCR. In contrast, blood CAR+ T cell levels at both 1 and 2 months after infusion were statistically higher for patients obtaining sCR. For the 1-month time-point, blood CAR+ cell levels in cells/mL were 20 for sCR patients and 4 for not sCR patients (P=0.04). Pretreatment serum BCMA was not statistically different when patients obtaining or not obtaining sCR were compared (median serum BCMA in pg/mL: sCR patients 86,243; not sCR patients 261,675, P=0.20). We assessed cell-surface BCMA expression level on MM cells by antibody binding capacity (ABC) flow cytometry. Cell-surface BCMA expression level was not statistically different in sCR versus not sCR patients (median ABC in sites/cell: sCR patients 844; not sCR patients 535, P=0.29). Patients with MM expressing low levels of BCMA obtained durable responses of greater than 2 years duration, which suggests that FHVH33-T can recognize low levels of cell-surface BCMA. Eight patients had extramedullary plasmacytomas at relapse; 4 patients had plasmacytomas biopsied. Two of the biopsied plasmacytomas were BCMA+, and two were BCMA-negative by immunohistochemistry. FHVH33-CD8BBZ CAR T cells caused relatively mild toxicity and a high rate of sCRs in patients with relapsed MM including MM with low cell-surface BCMA expression. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Brudno: Kyverna Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Lam: Kite, a Gilead Company: Patents & Royalties. Kochenderfer: Kite, a Gilead Company: Patents & Royalties: on anti-CD19 CARs, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding.

Re-Irradiation With Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for In-Field Recurrence of Pancreatic Cancer After Prior Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy: Analysis of 24 Consecutive Cases

Purpose/ObjectivesLocally recurrent pancreatic cancer is a therapeutic challenge, and aggressive approaches are needed to improve its clinical outcomes. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a promising treatment for pancreatic cancer with an excellent local control and acceptable toxicity. However, the safety and efficacy of SBRT for in-field recurrence after initial SBRT remain unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of re-irradiation with SBRT for locally recurrent pancreatic cancer after prior definitive SBRT.Material/MethodsTwenty-four consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer received two courses of SBRT in our center between January 2014 and December 2016. The median prescription dose of the initial and second courses of SBRT was 35.5 Gy/5–7f and 32 Gy/5–8f, respectively. Clinical outcomes including overall survival (OS), disease control, and toxicity were evaluated after treatment.ResultsThe median interval between two courses of SBRT was 13 months (range: 6–29 months). From the first SBRT, the median OS of 18 patients with limited diseases was 26 months (95% CI: 19.1–32.95 months). The median OS of 12 patients without metastasis was 14 months (95% CI: 10.6–17.4 months) from re-irradiation of SBRT. The overall response rate and disease control rate were 50% and 13%, and 100% and 86.9% after each SBRT, respectively. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels declined dramatically after re-irradiation within 1 month (p = 0.002) and 3 months (p = 0.028). Twelve (75%) out of 16 patients had pain relief after re-irradiation. None of the patients experienced gastrointestinal toxicity.ConclusionsRe-irradiation with SBRT can provide favorable outcomes and effective analgesia with mild toxicity after prior SBRT for in-field recurrent pancreatic cancer, which might be feasible for locally relapsed pancreatic cancer.

Alectinib-Induced Pleural and Pericardial Effusions in ALK-Positive NSCLC

Alectinib is the first-line targeted treatment for advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer. Although it has a relatively mild toxicity profile, adverse events (AEs) do occur. We present a case of alectinib-induced bilateral pleural effusions and pericardial effusion that has not previously been reported. The patient developed severe dyspnea 3 months after starting alectinib. He underwent thorough clinical examination including evaluations of heart function. The heart function was normal. There was no sign of pneumonitis or progressive disease on the CT scans. Cytology samples of the pleural fluid from multiple thoracocenteses were examined and showed no malignant cells. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of circulating tumor DNA from sequential blood samples was also carried out. NGS identified no known driver mutations associated with the effusions. Hence, the effusions were suspected to be an alectinib-induced AE. Alectinib was withdrawn, and the patient commenced brigatinib. The effusions subsequently regressed.

P14.58 Efficacy and safety of lomustine versus fotemustine as first and second line treament in relapsed glioblastoma patients

BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GB) is the most aggressive primary brain tumour. Despite the survival benefit associated with adjuvant therapy, most of patients (pts) relapse after initial therapy. Nitrosoureas (NU) are the standard treatment at relapse in Europe. Both fotemustine (FM) (Addeo schema) and lomustine (LM) (administered orally every 6 weeks) are used in this context. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective cohort study included pts diagnosed with GB treated with NU at relapse in four Catalonia hospitals from 2010 to 2020. Clinical and pathological data were collected from medical records. We analysed 6months-progression-free survival (6m-PFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from the start of NU to progression or death respectively. Differences in toxicity grade using CTCAE v5.0 were analysed globally as ‘non-toxicity’, ‘mild toxicity (grade 1 or 2)’ and ‘high toxicity (grade 3 or 4)’. RESULTS We identified 236 GB pts with a median age of 58 years old. 29% of the pts presented MGMT promotor methylation and only 3%(n=7) had IDH mutation. After a median follow-up of 20 months, 94% of the pts were dead at the time of the analyses. At first line, 83 pts were treated with FM and 18 with LM. Pts treated with FM had better performance status (PS) than those treated with LM (p=.010). Median PFS was 2 months and 6m-PFS was 12% vs 6% in FM and LM group respectively (p=.87). Median OS was 3 months with LM vs 6 months with FM, with no statistically significant differences even adjusted for prognostic factors (p=.79 HR:0.9 CI 95% 0.41–1.96).At second line, 78 were treated with FM and 24 with LM, no differences between groups. Median PFS was 2 months in both groups and median OS was 3 vs 5 months for pts treated with LM vs FM respectively, with no significant differences. 6m-PFS was 13% for LM vs 0% for the FM group (p=.39).Pts received a mean of 1.7 cycles (every 6 weeks) and 4.1 cycles (every 2 weeks) in LM and FM group, respectively. Thrombocytopenia was the most common serious side-effect, with a higher proportion of grade 1–2 toxicity in the FM group (p=.03) that also required more treatment delays (p=.01). CONCLUSION Despite being retrospective study and a few pts were treated with LM, there were no differences neither in PFS nor in OS in pts treated with LM vs FM at first or second line. Higher G1-2 thrombocytopenia was shown in the FM group probably due to a higher number of hematology samples collected.

A PD-1 Inhibitor Induces Complete Response of Advanced Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma: A Case Report

The prognosis of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma is dismal. Platinum-based chemotherapy is still the main first-line treatment for advanced urothelial carcinoma, while immunotherapy can be used as a first-line treatment option for people who cannot tolerate platinum. Immunotherapy is preferred in the second-line treatment of bladder urothelial carcinoma. PD-1 inhibitors (Pembrolizumab, nivolumab and atezolizumab) and PD-L1 inhibitors (Ddurvalumab and avelumab) have not been approved for the treatment of advanced urothelial cancer in China. We describe a patient with advanced urothelial carcinoma experienced disease progression after gemcitabine chemotherapy. Following a treatment of domestic PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab), the patient achieved a durable complete response with mild toxicity. This case indicates that PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab might be a second-line treatment choice for advanced urothelial carcinoma.

Leishmanicidal Activity and Ultrastructural Changes of Maslinic Acid Isolated from Hyptidendron canum

The therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of leishmaniasis is limited and has serious obstacles, such as variable activity, high toxicity, and costs. To overcome such limitations, it becomes urgent to characterize new bioactive molecules. Plants produce and accumulate different classes of bioactive compounds, and these molecules can be studied as a strategy to combat leishmaniasis. The study presented herein evaluated the leishmanicidal effect of maslinic acid isolated from the leaves of Hyptidendron canum (Lamiaceae) and investigated the morphological that occurred on Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum upon treatment. Maslinic acid was active and selective against promastigote and amastigote forms in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, it was not toxic to peritoneal macrophages isolated from golden hamsters, while miltefosine and amphotericin B showed mild toxicity for macrophages. Morphological changes in promastigotes of L. (L.) infantum treated with maslinic acid were related to cytoplasmic degeneration, intense exocytic activity, and blebbing in the kDNA; disruption of mitochondrial cristae was observed in some parasites. The nucleus of promastigote forms seems to be degraded and the chromatin fragmented, suggesting that maslinic acid triggers programmed cell death. These results indicate that maslinic acid may be an interesting molecule to develop new classes of drugs against leishmaniasis.

Combination of sintilimab, anlotinib and pegaspargase "sandwich" with radiotherapy in localized natural killer/T cell lymphoma: A multicenter, phase 2 study.

7537 Background: NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) is a rare and distinct subtype NHL. Most newly diagnosed NKTL cases were localized-stage. For localized NKTL, RT alone is inadequate due to high systemic failure rate. Chemoradiation has been increasingly applied. However, current chemotherapy (CT) regimens have severe toxicity and infection, which reduce the completion of RT and patients’ medical compliance. Therefore, novel regimens with mild toxicity are needed. Sintilimab, a fully human anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, has showed encouraging antitumor efficacy in pts with r/r NKTL. Anlotinib, a multiple-targeted TKI that mainly blocks VEGF/VEGFR pathway, has been approved for several solid tumor types in china. Anti-angiogenesis therapy could improve efficacy of ICI in multiple tumor types. This multicenter, single-arm, phase 2 study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sandwich chemoradiotion of sintilimab combined with anlotinib and pegaspargase (PEG-ASP) in newly diagnosed localized NKTL pts. Methods: Patients with pathologically confirmed previously untreated stage NKTL were enrolled. All enrolled patients received 3 cycles of sintilimab (200mg D1 ivdrip) combined with anlotinib (12mg po D1-14) and PEG-ASP (2500U/m2 D1) every 3 weeks followed by RT, then received additional 3 cycles of combination therapy as described above. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) by LUGANO 2014 criteria. Results: A total of 39 pts were enrolled, and 24 pts eligible for response evaluation (70.8% men; median age, 46 y [range 20-64]; 58.3% stage). According to PINK-E system, 8 pts (33.3%) were identified as intermediate risk group and 16 patients were low risk group. 23 of 24 patients completed protocol-specified therapeutic schemes, one patient discontinued the study after the second cycle due to disease progression. ORR was 95.8% (23/24, 95%CI: 76.9%-84.1%). Surprisingly, all the responded patients achieved CR, while 66.7% (16/24, 95%CI: 44.7%-83.6%) patients achieved CR after the second cycle. Median PFS and OS have not been reached. 1-year OS and PFS was 100% and 95.8%, respectively. All grade TRAEs occurred in 84.6% of all enrolled patients and 92.1% were grade 1-2. The most common TRAE was lymphocytopenia (9.9%). Of note, grade 3-4 hematological toxicity was reported in only one patient (4.2%). All AEs were resolved after symptomatic treatment, without systematic corticosteroid intervention. Conclusions: Sintilimab combined with anlotinib and PEG-ASP upfront and after radiotherapy was effective and could be well tolerated in localized NKTL, achieving promising CRR and rapid and long-term remission with mild toxicity. Further investigation of survival outcome is warranted. Clinical trial information: NCT03936452.

Selectivity and efficiency of herbicides in cassava on the floodplain of the Solimões river

Cassava is grown on the floodplains of the Solimões river and guarantees food security and income for farmers. However, negative interference of weeds can result in a significant yield loss in the crop. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the selectivity of herbicides and efficiency of chemical weed control in the cassava ‘Aipim-manteiga’ cultivar, in the floodplain of the Solimões river, in Iranduba, Amazonas. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replications. The herbicides evaluated were clomazone (1080 g ha-1), diuron (1750 and 2500 g ha-1) and oxadiazon (400 and 800 g ha-1), applied alone or with hoeing 90 days after planting (DAP). Two control treatments were included: weeding (hoeing) at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAP and with no weed control. Clomazone caused mild toxicity in the plants, while with diuron and oxadiazon toxicity was moderate; all three were considered safe for the crop. The plant population of the crop was not affected by the herbicides. Clomazone afforded effective weed control up to 45 DAP only, and weeding was necessary at 90 DAP to eliminate negative interference by the weeds on crop yield. Diuron and oxadiazon were effective in controlling weeds throughout the crop cycle of the cassava. Weed interference during the crop life cicle reduced yield by 83.8%.