Background: Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) play a critical role in wound healing. Corlicyte® is an MSC product derived from allogeneic umbilical cord tissue donated under an institutional review board-approved protocol and processed in accordance with section 501(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This open-label phase 1 trial was performed under a United States Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug Application to establish the safety and tolerability of Corlicyte® in patients with diabetes and chronic diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). Methods: Escalating doses were applied topically twice a week for up to 8 weeks after ulcer debridement, wound photography, and measurement. Subjects were followed for 4 weeks after the treatment phase. Adverse events were assessed at every visit. Results: Nine subjects in 2 dosing cohorts completed the trial. No subjects experienced a serious adverse reaction to Corlicyte® or the development of anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies. Sixty percentage of subjects in the lower dose cohort experienced ulcer closure by Day 70 of follow-up, while the mean ulcer size was reduced by 54–67% in the other subjects. Conclusions: Topical administration of Corlicyte®, a novel biologic therapy consisting of allogeneic umbilical cord lining MSCs, appeared safe and tolerable and resulted in a significant decrease in ulcer area, demonstrating its potential as a therapy for healing of chronic DFU.
In 2016, the National Center for Advancing Translational Science launched the Trial Innovation Network (TIN) to address barriers to efficient and informative multicenter trials. The TIN provides a national platform, working in partnership with 60+ Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs across the country to support the design and conduct of successful multicenter trials. A dedicated Hub Liaison Team (HLT) was established within each CTSA to facilitate connection between the hubs and the newly launched Trial and Recruitment Innovation Centers. Each HLT serves as an expert intermediary, connecting CTSA Hub investigators with TIN support, and connecting TIN research teams with potential multicenter trial site investigators. The cross-consortium Liaison Team network was developed during the first TIN funding cycle, and it is now a mature national network at the cutting edge of team science in clinical and translational research. The CTSA-based HLT structures and the external network structure have been developed in collaborative and iterative ways, with methods for shared learning and continuous process improvement. In this paper, we review the structure, function, and development of the Liaison Team network, discuss lessons learned during the first TIN funding cycle, and outline a path toward further network maturity.
Background: Management of chronic recurrent medical conditions (CRMCs), such as migraine headaches, chronic pain, and anxiety/depression, remains a major challenge for modern providers. Our team has developed an edge-based, semiautomated mobile health (mHealth) technology called iMTracker that employs the N-of-1 trial approach to allow self-management of CRMCs. Objective: This study examines the patterns of adoption, identifies CRMCs that users selected for self-application, and explores barriers to use of the iMTracker app. Methods: This is a feasibility pilot study with internet-based recruitment that ran from May 15, 2019, to December 23, 2020. We recruited 180 patients to pilot test the iMTracker app for user-selected CRMCs for a 3-month period. Patients were administered surveys before and after the study. Results: We found reasonable usage rates: a total of 73/103 (70.9%) patients who were not lost to follow-up reported the full 3-month use of the app. Most users chose to use the iMTracker app to self-manage chronic pain (other than headaches; 80/212, 37.7%), followed by headaches in 36/212 (17.0%) and mental health (anxiety and depression) in 27/212 (12.8%). The recurrence rate of CRMCs was at least weekly in over 93% (169/180) of patients, with 36.1% (65/180) of CRMCs recurring multiple times in a day, 41.7% (75/180) daily, and 16.1% (29/180) weekly. We found that the main barriers to use were the design and technical function of the app, but that use of the app resulted in an improvement in confidence in the efficiency and safety/privacy of this approach. Conclusions: The iMTracker app provides a feasible platform for the N-of-1 trial approach to self-management of CRMCs, although internet-based recruitment provided limited follow-up, suggesting that in-person evaluation may be needed. The rate of CRMC recurrence was high enough to allow the N-of-1 trial assessment for most traits.
Prophylaxis is commonly used to prevent central nervous system (CNS) relapse in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), with no clear standard of care. We retrospectively evaluated 1162 adult patients across 21 US academic centers with DLBCL or similar histologies who received single-route CNS prophylaxis as part of frontline therapy between 2013 and 2019. Prophylaxis was administered intrathecally(IT) in 894 (77%) and using systemic high-dose methotrexate (HD-MD() in 236 (20%); 32 patients (3%) switched route due to toxicity and were assessed separately. By CNS-International Prognostic Index (IPI), 18% were considered low-risk, 51% moderate, and 30% high. Double-hit lymphoma (DHL) was confirmed in 243 of 866 evaluable patients (21%). Sixty-four patients (5.7%) had CNS relapse after median 7.1 months from diagnosis, including 15 of 64 (23%) within the first 6 months. There was no significant difference in CNS relapse between IT and HD-MTX recipients (5.4% vs 6.8%, P= .4), including after propensity score matching to account for differences between respective recipient groups. Weighting by CNS-IPI, expected vs observed CNS relapse rates were nearly identical (5.8% vs 5.7%). Testicular involvement was associated with high risk of CNS relapse (11.3%) despite most having lower CNS-IPI scores. DHL did not significantly predict for CNS relapse after single-route prophylaxis, including with adjustment for treatment regimen and other factors. This large study of CNS prophylaxis recipients with DLBCL found no significant difference in CNS relapse rates between routes of administration. Relapse rates among high-risk subgroups remain elevated, and reconsideration of prophylaxis strategies in DLBCL is of critical need.
This large study of CNS prophylaxis recipients with DLBCL found no significant difference in CNS relapse rates between routes of administration. Relapse rates among high-risk subgroups remain elevated; treatments following CNS relapse were heterogeneous, with poor outcomes for the vast majority of patients. Reconsideration of SCNSL prophylaxis and treatment strategies is of critical need.
Management of chronic recurrent medical conditions (CRMC), such as migraine headaches, chronic pain and anxiety/depression, is a major challenge for modern providers. The fact that often the most effective treatments and/or preventative measures for CRMCs vary from patient to patient lends itself to a platform for self-management by patients. However, to develop such an mHealth app requires an understanding of the various applications, and barriers, to real-world use. In this pilot study with internet-based recruitment, we conducted an assessment of user satisfaction of the iMTracker iOS (iPhone) application for CRMC self-management through a self-administered survey of subjects with CRMCs. From May 15, 2019 until March 27, 2020, we recruited 135 subjects to pilot test the iMTracker application for user-selected CRMCs. The most common age group was 31–45 (48.2%), followed by under 30 (22.2%) and 46–55 (20%). There were no subjects over 75 years old completing the survey. 38.8% of subjects were college graduates, followed by 29.6% with a Master’s degree, and 25.9% with some college. No subjects had not graduated from high school, and only 2 (1.5%) did not attend college after high school. 80.7% of subjects were self-identified as Caucasian, and 90.4% as not Hispanic or Latino. The most common CRMC was pain (other than headaches) in 40% of subjects, followed by mental health in 17.8% and headaches in 15.6%. 39.3% of subjects experienced the condition multiple times in a day, 40.0% experienced the condition daily, and 14.8% experienced the condition weekly, resulting in a total of 94.1% of subjects experiencing the condition at least weekly. Among the concerns about a self-management app, time demands (54.8%) and ineffectiveness (43.7%) were the most prominent, with privacy (24.4%) and data security (25.2%) also noted. In summary, we found internet-based recruitment identified primarily Caucasian population of relatively young patients with CRMCs of relatively high recurrence rate. Future work is needed to examine the use of this application in older, underrepresented minorities, and lower socioeconomic status populations. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This research was supported by grants from the NIH/NHBLI (MR: K23HL127296). ### Author Declarations All relevant ethical guidelines have been followed; any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained and details of the IRB/oversight body are included in the manuscript. Yes All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes Data will be made available upon request and approval by the University of Colorado Multiple IRB (COMIRB)
Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis from prostate cancer (PCA) is a rare event, but one with significant prognostic impact. We retrospectively identified 6596 cases of PCA, with 29 confirmed cases of CNS me-tastases from PCA. The incidence of CNS metastases in PCA is considerably increased in patients who receive medical therapy beyond first-line androgen deprivation therapy. Introduction: Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis from prostate cancer (PCA) is a rare event, but one with significant prognostic impact for those affected. There are limited data on its impact in contemporary cohorts treated with modern agents. Patients and Methods: A retrospective institutional review was performed to characterize the occurrence/outcome of PCA CNS metastasis on all cases of PCA from 2011 to 2017. A manual chart review was performed to confirm PCA CNS metastases in all cases identified through a diagnostic code screening of the health data. Results: A total of 6596 cases of PCA were identified, with 29 (20 dural and 9 intraparenchymal) confirmed cases of CNS metastases from PCA. The median survival from the time of diagnosis of CNS metastasis was 2.6 months (95% confidence interval, 2.04-10.78 months) and 5.41 months (95% confidence interval, 3.03 months to not reached) for dural and parenchymal metastases, respectively. Among those who developed CNS metastases, approximately 79% of patients had prior exposure to abiraterone and/or enzalutamide, of whom 50% had > 6 months of exposure. Four (0.07%) of the 5841 patients developed CNS metastases prior to the initiation of therapy or on androgen deprivation therapy alone. In contrast, 24 (8.6%) of the 279 patients with 2 or more lines of medical therapy developed CNS metastases. Conclusions: Our analysis highlights the continued poor prognosis of parenchymal and dural CNS metastases from PCA. CNS metastases in PCA remain a rare event with a 0.4% incidence in this series, but this incidence is considerably increased in patients who receive medical therapy beyond first-line androgen deprivation therapy.
Introduction Relapses involving the central nervous system (CNSrel) occur in ~5% of patients (pts) with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in the rituximab era (Ghose et al, Clin LML 2015) with rates exceeding 10% in high risk groups (Villa et al, Ann Onc 2010; Schmitz et al, JCO 2016). CNSrel are generally thought to occur in the first 4-6 months from diagnosis. Prophylaxis (PPx) administration, route, and frequency are not standardized, and the impact of PPx on CNSrel risk is incompletely understood. Methods We performed a multicenter retrospective analysis of pts with aggressive NHL (excluding Burkitt's) without known CNS involvement (inv) who received single-route CNS PPx with during front-line (FL) anthracycline-based therapy (tx) from 2013-2019 across 19 US academic institutions. Recipients of chemotherapy for prior CLL or indolent NHL were ineligible. Method, frequency, and outcomes of CNS PPx administration were evaluated, with significance assessed by various statistical methods via two-tailed P<0.05. Results 1030 patients were identified who met eligibility criteria. Clinical features included median age 61 years (yrs; range 16-86), 40.9% female, ECOG PS 0-1 82.8%, elevated LDH 65.3%, >1 extranodal (EN) site 42.3%, stage 3/4 disease 79.2%. NHL histologies included diffuse large B cell (DLBCL; 75.2%), high grade B cell (16.3%), transformed follicular lymphoma (5.6%) and 3% other; among pts with DLBCL, 46.4% had germinal center (GCB) subtype and 40.5% had non-GCB. 26.2% (n=210) of evaluable pts had double-hit lymphoma (DHL). Among pts with known HIV status, 7.2% (n=65) were HIV-positive. 85.7% had EN inv; common sites included bone (35.4%), liver (13.7%), gastrointestinal (12.7%), lung (11.8%), and marrow (11.5%). FL regimens included RCHOP (45.9%), REPOCH (46.5% total; 79.1% with dose-adjustment), 7.6% other. PPx was given intravenously (IV) in 20% of pts vs 77% intrathecally (IT), over a median 2.9 vs 4.1 doses respectively; see Table 1 for factors associated with PPx route. PPx was generally well-tolerated, with 10.7% PPx-related toxicity reported; see Table 2. CNSrel after FL tx was 5.3% overall without significant difference by PPx route (7% IV vs 5% IT, p=0.178). This lack of difference between PPx routes was observed in all subgroup analyses performed, including by: age, stage, histology, number of EN sites, individual EN site inv, elevated LDH, CNS-IPI, DHL status, HIV status, FL regimen, number of PPx doses. There was no significant difference in anatomic site(s) of CNSrel by PPx route. CNSrel occurred bimodally: 24% by end of FL tx vs 76% delayed (average 2.3 yrs, range 0.4-5.2 yrs). Rates of CNSrel were significantly higher with CNS-IPI high vs moderate risk (8.3 vs 4.1%, p=0.03; Figure 1), elevated LDH (6.9 vs 2.6%, p=0.007) and multiple inv EN sites (7.5% for 2+ vs 4% for 0-1, p=0.01); each additional EN site further increased risk (p=0.03 for trend; Figure 2). Increased CNSrel was noted in pts with testis (13.7 vs 5%, p=0.004) and liver inv (11.1 vs 4.6%, p=0.002) vs those without inv at respective sites. No significant difference was noted at other EN sites, including renal/adrenal (4.8 vs 5.6%, p=0.71), marrow (8.9 vs 5.1%, p=0.09), or lung (8.6 vs 5.1%, p=0.12). All EN site-CNSrel correlations were unchanged when accounting for PPx route. With median follow-up of 2.3 yrs, median PFS and OS for the overall group have not been reached; 2-yr PFS and OS were 70 and 85% respectively. PFS and OS were each predicted by CNS-IPI (p<0.0001) and maintained significance when separated by PPx route. 196 deaths were reported, including 122 disease-related and 34 tx-related (TRM). There was no significant difference in TRM by PPx route (1.9% IV vs 3.6% IT, p=0.24). Death due to progression was more common following IT PPx (13.3% vs 7.9% IV; HR 1.72, p=0.04), driven primarily by DH status (adjusted PPx HR: 1.54, p=0.11). In those with CNSrel, subsequent relapse and/or death was common (n=41, 74.5%) regardless of initial PPx route or salvage tx. Median survival after CNSrel diagnosis was poor (7.1 months, range 1 day-5.3 yrs) and was significantly inferior to those with non-CNSrel (HR 1.488, p=0.03). Conclusion Use of single-route ppx demonstrated similar CNSrel vs established outcomes for this population in the rituximab era, with no difference by PPx route. CNSrel remains a rare but devastating complication, with greater risk even after single-route PPx in those with higher EN burden and inv of key EN sites. Disclosures Kahl: Acerta: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche Laboratories Inc: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics LLC: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy. Spinner:Notable Labs: Honoraria. Advani:Celgene, Forty Seven, Inc., Genentech/Roche, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Kura, Merck, Millenium, Pharmacyclics, Regeneron, Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Astra Zeneca, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Cell Medica, Celgene, Genentech/Roche, Gilead, KitePharma, Kyowa, Portola Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, Takeda: Consultancy. Voorhees:AstraZeneca: Research Funding. Grover:Genentech: Research Funding; Tessa: Consultancy. Huntington:Genentech: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria; Bayer: Consultancy, Honoraria; DTRM: Research Funding; Astrazeneca: Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy. Spurgeon:Beigene: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; VelosBio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Cardinal Health: Honoraria; Verastem: Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding. Olszewski:Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding. Landsburg:Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau; Morphosys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Curis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Research Funding; Triphase: Research Funding. Kamdar:Roche: Research Funding. Caimi:Kite Pharma: Other: Advisory Board; ADC Therapeutics: Other: Advisory Board, Research Funding; Verastem: Other: Advisory Board; Amgen: Other: Advisory Board; Bayer: Other: Advisory Board; Celgene: Speakers Bureau. Karmali:Takeda: Research Funding; BeiGene: Speakers Bureau; AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm: Honoraria; Gilead/Kite: Honoraria, Other, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BMS/Celgene/Juno: Honoraria, Other, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Stephens:Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Innate: Consultancy; Verastem: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Gilead: Research Funding; Arqule: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; MingSight: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Beigene: Consultancy. Smith:Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Other: Support of parent study and funding of editorial support, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; FortySeven: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding. Khan:Celgene: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria. Cohen:Genentech, BMS, Novartis, LAM, BioInvent, LRF, ASH, Astra Zeneca, Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Janssen, Adicet, Astra Zeneca, Genentech, Aptitude Health, Cellectar, Kite/Gilead, Loxo: Consultancy. Portell:Bayer: Consultancy; Xencor: Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Infinity: Research Funding; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; AbbVie: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Kite: Consultancy, Research Funding; Acerta/AstraZeneca: Research Funding.
RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms are conserved and consist of an interrelated network of activities that not only respond to exogenous dsRNA, but also perform endogenous functions required in the fine tuning of gene expression and in maintaining genome integrity. Not surprisingly, RNAi functions have widespread influences on cellular function and organismal development. Previously, we observed a reduced capacity to mount an RNAi response in nine Caenorhabditis elegans mutants that are defective in ABC transporter genes (ABCRNAi mutants). Here, we report an exhaustive study of mutants, collectively defective in 49 different ABC transporter genes, that allowed for the categorization of one additional transporter into the ABCRNAi gene class. Genetic complementation tests reveal functions for ABCRNAi transporters in the mut-7/rde-2 branch of the RNAi pathway. These second-site noncomplementation interactions suggest that ABCRNAi proteins and MUT-7/RDE-2 function together in parallel pathways and/or as multiprotein complexes. Like mut-7 and rde-2, some ABCRNAi mutants display transposon silencing defects. Finally, our analyses reveal a genetic interaction network of ABCRNAi gene function with respect to this part of the RNAi pathway. From our results, we speculate that the coordinated activities of ABCRNAi transporters, through their effects on endogenous RNAi-related mechanisms, ultimately affect chromosome function and integrity.
RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved gene-silencing phenomenon that can be triggered by delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to cells and is a widely exploited technology in analyses of gene function. Although a number of proteins that facilitate RNAi have been identified, current descriptions of RNAi and interrelated mechanisms are far from complete. Here, we report that the Caenorhabditis elegans gene haf-6 is required for efficient RNAi. HAF-6 is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene superfamily. ABC transporters use ATP to translocate small molecule substrates across the membranes in which they reside, often against a steep concentration gradient. Collectively, ABC transporters are involved in a variety of activities, including protective or barrier mechanisms that export drugs or toxins from cells, organellar biogenesis, and mechanisms that protect against viral infection. HAF-6 is expressed predominantly in the intestine and germline and is localized to intracellular reticular organelles. We further demonstrate that eight additional ABC genes from diverse subfamilies are each required for efficient RNAi in C. elegans. Thus, the ability to mount a robust RNAi response to dsRNA depends upon the deployment of two ancient systems that respond to environmental assaults: RNAi mechanisms and membrane transport systems that use ABC proteins.
The objective of this study was molecular characterization of a set of deletion stocks and other aneuploids for use in chromosome bin mapping of ESTs in wheat. Wheat aneuploid stocks including 21 nullisomic-tetrasomic (NT), 24 ditelosomic (Dt), and 101 deletion (del) lines were screened with 526 EST clones. A total of 1,951 loci were detected by 493 informative EST clones and tagged 150 of the 159 deletion intervals or chromosome bins. Previously described deletion lines del1AS-4, del6AL-2, del6BS-6, and del7DS-6 were found to have normal chromosome constitution. The short arm deletion in del3AS-3 may be translocated from an unknown chromosome as this stock is nullisomic for the 3AS arm. Thirty-five new deletions were detected in 26 lines. Most of the new deletions occurred in terminal regions of chromosomes and probably resulted from the loss of very small terminal fragments that were difficult to detect cytologically. Eleven chromosome aberrations were also detected in two NT and five Dt lines. Overall, the chromosome bin map provides a resolution of around 28 Mb for an anchor map of a basic set of seven chromosomes of the Triticeae. Any target gene can be allocated to a specific 28-Mb bin and associated ESTs, anchored to the other Triticeae/grass maps including rice and, therefore, amenable to molecular cloning by comparative and wheat-based positional cloning methods.