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1.
Transfer of monoclonal antibodies into breastmilk in neurologic and non-neurologic diseases.
LaHue, SC, Anderson, A, Krysko, KM, Rutatangwa, A, Dorsey, MJ, Hale, T, Mahadevan, U, Rogers, EE, Rosenstein, MG, Bove, R
Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation. 2020;(4)
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review currently available data on the transfer of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in the breastmilk of women receiving treatment for neurologic and non-neurologic diseases. METHODS We systematically searched the medical literature for studies referring to 19 selected mAb therapies frequently used in neurologic conditions and "breastmilk," "breast milk," "breastfeeding," or "lactation." From an initial list of 288 unique references, 29 distinct full-text studies met the eligibility criteria. One additional study was added after the literature search based on expert knowledge of an additional article. These 30 studies were reviewed. These assessed the presence of our selected mAbs in human breastmilk in samples collected from a total of 155 individual women. RESULTS Drug concentrations were typically low in breastmilk and tended to peak within 48 hours, although maximum levels could occur up to 14 days from infusion. Most studies did not evaluate the breastmilk to maternal serum drug concentration ratio, but in those evaluating this, the highest ratio was 1:20 for infliximab. Relative infant dose, a metric comparing the infant with maternal drug dose (<10% is generally considered safe), was evaluated for certolizumab (<1%), rituximab (<1%), and natalizumab (maximum of 5.3%; cumulative effects of monthly dosing are anticipated). Importantly, a total of 368 infants were followed for ≥6 months after exposure to breastmilk of mothers treated with mAbs; none experienced reported developmental delay or serious infections. CONCLUSIONS The current data are reassuring for low mAb drug transfer to breastmilk, but further studies are needed, including of longer-term effects on infant immunity and childhood development.
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Time to dissect the autoimmune etiology of cancer antibody immunotherapy.
Dougan, M, Pietropaolo, M
The Journal of clinical investigation. 2020;(1):51-61
Abstract
Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment landscape for a wide range of human cancers. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), monoclonal antibodies that block the immune-regulatory "checkpoint" receptors CTLA-4, PD-1, or its ligand PD-L1, can produce durable responses in some patients. However, coupled with their success, these treatments commonly evoke a wide range of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that can affect any organ system and can be treatment-limiting and life-threatening, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, which appears to be more frequent than initially described. The majority of irAEs from checkpoint blockade involve either barrier tissues (e.g., gastrointestinal mucosa or skin) or endocrine organs, although any organ system can be affected. Often, irAEs resemble spontaneous autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), and autoimmune pancreatitis. Yet whether similar molecular or pathologic mechanisms underlie these apparent autoimmune adverse events and classical autoimmune diseases is presently unknown. Interestingly, evidence links HLA alleles associated with high risk for autoimmune disease with ICI-induced T1D and colitis. Understanding the genetic risks and immunologic mechanisms driving ICI-mediated inflammatory toxicities may not only identify therapeutic targets useful for managing irAEs, but may also provide new insights into the pathoetiology and treatment of autoimmune diseases.
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Safety, immunogenicity, and clinical efficacy of durvalumab in combination with folate receptor alpha vaccine TPIV200 in patients with advanced ovarian cancer: a phase II trial.
Zamarin, D, Walderich, S, Holland, A, Zhou, Q, Iasonos, AE, Torrisi, JM, Merghoub, T, Chesebrough, LF, Mcdonnell, AS, Gallagher, JM, et al
Journal for immunotherapy of cancer. 2020;(1)
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to date have demonstrated limited activity in advanced ovarian cancer (OC). Folate receptor alpha (FRα) is overexpressed in the majority of OCs and presents an attractive target for a combination immunotherapy to potentially overcome resistance to ICI in OCs. The current study sought to examine clinical and immunologic responses to TPIV200, a multiepitope FRα vaccine administered with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor durvalumab in patients with advanced platinum-resistant OC. METHODS Following Simon two-stage phase II trial design, 27 patients were enrolled. Treatment was administered in 28-day cycles (intradermal TPIV200 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for 6 cycles and intravenous durvalumab for 12 cycles). Primary endpoints included overall response rate and progression-free survival at 24 weeks. Translational parameters focused on tumor microenvironment, PD-L1 and FRα expression, and peripheral vaccine-specific immune responses. RESULTS Treatment was well tolerated, with related grade 3 toxicity rate of 18.5%. Increased T cell responses to the majority of peptides were observed in all patients at 6 weeks (p<0.0001). There was one unconfirmed partial response (3.7%) and nine patients had stable disease (33.3%). Clinical benefit was not associated with baseline FRα or PD-L1 expression. One patient with prolonged clinical benefit demonstrated loss of FRα expression and upregulation of PD-L1 in a progressing lesion. Despite the low overall response rate, the median overall survival was 21 months (13.5-∞), with evidence of benefit from postimmunotherapy regimens. CONCLUSIONS Combination of TPIV200 and durvalumab was safe and elicited robust FRα-specific T cell responses in all patients. Unexpectedly durable survival in this heavily pretreated population highlights the need to investigate the impact of FRα vaccination on the OC biology post-treatment.
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Vaccines Targeting PCSK9: A Promising Alternative to Passive Immunization with Monoclonal Antibodies in the Management of Hyperlipidaemia?
Weisshaar, S, Zeitlinger, M
Drugs. 2018;(8):799-808
Abstract
Hypercholesterolaemia is frequently observed in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and is associated with increased mortality. Statin treatment has been the standard of care for reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to improve cardiovascular outcomes. However, statins have limited effects in some patients and may be discontinued due to adverse effects resulting in LDL-C above target levels. The proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a pivotal regulator in the LDL-C metabolism by degrading the LDL-C receptor on hepatocytes. Inhibition of PCSK9 by monoclonal antibodies (mAb) significantly lowers LDL-C levels and is considered to reduce the likelihood of adverse cardiac events. However, such treatment regimens are not cost-effective, and require frequent administrations at high doses that may be associated with side effects and poor drug adherence. Furthermore, it has been shown that these PCSK9 medicines may trigger the formation of antidrug antibodies followed by a significant attenuation of the LDL-C-lowering effect. Active vaccination inducing high-affinity antibodies against PCSK9 with less frequent administration intervals may be a novel promising therapeutic approach to overcome the drawback of passive immunization with PCSK9 mAb. However there is a paucity of available clinical safety and efficacy data. This article discusses challenges in the development of PCSK9 vaccines and their potential therapeutic benefits by reviewing clinical studies that evaluated the safety and efficacy of PCSK9 mAb.
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Vitamin D in melanoma: Controversies and potential role in combination with immune check-point inhibitors.
Stucci, LS, D'Oronzo, S, Tucci, M, Macerollo, A, Ribero, S, Spagnolo, F, Marra, E, Picasso, V, Orgiano, L, Marconcini, R, et al
Cancer treatment reviews. 2018;:21-28
Abstract
The role of vitamin D in melanoma is still controversial. Although several Authors described a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and poor survival in metastatic melanoma patients, clinical trials exploring the effects of vitamin D supplementation in this clinical setting were mostly inconclusive. However, recent evidence suggests that vitamin D exerts both anti-proliferative effects on tumor cells and immune-modulating activities, that have been widely explored in auto-immune disorders. On the one hand, vitamin D has been shown to inhibit T-helper17 lymphocytes, notoriously involved in the pathogenesis of immune-related adverse events (iAEs) which complicate immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. On the other hand, vitamin D up-regulates PDL-1 expression on both epithelial and immune cells, suggesting a synergic effect in combination with ICIs, for which further investigation is needed.
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Immune-checkpoint inhibitor-induced diarrhea and colitis in patients with advanced malignancies: retrospective review at MD Anderson.
Wang, Y, Abu-Sbeih, H, Mao, E, Ali, N, Ali, FS, Qiao, W, Lum, P, Raju, G, Shuttlesworth, G, Stroehlein, J, et al
Journal for immunotherapy of cancer. 2018;(1):37
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) are gaining increasing popularity as an efficacious treatment for advanced malignancies. ICPI treatment can be complicated by diarrhea and colitis. Systemic steroids are the first line treatment. Infliximab is reserved for severe refractory cases. We aimed to assess the impact of ICPI-induced diarrhea and colitis and their immunosuppressive treatment on patients' outcomes. METHODS This retrospective analysis was conducted in 327 cancer patients who received ICPIs between 2011 and 2017. Patients with ICPI-induced toxicities in other organs were excluded. We collected data about patient demographics, clinical variables, and overall survival. We used descriptive analysis to compare different groups based on the occurrence and the treatment of diarrhea and colitis. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare overall survival durations between groups. RESULTS Diarrhea was recorded in 117 (36%) patients; 79 (24%) of them required immunosuppressive treatment of either systemic corticosteroid without infliximab (n = 44) or with infliximab (n = 35). Caucasian ethnicity, melanoma, stage 3 cancer, and ipilimumab were predictors of colitis that requires immunosuppression. Patients who required immunosuppressants had better overall survival than those who did not require treatment for colitis or diarrhea (P < 0.001). Immunosuppression for diarrhea or colitis did not affect the overall survival significantly (P = 0.232), nor did the choice of treatment (corticosteroids with vs. without infliximab; P = 0.768). Diarrhea was an independent predictor of a favorable overall survival (P < 0.001), irrespective of treatment need (P = 0.003). We confirmed the same results in a subgroup analysis for patients with stage IV malignancies only. Patients who received long duration of steroid treatment (> 30 days) had numerically higher infection rate than those who received steroid for shorter duration (40.4 vs. 25.8%, P = 0.160). Likewise, long duration of steroid without infliximab was associated with increased risk of infection compared to short duration of steroid with infliximab (42.9% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.089). CONCLUSIONS Patients with ICPI-induced diarrhea or colitis have improved survival outcomes. Diarrhea is an independent predictor of an improved survival regardless of treatment requirement. Immunosuppressive treatment for diarrhea did not significantly affect overall survival, however, infection rates were numerically higher among patients who received steroids for a long duration. Therefore, early non-steroid immunosuppressive therapy may ensure a more favorable overall outcome.
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Immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy. Trends and perspectives.
Mazzolini, GD, Malvicini, M
Medicina. 2018;(1):29-32
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second cause of cancer-related death in the world and is the main cause of death in cirrhotic patients. Unfortunately, the incidence of HCC has grown significantly in the last decade. Curative treatments such as surgery, liver transplantation or percutaneous ablation can only be applied in less than 30% of cases. The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is the first line therapy for advanced HCC. Regorafenib is the standard of care for second-line patients. However, novel and more specific potent therapeutic approaches for advanced HCC are still needed. The liver constitutes a unique immunological microenvironment, although anti-tumor immunity seems to be feasible with the use of checkpoint inhibitors such as nivolumab. Efficacy may be further increased by combining checkpoint inhibitors or by applying loco-regional treatments. The success of immune checkpoint blockade has renewed interest in immunotherapy in HCC.
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Outcome of pregnancy and neonatal complications with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α use in females with immune mediated diseases; a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Komaki, F, Komaki, Y, Micic, D, Ido, A, Sakuraba, A
Journal of autoimmunity. 2017;:38-52
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly affect young and adolescent females. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α agents are increasingly used to treat these conditions, but their safety during pregnancy remains unclear. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the risk of pregnancy related outcomes in patients with various immune mediated diseases treated with anti-TNF-α agents. METHODS Electronic databases were searched for studies assessing the outcome of pregnancy in female patients with various immune mediated diseases who were treated with anti-TNF-α agents. Direct and network meta-analyses were performed between anti-TNF-α users, non-users, and the general population. RESULTS Thirteen studies (including RA, IBD and various immune mediated diseases) were identified. Among the studies that compared the outcome between anti-TNF-α users and the general population, anti-TNF-α users had a non-significant trend towards reduced rate of live birth (odds ratio (OR) = 0.38 (P = 0.081), 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.13-1.13) and were at significantly increased risk of preterm birth (OR = 2.62 (P < 0.0001), 95% CI = 2.12-3.23), spontaneous abortion (OR = 4.08 (P = 0.033), 95% CI = 1.12-14.89) and low birth weight (OR = 5.95 (P = 0.032), 95% CI = 1.17-30.38) compared to the general population. Risk of anomalies was not elevated (OR = 1.46 (P = 0.18), 95% CI = 0.84-2.56). Among the studies that compared the outcome between anti-TNF-α users and non-users, there were no significant differences in the rates of live birth and pregnancy related complications. Among the studies that compared the outcome between non-anti-TNF-α users and the general population, risk of spontaneous abortion was elevated (OR = 2.60 (P = 0.033), 95% CI = 1.08-6.27), but there were no significant differences in the rates of live birth and other pregnancy related complications. Network meta-analysis confirmed the rank order of all outcomes as general population, non-users and users of anti-TNF-α agents (ascending order based on safety). CONCLUSIONS Female patients with immune mediated diseases treated with anti-TNF-α agents were at significantly increased risks of preterm birth, spontaneous abortion and low birth weight compared to the general population, but had comparable outcomes with non-users. These results provide useful information for female patients in their reproductive age and raise awareness of the conditions that they are facing among clinicians managing their care.
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Primary hypothyroidism and isolated ACTH deficiency induced by nivolumab therapy: Case report and review.
Zeng, MF, Chen, LL, Ye, HY, Gong, W, Zhou, LN, Li, YM, Zhao, XL
Medicine. 2017;(44):e8426
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Abstract
RATIONALE Nivolumab is a monoclonal IgG antibody blocking programmed death receptor-1 (PD1), leading to restoration of the natural T-cell-mediated immune response against the cancer cells. However, it also causes plenty of autoimmune-related adverse events, which often involves endocrine system. PATIENT CONCERNS A 54-year-old male with renal clear cell carcinoma was treated with nivolumab intravenously. Routine monitoring showed elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone and low free thyroxine after the 6th administration of nivolumab. After the 12th administration, he developed general fatigue, recurrent hypoglycemia, and relative hypotension. Laboratory tests showed low sodium, low morning cortisol without correspondence increase of corticotrophin (ACTH). Other pituitary hormones were normal. MRI showed no space-occupying lesions, but heterogeneous enhancement of the pituitary gland. DIAGNOSES Primary hypothyroidism and isolated ACTH deficiency. The etiologies were assumed to be nivolumab induced autoimmune lymphocytic thyroiditis and hypophysitis, respectively. INTERVENTIONS Hormone replacements with levothyroxine and acetate cortisone were given orally. Nivolumab was adjusted to lower dose and longer interval. OUTCOMES The patient felt good after adequate replacement. Nivolumab was returned to routine dose and interval six months later. And the metastasis was not obviously progressed during this time. LESSONS The present report provides the first detailed presentation of combined hypothyroidism and isolated ACTH deficiency induced by nivolumab. Adrenal deficiency often develops insidiously. We suggest routine monitoring of fasting blood-glucose, blood pressure and serum sodium as well as thyroid function during nivolumab and other cancer immunotherapies. When unexpected fatigue, hypoglycemia, hypotension or hyponatremia appeared, adrenal deficiency should be taken into consideration.
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Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Complications of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.
Cramer, P, Bresalier, RS
Current gastroenterology reports. 2017;(1):3
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Gastrointestinal complications are very common in patients undergoing cancer treatment. Some of these complications can be life threatening and require prompt and appropriate diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this review is to address luminal gastrointestinal and hepatic complications associated with a new class of anticancer drugs, immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), and focuses on the identification, evaluation, and management of the complications associated with this class of drugs. RECENT FINDINGS It is now recognized that immune checkpoint inhibitors are frequently associated with luminal GI side effects such as diarrhea and enterocolitis and hepatic complications such as hepatitis. While colitis associated with CPIs, to some extent, mimics that found in idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, the complex interplay of genes, the environment, the immune system, and the microbiome make it difficult to fully differentiate these conditions clinically. CPI-induced hepatitis is most often associated with a pattern of hepatocellular injury with panlobular hepatitis. A variety of biomarkers have been proposed to predict an adverse response to CPIs and are under investigation. It has been proposed that alterations in the microbiome may impact the risk of developing colitis, and these studies are reviewed. In contrast to idiopathic chronic inflammatory bowel disease, CPI-induced colitis is often reversible if rapidly treated in accordance with the immune-mediated adverse reaction management guidelines. Treatment algorithms have been suggested but are, to some extent, empiric and based on algorithms for the treatment of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disorders. CPIs may be associated with significant GI complications which impact their successful use in the treatment of neoplastic diseases. Much of what we currently know about the mechanisms and treatment of these complications is empiric and extrapolated from experience with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease and other immune disorders. Current research focuses on understanding genetic predisposition and the role of the microbiome and identifying predictive risk markers for developing complications.