PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Steven T Rosen

Publications and source records attributed to Steven T Rosen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Gut Microbiome Composition Is Associated With Response to CD38 Antibody (Daratumumab) Treatment Among Relapsed Multiple Myeloma Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Growing data support interactions between host-gut microbes and treatment responses in multiple myeloma (MM), where a higher abundance of Eubacterium hallii in stool samples has been found among MM patients with negative minimal residual disease after induction therapy. Here, we evaluated changes in the gut microbiome associated with daratumumab (dara) based therapy in 40 MM patients, before and after therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with relapsed MM and prior autologous transplantation who had received 1 to 4 prior lines of therapy were eligible. Two stool samples were collected, one within 1 week prior to dara (predara) and one immediately after 4 doses of dara (postdara). Metagenomics sequencing was conducted. Microbiome taxonomic analyses were performed using MetaPhlAn4, and microbial functional pathway analyses were conducted using HUMAnN3.6. QIIME2 was used for compositional and statistical analyses. RESULTS: Of 40 participants enrolled, there were 5 nonresponders; 35 patients achieved partial response (PR) or better (responders). Among responders, 10 patients achieved complete remission (CR), and 25 patients achieved either very good partial response (VGPR) or PR. There were no statistically significant differences between overall pre and postdara gut microbiomes. Differential abundance analysis (ANCOM-BC) showed statistically significant (q ≤ 0.05) overgrowth of Alistipes finegoldii and Acidaminococcus intestini species in responders and Ruminococcus torques, Sellimonas intestinalis and Clostridium symbiosum in nonresponders. Compared to non-CR, CR samples showed enrichment of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii; non-CR samples were enriched in Segatella copri and Faecalimonas umbilicata. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our results suggest differences in species between clinical responders and nonresponders, but larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.

Clinical response↗

Targeting the METTL1/m7G axis as a therapeutic strategy in myeloid leukemia.

N7-methylguanosine (m7G), a prevalent modification in transfer RNAs (tRNAs), is primarily catalyzed by the methyltransferase METTL1. Although growing evidence supports a role for METTL1 in various tumors, its therapeutic potential and precise function in leukemia stem cell (LSC) homeostasis remain largely unexplored. Here, we identify METTL1 as a key regulator of LSC self-renewal and homing within bone marrow (BM) microenvironment through catalyzing m7G formation on a specific tRNA, tRNAPheGAA, thereby promoting leukemogenesis. Mechanistically, METTL1 loss significantly reduces m7G abundance and steady-state levels of tRNAPheGAA, leading to translation suppression and degradation of transcripts enriched with tRNAPheGAA-related codons, such as hematopoietic cell kinase (HCK). Decreased HCK expression disrupts CXCR4 signaling, impairing LSC self-renewal and BM homing. Therapeutically, we characterized a small-molecule METTL1 inhibitor (M1i; NSC137443), through high-throughput screening. Pharmacological inhibition of METTL1 demonstrated potent antitumor efficacy by reducing tRNA m7G levels and disrupting the tRNAPheGAA/HCK/CXCR4 cascade. Notably, targeting METTL1 significantly reduces LSC frequency, delays leukemogenesis, and prolongs survival in multiple acute myeloid leukemia models. Together, our findings establish a previously unrecognized role for METTL1 and its target tRNAPheGAA in LSC homeostasis and provide compelling proof-of-concept evidence that METTL1 is a druggable epitranscriptomic target for antileukemia therapy.

Humans↗

The International Consensus Classification of Mature Lymphoid Neoplasms: a report from the Clinical Advisory Committee.

Since the publication of the Revised European-American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms in 1994, subsequent updates of the classification of lymphoid neoplasms have been generated through iterative international efforts to achieve broad consensus among hematopathologists, geneticists, molecular scientists, and clinicians. Significant progress has recently been made in the characterization of malignancies of the immune system, with many new insights provided by genomic studies. They have led to this proposal. We have followed the same process that was successfully used for the third and fourth editions of the World Health Organization Classification of Hematologic Neoplasms. The definition, recommended studies, and criteria for the diagnosis of many entities have been extensively refined. Some categories considered provisional have now been upgraded to definite entities. Terminology for some diseases has been revised to adapt nomenclature to the current knowledge of their biology, but these modifications have been restricted to well-justified situations. Major findings from recent genomic studies have impacted the conceptual framework and diagnostic criteria for many disease entities. These changes will have an impact on optimal clinical management. The conclusions of this work are summarized in this report as the proposed International Consensus Classification of mature lymphoid, histiocytic, and dendritic cell tumors.

Advisory Committees↗

Lipid encapsulation of arsenic trioxide attenuates cytotoxicity and allows for controlled anticancer drug release.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO, As2O3) is emerging as a front line agent for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia with giving a complete remission rate of 83-95%. ATO also shows significant activity in relapsed/refactory multiple myeloma; however, efforts to expand clinical utility to other cancers have been limited by its toxicity profile at higher doses. New bioavailable, liposome encapsulated As(III) materials exhibit a significantly attenuated cytotoxicity that undergoes pH-triggered release of an active drug. The arsenic drugs are loaded into 100-nm-scale liposomes at high concentration (>270 mM) and excellent retention (shelf life > 6 months at 4 degrees C), as determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) diffraction. In the loading mechanism, arsenous acid crosses the bilayer membrane in exchange for acetic acid and an insoluble transitional metal (e.g., Ni2+, Co2+) arsenite salt is formed. The resultant liposomal arsenic nanoparticles appear to be stable in physiological situations but release the drug cargo in a lower pH environment, as encountered in intracellular endosomes. These drugs exhibit attenuated cytotoxicities against human lymphoma tumor cells compared with that of free As2O3. Controlled release of arsenic drugs, and hence control of toxicity, is feasible with this system. The results demonstrate that cytotoxicity can be controlled via transitions of the inorganic drug between solid and solution phases and suggest a mechanism for further improvement of the risk/benefit ratio of As2O3 in treatment of a variety of cancers.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Multiplexed detection of protein cancer markers with biobarcoded nanoparticle probes.

We have developed the chemistry for preparing a universal probe and the appropriate nano- and microparticle labels that can be used to do highly selective multiplexed detection of three protein cancer markers at low-femtomolar concentration in buffer and serum media. The approach relies on a new multiplexed version of the biobarcode amplification method and offers new opportunities for studying multiple protein markers in a single sample. This could lead to new forms of disease diagnosis and monitoring disease recurrence in a variety of settings.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

The selective protein kinase C beta inhibitor enzastaurin induces apoptosis in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cell lines through the AKT pathway.

Enzastaurin displays pro-apoptotic properties against a spectrum of malignancies and is currently being investigated in clinical trials. We have investigated the effects of enzastaurin on the viability of the cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cell lines HuT-78 and HH by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay, cell cycle analysis, propidium iodide and annexin-V staining, and caspase-3-mediated proteolytic activation. Enzastaurin-treatment decreased cell viability, increased annexin V-FITC-positive cells, and increased the proportion of sub-G1 populations in both cell lines that was not reversed by the T-cell growth stimulating cytokines IL-2, IL-7, IL-15. Enzastaurin-induced cell death involved caspase-3-activated cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase that was inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk, whereas the increase in sub-G1 population was only partially inhibited by ZVAD-fmk. Furthermore, enzastaurin downregulated AKT activity and its downstream effectors GSK3beta and ribosomal protein S6. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway has been implicated in the growth and survival of hematologic malignancies and inhibition of this pathway is considered as a therapeutic target. Protein kinase C activation contributes to PI3K/AKT activation, but it is unknown how enzastaurin may interfere with signaling through this pathway. These results demonstrate that enzastaurin, at clinically achievable concentrations, induces apoptosis and affects AKT signaling, and provide a rationale for further in vivo studies addressing the therapeutic efficacy in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients.

Apoptosis↗

Enzastaurin (LY317615), a protein kinase Cbeta inhibitor, inhibits the AKT pathway and induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma cell lines.

Enzastaurin (LY317615), an acyclic bisindolylmaleimide, is an oral inhibitor of the protein kinase Cbeta isozyme. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of enzastaurin in inducing apoptosis in multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and to investigate possible mechanisms of apoptosis. Cell proliferation assays were done on a variety of MM cell lines with unique characteristics (dexamethasone sensitive, dexamethasone resistant, chemotherapy sensitive, and melphalan resistant). The dexamethasone-sensitive MM.1S cell line was used to further assess the effect of enzastaurin in the presence of dexamethasone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), interleukin-6, and the pan-specific caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk. Enzastaurin increased cell death in all cell lines at clinically significant low micromolar concentrations (1-3 micromol/L) after 72 hours of treatment. Dexamethasone and enzastaurin were shown to have an additive effect on MM.1S cell death. Although IGF-I blocked the effect of 1 micromol/L enzastaurin, IGF-I did not abrogate cell death induced with 3 mumol/L enzastaurin. Moreover, enzastaurin-induced cell death was not affected by interleukin-6 or ZVAD-fmk. GSK3beta phosphorylation, a reliable pharmacodynamic marker for enzastaurin activity, and AKT phosphorylation were both decreased with enzastaurin treatment. These data indicate that enzastaurin induces apoptosis in MM cell lines in a caspase-independent manner and that enzastaurin exerts its antimyeloma effect by inhibiting signaling through the AKT pathway.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗

Glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional isoforms and resistance in multiple myeloma cells.

Although glucocorticoids play an important role in the treatment of multiple myeloma, some patients do not respond or develop resistance. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a single gene, mediates the effects of glucocorticoids. Using a model system of a multiple myeloma cell line sensitive to glucocorticoids and its early and late resistant variants, we have analyzed mutations in the GR gene, detected the presence of different transcriptional isoforms, quantified their levels of expression, and identified the promoters that regulate their expression. Levels of GR transcripts were comparable with the expression of total GR protein. Development of resistance correlates with an overall reduction in GR mRNA levels. This decrease in GR levels is neither due to mutation of the gene nor due to methylation. GRalpha is the predominant isoform in the sensitive cell line decreasing in expression in the early resistant cells and virtually undetectable in late resistant cells. GR-P is expressed at equivalent levels in both sensitive and early resistant cells, whereas in the late resistant cells, GR-P is the predominant isoform. GR-A is only expressed in the early resistant cell line. GRbeta is the least expressed isoform in all cell lines. Interestingly, the level of expression of exon 1-exon 2 RNA fragments remains similar in sensitive and resistant cell lines. Resistant cells became sensitive to glucocorticoids after GRalpha transfection. In conclusion, we show different patterns of expression of the GR isoforms and provide evidence that a decline in the expression of GRalpha may be associated with development of resistance.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.

Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) encompass a clinically and biologically heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) defined by clonal proliferation of skin-homing malignant T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. They account for up to 75% to 80% of all cutaneous lymphomas. The current WHO-EORTC classification of cutaneous lymphomas with primary cutaneous manifestations lists 13 entities. The most common subtypes-mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome, primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and lymphomatoid papulosis-which represent approximately 95% of CTCLs, will be discussed in the following review. Each entity has unique biological characteristics and clinical course. Topical and/or systemic therapies are employed based on the stage of the disease and the tempo of progression.

Clone Cells↗

Bexarotene in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas encompass a spectrum of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas that are characterised by clonal proliferation of skin-homing malignant T lymphocytes. Mycosis fungoides and the leukaemic variant Sézary syndrome, collectively referred to as cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, are the most common entities. No curative therapy exists and patients ultimately develop advanced or relapsed disease that is refractory to standard treatment options. Therefore, there is a great need for the development of novel emerging therapies. Bexarotene is the first synthetic nuclear retinoid X receptor-selective retinoid approved by the FDA for the treatment of refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in all stages, as both an oral capsule and a topical gel formulation. Bexarotene was found to induce apoptosis in a variety of preclinical in vitro and in vivo models including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cells, and has shown efficacy in two multi-centre, open-label Phase II - III clinical trials for early and advanced stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in patients who have failed or were refractory to standard therapies. New insights into the immunomodulatory function of bexarotene have indicated opportunities for combined treatment with IFN-alpha, denileukin diftitox or phototherapy. This article reviews the biological properties, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, safety and role of bexarotene in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Animals↗

T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are uncommon malignancies. The current WHO/EORTC classification recognizes 9 distinct clinicopathologic peripheral T-cell NHLs. These disorders have unique characteristics and require individualized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years in the understanding of the pathogenesis of these disorders. Specific chromosomal translocations and viral infections are now known to be associated with certain lymphomas. In this review, we describe their clinical and pathologic features. We also discuss the use of molecular studies in the diagnostic work-up of T-cell lymphomas. Because of the rarity of these disorders and the lack of well-designed clinical trials, the treatment of peripheral T-cell NHLs is often challenging. Additional studies are required to learn more about the biology of these diseases, which may lead to more optimal and possibly targeted therapies.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Long-term follow-up of patients with early-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma who achieved complete remission with psoralen plus UV-A monotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate long-term outcomes, impact of maintenance therapy and potential curability of patients with mycosis fungoides (MF) treated with psoralen plus UV-A (PUVA) monotherapy. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING: Academic referral center for cutaneous lymphoma. PATIENTS: A total of 66 of 104 patients with clinical stages IA to IIA MF who achieved complete remission (CR) after PUVA monotherapy between 1979 and 1995. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Kaplan-Meier actuarial survival and disease-free survival curves were compared between stage IA and IB/IIA cases. Patients were stratified into relapse and nonrelapse groups based on whether their MF relapsed during study follow-up. Baseline characteristics and treatment were compared between these groups. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 94 months (range, 5-242 months). Thirty-three patients maintained CR for 84 months (range, 5-238 months), and 33 patients experienced relapse with a median disease-free interval of 39 months (range, 2-127 months). There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between patients in the nonrelapse and relapse groups. Those in the nonrelapse group received a higher cumulative dosage to CR (P = .03) and required longer treatment periods to achieve CR (P = .03). Disease-free survival rates at 5 and 10 years for all patients with stage IA were 56% and 30%, respectively, and for stage IB/IIA, 74% and 50%. Actuarial survival rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were 94%, 82%, and 82%, respectively, in patients with stage IA, and 80%, 69%, and 58% in patients with stage IB/IIA. The overall survival rate for the nonrelapse and relapse groups did not show any statistical difference. One third of the patients developed signs of chronic photodamage and secondary cutaneous malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: Psoralen UV-A is an effective treatment for MF, inducing long-term remissions and perhaps in some cases disease "cure." Thirty percent to 50% of patients remain disease free for 10 years, but late relapses occur. Long-term survival is not affected by relapse status, and the risk of photodamage needs to be measured against the possible benefit of greater disease elimination.

Adult↗

Combination treatment of vertebral metastases using image-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and vertebroplasty: a case report.

BACKGROUND: We describe a case of vertebral metastases treated with a combination of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and vertebroplasty in a single session. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 45-year-old female with recently diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer was referred for consideration of vertebroplasty after having several weeks of back pain. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans of the thoracic spine revealed metastatic lesions at the T9 and T12 bodies. Radiofrequency ablation was performed using a starburst array electrode (Rita Medical Systems, Mountain View, Calif). The metastatic lesion in the T9 vertebral body measured 1.5 x 1.5 cm and was heated to 100 degrees C for 5 minutes. Vertebroplasty was then performed on this lesion as well as a lesion at T12 with no complications. The patient was discharged home the same day without complaints. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency ablation and vertebroplasty are minimally invasive procedures that can be used in combination to treat spinal metastases. The pain relief from these treatments is often immediate. RFA can also be used to minimize procedure-related complications during the vertebroplasty. In properly selected patients, RFA may also increase the duration of local spinal stabilization afforded by the vertebroplasty alone. Long-term studies are warranted to assess the efficacy and durability of this unique approach.

Back Pain↗

The spectrum of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: new insights into biology and therapy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas represent clinically and biologically a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas according to the new revised European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and World Health Organization consensus classification for cutaneous lymphomas. Recent progress in immune and molecular biology and novel therapeutic targets have increased our understanding of these diseases and have led to novel treatment approaches. This review outlines the most recent advances. RECENT FINDINGS: New immunologic and molecular findings may influence tumor phenotype and growth and provide a biologic basis for novel treatment approaches. Several reports have focused on new prognostic markers. Among the novel therapies for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, interleukin-2 fusion toxins, monoclonal antibodies, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and immunomodulatory cytosine-phosphorothiolated guanine oligomers have shown promising results and are under further investigation. SUMMARY: This review provides an update of recent findings of immunologic, molecular, and cytogenetic features and treatment approaches for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with special emphasis on mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗

8-Amino-adenosine induces loss of phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and Akt kinase: role in induction of apoptosis in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma is a slowly proliferating B-cell malignancy that accumulates apoptosis-resistant and replication-quiescent cell populations, posing a challenge for current chemotherapeutics that target rapidly replicating cells. Multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease in need of new therapeutic approaches. The purine nucleoside analogue, 8-amino-adenosine (8-NH2-Ado), exhibits potent activity in preclinical studies, inducing apoptosis in several multiple myeloma cell lines. This cytotoxic effect requires phosphorylation of 8-NH2-Ado to its triphosphate form, 8-amino-ATP, and results in a concomitant loss of endogenous ATP levels. Here, we show the novel effect of 8-NH2-Ado on the phosphorylation status of key cellular signaling molecules. Multiple myeloma cells treated with 8-NH2-Ado exhibit a dramatic loss of phosphorylation of several important signaling proteins, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Akt kinase. Cells depleted of ATP independent of 8-NH2-Ado do not exhibit the same decrease in phosphorylation of vital cellular proteins. Therefore, the significant shifts in endogenous ATP pools caused by 8-NH2-Ado treatment cannot account for the changes in phosphorylation levels. Instead, 8-NH2-Ado may influence the activity of select regulatory protein kinases and/or phosphatases, with preliminary data suggesting that protein phophatase 2A activity is affected by 8-NH2-Ado. The distinctive effect of 8-NH2-Ado on the phosphorylation status of cellular proteins is a novel phenomenon for a nucleoside analogue drug and is unique to 8-NH2-Ado among this class of drugs. The kinetics of 8-NH2-Ado-mediated changes in phosphorylation levels of critical prosurvival and apoptosis-regulating proteins suggests that the modulation of these proteins by dephosphorylation at early time points may be an important mechanistic step in 8-NH2-Ado-induced apoptosis.

Adenosine↗

In vitro assessment of nucleoside analogs in multiple myeloma.

PURPOSE: To identify nucleoside analogs that may be effective for multiple myeloma (MM), we tested fludarabine, clofarabine, arabinosylguanine, cytarabine, troxacitabine, and gemcitabine in MM cell lines. METHODS: We employed biologic and biochemical assays in MM cell lines to evaluate the clinical potential of these nucleoside analogs. RESULTS: Among these purine and pyrimidine nucleoside analogs, fludarabine, clofarabine and gemcitabine were the most potent. MM cell lines, resistant to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for this disease, were more sensitive to gemcitabine with an IC50 in the nanomolar range. The greater cytotoxicity of gemcitabine in MM cells was consistent with greater accumulation of gemcitabine triphosphate, the major cytotoxic metabolite of this drug. MM.1S cells accumulated >100 microM gemcitabine triphosphate but accumulated <20 microM of the other analogs as the respective triphosphates. In addition incubation with gemcitabine resulted in inhibition of DNA synthesis. Incubation with 25, 50 or 100 nM gemcitabine resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in the cell population with a subG1 DNA content indicative of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that gemcitabine is a potent nucleoside analog in MM cell lines including cell types resistant to other chemotherapeutic agents. The greater activity of gemcitabine compared to other analogs seems to be due to favorable metabolism of this agent.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗