Antiretroviral therapy abrogates association between arginase activity and HIV disease severity

AbstractArginase-induced L-arginine deprivation is emerging as a key mechanism for the downregulation of immune responses. We hypothesised that arginase activity increases with disease severity in HIV-seropositive patients. Our results show that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 23 HIV-seropositive patients with low CD4+ T cell counts (≤350 cells/μl) expressed significantly more arginase compared with 21 patients with high CD4+ T cell counts. Furthermore, we found a significant association between the two principal prognostic markers used to monitor HIV disease (CD4+ T cell count and plasma viral load) and PBMC arginase activity in antiretroviral therapy naïve patients but not…

Depth of response to isatuximab, carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (Isa-KRd) in front-line treatment of high-risk multiple myeloma: Interim analysis of the GMMG-CONCEPT trial.

8508 Background: High-risk (HR) multiple myeloma (MM) still has a significant impaired prognostic outcome. Addition of CD38 monoclonal antibodies to standard-of-care regimens significantly improved response rates and depth of response in newly diagnosed (ND) and relapsed/refractory MM patients (pts). Here, we report the prespecified end of induction interim analysis (IA) of the investigator-initiated GMMG-CONCEPT trial (NCT03104842), evaluating the quadruplet regimen isatuximab plus carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Isa-KRd) in HR NDMM pts. Methods: 153 pts with HR NDMM are planned to be included into the trial. HR MM is defined by the presence of del17p or t(4;14) or t(14;16) o…

Macrophage: SHIP of Immunity

Immunology. Why does it exist? Two words. Cure disease. People get diseases. “Test tubes” do not. People fund immunologists for solutions to their health problems. But, immunologists often study leukocytes in test tubes – the laboratory – away from diseases. Why? Because much can be learned from analyzing cellular biochemistry and behaviors in vitro that cannot be ascertained when leukocytes are in animals. At the same time, isolated leukocyte reactions often do not reflect how the immune system operates as a unit. So, it is critical to verify in vitro observations in vivo. Among leukocytes, macrophages are the central initiating and directing element in immune systems, and serve this role …

Lethal systemic and brain infection caused by Prototheca zopfii algae in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia

Systemic protothecosis is an exceptionally rare cause of sepsis with few available therapeutic options. Here, we report on a female patient with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia who died after start of chemotherapy due to a severe septic shock caused by a disseminated systemic infection with Prototheca zopfii including encephalitis.

Evaluation of Stem Cell Mobilization in Patients with Multiple Myeloma after Lenalidomide-Based Induction Chemotherapy within the GMMG-HD6 Trial

Abstract Introduction: The German-Speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group (GMMG) has initiated a randomized multicenter phase III trial on the effect of elotuzumab in VRD (bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone) induction/consolidation and lenalidomide maintenance in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (GMMG-HD6 trial, NCT02495922). The study compares four cycles induction therapy with VRD vs. VRD + elotuzumab, followed by standard intensification (i.e. mobilization and stem cell transplantation), two cycles consolidation with VRD/VRD + elotuzumab and lenalidomide maintenance +/- elotuzumab. The primary endpoint is determination of the best of four treatment strategies regarding prog…

Depletion ofL-arginine induces autophagy as a cytoprotective response to endoplasmic reticulum stress in human T lymphocytes

PMCID: PMC3494587

Reconstitution of T Cell Proliferation under Arginine Limitation: Activated Human T Cells Take Up Citrulline via L-Type Amino Acid Transporter 1 and Use It to Regenerate Arginine after Induction of Argininosuccinate Synthase Expression

In the tumor microenvironment, arginine is metabolized by arginase-expressing myeloid cells. This arginine depletion profoundly inhibits T cell functions and is crucially involved in tumor-induced immunosuppression. Reconstitution of adaptive immune functions in the context of arginase-mediated tumor immune escape is a promising therapeutic strategy to boost the immunological anti-tumor response. Arginine can be recycled in certain mammalian tissues from citrulline via argininosuccinate in a two-step enzymatic process involving the enzymes argininosuccinate synthase (ASS) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). Here we demonstrate that anti-CD3/anti-CD28-activated human primary CD4+ and CD8+ T c…

Prediction of Early Death and Severe Infections during Novel Agent-Based Induction Therapy in Newly-Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: An Intergroup Analysis from the German Speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group, the Dutch-Belgian Cooperative Trial Group for Hematology Oncology Foundation and the European Myeloma Network

Abstract Background: During the past decade, prognostic tools and outcomes of patients with newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) markedly improved. Data from clinical trials evaluating early morbidity and mortality including patients with transplant-eligible NDMM treated with novel agents are scarce. Thus, we aimed to analyze early morbidity and mortality in this patient cohort, devise and validate a predictive score to identify patients at risk. Patients and methods: Between July 2005 and January 2018, 1333 patients with transplant-eligible NDMM from three subsequent phase III trials, HD4, MM5 and HD6 from the German-speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group (GMMG), received a novel agent-base…

Induced arginine transport via cationic amino acid transporter-1 is necessary for human T-cell proliferation

Availability of the semiessential amino acid arginine is fundamental for the efficient function of human T lymphocytes. Tumor-associated arginine deprivation, mainly induced by myeloid-derived suppressor cells, is a central mechanism of tumor immune escape from T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses. We thus assumed that transmembranous transport of arginine must be crucial for T-cell function and studied which transporters are responsible for arginine influx into primary human T lymphocytes. Here, we show that activation via CD3 and CD28 induces arginine transport into primary human T cells. Both naive and memory CD4(+) T cells as well as CD8(+) T cells specifically upregulated the hum…

A role for Toll-like receptor mediated signals in neutrophils in the pathogenesis of the anti-phospholipid syndrome.

The anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by recurrent thrombosis and occurrence of anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL). aPL are necessary, but not sufficient for the clinical manifestations of APS. Growing evidence suggests a role of innate immune cells, in particular polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and Toll-like receptors (TLR) to be additionally involved. aPL activate endothelial cells and monocytes through a TLR4-dependent signalling pathway. Whether this is also relevant for PMN in a similar way is currently not known. To address this issue, we used purified PMN from healthy donors and stimulated them in the presence or absence of human monoclonal aPL and the TLR4 agonis…

Cytotoxicity of tumor antigen specific human T cells is unimpaired by arginine depletion.

Tumor-growth is often associated with the expansion of myeloid derived suppressor cells that lead to local or systemic arginine depletion via the enzyme arginase. It is generally assumed that this arginine deficiency induces a global shut-down of T cell activation with ensuing tumor immune escape. While the impact of arginine depletion on polyclonal T cell proliferation and cytokine secretion is well documented, its influence on chemotaxis, cytotoxicity and antigen specific activation of human T cells has not been demonstrated so far. We show here that chemotaxis and early calcium signaling of human T cells are unimpaired in the absence of arginine. We then analyzed CD8(+) T cell activation…

Δ133p53α enhances metabolic and cellular fitness of TCR-engineered T cells and promotes superior antitumor immunity

BackgroundTumor microenvironment-associated T cell senescence is a key limiting factor for durable effective cancer immunotherapy. A few studies have demonstrated the critical role of the tumor suppressor TP53-derived p53 isoforms in cellular senescence process of non-immune cells. However, their role in lymphocytes, in particular tumor-antigen (TA) specific T cells remain largely unexplored.MethodsHuman T cells from peripheral blood were retrovirally engineered to coexpress a TA-specific T cell receptor and the Δ133p53α-isoform, and characterized for their cellular phenotype, metabolic profile and effector functions.ResultsPhenotypic analysis of Δ133p53α-modified T cells revealed a marked …

Monoclonal gammopathy of ocular significance (MGOS) – a short survey of corneal manifestations and treatment outcomes

Monoclonal gammopathy of ocular significance (MGOS) is a rare subset of monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance occurring secondary to plasma cell disorders and causing ocular manifestations. We identified 23 patients with paraproteinemic keratopathy (PPK) in the setting of monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS, 10), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM, 3) or multiple myeloma (MM, 10). Many of these patients with PPK (11/23) presented decreased vision. All patients with MM and 40% of those with other diagnoses such as SMM and MGUS received systemic therapy with or without autologous stem cell transplantation. Four eyes of four patients were treated by penetrating keratopla…

Local increase of arginase activity in lesions of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia.

Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease that is in Ethiopia mainly caused by the parasite Leishmania aethiopica. This neglected tropical disease is common in rural areas and causes serious morbidity. Persistent nonhealing cutaneous leishmaniasis has been associated with poor T cell mediated responses; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Methodology/Principal Findings We have recently shown in an experimental model of cutaneous leishmaniasis that arginase-induced L-arginine metabolism suppresses antigen-specific T cell responses at the site of pathology, but not in the periphery. To test whether these results translate to human disease, we recruit…

Improved Safety with the Use of Subcutaneous Bortezomib in Combination with Panobinostat and Dexamethasone: Preliminary Data from a Panobinostat Global Expanded Treatment Protocol

Abstract Introduction: Panobinostat (PAN) is a potent pan-deacetylase inhibitor that targets multiple myeloma (MM) cells via its epigenetic effects as well as its effect on the aggresome. In the PANORAMA 1 phase 3 trial, the combination of PAN, bortezomib (BTZ), and dexamethasone (Dex; PAN+BTZ+Dex) significantly increased progression-free survival compared with placebo plus BTZ and Dex, leading to approval in Europe of the combination for the treatment of patients with MM who have received ≥ 2 prior regimens, including BTZ and an immunomodulatory agent. The purpose of this expanded treatment protocol (ETP) is to further evaluate safety and to provide panobinostat prior to commercial availab…

Elotuzumab in Combination with Lenalidomide, Bortezomib, Dexamethasone and Autologous Transplantation for Newly-Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma: Results from the Randomized Phase III GMMG-HD6 Trial

Abstract Background: Treatment regimens including a proteasome inhibitor, immunomodulating agent and a monoclonal antibody (moAb) play an emerging role in the treatment of newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). This multicenter phase III trial of the German-speaking Myeloma Multicenter Group (GMMG HD6) investigated the addition of the anti-SLAMF7 moAb elotuzumab to lenalidomide / bortezomib / dexamethasone (RVd) in induction and consolidation therapy as well as to lenalidomide maintenance treatment in transplant-eligible NDMM. Patients and Methods: Patients were equally randomized into four treatment arms, stratified by International Staging System (ISS). Treatment consisted of four 21-da…

DARATUMUMAB, BORTEZOMIB AND DEXAMETHASONE (DVD) VS BORTEZOMIB AND DEXAMETHASONE (VD) IN RELAPSED OR REFRACTORY MULTIPLE MYELOMA (RRMM): EFFICACY AND SAFETY UPDATE (CASTOR)

8036 Background: Daratumumab (D), a human, CD38-targeting mAb, is well tolerated and induces deep and durable responses in patients (pts) with RRMM. We provide an update of CASTOR (NCT02136134), a multicenter, phase 3, randomized study of DVd vs Vd in RRMM. Methods: All pts received ≥1 prior line of therapy (LOT) and were administered 8 cycles (Q3W) of Vd (1.3 mg/m2 SC bortezomib on days 1, 4, 8, and 11; 20 mg PO/IV dexamethasone on days 1-2, 4-5, 8-9, and 11-12) ± D (16 mg/kg IV once weekly in Cycles 1-3, every 3 weeks for Cycles 4-8, then every 4 weeks until progression). Bortezomib-refractory pts were ineligible. Minimal residual disease (MRD) was assessed upon suspected CR and at 6 and…

Phase 3 randomised study of daratumumab, bortezomib and dexamethasone (DVd) vs bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM): CASTOR

Repurposing of the ALK inhibitor crizotinib for acute leukemia and multiple myeloma cells

Crizotinib was a first generation of ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of ALK-positive non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients. COMPARE and cluster analyses of transcriptomic data of the NCI cell line panel indicated that genes with different cellular functions regulated the sensitivity or resistance of cancer cells to crizotinib. Transcription factor binding motif analyses in gene promoters divulged two transcription factors possibly regulating the expression of these genes, i.e., RXRA and GATA1, which are important for leukemia and erythroid development, respectively. COMPARE analyses also implied that cell lines of various cancer types displayed varying degr…

Arginine deficiency leads to impaired cofilin dephosphorylation in activated human T lymphocytes

The amino acid arginine is fundamentally involved in the regulation of the immune response during infection, inflammatory diseases and tumor growth. Arginine deficiency (e.g. due to the myeloid cell enzyme arginase) inhibits proliferation and effector functions of activated T lymphocytes. Here, we studied intracellular mechanisms mediating this suppression of human T lymphocytes. Our proteomic analysis revealed an impaired dephosphorylation of the actin-binding protein cofilin upon T-cell activation in the absence of arginine. We show that this correlates with alteration of actin polymerization and impaired accumulation of CD2 and CD3 in the evolving immunological synapse in T cell-antigen …

The prognostic and predictive value of IKZF1 and IKZF3 expression in T-cells in patients with multiple myeloma

Purpose: While recent studies described the role of IKZF1/3 proteins in multiple myeloma (MM) cells, few have highlighted the significance of IKZF1/3 expression in T-cells. In this study we examine the prognostic and predictive value of IKZF1/3 expression in T-cells in patients with MM stage III. Experimental design: We analysed the IKZF1/3 expression levels in T-cells from 45 MM stage I (MMI) and 50 newly diagnosed MM stage III (MMIII) patients, according to Durie-Salmon staging system, by flow cytometry to examine their prognostic and predictive value. We also combined in vivo observations with in vitro assays to determine the effect of IKZF1/3 expression on the T-cell immunophenotype and…

Daratumumab, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone for Multiple Myeloma.

Daratumumab, a human IgGκ monoclonal antibody that targets CD38, induces direct and indirect antimyeloma activity and has shown substantial efficacy as monotherapy in heavily pretreated patients with multiple myeloma, as well as in combination with bortezomib in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 498 patients with relapsed or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma to receive bortezomib (1.3 mg per square meter of body-surface area) and dexamethasone (20 mg) alone (control group) or in combination with daratumumab (16 mg per kilogram of body weight) (daratumumab group). The primary end point was progression-free survival.A prespecifie…

Arginase activity in the blood of patients with visceral leishmaniasis and HIV infection.

Background Visceral leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease associated with high mortality. The most important foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia are in the Northwest and are predominantly associated with high rates of HIV co-infection. Co-infection of visceral leishmaniasis patients with HIV results in higher mortality, treatment failure and relapse. We have previously shown that arginase, an enzyme associated with immunosuppression, was increased in patients with visceral leishmaniasis and in HIV seropositive patients; further our results showed that high arginase activity is a marker of disease severity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that increased arginase activities associated wi…

Effect of ABC transporter expression and mutational status on survival rates of cancer patients

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters mediate multidrug resistance in cancer. In contrast to DNA single nucleotide polymorphisms in normal tissues, the role of mutations in tumors is unknown. Furthermore, the significance of their expression for prediction of chemoresistance and survival prognosis is still under debate. We investigated 18 tumors by RNA-sequencing. The mutation rate varied from 27,507 to 300885. In ABCB1, three hotspots with novel mutations were in transmembrane domains 3, 8, and 9. We also mined the cBioPortal database with 11,814 patients from 23 different tumor entities. We performed Kaplan-Meier survival analyses to investigate the effect of ABC transporter expression …

Efficacy and safety of daratumumab, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (D-Vd) in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) based on cytogenetic risk: Updated subgroup analysis of CASTOR.

8040 Background: MM patients (pts) with high cytogenetic risk have poor outcomes. In CASTOR, D-Vd prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) vs bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) alone, and exhibited tolerability in RRMM pts. We conducted a subgroup analysis of D-Vd vs Vd in CASTOR, based on cytogenetic risk. Methods: Pts received ≥1 prior line of therapy. Cytogenetic risk was based on a combined analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and fluorescence in situ hybridization/karyotype testing. High-risk pts had t(4;14), t(14;16), or del17p abnormalities. Standard (std)-risk pts were confirmed negative for all 3 abnormalities. Minimal residual disease (MRD; 10–5) was assessed via NGS usin…

Monoclonal Gammopathy of Ocular Significance (MGOS) - a Series of Corneal Manifestations and Treatment Outcomes

Abstract Introduction Monoclonal gammopathy of ocular significance (MGOS) is a rare subset of monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance (MGCS) occurring secondary to plasma cell dyscrasia resulting in ocular manifestations. Given the rarity of these conditions, optimal management strategies are not defined; the approach is dependent upon the underlying cause of the monoclonal gammopathy and whether or not the patient's vision is affected. We report our review of 23 cases with MGOS, more specifically on paraproteinemic keratopathy (PPK) the most common form, to obtain a better understanding of the patient characteristics, diagnosis and treatments. Methods We report an international retr…

Characterization of neutrophil subsets in healthy human pregnancies

We have previously shown that in successful pregnancies increased arginase activity is a mechanism that contributes to the suppression of the maternal immune system. We identified the main type of arginase-expressing cells as a population of activated low-density granulocytes (LDGs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in term placentae. In the present study, we analyzed the phenotype of LDGs and compared it to the phenotype of normal density granulocytes (NDGs) in maternal peripheral blood, placental biopsies and cord blood. Our data reveal that only LDGs but no NDGs could be detected in placental biopsies. Phenotypically, NDGs and LDGs from both maternal and cord blood expressed diff…

Interfering with Arginine Metabolism As a New Treatment Strategy for Multiple Myeloma

Abstract Introduction Starvation of tumor cells from the amino acid arginine has recently gained particular interest because of the downregulation of the rate-limiting enzyme argininosuccinate synthethase 1 (ASS1) in various cancer entities. ASS1-deficient cells cannot resynthesize arginine from citrulline and are therefore considered arginine auxotrophic. The arginine depleting enzyme arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20, Polaris Pharmaceuticals) is currently tested in phase I-III clinical trials for different arginine auxotrophic cancers. The natural arginine analogue canavanine can compete with arginine for arginyl-tRNA-binding sites and consequently be incorporated into nascent proteins instea…

Characterization of a novel population of low-density granulocytes associated with disease severity in HIV-1 infection

The mechanisms resulting in progressive immune dysfunction during the chronic phase of HIV infection are not fully understood. We have previously shown that arginase, an enzyme with potent immunosuppressive properties, is increased in HIV seropositive (HIV+) patients with low CD4(+) T cell counts. Here we show that the cells expressing arginase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV+ patients are low-density granulocytes (LDGs) and that whereas these cells have a similar morphology to normal-density granulocyte, they are phenotypically different. Importantly, our results reveal that increased frequencies of LDGs correlate with disease severity in HIV+ patients.

Inhibition of Arginase 1 Liberates Potent T Cell Immunostimulatory Activity of Human Neutrophil Granulocytes

Myeloid cell arginase-mediated arginine depletion with consecutive inhibition of T cell functions is a key component of tumor immune escape. Both, granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSC) and conventional mature human polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMN) express high levels of arginase 1 and can act as suppressor cells of adaptive anti-cancer immunity. Here we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of PMN-derived arginase 1 not only prevents the suppression of T cell functions but rather leads to a strong hyperactivation of T cells. Human PMN were incubated in cell culture medium in the absence or presence of an arginase inhibitor. T cells from healthy donors w…

Granulocyte functions are independent of arginine availability.

Abstract Arginine depletion via myeloid cell arginase is critically involved in suppression of the adaptive immune system during cancer or chronic inflammation. On the other hand, arginine depletion is being developed as a novel anti-tumor metabolic strategy to deprive arginine-auxotrophic cancer cells of this amino acid. In human immune cells, arginase is mainly expressed constitutively in PMNs. We therefore purified human primary PMNs from healthy donors and analyzed PMN function as the main innate effector cell and arginase producer in the context of arginine deficiency. We demonstrate that human PMN viability, activation-induced IL-8 synthesis, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, generation of RO…

Phenotypic Alteration of Neutrophils in the Blood of HIV Seropositive Patients

We have recently identified a novel population of activated low-density granulocytes (LDGs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV seropositive patients. LDGs have a similar morphology to normal density granulocytes (NDGs), but are phenotypically different. Here we measured the expression levels of different phenotypic markers of granulocytes in the blood of HIV seropositive patients at different stages of HIV infection to determine whether the phenotype of NDGs and LDGs are affected by disease severity. Our results reveal that the phenotype of NDGs, but not that of LDGs, varies according to the severity of the disease.

Arginine Depletion in Combination with Canavanine Supplementation Induces Massive Cell Death in Myeloma Cells By Interfering with Their Protein Metabolism and Bypassing Potential Rescue Mechanisms

Abstract Introduction Although the therapeutic armamentarium against multiple myeloma has tremendously increased in recent years, it still remains an incurable disease. A highly promising novel anti-tumoral treatment strategy is to target specific non-redundant metabolic achilles heels of individual cancer entities. The semi-essential amino acid arginine can be synthesized from citrulline in most physiological tissues due to expression of the rate-limiting enzyme argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1). Various tumor entities do not express ASS1, therefore depend on the exogenous availability of arginine and pharmacological approaches to systemically deplete arginine are in phase I-III clinic…

Addition of Isatuximab to Lenalidomide, Bortezomib and Dexamethasone As Induction Therapy for Newly-Diagnosed, Transplant-Eligible Multiple Myeloma Patients: The Phase III GMMG-HD7 Trial

Abstract Background: In newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), lenalidomide/bortezomib/dexamethasone (RVd) is one of the most widely used combination regimens. Anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies (CD38-moAb) increase efficacy when added to standard-of-care regimens. Here we present the first primary endpoint of the randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase III GMMG-HD7 trial, comparing RVd without (arm IA) or with the CD38-moAb isatuximab (Isa, arm IB) with regard to the rate of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity after induction therapy in patients with transplant-eligible NDMM. Patients and Methods: Patients with transplant-eligible NDMM at 67 sites in Germany were equally randomized…

Teaming up for CAR-T cell therapy

Adoptive cellular therapy using chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapy is currently being evaluated in patients with relapsed / refractory multiple myeloma (MM). The majority of CAR-T cell programs now being tested in clinical trials are targeting B-cell maturation antigen. Several recent phase I / II trials show promising preliminary results in patients with MM progressing on proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs and monoclonal antibodies targeting CD38. CAR-T cell therapy is a potentially life-threatening strategy that can only be administered in experienced centers. For the moment, CAR-T cell therapy for MM is still experimental, but once this strategy has been approved …

Novel immunotherapies in multiple myeloma – chances and challenges

In this review article, we summarize the latest data on antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific T-cell-engaging antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells in the treatment of multiple myeloma. We discuss the pivotal questions to be addressed as these new immunotherapies become standard agents in the management of multiple myeloma. We also focus on the selection of patients for these therapies and speculate as to how best to individualize treatment approaches. We see these novel immunotherapies as representing a paradigm shift. However, despite the promising preliminary data, many open issues remain to be evaluated in future trials.

Health-related quality of life maintained over time in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma treated with daratumumab in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone: results from the phase III CASTOR trial.

In the phase III CASTOR trial, daratumumab, bortezomib and dexamethasone (D-Vd) significantly extended progression-free survival compared with bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) alone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Here, we present patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from the CASTOR trial. PROs were assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30-item (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EuroQol 5-dimensional descriptive system questionnaire. Treatment effects through Cycle 8 were measured by a repeated measures mixed-effects model. After Cycle 8, PROs were only collected for patients in the D-Vd group who con…

Disease severity in patients with visceral leishmaniasis is not altered by co-infection with intestinal parasites

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease that affects the poorest communities and can cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Visceral leishmaniasis is characterized by the presence of Leishmania parasites in the spleen, liver and bone marrow, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, prolonged fever, systemic inflammation and low body mass index (BMI). The factors impacting on the severity of VL are poorly characterized. Here we performed a cross-sectional study to assess whether co-infection of VL patients with intestinal parasites influences disease severity, assessed with clinical and haematological data, inflammation, cytokine profiles and BMI. Data from VL patients was s…

Cationic Amino Acid Transporter-1-Mediated Arginine Uptake Is Essential for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cell Proliferation and Viability

Interfering with tumor metabolism by specifically restricting the availability of extracellular nutrients is a rapidly emerging field of cancer research. A variety of tumor entities depend on the uptake of the amino acid arginine since they have lost the ability to synthesize it endogenously, that is they do not express the rate limiting enzyme for arginine synthesis, argininosuccinate synthase (ASS). Arginine transport through the plasma membrane of mammalian cells is mediated by eight different transporters that belong to two solute carrier (SLC) families. In the present study we found that the proliferation of primary as well as immortalized chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells depen…