This study investigated the activity of lenalidomide in patients with relapsed/ refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Lenalidomide was given at 10 mg daily with dose escalation up to 25 mg daily. Three patients (7%) achieved a complete response (CR), one a nodular partial remission, and 10 patients a partial remission (PR), for an overall response (OR) rate of 32%. Treatment with lenalidomide was associated with an OR rate of 31% in patients with 11q or 17p deletion, of 24% in patients with unmutated V H , and of 25% in patients with fludarabine-refractory disease. The most common toxicity was myelosuppression, and the median daily dose of lenalidomide tolerated was 10 mg. Plasma levels of angiogenic factors, inflammatory cytokines, and cytokine receptors were measured at baseline, day 7, and day 28. There was a dramatic increase in median interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-2, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 levels on day 7, whereas no changes were observed in median vascular endothelial growth factor levels (20 patients studied). According to our experience, lenalidomide given as a continuous treatment has antitumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with CLL. This trial is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as no. NCT00267059. (Blood. 2008;111: 5291-5297)
The genetic structure of natural populations is frequently inferred from geographic distributions ofalleles at multiple gene loci. Surveys (4) concluded that high levels of gene flow characterize population structure in the American oyster Crassostrea virginica. However, subsequent mtDNA studies (5) and analyses of anonymous singlecopy nuclear DNA (scnDNA) markers (6) revealed a phylogeographic break not apparent in the allozyme data. These molecular data have resulted in two conclusions which contrast markedly from that inferred from allozymes alone: (i) the molecular data (mtDNA and scnDNA RFLPs) suggest that there has been a historical break in the geographic distribution of the species and a current impediment to gene flow between certain geographic populations and (ii) similarity of allozyme frequencies across this break is more likely due to balancing selection at the allozyme loci rather than due to the homogenizing effect of gene flow (6).Here we present DNA sequence data in the form ofnuclear and mitochondrial gene genealogies sampled from populations of the copepod Tigriopus californicus. Previous work on the genetic structure of this species has found marked differentiation in allozyme frequencies between neighboring populations along the California coast (7,8). Particularly remarkable is the high frequency of "private alleles" (alleles found in only one or a few populations), indicating that interpopulation gene flow in this species is highly restricted (9). The allozyme data are somewhat surprising in light of the natural history of T. californicus populations. The supralittoral rock pool habitat of T. californicus is subject to periodic drying, leading to extinction of resident T. caljfornicus, which has no life stages resistant to desiccation (10). At the other extreme, wave scouring and sand transport into pools during storms can also result in local extinction (R.S.B., unpublished data). These natural history observations suggest that dispersal and recolonization following local extinction are important features of the ecology of the species. However, the high levels of allozyme differentiation suggest that local populations persist long enough to undergo extensive genetic differentiation. Hybrid breakdown of fitnessrelated traits in the F2 generation of interpopulation crosses also suggest long-term genetic isolation of populations (11 (Fig. 1) and maintained in the laboratory as breeding populations in 400-ml beakers. Within 2 weeks of collection and before any mortality was observed among the field-collected animals, allozyme frequencies were determined for eight gene loci by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protocols for electrophoretic analysis of individual adult T. californicus were as previously described (12), using 0.8-mm-thick vertical slab gels of 6% total acrylamide and enzyme staining by standard recipes (13, Abbreviation: COI, cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I.
While many of the multiple symptoms that cancer patients have are due to the disease, it is increasingly recognized that pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, cognitive dysfunction and affective symptoms are treatment related, and may lead to treatment delays or premature treatment termination. This symptom burden, a subjective counterpart of tumor burden, causes significant distress. Progress in understanding the mechanisms that underlie these symptoms may lead to new therapies for symptom control. Recently, some of these symptoms have been related to the actions of certain cytokines that produce a constellation of symptoms and behavioral signs when given exogenously to both humans and animals. The cytokine-induced sickness behavior that occurs in animals after the administration of infectious or inflammatory agents or certain proinflammatory cytokines has much in common with the symptoms experienced by cancer patients. Accordingly, we propose that cancer-related symptom clusters share common cytokine-based neuroimmunologic mechanisms. In this review, we provide evidence from clinical and animal studies that correlate the altered cytokine profile with cancer-related symptoms. We also propose that the expression of coexisting symptoms is linked to the deregulated activity of nuclear factor-kappa B, the transcription factor responsible for the production of cytokines and mediators of the inflammatory responses due to cancer and/or cancer treatment. These concepts open exciting new avenues for translational research in the pathophysiology and treatment of cancer-related symptoms.
206 Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent that has clinical activity in CLL. In patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory CLL treatment with single agent lenalidomide induces an overall response rate of 32–47% when used as monotherapy (Chanan-Khan A.A. et al. 2006; Ferrajoli A. et al. 2008). Rituximab has modest activity as monotherapy, but significally synergizes with chemotherapy agents when administered to pts with CLL. The addition of rituximab to lenalidomide resulted in clinical responses in a small number of pts with CLL that had progressed while on lenalidomide monotherapy (Chanan-Khan A.A. et al. 2006). Because lenalidomide stimulates NK cell proliferation (Wu et al. 2008) we hypothesized that lenalidomide will enhance the activity of rituximab. We, therefore, designed a phase II study to evaluate the combination of lenalidomide and rituximab in pts with relapsed CLL. Pts with CLL and active disease were eligible if they had received prior treatment with purine analog-based therapy. Standard inclusion criteria were required in terms of organ function and performance status, and pts with any ANC or platelet count were eligible. All pts received rituximab (375 mg/m2) intravenously on days 1, 8, 15 and 22 of cycle 1, and then once every 4 weeks during cycles 3–12. Lenalidomide was given orally at the dose of 10 mg/day starting on day 9 of cycle 1 and continued daily for 12 cycles. Each cycle consisted of 28 days of treatment. During the first two weeks of therapy, allopurinol at the dose of 300 mg daily was prescribed as prophylaxis for tumor lysis. Sixty pts were accrued between October 2008 and July 2009. Thirty-seven pts have received treatment for at least 6 cycles and are evaluable for response and toxicity. The median age is 59 yrs (range 44–83), 15 pts (41%) have Rai stage III-IV disease and the median beta-2M level was 3.6 mg/dL (1.5–9). The median number of prior treatments was 2 (1–9), 9 pts (24%) were refractory to fludarabine and all pts had received prior rituximab. Twenty-six pts (70%) had unmutated IgVH, 9 pts (24%) had chromosome 17p deletion and 10 pts (37%) had 11q deletion by FISH analysis. After 6 cycles of treatment, 25 pts achieved a response [6 nodular PR (16%), 19 PR (51%)] for an OR of 68% (according to 1996 NCI-WG criteria). Six pts (16%) attained stable disease or clinical improvement and are continuing on treatment, and 6 pts (16%) failed to respond, including one death that occurred on day 34 owing to infectious complications. Responses according to pts characteristics are summarized in the table: Most common grade 3–4 treatment related adverse events observed were: neutropenia (16 pts, 43%), fatigue (6 pts,16%) and thrombocytopenia (4 pts, 11%). One pt (3%) developed grade 3 tumor lysis syndrome and 1 pt (3%) had grade 3 joint pain. Infectious complications occurred in 9 pts (24%): neutropenic fever (6 pts), pneumonia (2 pts) and urosepsis (1 pt). Lenalidomide-associated tumor flare reaction was limited to grade 1 (8 pts, 22%) and grade 2 (1 pt, 3%). We examined the effect of therapy with lenalidomide and rituximab on the distribution of circulating B, T, and NK cell subsets. When compared to the baseline, there were significant decreases in the percentage of CD19+CD20+ B cells along with significant increases in the percentages of CD4+ T, CD8+ T, CD4+CD25hiCD127− regulatory T, and CD3−CD16+CD56+ NK cells after 3 cycles of therapy (paired sample t test). In conclusion, our results suggest that the combination of lenalidomide and rituximab is superior to single agent lenalidomide, despite all our pts having received prior rituximab. Additionally, there was no increase in toxicity and lenalidomide-associate tumor flare reaction was less frequent and less severe with this combination compared to single agent lenalidomide. Disclosures: Ferrajoli: Celgene: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding. Off Label Use: The use of Lenalidomide for the treatment of CLL is considered investigational.. O'Brien:Celgene: Consultancy; Genentech: Research Funding. Wierda:Genentech: Honoraria; Celgene: Speakers Bureau. Keating:Celgene: Data Monitoring Committee, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.
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