Project description:Innovative pro-regenerative treatment strategies for progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS), combining neuroprotection and immunomodulation, represents an unmet need. Neural precursor cells (NPCs) transplanted in animal models of multiple sclerosis promote neuroprotection and remyelination by releasing molecules sustaining trophic support and neural plasticity. We present the results of STEMS, a single dose escalation phase I clinical trial, evaluating the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of intrathecally transplanted human fetal NPCs (hfNPCs) in 12 PMS patients.
Project description:Innovative pro-regenerative treatment strategies for progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS), combining neuroprotection and immunomodulation, represents an unmet need. Neural precursor cells (NPCs) transplanted in animal models of multiple sclerosis promote neuroprotection and remyelination by releasing molecules sustaining trophic support and neural plasticity. We present the results of STEMS, a single dose escalation phase I clinical trial, evaluating the feasibility, safety, and tolerability of intrathecally transplanted human fetal NPCs (hfNPCs) in 12 PMS patients.
Project description:Combining venetoclax, a selective BCL-2 inhibitor, with low-dose navitoclax, a BCL-XL/BCL-2 inhibitor, may potentiate therapeutic BCL-2 and BCL XL inhibition without dose-limiting thrombocytopenia associated with navitoclax monotherapy. The safety and preliminary efficacy of venetoclax with low-dose navitoclax and chemotherapy was assessed in this phase 1 dose escalation study (NCT03181126) in pediatric and adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma. Forty-seven patients received treatment. A recommended phase 2 dose of 50 mg navitoclax for adults and 25 mg for patients <45 kg with 400 mg adult-equivalent venetoclax was identified. Delayed hematopoietic recovery was the primary safety finding. The complete remission rate was 60%, including responses in patients who had previously received hematopoietic cell transplantation or immunotherapy. Thirteen (28%) patients proceeded to transplantation or CAR T-cell therapy on study. Venetoclax with navitoclax and chemotherapy was well tolerated and had promising efficacy in this heavily pretreated patient population.
Project description:Immunosuppression is needed in HLA identical sibling renal transplantation. We conducted a tolerance trial in this patient cohort using Alemtuzumab induction, donor hematopoietic stem cells, tacrolimus/mycophenolate immunosuppression converted to sirolimus, planning complete drug withdrawal by 24 months post-transplantation. After an additional 12 months with no immunosuppression, normal biopsies and renal function, recipients were considered tolerant. Twenty recipients were enrolled. Of the first 10 (>36 months post-transplantation), 5 had immunosuppression successfully withdrawn for 16-36 months (tolerant), 2 had disease recurrence and 3 had subclinical rejection in protocol biopsies (non-tolerant). Microchimerism disappeared after 1 year, and CD4+CD25highCD127-FOXP3+ T cells and CD19+IgD/M+CD27- B cells increased to 5 years post-transplantation in both groups, whereas immune/inflammatory gene expression pathways in the peripheral blood and urine were differentially downregulated in tolerant compared to non-tolerant recipients. Therefore, in this HLA identical renal transplant tolerance trial, absent chimerism, Treg and Breg immunophenotypes were indistinguishable between tolerant and non-tolerant recipients, but global genomic changes indicating immunomodulation were observed only in tolerant recipients.
Project description:Patient plasma samples were collected as part of a Phase I radiation dose-escalation clinical trial (NCT02873598) before, during (6 hours post), and post (6 weeks) SBRT. Samples were collected and analyzed per COMIRB19–0328 for branched chain amino acids and kynurenine.
Project description:Pet dogs with oral melanoma were treated in a dose-escalation trial with collagen-anchored interleukin-2 and interleukin-12 following a single 9Gy dose of radiation therapy. Dogs that progressed during, or after, treatment and were ultimately euthanized had tissue collected from primary and metastatic tumors to analyze gene expression and assess mechanisms of resistance to this therapy.
Project description:Sixteen patients with refractory solid cancers received up to three distinct neoTCR-transgenic cell products, each expressing a patient-specific neoTCR, in a cell dose-escalation, first-in-human phase 1 clinical trial (NCT03970382). Included are the tumor and normal WXS and tumor RNAseq for dosed patients.
Project description:To increase our knowledge of the effects of Fructo oligosaccharides (FOS) on Salmonella infection in fats, a controlle rat infection study was performed. Two groups of 12 rats were adapted for 14 days to a cellulose diet and one group of 12 rats to a FOS diet. One cellulose-fed group and the FOS-fed group were infected with Salmonella. Two days post infection mRNA was collected from the mucosa of the colon and changes in gene expression were assessed using an Agilent rat whole genome microarray (G4131A Agilent Technologies). Results indicate that Salmonella affects colonic mucosal gene expression, which is further enhanded by dietary FOS. Experiment Overall Design: In the present study, large-scale gene expression analysis was performed to reveal whether Salmonella induced changes of colonic mucosal gene expression in rats. Furthermore, we compared the colonic gene expression changes of infected rats fed a diet supplemented with Fructo oligosaccharides (FOS) or cellulose as control. Two groups of Wistar rats (n=12) were adapted for 14 days to a cellulose diet and one group (n=12) to a FOS diet. One cellulose-fed group and the FOS-fed group were infected with Salmonella. RNA was isolated from colonic mucosal scrapings. mRNA samples of 12 rats per group were pooled. Each group-sample was hybridised in duplicate on Agilent rat whole genome microarrays containing 44290 60-mer spots.
Project description:Immunosuppression is needed in HLA identical sibling renal transplantation. We conducted a tolerance trial in this patient cohort using Alemtuzumab induction, donor hematopoietic stem cells, tacrolimus/mycophenolate immunosuppression converted to sirolimus, planning complete drug withdrawal by 24 months post-transplantation. After an additional 12 months with no immunosuppression, normal biopsies and renal function, recipients were considered tolerant. Twenty recipients were enrolled. Of the first 10 (>36 months post-transplantation), 5 had immunosuppression successfully withdrawn for 16-36 months (tolerant), 2 had disease recurrence and 3 had subclinical rejection in protocol biopsies (non-tolerant). Microchimerism disappeared after 1 year, and CD4+CD25highCD127-FOXP3+ T cells and CD19+IgD/M+CD27- B cells increased to 5 years post-transplantation in both groups, whereas immune/inflammatory gene expression pathways in the peripheral blood and urine were differentially downregulated in tolerant compared to non-tolerant recipients. Therefore, in this HLA identical renal transplant tolerance trial, absent chimerism, Treg and Breg immunophenotypes were indistinguishable between tolerant and non-tolerant recipients, but global genomic changes indicating immunomodulation were observed only in tolerant recipients. A total of 46 PBMC samples representing blood draws from four time points in the first 9 recipients were processed for microarray analysis (The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA). The analyzed time points were: immediately pre-operatively in the absence of immunosuppression (n=9); post-operatively at 1 year (n=8, range 11-13 months); at 2 years (n=12, range 18-25 months); >3 years (n=17, range 32-48 months). (At year 2 and at > 3 years, repeated samples were obtained from individual subjects, and at one year, one subject had a technically unsatisfactory sample.) To discount the effects of immunosuppression on gene expression, microarray data were included on whole blood from 18 healthy human subjects (controls: GSE40586; NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus [GEO] repository).