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Microfluidic culture has the potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis and therapy. Indeed, several micro- devices are being developed specifically for clinical use to test novel cancer therapeutics. To be effective, these platforms need to replicate the continuous interactions that exist between tumor cells and non- tumor cell elements of the tumor microenvironment through direct cell – cell or cell – matrix contact or by the secretion of signaling factors such as cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. Given the challenges of personalized or precision cancer therapy, especially with the advent of novel immunotherapies, a critical need exists for more sophisticated ex vivo diagnostic systems that recapitulate patient-specific tumor biol- ogy with the potential to predict response to immune-based therapies in real-time. Here, we present de- tails of a method to screen for the response of patient tumors to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, first reported in Jenkins et al. Cancer Discovery, 2018, 8,196 – 215, with updated evaluation of murine- and patient-derived organotypic tumor spheroids (MDOTS/PDOTS), including evaluation of the requirement for 3D microfluidic culture in MDOTS, demonstration of immune-checkpoint sensitivity of PDOTS, and ex- panded evaluation of tumor – immune interactions using RNA-sequencing to infer changes in the tumor – immune microenvironment. We also examine some potential improvements to current systems and dis- cuss the challenges in translating such diagnostic assays to the clinic., Robert A. and Renée E. Belfer Foundation, Ermenegildo Zegna Founder (scholarship), National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (NCI-R01 CA190394-01), MIT-POLITO grant BIOMODE – Compagnia di San Paolo, National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (NCI-U01 CA214381-01), Gloria T. Maheu and Heerwagen Family Funds for Lung Cancer Research, American Cancer Society. Lung Cancer Dream Team Translational Research Grant (SU2C-AACR-DT17-15)

While progression from normal prostatic epithelium to invasive cancer is driven by molecular alterations, tumor cells and cells in the cancer microenvironment are co-dependent and co-evolve. Few human studies to date have focused on stroma. Here, we performed gene expression profiling of laser capture microdissected normal non-neoplastic prostate epithelial tissue and compared it to non-transformed and neoplastic low-grade and high-grade prostate epithelial tissue from radical prostatectomies, each with its immediately surrounding stroma. Whereas benign epithelium in prostates with and without tumor were similar in gene expression space, stroma away from tumor was significantly different from that in prostates without cancer. A stromal gene signature reflecting bone remodeling and immune-related pathways was upregulated in high compared to low-Gleason grade cases. In validation data, the signature discriminated cases that developed metastasis from those that did not. These data suggest that the microenvironment may influence prostate cancer initiation, maintenance, and metastatic progression.Stromal cells contribute to tumor development but the mechanisms regulating this process are still unclear. Here the authors analyze gene expression profiles in the prostate and show that stromal gene signature changes ahead of the epithelial gene signature as prostate cancer initiates and progresses., Funding Agencies:Challenge award from the Prostate Cancer FoundationProstate Cancer Foundation Irish Cancer Society Wellcome Trust-Health Research Board Dublin Centre for Clinical Research

BackgroundLoss of donor-mediated immune antitumor activity after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) permits relapse of hematologic cancers. We hypothesized that immune checkpoint blockade established by targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 with ipilimumab could restore antitumor reactivity through a graft-versus-tumor effect.MethodsWe conducted a phase 1/1b multicenter, investigator-initiated study to determine the safety and efficacy of ipilimumab in patients with relapsed hematologic cancer after allogeneic HSCT. Patients received induction therapy with ipilimumab at a dose of 3 or 10 mg per kilogram of body weight every 3 weeks for a total of 4 doses, with additional doses every 12 weeks for up to 60 weeks in patients who had a clinical benefit.ResultsA total of 28 patients were enrolled. Immune-related adverse events, including one death, were observed in 6 patients (21%), and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) that precluded further administration of ipilimumab was observed in 4 patients (14%). No responses that met formal response criteria occurred in patients who received a dose of 3 mg per kilogram. Among 22 patients who received a dose of 10 mg per kilogram, 5 (23%) had a complete response, 2 (9%) had a partial response, and 6 (27%) had decreased tumor burden. Complete responses occurred in 4 patients with extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia and 1 patient with the myelodysplastic syndrome developing into acute myeloid leukemia. Four patients had a durable response for more than 1 year. Responses were associated with in situ infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, decreased activation of regulatory T cells, and expansion of subpopulations of effector T cells in the blood.ConclusionsOur early-phase data showed that administration of ipilimumab was feasible in patients with recurrent hematologic cancers after allogeneic HSCT, although immune-mediated toxic effects and GVHD occurred. Durable responses were observed in ass