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Low hypodiploidy defines a rare subtype of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with a dismal outcome. To investigate the genomic basis of low-hypodiploid ALL (LH-ALL) in adults, we analyzed copy-number aberrations, loss of heterozygosity, mutations, and cytogenetics data in a prospective cohort of Philadelphia (Ph)-negative B-ALL patients (n = 591, ages 18–84 years), allowing us to identify 80 LH-ALL cases (14%). Genomic analysis was critical for evidencing low hypodiploidy in many cases missed by cytogenetics. The proportion of LH-ALL within Ph-negative B-ALL dramatically increased with age, from 3% in the youngest patients (under 40 years old) to 32% in the oldest (over 55 years old). Somatic TP53 biallelic inactivation was the hallmark of adult LH-ALL, present in virtually all cases (98%). Strikingly, we detected TP53 mutations in posttreatment remission samples in 34% of patients. Single-cell proteogenomics of diagnosis and remission bone marrow samples evidenced a preleukemic, multilineage, TP53-mutant clone, reminiscent of age-related clonal hematopoiesis.Significance:We show that low-hypodiploid ALL is a frequent entity within B-ALL in older adults, relying on somatic TP53 biallelic alteration. Our study unveils a link between aging and low-hypodiploid ALL, with TP53-mutant clonal hematopoiesis representing a preleukemic reservoir that can give rise to aneuploidy and B-ALL.See related commentary by Saiki and Ogawa, p. 102.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 101

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes suffer from an impaired quality of life that is only partially explained by physical symptoms. In an observational study, we aimed to investigate the impact of current MDS treatments and the influence of disease perception on quality of life. Serial measurement of health-related quality of life was performed by ‘the QUALMS’, a validated MDS-specific patient reported outcome tool. Disease perception was evaluated by means of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ). We prospectively collected data on 75 patients that started on a new treatment and could not demonstrate a significant change in QUALMS score or B-IPQ score during treatment. Six out of eight items evaluated in the B-IPQ correlated significantly with QUALMS score. In this small sample, no significant difference in QUALMS score was found between lower vs. higher risk MDS patients or other studied variables, e.g., targeted hemoglobin showed no correlation with QUALMS score. In daily practice attention must be paid to initial formation of disease perception as it correlates independently with health-related quality of life and does not change during treatment (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04053933).

Supplementary figure 1. Sequencing-based analysis of CNA and LOH in adult LH-ALL. Supplementary figure 2. Representation of mutations in the frequent targeted genes in adult LH-ALL. Supplementary figure 3. Longitudinal assessment of TP53-mutant cell fraction as determined by ddPCR along with clonal IG/TR-based MRD quantification in three patients with undetectable TP53 mutation at remission. Supplementary figure 4. Merged single-cell analysis of cell-surface markers by ADT-sequencing of remission samples from three LH-ALL patients. Supplementary figure 5. Individual single-cell analyses of cell-surface markers by ADT-sequencing of remission samples from three LH-ALL patients. Supplementary figure 6. Individual analyses of single-cell immunophenotyping and genotyping of remission samples from three LH-ALL patients. Supplementary figure 7. Evaluation of allelic dropout rate on heterozygous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in remission samples. Supplementary figure 8. Individual single-cell analysis of cell-surface markers by ADT-sequencing of diagnosis samples from three LH-ALL patients. Supplementary figure 9. Single-cell genotyping of heterozygous SNPs allowing LOH assessment in diagnosis samples from three LH-ALL patients. Supplementary Figure 10. Distribution of single-cell genotypes of two LH-ALL patients with persistent TP53 and JAK2 (EI_046) or DNMT3A (EI_035) mutations in remission samples.

Supplementary Table 1. Karyotypes of LH-ALL patients at diagnosis. Supplementary Table 2. Somatic variants detected in LH-ALL patients at diagnosis. Supplementary Table 3. ARCH related variants detected in LH-ALL patients at remission. Supplementary Table 4. Minimal residual disease values of remission samples used for mutation analysis. Supplementary Table 5. Somatic alterations in cell populations from diagnostic samples (BMMC) based on single-cell analyses. Supplementary Table 6. Somatic alterations in FACS-sorted cell populations from diagnostic samples. Supplementary Table 7. Panel of genes for targeted sequencing. Supplementary Table 8. Single cell DNA amplicons for genotyping and LOH analyses. Supplementary Table 9. Single cell DNA amplicons for B-ALL clono-specific IG/TR detection. Supplementary Table 10. ADT-seq panel and spike-in antibodies. Supplementary Table 11. Single cell sequencing metrics.

Low hypodiploidy defines a rare subtype of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with a dismal outcome. To investigate the genomic basis of low-hypodiploid ALL (LH-ALL) in adults, we analyzed copy-number aberrations, loss of heterozygosity, mutations, and cytogenetics data in a prospective cohort of Philadelphia (Ph)-negative B-ALL patients (n = 591, ages 18–84 years), allowing us to identify 80 LH-ALL cases (14%). Genomic analysis was critical for evidencing low hypodiploidy in many cases missed by cytogenetics. The proportion of LH-ALL within Ph-negative B-ALL dramatically increased with age, from 3% in the youngest patients (under 40 years old) to 32% in the oldest (over 55 years old). Somatic TP53 biallelic inactivation was the hallmark of adult LH-ALL, present in virtually all cases (98%). Strikingly, we detected TP53 mutations in posttreatment remission samples in 34% of patients. Single-cell proteogenomics of diagnosis and remission bone marrow samples evidenced a preleukemic, multilineage, TP53-mutant clone, reminiscent of age-related clonal hematopoiesis.Significance:We show that low-hypodiploid ALL is a frequent entity within B-ALL in older adults, relying on somatic TP53 biallelic alteration. Our study unveils a link between aging and low-hypodiploid ALL, with TP53-mutant clonal hematopoiesis representing a preleukemic reservoir that can give rise to aneuploidy and B-ALL.See related commentary by Saiki and Ogawa, p. 102.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 101

Supplemental Tables 1-2, Figures 1-3. Supplemental table 1. Patient characteristics Supplemental table 2. Comparison of patient characteristics and transplantation outcomes in patients included in the multicentre randomized study (n=94) (reported in reference #(3)) and included (n=53) or not (n=41) in the immune reconstitution sub-study reported here. Supplemental Figure 1. A) Evolution of serum IL-15 levels the first 28 days after transplantation in TBI (black boxes, n=14) and TLI (white boxes, n=13) patients. B) Serum cytokine levels on day 28 after transplantation in TBI (n=14) and TLI (n=13) patients. C)Day-28 serum IL-4/CD4+ T cell ratios in TBI (n=14) and TLI (n=12) patients. In the different subfigures, * means p

Purpose:Biological explanation for discrepancies in patient-related response to chemotherapy depending on the underlying oncogenic events is a promising research area. TLX1- or TLX3-deregulated T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALL; TLX1/3+) share an immature cortical phenotype and similar transcriptional signatures. However, their prognostic impacts differ, and inconsistent clinical outcome has been reported for TLX3. We therefore hypothesized that the overlapping transcriptional profiles of TLX1+ and TLX3+ T-ALLs would allow identification of candidate genes, which might determine their distinct clinical outcomes.Experimental Design:We compared TLX1+ and TLX3+ adult T-ALL outcome in the successive French national LALA-94 and GRAALL-2003/2005 multicentric trials and analyzed transcriptomic data to identify differentially expressed genes. Epigenetic regulation of asparagine synthetase (ASNS) and in vitro l-asparaginase sensitivity were evaluated for T-ALL cell lines and primary samples.Results:We show that TLX1+ patients expressed low levels of ASNS when compared with TLX3+ and TLX-negative patients, due to epigenetic silencing of ASNS by both DNA methylation and a decrease of active histone marks. Promoter methylation of the ASNS gene correlated with l-asparaginase sensitivity in both T-ALL cell lines and patient-derived xenografts. Finally, ASNS promoter methylation was an independent prognostic factor for both event-free survival [HR, 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.24–0.71; P = 0.001] and overall survival (HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23–0.70; P = 0.02) in 160 GRAALL-2003/2005 T-ALL patients and also in an independent series of 47 LL03-treated T lymphoblastic lymphomas (P = 0.012).Conclusions:We conclude that ASNS methylation status at diagnosis may allow individual adaptation of l-asparaginase dose.

Purpose: A conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) combining total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) plus anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) has been developed to induce graft-versus-tumor effects without graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).Experimental Design: We compared immune recovery in 53 patients included in a phase II randomized study comparing nonmyeloablative HCT following either fludarabine plus 2 Gy total body irradiation (TBI arm, n = 28) or 8 Gy TLI plus ATG (TLI arm, n = 25).Results: In comparison with TBI patients, TLI patients had a similarly low 6-month incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD, a lower incidence of moderate/severe chronic GVHD (P = 0.02), a higher incidence of CMV reactivation (P < 0.001), and a higher incidence of relapse (P = 0.01). While recovery of total CD8+ T cells was similar in the two groups, with median CD8+ T-cell counts reaching the normal values 40 to 60 days after allo-HCT, TLI patients had lower percentages of naïve CD8 T cells. Median CD4+ T-cell counts did not reach the lower limit of normal values the first year after allo-HCT in the two groups. Furthermore, CD4+ T-cell counts were significantly lower in TLI than in TBI patients the first 6 months after transplantation. Interestingly, while median absolute regulatory T-cell (Treg) counts were comparable in TBI and TLI patients, Treg/naïve CD4+ T-cell ratios were significantly higher in TLI than in TBI patients the 2 first years after transplantation.Conclusions: Immune recovery differs substantially between these two conditioning regimens, possibly explaining the different clinical outcomes observed (NCT00603954). Clin Cancer Res; 21(14); 3131–9. ©2015 AACR.

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International audience; Background During the 2005-2014 period, the GRAALL conducted the GRAALL-2005 trial in patients (pts) with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative ALL aged 18-59y. In this trial, all pts received a pediatric-inspired chemotherapy, whatever their age. Post-hoc analysis revealed an unacceptable TRM in pts aged 45-59y (Huguet et al. J Clin Oncol 2018; 36:2514-23). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was offered in first complete remission (CR) to most CR pts, defined at high-risk (HR) by at least one baseline clinical or biological HR factor (CNS involvement, complex karyotype [≥5 abns.], low hypodiploidy/near triploidy, poor early blast clearance, late CR, as well as WBC ≥ 30x109/L, lack of CD10 expression, KMT2A rearrangement or TCF3::PBX1 fusion for B-cell precursor [BCP] ALL). Minimal residual disease (MRD) response was not considered for HSCT indication at that time.In the next GRAALL-2014 trial conducted in a similar population, we introduced two major changes in the treatment strategy. First, chemotherapy intensity (steroids, anthracycline and L-asparaginase) was reduced in pts aged 45-59y to decrease excessive TRM. Secondly, the indication for HSCT was modified, relying on IG/TR MRD response only (post-induction MRD ≥10-3 and/or post-consolidation MRD ≥10-4) while not on any former baseline HR criterion. Here, we compare the outcomes of the two trials, focusing on the impact of these two major evolutions.Patients & Methods A total of 743 pts treated in the GRAALL-2014 trial between 2015 and 2020 were compared to the 787 pts from the historical GRAALL-2005 trial, in terms of CR and induction death rates, rate of HSCT in CR1, cumulative incidence of TRM (CITRM) and relapse (CIR), relapse-free (RFS) and overall (OS) survival. It should be noted that two nested Phase 2 trials were introduced by amendment during the GRAALL-2014 course (in 2017 and 2018, respectively), aiming to evaluate post-remission addition of nelarabine and blinatumomab in 87 T-ALL and 94 BCP-ALL selected pts, respectively.Results Main patient characteristics, including age, gender, BCP/T-ALL, WBC, and historical baseline HR features, did not significantly differ between the two trial cohorts, even if CNS disease at diagnosis was more frequent in the 2014 cohort (12 vs 7%, p= 0.001).Outcome comparisons are shown in Table 1. Overall, the induction death rate was significantly reduced in the GRAALL-2014 (3 vs 6%, p= 0.005). As expected, this was only observed in pts aged 44-59y (3 vs 11%, p= 0.001), in whom dose-intensity reduction also translated into a higher need for second induction course (9 vs 5%, p= 0.05) eventually resulting in a higher CR rate (92 vs 86%, p= 0.05). Due to the newly introduced MRD-based stratification, the rate of pts with HSCT indication was markedly reduced (30 vs 65%, p

Development of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) is driven by cumulative genomic aberrations. We discovered a unique copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (CN-LOH) landscape of PMBL which distinguishes this tumor from other B-cell malignancies, including the biologically related diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Using single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis we identified large-scale CN-LOH lesions in 91% (30/33) of diagnostic PMBLs and both investigated PMBL-derived cell lines. Altogether, the cohort showed 157 extra-large (25.3-248.4 Mb) CN-LOH lesions affecting up to 14 chromosomes per case (mean of 4.4) and resulting in a reduction of heterozygosity an average of 9.9% (range 1.3-51%) of the genome. Predominant involvement of terminal chromosomal segments suggests the implication of B-cell specific crossover events in the pathogenesis of PMBL. Notably, CN-LOH stretches non-randomly clustered on 6p (60%), 15 (37.2%), and 17q (40%), and frequently co-occurred with homozygous mutations in the MHC I (6p21), B2M (15q15), and GNA13 (17q23) genes, respectively, as shown by preliminary whole-exome/genome sequencing data. Altogether, our findings implicate CN-LOH as a novel and distinct mutational process contributing to the molecular pathogenesis of PMBL. The aberration acting as "second hit" in the Knudson hypothesis, ranks as the major mechanism converting to homozygosity the PMBL-related driver genes. Screening of the cohort of 199 B cell leukemia/lymphoma whole-genomes revealed significant differences in the CN-LOH landscape of PMBL and other B-cell malignancies, including the biologically related diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a heterogeneous group of hematological cancers arising from the malignant transformation of mature T cells. In a cohort of 28 PTCL cases, we identified recurrent overexpression of MYCN, a member of the MYC family of oncogenic transcription factors. Approximately half of all PTCL cases was characterized by a MYC expression signature. Inducible expression of MYCN in lymphoid cells in a mouse model caused T-cell lymphoma that recapitulated human PTCL with an MYC expression signature. Integration of mouse and human expression data identified EZH2 as a key downstream target of MYCN. Remarkably, EZH2 was found to be an essential cofactor for the transcriptional activation of the MYCN-driven gene expression program, which was independent of methyltransferase activity but dependent on phosphorylation by CDK1. MYCN-driven T-cell lymphoma was sensitive to EZH2 degradation or CDK1 inhibition, which displayed synergy with US Food and Drug Administration-approved histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. ispartof: BLOOD vol:140 issue:23 pages:2463-2476 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Treatment results of AML in elderly patients are unsatisfactory. In an open label randomized phase II study, we investigated whether addition of the XPO1 inhibitor selinexor to intensive chemotherapy would improve outcome in this population. 102 AML patients > 65 years of age (median 69 (65–80)) were randomly assigned to standard chemotherapy (3 + 7) with or without oral selinexor 60 mg twice weekly (both arms n = 51), days 1–24. In the second cycle, cytarabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily, days 1–6 with or without selinexor was given. CR/CRi rates were significantly higher in the control arm than in the investigational arm (80% (95% C.I. 69–91%) vs. 59% (45–72%; p = 0.018), respectively). At 18 months, event-free survival was 45% for the control arm versus 26% for the investigational arm (Cox-p = 0.012) and overall survival 58% vs. 33%, respectively (p = 0.009). AML and infectious complications accounted for an increased death rate in the investigational arm. Irrespective of treatment, MRD status after two cycles appeared to be correlated with survival. We conclude that the addition of selinexor to standard chemotherapy does negatively affect the therapeutic outcome of elderly AML patients. (Netherlands Trial Registry number NL5748 (NTR5902), www.trialregister.nl).

TO THE EDITOR : There is a critical unmet need for novel treatments for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), higher-risk chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), and low-blast (LB) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For patients ineligible for stem cell transplant (SCT), standard therapy with hypomethylating agents, such as azacitidine and decitabine, is not curative, with most patients relapsing within 2 years. [...]

Cytarabine and daunorubicin are old drugs commonly used in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Refractory or relapsed disease because of chemotherapy resistance is a major issue. microRNAs (miRNAs) were incriminated in resistance. This study aimed to identify miRNAs involved in chemoresistance in AML patients and to define their target genes. We focused on cytogenetically normal AML patients with wild-type NPM1 without FLT3-ITD as the treatment of this subset of patients with intermediate-risk cytogenetics is not well established. We analysed baseline AML samples by small RNA sequencing and compared the profile of chemoresistant to chemosensitive AML patients. Among the miRNAs significantly overexpressed in chemoresistant patients, we revealed miR-15a-5p and miR-21-5p as miRNAs with a major role in chemoresistance in AML. We showed that miR-15a-5p and miR-21-5p overexpression decreased apoptosis induced by cytarabine and/or daunorubicin. PDCD4, ARL2 and BTG2 genes were found to be targeted by miR-15a-5p, as well as PDCD4 and BTG2 by miR-21-5p. Inhibition experiments of the three target genes reproduced the functional effect of both miRNAs on chemosensitivity. Our study demonstrates that miR-15a-5p and miR-21-5p are overexpressed in a subgroup of chemoresistant AML patients. Both miRNAs induce chemoresistance by targeting three pro-apoptotic genes PDCD4, ARL2 and BTG2. ispartof: JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE vol:25 issue:1 pages:575-585 ispartof: location:England status: published

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative treatment option in both adult and pediatric patients with malignant and non-malignant hematological diseases. Chimerism analysis, which determines the donor or recipient origin of hematopoietic cells in HSCT recipients, is an essential aspect of post-HSCT follow-up.Objectives: To review the current literature and develop Belgian consensus guidelines for the use of chimerism analysis in the standard of care after allogeneic HSCT.Methods: Non-systematic review of the literature in consultancy with the members of the BHS transplantation committee.Results: Clinical application with regards to prediction of graft failure or relapse as well as cell source are reviewed. A consensus guideline on the use of chimerism analysis after HSCT is presented.Conclusion: Monitoring of the dynamics or kinetics of a patient's chimerism status by serial analysis at fixed time points, as well as on suspicion of relapse or graft failure, is needed to monitor engraftment levels, as well as disease control and possible relapse.

TO THE EDITOR: Follicular T-cell lymphoma (FTCL) is a rare nodal mature T-cell neoplasm included in a broader category of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) and other nodal lymphomas of T follicular helper (TFH) cell origin by the 2017 World Health Organization classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues.1 The atypical, clear, medium-size neoplastic cells display a common TFH phenotype with expression of CD4, CD10, BCL6, PD-1, CXCL13, and ICOS.2 In contrast to AITL, FTCL is characterized by a follicular growth pattern and lacks the proliferation of high endothelial venules and the extrafollicular expansion of follicular dendritic cells. The molecular pathology of FTCL remains incompletely understood. Up to 40% of FTCLs harbor t(5;9)(q33.3;q22.2) fusing the N-terminal part of the interleukin-2 (IL-2)–inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) to the tyrosine kinase domain of SYK (the spleen tyrosine kinase). [...]

Introduction: Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with high-risk genetics and/or measurable residual disease (MRD) are at high-risk of disease recurrence. In the previous GRAALL-2005 study, we identified KMT2A rearrangements (KMT2A-r), IKZF1 intragenic deletion (IKZF1del) and post-induction (TP1, week 6) MRD ≥ 0.01% as independent factors to predict relapse in Ph-negative B-cell precursor (BCP) ALL (Beldjord K, Blood 2014). In the GRAALL-2014 trial, high-risk (HR) patients were thus defined by the presence of at least one of these three factors. Among them, only those with higher MRD levels defined as TP1-MRD ≥ 0.1% and/or week 12 (TP2) MRD ≥ 0.01% were considered at very high risk (VHR) and proposed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) in first remission (Dhedin et al., Blood 2015). Since October 2018, all these patients were eligible to be included in the GRAALL-2014-QUEST phase 2 study to receive blinatumomab as part of consolidation and maintenance phases or as a bridge to transplant. Methods: From October 2018 to December 2020, 95 patients with high-risk Ph-negative BCP-ALL without central nervous system involvement at diagnosis and in continuous complete remission after induction and consolidation 1, were prospectively included to start blinatumomab at week 12. One patient was excluded because of T-ALL phenotype (with CD19 aberrant expression). Patients with alloSCT indication and a stem cell source received blinatumomab 28 microg/d administered by continuous intravenous infusion (cIV) until transplant. A minimum of 4 weeks blinatumomab was recommended before proceeding to transplantation. All other patients received 5 cycles of blinatumomab 28 microg/day cIV (for 28 days), during consolidation 2 and 3 and at months 1/3/5 of the maintenance phase respectively. The primary objective was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary objectives included post-blinatumomab MRD response at TP3 (after consolidation 2 or before alloSCT), overall survival (OS), and safety. Early results are reported here. Results: Median age was 35 years old (range, 18-60). Median white blood cell count (WBC) at diagnosis was 12 G/L (range, 1-449). Oncogenetic analyses allowed classifying ALL as Ph-like (18%), KMT2A-r (17%), DUX4/ERGdel (13%), ZNF384-r (11%), low hypodiploidy/near triploidy (7%), B-other (26%) or unknown (9%). An IKZF1del was found in 37/93 (40%). A TP1-MRD ≥ 0.01% was found in 46/94 patients (49%). Final risk group was HR for 45 patients and VHR for 49 patients. Last pre-blinatumomab MRD was Conclusion. In patients wih high-risk BCP-ALL, blinatumomab added to consolidation is safe and gives promising results. A comparison to similar patients treated in the same GRAALL-2014 study before October 2018 is planned with a longer follow-up. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Boissel: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte: Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; SANOFI: Honoraria; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria, Research Funding; CELGENE: Honoraria; JAZZ Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; PFIZER: Consultancy, Honoraria. Huguet: Novartis: Other: Advisor; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Other: Advisor; Celgene: Other: Advisor; BMS: Other: Advisor; Amgen: Other: Advisor; Pfizer: Other: Advisor. Rousselot: Incyte, Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding. Chalandon: Incyte, BMS, Pfizer, Abbie, MSD, Roche, Novartis, Amgen: Other: Advisory Board; Incyte: Speakers Bureau; Incyte, BMS, Pfizer, Abbie, MSD, Roche, Novartis, Gilead, Amgen, Jazz, Astra Zenec: Other: Travel EXpenses, Accomodation. Delabesse: Astellas: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Dombret: Abbvie: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Incyte: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Research Funding; NOVARTIS: Research Funding; pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; servier: Research Funding; BMS-Celgene: Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria. OffLabel Disclosure: Blinatumomab in frontline high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphomas with poor prognosis. Up to 30% of PTCL lack distinctive features and are classified as PTCL, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). To further improve our understanding of the genetic landscape and biology of PTCL-NOS, we perform RNA-sequencing of 18 cases and validate results in an independent cohort of 37 PTCL cases. We identify FYN-TRAF3IP2, KHDRBS1-LCK and SIN3A-FOXO1 as new in-frame fusion transcripts, with FYN-TRAF3IP2 as a recurrent fusion detected in 8 of 55 cases. Using ex vivo and in vivo experiments, we demonstrate that FYN-TRAF3IP2 and KHDRBS1-LCK activate signaling pathways downstream of the T cell receptor (TCR) complex and confer therapeutic vulnerability to clinically available drugs., Peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) not otherwise specified (NOS) is a subgroup of PTCL, which has no distinctive features and is poorly characterized at the genetic level. Here, the authors identify two fusion transcripts that activate T cell receptor complex signalling and confer therapeutic vulnerability in PTCL-NOS.

The prevention of relapse is the major therapeutic challenge in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who have obtained a complete remission (CR) on intensive chemotherapy. In this randomized phase 3 study (HOVON97) in older patients (≥60 years) with AML or myelodysplastic syndrome with refractory anemia with excess of blasts, in CR/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) after at least 2 cycles of intensive chemotherapy, we assessed the value of azacitidine as postremission therapy with respect to disease-free survival (DFS; primary end point) and overall survival (OS; secondary end point). In total, 116 eligible patients were randomly (1:1) assigned to either observation (N = 60) or azacitidine maintenance (N = 56; 50 mg/m2, subcutaneously, days 1-5, every 4 weeks) until relapse, for a maximum of 12 cycles. Fifty-five patients received at least 1 cycle of azacitidine, 46 at least 4 cycles, and 35 at least 12 cycles. The maintenance treatment with azacitidine was feasible. DFS was significantly better for the azacitidine treatment group (logrank; P = .04), as well as after adjustment for poor-risk cytogenetic abnormalities at diagnosis and platelet count at randomization (as surrogate for CR vs CRi; Cox regression; hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.95; P = .026). The 12-month DFS was estimated at 64% for the azacitidine group and 42% for the control group. OS did not differ between treatment groups, with and without censoring for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Rescue treatment was used more often in the observation group (n = 32) than in the azacitidine maintenance group (n = 9). We conclude that azacitidine maintenance after CR/CRi after intensive chemotherapy is feasible and significantly improves DFS. The study is registered with The Netherlands Trial Registry (NTR1810) and EudraCT (2008-001290-15).

TO THE EDITOR: B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is a rare aggressive malignancy in adults. BCP-ALL is frequently characterized by recurrent chromosomal translocations that deregulate proto-oncogenes or result in fusion genes encoding chimeric oncoproteins.[1][1] Gene

IDH1 and IDH2 mutations (IDH1/2Mut) are recognized as recurrent genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and associated with both clinical impact and therapeutic opportunity due to the recent development of specific IDH1/2Mut inhibitors. In T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), their incidence and prognostic implications remain poorly reported. Our targeted next-generation sequencing approach allowed comprehensive assessment of genotype across the entire IDH1 and IDH2 locus in 1085 consecutive unselected and newly diagnosed patients with T-ALL and identified 4% of, virtually exclusive (47 of 49 patients), IDH1/2Mut. Mutational patterns of IDH1/2Mut in T-ALL present some specific features compared to AML. Whereas IDH2R140Q mutation was frequent in T-ALL (25 of 51 mutations), the IDH2R172 AML hotspot was absent. IDH2 mutations were associated with older age, an immature phenotype, more frequent RAS gain-of-function mutations and epigenetic regulator loss-of-function alterations (DNMT3A and TET2). IDH2 mutations, contrary to IDH1 mutations, appeared to be an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis with the NOTCH1/FBXW7/RAS/PTEN classifier. IDH2Mut were significantly associated with a high cumulative incidence of relapse and very dismal outcome, suggesting that IDH2-mutated T-ALL cases should be identified at diagnosis in order to benefit from therapeutic intensification and/or specific IDH2 inhibitors.

Introduction: Pevonedistat, an investigational, first-in-class NEDD8-activating enzyme inhibitor, disrupts protein homeostasis, leading to cancer cell death. For patients with higher-risk MDS ineligible for transplant, real-world data reveal median overall survival (OS) is 11–15 months with treatment, yet no novel treatments have been approved in a decade. Methods: Patients with higher-risk MDS/chronic myelomonocytic leukemia or low-blast acute myeloid leukemia (AML) naive to hypomethylating agents were randomized 1:1, receiving pevonedistat (20 mg/m2 intravenously [IV], days 1, 3, 5) + azacitidine (75 mg/m2 IV/subcutaneously, days 1–5, 8, 9) (n=58) or azacitidine alone (n=62) in 28-day cycles until unacceptable toxicity, relapse, AML transformation, or progression. The study was powered for event-free survival (EFS: time from randomization to death/AML transformation, whichever occurred first). This report focuses on higher-risk MDS, including their cytogenetic and genetic characterization. Results: In patients with higher-risk MDS (n=67/120), baseline characteristics were balanced between arms. EFS was longer with pevonedistat+azacitidine vs azacitidine (median 20.2 vs 14.8 months; HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.29–1.00; p=.045). For patients with high-risk MDS assessed using the Cleveland Clinic model formula (n=16/arm), median EFS was 20.2 vs 11.7 months (HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.17–0.90; p=.023); median OS was 24.2 vs 14.2 months (HR 0.45; 95% CI 0.19–1.05; p=.056) with pevonedistat+azacitidine vs azacitidine. Overall response rate (complete remission [CR]+partial remission [PR]+hematological improvement, n=59 response-evaluable patients) was 79% with pevonedistat+azacitidine vs 57% with azacitidine, with a CR rate of 52% vs 27% (p=.050); median duration of response (DOR, CR+PR) was 34.6 vs 13.1 months (p=.106). Median (range) time to transformation (pevonedistat+azacitidine [n=5] vs azacitidine [n=9]) was 12.2 (4.6–12.6) vs 5.9 (1.7–14.8) months. Median dose intensity of azacitidine was 98% in both arms. Exposure-adjusted adverse event (AE) rates, normalized by mean cycles dosed, were lower with pevonedistat+azacitidine vs azacitidine. Pevonedistat+azacitidine clinical activity was observed in patients with adverse-risk mutations. Conclusions: In patients with higher-risk MDS, pevonedistat+azacitidine prolonged EFS, delayed AML transformation, nearly doubled CR rate, and tripled DOR vsazacitidine alone. EFS and OS favored pevonedistat+azacitidine vs azacitidine in patients with high-risk MDS. Exposure-adjusted AE rates were lower with pevonedistat+azacitidine vs azacitidine without added myelosuppression.

Simple Summary Treatment results of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in elderly patients are unsatisfactory. We investigated in an open label randomized phase II study whether addition of tosedostat, an aminopeptidase inhibitor, to intensive chemotherapy would improve outcome in this population. 231 AML patients > 65 years of age were randomly assigned to receive standard chemotherapy with or without tosedostat for two cycles. We found that complete bone marrow leukemia clearance was not significantly different between both arms. After two years, survival was 33% for the standard arm versus 18% for the tosedostat arm. More patients died due to infectious complications in the tosedostat arm than after standard treatment. Also, a cardiac rhythm abnormality called atrial fibrillation was more often seen in the tosedostat arm. We conclude that the addition of tosedostat to standard chemotherapy does negatively affect the therapeutic outcome of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Abstract Treatment results of AML in elderly patients are unsatisfactory. We hypothesized that addition of tosedostat, an aminopeptidase inhibitor, to intensive chemotherapy may improve outcome in this population. After establishing a safe dose in a run-in phase of the study in 22 patients, 231 eligible patients with AML above 65 years of age (median 70, range 66–81) were randomly assigned in this open label randomized Phase II study to receive standard chemotherapy (3+7) with or without tosedostat at the selected daily dose of 120 mg (n = 116), days 1–21. In the second cycle, patients received cytarabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-6 with or without tosedostat. CR/CRi rates in the 2 arms were not significantly different (69% (95% C.I. 60–77%) vs 64% (55–73%), respectively). At 24 months, event-free survival (EFS) was 20% for the standard arm versus 12% for the tosedostat arm (Cox-p = 0.01) and overall survival (OS) 33% vs 18% respectively (p = 0.006). Infectious complications accounted for an increased early death rate in the tosedostat arm. Atrial fibrillation was more common in the tosedostat arm as well. The results of the present study show that the addition of tosedostat to standard chemotherapy does negatively affect the therapeutic outcome of elderly AML patients.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a group of aggressive hematological cancers with dismal outcomes that are in need of new therapeutic options. Polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) loss-of-function alterations were reported in pediatric T-ALL, yet their clinical relevance and functional consequences remain elusive. Here, we extensively analyzed PRC2 alterations in a large series of 218 adult T-ALL patients. We found that PRC2 genetic lesions are frequent events in T-ALL and are not restricted to early thymic precursor ALL. PRC2 loss of function associates with activating mutations of the IL7R/JAK/STAT pathway. PRC2-altered T-ALL patients respond poorly to prednisone and have low bone marrow blast clearance and persistent minimal residual disease. Furthermore, we identified that PRC2 loss of function profoundly reshapes the genetic and epigenetic landscapes, leading to the reactivation of stem cell programs that cooperate with bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins to sustain T-ALL. This study identifies BET proteins as key mediators of the PRC2 loss of function-induced remodeling. Our data have uncovered a targetable vulnerability to BET inhibition that can be exploited to treat PRC2-altered T-ALL patients.

Correction to: Leukemia 10.1038/s41375-021-01125-4, published online 22 January 2021. In Supplementary Table 2, the n numbers for the response-evaluable patients with higher-risk MDS were swapped for the pevonedistat + azacitidine arm and the azacitidine alone arm. Instead of n = 30 and n = 29 as originally published, these have now been corrected to n = 29 for pevonedistat + azacitidine and n = 30 for azacitidine. No changes were required to the response rate percentages as these were calculated using the correct denominators. The updated files are attached to this correction.

TO THE EDITOR: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) are aggressive neoplasms that result from the proliferation of T-lymphoid progenitors blocked at thymic stages of differentiation. They account for 15% and 25% of pediatric and adult ALLs, respectively. T-ALL/T-LBL are associated with a wide range of acquired genetic abnormalities that contribute to developmental arrest and abnormal proliferation. Although intensive treatment protocols have markedly improved the outcomes of children with T-ALL, cure rates remain below 60% for adults and 85% for children. The prognosis is particularly poor in relapsing patients, highlighting an urgent need for risk stratification factors at diagnosis.[...]

Recently, Baumann et al. described the characteristics and outcomes of four patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosed with symptomatic COVID‐19. The course of the disease was mild, and no patient required admission in an intensive care unit. The authors speculate that the CLL‐related immunodeficiency might be beneficial in the outcome of the COVID‐19 and deserved further investigation. No specific serological testing information was provided. The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has published recommendations on the prevention of COVID‐19 in patients with CLL but again not on serological investigations.

Standardization, data mining techniques, and comparison to normality are changing the landscape of multiparameter flow cytometry in clinical hematology. On the basis of these principles, a strategy was developed for measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment. Herein, suspicious cell clusters are first identified at diagnosis using a clustering algorithm. Subsequently, automated multidimensional spaces, named &ldquo, Clouds&rdquo, are created around these clusters on the basis of density calculations. This step identifies the immunophenotypic pattern of the suspicious cell clusters. Thereafter, using reference samples, the &ldquo, Abnormality Ratio&rdquo, (AR) of each Cloud is calculated, and major malignant Clouds are retained, known as &ldquo, Leukemic Clouds&rdquo, (L-Clouds). In follow-up samples, MRD is identified when more cells fall into a patient&rsquo, s L-Cloud compared to reference samples (AR concept). This workflow was applied on simulated data and real-life leukemia flow cytometry data. On simulated data, strong patient-dependent positive correlation (R2 = 1) was observed between the AR and spiked-in leukemia cells. On real patient data, AR kinetics was in line with the clinical evolution for five out of six patients. In conclusion, we present a convenient flow cytometry data analysis approach for the follow-up of hematological malignancies. Further evaluation and validation on more patient samples and different flow cytometry panels is required before implementation in clinical practice.