Project description:Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphomas (DLBCL) are the most frequent Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL). The addition of Rituximab to the standard chemotherapy CHOP improved the outcome in this patients, but so far 40% of patients experienced relapse or progressive disease. Lenalidomide, an immunomodulatory agent, had direct tumoricidal and antiangiogenetic actions on tumor cells and was able to modulate tumor-cell microenvironment, with the restoration of impaired T-cell activity and the formation of immuno-synapsis. Based on these actions, lenalidomide represented an active drug on aggressive relapsed NHL. In this review, the most relevant clinical trials for the use of lenalidomide in DLBCL were reported. Monotherapy with lenalidomide showed an activity in term of overall response rate, with acceptable hematological and extrahematological toxicities in relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL. The role of lenalidomide as salvage therapy in both cell of origin patterns in DLBCL (germinal center B-cell/activated B-cell) was reported in preliminary data. Preliminary data regarding the role of lenalidomide in addition to chemoimmunotherapy (R-CHOP) in first line clinical trials were discussed; data of safety, feasibility and efficacy were promising.
Project description:New therapies are needed for patients with relapsed/refractory (rel/ref) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who do not benefit from or are ineligible for stem cell transplant and chimeric antigen receptor therapy. The CD30-targeted, antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin (BV) and the immunomodulator lenalidomide (Len) have demonstrated promising activity as single agents in this population. We report the results of a phase 1/dose expansion trial evaluating the combination of BV/Len in rel/ref DLBCL. Thirty-seven patients received BV every 21 days, with Len administered continuously for a maximum of 16 cycles. The maximum tolerated dose of the combination was 1.2 mg/kg BV with 20 mg/d Len. BV/Len was well tolerated with a toxicity profile consistent with their use as single agents. Most patients required granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support because of neutropenia. The overall response rate was 57% (95% CI, 39.6-72.5), complete response rate, 35% (95% CI, 20.7-52.6); median duration of response, 13.1 months; median progression-free survival, 10.2 months (95% CI, 5.5-13.7); and median overall survival, 14.3 months (95% CI, 10.2-35.6). Response rates were highest in patients with CD30+ DLBCL (73%), but they did not differ according to cell of origin (P = .96). NK cell expansion and phenotypic changes in CD8+ T-cell subsets in nonresponders were identified by mass cytometry. BV/Len represents a potential treatment option for patients with rel/ref DLBCL. This combination is being further explored in a phase 3 study (registered on https://clinicaltrials.org as NCT04404283). This trial was registered on https://clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02086604.
Project description:The aim of the study is to identify differentially expressed genes between chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who will respond to lenalidomide treatment and non responsive patients. We performed a whole genome gene-expression analysis of pre-treatment samples collected from 16 CLL patients included in a phase II clinical trial. The pre-treatment sample comprises purified CD19 cells from peripheral blood. Ten (37%) patients achieved partial responses (PR) and were classified as responders (R), 2 (7%) stable diseases (SD) and 4 (15%) progressive diseases (PD) and were classified as non responders (NR). Supervised analysis identified 78 genes up-regulated and 119 genes down-regulated in R compared with NR (Fold change [FC]≥2, p<0.01, Figure 4). Different expression levels of genes involved in interferon (INF) and Wnt signaling pathways characterized patients who will respond to lenalidomide. In particular, R showed a 23-fold increase in Wnt inhibitor Shisa homolog 3 (SHISA3), whereas a decrease of WISP3, CDH4, HOXB7 and WNT10A. Moreover, leukemic cells collected from R down-regulated interferon-induced proteins (IFI44, -6.6; IFI44L, -9.3; IFIT2, -2) and STAT1 (-2.4 fold change). NR group up-regulated lipoprotein lipase (LPL, +7.5). The baseline expression levels of cereblon (CRBN) were not dissimilar between R and NR subsets
Project description:Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with aggressive disease characteristics resulting in multiple relapses after initial treatment. Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent approved in the US for patients with relapsed/refractory MCL following bortezomib based on results from 3 multicenter phase II studies (2 including relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL and 1 focusing on MCL post-bortezomib). The purpose of this report is to provide longer follow-up on the MCL-001 study (follow-ups were 6.8 [NHL-002], 7.6 [NHL-003], and 52.2 [MCL-001] months). The 206 relapsed MCL patients treated with single-agent lenalidomide (25 mg/day PO, days 1 to 21 every 28-days) had a median age of 67 years (63% ≥65 years), 91% with stage III/IV disease, and 50% with ≥4 previous treatment regimens. With a median follow-up of X, the combined best overall response rate (ORR) was 33% (including 11% with complete remission [CR]/CR unconfirmed CRu). Lenalidomide produced rapid and durable responses with a median time to response of 2.2 months and median duration of response (DOR) of 16.6 months (95% CI: 11.1%-29.8%). The safety profile was consistent and manageable; myelosuppression was the most common adverse event (AE). Overall, single-agent lenalidomide showed consistent efficacy and safety in multiple phase II studies of heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory MCL, including those previously treated with bortezomib.
Project description:The transcription factor GATA-3, highly expressed in many cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), confers resistance to chemotherapy in a cell-autonomous manner. As GATA-3 is transcriptionally regulated by NF-κB, we sought to determine the extent to which proteasomal inhibition impairs NF-κB activation and GATA-3 expression and cell viability in malignant T cells. Proteasome inhibition, NF-κB activity, GATA-3 expression, and cell viability were examined in patient-derived cell lines and primary T-cell lymphoma specimens ex vivo treated with the oral proteasome inhibitor ixazomib. Significant reductions in cell viability, NF-κB activation, and GATA-3 expression were observed preclinically in ixazomib-treated cells. Therefore, an investigator-initiated, single-center, phase II study with this agent in patients with relapsed/refractory CTCL/PTCL was conducted. Concordant with our preclinical observations, a significant reduction in NF-κB activation and GATA-3 expression was observed in an exceptional responder following one month of treatment with ixazomib. While ixazomib had limited activity in this small and heterogeneous cohort of patients, inhibition of the NF-κB/GATA-3 axis in a single exceptional responder suggests that ixazomib may have utility in appropriately selected patients or in combination with other agents.
Project description:Recent advances in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) have underscored the importance of tumor microenvironment in escaping host anti-tumor responses. One mechanism is loss of major histocompatibility Class II antigens (MHCII) associated with decreased tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) and poor survival. Transcription of MHCII is controlled by CIITA which in turn is regulated by histone acetylation. In this study, we hypothesized that HDAC inhibition with belinostat increases MHCII, CIITA expression, TIL and improves patient outcomes. Primary objective was evaluation of toxicity and response. Twenty-two patients were enrolled for the study. Belinostat was well tolerated with mild toxicity. Two partial responses were observed at 5, 13 months after registration for an overall response rate (ORR) (95% CI) of 10.5% (1.3-33.1%), and three patients had stable disease for 4.7, 42.3+, and 68.4 + months with minimum 3-year follow-up. Included correlative studies support the hypothesis and serve as the basis for SWOG S0806 combining vorinostat with R-CHOP.
Project description:PurposeLenalidomide is an immunomodulatory drug active as salvage therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We combined lenalidomide with rituximab to improve response rates in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL.Patients and methodsFifty-nine adult patients (age 42 to 82 years) with relapsed or refractory CLL were enrolled onto a phase II study of lenalidomide and rituximab. Patients had received prior fludarabine-based therapy or chemoimmunotherapy. Rituximab (375 mg/m(2) intravenously) was administered weekly during cycle one and on day 1 of cycles three to 12. Lenalidomide was started on day 9 of cycle one at 10 mg orally and administered daily continuously. Each cycle was 28 days. Rituximab was administered for 12 cycles; lenalidomide could continue indefinitely if patients benefitted clinically.ResultsThe overall response rate was 66%, including 12% complete responses and 12% nodular partial remissions. Time to treatment failure was 17.4 months. Median overall survival has not been reached; estimated survival at 36 months is 71%. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicity was neutropenia (73% of patients). Fourteen patients (24%) experienced a grade 3 to 4 infection or febrile episode. There was one episode of grade 3 tumor lysis; one patient experienced renal failure during the first cycle of therapy, and one venous thromboembolic event occurred during the study.ConclusionThe combination of lenalidomide and rituximab is active in patients with recurrent CLL and warrants further investigation.
Project description:BackgroundLenalidomide and panobinostat have shown single-agent efficacy of 14% to 50% and 27% to 58%, respectively, in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). This phase I/II study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety, and efficacy of lenalidomide combined with panobinostat in relapsed/refractory HL.Patients and methodsIn the phase I trial, previously treated patients with classical or lymphocyte-predominant HL received escalating doses of lenalidomide on days 1 to 21 and panobinostat 3 times a week (TIW) every 28 days. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined during cycle 1. When the MTD was determined, a phase II study was conducted to determine overall response (OR).ResultsTwenty-four patients enrolled; 11 in the phase I and 13 in phase II portions. No DLTs were observed but 2 patients who received 25 mg lenalidomide and 20 mg panobinostat experienced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia > 14 days in cycle 2, leading to selection of 25 mg lenalidomide on days 1 to 21 and 15 mg panobinostat TIW for the phase II dose. In all 24 patients, Grade 3 to 4 toxicities consisted of neutropenia (58%), thrombocytopenia (42%), lymphopenia (25%), and febrile neutropenia (25%). OR was 16.7% (2 complete response [CR] and 2 partial response). One patient with CR had lymphocyte-predominant HL and received 22 cycles. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 3.8 and 16.4 months, respectively.ConclusionAlthough the combination of panobinostat and lenalidomide appears safe in patients with relapsed/refractory HL, the limited efficacy and significant rates of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia observed do not support further evaluation of this combination in HL.