The anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody pembrolizumab is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) solid tumors, but the prevalence of MSI-H/dMMR prostate cancer and the clinical utility of immune checkpoint blockade in this disease subset are unknown. OBJECTIVE To define the prevalence of MSI-H/dMMR prostate cancer and the clinical benefit of anti-PD-1/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapy in this molecularly defined population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this case series, 1551 tumors from 1346 patients with prostate cancer undergoing treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were prospectively analyzed using a targeted sequencing assay from January 1, 2015, through January 31, 2018. Patients had a diagnosis of prostate cancer and consented to tumor molecular profiling when a tumor biopsy was planned or archival tissue was available. For each patient, clinical outcomes were reported, with follow-up until May 31, 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Tumor mutation burden and MSIsensor score, a quantitative measure of MSI, were calculated. Mutational signature analysis and immunohistochemistry for MMR protein expression were performed in select cases. RESULTS Among the 1033 patients who had adequate tumor quality for MSIsensor analysis (mean [SD] age, 65.6 [9.3] years), 32 (3.1%) had MSI-H/dMMR prostate cancer. Twenty-three of 1033 patients (2.2%) had tumors with high MSIsensor scores, and an additional 9 had indeterminate scores with evidence of dMMR. Seven of the 32 MSI-H/dMMR patients (21.9%) had a pathogenic germline mutation in a Lynch syndrome-associated gene. Six patients had more than 1 tumor analyzed, 2 of whom displayed an acquired MSI-H phenotype later in their disease course. Eleven patients with MSI-H/dMMR castration-resistant prostate cancer received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Six of these (54.5%) had a greater than 50% decline in prostate-specific antigen levels, 4 of whom had radiographic responses. As of May 2018, 5 of the 6 responders (5 of 11 total [45.5%]) were still on therapy for as long as 89 weeks. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The MSI-H/dMMR molecular phenotype is uncommon yet therapeutically meaningful in prostate cancer and can be somatically acquired during disease evolution. Given the potential for durable responses to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, these findings support the use of prospective tumor sequencing to screen all patients with advanced prostate cancer for MSI-H/dMMR. Because not all patients with the MSI-H/dMMR phenotype respond, further studies should explore mechanisms of resistance.

Background: The genomic underpinning of clinical phenotypes and outcomes in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer is unclear.Methods: In patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer at a tertiary referral center, clinical-grade targeted tumor sequencing was performed to quantify tumor DNA copy number alterations and alterations in predefined oncogenic signaling pathways. Disease volume was classified as high-volume (4 bone metastases or visceral metastases) vs. low-volume.Results: Among 424 patients (88% white), 213 (50%) had high-volume disease and 211 (50%) had low-volume disease; 275 (65%) had de-novo metastatic disease and 149 (35%) had metastatic recurrence of non-metastatic disease. Rates of castration resistance (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.40-2.41) and death (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.71; 95% CI, 2.28-6.02) were higher in high-volume disease. Tumors from high-volume disease had more copy number alterations. The NOTCH, cell cycle, and epigenetic modifiers pathways were the highest-ranking pathways enriched in high-volume disease. De-novo metastatic disease differed from metastatic recurrences in the prevalence of CDK12 alterations but had similar prognosis. Rates of castration resistance differed 1.5-fold to 5-fold according to alterations in AR, SPOP (inverse), and TP53, and the cell cycle, WNT (inverse), and MYC pathways, adjusting for disease volume and other genomic pathways. Overall survival rates differed 2-fold to 4-fold according to AR, SPOP (inverse), WNT (inverse), and cell cycle alterations. PI3K pathway alterations were not associated with prognosis once adjusted for other factors. Conclusion:This study identified genomic features associated with prognosis in metastatic castration-sensitive disease that may aid in molecular classification and treatment selection. Translational RelevanceThe genomic landscape of metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer is not well defined, and disease stratification for the purpose of initial treatment selection has primarily relied on clinical phenotypes, including volume of disease at the time of metastasis. Here, we describe tumor genomics in a large cohort of patients with metastatic castrationsensitive prostate cancer and show genomic features that are associated with clinical phenotypes, including with disease volume. We identify genomic alterations that are associated with prognosis in metastatic castration-sensitive disease (overall survival and time to castration resistance), demonstrating that alterations in AR, TP53 and the cell cycle and MYC pathways occur in tumors with worse prognosis, while alterations in SPOP and the WNT pathway occur in tumors with better prognosis. Our findings may aid in molecular classification of metastatic castrationsensitive prostate cancer, and pathways that are prognostically relevant could be targeted in studies of intensified upfront therapy.

Background-Proof of the clinical utility of a biomarker is when its use informs a management decision and improves patient outcomes relative to when it is not.Objective-To model the clinical benefit of the nuclear-localized AR-V7 test for men with progressing metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) at the second line of therapy or greater to inform the choice of an androgen receptor signaling inhibitor (ARSI) or a taxane. Design, setting, and participants-The study population was a cross-sectional cohort of 193 unique patients with progressing mCRPC from whom 255 samples were drawn at the time of the second line or later treatment decision who received an ARSI or taxane, with up to 3 yr of additional follow-up. Physicians were blinded to AR-V7 status and the testing laboratory was blinded to outcomes.Outcome measurements and statistical analyses-We measured physician propensity for choosing an ARSI or taxane based on patient prognosis, as well as overall survival (OS) adjusted for physician propensity by drug class without or with knowledge of nuclear localized AR-V7 status in circulating tumor cells (CTCs).

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a significant role in neurodegenerative disease including ataxias and other movement disorders, particularly those marked by progressive degeneration in the cerebellum. In this study, we investigate the role of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) deficits in cerebellar tissue of a Purkinje cell-driven spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) mouse. Using RNA sequencing transcriptomics, OXPHOS complex assembly analysis and oxygen consumption assays, we report that in the presence of mutant polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-1, SCA1 mice display deficits in cerebellar OXPHOS complex I (NADH-coenzyme Q oxidoreductase). Complex I genes are upregulated at the time of symptom onset and upregulation persists into late stage disease; yet, functional assembly of complex I macromolecules are diminished and oxygen respiration through complex I is reduced. Acute treatment of postsymptomatic SCA1 mice with succinic acid, a complex II (succinate dehydrogenase) electron donor to bypass complex I dysfunction, ameliorated cerebellar OXPHOS dysfunction, reduced cerebellar pathology and improved motor behavior. Thus, exploration of mitochondrial dysfunction and its role in neurodegenerative ataxias, and warrants further investigation.

Purpose: While the detection of AR-V7 in circulating tumor cells (CTC) is associated with resistance to abiraterone or enzalutamide in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), it only accounts for a minority of this resistance. Neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation or chromosomal instability (CIN) may be additional mechanisms that mediate resistance. Experimental Design: PROPHECY was a multicenter prospective study of men with high-risk mCRPC starting abiraterone or enzalutamide. A secondary objective was to assess Epic CTC CIN and NE phenotypes before abiraterone or enzalutamide and at progression. The proportional hazards (PH) model was used to investigate the prognostic importance of CIN and NE in predicting progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) adjusting for CTC number (CellSearch), AR-V7, prior therapy, and clinical risk score. The PH model was utilized to validate this association of NE with OS in an external dataset of patients treated similarly at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC; New York, NY). Results: We enrolled 118 men with mCRPC starting on abiraterone or enzalutamide; 107 were evaluable on the Epic platform. Of these, 36.4% and 8.4% were CIN positive and NE positive, respectively. CIN and NE were independently associated with worse OS [HR, 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2–4.0 and HR 3.8; 95% CI, 1.2–12.3, respectively] when treated with abiraterone/enzalutamide. The prognostic significance of NE positivity for worse OS was confirmed in the MSKCC dataset (n = 173; HR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.6–12.7). Conclusions: A high CIN and NE CTC phenotype is independently associated with worse survival in men with mCRPC treated with abiraterone/enzalutamide, warranting further prospective controlled predictive studies to inform treatment decisions.

R. Dittamore are or were employees of Epic Sciences during the writing, data collection, and analysis. S.F. Bakhoum owns equity in, receives compensation from, serves as a consultant for, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board and Board of Directors of Volastra Pharmaceuticals Inc. S.F. Bakhoum has also consulted for Sanofi. H.I. Scher is a consultant/advisory board member for

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Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a significant role in the aging process and in neurodegenerative diseases including several hereditary spinocerebellar ataxias and other movement disorders marked by progressive degeneration of the cerebellum. The goal of this protocol is to assess mitochondrial dysfunction in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) and assess the efficacy of pharmacological targeting of metabolic respiration via the water-soluble compound succinic acid to slow disease progression. This approach is applicable to other cerebellar diseases and can be adapted to a host of water-soluble therapies. Ex vivo analysis of mitochondrial respiration is used to detect and quantify disease-related changes in mitochondrial function. With genetic evidence (unpublished data) and proteomic evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in the SCA1 mouse model, we evaluate the efficacy of treatment with the water-soluble metabolic booster succinic acid by dissolving this compound directly into the home cage drinking water. The ability of the drug to pass the blood brain barrier can be deduced using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The efficacy of these compounds can then be tested using multiple behavioral paradigms including the accelerating rotarod, balance beam test and footprint analysis. Cytoarchitectural integrity of the cerebellum can be assessed using immunofluorescence assays that detect Purkinje cell nuclei and Purkinje cell dendrites and soma. These methods are robust techniques for determining mitochondrial dysfunction and the efficacy of treatment with water-soluble compounds in cerebellar neurodegenerative disease.