The Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC) performed a retrospective analysis of 662 patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) who received a hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) as first-line treatment between 1982 and 2012 in 33 North American institutions. Overall survival was higher after HCT from matched-sibling donors (MSDs). Among recipients of non-MSD HCT, multivariate analysis showed that the SCID genotype strongly influenced survival and immune reconstitution. Overall survival was similar for patients with ,, or defects and was significantly better compared with patients with or mutations. Patients with or mutations had poorer immune reconstitution than other genotypes. Although survival did not correlate with the type of conditioning regimen, recipients of reduced-intensity or myeloablative conditioning had a lower incidence of treatment failure and better T- and B-cell reconstitution, but a higher risk for graft-versus-host disease, compared with those receiving no conditioning or immunosuppression only. Infection-free status and younger age at HCT were associated with improved survival. Typical SCID, leaky SCID, and Omenn syndrome had similar outcomes. Landmark analysis identified CD4 and CD4CD45RA cell counts at 6 and 12 months post-HCT as biomarkers predictive of overall survival and long-term T-cell reconstitution. Our data emphasize the need for patient-tailored treatment strategies depending upon the underlying SCID genotype. The prognostic significance of CD4 cell counts as early as 6 months after HCT emphasizes the importance of close follow-up of immune reconstitution to identify patients who may need additional intervention to prevent poor long-term outcome.

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a stress-inducible molecular chaperone that is required for cancer development at several steps. Targeting the active site of Hsp70 has proven relatively challenging, driving interest in alternative approaches. Hsp70 collaborates with the Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (Bag3) to promote cell survival through multiple pathways, including FoxM1. Therefore, inhibitors of the Hsp70-Bag3 protein-protein interaction (PPI) may provide a non-canonical way to target this chaperone. We report that JG-98, an allosteric inhibitor of this PPI, indeed has anti-proliferative activity (EC50 values between 0.3 and 4 μM) across cancer cell lines from multiple origins. JG-98 destabilized FoxM1 and relieved suppression of downstream effectors, including p21 and p27. Based on these findings, JG-98 was evaluated in mice for pharmacokinetics, tolerability and activity in two xenograft models. The results suggested that the Hsp70-Bag3 interaction may be a promising, new target for anti-cancer therapy.

Inhibition of the AAA ATPase, p97, was recently shown to be a novel method for targeting the ubiquitin proteasome system, and CB-5083, a first-in-class inhibitor of p97, has demonstrated broad antitumor activity in a range of both hematologic and solid tumor models. Here, we show that CB-5083 has robust activity against multiple myeloma cell lines and a number of multiple myeloma models. Treatment with CB-5083 is associated with accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, induction of the unfolded protein response, and apoptosis. CB-5083 decreases viability in multiple myeloma cell lines and patient-derived multiple myeloma cells, including those with background proteasome inhibitor (PI) resistance. CB-5083 has a unique mechanism of action that combines well with PIs, which is likely owing to the p97-dependent retro-translocation of the transcription factor, Nrf1, which transcribes proteasome subunit genes following exposure to a PI. studies using clinically relevant multiple myeloma models demonstrate that single-agent CB-5083 inhibits tumor growth and combines well with multiple myeloma standard-of-care agents. Our preclinical data demonstrate the efficacy of CB-5083 in several multiple myeloma disease models and provide the rationale for clinical evaluation as monotherapy and in combination in multiple myeloma. .

The myeloma bone marrow microenvironment promotes proliferation of malignant plasma cells and resistance to therapy. Activation of JAK/STAT signaling is thought to be a central component of these microenvironment-induced phenotypes. In a prior drug repurposing screen, we identified tofacitinib, a pan-JAK inhibitor Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for rheumatoid arthritis, as an agent that may reverse the tumor-stimulating effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells. Herein, we validated in vitro, in stromal-responsive human myeloma cell lines, and in vivo, in orthotopic disseminated xenograft models of myeloma, that tofacitinib showed efficacy in myeloma models. Furthermore, tofacitinib strongly synergized with venetoclax in coculture with bone marrow stromal cells but not in monoculture. Surprisingly, we found that ruxolitinib, an FDA approved agent targeting JAK1 and JAK2, did not lead to the same anti-myeloma effects. Combination with a novel irreversible JAK3-selective inhibitor also did not enhance ruxolitinib effects. Transcriptome analysis and unbiased phosphoproteomics revealed that bone marrow stromal cells stimulate a JAK/STAT-mediated proliferative program in myeloma cells, and tofacitinib reversed the large majority of these pro-growth signals. Taken together, our results suggest that tofacitinib reverses the growth-promoting effects of the tumor microenvironment. As tofacitinib is already FDA approved, these results can be rapidly translated into potential clinical benefits for myeloma patients.

Purpose: New therapies have changed the outlook for patients with multiple myeloma, but novel agents are needed for patients who are refractory or relapsed on currently approved drug classes. Novel targets other than CD38 and BCMA are needed for new immunotherapy development, as resistance to daratumumab and emerging anti-BCMA approaches appears inevitable. One potential target of interest in myeloma is ICAM1. Naked anti-ICAM1 antibodies were active in preclinical models of myeloma and safe in patients, but showed limited clinical efficacy. Here, we sought to achieve improved targeting of multiple myeloma with an anti-ICAM1 antibody–drug conjugate (ADC). Experimental Design: Our anti-ICAM1 human mAb was conjugated to an auristatin derivative, and tested against multiple myeloma cell lines in vitro, orthotopic xenografts in vivo, and patient samples ex vivo. The expression of ICAM1 was also measured by quantitative flow cytometry in patients spanning from diagnosis to the daratumumab-refractory state. Results: The anti-ICAM1 ADC displayed potent anti-myeloma cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we have verified that ICAM1 is highly expressed on myeloma cells and shown that its expression is further accentuated by the presence of bone marrow microenvironmental factors. In primary samples, ICAM1 is differentially overexpressed on multiple myeloma cells compared with normal cells, including daratumumab-refractory patients with decreased CD38. In addition, ICAM1-ADC showed selective cytotoxicity in multiple myeloma primary samples. Conclusions: We propose that anti-ICAM1 ADC should be further studied for toxicity, and if safe, tested for clinical efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

28The myeloma bone marrow microenvironment promotes proliferation of malignant plasma cells 29 and resistance to therapy. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and downstream JAK/STAT signaling are thought 30 to be central components of these microenvironment-induced phenotypes. In a prior drug 31 repurposing screen, we identified tofacitinib, a pan-JAK inhibitor FDA-approved for rheumatoid 32 arthritis, as an agent that may reverse the tumor-stimulating effects of bone marrow 33 mesenchymal stromal cells. Here, we validated both in vitro, in stromal-responsive human 34 myeloma cell lines, and in vivo, in orthotopic disseminated murine xenograft models of 35 myeloma, that tofacitinib showed both single-agent and combination therapeutic efficacy in 36 myeloma models. Surprisingly, we found that ruxolitinib, an FDA-approved agent targeting 37 JAK1 and JAK2, did not lead to the same anti-myeloma effects. Combination with a novel 38 irreversible JAK3-selective inhibitor also did not enhance ruxolitinib effects. RNA-seq and 39 unbiased phosphoproteomics revealed that marrow stromal cells stimulate a JAK/STAT-40 mediated proliferative program in myeloma plasma cells, and tofacitinib reversed the large 41 majority of these pro-growth signals. Taken together, our results suggest that tofacitinib 42 specifically reverses the growth-promoting effects of the tumor microenvironment through 43blocking an IL-6-mediated signaling axis. As tofacitinib is already FDA-approved, these results 44 can be rapidly translated into potential clinical benefits for myeloma patients. 45 46 47 . CC-BY 4.0 International license It is made available under a (which was not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a prototypical neoplasm for the study of tumor-microenvironment interactions and influences on drug response. These interactions within the bone marrow (BM) alter the signaling state of MM cells and their relative dependence on pharmacological targets. Conversely, many efforts to identify and validate drug targets in MM are conducted outside of this context. This raises the possibility that systematic re-evaluation of the current pharmacopeia may identify drugs with previously unappreciated capacity for targeting MM cells within the marrow environment. To this end, we utilized the compartment-specific bioluminescence platform (CS-BLI) to characterize the activity of 2,684 FDA-approved drugs from The Johns Hopkins Drug Library (JHDL) in three distinct MM subtypes, in the presence or absence of patient-derived CD138-negative bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Anti-MM activity was evaluated at 100 nM concentrations over 72 h in MM1S (t(14;16), KRASG12A, TRAF3LOF), L363 (t(20;22), NRASQ61H, p53S261T), and OPM2 (t(4;14), FGFRK560E, p53R175H) lines. These lines demonstrate phenotypes of strong, medium, and low BMSC-induced growth enhancement, respectively. Active drugs were placed into 4 categories: type 1 - having potent anti-MM activity independent of BMSC interactions (no stromal effect), type 2 - having anti-MM activity only in the presence of BMSCs (stroma-dependent "synthetic lethality"), type 3 - having anti-MM activity that is decreased in the context of BMSCs (stroma-dependent resistance), and type 4 - otherwise inactive agents that demonstrate pro-MM activity in context of BMSCs (stroma-dependent stimulants). In this study, for MM1S, L363, and OPM2, respectively, we identified 103, 118, and 108 type 1 drugs, 217, 105, and 76 type 2 drugs, 128, 75, and 16 type 3 drugs, and 124, 33, and 38 type 4 drugs. For each category of drug phenotype, we assessed overlap across the three MM cell lines. We observed high degree of overlap for type 1 drugs (67 drugs active in all three models), while more diversity between lines was evident across the 3 lines for type 2-4 drugs, whose activity is altered by interaction with BMSCs (Figure 1). Specifically, focusing on agents demonstrating BMSC-associated stimulation, adrenergic drugs consistently stimulated MM growth in context of BMSCs, while glucocorticoids consistently grouped as type 3 agents (demonstrating BMSC-associated resistance). Interestingly, carfilzomib was also subject to BMSC-associated resistance. Despite differences in drugs demonstrating stroma-induced lethality across the MM cell lines, salicylates were commonly represented in this category. In addition to the salicylates, tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, demonstrated a strong capacity to elicit a stroma-dependent synthetic lethal phenotype and ruxolitinib, another inhibitor in the same class, showed a similar, yet distinct pattern of stroma-mediated sensitization. In conjunction with our screen, we performed an RNA-seq analysis to assess differential gene expression between MM in monoculture vs. in co-culture with BMSCs. Expression analysis revealed 4.0 fold increase in JAK3 expression induced by co-culture with primary BMSCs, as well as induction of a STAT3 transcription factor fingerprint by ChIP-seq enrichment analysis. A detailed dose-response analysis of tofacitinib revealed no anti-MM activity against MM cells in isolation at physiological concentrations, but showed typical sigmoidal log-dose response dynamics in the presence of stroma and a dynamic range that completely abrogated the growth advantage attributable to stromal stimulation. This phenomenon of BMSC-dependent pharmacology identifies tofacitinib as an intriguing candidate for repurposing as an agent demonstrating stroma-induced synthetic lethality against MM. Further evaluation of this agent in combination with other anti-MM agents, like bortezomib, is also warranted. Taken together, this study demonstrates specific anti-MM activity for a wide array of clinically relevant drugs and drug classes in the context of BM microenvironment interactions and provides context for further validation and potential suitability for repurposing to treat MM within the medullary compartment. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures Aftab: Cleave Biosciences, Inc.: Research Funding; Omniox, Inc.: Research Funding; Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership; Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Research Funding. Off Label Use: The use of tofacitinib citrate and ruxolitinib will be discussed in preclinical contexts for treatment of multiple myeloma. Other approved drugs and drug classes will be generally presented in similar off-label context..

When comparing unscarred with scarred uterine rupture, there were no major differences in perinatal outcome, but maternal morbidity was significantly higher in unscarred uterine rupture.