Purpose of Review Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. While cardiac injury has been demonstrated in critically ill COVID-19 patients, the mechanism of injury remains unclear. Here, we review our current knowledge of the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and the potential mechanisms of myocardial injury due to viral toxicities and host immune responses. Recent Findings A number of studies have reported an epidemiological association between history of cardiac disease and worsened outcome during COVID infection. Development of new onset myocardial injury during COVID-19 also increases mortality. While limited data exist, potential mechanisms of cardiac injury include direct viral entry through the angiotensinconverting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and toxicity in host cells, hypoxia-related myocyte injury, and immune-mediated cytokine release syndrome. Potential treatments for reducing viral infection and excessive immune responses are also discussed. Summary COVID patients with cardiac disease history or acquire new cardiac injury are at an increased risk for in-hospital morbidity and mortality. More studies are needed to address the mechanism of cardiotoxicity and the treatments that can minimize permanent damage to the cardiovascular system.

BACKGROUND We sought to determine the effect of chemotherapy on the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in premenopausal and postmenopausal women undergoing (neo) adjuvant therapy for early stage breast cancer. METHODS Eighty-six women with early stage (I-III) breast cancer who were free from clinically diagnosed MetS (defined as three out of five components of MetS) were prospectively tested for presence of the five components of MetS within one week before initiating and after completing (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy. The five components of MetS measured were waist circumference, blood pressure, and fasting levels of blood glucose, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Anthropometrics (body weight, percent body fat, fat mass), lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), glucose metabolism (insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, glycated hemoglobin), and inflammation (C-reactive protein) were also examined before initiating and after completing treatment. RESULTS The study included 46 premenopausal and 40 postmenopausal women. All individual MetS components and overall MetS score were statistically significantly increased (p<0.01) after chemotherapy. Body weight, percent body fat, fat mass, lipids, glucose metabolism, and inflammation were also statistically significantly increased (p<0.01). CONCLUSION A 12–18 week course of chemotherapy statistically significantly increases MetS and related anthropometrics, biomarkers of glucose metabolism, and inflammation in early stage breast cancer patients with no pre-existing MetS. Lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise may be preventive approaches to employ during chemotherapy to reduce the onset of MetS in breast cancer patients.

BackgroundHerceptin (trastuzumab) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is approved for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients whose tumors overexpress Her2 (erbB2/neu). Up to 70% of Her2-positive breast cancers demonstrate a response to Herceptin-based therapies, but resistance almost inevitably arises within a year of the initial response. To help understand the mechanism of Herceptin resistance, we isolated clonal variants of Her2-positive BT474 human breast cancer cells (BT/HerR) that are highly resistant to Herceptin. These cell lines exhibit sustained PI3K/Akt signaling as an essential component of Herceptin-resistant proliferation. Several genes in the protein kinase A (PKA) signaling network have altered expression in BT/HerR cells, including PPP1R1B, which encodes a 32 kDa protein known as Darpp-32 and its amino-terminal truncated variant, t-Darpp. The purpose of the current work was to determine the role of Darpp-32 and t-Darpp in Herceptin resistance.Methodology and ResultsWe determined expression of Darpp-32 and t-Darpp in BT/HerR cells selected for resistance to Herceptin. Subsequently, cDNAs encoding the two isoforms of Darpp-32 were transfected, separately and together, into Her2-positive SK-Br-3 breast cancer cells. Transfected cells were tested for resistance to Herceptin and Herceptin-mediated dephosphorylation of Akt. DNA binding activity by the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) was also measured. We found that BT/HerR cells overexpressed t-Darpp but not Darpp-32. Moreover, t-Darpp overexpression in SK-Br-3 cells was sufficient for conferring resistance to Herceptin and Herceptin-mediated dephosphorylation of Akt. Darpp-32 co-expression reversed t-Darpp's effects on Herceptin resistance and Akt phosphorylation. t-Darpp overexpression led to increased CREB binding activity, which was also reversible by Darpp-32.Conclusionst-Darpp and Darpp-32 appear to have antagonistic effects on Herceptin resistance. We present a unified model by which these effects might be mediated via the PKA regulatory network.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) attenuate mechanisms of self-tolerance in the immune system, enabling T cell responses to cancerous tissues and revolutionizing care for cancer patients. However, by lowering barriers against self-reactivity, ICIs often result in varying degrees of autoimmunity. Cardiovascular complications, particularly myocarditis but also arrhythmias, pericarditis, and vasculitis, have emerged as significant complications associated with ICIs. In this review, we examine the clinical aspects and basic science principles that underlie ICI-associated myocarditis and other cardiovascular toxicities. In addition, we discuss current therapeutic approaches. We believe a better mechanistic understanding of ICI-associated toxicities can lead to improved patient outcomes by reducing treatment-related morbidity. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 61 is January 8, 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Our findings suggest that female patients reported more distress, anxiety, and depression than male patients. Gender differences were related to problem-related distress but not to grade of neoplasm. We observed that, over the course of chemotherapy, the distress levels of patients with hematological cancer decrease over time.