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Du Y, Xu J. Engineered Bifunctional Proteins for Targeted Cancer Therapy: Prospects and Challenges. Adv Mater 2021; 33:e2103114. [PMID: 34585802 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202103114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bifunctional proteins (BFPs) are a class of therapeutic agents produced through genetic engineering and protein engineering, and are increasingly used to treat various human diseases, including cancer. These proteins usually have two or more biological functions-specifically recognizing different molecular targets to regulate the related signaling pathways, or mediating effector molecules/cells to kill tumor cells. Unlike conventional small-molecule or single-target drugs, BFPs possess stronger biological activity but lower systemic toxicity. Hence, BFPs are considered to offer many benefits for the treatment of heterogeneous tumors. In this review, the authors briefly describe the unique structural feature of BFP molecules and innovatively divide them into bispecific antibodies, cytokine-based BFPs (immunocytokines), and protein toxin-based BFPs (immunotoxins) according to their mode of action. In addition, the latest advances in the development of BFPs are discussed and the potential limitations or problems in clinical applications are outlined. Taken together, future studies need to be centered on understanding the characteristics of BFPs for optimizing and designing more effective such drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Du
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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2
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Ghalamfarsa F, Khatami SH, Vakili O, Taheri-Anganeh M, Tajbakhsh A, Savardashtaki A, Fazli Y, Uonaki LR, Shabaninejad Z, Movahedpour A, Ghalamfarsa G. Bispecific antibodies in colorectal cancer therapy: recent insights and emerging concepts. Immunotherapy 2021; 13:1355-1367. [PMID: 34641708 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2021-0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is identified as a life-threatening malignancy. Despite several efforts and proceedings available for CRC therapy, it is still a health concern. Among a vast array of novel therapeutic procedures, employing bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) is currently considered to be a promising approach for cancer therapy. BsAbs, as a large family of molecules designed to realize two distinct epitopes or antigens, can be beneficial microgadgets to target the tumor-associated antigen pairs. On the other hand, applying the immune system's capabilities to attack malignant cells has been proven as a tremendous development in cancer therapeutic projects. The current study has attempted to overview some of the approved BsAbs in CRC therapy and those under clinical trials. For this purpose, reputable scientific search engines and databases, such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Scopus, etc., were explored using the keywords 'bispecific antibodies', 'colorectal cancer', 'immunotherapy' and 'tumor markers'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farideh Ghalamfarsa
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyyed Hossein Khatami
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Omid Vakili
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mortaza Taheri-Anganeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amir Tajbakhsh
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amir Savardashtaki
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Yousef Fazli
- Dena Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Leila Rezaei Uonaki
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Science, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Shabaninejad
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Movahedpour
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ghasem Ghalamfarsa
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
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Acheampong DO. Bispecific Antibody (bsAb) Construct Formats and their Application in Cancer Therapy. Protein Pept Lett 2019; 26:479-493. [DOI: 10.2174/0929866526666190311163820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Development of cancers mostly involves more than one signal pathways, because of the complicated nature of cancer cells. As such, the most effective treatment option is the one that stops the cancer cells in their tracks by targeting these signal pathways simultaneously. This explains why therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeted at cancers exert utmost activity when two or more are used as combination therapy. This notwithstanding, studies elsewhere have proven that when bispecific antibody (bsAb) is engineered from two conventional monoclonal antibodies or their chains, it produces better activity than when used as combination therapy. This therefore presents bispecific antibody (bsAb) as the appropriate and best therapeutic agent for the treatment of such cancers. This review therefore discusses the various engineering formats for bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) and their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desmond O. Acheampong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, College of Health and Allied Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
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Kobold S, Pantelyushin S, Rataj F, Vom Berg J. Rationale for Combining Bispecific T Cell Activating Antibodies With Checkpoint Blockade for Cancer Therapy. Front Oncol 2018; 8:285. [PMID: 30090763 PMCID: PMC6068270 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells have been established as core effectors for cancer therapy; this has moved the focus of therapeutic endeavors to effectively enhance or restore T cell tumoricidal activity rather than directly target cancer cells. Both antibodies targeting the checkpoint inhibitory molecules programmed death receptor 1 (PD1), PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic lymphocyte activated antigen 4 (CTLA4), as well as bispecific antibodies targeting CD3 and CD19 are now part of the standard of care. In particular, antibodies to checkpoint molecules have gained broad approval in a number of solid tumor indications, such as melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer based on their unparalleled efficacy. In contrast, the efficacy of bispecific antibody-derivatives is much more limited and evidence is emerging that their activity is regulated through diverse checkpoint molecules. In either case, both types of compounds have their limitations and most patients will not benefit from them in the long run. A major aspect under investigation is the lack of baseline antigen-specific T cells in certain patient groups, which is thought to render responses to checkpoint inhibition less likely. On the other hand, bispecific antibodies are also restricted by induced T cell anergy. Based on these considerations, combination of bispecific antibody mediated on-target T cell activation and reversal of anergy bears high promise. Here, we will review current evidence for such combinatorial approaches, as well as ongoing clinical investigations in this area. We will also discuss potential evidence-driven future avenues for testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Kobold
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Felicitas Rataj
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Vom Berg
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract
The ability to produce monoclonal antibodies with defined and distinct specificities has resulted in a vast spectrum of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies including bispecific antibodies (BsAbs). Several types of BsAbs have been produced but the most well-known of these are trispecific antibodies (TrAbs or TrioMabs) and bispecific T cell engager antibodies (BiTE). TrAbs have two variable segments for antigen binding and an Fc component to recruit immune cells. Catumaxomab is a TrAb that has orphan drug status from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for EpCam positive gastric and ovarian tumors and was previously approved by the European Medicinal Agency (EMA) for the same indication. One arm of catumaxomab binds to EpCAM, the other binds to CD3 on T cells and the Fc portion recruits immune cells. Catumaxomab is no longer being produced by the manufacturer due to logistic considerations and hence not available in the European market. Blinatumomab is a BiTE that comprises of two variable segments only with one arm binding to CD19 and the other binding to CD3. Blinatumomab has been approved for relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor ALL in adults and children by the FDA. There are over 50 bispecific antibodies currently on clinical trials for various malignancies and the hope is that in the future many of these, with better understanding of principles and techniques of production, will provide treatment options for many different types of cancer.
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Baker LCJ, Boult JKR, Thomas M, Koehler A, Nayak T, Tessier J, Ooi CH, Birzele F, Belousov A, Zajac M, Horn C, LeFave C, Robinson SP. Acute tumour response to a bispecific Ang-2-VEGF-A antibody: insights from multiparametric MRI and gene expression profiling. Br J Cancer 2016; 115:691-702. [PMID: 27529514 PMCID: PMC5023775 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2016.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To assess antivascular effects, and evaluate clinically translatable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers of tumour response in vivo, following treatment with vanucizumab, a bispecific human antibody against angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). METHODS Colo205 colon cancer xenografts were imaged before and 5 days after treatment with a single 10 mg kg(-1) dose of either vanucizumab, bevacizumab (anti-human VEGF-A), LC06 (anti-murine/human Ang-2) or omalizumab (anti-human IgE control). Volumetric response was assessed using T2-weighted MRI, and diffusion-weighted, dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and susceptibility contrast MRI used to quantify tumour water diffusivity (apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), × 10(6) mm(2) s(-1)), vascular perfusion/permeability (K(trans), min(-1)) and fractional blood volume (fBV, %) respectively. Pathological correlates were sought, and preliminary gene expression profiling performed. RESULTS Treatment with vanucizumab, bevacizumab or LC06 induced a significant (P<0.01) cytolentic response compared with control. There was no significant change in tumour ADC in any treatment group. Uptake of Gd-DTPA was restricted to the tumour periphery in all post-treatment groups. A significant reduction in tumour K(trans) (P<0.05) and fBV (P<0.01) was determined 5 days after treatment with vanucizumab only. This was associated with a significant (P<0.05) reduction in Hoechst 33342 uptake compared with control. Gene expression profiling identified 20 human genes exclusively regulated by vanucizumab, 6 of which are known to be involved in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Vanucizumab is a promising antitumour and antiangiogenic treatment, whose antivascular activity can be monitored using DCE and susceptibility contrast MRI. Differential gene expression in vanucizumab-treated tumours is regulated by the combined effect of Ang-2 and VEGF-A inhibition.
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MESH Headings
- Adenocarcinoma/blood supply
- Adenocarcinoma/diagnostic imaging
- Adenocarcinoma/drug therapy
- Adenocarcinoma/pathology
- Angiogenesis Inhibitors/immunology
- Angiogenesis Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Angiopoietin-2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Angiopoietin-2/immunology
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bispecific/therapeutic use
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
- Bevacizumab/therapeutic use
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Colonic Neoplasms/blood supply
- Colonic Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
- Colonic Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Colonic Neoplasms/pathology
- DNA Replication/drug effects
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Humans
- Immunoglobulin E/immunology
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods
- Mice
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/diagnostic imaging
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/drug therapy
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/pathology
- Omalizumab/therapeutic use
- Tumor Burden
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/antagonists & inhibitors
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/immunology
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren CJ Baker
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Imaging Centre, Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Jessica KR Boult
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Imaging Centre, Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Markus Thomas
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center, Penzberg DE-82377, Germany
| | - Astrid Koehler
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center, Penzberg DE-82377, Germany
| | - Tapan Nayak
- Roche pRED, Roche Innovation Center, Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Jean Tessier
- Roche pRED, Roche Innovation Center, Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Chia-Huey Ooi
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center, Penzberg DE-82377, Germany
| | - Fabian Birzele
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center, Penzberg DE-82377, Germany
| | - Anton Belousov
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center, Penzberg DE-82377, Germany
| | | | - Carsten Horn
- Roche pRED, Roche Innovation Center, Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Clare LeFave
- Roche pRED, Roche Innovation Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Simon P Robinson
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Imaging Centre, Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
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Kloepper J, Riedemann L, Amoozgar Z, Seano G, Susek K, Yu V, Dalvie N, Amelung RL, Datta M, Song JW, Askoxylakis V, Taylor JW, Lu-Emerson C, Batista A, Kirkpatrick ND, Jung K, Snuderl M, Muzikansky A, Stubenrauch KG, Krieter O, Wakimoto H, Xu L, Munn LL, Duda DG, Fukumura D, Batchelor TT, Jain RK. Ang-2/VEGF bispecific antibody reprograms macrophages and resident microglia to anti-tumor phenotype and prolongs glioblastoma survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:4476-81. [PMID: 27044098 PMCID: PMC4843473 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1525360113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway has failed to improve overall survival of patients with glioblastoma (GBM). We previously showed that angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) overexpression compromised the benefit from anti-VEGF therapy in a preclinical GBM model. Here we investigated whether dual Ang-2/VEGF inhibition could overcome resistance to anti-VEGF treatment. We treated mice bearing orthotopic syngeneic (Gl261) GBMs or human (MGG8) GBM xenografts with antibodies inhibiting VEGF (B20), or Ang-2/VEGF (CrossMab, A2V). We examined the effects of treatment on the tumor vasculature, immune cell populations, tumor growth, and survival in both the Gl261 and MGG8 tumor models. We found that in the Gl261 model, which displays a highly abnormal tumor vasculature, A2V decreased vessel density, delayed tumor growth, and prolonged survival compared with B20. In the MGG8 model, which displays a low degree of vessel abnormality, A2V induced no significant changes in the tumor vasculature but still prolonged survival. In both the Gl261 and MGG8 models A2V reprogrammed protumor M2 macrophages toward the antitumor M1 phenotype. Our findings indicate that A2V may prolong survival in mice with GBM by reprogramming the tumor immune microenvironment and delaying tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kloepper
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Lars Riedemann
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Zohreh Amoozgar
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Giorgio Seano
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Katharina Susek
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Veronica Yu
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Nisha Dalvie
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Robin L Amelung
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Meenal Datta
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
| | - Jonathan W Song
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Vasileios Askoxylakis
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Jennie W Taylor
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114; Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Christine Lu-Emerson
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114; Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Ana Batista
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Nathaniel D Kirkpatrick
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Keehoon Jung
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Matija Snuderl
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Alona Muzikansky
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Kay G Stubenrauch
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Krieter
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Hiroaki Wakimoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | | | - Lance L Munn
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Dan G Duda
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Dai Fukumura
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Tracy T Batchelor
- Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114;
| | - Rakesh K Jain
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114;
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