Associative learning contributes to the persistence of fatigue-like behavior in male mice in a model of cancer survivorship

Persistent fatigue is a debilitating side effect that impacts a significant proportion of cancer survivors for which there is not yet an FDA-approved treatment. While certainly a multi-factorial problem, persistent fatigue could be due, in part, to associations learned during treatment. Therefore, we sought to investigate the role of associative learning in the persistence of fatigue using a preclinical model of cancer survivorship. For this purpose, we used a murine model of human papilloma virus-related head and neck cancer paired with a curative regimen of cisplatin-based chemoradiation in male C57BL/6J mice. Fatigue-like behavior was assessed by measuring variations in voluntary wheel running using a longitudinal design. Treatment robustly decreased voluntary wheel running, and this effect persisted for more than a month posttreatment. However, when wheels were removed during treatment, to minimize treatment-related fatigue, mice showed a more rapid return to baseline running levels. We confirmed that the delayed recovery observed in mice with continual wheel access was not due to increased treatment-related toxicity, in fact running attenuated cisplatin-induced kidney toxicity. Finally, we demonstrated that re-exposure to a treatment-related olfactory cue acutely re-instated fatigue. These data provide the first demonstration that associative processes can modulate the persistence of cancer-related fatigue-like behavior.

SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Rhode Island

COVID-19 is a worldwide public health emergency caused by SARS-CoV-2. Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 emerging variants is important for pandemic monitoring and informing public health responses. Through an interstate academic-public health partnership, we established Rhode Island's capacity to sequence SARS-CoV-2 genomes and created a systematic surveillance program to monitor the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the state. We describe circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Rhode Island; provide a timeline for the emerging and expanding contribution of variants of concern (VOC) and variants of interest (VOI), from their first introduction to their eventual predominance over other lineages; and outline the frequent identification of known adaptively beneficial spike protein mutations that appear to have independently arisen in non-VOC/non-VOI lineages. Overall, the described Rhode Island- centric genomic surveillance initiative provides a valuable perspective on SARS-CoV-2 in the state and contributes data of interest for future epidemiological studies and state-to-state comparisons.

Abstract 2213: Comparison of infusion devices for hepatic artery delivery of CAR-T

We previously tested the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) treatment via hepatic artery infusion in a phase I clinical trial. Though these results were promising, our current protocol for hepatic immunotherapy for metastasis (HITM) includes transcatheter arterial embolization in order to reduce off-target toxicity from CAR-T delivery to gastric, enteric, or pancreatic tissues. Surefire Infusion System devices employ a soft fabric one way valve that prevents back-flow during hepatic artery infusion and generates a pressure gradient, which is clinically shown to increase delivery of therapeutic agents into tumor. We performed in vitro and in vivo testing in preparation for a phase Ib trial to ensure that the SIS does not adversely affect CAR-T performance. Viability, phenotype and activation status of CAR-T with no catheter (NC) and following passage through a standard microcatheter (STD), Surefire Infusion System (SIS), or Surefire Precision (SP) infusion system were tested via flow cytometry. CAR-T viability was preserved as measured by Zombie NIR. We did not detect a significant phenotype shift when examining CD4, CD8, CD25, and CD69. A CFSE assay and an LDH were done to track proliferation and measure the cytotoxicity of the CAR-T when stimulated by tumor. NC CAR-T had significantly more proliferation than each of the catheter groups. Specific Lysis was not significantly different between the NC, STD, SIS, and SP groups. We also performed in vivo testing in mice with intraperitoneal (IP) tumor with IP NC or SIS CAR-T. By Day 10, there was significantly less tumor present in the NC (5.7- fold reduction, p = 0.02) and the SIS (44- fold reduction, p = 0.04) groups than in the tumor only control group. The SIS CAR-T group and the NC CAR-T group were not significantly different (p = 0.38). The SIS and SP devices did not adversely impact CAR-T viability, phenotype, or performance implying that these catheters could be interchangeably used for more efficient and targeted CAR-T dose delivery.

In Vitro Experimental Data ExperimentNC (Control)STD (Control)SISPSViability (Zombie NIR)6%7.9% p = 0.7 vs NC7.4% p = 0.9 vs. STD9.9% p = 0.7 vs STDPhenotype (CD3+CD4+)33.1%30.6% p = 0.9 vs NC33.3% p = 0.9 vs STD21.3% p = 0.8 vs STDPhenotype (CD3+CD8+)68.8%69.5% p = 0.9 vs NC69.1% p = 0.9 vs STD66.7% p = 0.7 vs STDActivation (CD69+)34.93%32.3% p = 0.9 vs NC33% p = 0.9 vs STD25.6% p = 0.7 vs STDTreg (CD25+)35.2%36.2% p = 0.9 vs NC36.8% p = 0.6 vs STD40.5% p = 0.6 vs STDProliferation (CFSE)41.7%26.7% p = 0.005 vs NC27.3% p = 0.8 vs STD24.2% p = 0.4 vs STDCytotoxicity (LDH Assay)51.2%42.1% p = 0.1 vs NC44% p = 0.7 vs STD41.1% p = 0.9 vs STD

Citation Format: Josephine K. Darpolor, Marissa Cunetta, Matthew Lima, Jillian Gardell, Gary Point, Zhi Liu, N J. Espat, Prajna Guha, Steven Katz. Comparison of infusion devices for hepatic artery delivery of CAR-T. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2213.