This phase II trial tests how well canakinumab works to prevent progression to cancer in patients with clonal cytopenias of unknown significance (CCUS). CCUS is a blood condition defined by a decrease in blood cells. Blood cells are composed of either red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. In patients with CCUS, blood counts have been low for a long period of time. Patients with CCUS also have a mutation in one of the genes that are responsible for helping blood cells develop. The combination of genetic mutations and low blood cell counts puts patients with CCUS at a higher risk to develop blood cancers in the future. This transformation from low blood cell counts to cancer may be caused by inflammation in the body. Canakinumab is a monoclonal antibody that may block inflammation in the body by targeting a specific antibody called the anti-human interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta).
This study is a Phase III, Randomized, Controlled, Global Multicenter Study to Evaluate the
Efficacy and Safety of Oral Tinengotinib versus Physician's Choice in Subjects with
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR)-altered, Chemotherapy- and FGFR
Inhibitor-Refractory/Relapsed Cholangiocarcinoma
This is a Phase III open-label study to assess if camizestrant improves outcomes compared to
standard adjuvant endocrine therapy for patients with ER+/HER2- early breast cancer with
intermediate-high or high risk for disease recurrence who completed definitive locoregional
therapy (with or without chemotherapy). The planned duration of treatment in either arm
within the study will be 7 years.
This is a Phase 1, Open-Label, Dose Escalation and Expansion, Multicenter Study of Claudin
18.2-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells in Subjects with Unresectable, Locally
Advanced, or Metastatic Gastric, Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ), Esophageal, or Pancreatic
Adenocarcinoma
Eunyoung Choi, PhD, associate professor of Surgery and of Cell and Developmental Biology is the recipient of the Young Investigator Award in Basic Science from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).
Each year, the AGA honors two early-career investigators, one in basic science and one in clinical science, for their research achievements. The honorees must have held an academic faculty position for less than seven years.
The AGA honored Choi for her work defining key oncogenes critical to gastric carcinogenesis, and for identifying potential drug candidates to target gastric precancerous stem cells. Choi specializes in the cellular mechanisms that drive the evolution of precancerous cells in gastric cancer and has pioneered the use of transgenic animal and precancer organoid models.
An active AGA member, she serves as an abstract reviewer and council member for the AGA Council Cellular & Molecular Gastroenterology Section. Her accolades include the NIH/NCI Outstanding MERIT Award and the AGA-R. Robert & Sally Funderburg Research Award in Gastric Cancer, American Association for Cancer Research-Debbie’s Dream Foundation Innovation Grant, and the Vanderbilt University Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund Award.
Pelayo Correa, MD, professor emeritus of Medicine and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and John Kuriyan, PhD, dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, have been elected to the 2025 class of fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy.
John Kuriyan, PhD
The mission of the fellows of the AACR Academy is to recognize and honor extraordinary scientists whose groundbreaking contributions have driven significant innovation and progress in the fight against cancer.
Fellows of the AACR Academy constitute a global brain trust of leading experts in cancer science and medicine, working to advance the AACR’s mission to prevent and cure all cancers through research, education, collaboration, communication, advocacy and funding for cancer research.
Fellows of the AACR Academy are nominated and elected through a peer-reviewed process that rigorously evaluates each candidate’s scientific achievements and contributions to global cancer research. Only those whose work has made a profound and lasting impact on cancer research and related fields are considered for election and induction into the AACR Academy.
Correa was recognized for his “illustrious work defining the histological stages of gastric carcinogenesis through the ‘Correa Cascade’ and establishing the link between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer, fundamentally advancing the understanding of the pathology, epidemiology, and prevention of this disease.”
Kuriyan, Mary Geddes Stahlman Chair and University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Cell and Developmental Biology, was recognized for his “heralded contributions to cell signaling and kinase biology, including the elucidation of the switching mechanisms of tyrosine kinases such as SRC and EGFR, which has advanced the fundamental understanding of signal transduction regulation and informed the development of kinase-targeted therapies for cancer and other malignancies.”
Correa and Kuriyan are among 33 new fellows who will be recognized at the AACR Annual Meeting on April 25-30 in Chicago. Including this year’s class, only 375 cancer researchers have been named fellows of the AACR Academy.
Some cancer patients experience durable remissions from immune checkpoint inhibitors that spur their T cells to attack cancer cells, but these immunotherapies can also cause reactions.
One of the adverse effects of these treatments is skin reactions known as cutaneous immune-related adverse events (cirAEs), although it is not known how often they morph into a chronic condition. Research led by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center published in JAMA Dermatology provides insight into chronic cirAEs. They recommended long-term follow-up for patients by dermatologists familiar with cirAEs and consideration of corticosteroid-sparing treatment options.
“Understanding the potential for side effects to become long-lasting has been an important advance recently, and managing them more effectively is a key unmet need,” said the study’s corresponding author, Douglas Johnson, MD, MSCI, professor of Medicine, holder of the Susan and Luke Simons Directorship, and co-leader of the Translational Research and Interventional Oncology Research Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
The investigators reviewed the records of 318 patients from a previous study who had been treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Of that number, 100 or 31% developed cirAEs with the skin conditions becoming chronic for 24 of the patients — nearly 8% of the full cohort. The study looked at 21 of those patients who underwent detailed follow-up. Another 31 patients were added from Vanderbilt clinics who were treated for cirAEs.
The 52 patients had received either pembrolizumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab or anti-PD1 and CTLA4 combination therapy.
The types of skin reactions varied, with 15 experiencing pruritus or itchy skin, 12 experienced morbilliform eruptions or drug-induced skin rashes, 12 experienced dermatitis or inflamed and scaly rashes, eight experienced bullous pemphigoid-like eruptions (fluid-filled blisters that resemble a rare autoimmune skin disease), five experienced eczema, four experienced lichenoid (flat-topped, scaly lesions), two experienced psoriasiform (breakouts that resemble psoriasis), and one experienced acneiform or acne-like eruptions.
The median duration of cirAE from treatment cessation was 446 days. Rare cases lasted more than five years.
Other Vanderbilt authors on the study included the study’s lead author, Kylie Fletcher, BS, Rachel Goodman, MD, MBA, J. Randall Patrinely, MD, MBA, and Anna Dewan, MD, MHS.
The research received support from Medical Scholars at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, the Susan and Luke Simons Directorship, the James C. Bradford Jr. Fund in Melanoma Cancer Research and the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund.
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Understanding factors that contribute to the development of colorectal cancer could point to new targets for treating the disease at earlier stages, when survival rates are highest.
Nicholas Markham, MD, PhD
Nicholas Markham, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine, and colleagues are exploring how bacteria in the colon may contribute to cancer development. They previously showed that C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) isolated from human colorectal cancer samples accelerated tumorigenesis in the colon in a mouse model of intestinal cancer.
Now, they have combined single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and immunofluorescence to build a multiomic atlas of gene expression and protein abundance in C. diff-associated colorectal tumorigenesis.
They report in The Journal of Pathology that the protein DMBT1 (Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumors 1) shows striking differences in regulation in areas of the colon with inflammation versus dysplasia (abnormal cellular changes). DMBT1 is a protein with roles in mucosal immune defense and epithelial cell differentiation.
In a mouse model, the researchers found that expression of DMBT1 increases in normal absorptive colon cells exposed to C. diff, but that its expression is reduced in dysplastic areas compared to normal adjacent tissues.
Immunofluorescence studies confirmed that DMBT1 protein was downregulated in dysplastic regions from three mouse models of colonic tumorigenesis and in colorectal precancerous adenomas from human samples. Using mouse and human organoids, the researchers implicated WNT signaling in the downregulation of DMBT1 mRNA and protein.
The findings suggest that loss of DMBT1 could be a mechanistic link between bacterial infection and colorectal cancer development. Further studies will explore how DMBT1 might function to limit tumorigenesis.
Emily Green, a graduate student in the Molecular Pathology and Immunology program, is the first author of the study. Collaborators at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine contributed to the study. The research was supported by grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs (BX005699, BX002943) and the National Institutes of Health (P30DK058404, P30CA068485, R00CA230192, P50CA236733).
The growing number of pediatric and adolescent patients with cancer at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt will soon have access to expanded and upgraded space for outpatient cancer infusion treatments and clinic visits, as well as updated inpatient space — a project made possible through the generous support of individuals and businesses in the community.
The expansion and renovation, part of a philanthropic initiative, “A Campaign Against Childhood Cancer,” will also help support research and training efforts.
“When the opportunity arose to envision a space dedicated entirely to clinical care for pediatric and adolescent cancer, allowing us to accommodate even more patients and families in a more age-appropriate way, philanthropic supporters truly rallied around Monroe Carell to meet this critical need and make this vision a reality,” said Meg Rush, MD, MMHC, President of Monroe Carell. “We are so very grateful to the many individuals, families and businesses in the community who gave generously to support our children and families through this project.”
Currently, outpatient infusion happens in two large rooms on the sixth floor of Monroe Carell’s Doctors’ Office Tower (DOT), with patients of all ages seated side by side in recliners. The renovation will provide private infusion rooms and dedicated, tailored space for young children, teenagers and young adults, all of whom have different needs. Some infusion rooms will have partitions that can be lowered when patients want to interact with each other.
“We see somewhere between 250 to 300 new patients with cancer each year, and we have about 13,000 provider visits each year,” said Debra Friedman, MD, MS, director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and holder of the E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Pediatric Oncology.
“To put that into perspective, when I came here in 2008, we saw 90 (new patients each year), and we have been in the same space since then. The timing is right to expand to accommodate our growing community and patient population.”
Two years ago, Monroe Carell had a record number of visits in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, with last year’s number being about the same.
The new outpatient space will occupy the entire sixth floor of the DOT — currently it inhabits a little less than half of that floor, with the remaining half occupied by other specialties who have relocated to the eighth floor.
This current renovation is the final of a three-phase expansion that also included moving the pediatric primary care clinic from DOT to a newly constructed clinic space at Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks and renovating the eighth floor of DOT to prepare for the move of medical specialties.
ICEE machine in Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Besides the side-by-side infusion chairs, the prior outpatient space on the sixth floor of DOT had three private infusion rooms and 10 exam rooms for clinic visits.
The renovations will include 25 individual infusion spaces, with two rooms set up for patients who are getting partial exchanges of blood cells (apheresis), and 25 exam rooms.
“With each of the patients in their own infusion area, there will no longer be a young adult seated next to a 2-year-old. They’ll each have their own space but will have the ability to walk around the infusion area if they want to,” Friedman said.
“On the other hand, if there are siblings getting infusions at the same time, or kids who have become friendly with each other and want to hang out while they are getting infusions, the partition can come down so they can talk to and see each other.”
There will also be a designated consult room and a designated room where Child Life Services can meet with patients, or where patients can watch a movie or play with toys while they are getting infusions. An expanded nutrition area will be incorporated in the space with snacks and an ICEE machine.
“The new area is really patient- and family-centric and also allows us to be much more efficient in our clinic. Our growing number of patients won’t be waiting so long to be seen because we have more exam rooms to seat them,” Friedman said.
Patients and families were instrumental in planning the new space, she noted.
“We listened to what they told us. We met with them to ask if we were going to redesign this space, what would be important to them. We did this when we created the teen lounge on the sixth floor of the inpatient unit,” Friedman said. “When we talked about individual infusion rooms, we heard from several parents that they often scheduled infusions on the same day as a friend so the kids could sit next to each other and talk. Individual infusion rooms would take that away, so designing some of the rooms with the glass partition was a direct response to what we heard from multiple patients and their families.”
Lighting and decor were also chosen based on patient and family recommendations.
In addition to the outpatient space, the 31 existing rooms on 6A and 6B of the pediatric hematology/oncology area of the hospital are currently being renovated. The rooms are being updated with renovated cabinetry and an updated sleeping area for parents. There will be brighter lighting and updated hallways. Wallpaper is being removed, and the flooring will be uniform throughout.
“It will be a brighter, more modern and positive environment for our patients and families, particularly for those who have repeated visits or long inpatient visits,” Friedman said.
Many patients with cancer treated at Monroe Carell are participating in clinical trials where tests and imaging are required. The new DOT space will provide more room to accommodate this.
Part of the community’s philanthropy will also support research and training initiatives, developing the next generation of leaders who will contribute to the overall field — ultimately improving outcomes for all patients.
“All of the advances we have made in treating children with cancer have come from discovery brought to patients,” Friedman said. “Donor support allows us to have funds to further ongoing research led by faculty here at Monroe Carell and to recruit new faculty who contribute to our research, educational and patient care missions.”
Allison DeMarcus, who co-chaired this campaign with Kailey Hand, said she hopes the renovation will help both patients and their families deal with a cancer diagnosis. DeMarcus and Hand are both Monroe Carell Advisory Board members and longtime supporters of the hospital and its programs. DeMarcus is former chair of the board.
“We are thrilled that Monroe Carell will be able to offer children with cancer this renovated and expanded space for their clinic visits and infusions,” DeMarcus said. “The children treated here already receive the best care available, but they deserve to receive those treatments in a space that is as comfortable and inviting as we can possibly make it for them. It’s unbelievably hard for families to go through the experience of a child having cancer, but due to the generosity of individuals and businesses in our community, we will soon be able to offer this wonderful space as one small thing we can provide to make their experience a little easier and a little brighter.”
Friedman said the new space will be a win for everyone.
“Providing care in an atmosphere that’s more spacious and bright affects everyone’s morale — the patients, their families, and our staff and faculty. Our donors recognized that, and also the cost of those renovations, and were very generous so we were able to really do this well for our patients and families.”
