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Mismatch repair (MMR) deficiencies are a hallmark of various cancers causing accumulation of DNA mutations and mismatches, which often results in chemotherapy resistance. Metalloinsertor complexes, including [Rh(chrysi)(phen)(PPO)]Cl₂ (Rh-PPO), specifically target DNA mismatches and selectively induce cytotoxicity within MMR-deficient cells. Here, we present an in vivo analysis of Rh-PPO, our most potent metalloinsertor. Studies with HCT116 xenograft tumors revealed a 25% reduction in tumor volume and 12% increase in survival with metalloinsertor treatment (1 mg/kg; nine intraperitoneal doses over 20 d). When compared to oxaliplatin, Rh-PPO displays ninefold higher potency at tumor sites. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed rapid absorption of Rh-PPO in plasma with notable accumulation in the liver compared to tumors. Additionally, intratumoral metalloinsertor administration resulted in enhanced anticancer effects, pointing to a need for more selective delivery methods. Overall, these data show that Rh-PPO inhibits xenograft tumor growth, supporting the strategy of using Rh-PPO as a chemotherapeutic targeted to MMR-deficient cancers.

There is a strong need for multispecific antibodies that possess favorable clinical properties and can be generated through a simple and efficient process. Here, we repurpose the native IgG Fc–FcγR interaction into a universal, covalent docking site using only a single engineered disulfide bond, providing a simple solution to bypass the complex, bespoke engineering typically required for multispecific antibody design. The resulting Fc–FcγR complex forms a homodimeric Fc with one ligand, with the FcγR offering both N- and C-termini for independent functionalization, enabling single- or dual-payload formats, including masked designs for conditional activation. Introducing the disulfide between Fc (A330C) and FcγRIIIa (I106C) yields stable, covalently linked complexes that do not require post-expression modification, are compatible with standard mammalian expression, and support payloads such as anti-CD3, anti-CD28, IL-2, and protease-activated IL-2. These compounds exhibit potent, antigen-selective cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, with tunable avidity and reduced off-target activity. This plug-and-play platform overcomes key developability bottlenecks and enables rapid, scalable creation of next-generation antibody therapeutics. The manufacture of multispecific antibodies can require complex engineering. Here, the authors develop Fc-FcγR disulfide-linked complexes that can be used for modular delivery of diverse payloads.

Patients undergoing resection of renal cell carcinoma are at risk of disease relapse. We evaluated the effectiveness of the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor everolimus administered after surgery. In this randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial, we enrolled adults with histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma who had undergone a full surgical resection and were at intermediate-high or very high risk of recurrence at 398 academic and community institution centres in the USA. After nephrectomy, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a central web-based application using a dynamic balancing algorithm to receive 10 mg oral everolimus daily or placebo for 54 weeks. The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival. Efficacy analyses included all eligible, randomly assigned patients; safety analysis included all patients who received treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01120249 and is closed to new participants. Between April 1, 2011, and Sept 15, 2016, a total of 1545 patients were randomly assigned to receive everolimus (n=775) or placebo (n=770), of whom 755 assigned to everolimus and 744 assigned to placebo were eligible for inclusion in the efficacy analysis. With a median follow-up of 76 months (IQR 61–92), recurrence-free survival was longer with everolimus than with placebo (5-year recurrence-free survival 67% [95% CI 63–70] vs 63% [60–67]; stratified log-rank p=0·050; stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·85, 95% CI 0·72–1·00; p=0·051) but did not meet the prespecified p value for statistical significance of 0·044. Recurrence-free survival was longer with everolimus than with placebo in the very-high-risk group (HR 0·79, 95% CI 0·65–0·97; p=0·022) but not in the intermediate-high-risk group (0·99, 0·73–1·35; p=0·96). Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 343 (46%) of 740 patients who received everolimus and 79 (11%) of 723 who received placebo. Postoperative everolimus did not improve recurrence-free survival compared with placebo among patients with renal cell carcinoma at high risk of recurrence after nephrectomy. These results do not support the adjuvant use of everolimus for renal cell carcinoma after surgery. US National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, National Clinical Trials Network, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, and The Hope Foundation.

Prophylactic immunosuppressants for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT), including post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), exhibit complex pharmacokinetic profiles. Interindividual variations in pharmacokinetic exposure to these immunosuppressants or their metabolites may interfere with treatment outcomes. A feasibility study (n = 11) was conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship in patients undergoing HLA-haploidentical alloHCT with standard high-dose PTCy (50 mg·kg ·day on days +3/+4) combined with MMF and tacrolimus or sirolimus. Blood samples were collected to assess the variability in pharmacokinetic biomarkers, including exposures [areas under the curve (AUCs)] to cyclophosphamide (Cy), carboxycyclophosphamide (cepm), -dechloroethyl cyclophosphamide (dccy), 4-ketocyclophosphamide (ketocy), mycophenolic acid (MPA), and mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG). Serial dynamic changes in immune cell populations, including regulatory T cells (Tregs), over the first 3 post-transplant weeks were monitored. A transient reduction in the proliferation (Ki-67 ) of activated (HLA-DR ) T cells coincided with Cy treatment. The ratio of Tregs to the CD4 T-cell population increased in a time-dependent manner within the first 21 days post-transplant. We observed moderate interindividual variability across all pharmacokinetic biomarkers. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels positively correlated with exposure to Cy and MMF metabolites, including cepm, MPA, and MPAG. Using correlation analysis, we further confirmed the negative association between pharmacokinetic (PK) biomarkers and lymphocyte count, but not Treg percentage, suggesting that careful optimization of Cy and MMF dosing may have the potential to support immune recovery, although this requires further validation in larger studies. The relationship of pharmacokinetic biomarkers to immune and clinical outcomes warrants further investigation in larger studies but holds promise for personalizing dosing of GVHD prophylaxis to improve patient outcomes after alloHCT.

The interplay of positive and negative interactions between drug-sensitive and resistant cells influences the effectiveness of treatment in heterogeneous cancer cell populations. Here, we study interactions between estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell lineages that are sensitive and resistant to ribociclib-induced cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibition. In mono- and coculture, we find that sensitive cells grow and compete more effectively in the absence of treatment. During treatment with ribociclib, sensitive cells survive and proliferate better when grown together with resistant cells than when grown in monoculture, termed facilitation in ecology. Molecular, protein, and genomic analyses show that resistant cells increase metabolism and production of estradiol, a highly active estrogen metabolite, and increase estrogen signaling in sensitive cells to promote facilitation in coculture. Adding estradiol in monoculture provides sensitive cells with increased resistance to therapy and cancels facilitation in coculture. Under partial inhibition of estrogen signaling through low-dose endocrine therapy, estradiol supplied by resistant cells facilitates sensitive cell growth. However, a more complete blockade of estrogen signaling, through higher-dose endocrine therapy, diminished the facilitative growth of sensitive cells. Mathematical modeling quantifies the strength of competition and facilitation during CDK4/6 inhibition and predicts that blocking facilitation has the potential to control both resistant and sensitive cancer cell populations and inhibit the emergence of a refractory population during cell cycle therapy. In cancer, interactions between treatment-sensitive and resistant cells can influence the effectiveness of therapies. Here, the authors use experimental and mathematical models to explore interactions between ER+ breast cancer cell lineages that are sensitive or resistant to CDK4/6 inhibition, revealing the role of facilitative growth.

Cytochrome P450 3A4 is an important mediator of drug catabolism that can be regulated by the steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR). We show here that SXR also regulates drug efflux by activating expression of the gene MDR1 , which encodes the protein P-glycoprotein (ABCB1). Paclitaxel (Taxol), a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, activated SXR and enhanced P-glycoprotein–mediated drug clearance. In contrast, docetaxel (Taxotere), a closely related antineoplastic agent, did not activate SXR and displayed superior pharmacokinetic properties. Docetaxel's silent properties reflect its inability to displace transcriptional corepressors from SXR. We also found that ET-743, a potent antineoplastic agent, suppressed MDR1 transcription by acting as an inhibitor of SXR. These findings demonstrate how the molecular activities of SXR can be manipulated to control drug clearance.

Cancer progression and mortality remain challenging because of current obstacles and limitations in cancer treatment. Continuous efforts are being made to explore complementary and alternative approaches to alleviate the suffering of cancer patients. Epidemiological and nutritional studies have indicated that consuming botanical foods is linked to a lower risk of cancer incidence and/or improved cancer prognosis after diagnosis. From these observations, a variety of preclinical and clinical studies have been carried out to evaluate the potential of botanical food products as anticancer medicines. Unfortunately, many investigations have been poorly designed, and encouraging preclinical results have not been translated into clinical success. Botanical products contain a wide variety of chemicals, making them more difficult to study than traditional drugs. In this review, with the consideration of the regulatory framework of the USFDA, we share our collective experiences and lessons learned from 20 years of defining anticancer foods, focusing on the critical aspects of preclinical studies that are required for an IND application, as well as the checkpoints needed for early-phase clinical trials. We recommend a developmental pipeline that is based on mechanisms and clinical considerations.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are tumor tropic and can be genetically modified to produce anti-cancer therapies locally in the brain. In a prior first-in-human study we demonstrated that a single dose of intracerebrally administered allogeneic NSCs, which were retrovirally transduced to express cytosine deaminase (CD), tracked to glioma sites and converted oral 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The next step in the clinical development of this NSC-based anti-cancer strategy was to assess the feasibility of administering multiple intracerebral doses of CD-expressing NSCs (CD-NSCs) in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas. CD-NSCs were given every 2 weeks using an indwelling brain catheter, followed each time by a 7-d course of oral 5-FC (and leucovorin in the final patient cohort). Fifteen evaluable patients received a median of 4 (range 2–10) intracerebral CD-NSC doses; doses were escalated from 50 × 106 to 150 × 106 CD-NSCs. Neuropharmacokinetic data confirmed that CD-NSCs continuously produced 5-FU in the brain during the course of 5-FC. There were no clinical signs of immunogenicity, and only three patients developed anti-NSC antibodies. Our results suggest intracerebral administration of serial doses of CD-NSCs is safe and feasible and identified a recommended dose for phase II testing of 150 × 106 CD-NSCs.

Summary Patients with advanced solid malignancies were enrolled to an open-label, single-arm, dose-escalation study, in which CRLX101 was administered intravenously over 60 min among two dosing schedules, initially weekly at 6, 12, and 18 mg/m 2 and later bi-weekly at 12, 15, and 18 mg/m 2 . The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was determined at 15 mg/m 2 bi-weekly, and an expansion phase 2a study was completed. Patient samples were obtained for pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) assessments. Response was evaluated per RECIST criteria v1.0 every 8 weeks. Sixty-two patients (31 male; median age 63 years, range 39–79) received treatment. Bi-weekly dosing was generally well tolerated with myelosuppression being the dose-limiting toxicity. Among all phase 1/2a patients receiving the MTD ( n  = 44), most common grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia and fatigue. Evidence of systemic plasma exposure to both the polymer-conjugated and unconjugated CPT was observed in all treated patients. Mean elimination unconjugated CPT T max values ranged from 17.7 to 24.5 h, and maximum plasma concentrations and areas under the curve were generally proportional to dose for both polymer-conjugated and unconjugated CPT. Best overall response was stable disease in 28 patients (64 %) treated at the MTD and 16 (73 %) of a subset of NSCLC patients. Median progression-free survival (PFS) for patients treated at the MTD was 3.7 months and for the subset of NSCLC patients was 4.4 months. These combined phase 1/2a data demonstrate encouraging safety, pharmacokinetic, and efficacy results. Multinational phase 2 clinical development of CRLX101 across multiple tumor types is ongoing.

Background In a previously reported Phase I trial, we observed therapy‐associated declines in circulating myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) with the administration of white button mushroom (WBM) tablets in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. These observations led us to hypothesise that WBM could mitigate PCa progression by suppressing MDSCs. Methods We performed bidirectional translational research to examine the immunomodulatory effects of WBM consumption in both syngeneic murine PCa models and patients with PCa participating in an ongoing randomised Phase II trial (NCT04519879). Results In murine models, WBM treatment significantly suppressed tumour growth with a reduction in both the number and function of MDSCs, which in turn promoted antitumour immune responses mediated by T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. In patients, after consumption of WBM tablets for 3 months, we observed a decline in circulating polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN‐MDSCs), along with an increase in cytotoxic CD8+ T and NK cells. Furthermore, single immune cell profiling of peripheral blood from WBM‐treated patients showed suppressed STAT3/IRF1 and TGFβ signalling in circulating PMN‐MDSCs. Subclusters of PMN‐MDSCs presented transcriptional profiles associated with responsiveness to fungi, neutrophil chemotaxis, leukocyte aggregation, and regulation of inflammatory response. Finally, in mouse models of PCa, we found that WBM consumption enhanced the anticancer activity of anti‐PD‐1 antibodies, indicating that WBM may be used as an adjuvant therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Conclusion Our results from PCa murine models and patients provide mechanistic insights into the immunomodulatory effects of WBM and provide a scientific foundation for WBM as a nutraceutical intervention to delay or prevent PCa progression. Highlights White button mushroom (WBM) treatment resulted in a reduction in pro‐tumoural MDSCs, notably polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN‐MDSCs), along with activation of anti‐tumoural T and NK cells. Human single immune cell gene expression profiling shed light on the molecular alterations induced by WBM, specifically on PMN‐MDSCs. A proof‐of‐concept study combining WBM with PD‐1 blockade in murine models revealed an additive effect on tumour regression and survival outcomes, highlighting the clinical relevance of WBM in cancer management. Our study involving both prostate cancer murine models and patients elucidates the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which white button mushroom nutraceutical intervention modulates the immune response in prostate cancer. It highlights the significant reduction of MDSCs as a key biological response to the treatment, thereby enhancing anti‐cancer immunity through the activation of cytotoxic T and NK cells.