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Dana-Farber Research Publication 04.15.2023

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April 15, 2023

This twice-monthly newsletter highlights the research endeavors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, noting recently published papers available from PubMed where Dana-Farber faculty are listed as first or senior authors. If you are a Dana-Farber faculty member and you think your paper is missing from Research News, please let us know at: Michael_buller@dfci.harvard.edu.


 

Journal of Clinical Oncology

ASCO Ethical Guidance for the US Oncology Community Where Reproductive Health Care Is Limited by Law

Jimenez RB, Rosenberg AR

The decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned federal protections for abortion rights, making way for states to enact abortion bans with or without exceptions for the health or life of the pregnant patient. Patient care across many areas of medicine including oncology continues to be affected. Although the change in the legal landscape is widely felt, the core ethical considerations for physicians do not change because of restrictions on the practice of medicine. ASCO offers this guidance to assist US oncologists and institutions who must balance limitations with established ethical duties. This paper articulates principles for cancer care and pregnancy, offers a framework for ethical reflection and action for oncologists who care for pregnant patients, and makes recommendations for individual and institutional action to support evidence-based, patient-centered care in the United States where abortion is illegal or access is limited.


 

Nature Nanotechnology

Author Correction: Multi-Micron Crisscross Structures Grown from DNA-Origami Slats

Wintersinger CM, Minev D, Ershova A, Sasaki HM, Gowri G, Berengut JF, Corea-Dilbert FE, Yin P, Shih WM

In the version of this article initially published, Supplementary Data 5-8 were missing. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article. 


 

Science

A Common Cancer at an Uncommon Age

Giannakis M, Ng K

Early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC), also called young-onset colorectal cancer, is defined as CRC diagnosed in individuals aged less than 50 years. EOCRC is increasing globally and anticipated to become the leading cause of cancer death in individuals aged 20 to 49 in the US by 2030. Since the 1990s, the age-adjusted incidence of EOCRC has risen at an alarming rate of 2 to 4% per year in many countries, with even sharper increases in individuals younger than 30 years. This is despite a reduction in overall CRC incidence that is likely attributable to improved screening and prevention in older individuals. The exact reasons and pathophysiology behind the rising incidence of EOCRC remain unknown. Currently, only limited studies exist and they have focused on single aspects of EOCRC etiology. A multidisciplinary path forward is needed to expand the understanding of this increasingly prevalent problem.


 

Science

Structures of BIRC6-Client Complexes Provide a Mechanism of SMAC-Mediated Release of Caspases

Hunkeler M, Jin CY, Fischer ES

Tight regulation of apoptosis is essential for metazoan development and prevents diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Caspase activation is central to apoptosis, and inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are the principal actors that restrain caspase activity and are therefore attractive therapeutic targets. IAPs, in turn, are regulated by mitochondria-derived proapoptotic factors such as SMAC and HTRA2. Through a series of cryo-electron microscopy structures of full-length human baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 6 (BIRC6) bound to SMAC, caspases, and HTRA2, we provide a molecular understanding for BIRC6-mediated caspase inhibition and its release by SMAC. The architecture of BIRC6, together with near-irreversible binding of SMAC, elucidates how the IAP inhibitor SMAC can effectively control a processive ubiquitin ligase to respond to apoptotic stimuli.


 

Cancer

Nodal Positivity and Systemic Therapy Among Patients with Clinical T1-T2N0 Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: Results from Two International Cohorts

Weiss A, Waks AG, Laws A, McGrath M, Tarantino P, Portnow L, Winer E, Partridge AH, Tolaney SM, Mittendorf EA, King TA


 

Cell Reports

IFN? is a Central Node of Cancer Immune Equilibrium

Walsh MJ, Stump CT, Kureshi R, Lenehan P, Ali LR, Dougan M, Knipe DM, Dougan SK


 

Clinical Cancer Research

Accessible Data Collections for Improved Decision Making in Neuro-Oncology Clinical Trials

Rahman R, Ventz S, Redd R, Wen PY, Trippa L


 

Clinical Cancer Research

Osimertinib and Selpercatinib Efficacy, Safety, and Resistance in a Multicenter, Prospectively Treated Cohort of EGFR-Mutant and RET Fusion-Positive Lung Cancers

Rotow J, Awad M, Clifford S, Santucci A


 

Haematologica

Tagraxofusp for Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm

Luskin MR, Lane AA


 

International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics

An End-to-End Natural Language Processing System for Automatically Extracting Radiotherapy Events from Clinical Texts: NLP to Extract Radiotherapy Events from Text

Bitterman DS, Goldner E, Finan S, Harris D, Mak RH, Miller T, Savova GK


 

Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics

Comparison of MR-Soft Tissue Based Versus Biliary Stent Based Alignment for Image Guidance in Pancreatic SBRT

Han Z, Sudhyadhom A, Hsu SH, Hu YH, Mak RH, Huynh MA, van Dams RR, Tanguturi S, Venkatachalam V, Mancias JD, Mamon HJ, Martin NE, Lam MB, Leeman JE

 

Journal of Biological Chemistry

Structure and RAF-Family Kinase Isoform Selectivity of Type II RAF Inhibitors Tovorafenib and Naporafenib

Tkacik E, Li K, Gonzalez-Del Pino G, Ha BH, Vinals J, Park E, Beyett TS, Eck MJ


 

Journal of Infectious Diseases

Machine Learning Approaches to Understand Cognitive Phenotypes in People with HIV

Mukerji SS, Gabuzda D


 

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

Quality Indicators for Adolescents and Young Adults with Advanced Cancer: A Modified Delphi Process with Patients, Family Members, and Clinicians

Mack JW, Fisher L, Khalaj A, Altschuler A, Lakin JR, Lefebvre A, Wall CB


 

Journal of Palliative Medicine

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Delivering Specialty-Aligned Palliative Care

Leiter RE, Gelfand SL, Jain N, Lally K, Landzberg MJ, Lever N, O'Donnell A, Sciacca KR, Snaman JM, Tulsky JA, Lakin JR


 

Journal of Virology

Characterization of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) Envelope Glycoprotein Conformational States on Infectious Virus Particles

Nguyen HT, Wang Q, Anang S, Sodroski JG


JCO Oncology Practice

The Colocation Model in Community Cancer Care: A Description of Patient Clinical and Demographic Attributes and Referral Pathways

Stockman LS, Gundersen DA, Gikandi A, Akindele RN, Svoboda L, Pohl S, Lathan CS


 

Nature Reviews Immunology

Clonal Haematopoiesis and Dysregulation of the Immune System

Belizaire R, Wong WJ, Robinette ML, Ebert BL


 

NPJ Breast Cancer

The Dilemma of Selecting a First Line CDK4/6 Inhibitor for Hormone Receptor-Positive/HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

Grinshpun A, Tolaney SM, Burstein HJ, Jeselsohn R, Mayer EL


 

NPJ Breast Cancer

Durable Responses in Patients with HER2+ Breast Cancer and Leptomeningeal Metastases Treated with Trastuzumab Deruxtecan

Trapani D, Tolaney SM, Hsu L, Lin NU, Sammons S


 

Palliative and Supportive Care

Evaluation of an Intensive Workshop on Research Methods in Supportive Oncology

Greer JA, Temel JS, Pirl WF


 

Psycho-Oncology

Evaluating Posttraumatic Stress in Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Implications of Revised DSM-5 Traumatic Event Criteria

Recklitis CJ, Michaud A, Blackmon JE, Chang G


 

Science Advances

Aberrant Cell State Plasticity Mediated by Developmental Reprogramming Precedes Colorectal Cancer Initiation

Bala P, Rennhack JP, Aitymbayev D, Morris C, Moyer SM, Duronio GN, Doan P, Li Z, Hornick JL, Yurgelun MB, Hahn WC, Sethi NS


 

Statistics in Medicine

Ratio and Difference of Average Hazard with Survival Weight: New Measures to Quantify Survival Benefit of New Therapy

Uno H, Horiguchi M


 

Translational Behavioral Medicine

Willingness Toward Psychosocial Support During Cancer Treatment: A Critical Yet Challenging Construct in Psychosocial Care

Parmet T, Yusufov M, Braun IM, Pirl WF, Sannes TS