ALBERT

Description: Key Points A focused RNAi screen identifies Dhx9 as a regulator of ABT-737 sensitivity in Eµ-myc/Bcl-2 lymphomas. Dhx9 suppression activates an apoptotic signal through the Chk1/p53 replicative stress pathway in Myc-driven cells.

Description: Background: Current laboratory methods for detection of monoclonal gammopathies include a panel of serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP), immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) and serum free light chain quantitation (FLC). Our group has recently described a new assay based on matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) which is capable of detecting, isotyping and quantitating M-proteins in a single assay. The basic principle of the method involves leveraging the unique mass resulting from light chain (LC) Ig gene rearrangement in B-cells. In a similar fashion to SPEP, the mass distribution of LCs after dissociation from their heavy chains can be examined for the presence of an over expressed light chain. In this study we retrospectively compared the MALDI-TOF MS method to SPEP, IFE and Hevylite ratios for monitoring patients with monoclonal gammopathies. Methods: Serum from patients who had at least 1 diagnostic and 4 serial follow-up samples was enriched for IgG, IgA, IgM, kappa and lambda using nanobodies. After disassociating the heavy and light chains by reduction, the five purified samples were spotted onto a Bruker Microflex MALDI plate. Automated acquisition (~10 seconds/sample) was performed and the five LC mass spectra from each enrichment were overlaid. M-proteins were detected, quantitated and isotyped by the presence of distinct peaks (m-spike) within LC mass to charge regions. The serial patient samples were then measured by MALDI-TOF and a comparison of results was made to previous aquired data. The results were then analyze in light of clinical and lab data in order to evaluate the ability of the MALDI-TOF MS method to monitor patients with monoclonal gammopathies. Results: In M-protein positive patient samples, serial dilution revealed MALDI-TOF MS to have ~10-times lower limit of detection than IFE. M-protein isotype in the cohort by MALDI-TOF MS was 100 percent concordant with the isotype from IFE. The MALDI TOF M-protein quantitation was linear over a clinically acceptable range (0.1 to 6 g/dL) and had improved linearity over SPEP at lower M-protein levels. M-proteins quantitation by MALDI-TOF MS compared well with SPEP with a slope of 1.16 (R2 -0.93). Hevylite Ig ratios for each isotype were statistically similar to those from MALDI-TOF MS demonstrating the ability of the MALDI to measure isotype suppression. For some patients, the MALDI method was able to detect M-proteins in patients with normal Hevylite ratios. Finally, the results for each patient were then compared over the course of monitoring. The time evolution change in M-protein concentration was similar among the three methods with the exception of a few samples in which the MALDI-TOF detected residual M-proteins in treated patients not detected by the other methods. Conclusion: This preliminary study demonstrates that MALDI-TOF MS method can provide detection, quantitation and isotyping data suitable for monitoring patients. This is a significant finding since the MALDI-TOF method is amendable to automation, is rapid and in its current format is cost-competitive with current clinical assays. Disclosures Murray: Mayo Clinic: Patents & Royalties: Patent Application Filed. Mills:Mayo Clinci: Patents & Royalties: Patent Application Filed. Barnidge:Mayo Clinic: Patents & Royalties: Patent Application Filed.

Description: Detection of an M-protein (monoclonal immunoglobulin) has been used to diagnose and monitor multiple myeloma (MM). As therapies for MM have improved, more sensitive methods have been used to define response: immunofixation electrophoresis (IFX) of serum and urine, normalization of the serum immunoglobulin free light chain (FLC) ratio, and high sensitivity flow cytometry to detect clonal plasma bone marrow cells. It is hoped that these more sensitive approaches will differentiate those patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) versus no residual disease (NRD), that later which could mean a cure. Flow cytometry of plasma cells requires bone marrow aspiration, which is inconvenient and expensive and is potentially limited by sampling bias. More sensitive methods to differentiate MRD from NRD using serum would be advantageous. We have developed a sensitive test for the presence of the monoclonal antibody produced by the plasma cells which may serve as a substitute for invasive bone marrow biopsy. Briefly, patient serum is enriched for immunoglobulins (Ig) and the Ig light chains are decoupled from the heavy chain by reduction with DTT. The mass distribution of the light chains is resolved using a micro LC-ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometry and the presence of the M-protein is detected as a spike in the mass distribution. In addition to the detection, the accurate mass measurement of the light chain serves as a unique individualized marker which can aid in detection in subsequent patient monitoring. We have termed this method: monoclonal-immunoglobulin-Rapid-Accurate-Mass-Measurement (miRAMM). By spiking monoclonal immunoglobulins into human serum, we have demonstrated that miRAMM is approximately 1000x more sensitive than SPEP at detecting M-proteins. Initial results on 21 patients in stringent complete response (sCR) demonstrated that 67% (n=14) had detectable malignant specific clones by miRAMM. Given these promising results we have extended the method to a larger series of myeloma patients for whom we had long term follow-up and serum samples prior to treatment and at 6-12 months status post stem cell treatment. The results of this data will be correlated to the clinical outcomes for these patients. Early results demonstrate the potential of miRAMM to be a more sensitive, cost effective approach to detect MRD compared with current methods. Disclosures Murray: Mayo Clinic: Patent Application filed Patents & Royalties. Barnidge:Mayo Clinic: Patent filed Patents & Royalties.