Introduction

Etrasimod is an oral, once-daily, selective sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)_1,4,5 receptor modulator for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC), with demonstrated efficacy in patients (pts) with baseline modified Mayo Score (MMS) 4–9.¹ No prior clinical trials of advanced therapies in UC have studied efficacy only in pts with baseline MMS ≤6.

Aims & Methods

GLADIATOR (NCT04607837) was a proof-of-concept, global, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of etrasimod in adults with mildly to moderately active UC (MMS 4–6; endoscopic subscore ≥2; rectal bleeding subscore ≥1) and inadequate response, loss of response or intolerance to ≥1 UC therapy. Pts were randomised 2:1 to etrasimod 2 mg or placebo once daily, stratified by previous biologic/Janus kinase inhibitor exposure and baseline corticosteroid use. GLADIATOR used a treat-through design (12-week [wk] induction period followed by a 40‑wk maintenance period). From Wk 12, pts whose disease had worsened or not improved vs baseline may have been eligible to enrol in an open-label extension trial (NCT03950232). The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of pts achieving clinical remission at Wk 52; additional endpoints are shown in the Table. Safety was monitored throughout the study.

Results

In the primary analysis set for efficacy, 127 and 60 pts received etrasimod and placebo, respectively. At Wk 52, 26.0% and 18.3% of pts receiving etrasimod and placebo, respectively, were in clinical remission (p=0.2524; Table). At Wk 12, a greater proportion of pts receiving etrasimod achieved clinical remission, endoscopic improvement (EI) and endoscopic improvement-histologic remission (EIHR) vs placebo (p<0.05; Table). Pts receiving etrasimod were more likely to achieve sustained clinical remission vs placebo (p=0.0104; Table). Etrasimod was generally well tolerated and findings were consistent with the known safety profile.

Conclusion

In pts with mildly to moderately active UC, etrasimod demonstrated higher rates of clinical remission, EI and EIHR at Wk 12, as well as sustained clinical remission at Wk 52, vs placebo. However, the primary endpoint of clinical remission at Wk 52 was not met. Etrasimod demonstrated efficacy in pts with UC with an MMS 4–9, including those with an MMS 4–6, in the ELEVATE UC clinical programme.¹ The proof-of-concept GLADIATOR trial further supports etrasimod’s efficacy in active UC and provides important insights on studying pts with mildly to moderately active UC.

References

1. Sandborn WJ et al. Lancet 2023; 401: 1159–1171.

Disclosure

SD: Lecture fees: AbbVie, Amgen, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc, Gilead, Janssen, Mylan, Pfizer Inc, Takeda; Consultancy fees: AbbVie, Allergan, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Celltrion, Ferring, Gilead Sciences, Hospira, Janssen, Johnson&Johnson, MSD, Mundipharma, Pfizer Inc, Roche, Sandoz, Takeda, TiGenix, UCB, Vifor; Directorship: Gastroenterology and Endoscopy.
MG, KL: Employees of Pfizer AG; shareholders of Pfizer Inc.
LPB: Consultancy fees: AbbVie, Abivax, Alimentiv, Alma Bio Therapeutics, Amgen, Applied Molecular Transport, Arena, Biogen, BMS, Celltrion, CONNECT Biopharm, Cytoki Pharma, Enthera, Ferring, Fresenius Kabi, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead, Gossamer Bio, GlaxoSmithKline, HAC-Pharma, IAG Image Analysis, Index Pharmaceuticals, Inotrem, Janssen, Lilly, Medac, Mopac, Morphic, MSD, Norgine, Novartis, OM Pharma, ONO Pharma, OSE Immunotherapeutics, Pandion Therapeutics, Par’Immune, Pfizer Inc, Prometheus, Protagonist, Roche, Roivant, Samsung, Sandoz, Sanofi, Takeda, Theravance, Thermo Fisher, Tigenix, Tillotts, Viatris, Vifor, Vectivbio, Ventyx, Ysopia; Grants: Takeda, Fresenius Kabi, Celltrion; Lectures: AbbVie, Amgen, Arena, Biogen, Celltrion, Ferring, Galapagos, Genetech, Gilead, Janssen, Lilly, Medac, MSD, Pfizer Inc, Sandoz, Takeda, Tillotts, Viatris, Vifor.
AJY: Consultancy fees: AbbVie, Arena, BMS, Celltrion, Pfizer Inc, Takeda; Lectures: AbbVie, BMS.
MCD: Consultancy fees: AbbVie, Abivax, Arena Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, BMS, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson&Johnson, Merck, Pfizer Inc, Prometheus Laboratories, Prometheus Biosciences, Sanofi, Sphyre, Takeda, UCB; Shareholder: Trellus Health; Directorship: Trellus Health.
DTR: Consultancy fees: AbbVie, Abivax SA, Altrubio, Avalo Therapeutics, Bausch Health, Bristol Myers Squibb, Buhlmann Diagnostics Corp, Celltrion, ClostraBio, Connect BioPharma, Douglas Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Co., Foresee, Genentech, Image Analysis Group, InDex Pharmaceuticals, Iterative Health, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Odyssey Therapeutics, Pfizer Inc, Sanofi, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Throne, Vedanta; Grants: Takeda.
BGF: Senior Scientific Director of Alimentiv Inc, which provides central reading services. He is not a company employee and has no equity stake in the organisation, which is owned by a medical trust; Speaker fees: AbbVie, Janssen, Takeda; Consultancy fees: AbbVie, AbolerIS, AgomAB Therapeutics, Allianthera, Amgen, AnaptysBio, Applied Molecular Transport Inc, Arena Pharma, Avoro Capital Advisors, Atomwise, BioJamp, Biora Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boxer, Celsius Therapeutics,Celgene/BMS, Connect BioPharma, Cytoki, Disc Medicine, Duality, EcoR1, Eli Lilly, Equillium, Ermium, First Wave, First Word Group, Galapagos, Galen Atlantica, Genentech, Gilead, Gossamer Pharma, GSK, Hinge Bio, Hot Spot Therapeutics, Index Pharma, Imhotex, Immunic Therapeutics, JAKAcademy, Janssen, Japan Tobacco Inc, Kaleido Biosciences, Landos Biopharma, Leadiant, L.E.K. Consulting, Lenczner Slaght, LifeSci Capital, Lument AB, Millennium, MiroBio, Morgan Lewis, Morphic Therapeutics, Mylan, OM Pharma, Origo BioPharma, Orphagen, Pandion Therapeutics, Pendopharm, Pfizer Inc, Prometheus Therapeutics and Diagnostics, Play to Know AG, Progenity, Protagonist, PTM Therapeutics, Q32 Bio, Rebiotix, REDX, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, Seres Therapeutics, Silverback Therapeutics, Surrozen Inc, Takeda, Teva, Thelium, Tigenix, Tillotts, Ventyx Biosciences, VHSquared Ltd, Viatris, Ysios, Ysopia, Zealand Pharma; Shareholder: Gossamer Pharma.
GRDH: Advisory fees: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Alimentiv, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celltrion, Cosmo, Eli Lilly, Galapagos, GSK, Johnson&Johnson, Takeda, Pfizer Inc, Polpharma, Prometheus Biosciences, Tillotts, Ventyx; Speaker fees: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celltrion, Eli Lilly, Johnson&Johnson, Takeda, Pfizer Inc, Tillotts.
FB: Research/grants: AbbVie, Amgen, Eurogenerics, Janssen, Takeda; Lectures: AbbVie, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Celltrion, Ferring, Galapagos, Janssen, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Pfizer Inc, Takeda; Consultancy fees: AbbVie, Abivax, Amgen, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Celgene, Celltrion, Ferring, Fresenius Kabi, Janssen, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Pfizer Inc, Sandoz.
GG, JY, NL, CZ, WW, SM, EHL, IM, SS, WN: Employees/shareholders of Pfizer Inc.
SV: Lectures: AbbVie, Dr. Falk Pharma, Ferring, Galapagos, Hospira, Janssen, MSD, Takeda, Tillotts; Consultancy fees: AbbVie, AbolerIS Pharma, Alimentiv, Arena, AstraZeneca, Avaxia, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, CVasThera, Dr Falk Pharma, Eli Lilly, Ferring, Galapagos, Genentech/Roche, Gilead, Hospira, Imidomics, Janssen, Johnson&Johnson, Materia Prima, MiroBio, Morphic, MrMHealth, MSD, Mundipharma, Pfizer Inc, Prodigest, Progenity, Prometheus, Robarts Clinical Trials, Second Genome, Shire, Surrozen, Takeda, Theravance Biopharma, Tillotts Pharma AG, Zealand Pharma; Grants: AbbVie, MSD, Pfizer Inc, Galapagos, Janssen, Takeda.

Introduction

Response to hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) is variable in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with seroconversion rates of 34-89%. Strategies suggested to improve the seroconversion rates are double dose, accelerated schedule, or addition of booster dose with variable results. This study compared the standard (20 µg) dose and double (40 µg) dose of HBV vaccination in IBD patients.

Aims & Methods

Patients of IBD were randomized to 1:1 to receive standard or double dose of HBV at 0, 1 and 6 months. Anti-HBs titers were assessed at 1 month after the third dose. Response was defined as an adequate immune response (AIR, anti-HBs titer >10 mIU/mL) and effective immune response (EIR, anti-HBs titer >100 mIU/mL). Total mayo score and Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) was used to identify the active disease. IBD medications with immunosuppressive effects were categorized as immunomodulators, corticosteroids, tofacitinib and biologic group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify the predictors of AIR and EIR.

Results

Eighty-eight patients of IBD were randomized to receive standard (45, 51.1%) or double (43, 48.9%) dose of HBV. 79 of 88 patients had ulcerative colitis (UC) and 9 had Crohn’s disease (CD). 49 (55.7%) patients had active disease while 39 (44.3%) were in remission. At the end of the study, total 63 (71.61%) patients achieved AIR and 51 (60%) achieved EIR. AIR (88.4 % vs. 55.6 %, p 0.001) and EIR (69.8% vs. 46.7%, p = 0.028) rates were significantly higher with double dose compared to standard dose of HBV. Patients with active IBD had higher AIR (87.5% vs. 44%, p = 0.001) and EIR (70.8% vs. 32%, p = 0.007) rates with double dose of HBV. Patients with IBD in remission also had higher AIR (89.5% vs. 70%) and EIR (78.4% vs. 65%) rates with double dose of HBV, though statistically non-significant.
Multivariable analysis identified the use of double dose of HBV {odds ratio (OR) 10.865, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.418-48.817} and biologic (OR 0.022, 95% CI: 0.001-0.421) as predictors to achieve AIR. Similarly, double dose of HBV (OR 3.0, 95% CI: 1.087-8.280) and use of biologic (OR 0.074, 95% CI: 0.006-0.931) also predicted the EIR.

Conclusion

Double dose of HBV vaccine demonstrated a superiority over standard dose of vaccine for achieving both AIR and EIR. Use of biologic impaired the response. Double dose of HBV should be used in IBD patients to improve the seroconversion rates.

Disclosure

No conflict of Interest

Introduction

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is associated with poor prognosis despite advances in neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT). With highly variable treatment responses, identifying reliable predictive biomarkers remains crucial. While gut microbiome influences on immunotherapy efficacy are increasingly recognized, the specific role of the fungal microbiome (mycobiome) in NICT outcomes for ESCC remains unexplored, representing a significant gap in developing personalized treatment strategies.

Aims & Methods

This study aimed to characterize gut mycobiome signatures in ESCC patients and develop fungal biomarker-based predictive models for NICT response. We conducted ITS2 sequencing on 136 fecal samples collected from 68 ESCC patients (pre- and post-NICT) and 19 healthy controls (HC). Patients were stratified as responders (R, n=26) or non-responders (NR, n=42) based on tumor regression grade (TRG) scores. We performed comprehensive analyses of mycobiome diversity, composition, co-occurrence networks, and functional pathways across groups. The Boruta algorithm was employed for feature selection to identify fungal biomarkers, followed by multilayer perceptron (MLP) machine learning with five-fold cross-validation to develop predictive models. Additionally, ESCC xenograft models were established to investigate gut mycobiome-immune interactions through fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and targeted fungal manipulation experiments.

Results

ESCC patients demonstrated significant mycobiome dysbiosis compared to healthy controls, characterized by reduced fungal alpha diversity and distinct beta diversity patterns. At baseline, ESCC patients showed enrichment of Rhodotorula minuta, Actinomucor elegans, and several Candida species. Responders exhibited significantly higher baseline fungal diversity than non-responders, with enrichment of Meyerozyma, Candida boidinii, Trichosporon dermatis, and Cryptococcus species, whereas non-responders showed predominance of Saccharomyces, Nakaseomyces, and pathogenic Candida species (C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. albicans). Responders also displayed more complex, stable fungal co-occurrence networks with higher density and clustering coefficients. Post-NICT, both groups showed partial recovery of mycobiome diversity, with significant increases in beneficial fungal taxa. Functional pathway analysis revealed distinct metabolic profiles between responders and non-responders. Using the Boruta algorithm, we identified 23 genus-level and 22 species-level fungal biomarkers that demonstrated high predictive value. The MLP model based on genus-level markers achieved AUCs of 90.2% (training) and 91.9% (test), while the species-level model showed comparable performance. In animal experiments, mice receiving R-FMT exhibited reduced tumor growth and enhanced CD8+ T cell infiltration compared to NR-FMT recipients. Notably, Candida boidinii supplementation synergized with anti-PD-1 therapy, while Saccharomyces depletion enhanced treatment sensitivity.

Conclusion

Our findings establish the gut mycobiome as a powerful predictor of NICT response in ESCC, with machine learning models achieving >90% accuracy using fungal biomarkers. Experimental validation not only confirms mechanistic links between specific fungi and antitumor immunity but also demonstrates that targeted mycobiome modulation can enhance immunotherapy efficacy. This dual approach of prediction and intervention offers a novel framework for precision oncology in ESCC, potentially transforming clinical decision-making and treatment outcomes in this challenging malignancy.

References

1. Li J, Xu J, Zheng Y, et al. Esophageal cancer: Epidemiology, risk factors and screening. Chin J Cancer Res. 2021; 33(5): 535-547.
2. van Hagen P, Hulshof MC, van Lanschot JJ, et al. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy for esophageal or junctional cancer. N Engl J Med. 2012; 366(22): 2074-2084.
3. Schroeder W, Ghadimi M, Schloesser H, et al. Long-Term Outcome After Histopathological Complete Response with and Without Nodal Metastases Following Multimodal Treatment of Esophageal Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2022.
4. Rosner S, Liu C, Forde PM, Hu C. Association of Pathologic Complete Response and Long-Term Survival Outcomes Among Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Chemoradiotherapy for NSCLC: A Meta-Analysis. JTO Clin Res Rep. 2022; 3(9): 100384.
5. Coker OO, Nakatsu G, Dai RZ, et al. Enteric fungal microbiota dysbiosis and ecological alterations in colorectal cancer. Gut. 2019; 68(4): 654-662.
6. Dohlman AB, Klug J, Mesko M, et al. A pan-cancer mycobiome analysis reveals fungal involvement in gastrointestinal and lung tumors. Cell. 2022; 185(20): 3807-3822.
7. Wurster S, Albert ND, Kontoyiannis DP. Candida auris Bloodstream Infection Induces Upregulation of the PD-1/PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Pathway in an Immunocompetent Mouse Model. Msphere. 2022; 7(2): e81721.

Introduction

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a growing global health concern, especially in industrializing nations where westernized lifestyles drive rising incidence. Its etiology involves genetic, immune, and environmental factors. ^[1]. Plastics are extensively used in industry and daily life, and global plastic production is projected to exceed 34 billion tonnes by 2050^[2]. After release into the environment, plastic waste degrade into micro- (0.1 µm–5 mm) and nanoplastics (<0.1 µm)^[3]. These emerging pollutants are persistent, bioaccumulative, and the gastrointestinal tract is the primary interface for NPs exposure. The gut is the primary exposure route: adults ingest 0.1–5 g/week of micro-/nanoplastics^[4]. Fecal microplastic levels correlate with IBD severity^[5]; animal studies show these particles disrupt microbiota, alter short-chain fatty acids, impair the barrier, and trigger inflammation^[6]. However, most existing research is limited to histopathological observations; the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying NP toxicity in the small intestine remain poorly understood, hindering systematic risk assessment and development of IBD prevention strategies.

Aims & Methods

To elucidate the dynamics of NP distribution and toxicity, we established a fluorescent-tracking system and reared mice in a plastic-free environment. Mice were orally exposed to 100 nm polystyrene nanospheres for or 3 or 6 weeks. We used fluorescent imaging, histology (H&E, PAS), immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, targeted metabolomics, and 16S rRNA sequencing to assess toxicity across small-intestinal regions. We tested succinate supplementation and compared effects in germ-free mice and small-intestinal organoids to distinguish microbiota-dependent from direct epithelial toxicity.

Results

Fluorescent imaging provided in vivo evidence for an enterohepatic–gallbladder circulation of NPs: following intestinal absorption, NPs first accumulate in the liver, are secreted into the gallbladder with bile acids, become concentrated between meals, and are released back into the gut upon gallbladder contraction after feeding. Prolonged NPs exposure induced chronic inflammatory cell infiltration in the small intestine, with significant reductions in crypt density, Tuft cell, goblet cell, and Paneth cell numbers, accompanied by neutrophil infiltration and decreased group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). These changes were most pronounced in the ileum. NPs exposure also significantly reduced succinate levels in cecal contents—without altering tissue succinate—and markedly decreased the relative abundance of succinate-producing bacterial taxa. Succinate supplementation effectively reversed all of these alterations. Under germ-free conditions, NP-induced toxicity was abolished, and no direct toxic effect on Tuft cells was observed in intestinal organoids.

Conclusion

Oral NP exposure undergoes enterohepatic–gallbladder recirculation, resulting in sustained high NPs concentrations in the intestinal mucosa. The ileum is the most susceptible region, and NP toxicity depends on the gut microbiota: NP-induced dysbiosis impairs luminal succinate production, leading to depletion of ileal Tuft cells, which in turn diminishes proliferation and activation of goblet cells, Paneth cells, and ILC2s. Succinate supplementation rescues NP-induced ileal immune dysfunction. While plastic products have provided immense convenience, their uncontrolled use may contribute to the rising incidence of IBD. Our study delineates the mechanism by which NPs exacerbate ileal inflammation and proposes a feasible intervention strategy.

References

1. Ng SC, Shi HY, Hamidi N, Underwood FE, Tang W, Benchimol EI, et al. Lancet. 2017;390(10114):2769-78.
2. Luo D, Chu X, Wu Y, Wang Z, Liao Z, Ji X, et al. J Hazard Mater. 2024;465:133412.
3. Kumar M, Chen H, Sarsaiya S, Qin S, Liu H, Awasthi MK, et al. J Hazard Mater. 2021;409:124967.
4. Senathirajah K, Attwood S, Bhagwat G, Carbery M, Wilson S, Palanisami T. J Hazard Mater. 2021;404(Pt B):124004.
5. Yan Z, Liu Y, Zhang T, Zhang F, Ren H, Zhang Y. Environ Sci Technol. 2022;56(1):414-21.
6. Zhang Z, Xu M, Wang L, Gu W, Li X, Han Z, et al. Environ Int. 2023;182:108353.