1. CAR T therapy in adult DLBCL patients in Slovenia : evaluation of predictive scores for outcomes and adverse eventsLucija Sršen, Irena Auersperger, Larisa Janžič, Andreja Nataša Kopitar, Katarina Reberšek, Barbara Jezeršek Novaković, Polona Novak, Karla Rener, Klara Šlajpah, Alojz Ihan, Samo Zver, Matjaž Sever, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: CAR T cell therapy is a promising immunotherapy for hematologic malignancies, yet early prediction of outcomes and adverse events remains difficult, especially in small real-world cohorts. We retrospectively analyzed 14 adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with CAR T cells in Slovenia, assessing IL-6 increase rates and established predictive metrics including EASIX-C, CAR-HEMATOTOX, and IBPS on Day -5 (pre-lymphodepletion) and Day 0 (infusion). Contrary to our expectation, an inverse correlation was observed between the increase rate of IL-6 and the occurrence of severe cytopenias, indicating higher IL-6 increase rate leads to less severe cytopenias. The EASIX-C score showed higher predictive values when calculated on Day 0, contrary to the CAR-HEMATOTOX score, whose higher predictive values were observed on Day -5. The IBPS predictive values showed mixed results when comparing Day -5 to Day 0. We observed 50% response rate and 29% remission rate. The results highlight the utility of predictive scores, with unexpected findings on IL-6 suggesting further study is necessary.
Keywords: CAR T cell therapy, adverse events, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, hematologic malignancies
Published in DiRROS: 07.04.2026; Views: 243; Downloads: 269
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2. Safety, long-term effectiveness, and immunogenicity of varicella vaccination in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with biologic therapyMaša Bizjak, Jakob Peterlin, Tadej Avčin, Miroslav Petrovec, Alojz Ihan, Mojca Zajc Avramovič, Gašper Markelj, Tina Vesel, Veronika Osterman, Jerneja Ahčan, Helena Mole, Katja Dejak Gornik, Alenka Biteznik, Sara Jevnikar, Larisa Janžič, Miha Bajc, Andreja Nataša Kopitar, Nataša Toplak, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Objective: To evaluate safety, long-term effectiveness and immunogenicity of varicella vaccination in children with JIA, treated with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). Methods: This is a prospective case-control study. VZV-naive patients with JIA on selected bDMARDs (TNFi, IL-6 and IL-1 inhibitors), who were at risk for contracting varicella, had stable disease and normal values of immunoglobulins and lymphocyte populations, were vaccinated against varicella. Adverse events (AEs) and disease activity were followed after vaccination. VZV-specific humoral (VZV-IgG) and cell-mediated immunity (VZV-CMI) were measured at predetermined time points after vaccination by Liaison and intracellular cytokine staining, respectively. Two healthy control (HC) groups comprised 52 healthy children after varicella vaccination and 69 healthy children after varicella infection. Results: 17 patients were vaccinated against varicella (12 on TNFi, 4 on IL-6 inhibitors and 1 on IL-1 inhibitor), of whom 14 patients received both the first and second dose on bDMARDs. No vaccine-strain infections or other serious AEs occurred after vaccination. Disease activity increased in 3/17 (18 %) patients following vaccination. Four out of 17 (24 %) patients developed mild breakthrough varicella (BV) 4 months-4.5 years after vaccination, and none of the HC. Fourteen out of 17 (82 %) patients and 50/52 (96 %) vaccinated HC were seropositive after second vaccination and 8/11 (72 %) patients and 42/43 (98 %) vaccinated HC developed VZV-CMI, which persisted longer compared to VZV-IgG. Patients presented lower antibody levels compared to HC. The rate of VZV-IgG decline was comparable between patients and HC after vaccination or infection. Five patients received the third vaccine dose due to primary or secondary vaccine failure, and none of them developed BV. Conclusions: Varicella vaccination was safe and largely immunogenic in our cohort of JIA patients treated with bDMARDs. Although the vaccination was not always fully effective, it prevented severe disease in all vaccinated patients.
Keywords: varicella vaccination, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, biologic therapy, anti-cytokine therapy
Published in DiRROS: 13.11.2025; Views: 583; Downloads: 349
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3. PARP inhibitor olaparib has a potential to increase the effectiveness of electrochemotherapy in BRCA1 mutated breast cancer in miceMaša Omerzel, Tanja Jesenko, Boštjan Markelc, Larisa Janžič, Maja Čemažar, Gregor Serša, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Electrochemotherapy (ECT), a local therapy, has different effectiveness among tumor types. In breast can-cer, its effectiveness is low; therefore, combined therapies are needed. The aim of our study was to com-bine ECT with PARP inhibitor olaparib, which could inhibit the repair of bleomycin or cisplatin inducedDNA damage and potentiate the effectiveness of ECT. The effects of combined therapy were studied inBRCA1mutated (HCC1937) and non-mutated (HCC1143) triple negative breast cancer cell lines.Therapeutic effectiveness was studied in 2D and 3D cell cultures andin vivoon subcutaneousHCC1937 tumor model in mice. The underlying mechanism of combined therapy was determined withthe evaluation ofcH2AX foci. Combined therapy of ECT with bleomycin and olaparib potentiated theeffectiveness of ECT inBRCA1mutated HCC1937, but not in non-mutated HCC1143 cells. The combinedtherapy had a synergistic effect, which was due to the increased number of DNA double strand breaks.Addition of olaparib to ECT with bleomycinin vivoin HCC1937 tumor model had only minimal effect,indicating repetitive olaparib treatment would be needed. This study demonstrates that DNA repar inhibiting drugs, like olaparib, have the potential to increase the effectiveness of ECT with bleomycin.
Keywords: electrochemotherapy, breast cancer, olaparib, bleomycin
Published in DiRROS: 21.09.2022; Views: 2050; Downloads: 825
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