Benjamin H Durham

Dr. Benjamin H Durham


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

48Years (1979-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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28 June 2018 in Blood
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OAOussama Abla
Oussama Abla
EJEric Jacobsen
Eric Jacobsen
JPJennifer Picarsic
Jennifer Picarsic
ZKZdenka Krenova
Zdenka Krenova
RJRonald Jaffe
Ronald Jaffe
EDEli L. Diamond
Eli L. Diamond
Rosai-Dorfman-Destombes disease (RDD) is a rare non–Langerhans cell histiocytosis characterized by accumulation of activated histiocytes within affected tissues. RDD, which now belongs to the R group of the 2016 revised histiocytosis classification, is a widely heterogeneous entity with a range of clinical phenotypes occurring in isolation or in association with autoimmune or malignant diseases. Recent studies have found NRAS, KRAS, MAP2K1, and ARAF mutations in lesional tissues, raising the possibility of a clonal origin in some forms of RDD. More than 1000 reports have been published in the English literature; however, there is a lack of consensus regarding approach for the clinical management of RDD. Although in most cases RDD can be observed or treated with local therapies, some patients with refractory or multifocal disease experience morbidity and mortality. Here we provide the first consensus multidisciplinary recommendations for the diagnosis and management of RDD. These recommendations were discussed at the 32nd Histiocyte Society Meeting by an international group of academic clinicians and pathologists with expertise in RDD. We include guidelines for clinical, laboratory, pathologic, and radiographic evaluation of patients with RDD together with treatment recommendations based on clinical experience and review of the literature.

1 February 2016 in Cancer Discovery
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EDEli L. Diamond
Eli L. Diamond
BDBenjamin H Durham
Benjamin H Durham
JHJulien Haroche
Julien Haroche
ZYZhan Yao
Zhan Yao
JMJing Ma
Jing Ma
OAOmar Abdel-Wahab
Omar Abdel-Wahab
Histiocytic neoplasms are clonal, hematopoietic disorders characterized by an accumulation of abnormal, monocyte-derived dendritic cells or macrophages in Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis (non-LCH), respectively. The discovery of BRAFV600E mutations in approximately 50% of these patients provided the first molecular therapeutic target in histiocytosis. However, recurrent driving mutations in the majority of patients with BRAFV600E–wild-type non-LCH are unknown, and recurrent cooperating mutations in non-MAP kinase pathways are undefined for the histiocytic neoplasms. Through combined whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing, we identified recurrent kinase fusions involving BRAF, ALK, and NTRK1, as well as recurrent, activating MAP2K1 and ARAF mutations in patients with BRAFV600E–wild-type non-LCH. In addition to MAP kinase pathway lesions, recurrently altered genes involving diverse cellular pathways were identified. Treatment of patients with MAP2K1- and ARAF-mutated non-LCH using MEK and RAF inhibitors, respectively, resulted in clinical efficacy, demonstrating the importance of detecting and targeting diverse kinase alterations in these disorders. Significance: We provide the first description of kinase fusions in systemic histiocytic neoplasms and activating ARAF and MAP2K1 mutations in non-Langerhans histiocytic neoplasms. Refractory patients with MAP2K1- and ARAF-mutant histiocytoses had clinical responses to MEK inhibition and sorafenib, respectively, highlighting the importance of comprehensive genomic analysis of these disorders. Cancer Discov; 6(2); 154–65. ©2015 AACR. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 109

28 May 2020 in Blood
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GGGaurav Goyal
Gaurav Goyal
MHMark L. Heaney
Mark L. Heaney
MCMatthew Collin
Matthew Collin
FCFleur Cohen-Aubart
Fleur Cohen-Aubart
AVAugusto Vaglio
Augusto Vaglio
EDEli L. Diamond
Eli L. Diamond
Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare histiocytosis that was recently recognized as a neoplastic disorder owing to the discovery of recurrent activating MAPK (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK) pathway mutations. Typical findings of ECD include central diabetes insipidus, restrictive pericarditis, perinephric fibrosis, and sclerotic bone lesions. The histopathologic diagnosis of ECD is often challenging due to nonspecific inflammatory and fibrotic findings on histopathologic review of tissue specimens. Additionally, the association of ECD with unusual tissue tropism and an insidious onset often results in diagnostic errors and delays. Most patients with ECD require treatment, except for a minority of patients with minimally symptomatic single-organ disease. The first ECD consensus guidelines were published in 2014 on behalf of the physicians and researchers within the Erdheim-Chester Disease Global Alliance. With the recent molecular discoveries and the approval of the first targeted therapy (vemurafenib) for BRAF-V600–mutant ECD, there is a need for updated clinical practice guidelines to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. This document presents consensus recommendations that resulted from the International Medical Symposia on ECD in 2017 and 2019. Herein, we include the guidelines for the clinical, laboratory, histologic, and radiographic evaluation of ECD patients along with treatment recommendations based on our clinical experience and review of literature in the molecular era.

1 March 2018 in JAMA Oncology
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EDEli L. Diamond
Eli L. Diamond
VSVivek Subbiah
Vivek Subbiah
ALA. Craig Lockhart
A. Craig Lockhart
JBJean-Yves Blay
Jean-Yves Blay
IPIgor Puzanov
Igor Puzanov
DHDavid M. Hyman
David M. Hyman
Importance The histiocytic neoplasms Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) are highly enriched forBRAFV600 mutations and have been previously shown to be responsive to treatment with vemurafenib, an inhibitor of the BRAF V600 kinase. However, the long-term efficacy and safety of prolonged vemurafenib use in these patients are not defined. Here we analyze the final efficacy and safety data for vemurafenib in patients with ECD and LCH enrolled in the VE-BASKET study. Objective To determine the efficacy and safety of vemurafenib in adults with ECD or LCH enrolled in the VE-BASKET study. Design, Setting, and Participants The VE-BASKET study was an open-label, nonrandomized, multicohort study for patients with nonmelanoma cancers harboring theBRAFV600 mutation. Patients withBRAFV600–mutant ECD or LCH were enrolled in an “other solid tumor” cohort of the VE-BASKET study, and they were enrolled in the present study. Interventions Patients received vemurafenib, 960 mg, twice daily continuously until disease progression, study withdrawal, or occurrence of intolerable adverse effects. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary end point was confirmed objective response rate (ORR) by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST, version 1.1). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), metabolic response by modified positron-emission tomography (PET) Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (PERCIST) using18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/computed tomography (CT), and safety. Results A total of 26 patients from the VE-BASKET trial (22 with ECD, 4 with LCH) were included in the present study (14 women and 12 men; median age, 61 years; age range, 51-74 years). The confirmed ORR was 61.5% (95% CI, 40.6%-79.8%) in the overall cohort and 54.5% (95% CI, 32.2%-75.6%) in patients with ECD. All evaluable patients achieved stable disease or better. The median PFS and OS had not been reached in the overall cohort at study closure despite a median follow-up of 28.8 months; 2-year PFS was 86% (95% CI, 72%-100%), and 2-year OS was 96% (95% CI, 87%-100%). All 15 patients evaluated by FDG-PET/CT achieved a metabolic response, including 12 patients (80%) with a complete metabolic response. The most common adverse events (AEs) in the overall cohort included arthralgia, maculopapular rash, fatigue, alopecia, prolonged QT interval, skin papilloma, and hyperkeratosis. Hypertension and dermatologic AEs occurred at higher rates than those reported in metastatic melanoma. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, vemurafenib had prolonged efficacy in patients withBRAFV600–mutant ECD and LCH and warrants consideration as a new standard of care for these patients.

5 October 2015 in Nature Medicine
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LLLindsay M LaFave
Lindsay M LaFave
WBWendy Béguelin
Wendy Béguelin
RKRichard Koche
Richard Koche
MTMatt Teater
Matt Teater
BSBarbara Spitzer
Barbara Spitzer
RLRoss L Levine
Ross L Levine
BAP1 regulation of EZH2 provides therapeutic opportunities in cancer. The tumor suppressors BAP1 and ASXL1 interact to form a polycomb deubiquitinase complex that removes monoubiquitin from histone H2A lysine 119 (H2AK119Ub). However, BAP1 and ASXL1 are mutated in distinct cancer types, consistent with independent roles in regulating epigenetic state and malignant transformation. Here we demonstrate that Bap1 loss in mice results in increased trimethylated histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3), elevated enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (Ezh2) expression, and enhanced repression of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) targets. These findings contrast with the reduction in H3K27me3 levels seen with Asxl1 loss. Conditional deletion of Bap1 and Ezh2 in vivo abrogates the myeloid progenitor expansion induced by Bap1 loss alone. Loss of BAP1 results in a marked decrease in H4K20 monomethylation (H4K20me1). Consistent with a role for H4K20me1 in the transcriptional regulation of EZH2, expression of SETD8—the H4K20me1 methyltransferase—reduces EZH2 expression and abrogates the proliferation of BAP1-mutant cells. Furthermore, mesothelioma cells that lack BAP1 are sensitive to EZH2 pharmacologic inhibition, suggesting a novel therapeutic approach for BAP1-mutant malignancies.

13 March 2019 in Nature
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EDEli L. Diamond
Eli L. Diamond
BDBenjamin H Durham
Benjamin H Durham
GUGary A. Ulaner
Gary A. Ulaner
EDEsther Drill
Esther Drill
JBJustin Buthorn
Justin Buthorn
DHDavid M. Hyman
David M. Hyman