Publications by authors named "Andrew Gillard"
Pediatric brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Even to date, with the advances in multimodality therapeutic management, survival outcomes remain dismal in some types of tumors, such as pediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas or central nervous system embryonal tumors. Failure to understand the complex molecular heterogeneity and the elusive tumor and microenvironment interplay continues to undermine therapeutic efficacy.
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- * The methods for using OVs in cancer vaccination often require genetic modifications for each specific target, which can be inefficient for rare antigens.
- * A recent study introduced a new PeptiCRAd vaccination platform that allows for the identification of immunogenic TAAs in mesothelioma and coats oncolytic adenovirus particles with them, creating a streamlined and personalized cancer vaccine without the need for extensive genetic engineering.
Oncolytic viruses are a promising treatment for patients with high-grade gliomas, but neutralizing antibodies can limit their efficacy in patients with prior virus exposure or upon repeated virus injections. Data from a previous clinical trial using the oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD showed that generation of anti-viral neutralizing antibodies may affect the long-term survival of glioma patients. Past studies have examined the effects of neutralizing antibodies during systemic virus injections, but largely overlooked their impact during local virus injections into the brain.
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- * Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind resistance to immunotherapy is essential for developing better treatments, focusing on the innate immune response to boost overall effectiveness.
- * This review discusses various approaches, such as activating immune receptors and enhancing immune cells, which may improve GBM treatment outcomes based on both preclinical and clinical research findings.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how the oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGDOX can enhance the effectiveness of adoptive cell therapies, especially in treating solid tumors where cancer cells can be diverse and the surrounding environment suppresses immune responses.
- Using mouse models with B16 melanoma, the researchers found that administering Delta-24-RGDOX after injecting tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-targeting T cells led to improved tumor responses and increased survival rates.
- This approach not only activated the tumor microenvironment but also boosted the immune response by increasing the density of specific immune cells, ultimately enhancing systemic antitumor immunity and reducing the chances of tumor relapse.
Remission of liquid tumors and SARS-CoV-2 infection: A literature review.
Mol Ther Oncolytics
September 2022
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant challenge for cancer patients, as the virus and cancer treatments weaken the immune system, leading to more severe symptoms and poorer outcomes.
- Some clinical cases reveal that certain viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, may induce remission in patients with liquid tumors, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue.
- Oncolytic virotherapy, which uses viruses to target cancer, shows promise as a form of cancer immunotherapy, potentially triggering local inflammation that could create a systemic effect to combat cancer beyond just the treated area.
Opsin 3 and 4 mediate light-induced pulmonary vasorelaxation that is potentiated by G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 inhibition.
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol
January 2018
We recently demonstrated that blue light induces vasorelaxation in the systemic mouse circulation, a phenomenon mediated by the nonvisual G protein-coupled receptor melanopsin (Opsin 4; Opn4). Here we tested the hypothesis that nonvisual opsins mediate photorelaxation in the pulmonary circulation. We discovered Opsin 3 (Opn3), Opn4, and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) in rat pulmonary arteries (PAs) and in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), where the opsins interact directly with GRK2, as demonstrated with a proximity ligation assay.
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