Publications by authors named "Azhar Saeed"

Objective: Cancer patients aged ≥80 years present unique characteristics affecting response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), with unidentified molecular differences. This study aimed to explore potential biomarkers of response to ICI in patients ≥80 years.

Methods And Analysis: We analysed tumour samples (n=24 123) from patients ≥80 (versus<80) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma (MEL), and renal cell cancer (RCC).

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To advance off-grid energy solutions, developing flexible photobatteries capable of direct light charging is essential. This study presents an innovative photobattery architecture that incorporates zinc oxide (ZnO) as an electron-transporting and hole-blocking layer, combined with a hybrid methylammonium tin iodide composite with poly-triarylamine (MASnI/PTAA) for light absorption and hole transport. PTAA facilitates efficient hole transport to the anode, thereby enhancing charge separation and reducing recombination losses.

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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, often linked to chronic inflammation. Our study aimed to probe inflammation pathways at the genetic level and pinpoint biomarkers linked to HCC patient survival.

Methods: We analyzed gene transcriptome data from 246 resectable stage I and II HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

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Article Synopsis
  • - The CAMILLA trial evaluated the combination of cabozantinib and durvalumab in 29 patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers that did not respond to chemotherapy, all of whom had confirmed pMMR/MSS tumors.
  • - The study found an overall response rate (ORR) of 27.6%, with 44.83% of patients showing a 4-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate and a median overall survival (OS) of 9.1 months; 39% of patients experienced grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE).
  • - A post-hoc analysis indicated that patients with RAS wild-type tumors had a better ORR of 50%, and the study also identified
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This paper shines a light on the exciting progress being made in using immunotherapy to treat advanced gastroesophageal cancers. The positive results from trials using drugs like Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab are certainly encouraging and open new possibilities for treating this challenging disease. However, it is clear that we still have a lot to learn about how to predict which patients will benefit most from these treatments.

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Gastrointestinal cancers are highly aggressive malignancies with significant mortality rates. Recent research emphasizes the critical role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in these cancers, which includes cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a key component of the TME that have diverse origins, including fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, and endothelial cells. Several markers, such as and , have been identified to label CAFs, and some specific markers may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Geriatric patients aged 80 and older are often excluded from clinical trials for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), despite their potential different responses due to unique biological factors.
  • - A study analyzed data from 885 patients treated with ICIs, finding that those aged 80 and above with low levels of inflammatory markers (NLR and SII) exhibited significantly better treatment responses and longer survival outcomes.
  • - The research suggests that lower inflammatory levels before starting ICI treatment can be a useful predictor for improved effectiveness and survival rates in older cancer patients.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a leading cause of death from cancer worldwide, with increasing incidence in the Western world. Diet has become the focus of research as a significant risk factor for CRC occurrence, and the role of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has become an area of interest given their potential role in modulating inflammation, particularly in the pro-carcinogenic inflammatory environment of the colon. This work reviews the main types of PUFAs, their characteristics, structure, and physiologic role.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A case study describes a 35-year-old man diagnosed initially with dengue, whose condition worsened, and later tested positive for CCHF, leading to necessary prophylactic treatment for healthcare workers involved.
  • * The text emphasizes the importance of rapid and accurate identification of CCHF to minimize health risks and costs, suggesting the need for reliable, affordable diagnostic tools to improve patient management and resource allocation in developing countries.
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Introduction The incidence of cardiovascular diseases continues to increase, becoming one of the leading causes of mortality globally. The proper use of medication can greatly reduce the death rate by slowing the progression of the disease. Yet, many patients struggle with following their medication regimen due to various reasons.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Fluorescence spectroscopy is effectively used to assess microbial load in water, showing a strong correlation with traditional methods like colony forming unit (CFU) and optical density (OD) techniques.
  • - The study demonstrates that a UV dose of 58.9 mJ/cm is needed for 99.99% disinfection at a flow rate of 0.8 l/min, with fluorescence at 360 nm indicating bacterial degradation as UVC exposure increases.
  • - This method is faster and more sensitive than CFU and OD methods, providing real-time monitoring of pathogen levels in drinking water without the need for a 24-hour incubation period.
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This is the phase Ib part of the phase I/II CAMILLA trial evaluating cabozantinib plus durvalumab in advanced chemo-refractory proficient mismatch repair or microsatellite stable (pMMR/MSS) gastrointestinal malignancies including gastric/gastroesophageal junction/esophageal (G/GEJ/E) adenocarcinoma, colorectal cancer (CRC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty-five patients are enrolled. There are no observed dose-limiting toxicities during dose escalation.

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Although most people are infected with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) during their lifetime, only a minority of them develop an EBV-associated malignancy. EBV acts in both direct and indirect ways to transform infected cells into tumor cells. There are multiple ways in which the EBV, host, and tumor environment interact to promote malignant transformation.

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Ciprofloxacin is a commonly used drug in our setup. Neurological disturbances are rare side effects of its use and are reported in older adults, patients with comorbidities, or patients with a background of psychiatric illness and antipsychotic drug use. We report the case of a 21-year-old female who developed delirium after taking ciprofloxacin for a urinary tract infection.

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Rod-like liquid crystalline (LC) polyphilic compounds with a linear oligo(phenyleneethynylene) core, sticky glycerol groups at each end and two long alkyl side chains (C-C) at opposite sides form rhombic honeycombs with inner angles around 60/120°, occurring between triangular and square tiling patterns.

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RAP1B is a RAS-superfamily small GTP-binding protein involved in numerous cell processes. Pathogenic gain-of-function variants in this gene have been associated with RAP1B-related syndromic thrombocytopenia, an ultrarare disorder characterized by hematologic abnormalities, neurodevelopmental delays, growth delay, and congenital birth defects including cardiovascular, genitourinary, neurologic, and skeletal systems. We report a 23-year-old male with a novel, de novo RAP1B gain-of-function variant identified on genome sequencing.

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We previously reported (), a novel gene nested in intron 6 of the mouse gene. is involved in several functions such as fertility and T cell development and its knockout leads to non-viable embryos. We also reported ISRAA's expression in lymphoid organs, particularly in the thymus CD T cells during all developmental stages.

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Pancreatobiliary strictures are a common source of false negatives for malignancy detection. UroVysion is more sensitive than any other method but remains underutilized because of conflicting sensitivities and specificities due to a lack of standardized cutoff criteria and confusion in interpreting results in the context of primary sclerosing cholangitis. We set out to determine the sensitivities and specificities of UroVysion, brushing cytology, forceps biopsies, and fine needle aspiration (FNAs) for pancreatobiliary stricture malignancy detection.

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Achiral multi-chain (polycatenar) compounds based on the 2,7-diphenyl substituted [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (BTBT) unit and a 2,6-dibromo-3,4,5-trialkoxybenzoate end group lead to materials forming bicontinuous cubic liquid crystalline phases with helical network structures over wide temperature ranges.

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Advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive tumor with an abysmal prognosis. Beyond the first-line setting, treatment for advanced PDAC is limited and suboptimal. Also, the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeted therapy alone in the chemo-refractory setting in PDAC tumors harboring druggable EGFR mutations is unclear.

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Several targeted agents including multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (mTKIs) and immunotherapy (IO) agents have been approved for use beyond the frontline setting in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Due to lack of prospective head-to-head comparative trials, there is no standardized way for alternating those agents beyond frontline. Therefore, we performed a retrospective review of the Kansas University (KU) cancer registry to determine whether IO may be superior to non-IO therapy.

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Introduction: Patients with mutated and overexpressed p53 have an aggressive course in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Studies on the impact of MYC expression in AML are limited. This is the first study to evaluate MYC expression and p53 status in AML and MDS.

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Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma has limited treatment options, but there has been extensive growth recently with cabozantinib, regorafenib, lenvatinib, nivolumab, atezolizumab, and bevacizumab, which are some of the treatments that have received FDA approval just over the last three years. Because HCC tumor microenvironment is potentially immunogenic and typically characterized by inflammation, immunotherapy has been proposed as a potential novel therapeutic approach, which has prompted studies in advanced HCC patients investigating various immune-therapeutic strategies such as CAR-T cell therapy, checkpoint inhibitors, and onco-vaccines. The anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been FDA approved as a second line treatment in patients who progressed or are intolerant to Sorafenib.

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Article Synopsis
  • A 54-year-old man with a history of several health issues, including diabetes and a chronic skin rash, went to the emergency room due to worsening symptoms and weight loss.
  • Imaging revealed a large pancreatic mass, and blood tests indicated significantly elevated glucagon levels, suggesting a possible malignant tumor.
  • After undergoing surgery to remove the tumor, the patient's glucagon levels dropped to normal, and his skin rash completely resolved within six weeks.
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Purpose Of Review: Gut microbiota has the ability to modify the metabolism of wide array of therapeutic drugs. Current treatment modalities used in colorectal cancer have a narrow therapeutic index with a side effects profile that decreases tolerance to these treatments and adversely affects treatment outcome. Harnessing the gut microbiota ability to modify oncotherapeutic drugs metabolism and hence efficacy, could be potentially used to improve treatment outcomes in colorectal cancer patients.

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