Publications by authors named "Baas P"

Purpose: Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) is a trophoblast cell-surface antigen-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate with a highly potent topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. The TROPION-Lung05 phase II trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04484142) evaluated the safety and clinical activity of Dato-DXd in patients with advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with actionable genomic alterations progressing on or after targeted therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy.

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Premise: This paper provides an overview of the wood anatomy of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), reconstructs wood anatomical trait evolution, and links this evolution with woody growth-form transitions and floral and seed trait innovations across the family.

Methods: Over 200 published wood anatomical descriptions were revised, and original light microscopic sections were made and described for another 50 species. Changes in wood anatomical characters through time were visualized with ancestral state reconstructions.

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  • - The study investigates mechanisms of resistance in patients with EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progressed on osimertinib treatment, using paired plasma and tumor samples for analysis.
  • - Out of 51 patients, the driver mutation was found in 82% of plasma samples and 98% of tumor samples, with a concordance rate of 80%, while resistance mechanisms (RMs) were identified in 80% of patients.
  • - The findings suggest that analyzing both plasma and tumor samples provides a more comprehensive understanding of osimertinib resistance, with plasma identifying 61.5% and tumor analysis revealing 75% of RMs, leading to better treatment strategies.
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  • - The association of tau with microtubules makes them more unstable, while MAP6 stabilizes them, leading to the creation of both stable and labile domains as neurons grow and differentiate.
  • - Research using rodent neuronal cultures shows that depleting tau has different effects on neuronal development than depleting MAP6, impacting growth cone turning and neuronal processes.
  • - When both tau and MAP6 are depleted simultaneously, their effects cancel each other out, suggesting that they play opposing roles in microtubule stability which influences neuronal development.
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Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare thoracic malignancy with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Immunotherapy shows potential for improved outcomes; however, real-world evidence on its use will take time to accumulate. This study examined patient characteristics, treatment patterns, overall survival (OS), and predictors of mortality among patients diagnosed with MPM in Denmark prior to the introduction of newer treatments.

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The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors significantly advanced outcomes in both metastatic and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Despite these advancements, the 5-year survival rate remains suboptimal. Even in early-stage disease a significant portion of patients relapse and die from metastatic progression.

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Background: Dendritic cell immunotherapy has proven to be safe and induces an immune response in humans. We aimed to establish the efficacy of dendritic cells loaded with allogeneic tumour cell lysate (MesoPher, Amphera BV, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands) as maintenance therapy in patients with pleural mesothelioma.

Methods: In this open-label, randomised, phase 2/3 study, patients with histologically confirmed unresectable pleural mesothelioma, aged 18 years or older, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0-1, and non-progressing disease after four to six cycles of standard chemotherapy (with pemetrexed 500 mg/m plus platinum [cisplatin 75 mg/m or carboplatin area under the curve of 5]) were recruited from four centres in Belgium, France, and The Netherlands.

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Background: The role of surgery in pleural mesothelioma remains controversial. It may be appropriate in highly selected patients as part of a multimodality treatment including chemotherapy. Recent years have seen a shift from extrapleural pleuropneumonectomy toward extended pleurectomy/decortication.

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Antibodies targeting the immune checkpoint molecules PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4, administered alone or in combination with chemotherapy, are the standard of care in most patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancers. When given before curative surgery, tumor responses and improved event-free survival are achieved. New antibody combinations may be more efficacious and tolerable.

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Background: The combination of pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, and lenvatinib, an antiangiogenic multikinase inhibitor, shows synergistic activity in preclinical and clinical studies in solid tumours. We assessed the clinical activity of this combination therapy in patients with pleural mesothelioma who progressed after platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy.

Methods: In this single-arm, single-centre, phase 2 study, done at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, eligible patients (aged ≥18 years) with pleural mesothelioma with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, progression after chemotherapy (no previous immunotherapy), and measurable disease according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumours (mRECIST) for mesothelioma version 1.

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  • Tau is a crucial microtubule-associated protein in neurons that influences microtubule dynamics and axon structure, contradicting the older view of it solely as a stabilizer.
  • Lowering tau levels shows promise for treating early stages of tauopathies, but later stages present challenges due to resilient toxic tau aggregates and the involvement of other factors.
  • A better understanding of tau's complex interactions, particularly with MAP6, and the stage-dependent nature of tauopathies is essential for developing effective treatments.
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  • Recent research by the Gulf War Illness Consortium and other scientists has improved our understanding of Gulf War Illness (GWI) and its underlying mechanisms.
  • Veterans with GWI often experience mild cognitive impairments, particularly in memory, which raises concerns about potential progression to dementia over time.
  • Studies indicate that elevated tau levels in the brain and high tau autoantibodies in the blood of veterans could be linked to these cognitive issues, emphasizing the urgent need for effective treatments and preventive measures.
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  • Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a serious cancer that is becoming more common in Europe, and understanding its epidemiology, treatment, and prognosis is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
  • A study analyzed data from 2,766 PM patients across multiple European centers, revealing that most patients had the epithelioid subtype of PM and that many presented at advanced stages (III to IV) with poor overall survival rates averaging 17.4 months.
  • Results indicated that treatment approaches, particularly multimodality treatments including surgery, notably improved survival chances, especially in patients who achieved a complete resection of the tumor.
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Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now a first-line treatment option for patients with pleural mesothelioma with the recent approval of ipilimumab and nivolumab. Mesothelioma has a low tumor mutation burden and no robust predictors of survival with ICI. Since ICIs enable adaptive antitumor immune responses, we investigated T-cell receptor (TCR) associations with survival in participants from two clinical trials treated with ICI.

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  • Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are at a higher risk for developing lung cancer, but there are currently no reliable biomarkers to detect it early, making new detection methods essential.
  • A study called BreathCloud utilized eNose technology to analyze exhaled breath in patients with COPD to see if it could identify early signs of lung cancer over a two-year period.
  • Results showed that distinct breath profiles from patients with COPD could effectively differentiate those who later developed lung cancer, achieving high accuracy in predictions (receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.89 and 0.86).
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Approximately 30% of the veterans who fought in the 1991 Gulf War (GW) suffer from a disease called Gulf War Illness (GWI), which encompasses a constellation of symptoms including cognitive deficits. A coalescence of evidence indicates that GWI was caused by low-level exposure to organophosphate pesticides and nerve agents in combination with physical stressors of the battlefield. Until recently, progress on mechanisms and therapy had been limited to rodent-based models.

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Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has heralded a new era in cancer therapy. Research into the mechanisms underlying response to ICB has predominantly focused on T cells; however, effective immune responses require tightly regulated crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune cells. Here, we combine unbiased analysis of blood and tumors from metastatic breast cancer patients treated with ICB with mechanistic studies in mouse models of breast cancer.

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Microtubule disruption is a common downstream mechanism leading to axonal degeneration in a number of neurological diseases. To date, most studies on this topic have focused on the loss of microtubule mass from the axon, as well as changes in the stability properties of the microtubules and/or their tubulin composition. Here we posit corruption of the normal pattern of microtubule polarity orientation as an underappreciated and yet treatable contributor to axonal degeneration.

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Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant disease of the pleura which recently can be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). To optimize this treatment, a better understanding of the tumor micro environment is needed. We investigated subgroups of immune cells in subsequent tumor biopsies of patients treated with ICI.

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Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. Although histology and pathologic stage are important prognostic factors, better prognostic biomarkers are needed. The ribosomal protein S6 is a downstream target of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway involved in protein synthesis and cell proliferation.

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