T-cell redirecting bispecific antibody treatment in multiple myeloma: current knowledge and future strategies for sustained T-cell engagement.

Introduction: T-cell redirecting bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) or G-protein - coupled receptor class C group 5 member D (GPRC5D), are efficacious new agents for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory MM.

Areas Covered: This review discusses the pharmacokinetic properties, efficacy, and safety profile of T-cell redirecting BsAbs in MM, with a special focus on their optimal dosing schedule, resistance mechanisms and future strategies to enhance efficacy, reduce toxicity, and maximize duration of response.

Expert Opinion: To further improve the efficacy of BsAbs, ongoing studies are investigating whether combination therapy can enhance depth and duration of response.

Taxanes trigger cancer cell killing in vivo by inducing non-canonical T cell cytotoxicity.

Although treatment with taxanes does not always lead to clinical benefit, all patients are at risk of their detrimental side effects such as peripheral neuropathy. Understanding the in vivo mode of action of taxanes can help design improved treatment regimens. Here, we demonstrate that in vivo, taxanes directly trigger T cells to selectively kill cancer cells in a non-canonical, T cell receptor-independent manner.

Characterization of a Vision-Based Tool for the Investigation of Geometric Characteristics of Ground-Deposited Volcanic Ash.

With the support of public authorities and research institutions, volcanic ash fallout and its impact on the safety of people, infrastructure and services are addressed with the aim of defining protocols and instruments for the reliable and effective handling of related emergencies. Most of the solutions proposed in the literature on ash fallout monitoring suffer from high cost and are demanding in terms of installation and maintenance. The approach suggested in this work is based on the use of a low-cost vision embedded system and a dedicated algorithm which automatically processes acquired frames of ground-deposited volcanic ash in order to estimate the main geometric properties of each particle identified in the work area.

A Comparison among Different Strategies to Detect Potential Unstable Behaviors in Postural Sway.

Assistive Technology helps to assess the daily living and safety of frail people, with particular regards to the detection and prevention of falls. In this paper, a comparison is provided among different strategies to analyze postural sway, with the aim of detecting unstable postural status in standing condition as precursors of potential falls. Three approaches are considered: (i) a time-based features threshold algorithm, (ii) a time-based features Neuro-Fuzzy inference system, and (iii) a Neuro-Fuzzy inference fed by Discrete-Wavelet-Transform-based features.

Lead-Free LiNbO Thick Film MEMS Kinetic Cantilever Beam Sensor/Energy Harvester.

In this paper, we present integrated lead-free energy converters based on a suitable MEMS fabrication process with an embedded layer of LiNbO. The fabrication technology has been developed to realize micromachined self-generating transducers to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. The process proposed presents several interesting features with the possibility of realizing smaller scale devices, integrated systems, miniaturized mechanical and electromechanical sensors, and transducers with an active layer used as the main conversion element.

A Vision-Based Approach for the Analysis of Core Characteristics of Volcanic Ash.

Volcanic ash fall-out represents a serious hazard for air and road traffic. The forecasting models used to predict its time-space evolution require information about the core characteristics of volcanic particles, such as their granulometry. Typically, such information is gained by the spot direct observation of the ash collected at the ground or by using expensive instrumentation.

A Low Cost Inkjet-Printed Mass Sensor Using a Frequency Readout Strategy.

The development of low-cost mass sensors is of unique interest for the scientific community due to the wide range of fields requiring these kind of devices. In this paper, a full inkjet-printed mass sensor is proposed. The device is based on a PolyEthylene Terephthalate (PET) cantilever beam (operating in its first natural frequency) where a strain-sensor and a planar coil have been realized by a low-cost InkJet Printing technology to implement the sensing and actuation strategies, respectively.

Harnessing EV communication to restore antitumor immunity.

Restoring effective anti-tumor immune responses to cure cancer is a promising strategy, but challenging to achieve due to the intricate crosstalk between tumor and immune cells. While it is established that tumor cells acquire traits to escape immune recognition, the involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in curbing immune cell activation is rapidly emerging. By assisting cancer cells in spreading immunomodulatory signals in the form of (glyco)proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and metabolic regulators, EVs recently emerged as versatile mediators of immune suppression.

Testing Surgical Face Masks in an Emergency Context: The Experience of Italian Laboratories during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis.

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a broader use of masks by both professionals and the general population. This resulted in a severe worldwide shortage of devices and the need to increase import and activate production of safe and effective surgical masks at the national level. In order to support the demand for testing surgical masks in the Italian context, Universities provided their contribution by setting up laboratories for testing mask performance before releasing products into the national market.

Extracellular Vesicle-Based Nucleic Acid Delivery: Current Cancer Therapeutic Strategies.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are sophisticated and sensitive messengers released by cells to communicate with and influence distant and neighboring cells via selective transfer of bioactive content, including protein lipids and nucleic acids. EVs have therefore attracted broad interest as new and refined potential therapeutic systems in many diseases, including cancer, due to their low immunogenicity, non-toxicity, and elevated bioavailability. They might serve as safe and effective vehicles for the transport of therapeutic molecules to specific tissues and cells.

An Assistive Technology Solution for User Activity Monitoring Exploiting Passive RFID.

Population ageing is having a direct influence on serious health issues, including hampered mobility and physical decline. Good habits in performing physical activities, in addition to eating and drinking, are essential to improve the life quality of the elderly population. Technological solutions, aiming at increasing awareness or providing reminders to eat/drink regularly, can have a significant impact in this scenario.

Polymeric Transducers: An Inkjet Printed B-Field Sensor with Resistive Readout Strategy.

Magnetic field sensors are successfully used in numerous application contexts such as position sensing, speed detection, current detection, contactless switches, vehicle detection, and electronic compasses. In this paper, an inkjet printed magnetic sensor, based on the magneto-mechanical sensing principle, is presented together with a physical model describing its physical behavior and experimental results. The main novelties of the proposed solution consist of its low cost, rapid prototyping (printing and drying time), disposability, and in the use of a commercial low-cost printer.

Analysis of a Hybrid Micro-Electro-Mechanical Sensor Based on Graphene Oxide/Polyvinyl Alcohol for Humidity Measurements.

In this paper, we present a redundant microsensor based on the bulk and etch silicononinsulator (BESOI) process for measuring relative humidity (RH), by using a grapheneoxide/polyvinylalcohol (GO/PVA) composite. The MEMS is a mechanical oscillator, composed of a proof mass with multilayer of nanomaterials (GO/PVA) and suspended by four crab-leg springs. The redundant approach realized concerns the use of different readout strategies in order to estimate the same measurand RH.

Exosome-transferred lncRNAs at the core of cancer bone lesions.

Exosome-mediated transfer of regulatory RNAs is a key feature that enables cancer cells to shape a tumor-promoting environment. Cancers growing in the bone can use this communication modality to disrupt the homeostatic balance between bone forming and bone resorbing cells, which results in the release of bone-embedded factors supporting cancer growth and progression. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are potent regulators of cell fate determination with exceptional cell- and tissue-specificity that are secreted by cancer cells via exosomes.

A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Within the tumor microenvironment, resident or recruited mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contribute to malignant progression in multiple cancer types. Under the influence of specific environmental signals, these adult stem cells can release paracrine mediators leading to accelerated tumor growth and metastasis. Defining the crosstalk between tumor and MSCs is of primary importance to understand the mechanisms underlying cancer progression and identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention.

Biogenesis and function of extracellular vesicles in cancer.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous multi-signal messengers that support cancer growth and dissemination by mediating the tumor-stroma crosstalk. Exosomes are a subtype of EVs that originate from the limiting membrane of late endosomes, and as such contain information linked to both the intrinsic cell "state" and the extracellular signals cells received from their environment. Resolving the signals affecting exosome biogenesis, cargo sorting and release will increase our understanding of tumorigenesis.

Quantifying exosome secretion from single cells reveals a modulatory role for GPCR signaling.

Exosomes are small endosome-derived extracellular vesicles implicated in cell-cell communication and are secreted by living cells when multivesicular bodies (MVBs) fuse with the plasma membrane (PM). Current techniques to study exosome physiology are based on isolation procedures after secretion, precluding direct and dynamic insight into the mechanics of exosome biogenesis and the regulation of their release. In this study, we propose real-time visualization of MVB-PM fusion to overcome these limitations.

Low-Cost Inkjet Printing Technology for the Rapid Prototyping of Transducers.

Recently, there has been an upsurge in efforts dedicated to developing low-cost flexible electronics by exploiting innovative materials and direct printing technologies. This interest is motivated by the need for low-cost mass-production, shapeable, and disposable devices, and the rapid prototyping of electronics and sensors. This review, following a short overview of main printing processes, reports examples of the development of flexible transducers through low-cost inkjet printing technology.

Blocking Tumor-Educated MSC Paracrine Activity Halts Osteosarcoma Progression.

Human osteosarcoma is a genetically heterogeneous bone malignancy with poor prognosis despite the employment of aggressive chemotherapy regimens. Because druggable driver mutations have not been established, dissecting the interactions between osteosarcoma cells and supporting stroma may provide insights into novel therapeutic targets. By using a bioluminescent orthotopic xenograft mouse model of osteosarcoma, we evaluated the effect of tumor extracellular vesicle (EV)-educated mesenchymal stem cells (TEMSC) on osteosarcoma progression.