Dental Caries, Race and Incident Ischemic Stroke, Coronary Heart Disease, and Death.

Background: Dental caries is a highly prevalent disease worldwide. In the United States, untreated dental caries is present in >1 in 5 adults. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between dental caries and incident ischemic stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD) events, and death.

Periodontal Disease Treatment After Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: The PREMIERS Study, a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Patients with stroke/transient ischemic attack and periodontal disease (PD) are at increased risk for cardiovascular events. PD treatments that can improve stroke risk factors were tested if they might assist patients with cerebrovascular disease.

Methods: In this multicenter phase II trial, patients with stroke/transient ischemic attack and moderately severe PD were randomly assigned to intensive or standard PD treatment arms.

mWTX-330, an IL-12 INDUKINE Molecule, Activates and Reshapes Tumor-Infiltrating CD8+ T and NK Cells to Generate Antitumor Immunity.

IL-12 is a pleotropic inflammatory cytokine, which has broad stimulatory effects on various immune cell populations, making it an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. However, despite generating robust antitumor activity in syngeneic murine tumor models, clinical administration of IL-12 has been limited by severe toxicity. mWTX-330 is a selectively inducible INDUKINE molecule comprised of a half-life extension domain and an inactivation domain linked to chimeric IL-12 by tumor protease-sensitive linkers.

Discovery of a Conditionally Activated IL-2 that Promotes Antitumor Immunity and Induces Tumor Regression.

IL-2 is a cytokine clinically approved for the treatment of melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. Unfortunately, its clinical utility is hindered by serious side effects driven by the systemic activity of the cytokine. Here, we describe the design and characterization of a conditionally activated IL-2 prodrug, WTX-124, that takes advantage of the dysregulated protease milieu of tumors.

Early Identification, Intervention and Management of Post-stroke Spasticity: Expert Consensus Recommendations.

Stroke patients with spasticity usually require long-lasting care and interventions but frequently report that outpatient and community treatment is limited, reflecting a significant unmet need in health and social care provision. Rehabilitation and spasticity management services are essential for patient recovery, with improvements in both activity and participation reducing the burden on patients, family and society. Current clinical guidance provides scope for improvements in both post-stroke management and spasticity prevention.