Sodium chloride in the tumor microenvironment enhances T cell metabolic fitness and cytotoxicity.

The efficacy of antitumor immunity is associated with the metabolic state of cytotoxic T cells, which is sensitive to the tumor microenvironment. Whether ionic signals affect adaptive antitumor immune responses is unclear. In the present study, we show that there is an enrichment of sodium in solid tumors from patients with breast cancer.

First effectiveness data of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab as first-line therapy in advanced anaplastic thyroid cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare and aggressive neoplasm. We still lack effective treatment options, so survival rates remain very low. Here, we aimed to evaluate the activity of the combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab as systemic first-line therapy in ATC.

Leveraging Large Language Models for Decision Support in Personalized Oncology.

Importance: Clinical interpretation of complex biomarkers for precision oncology currently requires manual investigations of previous studies and databases. Conversational large language models (LLMs) might be beneficial as automated tools for assisting clinical decision-making.

Objective: To assess performance and define their role using 4 recent LLMs as support tools for precision oncology.

Metastases to the pituitary gland: insights from the German pituitary tumor registry.

Metastatic involvement of the pituitary gland is a rare but clinically significant phenomenon, that often poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the origin of pituitary metastases using data from the German Pituitary Tumor Registry, one of the globally largest collections of pituitary pathology specimens. Here, we report data from a retrospective analysis of patients with metastases to the pituitary registered between 1990 and 2022.

Weight loss-induced improvement of body weight and insulin sensitivity is not amplified by a subsequent 12-month weight maintenance intervention but is predicted by adaption of adipose atrial natriuretic peptide system: 48-month results of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Behavioral weight loss interventions are frequently hampered by long-term inefficacy. As metabolic improvements and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are diminished by weight regain, effective long-term strategies are highly desirable. We aimed to analyze whether an additional weight maintenance intervention could delay body weight regain and can induce a long-term improvement of metabolism and HRQoL for up to 48 months in humans.

Long-term impact of the metabolic status on weight loss-induced health benefits.

Background: While short-term effects of weight loss on quality of life and metabolic aspects appear to be different in metabolically healthy (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO), respective long-term data is still missing. Given the high relevance of long-term changes, we aimed to address these in this post-hoc analysis of the MAINTAIN trial.

Methods: We analyzed 143 overweight/obese subjects (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m, age ≥ 18 years) before and after a 3-month weight loss program (≥ 8% weight loss), after a 12-month period of a randomized weight maintenance intervention (n = 121), and after another 6 months without intervention (n = 112).

Effects of Weight Loss on Adipose and Muscular Neuropilin 1 mRNA Expression in Obesity: Potential Implication in SARS-CoV-2 Infections?

Introduction: Neuropilin 1 (NRP-1) is a novel co-receptor promoting SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Animal data indicate a role in trans-endothelial lipid transport and storage. As human data are sparse, we aimed to assess the role of NRP-1 in 2 metabolic active tissues in human obesity and in the context of weight loss-induced short- and long-term metabolic changes.

Brain metastases in gastroesophageal cancers-an underestimated complication.

Background: Brain metastases represent a severe complication in many gastrointestinal malignancies especially those arising from the upper gastrointestinal tract, including cancer of the esophagus, gastroesophageal junction, and stomach (GEC). However, there is little knowledge about the onset or potential risk factors for brain metastases (BRMs) in upper gastrointestinal cancers resulting in a lack of screening guidelines for BRMs.

Methods: We analyzed 827 patients from our cancer registry suffering from gastroesophageal cancer (GEC) and treated at the University Medical Center Göttingen between January 2013 and December 2019 for the presence of BRMs.

Metabolic impact of weight loss induced reduction of adipose ACE-2 - Potential implication in COVID-19 infections?

Background & Aims: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-2 is a modulator of adipose tissue metabolism. However, human data of adipose ACE-2 is rarely available. Considering that, ACE-2 is believed to be the receptor responsible for cell entry of SARS-CoV-2, a better understanding of its regulation is desirable.

Salt generates antiinflammatory Th17 cells but amplifies pathogenicity in proinflammatory cytokine microenvironments.

Th cells integrate signals from their microenvironment to acquire distinct specialization programs for efficient clearance of diverse pathogens or for immunotolerance. Ionic signals have recently been demonstrated to affect T cell polarization and function. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was proposed to accumulate in peripheral tissues upon dietary intake and to promote autoimmunity via the Th17 cell axis.

Improving assent in health research: a rapid systematic review.

Background: Enrolment in a research study requires the participant's informed consent. In the case of minors, informed consent of the respective legal guardian is obtained in conjunction with informed assent of the underage p articipant. Since comprehension of the information provided may be limited, effective interventions to improve understanding should be identified.

An Evaluation of T-Cell Functionality After Flow Cytometry Sorting Revealed p38 MAPK Activation.

Cell alterations during isolation and preparation for flow cytometry cell sorting by antibodies, temperature, homogenization, buffer composition and mitogens are well known. In contrast, little is known about cell alteration caused by the instrument or the sorting process itself. We systematically evaluated cellular responses to different sorter-induced physical forces.

Clinical outcome of a patient with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency and first results after initiation of treatment with Sebelipase alfa: A case report.

We report on a case of very rare autosomal recessive cholesteryl ester storage disease due to lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LALD). LALD is caused by mutations in the lysosomal acid lipase A () gene resulting in cholesteryl ester accumulation in liver, spleen, and macrophages. It can lead to liver failure, accelerated atherosclerosis and premature death.

Sodium chloride is an ionic checkpoint for human T2 cells and shapes the atopic skin microenvironment.

The incidence of allergic diseases has increased over the past 50 years, likely due to environmental factors. However, the nature of these factors and the mode of action by which they induce the type 2 immune deviation characteristic of atopic diseases remain unclear. It has previously been reported that dietary sodium chloride promotes the polarization of T helper 17 (T17) cells with implications for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Allergies - A T cells perspective in the era beyond the T1/T2 paradigm.

Allergic diseases have emerged as a major health care burden, especially in the western hemisphere. They are defined by overshooting reactions of an aberrant immune system to harmless exogenous stimuli. The T1/T2 paradigm assumes that a dominance of T2 cell activation and an inadequate T1 cell response are responsible for the development of allergies.