Children with Congenital Heart Disease Show Increased Behavioral Problems Compared to Healthy Peers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Millions of children and adults are living with congenital heart disease (CHD). Their risk for behavioral problems has not been the subject of a meta-analysis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of measures of behavioral problems in people born with CHD compared to peers without CHD.

Combination immunotherapy including OncoVEX creates a favorable tumor immune micro-environment in transgenic BRAF murine melanoma.

Talimogene Laherparepvec (OncoVEX), an oncolytic virus, immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1), and BRAF inhibition (BRAFi), are all clinically approved for treatment of melanoma patients and are effective through diverse mechanisms of action. Individually, these therapies also have an effect on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Evaluating the combination effect of these three therapies on the TIME can help determine when combination therapy is most appropriate for further study.

FLT-PET At 6 Weeks Predicts Response Assessed by CT at 12 Weeks in Melanoma Patients Treated With Pembrolizumab.

Purpose: Investigate the ability of F-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET combined with CT at 6 weeks to predict treatment response at 12 weeks after treatment with pembrolizumab.

Methods: Five patients with unresectable stage IV melanoma were included in this single-institution pilot study. Patients underwent FLT-PET/CT (baseline and 6 weeks) and CT (baseline and 12 weeks).

Linking Transcriptomic and Imaging Data Defines Features of a Favorable Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Identifies a Combination Biomarker for Primary Melanoma.

Patients with resected stage II-III melanoma have approximately a 35% chance of death from their disease. A deeper understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is required to stratify patients and identify factors leading to therapy resistance. We previously identified that the melanoma immune profile (MIP), an IFN-based gene signature, and the ratio of CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to CD68 macrophages both predict disease-specific survival (DSS).

Prognostic and theranostic 18F-FDG PET biomarkers for anti-PD1 immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma: association with outcome and transcriptomics.

Purpose: An imaging-based stratification tool is needed to identify melanoma patients who will benefit from anti Programmed Death-1 antibody (anti-PD1). We aimed at identifying biomarkers for survival and response evaluated in lymphoid tissue metabolism in spleen and bone marrow before initiation of therapy.

Methods: This retrospective study included 55 patients from two institutions who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT before anti-PD1.