Publications by authors named "Hachem M"

CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells have changed the treatment paradigm of patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Three CAR T-cells were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients with relapsed and/or refractory (R/R) LBCL in the third-line setting: tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel), axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), and lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), with an ORR ranging from 58% to 82%. More recently, axi-cel and liso-cel were approved as second-line treatments for patients with R/R disease up to 12 months after the completion of first-line chemo-immunotherapy.

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Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3), a predominant omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in brain, plays a vital role in cerebral development and exhibits functions with potential therapeutic effects (synaptic function, neurogenesis, brain inflammation regulation) in neurodegenerative diseases. The most common approaches of studying the cerebral accretion and metabolism of DHA involve the use of stable or radiolabeled tracers. Although these methods approved kinetic modeling of ratios and turnovers for fatty acids, they are associated with excessive costs, restrictive studies, and singular dosing effects.

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Several studies emphasized on the preventive and therapeutic potential of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) supplementation in chronic and age-related disorders including neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers principally studied the cerebral accretion of Lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC-DHA), the furthermost vital Lysophospholipid-DHA (LysoPL-DHA) in blood plasma. Nevertheless, the cerebral bioavailability of other LysoPL-DHA forms including Lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LysoPE-DHA), and Lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS-DHA) were not extensively examined even though their vital biological functions in the brain.

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  • * The study analyzed the fatty acid composition in the eyes of Arabian sheep and camels, finding that the retina had the highest levels of DHA and AA, with notable differences between the two species.
  • * The research suggests that using ocular tissues from agri-food waste could be a sustainable method to produce beneficial fatty acids, impacting nutrition and healthcare.
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  • * The study found that glycosylation efficiencies for various polyphenols were significantly higher—up to 20.9 times—compared to non-complexed systems.
  • * The research identified the rate-limiting step in the glycosylation process, showing that the enzyme's ability to open cyclodextrin was much more effective than its ability to glycosylate polyphenols, leading to an optimal yield of 84.1% for rutin.
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating lung disease with limited therapeutic options. Fibroblast growth factor receptor-4 (FGFR4) is a known receptor for several paracrine fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). FGFR4 is also the main receptor for FGF19, an endocrine FGF that was demonstrated by our group to have antifibrotic properties in the lung.

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  • The rapid growth of medical apps has changed how health care is delivered, allowing easy access to personalized health data for patients and providers, but effectiveness and safety concerns have emerged, challenging the reliance on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for evaluation and regulation.
  • This study explores alternative evaluation methods beyond RCTs for medical apps by analyzing insights from a focus group of public health experts and assessing current regulations in Italy, Germany, Canada, and Australia.
  • Findings highlight the limitations of RCTs in evaluating digital health interventions and suggest that there are potentially more effective approaches for ensuring the quality and safety of medical apps.
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Systemic light chain amyloidosis is a rare and severe disorder characterized by amyloid fibril deposition in various tissues, often leading to organ failure. Early diagnosis is crucial but challenging due to diverse clinical manifestations. Our case report presents a complex case of systemic light chain amyloidosis in a 62-year-old patient with cardiac, renal, neurological, and gastrointestinal involvement.

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  • Vitamin D deficiency is common in the general population and linked to various chronic health issues, including shoulder pathologies.
  • This deficiency can lead to poor outcomes in shoulder surgeries like rotator cuff repair, causing weaker preoperative shoulder strength and higher rates of complications.
  • Further research is needed to understand the exact role of vitamin D in rotator cuff injuries and its influence on recovery and surgical success.
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Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are disproportionately impacted by type 2 diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology (such as Abbott Freestyle Libre 2, previously referred to as Flash Glucose Monitoring) offers real-time glucose monitoring that is convenient and easy to use compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). However, this technology's use is neither widespread nor subsidised for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with type 2 diabetes.

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Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, offers several beneficial effects. DHA helps in reducing depression, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. It can stimulate the development of brain and nerve, alleviate lipids metabolism-related disorders, and enhance vision development.

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The function of polysaccharides is intimately associated with their size, which is largely determined by the processivity of transferases responsible for their synthesis. A tunnel active center architecture has been recognized as a key factor that governs processivity of several glycoside hydrolases (GHs), e.g.

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Matching donor and recipient blood groups based on red blood cell (RBC) surface ABO glycans and antibodies in plasma is crucial to avoid potentially fatal reactions during transfusions. Enzymatic conversion of RBC glycans to the universal group O is an attractive solution to simplify blood logistics and prevent ABO-mismatched transfusions. The gut symbiont Akkermansia muciniphila can degrade mucin O-glycans including ABO epitopes.

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Purpose: This systematic review summarizes evidence of VEGFR gene mutations and VEGF/VEGFR protein expression in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients, alongside the efficacy and safety of anti-VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for GBM treatment.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed up to August 2023. Boolean operators and MeSH term "glioma," along with specific VEGFR-related keywords, were utilized following thorough examination of existing literature.

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  • Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of genetic skin disorders that cause blisters from minor injuries, affecting the quality of life (QoL) for patients and caregivers.
  • The study aimed to create and test Italian translations of two validated EB-specific questionnaires, QOLEB and EB-BoD, to assess patient and family disease burden.
  • The translation process involved creating two initial versions, reconciling them with experts, and successfully pilot-testing them with 17 families, confirming their clarity and usability in clinical practice.
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  • - Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses (ARCIs) are a group of skin disorders marked by scaling due to mutations in at least 12 different genes, with this study aiming to explore disease characteristics and their link to genetic factors.
  • - The research involved 74 patients, primarily affected by lamellar ichthyosis and congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, leading to the discovery of 25 new mutations and specific associations between mutations and clinical symptoms, such as alopecia and thick scales linked to particular gene mutations.
  • - The findings highlighted that patients with mutations in TGM1 and ABCA12 had more severe symptoms compared to those with other mutations, while unique skin features were observed in NIPAL4-mut
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α-Glucanotransferases of the CAZy family GH70 convert starch-derived donors to industrially important α-glucans. Here, we describe characteristics of a novel GtfB-type 4,6-α-glucanotransferase of high enzyme activity (60.8 U mg) from N1 (LrN1 GtfB), which produces surprisingly large quantities of soluble protein in heterologous expression (173 mg pure protein per L of culture) and synthesizes the reuteran-like α-glucan with (α1 → 6) linkages in linear chains and branch points.

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  • Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a rare skin disorder caused by mutations in the COL7A1 gene, leading to persistent blistering and fibrosis without a cure.
  • The study focuses on the NOTCH signaling pathway, which is implicated in the fibrosis associated with RDEB, and examines the effects of γ-secretase inhibitors, specifically DAPT and PF-03084014 (nirogacestat), on RDEB fibroblasts.
  • Results show that inhibiting NOTCH signaling with PF-03084014 reduces fibrotic traits such as contractility and collagen secretion in RDEB fibroblasts, offering potential new therapeutic strategies for managing RDEB-associated fibrosis.
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Inter- and intraspecific competition is most important during the immature life stage for many species of interest, such as multiple coexisting mosquito species that act as vectors of diseases. Mortality caused by competition that occurs during maturation is explicitly modelled in some alternative formulations of the Lotka-Volterra competition model. We generalise this approach by using a distributed delay for maturation time.

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Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is highly prevalent within the Indigenous Australian community. Novel glucose monitoring technology offers an accurate approach to glycaemic management, providing real-time information on glucose levels and trends. The acceptability and feasibilility of this technology in Indigenous Australians with T2DM has not been investigated.

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Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive primary bone malignancy that metastasizes rapidly. The standard of care has changed little over the previous four decades, and survival rates have plateaued. In this context, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) emerge as potential treatments.

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