Radiotherapy Combination: Insight from Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME).

The view of Radiotherapy (RT) as a simple inducer of DNA damage resulting in tumor cell death has dramatically changed in recent years, and it is now widely accepted that RT can trigger an immune response which provides a sound basis for combining RT with immunotherapy. Given that, radiation can be delivered with different regimens, its effect on immune responses and Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) may vary with dose and fractionation schedule. This fractional dose dependency may need to be more considered because of recent developments in RT delivery techniques making it possible to deliver precisely higher dosages per fraction (hypofractionation) while reducing exposure to normal tissues.

The effects of Alpha-2a and Beta-1a Interferons on the Coronavirus disease 2019 prognosis.

Background: The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with substantial mortality worldwide. Efforts have continued to find an effective treatment for COVID-19. In vitro activity of interferon (IFN) subtypes has been shown against the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.

Catalase-gold nanoaggregates manipulate the tumor microenvironment and enhance the effect of low-dose radiation therapy by reducing hypoxia.

Radiotherapy as a standard method for cancer treatment faces tumor recurrence and antitumoral unresponsiveness. Suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and hypoxia are significant challenges affecting efficacy of radiotherapy. Herein, a versatile method is introduced for the preparation of pH-sensitive catalase-gold cross-linked nanoaggregate (Au@CAT) having acceptable stability and selective activity in tumor microenvironment.

All about blinatumomab: the bispecific T cell engager immunotherapy for B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Introduction: B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia-lymphoma (B-ALL) accounts for approximately 75% of ALL cases and is observed in children and adults. Recent advances in disease diagnosis, stratification and prognostication have led to a better characterization of different subgroups of ALL. Notwithstanding the significant improvement in the complete remission rate of B-ALL, patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) and relapsed/refractory (R/R) settings suffer from poor outcomes.

Association Between Human Leukocyte Antigens and Graft-Versus-Host Disease Occurrence in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - A 10-Year Experience on Iranian Patients.

Background: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules mediate critical roles in determining responsiveness or non-responsiveness of the immune system, especially in transplantation. Some studies have shown a possible association between certain HLA alleles and some allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) outcomes such as acute/chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD/cGVHD) and overall survival (OS). In the current study, we investigated any possible association of HLA subclasses and acute/chronic GVHD occurrence as well as OS in patients receiving HLA-matched sibling allo-HSCT.

Dual blockage of both PD-L1 and CD47 enhances the therapeutic effect of oxaliplatin and FOLFOX in CT-26 mice tumor model.

Colorectal cancer is a poorly immunogenic. Such property can be reverted by using ICD. However, ICD inducers can also induce the expression of inhibitory checkpoint receptors CD47 and PD-L1 on tumor cells, making CRC tumors resistant to mainly CD8 T cell killing and macrophage-mediated phagocytosis.

NK cell therapy in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma.

Recent advances in adoptive cell therapy have considerably changed the paradigm of cancer immunotherapy. Although current immunotherapies could cure many patients with multiple myeloma (MM), relapsed/refractory MM (RR/MM) is still challenging in some cases. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that exert effective cytotoxic activity against malignant cells like myeloma cells.

Combining ablative radiotherapy and anti CD47 monoclonal antibody improves infiltration of immune cells in tumor microenvironments.

Radiotherapy as an anti-tumor treatment can stimulate the immune system. However, irradiated tumor cells express CD47 to escape the anti-tumor immune response. Anti- CD47 Immunotherapy is a possible way to tackle this problem.

Radiation dose and schedule influence the abscopal effect in a bilateral murine CT26 tumor model.

Radiotherapy (RT) can induce immune-mediated responses in local irradiated tumors, and non-irradiated distant metastasis is termed the abscopal effect. Here, we aimed to evaluate the impact of different RT doses and fractions on anti-tumor responses within local irradiated and distance non-irradiated tumor microenvironments. In mice bearing CT26 tumors, the primary tumor was irradiated with three different RT doses (16 Gy × 1F, 10 Gy × 2F, and 3 Gy × 10F) with the same biologically effective dose.

In-depth summary over cytomegalovirus infection in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.

In this study, we reviewed various aspects of cytomegalovirus infection, including pathophysiology, diagnosis methods, and antiviral treatments. Background: Infections continue to be a major reason of complications like high non-relapse morbidity and mortality rate after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Cytomegalovirus is the most common infection in immunocompromised patients or those with graft-versus-host disease.

Pre-and Post-Transplant Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase Levels as a Predictive Marker for Patient Survival and Engraftment in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients.

Background: The discovery of biomarkers to predict the development of complications associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) offers a potential avenue for the early identification and treatment of these life-threatening consequences. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (sLDH) has been identified as a potential biomarker for determining the outcome of allogenic HSCT (allo-HSCT).

Methods: A retrospective study was performed using data collected from 204 allo-HSCT recipient patients to examine the predictive value of sLDH levels pre- and post-allo-HSCT on patient survival, graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) incidence, and time to platelet/white blood cells (WBC) engraftment.

Pre-Transplantation Serum Parathyroid Hormone Influences the Number of Mobilized CD34+ Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a calcium homeostasis regulator and can affect bone marrow niche. PTH leads to the bone marrow stem cell niche expansion as well as the induction of stem cell mobilization from the bone marrow into peripheral blood. In this study, we evaluated the association between pre- transplantation serum PTH levels and the number of circulating CD34+ cells along with the platelets/white blood cells (Plt/WBC) engraftment in patients who underwent autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Immunotherapy with adoptive cytomegalovirus-specific T cells transfer: Summarizing latest gene engineering techniques.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a major complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). T cell response plays a critical role in inducing long-term immunity against CMV infection/reactivation that impairs during HSCT. Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) via transferring CMV-specific T cells from a seropositive donor to the recipient can accelerate virus-specific immune reconstitution.

Serum Levels of Soluble Fas and Fas Ligand in Iranian Women with Pre-eclampsia.

Background: The precise responsible mechanism of pre-eclampsia remains controversial however, recent data suggest a main role of the abnormal activation of the adaptive immune system and Apoptosis. In this study, we have measured serum levels of Fas/Fasl as two important members of extrinsic apoptotic pathway in patient with pre-eclampsia.

Methods: 207 participants including 99 pre-eclampsia patients and 108 age and sex-matched normal pregnant women were involved in the case-control study.

The expression of serotonin transporter protein in the skin of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria and its relation with depression and anxiety.

Studies have indicated a possible role for serotonin transporter protein (SERT) in the pathophysiology of inflammatory skin disorders. This study was aimed to determine the expression of SERT in the skin of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and its relation to depression and anxiety. In this case-control study, 30 CSU patients and 30 healthy controls were evaluated with skin biopsies to evaluate the expression of the SERT protein based on histopathologic findings.

Improved Immunogenicity Against a Her2/neu-Derived Peptide by Employment of a Pan HLA DR-Binding Epitope and CpG in a BALB/c Mice Model.

Background: An efficient strategy to improve the immunogenicity of peptide vaccines is the use of a synthetic peptide containing cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes with T-helper (Th) inducing-epitopes.

Objective: Our purpose was to determine the use of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (Her2/neu)- specific CTL epitopes plus the pan HLA DR-binding epitope (PADRE) and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) to induce antitumor effects in vaccinated mice.

Method: Female BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with different vaccines.

Relationship between Fas and Fas Ligand gene polymorphisms and pre-eclampsia.

Aim: In normal pregnancy, the Th1 subtype, responsible for the production of inflammatory cytokines, is reduced, and the Th2 subtype is increased to prohibit inflammation. In pre-eclampsia, the Th1 cell population is increased; thus, subsequent inflammation and trophoblast destruction occur. Polymorphisms in the Fas and Fas Ligand (FasL) promoter regions can influence Fas and FasL expression and accused to increase of Th1 subtype.

Improving Multi-Epitope Long Peptide Vaccine Potency by Using a Strategy that Enhances CD4+ T Help in BALB/c Mice.

Peptide-based vaccines are attractive approaches for cancer immunotherapy; but the success of these vaccines in clinical trials have been limited. Our goal is to improve immune responses and anti-tumor effects against a synthetic, multi-epitope, long peptide from rat Her2/neu (rHer2/neu) using the help of CD4+ T cells and appropriate adjuvant in a mouse tumor model. Female BALB/c mice were vaccinated with P5+435 multi-epitope long peptide that presents epitopes for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in combination with a universal Pan DR epitope (PADRE) or CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs) as a Toll-like receptor agonist adjuvant.