Safeguarding patients from emerging infectious diseases demands strategies that prioritise patient well-being and protection. Immunobridging is an established trial methodology which has been increasingly employed to ensure patient protection and provide clinicians with swift access to vaccines. It uses immunological markers to infer the effectiveness of a new drug through a surrogate measure of efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe competitive success of ferns has been foundational to hypotheses about terrestrial recolonization following biotic upheaval, from wildfires to the Cretaceous-Paleogene asteroid impact (66 million years ago). Rapid fern recolonization in primary successional environments has been hypothesized to be driven by ferns' high spore production and wind dispersal, with an emphasis on their competitive advantages as so-called disaster taxa. We propose that a competition-based view of ferns is outdated and in need of reexamination in light of growing research documenting the importance of positive interactions (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are widely used in cancer treatment, yet their impact on bone health remains unclear. This study aimed to perform a retrospective cohort study utilizing routine computed tomography (CT) scans from patients with melanoma to perform opportunistic quantitative CT (QCT) analysis to investigate the effects of ICI treatment on skeletal health, including volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) measurements and osteoarthritis (OA) parameters. A previously established machine-learning assisted opportunistic QCT pipeline was used to estimate lumbar spine vBMD from baseline and 12-month follow-up CT scans in patients with melanoma treated with ICI therapy and those not treated with ICI therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBispecific antibodies represent a promising class of biologics for cancer treatment. However, their dual specificity and complex structure pose challenges in the engineering process, often resulting in molecules with good functional but poor physicochemical properties. To overcome limitations in the properties of an anti-5T4 x anti-CD3 (α5T4 x αCD3) DART molecule, a phage-display method was developed, which succeeded in simultaneously engineering cross-reactivity to the cynomolgus 5T4 ortholog, improving thermostability and the elevating expression level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: National stroke clinical quality registries/audits support improvements in stroke care. In a 2016 systematic review, 28 registries were identified. Since 2016 there have been important advances in stroke care, including the development of thrombectomy services.
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