Optimizing Vaccination During Radiotherapy.

Effective cancer vaccines require both a means of tumor cell death and a source of adjuvant to activate local dendritic cells. Studies have shown that the use of radiotherapy (RT) to induce tumor cell death and anti-CD40 to activate dendritic cells can result in vaccination in animal models. Here, investigations are carried out on potential strategies to enhance such vaccination.

Single Radiotherapy Fraction with Local Anti-CD40 Therapy Generates Effective Abscopal Responses in Mouse Models of Cervical Cancer.

Current treatment options for advanced cervical cancer are limited, especially for patients in poor-resource settings, with a 17% 5-year overall survival rate. Here, we report results in animal models of advanced cervical cancer, showing that anti-CD40 therapy can effectively boost the abscopal effect, whereby radiotherapy of a tumor at one site can engender therapeutically significant responses in tumors at distant untreated sites. In this study, two subcutaneous cervical cancer tumors representing one primary and one metastatic tumor were generated in each animal.

Characterization of Isolated Extracts from Plant Leaves used as Remedy for Anemia.

Indigenous populations use plants as an important healthcare resource or remedy for different diseases. Here, isolated extracts from (family Acanthanceae) plant leaves used in Africa as remedy for anemia are characterized by different methods to assess composition and potential nutritional or therapeutic value. Extracts from leaves were obtained by aqueous extraction, with further isolation by centrifuging and high-performance liquid chromatography.