Publications by authors named "K-W Lee"
KRAS is an important oncogenic driver which is mutated in numerous cancers. Recent advances in the selective targeting of KRAS mutants via small molecule inhibitors and targeted protein degraders have generated an increase in research activity in this area in recent years. As such, there is a need for new assay platforms to profile next generation inhibitors which improve on the potency and selectivity of existing drug candidates, while evading the emergence of resistance.
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- The development of deep neural networks has led to deep learning reconstruction (DLR) CT algorithms, enhancing image creation processes by integrating deep learning at various stages of imaging.
- DLR techniques effectively reduce image noise from lower radiation doses while maintaining image quality and diagnostic performance compared to traditional methods like filtered backprojection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction (IR).
- Clinical evidence supports the use of DLR algorithms for abdominal imaging across multiple tasks, showcasing their benefits, current limitations, and future prospects in CT imaging.
Background: Most Canadians receive their care in community hospitals, yet most clinical research is conducted in academic hospitals. This study aims to compare patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated in academic and community hospitals with respect to their demographics, clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes.
Methods: This nested observational cohort substudy of the Community Acquired Pneumonia: Toward InnoVAtive Treatment (CAPTIVATE) trial included 1,329 hospitalized adults with CAP recruited between March 1st, 2018 and September 31st, 2023 from 15 Canadian hospitals.
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- This study explores blood biomarkers that can predict responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, addressing challenges like tumor sample variability.
- Researchers enrolled 100 patients and analyzed blood immune profiles, focusing on factors like tumor mutational burden (TMB) and PD-L1 scores, with a goal to find associations with treatment outcomes.
- Key findings revealed that high levels of neutrophils and monocytes were linked to worse survival, while higher CD4T cells correlated with better outcomes, highlighting the potential of using blood tests for predicting ICI treatment responses.
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- * The huR83C mouse model replicates the disease phenotype and has been used to test the effectiveness of BEAM-301, a treatment that utilizes lipid nanoparticles and adenine base editing to correct the harmful G6PC1-R83C variant.
- * BEAM-301 has shown the ability to correct about 60% of the variant in liver cells, restore blood sugar control, improve overall health, and increase survival rates in mice, indicating its potential as a therapeutic option for patients with this specific genetic mutation
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how AI-generated measurements of intraprostatic tumor volume from MRI scans can predict the risk of metastasis in prostate cancer patients treated with either radiation therapy or radical prostatectomy.
- A total of 732 patients were involved, with findings indicating that a larger tumor volume significantly correlated with increased rates of metastasis during the follow-up periods, which averaged 6.9 years for radiation therapy and 5.5 years for surgery.
- The research highlighted that the AI-based volume measurements provided independent prognostic information, outperforming traditional risk categorization methods in predicting long-term metastasis.
Article Synopsis
- Dual immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) using CTLA4 and PD-(L)1 inhibitors shows improved anti-tumor effectiveness and immune toxicity compared to PD-(L)1 inhibitors alone in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
- Patients with mutations in STK11 and/or KEAP1 genes benefit more from the combination treatment compared to those receiving only PD-(L)1 inhibitors, as shown in the POSEIDON trial.
- The loss of KEAP1 serves as a strong predictor for the success of dual ICB, as it leads to a more favorable outcome by changing the tumor's immune environment to better engage CD4 and CD8 T cells for anti-tumor activity. *
This study aimed to explore the clinical applicability of the shade-matching function in intraoral scanners. This study measured the tooth colors of maxillary anterior dentitions of 83 adults using visual matching, a spectrophotometer, and a scanner according to two color systems: VITA Classical (VC) and VITA 3D-Master (V3D). Agreement between each method was assessed by weighted Cohen's kappa coefficient (K, α = 0.
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- An error grid is a tool that helps compare glucose levels measured by devices to see if they are correct and to identify any risks.
- Experts created a new error grid called the DTS Error Grid that works for both blood glucose monitors (BGMs) and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), organizing accuracy into five risk zones.
- The results showed that the DTS Error Grid provides a clearer picture of how accurate these devices are and includes a separate matrix to evaluate how well CGMs track glucose trends over time.
The mammalian reovirus Type 3 Dearing (T3D) is a naturally occurring oncolytic virus. We previously identified a T3D variant isolated from persistently infected cancer cells that has a premature stop codon mutation in the gene, generating a truncated σ1-attachment protein that lacks the globular head. We now report on the molecular characterization of this variant, named RP116, and assess its antitumor potential in human cancer cells and syngeneic mouse models.
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- Pharmacologic therapies for gastroparesis (GP) show limited effectiveness, making it hard to predict patient responses to treatments.
- The study developed a machine learning model to assess the likelihood of patients with GP-like symptoms benefiting from prokinetics and/or neuromodulators based on various health metrics.
- Results indicated that the model could accurately predict responses, especially among patients only taking prokinetics, offering a potential tool for improving treatment strategies if validated in future research.
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- Researchers conducted a trial comparing edoxaban monotherapy with dual antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation and stable coronary artery disease to assess risks of stroke and other serious outcomes.
- The study involved 1,040 patients, with results showing fewer primary-outcome events in those on edoxaban alone (6.8% vs. 16.2% for dual therapy), indicating it may be safer.
- Although the incidence of major bleeding was higher in the dual therapy group (14.2% vs. 4.7%), the major ischemic events were similar for both treatment groups.
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- Current terminology for MRI findings related to musculoskeletal infections is vague and inconsistent, prompting the need for a new classification system.
- The study developed the Musculoskeletal Infection Reporting and Data System (MSKI-RADS) to provide a structured scoring method for assessing extremity infections in adult patients based on MRI scans obtained between June 2015 and May 2019.
- Results showed that MSKI-RADS improved diagnostic accuracy among radiologists, achieving a 65% accuracy rate compared to 55% for traditional diagnoses, establishing it as a reliable tool for standardized communication in identifying and managing these infections.
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- Genomic alterations in tumors significantly influence cancer progression and treatment response, with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) emerging as a viable alternative to traditional targeted panel sequencing (TPS) due to advancements in cost and technology.
- A study involving 120 cancer patients evaluated the clinical utility of WGS and found that 79% received genomic reports quickly, with 72% of these reports offering clinically relevant information.
- The insights gained from WGS helped in selecting tailored treatments and clinical trials based on identifying specific mutations, potentially enhancing precision oncology and suggesting routine integration of WGS in cancer management.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates genetic variants linked to outer retinal tubulation (ORT) by analyzing the prevalence and clinical consequences of ORT in patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).
- A cohort of 565 IRD patients underwent SD-OCT imaging, revealing that 104 exhibited ORT, primarily associated with specific genetic variants, especially in RPE-specific and some non-RPE-specific genes.
- The findings show a strong correlation between ORT presence and IRDs caused by RPE-specific and non-RPE-specific genes, while no cases of ORT were found in patients with photoreceptor-specific gene variants.
Background And Aim: Continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMs) have been commercially available since 1999. However, automated insulin delivery systems may benefit from real-time inputs in addition to glucose. Continuous multi-analyte sensing platforms will meet this area of potential growth without increasing the burden of additional devices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe analysis of histopathology images with artificial intelligence aims to enable clinical decision support systems and precision medicine. The success of such applications depends on the ability to model the diverse patterns observed in pathology images. To this end, we present Virchow, the largest foundation model for computational pathology to date.
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- The study investigates the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and Parkinson's disease (PD) using a method called Mendelian randomization to determine if higher genetically predicted BMI is linked to a lower incidence of PD.
- Researchers analyzed genetic data from large groups of individuals, including over 800,000 for BMI and nearly 29,000 for PD, focusing on factors like age, disease duration, and gender to examine the associations.
- Results indicated an inverse relationship between genetically predicted BMI and PD, particularly among younger participants and women, suggesting that lower BMI may be associated with a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
Given the existing uncertainty regarding the effectiveness and safety of switching from low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with cancer-associated venous thrombosis (CAT), we conducted a comprehensive population-based cohort study utilizing electronic health database in Hong Kong. A total of 4356 patients with CAT between 2010 and 2022 were included, with 1700 (39.0%) patients switching to DOAC treatment.
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- The gut microbiota plays a significant role in how cancer patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), but there’s no clear definition of harmful dysbiosis.* -
- Researchers analyzed fecal samples from 245 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, identifying specific bacterial species groups associated with either resistance or response to ICIs, resulting in the creation of a topological score (TOPOSCORE).* -
- This TOPOSCORE was further validated in additional patient cohorts and transformed into a 21-bacterial probe set for qPCR scoring, suggesting it could serve as a dynamic tool for diagnosing intestinal dysbiosis and tailoring microbiota-focused treatments.*
Background: Long-term follow-up is essential to evaluate the impact of polymer degradation in drug-eluting stents (DES).
Aims: We aimed to compare durable-polymer DES (DP-DES) and biodegradable-polymer DES (BP-DES) during a 3-year follow-up to evaluate the entire period of polymer resolution (before, during, and after degradation).
Methods: The HOST REDUCE POLYTECH RCT Trial was a randomised clinical trial enrolling patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and comparing the efficacy and safety of DP-DES and BP-DES.
Purpose: Determine if the gene expression profiles of ovarian support cells (OSCs) and cumulus-free oocytes are bidirectionally influenced by co-culture during in vitro maturation (IVM).
Methods: Fertility patients aged 25 to 45 years old undergoing conventional ovarian stimulation donated denuded immature oocytes for research. Oocytes were randomly allocated to either OSC-IVM culture (intervention) or Media-IVM culture (control) for 24-28 h.
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- Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a severe genetic disorder resulting from AIRE deficiency, leading to self-reactive T cells causing autoimmune damage in various organs.
- The study investigated the role of interferon-γ in APS-1 by analyzing patient samples and conducting experiments with mice, finding that high levels of interferon-γ correlate with disease activity.
- Treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib significantly reduced interferon-γ levels and improved symptoms in APS-1 patients, suggesting that targeting this pathway may be a viable therapeutic approach.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of two third-generation drug-eluting stents: the Coroflex ISAR and the Orsiro.
- It was conducted as part of the HOST-IDEA trial, which originally involved dual antiplatelet therapy duration but shifted to a registry format for stent comparison, ultimately including 328 patients randomized between the two stents.
- Results showed that patients with the Coroflex ISAR stent had a significantly higher rate of target lesion failure compared to those with the Orsiro stent, with revascularization being a major factor for this difference.