Publications by authors named "Katie M Hitchcock-Bernhardt"
Background: For best efficacy, vaccines must provide long-lasting immunity. To measure longevity, memory from B and T cells are surrogate endpoints for vaccine efficacy. When antibodies are insufficient for protection, the immune response must rely on T cells.
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- Denileukin diftitox (ONTAK) is a fusion protein that can deplete regulatory T cells, which are linked to poor outcomes in ovarian cancer, and this study aimed to assess its safety and effects when given directly into the abdomen of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
- A phase I trial included 10 patients who received ONTAK at escalating doses, revealing a maximum tolerated dose of 15 μg/kg with mostly mild side effects, though one patient experienced a severe reaction at the highest dose.
- While some patients showed a decrease in CA-125 levels (a marker for ovarian cancer), there were no significant changes in the overall cancer response, although ONTAK successfully reduced regulatory T cells in both blood and
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated the combination of pembrolizumab (an immune checkpoint inhibitor) and carboplatin (a chemotherapy) in patients with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, showing generally low response rates but some signs of stability in disease.
- Among 29 treated patients, only 10.3% achieved a partial response, but 51.7% had stable disease, indicating that while the treatment had limited effectiveness, some patients experienced no further progression.
- The treatment was relatively well tolerated, with common side effects being mild lymphopenia and anemia, and notable immune responses were observed, particularly in PD-L1-positive patients who fared better overall.
Background: Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulates immunity via recruitment of antigen presenting cells and tumor specific T-cell stimulation. Albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) followed by GM-CSF may enhance antitumor responses and prolong remissions in ovarian cancer. Immune phenotypes present before treatment may identify responders to chemo-immunotherapy.
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