Speed and accuracy of online searches by legislators and medical students using RefBin's opioid use disorder database.

Literature regarding opioid use disorder (OUD) is often difficult for nonscientific communities to access. The OUD database on RefBin categorizes scientific findings and may facilitate access to information regarding OUD. To evaluate if the RefBin OUD database improves access to information about OUD for policymakers and medical students.

Opioid dependence among pregnant and post-partum incarcerated individuals: A review of the literature.

Background: Pregnant and post-partum women with opioid dependence are an extremely vulnerable population within correctional facilities. A significant number of maternal inmates, however, still lack adequate provision of medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) and are subsequently forced into withdrawal. Currently, there exist no comprehensive reviews on the scope of literature regarding the management of this population.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on melanoma diagnosis and presentation: a `review.

The ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19 are concerning for their impact on successful detection and recognition of melanoma as total body skin examinations and skin biopsies are critical for identifying early-stage melanoma and intervening before progression to metastatic disease. A comprehensive electronic search of PubMed/MEDLINE was conducted on or before August 1, 2022, using the search terms ("skin" AND "COVID-19"), (["skin cancer" AND "COVID-19"] OR ["skin cancer" AND "coronavirus"]), (["melanoma" AND "COVID-19"] OR ["melanoma" AND "coronavirus"]), ("dermatology" AND "COVID-19"), and ("cutaneous" AND "COVID-19"). Eight articles representing Belgium, Chile, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States were included.

Pilot trial comparing COVID-19 publication database to conventional online search methods.

Background And Objectives: Literature review using search engines results in a list of manuscripts but does not provide the content contained in the manuscripts. Our goal was to evaluate user performance-based criteria of concept retrieval accuracy and efficiency using a new database system that contained information extracted from 1000 COVID-19 articles.

Methods: A sample of 17 students from the University of Vermont were randomly assigned to use the COVID-19 publication database or their usual preferred search methods to research eight prompts about COVID-19.

Targeting of palpable B16-F10 melanoma tumors with polyclonal antibodies on white blood cells.

Background: Antibodies and other recognition molecules direct cancer cell death by multiple types of immune cells. Therapy directed at only one target typically results in tumor regrowth because of tumor heterogeneity. Our goal is to direct therapy to multiple targets simultaneously.

Development of Clinical-Grade Antibodies against Tumor-Specific Mutations to Target Neuroblastoma.

Objective: Tumor heterogeneity is a fundamental problem in treating cancer with monotargeting therapy, including chemical, antibody, and T cell therapies. Our goal is to target multiple mutated peptides found in a patient's cancer to increase antibody therapy effectiveness.

Methods: Tumor samples were derived from patients with neuroblastoma.

'Refbin' an online platform to extract and classify large-scale information: a pilot study of COVID-19 related papers.

Introduction: The number of new biomedical manuscripts published on important topics exceeds the capacity of single persons to read. Integration of literature is an even more elusive task. This article describes a pilot study of a scalable online system to integrate data from 1000 articles on COVID-19.

Preparation of clinical-grade WBCs using leukocyte reduction filters.

Objective: Our goal was to develop a simpler and less expensive method of obtaining human clinical-grade WBCs using an alternative method to continuous leukapheresis. Our purpose for the WBCs is to arm them with rabbit anticancer antibodies for a phase I clinical trial.

Methods: Using leukocyte reduction filters (LRFs) discarded from the blood bank, we evaluated multiple variables to maximize recovery of WBCs with the lowest contamination of RBCs.

A cocktail of polyclonal affinity enriched antibodies against melanoma mutations increases binding and inhibits tumor growth.

Background: Antibodies that target a single tumor antigen fail to cure stage IV cancer patients due to tumor heterogeneity and variable expression of antigen. Tumor cells with insufficient binding of antibody will not undergo antibody induced cytotoxicity. We describe targeting multiple tumor-specific antigens that resulted in homogeneous dense binding to mouse melanoma cells and significant tumor growth inhibition.

Multiple antibodies targeting tumor-specific mutations redirect immune cells to inhibit tumor growth and increase survival in experimental animal models.

Background: T cell therapy for cancer involves genetic introduction of a target-binding feature into autologous T cells, ex vivo expansion and single large bolus administration back to the patient. These reprogrammed T cells can be highly effective in killing cells, but tumor heterogeneity results in regrowth of cells that do not sufficiently express the single antigen being targeted. We describe a cell-based therapy that simultaneously targets multiple tumor-specific antigens.

Sentinel lymph node B cells can predict disease-free survival in breast cancer patients.

Tumor invasion into draining lymph nodes, especially sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), is a key determinant of prognosis and treatment in breast cancer as part of the TNM staging system. Using multicolor histology and quantitative image analysis, we quantified immune cells within SLNs from a discovery cohort of 76 breast cancer patients. We found statistically more in situ CD3 T cells in tumor negative vs.

Immunization with tumor neoantigens displayed on T7 phage nanoparticles elicits plasma antibody and vaccine-draining lymph node B cell responses.

The aim of this preclinical study was to evaluate T7 bacteriophage as a nanoparticle platform for expression of neoantigens that could allow rapid generation of vaccines for potential studies in human cancer patients. We have generated recombinant T7 phage vaccines carrying neoepitopes derived from mutated proteins of B16-F10 melanoma tumor cells. With the single mutated amino acid (AA) centered, peptides were expressed on the outer coat of T7 phage.

Breast cancer metastasis through the lympho-vascular system.

Breast cancer metastasizes through the lymphovascular system to the regional lymph nodes in the axilla and to both visceral and non-visceral sites. Renewed interest in the route by which tumor cells gain access to blood and lymphatic capillaries are the subject of research at mechanical, anatomic, pathologic, genetic, epidemiologic and molecular levels. Two papers presented at the 7th International Symposium on Cancer Metastasis in San Francisco showed tumor cells entering the systemic circulation through the sentinel lymph node.

Differential expression of Oct3/4 in human breast cancer and normal tissues.

Oct3/4, a transcription factor specifically expressed in mammalian totipotent embryonic stem and germ cells, has a critical role in the regulation and maintenance of pluripotency and self-renewal. However, reactivation of Oct3/4 expression is observed in several human breast cancer cell lines, but not in non‑malignant cells. To examine Oct3/4 expression in human primary breast carcinomas and normal breast tissues, we obtained breast tumor tissues from 28 patients and normal breast tissues from 9 women.

Identification of tumor-reactive B cells and systemic IgG in breast cancer based on clonal frequency in the sentinel lymph node.

A better understanding of antitumor immune responses is the key to advancing the field of cancer immunotherapy. Endogenous immunity in cancer patients, such as circulating anticancer antibodies or tumor-reactive B cells, has been historically yet incompletely described. Here, we demonstrate that tumor-draining (sentinel) lymph node (SN) is a rich source for tumor-reactive B cells that give rise to systemic IgG anticancer antibodies circulating in the bloodstream of breast cancer patients.

Characterization of sentinel node-derived antibodies from breast cancer patients.

Autoantibodies to breast and other cancers are commonly present in cancer patients. A method to rapidly produce these anti-cancer autoantibodies in the lab would be valuable for understanding immune events and to generate candidate reagents for therapy and diagnostics. The purpose of this report is to evaluate sentinel nodes (SNs) of breast cancer patients as a source of anti-cancer antibodies.

Vaccine-draining lymph nodes of cancer patients for generating anti-cancer antibodies.

Background: Our research is focused on using the vaccine draining lymph node to better understand the immune response to cancer vaccines and as a possible source of anti-cancer reagents. We evaluated vaccine draining lymph nodes archived from a clinical study in melanoma patients and determined the reaction of B cells to the vaccine peptides.

Methods: Mononuclear cells (MNCs) were recovered from cryopreserved lymph nodes that were directly receiving drainage from multi-peptide melanoma vaccine.

Vaccine draining lymph nodes are a source of antigen-specific B cells.

Purpose: Our research is focused on using vaccine draining lymph nodes as a source of immune cells to better understand the immune response and to attempt to generate new anti-cancer reagents. Following a vaccine, harvesting the lymph node can only be done once. We endeavored to determine the range of times that B cells secreting anti-KLH antibodies were present in the node of KLH-vaccinated mice.

Internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy in clinical practice.

Almost all recent studies confirmed internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy (IM-SLNB) as an accurate and valuable technique to determine stage, prognosis, and best treatment option in breast cancer patients. Decision about local treatment of internal mammary lymph nodes (IMLN) is still being made based on Axillary lymph node (ALN) status. According to study results, there will be patients in positive ALN subgroup who just face complications of an unnecessary radiation to IMLNs and there will be patients in negative ALN subgroup who do not receive adjuvant radiation therapy they really need, if we insist to continue planning IMLN treatment based on ALN status.

Autologous antibodies that bind neuroblastoma cells.

Antibody therapy of neuroblastoma is promising and our goal is to derive antibodies from patients with neuroblastoma for developing new therapeutic antibodies. The feasibility of using residual bone marrow obtained for clinical indications as a source of tumor cells and a source of antibodies was assessed. From marrow samples, neuroblastoma cells were recovered, grown in cell culture and also implanted into mice to create xenografts.

Identification of tumor-binding scFv derived from clonally related B cells in tumor and lymph node of a patient with breast cancer.

The purpose of this study was to determine the clonal relationship between B cells within a breast cancer and the B cells in the tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN). We also determined the binding capacity of antibodies derived from these sources to autologous cancer and autologous noncancer breast tissue. Antibody clonality of B cells derived from tumor and lymph node was determined by analyzing heavy and light chain immunoglobulin sequences.

Axillary concordance between superficial and deep sentinel node mapping material injections in breast cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.

It is still unclear whether the deep and superficial lymphatics of the breast always drain into the same nodes and which route best simulates the spread of breast cancer. In the current study, we systematically searched the available literature to find the studies evaluated the sentinel node locations of deep and superficial injections in the same patients simultaneously or serially. We searched SCOPUS, and PUBMED for relevant studies.

Spatial organization of dendritic cells within tumor draining lymph nodes impacts clinical outcome in breast cancer patients.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are important mediators of anti-tumor immune responses. We hypothesized that an in-depth analysis of dendritic cells and their spatial relationships to each other as well as to other immune cells within tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) could provide a better understanding of immune function and dysregulation in cancer.

Methods: We analyzed immune cells within TDLNs from 59 breast cancer patients with at least 5 years of clinical follow-up using immunohistochemical staining with a novel quantitative image analysis system.

Sentinel node mapping in anal canal cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background & Aims: The pathological condition of inguinal lymph nodes is an independent prognostic factor in predicting tumor recurrence and overall survival in anal canal cancer. Sentinel node mapping is a non-invasive method for the detection of inguinal lymph node involvement in anal cancer. In the current study, we conducted a comprehensive search of literature in this regard and then interpreted the final results in a systematic review and meta-analysis format.