Cytoreductive Nephrectomy Following Immunotherapy: Evolution, Pearls, and Pitfalls of Treatment.

Introduction: Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is among the most frequently diagnosed malignancies in both genders with over 81,000 estimated cases in 2024. Despite increasing incidence of renal cell carcinomas <4 cm, up to 1/3 of patients diagnosed with RCC exhibit metastatic disease (mRCC) at time of diagnosis. Cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN), a procedure which encompasses the surgical removal of the primary tumor in patients with metastatic disease, was offered upfront as standard of care during the cytokine era; however, as systemic treatment has evolved, the role of CN in mRCC patients has become less clear.

Cerebral Hemodynamic Responses to Disease-Modifying and Curative Sickle Cell Disease Therapies.

Background And Objectives: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hemoglobinopathy resulting in hemoglobin-S production, hemolytic anemia, and elevated stroke risk. Treatments include oral hydroxyurea, blood transfusions, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Our objective was to evaluate the neurologic relevance of these therapies by characterizing how treatment-induced changes in hemoglobin (Hb) affect brain health biomarkers.

Extracellular Peptide-Ligand Dimerization Actuator Receptor Design for Reversible and Spatially Dosed 3D Cell-Material Communication.

Transmembrane receptors that endow mammalian cells with the ability to sense and respond to biomaterial-bound ligands will prove instrumental in bridging the fields of synthetic biology and biomaterials. Materials formed with thiol-norbornene chemistry are amenable to thiol-peptide patterning, and this study reports the rational design of synthetic receptors that reversibly activate cellular responses based on peptide-ligand recognition. This transmembrane receptor platform, termed Extracellular Peptide-ligand Dimerization Actuator (EPDA), consists of stimulatory or inhibitory receptor pairs that come together upon extracellular peptide dimer binding with corresponding monobody receptors.

Single Cell RNA Sequencing Before and After Light Chain Escape Reveals Intra-patient Multiple Myeloma Subpopulations with Divergent Osteolytic Gene Expression.

High-risk multiple myeloma (MM) is genomically unstable, comprised of heterogeneous populations of tumor cells that evolve over time. Light chain escape (LCE) is a clinical phenomenon observed when light chains rise separately from M-spike values, implying divergent tumor evolution. We sought to understand LCE by performing high depth transcriptomic and phenotypic studies.

Study protocol and preliminary baseline characteristics of a VA multi-site, mixed methods, randomized controlled study evaluating supported employment provided to veterans with opioid use disorder.

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a pervasive and devastating public health crisis that continues to take a heavy toll on individuals and communities across the United States. In 2021, approximately 473,000 veterans misused opioids in the past year. In the context of their military service and post-service life, Veterans with OUD often encounter unique barriers to recovery, including the reintegration into civilian society and the pursuit of stable, meaningful employment.