The importance of microbiology reference laboratories and adequate funding for infectious disease surveillance.

Microbiology reference laboratories perform a crucial role within public health systems. This role was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Viewpoint, we emphasise the importance of microbiology reference laboratories and highlight the types of digital data and expertise they provide, which benefit national and international public health.

PCV13 vaccine prevents pneumococcal biofilms without affecting population within the polymicrobial biofilm.

In respiratory pathogens such as , biofilm formation is associated with the colonization of the nasopharynx and chronic respiratory infection. Previous data have shown that pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) had an impact on colonization and a potential replacement by other respiratory pathogens such as . The objective of this work was to evaluate the evasion of the immune system by monospecific biofilms and by mixed biofilms.

Impact of COVID-19 infection on genitourinary cancer management. SOGUG-COVID-19: A spanish, multicenter, observational study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is a great burden worldwide, but its impact on patients with genitourinary cancer (GUC) is poorly characterized. This study aimed to characterize the clinical features and evolution of GUC patients affected by COVID-19 in Spain.

Patients And Methods: SOGUG-COVID-19 was an observational ambispective non-interventional study that recruited patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who had been treated for GUC in 32 Spanish hospitals.

Induction avelumab followed by chemoimmunotherapy and maintenance versus chemotherapy alone as first-line therapy in cis-ineligible metastatic urothelial carcinoma (INDUCOMAIN): a randomized phase II study.

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy (ChT) has been the standard first-line treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of induction avelumab followed by avelumab in combination with carboplatin-gemcitabine (carbo/gem) followed by avelumab maintenance. We tested the hypothesis that induction immunotherapy (IO) could enhance the response to ChT and prevent its detrimental effect on immune cells.

Heparan Sulfate-Collagen Surface Multilayers Support Serum-Free Microcarrier Culture of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The increasing cost of high-volume cultures and dependence on serum and growth factor supplementation limit the affordability of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies. This has spurred interest in developing strategies that support adherent cell expansion while reducing raw material costs. Culture surfaces coated with sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), specifically heparan sulfate (HS), are an alternative to prolong growth factor retention in cell cultures.