Chimeric antigen receptor dendritic cells targeted delivery of a single tumoricidal factor for cancer immunotherapy.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have been used to treat blood cancers by producing a wide variety of cytokines. However, they are not effective in treating solid cancers and can cause severe side-effects, including cytokine release syndrome. TNFα is a tumoricidal cytokine, but it markedly increases the protein levels of cIAP1 and cIAP2, the members of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family of E3 ubiquitin ligase that limits caspase-induced apoptosis.

Can mass drug administration of moxidectin accelerate onchocerciasis elimination in Africa?

Epidemiological and modelling studies suggest that elimination of transmission (EoT) throughout Africa may not be achievable with annual mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin alone, particularly in areas of high endemicity and vector density. Single-dose Phase II and III clinical trials demonstrated moxidectin's superiority over ivermectin for prolonged clearance of microfilariae. We used the stochastic, individual-based EPIONCHO-IBM model to compare the probabilities of reaching EoT between ivermectin and moxidectin MDA for a range of endemicity levels (30 to 70% baseline microfilarial prevalence), treatment frequencies (annual and biannual) and therapeutic coverage/adherence values (65 and 80% of total population, with, respectively, 5 and 1% of systematic non-adherence).

Demographic patterns of human antibody levels to Simulium damnosum s.l. saliva in onchocerciasis-endemic areas: An indicator of exposure to vector bites.

Background: In onchocerciasis endemic areas in Africa, heterogenous biting rates by blackfly vectors on humans are assumed to partially explain age- and sex-dependent infection patterns with Onchocerca volvulus. To underpin these assumptions and further improve predictions made by onchocerciasis transmission models, demographic patterns in antibody responses to salivary antigens of Simulium damnosum s.l.

Comparing critical speed modelling approaches and exploring relationships with match-play variables in elite male youth soccer players.

Background: A novel bi-exponential method has emerged to estimate critical speed (CS) and D-prime (') from a 3-min all-out test (3MT).

Objectives: To compare CS analysis methods to determine whether parameter estimations were interchangeable. Reference values and relationships with key soccer match-play variables were explored.

Supporting Drug Development for Neglected Tropical Diseases Using Mathematical Modeling.

Drug-based interventions are at the heart of global efforts to reach elimination as a public health problem (trachoma, soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis) or elimination of transmission (onchocerciasis) for 5 of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases tackled via the World Health Organization preventive chemotherapy strategy. While for some of these diseases there is optimism that currently available drugs will be sufficient to achieve the proposed elimination goals, for others-particularly onchocerciasis-there is a growing consensus that novel therapeutic options will be needed. Since in this area no high return of investment is possible, minimizing wasted money and resources is essential.