Durvalumab and tremelimumab in patients with advanced rare cancer: a multi-centre, non-blinded, open-label phase II basket trial.

Background: Dual inhibition of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) has been shown to be an effective treatment strategy in many cancers. We sought to determine the objective response rate of combination durvalumab (D) plus tremelimumab (TM) in parallel cohorts of patients with carefully selected rare cancer types in which these agents had not previously been evaluated in phase II trials and for which there was clinical or biological rationale for dual immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy to be active.

Methods: We designed a multi-centre, non-blinded, open-label phase II basket trial with each of the following 8 rare cancers considered a separate phase II trial: salivary carcinoma, carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) with tumour infiltrating lymphocytes and/or expressing PD-L1, mucosal melanoma, acral melanoma, osteosarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, clear cell carcinoma of the ovary (CCCO) or squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA).

Short term outcomes of the first pediatric cardiac surgery program in Rwanda.

Background: While the number of cardiac surgery programs in sub-Saharan Africa are increasing, it is still insufficient. With only 0.08 pediatric cardiac surgeons per million people, few cardiac centers routinely perform pediatric cardiac surgery.

Beyond platelet production: Megakaryocytes' emerging roles in immunity and infection.

Conventionally, megakaryocytes (MKs) are regarded as platelet-producing cells and their platelet-related functions in haemostasis have been well documented. However, it is increasingly evident that MKs have functions beyond platelet production. Convincing findings suggest that MKs are active participants in immunity and infections.