Draft genome sequences of multi-drug-resistant strains isolated from ulcerative colitis patients.

The whole-genome sequences of four multi-drug-resistant strains, namely, DAK02, DAK03, DAK05, and DAK10, are reported here. The strains were isolated from fecal samples of ulcerative colitis patients from Northern India. The size of the draft genome sequence ranged from 4,809 to 5,000 kb.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell based cellular therapies for cancer: An introduction and Indian perspective.

Using one's own immune system for curing cancer has been an active field of research in cancer biology and therapeutics. One such opportunity in cellular immunotherapy is adoptive cell transfers. With the recent approval of CAR-T therapy as a cancer treatment, a whole new paradigm of cancer treatment has opened-up, with a ray of hope for relapsed/refractory cancer patients.

Gut colonization with antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli pathobionts leads to disease severity in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative commensal of human gut. Surprisingly, the role of E. coli in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) has not been explored until now.

Mechanistic Insights into Cellular and Molecular Targets of Zinc Oxide Quantum Dots (ZnO QDs) in Fungal Pathogen, : One Drug Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Approach.

Rationally designed multitargeted drugs, known as network therapeutics/multimodal drugs, have emerged as versatile therapeutic solutions to combat drug-resistant microbes. Here, we report novel mechanistic insights into cellular and molecular targets of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) against , a representative of fungal pathogens. Stable, monodispersed 4-6 nm ZnO QDs were synthesized using a wet chemical route, which exhibited dose-dependent inhibition on the growth dynamics of .

Bispecific antibodies in indolent B-cell lymphomas.

The advent of immunotherapy in lymphomas, beginning with Rituximab, have led to paradigm shifting treatments that are increasingly bringing a greater number of affected patients within the ambit of durable disease control and cure. Bispecific antibodies harness the properties of the immunoglobulin antibody structure to design molecules which, apart from engaging with the target tumour associated antigen, engage the host's T-cells to cause tumour cell death. Mosunetuzumab, an anti-CD20 directed bispecific antibody was the first to be approved in follicular lymphoma, this has now been followed by quick approvals of Glofitamab and Epcoritamab in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Antibody based therapies in Hodgkin lymphoma.

Multimodality treatment approaches, with systemic therapies at their core, have made Hodgkin Lymphoma a highly curable cancer. Unmet needs remain. Resistance to therapy manifested by refractory and relapsed disease, and treatment related short- and long-term morbidity are the key challenges.

Salvage Using Polatuzumab Vedotin Based Therapy in Relapsed Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphomas: Early Experience from a Real-World Middle-Income Setting Using Named-Patient Compassionate Access Program.

Polatuzumab vedotin is a novel immunotherapy antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD79b. It has been used in relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphomas since its FDA approval in 2019. Presently, this drug is unaffordable or unavailable for patients in Lower-Middle Income Countries (LMIC) like India.

Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: Long-Term Treatment Outcomes and Cost-Analysis from a Retrospective Study of High-Dose Methotrexate Based Chemoimmunotherapy and Reduced Dose Radiation Therapy Approach.

Standard treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) in countries with limited resources remains conventional chemotherapy, with or without whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). To evaluate the treatment outcomes, prognostic factors and costs in patients with PCNSL treated with high-dose Methotrexate, vincristine and procarbazine, plus Rituximab (MVP-R) followed by consolidation with reduced dose () WBRT and Cytarabine chemotherapy. We conducted an institutional audit of the first line treatment of patients with PCNSL, who were treated with MVP-R regimen, WBRT, or both between September 2011 and January 2020.

Relapsed Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma and Brentuximab Vedotin-Bendamustine Combination Therapy as a Bridge to Transplantation: Real-World Evidence From a Middle-Income Setting and Literature Review.

Introduction: Despite high cure rates with standard treatment, 30% patients with Hodgkin lymphoma develop relapsed or refractory (R/R) disease. Salvage therapy followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is considered standard of care. Brentuximab Vedotin (Bv) in combination with Bendamustine (B) has been tested in the salvage setting with promising results.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of intra-host variability in SARS-CoV-2 genomes.

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 has been useful in tracking its spread and in identifying variants of concern (VOC). Viral and host factors could contribute to variability within a host that can be captured in next-generation sequencing reads as intra-host single nucleotide variations (iSNVs). Analysing 1347 samples collected till June 2020, we recorded 16 410 iSNV sites throughout the SARS-CoV-2 genome.

Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia-a global view.

As haematologists, we always seek to follow standardised guidelines for practice and apply the best treatment within our means for our patients with blood diseases. However, treatment can never follow an exact recipe. Opinions differ as to the best approach; sometimes more than one treatment approach results in identical outcomes, or treatments differ only by the manner in which they fail.

Mantle cell lymphoma: A clinical review of the changing treatment paradigms with the advent of novel therapies, and an insight into Indian data.

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare type of mature B-cell lymphoid malignancy with the pathologic hallmark of translocation t(11;14) (q13, q32), which leads to an overexpression of Cyclin D1 (CCND1). The disease is also characterized by the presence of a high number of recurrent genetic alterations, which include aberrations in several cellular pathways. MCL is a heterogeneous disease with a wide range of clinical presentations and a majority presenting with aggressive disease in advanced stages.

Genomic characterization and epidemiology of an emerging SARS-CoV-2 variant in Delhi, India.

Delhi, the national capital of India, experienced multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks in 2020 and reached population seropositivity of >50% by 2021. During April 2021, the city became overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases and fatalities, as a new variant, B.1.

Outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in elderly patients-real-world experience from a middle-income country setting.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the commonest subtype of lymphoma in the elderly and poses unique challenges in this group of patients. There is a need for more information on real-world outcomes across economic disparities.

Methods: Electronic Medical Record of 3,087 lymphomas (>18 years) were evaluated retrospectively, of which 842 (27%) patients were ≥65 years.

Relapsed plasmablastic lymphoma in a HIV-negative patient: Pushing the envelope.

This case emphasizes that, with the availability of novel immunotherapy agents (Daratumumab), and repurposed use of bortezomib, a patient with HIV-negative relapsed PBL can be treated successfully and consolidated with an allogeneic haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Hypoxic Transformation of Immune Cell Metabolism Within the Microenvironment of Oral Cancers.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) includes tumors of the lips, tongue, gingivobuccal complex, and floor of the mouth. Prognosis for OSCC is highly heterogeneous, with overall 5-year survival of ~50%, but median survival of just 8-10 months for patients with locoregional recurrence or metastatic disease. A key feature of OSCC is microenvironmental oxygen depletion due to rapid growth of constituent tumor cells, which triggers hypoxia-associated signaling events and metabolic adaptations that influence subsequent tumor progression.

Systematic Review of the Burden and Treatment Patterns of Adult and Adolescent Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in India: Comprehending the Challenges in an Emerging Economy.

Background: In the present systematic literature review, we sought to describe the burden and treatment practices of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in India, which reflect the realities and outcomes in a middle-income country.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a search for reported studies using terms such as "adult ALL," "epidemiology," and "treatment" in the Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and other database sources. We obtained 249 articles and 18 conference abstracts reported until December 2019.

COVID-19 and haematology services in a cancer centre from a middle-income country: adapting service delivery, balancing the known and unknown during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in multiple spheres of healthcare delivery in the world. Developing nations have had to tackle this unanticipated crisis in the midst of various other healthcare delivery issues and resource constraints. As a tertiary level cancer care provider located in an eastern Indian city, a COVID-19 hotspot, we share our experience from the perspective of haematology and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) services.

HSCT Guidelines for Transplant Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India ISBMT DOCUMENT Version1.0.

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Thalidomide in Patients with Transfusion-Dependent E-Beta Thalassemia Refractory to Hydroxyurea: A Single-Center Experience.

Transfusion-dependent E-Beta (EB) thalassemia is one of the major causes of hereditary hemoglobinopathies in India. Hydroxyurea has been tried for HbF induction and amelioration of the transfusion frequency in EB thalassemia. The primary objective of this retrospective study, conducted between January 2017 and December 2018, was to determine the efficacy of thalidomide in reducing transfusion frequency in patients with EB thalassemia who have failed a reasonable trial of hydroxyurea.

Evaluation of in silico designed inhibitors targeting MelF (Rv1936) against Mycobacterium marinum within macrophages.

We recently identified inhibitors targeting Mycobacterium marinum MelF (Rv1936) by in silico analysis, which exhibited bacteriostatic/bactericidal activity against M. marinum and M. tuberculosis in vitro.