Publications by authors named "Sophie Gunther"

Although CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CD19.CAR-T) has proven clinical efficacy for multiple refractory B-cell malignancies, over 50% of patients ultimately relapse. Recent evidence has underlined the critical role of the host in determining treatment responses.

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Background: Imbalanced body composition is mechanistically connected to dysregulated immune activities. Whether overweight/obesity or sarcopenia has an impact on treatment results in cancer patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is currently under debate. We aimed to answer if survival rates and occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were different in obese or sarcopenic patients.

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Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is associated with a distinct toxicity profile that includes cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). CRS is characterized by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and is closely linked to CAR-T expansion and bystander cells like monocytes/macrophages. In other hyperinflammatory states, obesity contributes to inflammatory cascades and acts as a risk factor for disease severity.

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Introduction: Women on Web (WoW) is a global medical abortion telemedicine service operating outside the formal health sector. In April 2019 they opened their helpdesk to Germany. Our aim was to understand the motivations, and perceived barriers to access, for women who choose telemedicine abortion outside the formal health sector in Germany.

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Hypoxia mediates resistance to radio(chemo)therapy (RT) by stimulating the synthesis of hypoxia-related genes, such as osteopontin (OPN) and stress proteins, including the major stress-inducible heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70). Apart from its intracellular localization, Hsp70 is also present on the plasma membrane of viable tumor cells that actively release it in lipid vesicles with biophysical characteristics of exosomes. Exosomal Hsp70 contributes to radioresistance while Hsp70 derived from dying tumor cells can serve as a stimulator of immune cells.

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Heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is frequently found on the plasma membrane of a large number of malignant tumors including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and gets released into the blood circulation in lipid vesicles. On the one hand, a membrane (m)Hsp70-positive phenotype correlates with a high aggressiveness of the tumor; on the other hand, mHsp70 serves as a target for natural killer (NK) cells that had been pre-stimulated with Hsp70-peptide TKD plus low-dose interleukin-2 (TKD/IL-2). Following activation, NK cells show an up-regulated expression of activatory C-type lectin receptors, such as CD94/NKG2C, NKG2D, and natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs; NKp44, NKp46, and NKp30) and thereby gain the capacity to kill mHsp70-positive tumor cells.

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Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is frequently overexpressed in tumor cells. An unusual cell surface localization could be demonstrated on a large variety of solid tumors including lung, colorectal, breast, squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, prostate and pancreatic carcinomas, glioblastomas, sarcomas and hematological malignancies, but not on corresponding normal tissues. A membrane (m)Hsp70-positive phenotype can be determined either directly on single cell suspensions of tumor biopsies by flow cytometry using cmHsp70.

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Altered Ca(2+) homoeostasis accompanies heart failure. As a model of heart failure, transgenic mice (TG) with selective overexpression of calsequestrin (CSQ) in the heart were used. CSQ is the main Ca(2+) binding protein in the lumen of the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum.

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In heart failure, exertional fatigue of skeletal muscles can occur. A transgenic mouse overexpressing calsequestrin can be regarded as an animal model of heart failure. The aims of the present study were to investigate, whether at the time of cardiac failure the composition of fiber types of skeletal muscles was altered, what kind of alterations in glycolytic and oxidative enzyme activities occurred in different muscle fiber types and whether these were affected by the administration of the angiotensin II receptor blocker, losartan.

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