Publications by authors named "T Tomoka"

Background/objectives: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a common lymphatic endothelial cancer among children with and without HIV in central and eastern Africa. Despite its clinical heterogeneity, its various clinical phenotypes are often grouped together in staging and treatment algorithms. Patients with KS tumor-associated edema, referring to hard, non-pitting lesions which often lead to chronic disability, represent a unique, understudied subgroup of children with KS.

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Approximately 80% of pediatric tumors occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where diagnostic tools essential for treatment decisions are often unavailable or incomplete. Development of cost-effective molecular diagnostics will help bridge the cancer diagnostic gap and ultimately improve pediatric cancer outcomes in LMIC settings. We investigated the feasibility of using nanopore whole transcriptome sequencing on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE)-derived RNA and a composite machine learning model for pediatric solid tumor diagnosis.

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The most common subtype of lymphoma globally, diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), is a leading cause of cancer death in people with HIV. The restructuring of the T cell compartment because of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) may have implications for modern treatment selection, but current understanding of these dynamic interactions is limited. Here, we investigated the T cell response to DLBCL by sequencing the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in a cohort of HIV-negative (HIV-), HIV+/ART-experienced, and HIV+/ART-naive patients with DLBCL.

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Article Synopsis
  • Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of lymphoma, making up 40% of new non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases and significantly affecting people living with HIV, who have a much higher risk of developing it.
  • The study explores the differences between HIV-positive and HIV-negative DLBCL at a molecular level, revealing that these groups react differently to therapy and have varying clinical outcomes, particularly among those on or off antiretroviral treatment (ART).
  • Findings indicate that HIV+ and ART-naïve patients show more favorable outcomes, while established biomarkers are limited; however, differences in immune responses are linked to tumor interactions, suggesting new therapeutic avenues based on patient status.
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