COVID-19 vaccinated children, adolescents, and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia show spike reactive antibodies and multifunctional T-cells.

Little is known about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines during acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapy (ALL); data for COVID-19 vaccine immune responses in pediatric leukemia remain sparse. We conducted a single center study of patients aged 5-25 years undergoing ALL chemotherapy who received COVID-19 vaccination. Twenty-one patients were enrolled; efficacy was evaluable in 20.

Membrane-bound TRAIL supplements natural killer cell cytotoxicity against neuroblastoma cells.

Neuroblastoma cells have been reported to be resistant to death induced by soluble, recombinant forms of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) (CD253/TNFSF10) because of low or absent expression of caspase-8 and/or TRAIL-receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2/DR5/CD262/TNFRSF10b). However, their sensitivity to membrane-bound TRAIL on natural killer (NK) cells is not known. Comparing microarray gene expression and response to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, we observed a correlation between TRAIL-R2 expression and the sensitivity of 14 neuroblastoma cell lines to the cytotoxicity of NK cells activated with interleukin (IL)-2 plus IL-15.

Truncated Bcl-2, a potential pre-metastatic marker in prostate cancer.

A novel truncated form of Bcl-2, termed Bcl-2psi, was discovered in invasive prostate cancer cells, using laser capture microdissection, RNA-polymerase cycling reaction, and microarray analysis. The expression of Bcl-2psi increased prior to metastasis in higher-grade prostate cancer. The immunoreactive Bcl-2psi was specifically identified in higher-grade prostate cancer cells.