Phenotypic and spatial heterogeneity of CD8 tumour infiltrating lymphocytes.

CD8 T cells are the workhorses executing adaptive anti-tumour response, and targets of various cancer immunotherapies. Latest advances have unearthed the sheer heterogeneity of CD8 tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, and made it increasingly clear that the bulk of the endogenous and therapeutically induced tumour-suppressive momentum hinges on a particular selection of CD8 T cells with advantageous attributes, namely the memory and stem-like exhausted subsets. A scrutiny of the contemporary perception of CD8 T cells in cancer and the subgroups of interest along with the factors arbitrating their infiltration contextures, presented herein, may serve as the groundwork for future endeavours to probe further into the regulatory networks underlying their differentiation and migration, and optimise T cell-based immunotherapies accordingly.

Developing a Peptide That Inhibits DNA Repair by Blocking the Binding of Artemis and DNA Ligase IV to Enhance Tumor Radiosensitivity.

Purpose: Artemis and DNA Ligase IV are 2 critical elements in the nonhomologous end joining pathway of DNA repair, acting as the nuclease and DNA ligase, respectively. Enhanced cellular radiosensitivity by inhibition of either protein contributes to a promising approach to develop molecular targeted radiosensitizers. The interaction between Artemis and DNA Ligase IV is required for the activation of Artemis as nuclease at 3'overhang DNA; thus, we aim to generate an inhibitory peptide targeting the interaction between Artemis and DNA Ligase IV for novel radiosensitizer development.

Feasibility of relatively low neoadjuvant radiation doses for locally advanced rectal cancer: A propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy is part of the standard treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Although various options for modifying preoperative radiotherapy protocols have been researched and proposed, there is still no consensus as to the most appropriate dose regimen of neoadjuvant therapy for this disease.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of relatively low-dose radiation regimens on tumor regression and clinical outcomes in rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by mesorectal excision.

Effects of SCCO, Gamma Irradiation, and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Treatments on the Initial Properties of Tendon Allografts.

Sterile and decellularized allograft tendons are viable biomaterials used in reconstructive surgeries for dense connective tissue injuries. Established allograft processing techniques including gamma irradiation and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) can affect tissue integrity. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO) represents a novel alternative that has the potential to decellularize and sterilize tendons with minimized exposure to denaturants, shortened treatment time, lack of toxic residues, and superior tissue penetration, and thus efficacy.

Silencing Artemis Enhances Colorectal Cancer Cell Sensitivity to DNA-Damaging Agents.

Artemis is a key protein of NHEJ (nonhomologous end joining), which is the major pathway for the repair of IR-induced DSBs in mammalian cells. However, the expression of Artemis in tumors and the influence of silencing Artemis on tumor sensitivity to radiation have not been investigated fully. In this study, we investigated how the expression levels of Artemis may affect the treatment outcome of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in colorectal cancer cells.