Dual Activation-Induced Marker Combinations Efficiently Identify and Discern Antigen-Specific and Bystander-Activated Human CD4 T Cells.

Identifying activated T lymphocytes and differentiating antigen-specific from bystander T cells is crucial for understanding adaptive immune responses. This study investigates the efficacy of activation-induced markers (AIMs) in distinguishing these cell populations. We measured the expression of commonly used AIMs (CD25, CD38, CD40L, CD69, CD137, HLA-DR, ICOS, and OX40) in an in vitro T-cell activation system and evaluated their sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value.

Performance of a safety protocol for scuba diving in people with type 1 diabetes: 20 years of "Diabete Sommerso®" experience.

Background And Aims: Scuba diving for people with diabetes was discouraged due to hypoglycemia risks. However, evolving guidelines now enable safe diving for people with diabetes. Among them, the Diabete Sommerso® safety protocol.

Navigating through recent evidence on locoregional breast cancer radiotherapy: an initiative by the scientific association of Swiss radiation oncology.

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in women and radiotherapy (RT) is an integral part of its treatment. High-level evidence guides clinical decisions, but given the abundance of guidelines, a need to navigate within the evidence has been identified by the board of the Scientific Association of Swiss Radiation Oncology (SASRO). A pilot project was initiated aiming to create an overview of recent clinically relevant evidence for BC RT, to make it easily available to (radiation) oncologists and radiation oncologists in training.

Treatment-related Hypertension as a Prognostic Factor for De Novo Metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer: A Retrospective Real-world Evidence Study.

Background And Objective: Hypertension (HTN) has been linked to an elevated risk of prostate cancer (PC) development and poorer prognosis in localized cases, and is a common side effect of hormonal PC treatments. However, its relationship with the prognosis of metastatic PC is still unclear. We assessed the prognostic role of treatment-related HTN in patients with de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive PC (mHSPC) undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) alone or in combination with docetaxel or androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs).

Unveiling the Mechanism of Lurbinectedin's Action and Its Potential in Combination Therapies in Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lurbinectedin is a selective inhibitor of oncogenic transcription approved for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Preclinical data provide evidence for lurbinectedin exerting its actions in a unique manner that involves oncogenic transcription inhibition, DNA damage, reshaping of the tumor microenvironment, and inducing anticancer immunity. Understanding the mechanism of action (MoA) has facilitated the rational combination of lurbinectedin and anticancer therapies with complementary modes of action, in order to obtain synergistic effects that could potentially lead to improved efficacy.

Matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation is effective at mid/long-term for knee lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: This systematic review with meta-analysis evaluates the long-term efficacy of matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) in terms of functional scores using scaffolds made of hyaluronic acid (HA) or collagen (C).

Methods: Nineteen articles met the eligibility criteria for the analysis. Fourteen studies focused on patients treated with MACT with HA-based scaffolds, four studies with C-based scaffolds, and one study compared both scaffold types.

Iliococcygeus fixation for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: It has been reported that approximately 80-90% of apical prolapse repair is through reconstructive or obliterative vaginal surgery. Although several procedures have been described, to date there is a lack of consensus on the best surgical procedure. The aim of this study was to perform a thorough review of the current literature on the efficacy and safety of the iliococcygeus fixation technique for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse.

Skipping of Exon 20 in EP300: A Novel Variant Linked to Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome With Atypical and Severe Clinical Manifestations.

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS) is a rare autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder linked to haploinsufficiency of CREBBP (RSTS1) and EP300 (RSTS2) genes. Characteristic features often include distinctive facial traits, broad thumbs and toes, short stature, and various degrees of intellectual disability. The clinical presentation of RSTS is notably variable, making it challenging to establish a clear genotype-phenotype correlation, except for specific variants which cause the allelic Menke-Hennekam syndrome.

Albumin-To-Alkaline Phosphatase Ratio as a New Early Predictive Marker of Axillary Response in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study.

The Albumin-to-Alkaline Phosphatase ratio (AAPR) is an easily applicable and cost-effective marker investigated as an outcome predictor in solid cancers. Preliminary evidence in breast cancer suggests that a low AAPR correlates with a poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in primary tumors. However, data regarding the axillary response are lacking.

"Rosary Sign" at Somatostatin Receptor PET in a Case of Recurrent Meningioma.

We present the case of a 60-year-old male with recurrent atypical meningioma in the right parietal lobe, previously treated with surgery and radiation therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed 5 years after radiation therapy suggested a possible recurrence. A somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SR-PET/CT) scan with Gallium-68 DOTATATE was performed to confirm this suspicion.

Comprehensive Overview of Methods of Pregnancy Termination in Macaques and Marmosets.

Limited information is available concerning the termination of pregnancy in non-human primates. Thus, a comprehensive review of this topic will be beneficial for veterinary staff in laboratories, zoos, and wildlife rehabilitation centers. The most relevant studies concerning the termination of viable and non-viable pregnancy in non-human primates were analyzed, and dosages, administration routes, adverse effects, and the efficacy of the drugs used are reported.

Discovery of a pan anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody with highly efficient infected cell killing capacity for novel immunotherapeutic approaches.

Unlocking the potential of broadly reactive coronavirus monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their derivatives offers a transformative therapeutic avenue against severe COVID-19, especially crucial for safeguarding high-risk populations. Novel mAb-based immunotherapies may help address the reduced efficacy of current vaccines and neutralizing mAbs caused by the emergence of variants of concern (VOCs). Using phage display technology, we discovered a pan-SARS-CoV-2 mAb (C10) that targets a conserved region within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus.

Early nasal microbiota and subsequent respiratory tract infections in infants with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) drive lung function decline in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). While the respiratory microbiota is clearly associated with RTI pathogenesis in infants without CF, data on infants with CF is scarce. We compared nasal microbiota development between infants with CF and controls and assessed associations between early-life nasal microbiota, RTIs, and antibiotic treatment in infants with CF.