UK cancer vaccine advance - Recognising and realising opportunities.

Vaccines have revolutionised the field of medicine, eradicating and controlling many diseases. Recent pandemic vaccine successes have highlighted the accelerated pace of vaccine development and deployment. Leveraging this momentum, attention has shifted to cancer vaccines and personalised cancer vaccines, aimed at targeting individual tumour-specific abnormalities.

Molecular Biomarkers in Borderline Ovarian Tumors: Towards Personalized Treatment and Prognostic Assessment.

Borderline Ovarian Tumours (BOTs) are a heterogenous group of ovarian neoplasms which have increased mitotic activity but lack stromal invasion. We performed a narrative review of the literature, aiming to identify prognostic molecular biomarkers that can potentially be used for treatment personalisation. We identified and discussed BRAF/KRAS, Cancer Antigen 125 (Ca 125), Calprotectin, p16ink4a, and Microsatellite instability (MSI) as the most studied biomarkers related to BOTs.

Shear Wave Elastography for Carotid Artery Stiffness: Ready for Prime Time?

Carotid artery stiffness is associated with aging and atherosclerotic disease, leading to cerebrovascular events. Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) is a novel ultrasound technique offering a direct, quantitative assessment of the arterial wall elasticity. The aim of this study is to validate the technical feasibility of SWE in measuring carotid stiffness (CS).

UK Patient Access to Low-Protein Prescription Foods in Phenylketonuria (PKU): An Uneasy Path.

Background: Special low-protein foods are essential in the dietary treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). In the UK, these are available on prescription through the General Practitioners (GPs) and distributed via nutritional home delivery companies or pharmacies.

Methods: A 58-item online non-validated semi-structured questionnaire was emailed to British Inherited Metabolic Disease Group (BIMDG) dietitians and dietetic support workers (DSW)/administrators working in PKU to ascertain the main system issues and errors with the supply of low-protein prescription foods (LPPF).

Age-stratified effects of intravenous ferric derisomaltose in heart failure with iron deficiency: insights from the IRONMAN trial.

Background: Intravenous iron therapy with ferric derisomaltose (FDI) has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and iron deficiency. However, its effects across different age groups remain unclear. This analysis of the Effectiveness of Intravenous Iron Treatment versus Standard Care in Patients with Heart Failure and Iron Deficiency (IRONMAN) trial explored the efficacy and safety of FDI across age groups.

Basics of diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE), is common and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The symptoms and signs of VTE are nonspecific. Well-established integrated diagnostic strategies combining clinical probability scores and D-dimer are used to identify patients with a low probability of VTE, where the diagnosis can be safely excluded without imaging.

Arrhythmic Risk Stratification of Carriers of Filamin C Truncating Variants.

Importance: Filamin C truncating variants (FLNCtv) are a rare cause of cardiomyopathy with heterogeneous phenotypic presentations. Despite a high incidence of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD), reliable risk predictors to stratify carriers of FLNCtv are lacking.

Objective: To determine factors predictive of SCD/major ventricular arrhythmias (MVA) in carriers of FLNCtv.

Development and Validation of an Accurate Creatinine-Based Equation to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate for the Adult Indian Population: Design and Methods.

Background: Existing creatinine-based equations to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR), developed primarily in populations of European and African American ancestry, do not accurately reflect the GFR in the Indian population due to differences in body composition, diet, and other factors. This manuscript describes the rationale and methodology for developing a creatinine-based equation for more accurate GFR estimation in Indian subjects.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study will be conducted in India's two geographically and demographically diverse locations: Chandigarh (north) and Puducherry (south).

Sharing regional capacity in deceased donor kidney transplantation: experience from a regional collaborative in a metropolitan area.

Background: Access to deceased donor kidney transplantation may be restricted in the event of resource limitation induced by extreme peaks in activity or local major incidents, which exceed centre capacity. An organ-sharing protocol was developed by the five London transplant units in 2019 to establish a system for safe transfer of organs and recipients between five regional kidney transplant units. We describe the activity and outcomes over the initial 20-month period.

Statistical documentation for multi-disease, multi-domain platform trials: our experience with the Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform trial.

Platform trials have become widely adopted across multiple disease areas over recent years, however, guidelines for operationalising these trials have not kept pace. We outline a series of documents that summarise the statistical components, and implicit processes, of the Staphylococcus aureus Network Adaptive Platform (SNAP) trial to provide an informal template for other researchers and reviewers of platform trials. We briefly summarise the content and role of the core protocol, statistical appendix, domain-specific appendices, simulation report, statistical implementation guides, data safety and monitoring committee (DSMC) reports, and domain-specific statistical analysis plans and final reports, and a transparent governance structure that ensures separate blinded and unblinded statistical teams.

An IgE antibody targeting HER2 identified by clonal selection restricts breast cancer growth via immune-stimulating activities.

Background: Tumor-targeting IgE antibodies have elicited potent tumor-restricting effects by recruiting immune effector mechanisms. However, a dedicated platform for the generation, selection and evaluation of novel IgEs based on target antigen recognition and functional profiles has not been reported.

Methods: By establishing an IgE class antibody therapeutic design platform to allow selection of lead candidates, we generated a panel of IgEs recognising the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), overexpressed in 15-20% of breast cancers.

Pushing the Envelope: Ambulatory Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy for Patients with Complex Renal Calculi.

Ambulatory percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) has grown in popularity for patients with smaller stone burdens and few comorbidities. Its feasibility in patients with complex renal calculi is less clear. In this study, we evaluate the safety of same-day discharge after PCNL for patients with complex renal stones when compared with those admitted after surgery.

MRI and Surgical Findings Refine Concepts of Type 2 Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks in Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension.

Background Type 2 lateral spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage occurs in approximately 20% of cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH); however, the underlying pathologic mechanism remains ambiguous. Purpose To characterize MRI features of type 2 leaks, correlate them with intraoperative observations, and evaluate their diagnostic value. Materials and Methods Patients with SIH and type 2 leaks diagnosed between January 2021 and February 2023 were retrospectively identified.

Outcomes of switching from protease inhibitor-based antiretroviral therapy to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in virologically suppressed adults with nucleos(t)ide analogue resistance- a phase IV randomised, open-label study (PIBIK study).

Background: There are limited data on how historical nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) other than M184V/I, affect the activity of B/F/TAF. We evaluated the outcomes of switching virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA < 50 copies/mL) individuals harbouring major RAMs from boosted protease inhibitor (bPI)-based therapy to B/F/TAF.

Methods: Participants had various historical genotypic patterns including M184V/I, ≤2 thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs), and other NRTI RAMs (NAMs), and no integrase resistance.

Evaluating the outcomes and patient experience of group and individual acupuncture in an NHS cancer care setting: a mixed-methods study.

Purpose: Acupuncture for cancer care is safe and effective and can be provided in group or individual settings. Previously, group acupuncture (GA) has been compared with individual acupuncture (IA) for specific cancer-related symptoms or patient experience, but has not correlated symptoms with patient experience between GA and IA. This service evaluation, using a mixed-methods design, aimed to compare GA with IA for symptom-related outcomes, and patients experience and explore their inter-relationships, in order to inform future development of the service.

Adjunctive use of hyaluronic acid in non-surgical periodontal therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction And Objectives: Clinical studies have shown that adjunctive use of hyaluronic acid (HA) as part of non-surgical periodontal treatment (NSPT) has led to favourable clinical outcomes. However, no systematic review and meta-analysis has been carried out recently and technical and patient factors have not been previously explored. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the clinical effects of topical- HA as an adjunct to NSPT on probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BoP) in periodontitis patients.

Impact of Obesity on the Outcomes of Supine Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Propensity Score Analysis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether obesity could influence the success and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) performed in the supine position. This prospective cohort study included 664 patients who underwent supine PCNL between September 2008 and June 2023. Patients were stratified into two groups: obese (272 patients) and nonobese (392 patients).

Attitude of Undergraduate Dental Students to Oral Mucosal Biopsies From Six European Countries.

Introduction: Multiple studies have been undertaken to assess level of knowledge on the topic of oral mucosal biopsies from a general dental practitioner perspective, but only limited data is available on undergraduate dental students' perspective. The aim of this study was to assess clinical experience and attitudes towards oral mucosal biopsies in final-year undergraduate dental students.

Material And Methods: Online questionnaire was sent to dental students in six European countries (Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom).

Gene editing enables non-invasive PET imaging of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived liver bud organoids.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived liver cell therapies such as hepatocyte-like cells and liver organoids could provide unlimited therapeutic cells for clinical transplantation, but an inadequate understanding of their fate impedes translation. Whole body imaging could enable monitoring of transplanted cell survival and/or expansion non-invasively over time, permitting robust comparisons between emerging therapies to identify those most effective. The human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) is a radionuclide reporter gene facilitating whole body cell tracking by positron emission tomography (PET).

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) becomes of age: Assessing the young adult with HLHS including the neoaorta/aortic arch.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is one of the most complex congenital heart defects (CHD), characterized by a hypoplastic left ventricle (LV), dominant right ventricle (RV) and small left-sided heart structures. The introduction of the Norwood operation has significantly improved outcomes, with 5-year survival reported up to 65 %. Despite these advances, post-operative morbidity and mortality remain high, and the long-term complications in adult survivors represent a challenge.

A study to determine a capillary alternative to the gold standard oral glucose tolerance test - .

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic condition caused by the immune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells. T1D has recognised asymptomatic pre-clinical stages, providing an opportunity for early diagnosis, education and treatment which may delay the onset of symptoms. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the gold standard method to stage and monitor early-stage T1D, which can be poorly tolerated and may contribute to marked loss to follow-up.