Assessing Preferences of Patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria for Injectable Treatment Profiles.

Background: In the context of injectable biologic products approved or in development for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), it is important to capture which treatment attributes matter most to patient and what trade-offs patients are willing to make.

Objectives: The CHOICE-CSU study aimed to quantify patient preferences toward injectable treatment attributes among patients with CSU, inadequately controlled by H1-antihistamines.

Methods: This was a two-phase cross-sectional patient preference study in adult patients with a diagnosis of CSU, inadequately controlled by H1-antihistamines.

tRNA m1A modification regulates cholesterol biosynthesis to promote antitumor immunity of CD8+ T cells.

Activation of CD8+ T cells necessitates rapid metabolic reprogramming to fulfill the substantial biosynthetic demands of effector functions. However, the posttranscriptional mechanisms underpinning this process remain obscure. The transfer RNA (tRNA) N1-methyladenine (m1A) modification, essential for tRNA stability and protein translation, has an undefined physiological function in CD8+ T cells, particularly in antitumor responses.

A Novel Polymersome Nanocarrier Promotes Anti-Tumour Immunity by Improved Priming of CD8 T Cells.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies, in addition to standard immuno- or chemotherapy and surgical approaches, have massively improved the outcome for cancer patients. However, these therapies have their limitations and improved strategies, including access to reliable cancer vaccines, are needed.

The complex landscape of immune dysregulation in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with COVID-19.

The immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection in children are still under investigation. While coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is usually mild in the paediatric population, some children develop severe clinical manifestations or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) after infection. MIS-C, typically emerging 2-6 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 exposure, is characterized by a hyperinflammatory response affecting multiple organs.

Advancements in liver retraction techniques for laparoscopic gastrectomy.

Traditionally, liver retraction for laparoscopic gastrectomy is done manual methods, such as the placement of retractors through the accessory ports and using a Nathanson retractor. However, these techniques often posed issues including extra abdominal incisions, risk of liver injury or ischaemia, and the potential for compromised visualization. Over the years, the development of innovative liver retraction techniques has significantly improved the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic gastrectomy and similar other hiatal procedures.

The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as a marker for pulmonary fibrosis in diffuse parenchymal lung diseases.

Introduction: Diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD) cover heterogeneous types of lung disorders. Among many pathological phenotypes, pulmonary fibrosis is the most devastating and represents a characteristic sign of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Despite a poor prognosis brought by pulmonary fibrosis, there are no specific diagnostic biomarkers for the initial development of this fatal condition.

Preventing the progression of cirrhosis to decompensation and death.

Two main stages are differentiated in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD), one compensated (cACLD) with an excellent prognosis, and the other decompensated (dACLD), defined by the appearance of complications (ascites, variceal bleeding and hepatic encephalopathy) and associated with high mortality. Preventing the progression to dACLD might dramatically improve prognosis and reduce the burden of care associated with ACLD. Portal hypertension is a major driver of the transition from cACLD to dACLD, and a portal pressure of ≥10 mmHg defines clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) as the threshold from which decompensating events may occur.

Combined PARP14 inhibition and PD-1 blockade promotes cytotoxic T cell quiescence and modulates macrophage polarization in relapsed melanoma.

Background: Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) signaling blockade by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) effectively restores immune surveillance to treat melanoma. However, chronic interferon-gamma (IFNγ)-induced immune homeostatic responses in melanoma cells contribute to immune evasion and acquired resistance to ICI. Poly ADP ribosyl polymerase 14 (PARP14), an IFNγ-responsive gene product, partially mediates IFNγ-driven resistance.

The Diagnostic Assessment of Inherited Platelet Function Defects.

In this article, our goal is to offer an introduction and overview of the diagnostic approach to inherited platelet function defects (iPFDs) for clinicians and laboratory personnel who are beginning to engage in the field. We describe the most commonly used laboratory methods and propose a diagnostic four-step approach, wherein each stage requires a higher level of expertise and more specialized methods. It should be noted that our proposed approach differs from the ISTH Guidance on this topic in some points.

The Diagnostic Assessment of Platelet Function Defects.

Congenital platelet disorders are rare and targeted treatment is usually not possible. Inherited platelet function disorders (iPFDs) can affect surface receptors and multiple platelet responses such as defects of platelet granules, signal transduction, and procoagulant activity. If iPFDs are also associated with a reduced platelet count (thrombocytopenia), it is not uncommon to be misdiagnosed as immune thrombocytopenia.

Hatching of whipworm eggs induced by bacterial contact is serine-protease dependent.

Whipworms (Trichuris spp) are ubiquitous parasites of humans and domestic and wild mammals that cause chronic disease, considerably impacting human and animal health. Egg hatching is a critical phase in the whipworm life cycle that marks the initiation of infection, with newly hatched larvae rapidly migrating to and invading host intestinal epithelial cells. Hatching is triggered by the host microbiota; however, the physical and chemical interactions between bacteria and whipworm eggs, as well as the bacterial and larval responses that result in the disintegration of the polar plug and larval eclosion, are not completely understood.

T-betILC3 in peripheral blood is increased in the ankylosing spondylitis with high disease activity.

Objective: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by systemic inflammation, often resulting in fusion of the spine and peripheral joints. This study aimed to investigate the role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in AS patients with high disease activity.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from healthy controls and AS patients categorized by high or low disease activity.

Screening for immunodominant epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 based on CD8 T cell responses from individuals with HLA-A homozygous alleles.

Purpose: SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are crucial in viral clearance, disease progression, and reinfection control. However, numerous SARS-CoV-2 immunodominant CTL epitopes theoretically are still unidentified due to the genetic polymorphism of human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) molecules.

Methods: The CTL epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 were predicted by the epitope affinity and immunogenicity prediction platforms: the NetMHCpan and the PromPPD.

Spatially restricted and ontogenically distinct hepatic macrophages are required for tissue repair.

Our understanding of the functional heterogeneity of resident versus recruited macrophages in the diseased liver is limited. A population of recruited lipid-associated macrophages (LAMs) has been reported to populate the diseased liver alongside resident Kupffer cells (KCs). However, the precise roles of these distinct macrophage subsets remain elusive.

Integrative deep immune profiling of the elderly reveals systems-level signatures of aging, sex, smoking, and clinical traits.

Background: Aging increases disease susceptibility and reduces vaccine responsiveness, highlighting the need to better understand the aging immune system and its clinical associations. Studying the human immune system, however, remains challenging due to its complexity and significant inter-individual variability.

Methods: We conducted an immune profiling study of 550 elderly participants (≥60 years) and 100 young controls (20-40 years) from the RESIST Senior Individuals (SI) cohort.

Spleen tyrosine kinase aggravates intestinal inflammation through regulating inflammatory responses of macrophage in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a persistent chronic, non-specific inflammatory disease, and macrophages play a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is strongly associated with the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases. However, the role of Syk in the pathogenesis of UC is still obscure.

HgutMgene-Miner: In silico genome mining tool for deciphering the drug-metabolizing potential of human gut microbiome.

The biotransformation of drugs by enzymes from the human microbiome can produce active or inactive products, impacting the bioactivity and function of these drugs inside the human host. However, understanding the biotransformation reactions of drug molecules catalyzed by bacterial enzymes in human microbiota is still limited. Hence, to characterize drug utilization capabilities across all the microbial phyla inside the human gut, we have used a knowledge-based approach to develop HgutMgene-Miner software which predicts xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (XMEs) through genome mining.

Protocol for extraction of gut interstitial fluid in mice with two-front nutrient supply.

The intestine features a two-front nutrient supply environment, comprising an enteral side enriched with microbial and dietary metabolites and a serosal side supplied by systemic nutrients, collectively supporting intestinal and systemic homeostasis, but there is currently no optimal approach for extracting and assessing the local intestinal microenvironment. Here, we present a protocol for constructing a nutrient supply model in mice and extracting gut interstitial fluid (GIF) via centrifugation. This model and the extracted GIF are suitable for downstream analyses.

SLC39A10 is a key zinc transporter in T cells and its loss mitigates autoimmune disease.

Zinc homeostasis plays an essential role in maintaining immune function and is tightly regulated by zinc transporters. We previously reported that the zinc transporter SLC39A10, located in the cell membrane, critically regulates the susceptibility of macrophages to inflammatory stimuli; however, the functional role of SLC39A10 in T cells is currently unknown. Here, we identified two SNPs in SLC39A10 that are associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

HIFU-CCL19/21 Axis Enhances Dendritic Cell Vaccine Efficacy in the Tumor Microenvironment.

Background/objectives: Effectively targeting treatment-resistant tumor cells, particularly cancer stem cells (CSCs) involved in tumor recurrence, remains a major challenge in immunotherapy. This study examines the potential of combining mechanical high-intensity focused ultrasound (M-HIFU) with dendritic cell (DC) vaccines to enhance immune responses against OLFM4-expressing tumors, a CSC marker linked to immune evasion and tumor growth.

Methods: M-HIFU was applied to induce immunogenic cell death by mechanically disrupting tumor cells, releasing tumor-associated antigens and creating an immunostimulatory environment.

Alzheimer's Disease and : Exploring the Links.

Recent research highlights compelling links between oral health, particularly periodontitis, and systemic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the biological mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear, the role of periodontal pathogens, particularly , has garnered significant attention. , a major driver of periodontitis, is recognized for its potential systemic effects and its putative role in AD pathogenesis.

Exploring How Adipose Tissue, Obesity, and Gender Influence the Immune Response to Vaccines: A Comprehensive Narrative Review.

Vaccines represent an essential tool for the prevention of infectious diseases. Upon administration, a complex interaction occurs between the vaccine formulation and the recipient's immune system, ultimately resulting in protection against disease. Significant variability exists in individual and population responses to vaccination, and these differences remain the focus of the ongoing research.

The Appearance of Antiphage Antibodies in Sera of Patients Treated with Phages.

: Bacteriophages are neutralized by the sera of patients undergoing phage therapy (PT), particularly during local or concomitant local and oral phage administration in bone infections, soft tissue infections, or upper respiratory tract infections. The antiphage activity of the sera (AAS) level of 27 patients with bacterial infections such as bone infections, soft tissue infections, or upper respiratory tract infections undergoing PT was performed using the plate phage neutralization test. Our preliminary results suggest that high levels of antiphage antibodies appear late in the treatment period, at the earliest in the 3rd-8th week of PT.

Molecular allergy diagnosis enabling personalized medicine.

Allergic patients are characterized by complex and patient-specific IgE sensitization profiles to various allergens, which are accompanied by different phenotypes of allergic disease. Molecular allergy (MA) diagnosis establishes the patient's IgE reactivity profile at a molecular allergen level and has moved allergology into the "Precision Medicine" era. Molecular allergology started in the late 1980s with the isolation of the first allergen-encoding DNA sequences.