The patient and caregiver experience of CAR T-cell therapy: A qualitative analysis.

Background/purpose: Immunotherapies, such as CAR-T, have revolutionized cancer treatment for some cancers. However, these treatments often require active participation of a family member or friend to act as a caregiver at home for several weeks after infusion. Given the novelty of CAR-T, there is a need to better understand the experience of patients receiving these treatments and their caregivers.

A Phase 3B, Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of the Quadrivalent Meningococcal Nimenrix Vaccine When Given to Healthy Infants at 3 and 12 Months of Age.

Introduction: Infants and young children typically have the highest age-related risk of invasive meningococcal disease. The immunogenicity and safety of a single primary dose and a booster of a meningococcal A/C/W/Y tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-TT; Nimenrix) in infants were evaluated.

Methods: In this phase 3b, open-label, single-arm study, healthy 3-month-old infants received a single Nimenrix dose followed by a booster at age 12 months (1 + 1 series).

Brief Report: Preferences and Acceptability in Methods of Tenofovir Diphosphate in Dried Blood Spots Collection and Feedback in a Cohort of PLWH in Cape Town South Africa.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence is crucial for HIV viral suppression. Tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) concentrations in dried blood spots (DBS) offer a potential tool for monitoring and supporting adherence. We assessed acceptability and preferences of fingerstick-based DBS collection and drug-level feedback among 224 people living with HIV (PLWH) in South Africa.

Clinical presentation, outcomes and risk of relapses of lupus podocytopathy in a multicentre Italian cohort.

Background: In an Italian cohort of lupus podocytopathy patients, we aimed to characterize the presenting features, therapy, and outcomes, and explore differences between relapsing and non-relapsing patients.

Methods: We identified 29 patients with lupus podocytopathy from 1994 to 2023 in 11 Italian Nephrology/Rheumatology Units, and divided them into two groups: relapsing and non-relapsing. Given the limited sample size, a p-value ≤ 0.

Uncovering the intricacies of IGF-1 in Alzheimer's disease: new insights from regulation to therapeutic targeting.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β plaques and tau tangles, leading to cognitive decline and dementia. Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) is similar in structure to insulin and is crucial for cell growth, differentiation, and regulating oxidative stress, synaptic plasticity, and mitochondrial function. IGF-1 exerts its physiological effects by binding to the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and activating PI3K/Akt pathway.

Partington-Rochelle modified procedure of pancreatotomy with short pancreaticojejunostomy for groove pancreatitis: a technical note.

Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a chronic segmental pancreatitis which leads to altered pancreatic secretions and pancreatitis. The exact pathogenesis of GP has not been clearly identified to date but heavy smoking and chronic alcohol consumption seem to be the main factors involved. The resulting chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a debilitating disease causing abdominal pain often refractory to medical therapy, so much that the main indication for surgical treatment is intractable abdominal pain.

Multi-omics sequencing of gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma reveals prognosis-relevant key factors and a novel immunogenomic classification.

Background: Gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEJAC) exhibits distinct molecular characteristics due to its unique anatomical location. We sought to investigate effective and reliable molecular classification of GEJAC to guide personalized treatment.

Methods: We analyzed the whole genomic, transcriptomic, T-cell receptor repertoires, and immunohistochemical data in 92 GEJAC patients and delineated the landscape of genetic and immune alterations.

Ovarian function after COVID-19: long-term effects and vaccine safety in ART patients.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of mild COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on ovarian function in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). Specifically, we assessed ovarian outcomes between 9 and 18 months post-infection and investigated the effects of COVID-19 vaccines (inactivated virus and adenovirus) on reproductive parameters.

Methods: The study included two objectives: (a) examining ovarian function in post-COVID-19 patients (9-18 months post-infection) compared to a control group and (b) comparing reproductive outcomes in vaccinated versus unvaccinated patients.

Primary Leiomyosarcoma of the Thyroid.

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm showing smooth muscle differentiation. Primary LMS of the thyroid gland is quite rare, accounting for only 0.014% of cases.

Outcome of conservative treatments in patients with TMJ retrodiscal layer rupture or disc perforation.

Objectives: This study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of comprehensive conservative treatments in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study of thirty-one consecutive patients with findings of TMJ retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation using magnetic resonance imaging. Comprehensive stomatognathic system assessments were performed.

The Impact of Racial and Low Socioeconomic Status on the Implementation of Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain in the United States.

Objectives: This study aims to review the societal, economic, and racial factors that impact the usage of spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain. Our working hypothesis is that patients of ethnic minority groups or of lower socioeconomic status (SES) status may have lower implantation rates and usage of spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

Materials And Methods: Our study sourced publications from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library on December 21st, 2023 for SCS for the purposes of pain management.

Exploring the influence of health and digital health literacy on quality of life and follow-up compliance in patients with primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: a prospective, single-center study.

Objective: Given the increasing significance of digital health literacy (DHL) and health literacy (HL) in promoting informed decision-making and healthy behaviors, this study aimed to assess the influence of self-reported HL and DHL on treatment adherence and quality of life among patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TUR-BT) for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Materials & Methods: This single-center observational study involved patients who underwent TUR-BT for NIMBC at a tertiary hospital from May 2022 to February 2024. Before the procedure, the patients' DHL and HL were evaluated using the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire short version and the eHealth Literacy Scale.

Differential Neuronal Activation of Nociceptive Pathways in Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury.

Neuropathic pain, a prevalent complication following spinal cord injury (SCI), severely impairs the life quality of patients. No ideal treatment exists due to incomplete knowledge on underlying neural processes. To explore the SCI-induced effect on nociceptive circuits, the protein expression of c-Fos was analyzed as an indicator of neuronal activation in a rat contusion model exhibiting below-level pain.

The synergistic effects of citicoline and silymarin on liver injury and thyroid hormone disturbances in γ-irradiated rats.

Background: Exposure to ionizing radiation is inevitable due to its extensive use in industrial and medical applications. The search for effective and safe natural therapeutic agents as alternatives to chemical drugs is crucial to mitigate their side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of citicoline as a standalone treatment or in combination with the anti-hepatotoxic drug silymarin in protecting against liver injury caused by γ-radiation in rats.

Crude Antibiotics and Antifungal Metabolites from Chaetomium globosum Cg6 Suppress Pythium aphanidermatum, Causal Agent of Rhizome Rot of Turmeric.

Turmeric is affected by various phytopathogens, which cause huge economic losses to farmers. In the present study, ten isolates of Pythium spp. were isolated from infected turmeric rhizomes and characterized.

Protein kinase C iota (PKCι) and pVHL are both needed for lysosomal degradation of α5 integrin in renal carcinoma cells.

Background: von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) hereditary cancer syndrome is caused by mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene and is characterized by a predisposition to form various types of tumors, including renal cell carcinomas, hemangioblastomas, and pheochromocytomas. The protein products of the VHL gene, pVHL, are part of an ubiquitin ligase complex that tags hypoxia inducible factor alpha (HIF-α) for proteosomal degradation. pVHL has also been reported to bind to atypical protein kinase C (aPKC).

The microsurgical infratentorial supracerebellar approach for lesions of the pineal gland: feasibility, morbidity, and functional outcomes from a single-center experience.

Pineal gland lesions pose a significant surgical challenge due to the deep-seated nature of the pineal gland, as well as the limited field of view, and the complex vascular anatomy. The mainstay of surgical treatment, when necessary, is always histopathological clarity and gross total resection (GTR). We evaluate the surgical outcomes for pineal gland lesions, shedding light on functional outcomes, histological findings, and surgical complications.

Incisional PSMA PET/CT-positive recurrences in prostate cancer- is there an implication on clinical care?

Oligorecurrent prostate cancer (PCa) can be treated with metastasis-directed therapy (MDT), which may be performed using radioguided surgery (RGS) as an experimental approach. These procedures have shown promising outcomes, largely due to the high lesion detection rate of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). We present a case series of patients who underwent RGS following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

First-line biologics as a treatment for ulcerative colitis: a multicenter randomized control study.

Background: Despite the availability of several biologics for ulcerative colitis (UC), there remains a critical need to identify first-line treatment biologics. The superiority of infliximab (IFX) over vedolizumab (VED) and ustekinumab (UST) was evaluated as initial UC treatments in patients with biologic-naïve UC.

Methods: This multicenter, randomized control trial was conducted across 20 Japanese medical institutions.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for cavernous malformations: a comprehensive study on symptom relief, hemorrhage rates, and histopathological changes.

This study aims to demonstrate the effect of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) on symptoms, hemorrhage rates, and histopathological changes in patients with cavernous malformations (CMs), regardless of whether the symptomatic lesions are hemorrhagic. This single-center retrospective study evaluated symptomatic patients with single CMs treated with GKRS between 2016 and 2023. The patients' demographic data, presenting symptoms, GKRS radiation dose, complications developed during follow-up (hemorrhage, radiotoxicity), the rate of symptom improvement, and histopathological changes of surgically removed CMs were recorded.

Regulation of autophagy by protein lipidation.

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic recycling pathway that can eliminate cytosolic materials to maintain homeostasis and organelle functions. Many studies over the past few decades have demonstrated that abnormal autophagy is associated with a variety of diseases. Protein lipidation plays an important role in the regulation of autophagy by affecting protein trafficking, localization, stability, interactions and signal transduction.

Utility of MRI in NMIBC and feasibility of avoiding Re-TURB in carefully selected patients: a systematic review.

Objective: This systematic review was conducted to synthesize current research on the role of repeated transurethral resection of the bladder (re-TURB) and the emerging use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in discerning patient suitability for safely foregoing this procedure.

Evidence Acquisition: Employing a methodical literature search, we consulted several bibliographic databases including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Embase. The review process adhered strictly to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines.