Does cognitive intra-individual variability predict change in everyday functioning performance in women with and without HIV in the Women's Interagency HIV Study?

This study examined the association between cognitive intra-individual variability (IIV), a non-mean-based indicator of underlying neuropathology, and self-reported everyday functioning of 1,086 women with HIV (WWH) and 494 socio-demographically similar women without HIV (WWoH). Objective cognitive performance across seven domains and the self-rated Lawton & Brody scale of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) were assessed among participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Two types of cognitive IIV were calculated by taking the standard deviation across seven cognitive domains to calculate dispersion: 1) intra-individual standard deviation (denoted as IIV) and 2) coefficient of variation (denoted as IIV).

HPV Vaccination and Awareness Programs at Maryland Colleges and Universities.

Context: About half of adolescents aged 13 to 17 in United States are not fully vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). As they age into young adulthood, colleges may be an excellent target population nexus for implementing interventions to improve HPV vaccination uptake.

Objectives: Our study goal was to generate knowledge about HPV vaccine offerings and awareness programs at colleges to ascertain the extent of campus-facilitated access to HPV immunization and education in 1 state.

Comprehensive Analysis Reveals No Significant Correlation Between p16/CDKN2A Expression and Treatment Outcomes in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: The p16/CDKN2A protein is being explored as an independent prognostic marker in laryngeal cancer, with studies suggesting that p16-positive patients may have a better prognosis. While its role is well-established in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) related to HPV, ongoing research indicates its potential prognostic value in laryngeal cancer, even in HPV-negative cases.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the association between survival outcomes and p16 expression in a cohort of 310 laryngeal cancer patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Program and the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).

Biomimetic Anisotropic-Functionalized Platelet-Membrane-Coated Polymeric Particles for Targeted Drug Delivery to Human Breast Cancer Cells.

Biomimetic particles that can replicate aspects of natural biological cell function are useful for advanced biological engineering applications. Engineering such particles requires mimicking the chemical complexity of the surface of biological cells, and this can be achieved by coating synthetic particles with naturally derived cell membranes. Past research has demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing cell membrane coatings from a variety of cell types to achieve extended blood circulation half-life.

HER2DX genomic test in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

Therapies targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer significantly impact patient outcomes, quality of life, and health care systems. While chemotherapy and trastuzumab improve survival in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer, variability in clinical and biological characteristics leads to different response to therapies and outcomes. Clinical guidelines provide general recommendations, but significant uncertainty persists in identifying an optimal treatment plan for individual patients.

Association of SGLT2 Inhibitor Initiation and PSA Response in Prostate Cancer.

Introduction: Non-castrating therapies are an unmet clinical need for patients with advanced prostate cancer. To maximize quality of life and prioritize cardiovascular health, we investigated SGLT2 inhibitors as a non-castrating therapy in patients with prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with either local or biochemically recurrent prostate cancer who initiated therapy with an SGLT2 inhibitor without concurrent androgen deprivation therapy.

Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Modeling in Immuno-Oncology: Hypothesis Testing, Dose Optimization, and Efficacy Prediction.

Despite an increasing number of clinical trials, cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide in the past decade. Among all complex diseases, clinical trials in oncology have among the lowest success rates, in part due to the high intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity. There are more than a thousand cancer drugs and treatment combinations being investigated in ongoing clinical trials for various cancer subtypes, germline mutations, metastasis, etc.

To Acquire or Not to Acquire: Evaluating Compressive Sensing for Raman Spectroscopy in Biology.

Raman spectroscopy has revolutionized the field of chemical biology by providing detailed chemical and compositional information with minimal sample preparation. Despite its advantages, the technique suffers from low throughput due to the weak Raman effect, necessitating long acquisition times and expensive equipment. This limitation is particularly acute in time-sensitive applications like bioprocess monitoring and dynamic studies.

Impact of locoregional recurrence versus distant metastasis on overall survival in patients with Non-Small cell lung cancer after Surgery: A secondary analysis of PORT-C RCT.

Purpose: The therapeutic advantage of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been shown to benefit overall survival (OS) according to two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), albeit an enhancement in locoregional-free survival was observed. We aimed to evaluate the relative influence of locoregional recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) on OS for patients with NSCLC after surgery.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of PORT-C RCT.

Implementation of Universal Germline Genetic Testing Into Standard of Care for Patients With Prostate Cancer: The Time Is Now.

Indications for and implications of germline genetic testing (GGT) in patients with prostate cancer have expanded over the past decade, particularly related to precision therapies and management. GGT has become the standard of care for many cancers such as breast, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, and metastatic prostate cancer, and it is imperative that patients be offered timely and equitable access to testing as it can inform patient-physician shared decision making for management of the current cancer as well as anticipatory guidance for disease progression. Additionally, GGT guides screening for and prevention of secondary malignancies for the patient and cascade testing for at-risk family members.

Islands of genomic stability in the face of genetically unstable metastatic cancer.

Introduction: Metastatic cancer affects millions of people worldwide annually and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Most patients with metastatic disease are not eligible for surgical resection, and current therapeutic regimens have varying success rates, some with 5-year survival rates below 5%. Here, we test the hypothesis that metastatic cancer can be genetically targeted by exploiting single base substitution mutations unique to individual cells that occur as part of normal aging prior to transformation.

Management of translocation carcinomas of the kidney.

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor family translocation renal cell carcinoma (MiT-tRCC) stands out as a rare subtype of kidney cancer with distinct biological features compared to other kidney cancer subtypes. It encompasses TFE3-rearranged RCC (also known as Xp11 translocation RCC) and TFE-rearranged translocations RCC, although multiple new fusion partners were identified. Traditionally thought to primarily affect children and young adults, more cases of MiT-tRCC are being identified in adults.

Prevention and Health Promotion Interventions for Young People in the Context of Digital Well-Being: Rapid Systematic Review.

Background: Increasing digital technology and media use among young people has raised concerns about problematic use and negative consequences. The formal recognition of a technology addiction (eg, gaming disorder) requires an understanding of the landscape of interventions designed to prevent this disorder and related technology addictions.

Objective: We conducted a rapid systematic review to investigate the current evidence on approaches to prevent problematic technology use and promote digital well-being, defined as the healthy use of digital media and technology and the absence of problems resulting from excessive use.

If it is a solid tumor target, then it may be a hematologic cancer target: Bridging the great divide.

Tumor-agnostic US Food and Drug Administration approvals are transforming oncology. They include larotrectinib/entrectinib/repotrectinib (NTRK fusions), selpercatinib (RET fusions), dabrafenib/trametinib (BRAF mutations), pembrolizumab/dostarlimab (microsatellite instability), pembrolizumab (high tumor mutational burden), and trastuzumab deruxtecan (HER2 3+ expression) (all solid cancers). Pemigatinib is approved for FGFR1-rearranged myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms.

Setting "cold" tumors on fire: Cancer therapy with live tumor-targeting bacteria.

Immunotherapy with checkpoint blockade has shown remarkable efficacy in many patients with a variety of different types of cancer. However, the majority of patients with cancer have yet to benefit from this revolutionary therapy. Studies have shown that checkpoint blockade works best against immune-inflamed tumors characterized by the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).

The Role of Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Urothelial Cancer: A Review of Recent Advances in the Treatment of Locally Advanced and Metastatic Urothelial Cancer.

Locally advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC) is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis. Platinum-based chemotherapy has remained the first-line treatment for decades and until recently no other treatment options existed. Today, novel agents called antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), including enfortumab vedotin (EV) and sacituzumab govitecan (SG), have been approved for la/mUC offering patients treatment options following or instead of traditional chemotherapy.

Phase II Trial of Risk-Enabled Therapy After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (RETAIN 1).

Purpose: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by cystectomy is the standard of care for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Mutations in DNA damage repair genes are associated with pathologic downstaging after NAC. We hypothesized that a combination of biomarker selection and clinical staging would identify patients for cystectomy-sparing active surveillance (AS).

Dynamic modulation of IRE1α-XBP1 signaling by adenovirus.

The abundant production of foreign proteins and nucleic acids during viral infection elicits a variety of stress responses in host cells. Viral proteins that accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can trigger the unfolded protein response (UPR), a coordinated signaling program that culminates in the expression of downstream genes that collectively restore protein homeostasis. The model pathogen adenovirus serotype 5 (HAdV5) activates the UPR via the signaling axis formed by inositol-requiring enzyme type 1 (IRE1α) and the X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), a transcription factor required for immune function.

Development of CAR-T Therapies and Personalized Vaccines for the Treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma: Current Progress, Mechanisms of Action, and Challenges.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly fatal malignancy with an increasing prevalence, a high mortality rate, poor overall survival, and limited responsiveness to conventional chemoradiotherapy. Targeted therapies addressing specific gene mutations have expanded treatment options for some patient populations. The introduction of chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy and personalized vaccines have opened up a new avenue for managing various cancers.

Neuro-toxicities of chemo- and immune-therapies in haematologic malignancies: from mechanism to management.

Chemo- and immune therapies administered to treat haematologic malignancies frequently cause neurologic injury. The adverse events range from mild cognitive impairment and headaches to severe conditions such as seizures, stroke and encephalitis. We performed a comprehensive literature review and report the types, mechanisms, management and prevention of neuro-toxicity resulting from these therapies in subjects who develop these toxic effects.

Three-Year Overall Survival With Nivolumab Plus Relatlimab in Advanced Melanoma From RELATIVITY-047.

Nivolumab plus relatlimab demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), along with a clinically meaningful, but not statistically significant improvement in overall survival (OS) and a numerically higher objective response rate (ORR) compared with nivolumab in the RELATIVITY-047 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03470922). We report updated descriptive efficacy and safety results from RELATIVITY-047 with a median follow-up of 33.