Cell, tissue and gene products with marketing authorization in 2018 worldwide.

Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are progressively entering into clinical practice in different parts of the world. The International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT), a global scientific society, has been committed since 1992 to supporting and developing knowledge on clinical applications of CGTs. Considering the number of products that have been progressively approved and, in some cases, withdrawn in recent years, the ISCT would like to present a brief annual report on CGTs with marketing authorization (MA) in different regions.

NKX2-1-AS1 negatively regulates CD274/PD-L1, cell-cell interaction genes, and limits human lung carcinoma cell migration.

The function of most long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is unknown. However, recent studies reveal important roles of lncRNAs in regulating cancer-related pathways. Human antisense lncRNA-NKX2-1-AS1 partially overlaps the NKX2-1/TTF1 gene within chromosomal region 14q13.

Pulmonary Ionocytes Challenge the Paradigm in Cystic Fibrosis.

Two recent studies have identified novel airway cells termed pulmonary ionocytes that express higher levels of CFTR than other airway cells express. These findings raise new questions in the evolving debate about the physiological role of CFTR in lung epithelia and its importance in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF).

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Genome-Wide Interaction Analyses Reveal DPP10-Pulmonary Function Association.

Rationale: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory properties that could benefit adults with comprised pulmonary health.

Objective: To investigate n-3 PUFA associations with spirometric measures of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and determine underlying genetic susceptibility.

Methods: Associations of n-3 PUFA biomarkers (α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid [DPA], and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) were evaluated with PFTs (FEV, FVC, and FEV/FVC) in meta-analyses across seven cohorts from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology Consortium (N = 16,134 of European or African ancestry).

Patient Outcomes After the Introduction of Statewide ICU Nurse Staffing Regulations.

Objectives: To assess whether Massachusetts legislation directed at ICU nurse staffing was associated with improvements in patient outcomes.

Design: Retrospective cohort study; difference-in-difference design to compare outcomes in Massachusetts with outcomes of other states (before and after the March 31, 2016, compliance deadline).

Setting: Administrative claims data collected from medical centers across the United States (Vizient).

Retinoic acid signaling is essential for airway smooth muscle homeostasis.

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) is a dynamic and complex tissue involved in regulation of bronchomotor tone, but the molecular events essential for the maintenance of ASM homeostasis are not well understood. Observational and genome-wide association studies in humans have linked airway function to the nutritional status of vitamin A and its bioactive metabolite retinoic acid (RA). Here, we provide evidence that ongoing RA signaling is critical for the regulation of adult ASM phenotype.

ETS1 regulates Twist1 transcription in a Kras/Lkb1 metastatic lung tumor model of non-small cell lung cancer.

Distinct members of the Ets family of transcription factors act as positive or negative regulators of genes involved in cellular proliferation, development, and tumorigenesis. In human lung cancer, increased ETS1 expression is associated with poor prognosis and metastasis. We tested whether ETS1 contributes to lung tumorigenesis by binding to Twist1, a gene involved in tumor cell motility and dissemination.

Appraising the Evidence Supporting Choosing Wisely® Recommendations.

Despite the growing enthusiasm surrounding the Choosing Wisely® campaign, little is known regarding the evidence underlying these recommendations. We extracted references for all 320 recommendations published through August, 2014, including the 10 adult and pediatric recommendations published by the Society for Hospital Medicine. We then categorized each item by evidence strength, and then assessed a sample of referenced clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) using the validated Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument.

Treatment of tobacco dependence: current state of the art.

Purpose Of Review: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' requirement to integrate tobacco treatment with lung cancer screening (LCS) has served as a catalyst for motivating pulmonary medicine clinicians to improve upon their ability to effectively treat tobacco dependence. To do so, clinicians need to be well versed in the behavioral and pharmacologic tools that promote smoking cessation.

Recent Findings: The current review outlines current strategies for treating tobacco dependence, focusing on the important interplay between counseling and pharmacotherapy.

Use of supplemental oxygen in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in REVEAL.

Background: Supplemental low-flow oxygen is recommended by treatment guidelines as supportive therapy for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), based largely on expert opinion. Reduced diffusing capacity of lung carbon monoxide (DLCO) is associated with increased mortality in PAH. Reduced DLCO is also associated with relative hypoxemia, making the effects of supplemental oxygen use of particular interest in this sub-population.

A Triazole Disulfide Compound Increases the Affinity of Hemoglobin for Oxygen and Reduces the Sickling of Human Sickle Cells.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin (Hb). During a sickle cell crisis, deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin (deoxyHbS) polymerizes to form fibers in red blood cells (RBCs), causing the cells to adopt "sickled" shapes. Using small molecules to increase the affinity of Hb for oxygen is a potential approach to treating sickle cell disease, because oxygenated Hb interferes with the polymerization of deoxyHbS.

Atrial Fibrillation in the ICU.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in the ICU. Preexisting AF is highly prevalent among older patients with chronic conditions who are at risk for critical illness, whereas new-onset AF can be triggered by accelerated atrial remodeling and arrhythmogenic triggers encountered during critical illness. The acute loss of atrial systole and onset of rapid ventricular rates that characterize new-onset AF often lead to decreased cardiac output and hemodynamic compromise.

Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Shared Decision-making in Early Adopting Lung Cancer Screening Programs: a Qualitative Study.

Background: Guidelines recommend, and Medicare requires, shared decision-making between patients and clinicians before referring individuals at high risk of lung cancer for chest CT screening. However, little is known about the extent to which shared decision-making about lung cancer screening is achieved in real-world settings.

Objective: To characterize patient and clinician impressions of early experiences with communication and decision-making about lung cancer screening and perceived barriers to achieving shared decision-making.

Neurotrophins in Asthma.

Purpose Of Review: Asthma is a chronic airway disease that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Current treatment focuses on symptomatic relief by temporally dampening inflammation and relaxing the airway. Novel combative strategies against asthma and hopefully a cure are yet to be developed.

Screening for Lung Cancer: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report.

Background: Low-dose chest CT screening for lung cancer has become a standard of care in the United States in the past few years, in large part due to the results of the National Lung Screening Trial. The benefit and harms of low-dose chest CT screening differ in both frequency and magnitude. The translation of a favorable balance of benefit and harms into practice can be difficult.

Standard measures for sickle cell disease research: the PhenX Toolkit sickle cell disease collections.

Standard measures and common data elements for sickle cell disease (SCD) will improve the data quality and comparability necessary for cross-study analyses and the development of guidelines that support effective treatments and interventions. In 2014, the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded an Administrative Supplement to the PhenX Toolkit (consensus measures for Phenotypes and eXposures; https://www.phenxtoolkit.

Medical societies, patient education initiatives, public debate and marketing of unproven stem cell interventions.

Businesses marketing unproven stem cell interventions proliferate within the U.S. and in the larger global marketplace.