1,887 results match your criteria: "University Hospitals g Leuven; Leuven Cancer Institute LKI[Affiliation]"

Bitter-tasting drugs tune GDF15 and GLP-1 expression via bitter taste or motilin receptors in the intestine of patients with obesity.

Mol Metab

October 2024

Gut Peptide Research Lab, Translational Research for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is identified as a new satiety signal that works through the GFRAL receptor in the brain, and bitter compounds can trigger GDF15 expression in response to gut stress related to obesity.
  • * A study tested the effects of the bitter drug hydroxychloroquine on plasma GDF15 levels, finding that it increased GDF15 and reduced hunger in healthy participants.
  • * Results indicate that various bitter compounds influence GDF15 expression in gut cells, and this process is affected by specific taste receptors (TAS2Rs) and obesity-related factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Checkpoint inhibitor therapy, particularly nivolumab combined with ipilimumab, shows promise for patients with high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H) across various tumor types, indicating a potential survival benefit.
  • The study involved 201 patients with advanced solid tumors who were resistant to standard treatments; they were randomly assigned to receive either the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab or nivolumab alone, with the effectiveness measured based on objective response rates.
  • Results demonstrated higher response rates in patients with TMB-H tumors who received the combination therapy, and the safety profile was acceptable, suggesting this treatment could be beneficial for patients with limited options.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Current estimates of genetic variants linked to Parkinson's disease (PD) show limitations and biases across different populations, complicating patient recruitment for clinical trials focused on genetic therapies.
  • The Rostock Parkinson's disease (ROPAD) study analyzes data from 12,580 PD patients across 16 countries, revealing that 14.8% had a genetic test positive for PD-related variants, particularly in specific genes like GBA1 and LRRK2.
  • Findings indicate higher positivity rates in patients with earlier onset (age ≤ 50) or a positive family history, emphasizing the need for more extensive genetic investigation to improve patient stratification for future clinical trials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: The objective of this study is to analyse the gene expression profile of the dental pulp (DP) of human premolars subjected to 7 and 28 days of orthodontic force (OF) in vivo by using RNA sequencing. The maxillary and mandibular DP were additionally compared.

Methods: Healthy patients requiring orthodontic premolar extractions were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: control (CG) where no OF was applied, 7 and 28 days, where premolars were extracted either 7 or 28 days after the application of a 50-100 g OF.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Dementia is a multifactorial disease with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) pathologies making the largest contributions. Yet, most genome-wide association studies (GWAS) focus on AD.

Methods: We conducted a GWAS of all-cause dementia (ACD) and examined the genetic overlap with VaD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fungal diseases represent a considerable global health concern, affecting >1 billion people annually. In response to this growing challenge, the World Health Organization introduced the pivotal fungal priority pathogens list (FPPL) in late 2022. The FPPL highlights the challenges in estimating the global burden of fungal diseases and antifungal resistance (AFR), as well as limited surveillance capabilities and lack of routine AFR testing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study assessed COVID-19 mortality rates among patients receiving Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for blood cancers, comparing outcomes across three years (2020, 2021, 2022) during the Omicron period.
  • - There was a significant decline in COVID-19-related mortality: from 43.6% in 2020 to 7.5% in 2022, indicating improvement over time, with year of infection identified as a key predictor of survival.
  • - Although mortality decreased, CAR T-cell recipients still face a higher risk of complications compared to the general population, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and preventive measures during their treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We sought to clinically validate a fully automated deep learning (DL) algorithm for coronary artery disease (CAD) detection and classification in a heterogeneous multivendor cardiac computed tomography angiography data set.

Materials And Methods: In this single-centre retrospective study, we included patients who underwent cardiac computed tomography angiography scans between 2010 and 2020 with scanners from 4 vendors (Siemens Healthineers, Philips, General Electrics, and Canon). Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) classification was performed by a DL algorithm and by an expert reader (reader 1, R1), the gold standard.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Sotorasib 960 mg once daily is approved to treat KRAS G12C-mutated locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Sotorasib exhibits non-dose proportional pharmacokinetics and clinical responses at lower doses; therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of sotorasib 960 mg and 240 mg.

Methods: In this phase 2, randomized, open-label study, adults with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC received sotorasib 960 mg or 240 mg once daily.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

SARS-CoV-2 brainstem encephalitis in human inherited DBR1 deficiency.

J Exp Med

September 2024

St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.

Inherited deficiency of the RNA lariat-debranching enzyme 1 (DBR1) is a rare etiology of brainstem viral encephalitis. The cellular basis of disease and the range of viral predisposition are unclear. We report inherited DBR1 deficiency in a 14-year-old boy who suffered from isolated SARS-CoV-2 brainstem encephalitis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Involvement of the choroid plexus in Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology: findings from mouse and human proteomic studies.

Fluids Barriers CNS

July 2024

Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands.

Background: Structural and functional changes of the choroid plexus (ChP) have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nonetheless, the role of the ChP in the pathogenesis of AD remains largely unknown. We aim to unravel the relation between ChP functioning and core AD pathogenesis using a unique proteomic approach in mice and humans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Risankizumab versus Ustekinumab for Moderate-to-Severe Crohn's Disease.

N Engl J Med

July 2024

From the Department of Gastroenterology, INFINY Institute, INSERM NGERE, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Nancy, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France (L.P.-B.); the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal (L.P.-B.), and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB (R.P.) - both in Canada; the Crohn's and Colitis Center at the Baton Rouge General and the GI Alliance, Baton Rouge, LA (J.C.C.); the Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine (J.-F.C.), and the Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Center (M.D.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; the Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano and the Unit of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano (F.C.), and Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele and University Vita-Salute San Raffaele (S.D.) - both in Milan; the Department of Gastroenterology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam (G.D.); the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven (M.F.), and the Imelda GI Clinical Research Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Imelda General Hospital, Bonheiden (P.B.) - both in Belgium; the Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel (S.S.), the Department of Medicine 1, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen (R.A.), and the Department of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin (B.S.) - all in Germany; the Centre for Immunobiology, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London (J.O.L.), the Department of Gastroenterology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (P.M.I.), and the School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London (P.M.I.) - all in London; the Department of Gastroenterology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China (Q.C.); and AbbVie, North Chicago, IL (E.N., K.W., T.A., K.K., W.R.D., V.P., X.H., S.B., L.S.).

Article Synopsis
  • A phase 3b clinical trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness and safety of risankizumab and ustekinumab in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease who didn't respond to anti-TNF therapy.
  • The study evaluated two primary outcomes: clinical remission at week 24 and endoscopic remission at week 48, with risankizumab being tested for noninferiority and superiority, respectively.
  • Results showed that risankizumab was not only noninferior to ustekinumab for clinical remission but also superior for endoscopic remission, with significant improvements reported in patients receiving risankizumab.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aims: Our purpose was to assess the impact of muscle quality on overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced HCC.

Methods: This is a subanalysis of the SORAMIC trial. Overall, 363 patients were included.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • ECLS cannulation in post-cardiotomy patients is uncommon in general wards, with only 39 out of 2058 patients studied undergoing the procedure while at the hospital.
  • The majority of these patients faced complications like acute kidney injury and arrhythmias, with a high in-hospital mortality rate of 84.6%, predominantly due to persistent heart failure.
  • Findings suggest that ECLS cannulation mainly affects low-risk patients who experience cardiac arrest post-surgery, indicating a need for further research into improving outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The TOPAZ-1 phase III trial showed a survival benefit with durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). To understand this combination's real-world efficacy and tolerability, we conducted a global multicenter retrospective analysis of its first-line treatment outcomes.

Methods: We included patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic BTC treated with durvalumab, gemcitabine, and cisplatin at 39 sites in 11 countries (Europe, the United States, and Asia).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

ANK3 encodes ankyrin-G, a protein involved in neuronal development and signaling. Alternative splicing gives rise to three ankyrin-G isoforms comprising different domains with distinct expression patterns. Mono- or biallelic ANK3 variants are associated with non-specific syndromic intellectual disability in 14 individuals (seven with monoallelic and seven with biallelic variants).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * The initiative has formed four working groups aimed at enhancing research, clinical management, eHealth, and healthcare system reforms, ensuring a collaborative effort among patients, caregivers, and other stakeholders.
  • * As it progresses, the initiative plans to boost the use of eHealth tools and passive PROs in research and clinical settings, while also refining statistical methods in clinical trials and fostering alignment among industry, regulatory bodies, and health policymakers regarding PROs in MS healthcare.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CSF proteomic profiles of neurodegeneration biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimers Dement

September 2024

Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the role of neurodegeneration markers (neurogranin, neurofilament light, and hippocampal volume) in Alzheimer's disease using cerebrospinal fluid proteomics.
  • A small number of individuals exhibited both amyloid and tau pathology with either neurogranin or neurofilament light, showing distinct proteomic profiles based on these markers.
  • The findings suggest that neurogranin might not be the best indicator of neurodegeneration and that different markers provide unique insights into the disease, helping refine staging beyond just amyloid and tau levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a risk factor for more recalcitrant disease in giant cell arteritis: A retrospective cohort study.

Semin Arthritis Rheum

October 2024

Department of General Internal Medicine, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; European Reference Network for Immunodeficiency, Autoinflammatory, Autoimmune and Pediatric Rheumatic disease (ERN-RITA), Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Objectives: To evaluate differences in presentation and outcome of giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients with and without polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) symptoms.

Methods: Consecutive patients diagnosed with GCA between 2000 and 2020 and followed for ≥12 months at the University Hospitals Leuven (Belgium), were included retrospectively.

Results: We included 398 GCA patients, of which 181 (45%) with PMR symptoms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The text discusses the importance of reaching a consensus on the medical diagnoses for fever of unknown origin (FUO) and inflammation of unknown origin (IUO), highlighting the need for standardized recommendations for better clinical practice and research.
  • - A modified Delphi process involving 26 international experts led to consensus on five key themes, including evaluating epidemiologic factors, updating classification criteria, and initial evaluation methods for FUO/IUO diagnoses.
  • - The recommendations suggest improvements over previous definitions, such as being cautious with empiric therapies and explicitly disagreeing on certain diagnostic methods, which could benefit clinicians and researchers dealing with these complex syndromes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A study involving 99 SMA type I-III patients examined the perceptions of treatment benefits among different outcome groups, consisting of those with significant, non-significant, or no improvement after 15 months of treatment.
  • * The findings indicate that there is little difference in how patients and caregivers perceive the benefits of treatment among the different groups, suggesting that standard functional scales may not fully capture their real-life experiences with the treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: Compared to heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction, HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) are increasing in prevalence, yet little is known about the geographic variation in patient characteristics, treatments and outcomes among these two HF phenotypes. The aim of this study was to investigate geographic differences in HFpEF and HFmrEF.

Methods And Results: We conducted an individual patient analysis of five clinical trials enrolling patients with HFpEF or HFmrEF from North America (NA), Latin America (LA), Western Europe (WE), Central/Eastern Europe and Russia (CEER), and Asia-Pacific (AP).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is characterized by high mortality and prevalent recurrences. This study investigates the prognostic value of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) in HGSOC which has been linked to metabolic reprogramming and recurrences in other cancers.

Methods: Data from 306 patients with advanced-stage HGSOC treated between 2008 and 2015 were analyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

People with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease have a high risk for kidney failure and cardiovascular (CV) complications. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) independently reduce CV and kidney events. The effect of combining both is unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF