Current Issue : January - March Volume : 2019 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is an advanced stage malignancy largely refractory to modern\ntherapy. Intraperitoneal (IP) immunotherapy offers a novel approach for the control of regional\ndisease of the peritoneal cavity by breaking immune tolerance. These strategies include heightening\nT-cell response and vaccine induction of anti-cancer memory against tumor-associated antigens.\nEarly investigations with chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), vaccine-based therapies,\ndendritic cells (DCs) in combination with pro-inflammatory cytokines and natural killer cells\n(NKs), adoptive cell transfer, and immune checkpoint inhibitors represent significant advances\nin the treatment of PM. IP delivery of CAR-T cells has shown demonstrable suppression of tumors\nexpressing carcinoembryonic antigen. This response was enhanced when IP injected CAR-T cells were\ncombined with anti-PD-L1 or anti-Gr1. Similarly, CAR-T cells against folate receptor ... expressing\ntumors improved T-cell tumor localization and survival when combined with CD137 co-stimulatory\nsignaling. Moreover, IP immunotherapy with catumaxomab, a trifunctional antibody approved in\nEurope, targets epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and has shown considerable promise with\ncontrol of malignant ascites. Herein, we discuss immunologic approaches under investigation for\ntreatment of PM....
Arbovirus infections, mainly transmitted by Aedes mosquito, are emerging in Africa. Efficient vector control requires an\nunderstanding of ecological factors which could impact on the risk of transmission, such as environmental changes linked\nto agricultural practices. The present study aims to assess the level of human exposure to Aedes mosquito bites in different\nagroecosystem area, using an immunological tool which quantifies human IgG antibody response to one Ae. aegypti salivary\npeptide. Specific IgG responses were assessed during dry and rainy seasons, in children living in different villages in CË?ote dâ??Ivoire:\nNâ??Zikro (rubber and oil palm exploitations), Ehania-V5 (oil palm), and Ay´ebo (without intensive agricultural activities). In the dry\nseason, specific IgG levels were significantly lower in Ay´ebo compared to Ehania-V5 and Nâ??Zikro and, interestingly, were similarly\nhigh in both villages with cultivations. In the rainy season, no difference of specific IgG was observed between villages. Specific\nIgG responses remained therefore high during both seasons in villages associated with intensive agricultural. The rubber and oil\npalm cultivations couldmaintain a high level of human exposure to Aedesmosquito bites during both dry and rainy seasons.These\nagricultural activities could represent a permanent risk factor of the transmission of arboviruses....
Background: Invasive fungal infections are common opportunistic diseases\nin patients with AIDS, other conditions related to immunodeficiency and\nhealthy infants. Most publications on this subject are related to industrialized\ncountries, and in adult population, with limited data in Latin America (except\nfor Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina), and especially in pediatric population.\nThese patients present a variety of clinical manifestations representing a diagnostic\nand therapeutic challenge for the health system. Objective: The objective\nof the study is to describe the epidemiological and laboratory characteristics\nof children with invasive fungal infections in Guatemala. Methods: A\nreview of the microbiology service database was carried out at Roosevelt\nHospital in Guatemala. Positive cultures were taken from children under 15\nyears of age, in a period of seven years, from 2007 to 2014, with its corresponding\nmedical history. Results: Finally, 23 isolates were documented but\nonly 15 patients were included in the study with complete information; 10\nHistoplasma capsulatum cases, 4 Cryptococcus neoformans cases and 1 Coccidioidessp\ncase. The average age was 7 years old for Histoplasma and 9 years\nold for Criptococo, with an age range from 6 months to 14 years. Around\n60% of the patients were older than 5 years, of which, more than two-thirds\nwere HIV positive children without antiretroviral therapy, who presented an\ninvasive fungal infection at the time of HIV diagnosis. These infections are\nendemic in Guatemala, so the distribution was mostly uniform. Around 80%\nof the patients had some disease related to immunodeficiency and 70% were\ninfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The microbiological\nisolation was from blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, cerebrospinal fluid and\nurine. The predominant laboratory findings were decrease in hematological series. The most frequent clinical syndromes were fever, adenomegaly, hepatosplenomegaly,\nrespiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological and weight loss.\nMortality rate was 53% (from them, 62% were HIV positive). From these patients,\nan87% did not receive antifungal treatment in time due to late diagnosis\nof the infection. Conclusions: These infections should be considered\nwhen treating pediatric patients from tropical regions, with nonspecific systemic\nsymptoms and signs, lymph node involvement and hematological alterations\nrelated to the mononuclear phagocytic system, mainly if they are patients\ninfected by HIV in an advanced stage, infants, or children with a disease\nthat weakens the immune system. When there is a high suspicion of a\nfungal infection, screening for HIV is mandatory; cultures should be taken\nearly and together with rapid diagnostic tests. An antifungal treatment should\nbe started immediately and then modified accordingly to laboratory results....
Dengue virus (DENV) is a highly pathogenic, arthropod-borne virus transmitted between\npeople by Aedes mosquitoes. Despite efforts to prevent global spread, the potential for DENV\nepidemics is increasing world-wide. Annually, 3.6 billion people are at risk of infection. With no\nlicensed vaccine, early diagnosis of dengue infection is critical for clinical management and patient\nsurvival. Detection of DENV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is a clinically accepted biomarker for\nthe early detection of DENV infection. Unfortunately, virtually all of the laboratory and commercial\nDENV NS1 diagnostic methods require a blood draw for sample analysis, limiting point-of-care\ndiagnostics and decreases patient willingness. Alternatively, NS1 in human saliva has been identified\nfor the potential early diagnosis of DENV infection. The collection of saliva is simple, non-invasive,\npainless, and inexpensive, even by minimally trained personnel. In this study, we present a label-free\nchemiresistive immunosensor for the detection of the DENV NS1 protein utilizing a network\nof single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with anti-dengue NS1 monoclonal antibodies.\nNS1 was successfully detected in adulterated artificial human saliva over the range of clinically\nrelevant concentrations with high sensitivity and selectivity. It has potential application in clinical\ndiagnosis and the ease of collection allows for self-testing, even within the home....
Schistosomiasis remains the most important tropical snail-borne trematodiasis that\nthreatens many millions of human lives. In achieving schistosomiasis elimination targets,\nsustainable control of the snail vectors represents a logical approach. Nonetheless, the\nineffectiveness of the present snail control interventions emphasizes the need to develop new\ncomplementary strategies to ensure more effective control outcomes. Accordingly, the use of genetic\ntechniques aimed at driving resistance traits into natural vector populations has been put forward\nas a promising tool for integrated snail control. Leveraging the Biomphalaria-Schistosoma model\nsystem, studies unraveling the complexities of the vector biology and those exploring the molecular\nbasis of snail resistance to schistosome infection have been expanding in various breadths,\ngenerating many significant discoveries, and raising the hope for future breakthroughs. This review\nprovides a compendium of relevant findings, and without neglecting the current existing gaps and\npotential future challenges, discusses how a transgenic snail approach may be adapted and\nharnessed to control human schistosomiasis....
Loading....