Immunotherapy
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It is now well established that the healthy bronchial tree contains a microbiome distinct from that of the upper respiratory tract and that the lung microbiome may be dysregulated in individuals with a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma. In addition, after birth, gut microbes interact with the host tissue, especially with the lymphatic tissue, thereby guaranteeing efficient immune activation. This review focuses on the available literature on the relationships between the gut microbiome, immune function and asthma in childhood, as well as the therapeutic strategies aimed at acting on the modulation of the microbiome.
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Relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has a low remission rate after chemotherapy, a high relapse rate and poor long-term survival even when allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is performed. Chimeric antigen receptors redirected T cells (CAR-T cells) can enhance disease remission with a favorable outcome for relapsed/refractory ALL, though some cases quickly relapsed after CAR-T cell treatment. ⋯ We then discuss the treatment of relapsed/refractory ALL using only CAR-T cells. Finally, we discuss the use of CAR-T cells, followed by allo-HSCT, for the treatment of relapsed/refractory ALL.
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Spurred by the survival benefits seen with the use of checkpoint blockade in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), there has been a growing interest in the potential applications of immunotherapy. Despite this, the objective response rate for single-agent immunotherapy remains ≤20% in patients with advanced NSCLC. ⋯ Accumulating evidence has shown that the immunomodulatory effects of chemotherapeutic agents can be exploited in a combinational approach. Herein, we review the influence of specific chemotherapeutic agents on the tumor immune microenvironment in preclinical and clinical studies, and establish the rationale for combination chemoimmunotherapy for the treatment of NSCLC.
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Following cancer treatment, patients often report behavioral and cognitive changes. Novel cancer immunotherapeutics have the potential to produce sustained cancer survivorship, meaning patients will live longer with the side effects of treatment. ⋯ We discuss ongoing studies regarding the ability of immune checkpoint inhibitors to reach the brain and how treatment responses to checkpoint inhibitors may be modulated by genetic factors. We further consider the use of preclinical tumor-models to study the role of tumor status in CNS effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors and multimodality therapy.