Adv Exp Med Biol
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The field of cancer therapy has been revolutionized through the use of immunotherapy, and treatment with these therapies now spans from early to late stage, and even into prevention. However, there are still a significant proportion of patients who do not derive long-term benefit from monotherapy and even combined therapy regimens, and novel approaches are needed to enhance therapeutic responses. Additionally, ideal biomarkers of response to immunotherapy are lacking and are critically needed. ⋯ The field of microbiome research in immuno-oncology is quickly emerging, with the potential use of the microbiome (in the gut as well as in the tumor) as a biomarker for response to IO as well as a therapeutic target. Notably, the microbiome may even have a role in toxicity to therapy. The state of the science in microbiome and IO are discussed and caveats and future directions are outlined to provide insights as we move forward as a field.
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The growing success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has led to effectively treating several types of cancers. Even though their use has been associated with the development of cardiac adverse effects, which may decrease the overall survival in cancer patients. ⋯ Although cardiotoxicities related to immunotherapy are reportedly rare, they can be severe and associated with life-threatening conditions such as fulminant myocarditis, hemodynamic instability, and cardiac arrest. We will review the most commonly reported cardiovascular toxicities associated with ICIs and their management.
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Breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or lactation up to 1 year post-partum is often referred to as pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) , although the definition varies with length of post-partum period. The incidence rate has been reported to range from 17.5 to 39.9 per 100,000 births, but the rate is substantially lower during pregnancy (ranging from 3.0 to 7.7) than during the post-partum period (ranging from 13.8 to 32.2). ⋯ In studies comparing outcomes in women with PABC to other young breast cancer patients, it is crucial to adjust for age, since the age distribution of PABC depends both on age at pregnancy and age at breast cancer. Large studies have shown similar prognosis for women with PABC compared to other young women with breast cancer, when accounting for differences in age, stage and other tumour characteristics.
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Review Comparative Study
Immune Responses to SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.
The world has given an outbreak alarm in the last two decades, with different members of the coronavirus family infecting people at different times. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which last appeared in December 2019 in China and spread rapidly to all over the world, has led the scientific world to studies on these viruses. ⋯ In this review, we aimed to provide a good view on immune strategies by comparing immunological responses to SARS-CoV-2 disease among other members of the family, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. In the near future, it may contribute to vaccine or drug studies to be developed on immune intervention.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, the role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of COPD has attracted much attention. ⋯ The present review aims at overviewing the effect of DNA methylation on etiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiological changes, and complications of COPD. The clarification of aberrant methylation of target genes, which play important roles in the initiation and progression of COPD, will provide new disease-specific biomarker and targets for early diagnosis and therapy.