Bmc Med
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RTS,S is the first malaria vaccine recommended for implementation among young children at risk. However, vaccine efficacy is modest and short-lived. Antibodies play the major role in vaccine-induced immunity, but knowledge on the induction, decay, and determinants of antibody function is limited, especially among children. Antibodies that promote opsonic phagocytosis and other cellular functions appear to be important contributors to RTS,S immunity. ⋯ Results provide new insights to understand the modest and time-limited efficacy of RTS,S in children and the induction of antibody functional activities. Improving the induction and maintenance of antibodies that promote phagocytosis and cellular functions, and combating the negative effect of malaria exposure on vaccine responses are potential strategies for improving RTS,S efficacy and longevity.
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Non-medical issues (e.g. loneliness, financial concerns, housing problems) can shape how people feel physically and psychologically. This has been emphasised during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for older people. Social prescribing is proposed as a means of addressing non-medical issues, which can include drawing on support offered by the cultural sector. ⋯ Tailoring cultural offers to the variety of conditions and circumstances encountered in later life, and to changes in social circumstances (e.g. a global pandemic), is central to social prescribing for older people involving the cultural sector. Adaptations should be directed towards achieving key benefits for older people who have reported feeling lonely, anxious and unwell during the pandemic and recovery from it.
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Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. The majority of GIST cases carry oncogenic forms of KIT, the receptor for stem cell factor (SCF). Small molecule kinase inhibitor imatinib is effective in prolonging the survival of GIST patients by targeting KIT. However, drug resistance often develops during the therapeutic treatment. Here, we produced a SCF-emtansine drug conjugate (SCF-DM1) with favorable drug efficacy towards GIST cells. ⋯ rhSCF is a convenient and effective vector for drug delivery to KIT positive GIST cells. SCF-DM1 is an effective drug candidate to treat imatinib-sensitive and -resistant GIST.
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Significant intertumoral heterogeneity exists as antitumor treatment is introduced. Heterogeneous therapeutic responses are conventionally evaluated by imaging examinations based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST); nevertheless, there are increasing recognitions that they do not fully capture patient clinical benefits. Currently, there is a paucity of data regarding the clinical implication of biological responses assessed by liquid biopsy of on-treatment circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Here, we investigated whether biological response evaluated by ctDNA kinetics added critical information to the RECIST, and whether integrating on-treatment biological response information refined risk stratification of cancer patients. ⋯ Our study helps advance the implementation of ctDNA-based testing in therapeutic response evaluation for a refined risk stratification. The dynamic and refined risk profiling would tailor future liquid biopsy-based risk-adapted personalized therapy.
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Whether a genetic predisposition to psychiatric disorders is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unknown. ⋯ Our findings suggest a potential role of genetic factors in the observed phenotypic association between psychiatric disorders and COVID-19. Our data underscore the need for increased medical surveillance for this vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic.