Medical Specialties Commons^™

Unleashing Endogenous Tnf-Alpha As A Cancer Immunotherapeutic., Steven F Josephs, Thomas E Ichim, Stephen M Prince, Santosh Kesari, Francesco M Marincola, Anton Rolando Escobedo, Amir Jafri

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was originally identified in the 1970s as the serum mediator of innate immunity capable of inducing hemorrhagic necrosis in tumors. Today, a wide spectrum of biological activities have been attributed to this molecule, and clinical translation has mainly occurred not in using it to treat cancer, but rather to inhibit its effects to treat autoimmunity. Clinical trials utilizing systemic TNF-alpha administration have resulted in an unacceptable level of toxicities, which blocked its development. In contrast, localized administration of TNF-alpha in the form of isolated limb perfusion have yielded excellent results in soft tissue sarcomas. Here we …

Suprasellar Epidermoid Cyst Originating From The Infundibulum: Case Report And Literature Review., Erin P Mccormack, Justin M Cappuzzo, Zachary Litvack, M Isabel Almira-Suarez, Jonathan S Sherman

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Epidermoid cysts account for a small fraction of intracranial brain tumors, most commonly found in the cerebellopontine angle and parasellar cisterns. Here we present a rare case of an epidermoid cyst located in the suprasellar region, specifically originating from the infundibulum. Only one additional case with an epidermoid cyst originating within the pituitary stalk has been previously reported in the literature. The patient in this case presented with headaches, diplopia and blurred vision without any endocrinopathy. The patient's pre-operative evaluation was significant for pseudotumor cerebri, hyponatremia, obesity, and a history of smoking; post-operative course was significant for neurogenic diabetes insipidus.

Does The Venus De Milo Have A Spinal Deformity?, Kevlian Andrew, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Jens Chapman, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The Venus de Milo, an ancient Greek statue, has been viewed as one of the most celebrated pieces of art in Western culture. It was sculpted during the Hellenistic period between 150 and 50 BC and is believed to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch. The sculpture is thought to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. When assembled, the two halves of the sculpture meet in an almost horizontal line that is purposefully obscured by a roll of garment around the hips. It has been noted that the midline of the statue's face is displaced slightly. …

Variant Of The Anconeus Epitrochlearis Muscle: A Case Report., Chrissie Massrey, Joe Iwanaga, Basem Ishak, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The anconeus epitrochlearis is a muscle variant sometimes present at the elbow. It is present in up to 34% of individuals and has been implicated in some cases of cubital tunnel syndrome. We report an unusual variant of this muscle with additional proximal attachments in the arm. We will review and discuss the background and the clinical relevance of such a muscle.

Bifid Xiphoid Process: Case Report And Review., Seif Eid, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The xiphoid process is a bony process that comprises part of the sternum. This anatomical structure exhibits several morphological variations, which may complicate diagnostic examinations and invasive thoracic procedures. Variations include bifurcated or trifurcated, deflected, and curved processes. This report discusses a case of a bifid xiphoid process during cadaveric dissection and compares similar findings in the literature. The aim is to improve our knowledge of anatomical variations in an effort to reduce complications and improve patient care.

Identification Of Susceptibility Pathways For The Role Of Chromosome 15q25.1 In Modifying Lung Cancer Risk., Xuemei Ji, Yohan Bossé, Maria Teresa Landi, Jiang Gui, Xiangjun Xiao, David Qian, Philippe Joubert, Maxime Lamontagne, Yafang Li, Ivan Gorlov, Mariella De Biasi, Younghun Han, Olga Gorlova, Rayjean J Hung, Xifeng Wu, James Mckay, Xuchen Zong, Robert Carreras-Torres, David C Christiani, Neil Caporaso, Mattias Johansson, Geoffrey Liu, Stig E Bojesen, Loic Le Marchand, Demetrios Albanes, Heike Bickeböller, Melinda C Aldrich, William S Bush, Adonina Tardon, Gad Rennert, Chu Chen, M Dawn Teare, John K Field, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Philip Lazarus, Aage Haugen, Stephen Lam, Matthew B Schabath, Angeline S Andrew, Hongbing Shen, Yun-Chul Hong, Jian-Min Yuan, Pier A Bertazzi, Angela C Pesatori, Yuanqing Ye, Nancy Diao, Li Su, Ruyang Zhang, Yonathan Brhane, Natasha Leighl, Jakob S Johansen, Anders Mellemgaard, Walid Saliba, Christopher Haiman, Lynne Wilkens, Ana Fernandez-Somoano, Guillermo Fernandez-Tardon, Erik H F M Van Der Heijden, Jin Hee Kim, Juncheng Dai, Zhibin Hu, Michael P A Davies, Michael W Marcus, Hans Brunnström, Jonas Manjer, Olle Melander, David C Muller, Kim Overvad, Antonia Trichopoulou, Rosario Tumino, Jennifer Doherty, Gary E Goodman, Angela Cox, Fiona Taylor, Penella Woll, Irene Brüske, Judith Manz, Thomas Muley, Angela Risch, Albert Rosenberger, Kjell Grankvist, Mikael Johansson, Frances Shepherd, Ming-Sound Tsao, Susanne M Arnold, Eric B Haura, Ciprian Bolca, Ivana Holcatova, Vladimir Janout, Milica Kontic, Jolanta Lissowska, Anush Mukeria, Simona Ognjanovic, Tadeusz M Orlowski, Ghislaine Scelo, Beata Swiatkowska, David Zaridze, Per Bakke, Vidar Skaug, Shanbeh Zienolddiny, Eric J Duell, Lesley M Butler, Woon-Puay Koh, Yu-Tang Gao, Richard Houlston, John Mclaughlin, Victoria Stevens, David C Nickle, Ma'en Obeidat, Wim Timens, Bin Zhu, Lei Song, María Soler Artigas, Martin D Tobin, Louise V Wain, Fangyi Gu, Jinyoung Byun, Ahsan Kamal, Dakai Zhu, Rachel F Tyndale, Wei-Qi Wei, Stephen Chanock, Paul Brennan, Christopher I Amos

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified the chromosome 15q25.1 locus as a leading susceptibility region for lung cancer. However, the pathogenic pathways, through which susceptibility SNPs within chromosome 15q25.1 affects lung cancer risk, have not been explored. We analyzed three cohorts with GWAS data consisting 42,901 individuals and lung expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data on 409 individuals to identify and validate the underlying pathways and to investigate the combined effect of genes from the identified susceptibility pathways. The KEGG neuroactive ligand receptor interaction pathway, two Reactome pathways, and 22 Gene Ontology terms were identified and replicated to be significantly associated …

Intelligence Quotient In Patients With Myelomeningocele: A Review., Yusuf Alimi, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

It has been proposed that hydrocephalus in children with myelomeningocele (MMC) can indicate a low intelligence quotient (IQ). Others have argued that it is not the mere presence of hydrocephalus but the superimposition of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) infections, multiple shunt procedures, and other CNS complications that lead to the lowering of IQ in these patients. In this paper, we review the literature to clarify the information about IQ in patients with MMC and whether it changes after infections and shunt procedures. We have also considered the other factors that could be involved in the IQ development of these patients and …

Additional Attachment Of The Semitendinosus And Gracilis Muscles To The Crural Fascia: A Review And Case Illustration., Asad Rizvi, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The semitendinosus and gracilis muscles insert primarily onto the superior medial aspect of the tibia. These tendons can be harvested for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and knowledge of their accessory attachments is important for the success of such harvesting procedures. Here, we present a case illustration and review of the attachment of these muscles into the crural fascia (deep fascia of the leg), which is often an underappreciated insertion site.

Wormian Bone Of The Orbit: A Case Report., Asad Rizvi, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Wormian bones are formed due to abnormal ossification centers in various locations in the skull. Genetic and/or environmental factors have been proposed to explain their formation. These bones can be normal anatomical variants or associated with a number of pathological conditions. The literature reports the most common locations of these bones as the cranial sutures, and reports of the presence of these bones in the orbit are rare. Clinically, these bones in the orbit can simulate fractures on imaging or can dislodge during surgery causing injury to the surrounding structures. Herein, we report a case of wormian bones of the …

Anatomical Study Of The Lingual Nerve And Inferior Alveolar Nerve In The Pterygomandibular Space: Complications Of The Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block., Joe Iwanaga, Paul J Choi, Marc Vetter, Mayank Patel, Shogo Kikuta, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) procedure delivers anesthetics to the pterygomandibular space through which the lingual nerve (LN) and inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) travel. Injury to the LN has been reported more often than injury to the IAN. However, the number of anatomical studies of LN injury is limited. We aimed to establish evidence by investigating LN and IAN anatomy at the level of the mandibular foramen (MF). Forty-four sides from 22 Caucasian cadaveric heads (16 fresh-frozen and six formalin-fixed cadavers) were used in this study. The LN and IAN were laterally dissected, and the diameter and the distance …

A Cadaveric Case Of A Circular Torcular Herophili., Sasha Lake, Juan J Altafulla, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The torcular Herophili is formed by the joining of the straight sinus, superior sagittal sinus, and transverse sinus. The anatomic configuration of the torcular Herophili is highly variable. In the current literature, classification systems define up to nine subtypes of the torcular Herophili. The frequency of prevalence of these anatomical variants is also variable. Herein is a case report of a circularly-shaped torcular Herophili found during cadaveric dissection.

Tendinous Inscriptions Of The Rectus Abdominis: A Comprehensive Review., Rabjot Rai, Lilian C Azih, Joe Iwanaga, Marios Loukas, Martin Mortazavi, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The rectus abdominis muscles are interrupted by tendinous inscriptions, which typically appear as fibrous bands crossing the muscle. The current literature on tendinous inscriptions is scarce; hence, this review will provide a detailed overview of their anatomical description, including their variation, embryology, comparative anatomy, and clinical application. Understanding the anatomy and function of the tendinous inscription assists in providing clinical relevance and in guiding reconstructive surgeons in their surgical planning and design.

Clear Cell Carcinoma Of The Pelvic Side Wall Arising From Endometriosis., Lisa N Abaid, John S Cupp, Miles Chang, Steven R Beanes, Bram H Goldstein

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Endometriosis is a condition wherein an ectopic layer of endometrial tissue arises in an extra-uterine location, often effecting significant pelvic pain and infertility. While very uncommon, there have been reported cases of endometriosis undergoing malignant transformation, frequently involving the ovaries and seldom in extra-gonadal regions. We recount a case depicting a 63 year-old woman who presented with an apparent inguinal hernia in 2017; she was ultimately diagnosed with a pelvic side wall clear cell carcinoma and attendant metastatic disease to the medial groin, which emanated from endometriosis. Malignant transformation of endometriosis identified in the pelvic side wall is a very …

The Antepartum Stillbirth Syndrome: Risk Factors And Pregnancy Conditions Identified From The Intergrowth-21, J E Hirst, J Villar, C G Victora, A T Papageorghiou, D Finkton, F C Barros, M G Gravett, F Giuliani, M Purwar, I O Frederick, R Pang, L Cheikh Ismail, A Lambert, W Stones, Y A Jaffer, D G Altman, J A Noble, E O Ohuma, S H Kennedy, Z A Bhutta

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for antepartum stillbirth, including fetal growth restriction, among women with well-dated pregnancies and access to antenatal care.

DESIGN: Population-based, prospective, observational study.

SETTING: Eight international urban populations.

POPULATION: Pregnant women and their babies enrolled in the Newborn Cross-Sectional Study of the INTERGROWTH-21

METHODS: Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare risks among antepartum stillborn and liveborn babies.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Antepartum stillbirth was defined as any fetal death after 16 weeks' gestation before the onset of labour.

RESULTS: Of 60 121 babies, 553 were stillborn (9.2 per 1000 births), of which 445 were antepartum …

A Case Of Mislabeled Textbooks: Misnomer Of The Traditional "Bicaval" View., Laura Vaskelyte, Stefan Bertog, Ilona Hofmann, Bojan Jovanović, Markus Reinartz, Predrag Matić, Sameer Gafoor, Kolja Sievert, Horst Sievert

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Since the early beginning of the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) era, standardized tomographic views describing cardiac key structures have been provided. They have become the basis of TEE and have not been modified for decades. During our recent structural interventional cases, it has come to our attention that the structure frequently labeled "inferior vena cava" in textbooks and journal articles illustrating the bicaval TEE view is, in fact, the coronary sinus. Our manuscript illustrates our observation.

Evidence-Based Medicine, Media, And Manipulation., Jens R Chapman, Karsten Wiechert, Jeffrey C Wang

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Is There An Optimal Wound Closure Technique For Major Posterior Spine Surgery? A Systematic Review., Emre Yilmaz, Ronen Blecher, Marc Moisi, Chandra Ankush, Thomas M O'Lynnger, Amir Abdul-Jabbar, Joseph R Dettori, Rod J Oskouian

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: In patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion: (1) What are the types and risks of wound complications in major (≥3 levels) surgery, and does the risk vary by number of levels fused? (2) What types of fascial closure result in the fewest wound complications? (3) What subcutaneous closure technique is more effective in preventing wound complications for obese patients (body mass index >30 kg/m

Methods: Electronic databases and reference lists of key articles were searched from January 1, 2000 to December 4, 2017 to identify studies meeting inclusion criteria.

Results: Six lower quality retrospective studies (evidence …

The Tentorium Cerebelli: A Comprehensive Review Including Its Anatomy, Embryology, And Surgical Techniques., Rabjot Rai, Joe Iwanaga, Gaffar Shokouhi, Rod J Oskouian, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The tentorium cerebelli functions as a partition, dispelling the burden of weight from supratentorial structures upon inferior brain matter. Clinicians and neurosurgeons, when assessing pathological findings, should have knowledge regarding the tentorium cerebelli anatomy. This work of literature is a comprehensive review of the tentorium cerebelli, including its anatomy, embryology, and clinical and surgical implications. The evolutionary pattern demonstrates sequential stages to higher mammalian lineage. An understanding of the complexity of the neurovascular structures and the anatomy of the tentorium cerebelli is crucial for surgical procedures by neurosurgeons.

The Incisive Canal: A Comprehensive Review., Sasha Lake, Joe Iwanaga, Shogo Kikuta, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The incisive canal, also known as the nasopalatine canal, is an interosseous conduit through the anterior maxilla connecting the oral and nasal cavities. Within this canal lies the nasopalatine nerve and the vascular anastomosis between the greater palatine and sphenopalatine arteries. The embryology of the canal has led to interesting theories explaining its function. Efforts have been made to describe the morphometrics of the incisive canal by radiologic evaluation across sex and ethnicities. This paper aims to review the current literature on the embryology, anatomy, and clinical relevance of the incisive canal.

Fibroblasts As A Practical Alternative To Mesenchymal Stem Cells., Thomas E Ichim, Pete O'Heeron, Santosh Kesari

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy offers great potential for treatment of disease through the multifunctional and responsive ability of these cells. In numerous contexts, MSC have been shown to reduce inflammation, modulate immune responses, and provide trophic factor support for regeneration. While the most commonly used MSC source, the bone marrow provides relatively little starting material for cellular expansion, and requires invasive extraction means, fibroblasts are easily harvested in large numbers from various biological wastes. Additionally, in vitro expansion of fibroblasts is significantly easier given the robustness of these cells in tissue culture and shorter doubling time compared to typical …

A Multi-Center Phase Ii Study Of High Dose Interleukin-2 Sequenced With Vemurafenib In Patients With Braf-V600 Mutation Positive Metastatic Melanoma., Joseph I Clark, Jatinder Singh, Marc S Ernstoff, Christopher D Lao, Lawrence E Flaherty, Theodore F Logan, Brendan Curti, Sanjiv S Agarwala, Bret Taback, Lee Cranmer, Jose Lutzky, Theresa L Luna, Sandra Aung, David H Lawson

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies suggest that BRAF inhibitors enhance anti-tumor immunity and antigen presentation. Combination BRAF inhibition with immunotherapy is an appealing therapeutic approach. We sequenced vemurafenib with HD IL-2 in patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma to improve long term outcomes.

METHODS: Eligible patients were HD IL-2 eligible with metastatic BRAF V600 mutated melanoma. Cohort 1 was treatment naïve and received vemurafenib 960 mg BID for 6 weeks before HD IL-2. Cohort 2 received vemurafenib for 7-18 weeks before enrollment. Both cohorts received HD IL-2 at 600,000 IU/kg every 8 h days 1-5 and days 15-19. The primary objective was to …

The Course Of The V2 Segment Of The Vertebral Arteries In Klippel-Feil Syndrome: A Case Report., Asad Rizvi, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Klippel-Feil syndrome is a congenital disorder characterized by the fusion of one or more cervical vertebrae leading to limitations in the rotation, extension, and flexion of the neck and possible neurological symptoms. Other abnormalities can also be found in these patients. The anatomy of the vasculature can be abnormal in these patients including variations in the course and origin of the vertebral arteries potentially leading to intra-operative complications. Herein, we report a case of Klippel-Feil syndrome and detail the course of the vertebral arteries in an osteological specimen.

Effect Of Comorbidity On Unplanned Readmissions After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (From The Nationwide Readmission Database)., Chun Shing Kwok, Sara C Martinez, Samir Pancholy, Waqar Ahmed, Khaled Al-Shaibi, Jessica Potts, Mohamed Mohamed, Evangelos Kontopantelis, Nick Curzen, Mamas A Mamas

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

It is unclear how comorbidity influences rates and causes of unplanned readmissions following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We analyzed patients in the Nationwide Readmission Database who were admitted to hospital between 2010 and 2014. The comorbidity burden as defined by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Primary outcomes were 30-day readmission rates and causes of readmission according to comorbidity burden. A total of 2,294,346 PCI procedures were included the analysis. The patients in CCI = 0, 1, 2 and ≥3 were 842,272(36.7%), 701,476(30.6%), 347,537(15.1%) and 403,061(17.6%), respectively. 219,227(9.6%) had an unplanned readmission within 30 days and rates by CCI group were …

Lenalidomide Consolidation Benefits Patients With Cll Receiving Chemoimmunotherapy: Results For Calgb 10404 (Alliance)., John C Byrd, Amy S Ruppert, Nyla A Heerema, Alese E Halvorson, Eva Hoke, Mitchell R Smith, John E Godwin, Stephen Couban, Todd A Fehniger, Michael J Thirman, Martin S Tallman, Frederick R Appelbaum, Richard M Stone, Sue Robinson, Julie E Chang, Sumithra J Mandrekar, Richard A Larson

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Prior to novel targeted agents for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the best chemoimmunotherapy regimen in patients with non-del(11q) disease was unclear. The role of lenalidomide was also not defined. This phase 2 study randomized 342 untreated patients with non-del(11q) CLL requiring therapy to fludarabine plus rituximab (FR; n = 123), FR plus lenalidomide consolidation (FR+L; n = 109), or FR plus cyclophosphamide (FCR; n = 110) and compared 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of each to the historical control rate with FC (60%). Patients with del(11q) in at least 20% of pretreatment cells continued with FCR (n = 27) or …

Radial Artery Injury With Attempted Intravenous Catheterization On The Dorsal Hand: A Case Report., Yusuf Alimi, Joe Iwanaga, Rod J Oskouian, Marios Loukas, R Shane Tubbs

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Intravenous (IV) access on the dorsum of the hand is of high clinical significance. As it is possible for an arterial injury during IV access on the dorsum of the hand to occur, clinicians and healthcare providers should be cognizant of regional anatomy and anatomical variations during IV placement so as to prevent injuries to the radial artery. We report a case of an injury to the radial artery with an attempted hand IV placement in a cadaver and suggest possible ways to prevent this complication.

Perspectives In Melanoma: Meeting Report From The Melanoma Bridge (30 November-2 December, 2017, Naples, Italy)., Paolo A Ascierto, Igor Puzanov, Sanjiv S Agarwala, Carlo Bifulco, Gerardo Botti, Corrado Caracò, Gennaro Ciliberto, Michael A Davies, Reinhard Dummer, Soldano Ferrone, Thomas F Gajewski, Claus Garbe, Jason J Luke, Francesco M Marincola, Giuseppe Masucci, Janice M Mehnert, Nicola Mozzillo, Giuseppe Palmieri, Michael A Postow, Stephen P Schoenberger, Ena Wang, Magdalena Thurin

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Metastatic melanoma represents a challenging clinical situation and, until relatively recently, there was an absence of effective treatment options. However, in 2011, the advanced melanoma treatment landscape was revolutionised with the approval of the anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab and the selective BRAF kinase inhibitor vemurafenib, both of which significantly improved overall survival. Since then, availability of new immunotherapies, especially the anti-programmed death-1 checkpoint inhibitors, as well as other targeted therapies, have further improved outcomes for patients with advanced melanoma. Seven years on from the first approval of these novel therapies, evidence for the use of various immune-based and …

Protection From Chemotherapy- And Antibiotic-Mediated Dysbiosis Of The Gut Microbiota By A Probiotic With Digestive Enzymes Supplement., Thomas E Ichim, Santosh Kesari, Kim Shafer

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

There are numerous downstream consequences of marketed drugs like antineoplastic agents on the gut microbiome, an effect that is suggested to contribute to adverse event profiles and may also influence drug responses. In cancer, progress is needed toward modulation of the host microbiome to prevent off-target side effects of drugs such as gastrointestinal mucositis that result from gut dysbiosis. The objective of this study was evaluation of the bioactivity of a supplement consisting of capsules with a blend of 9 probiotic organisms of the genera

Co-Expression Of Cd39 And Cd103 Identifies Tumor-Reactive Cd8 T Cells In Human Solid Tumors., Thomas Duhen, Rebekka Duhen, Ryan Montler, Jake Moses, Tarsem Moudgil, Noel F De Miranda, Cheri P Goodall, Tiffany C Blair, Bernard A Fox, Jason E Mcdermott, Shu-Ching Chang, Gary Grunkemeier, Rom Leidner, Richard Bryan Bell, Andrew D Weinberg

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Identifying tumor antigen-specific T cells from cancer patients has important implications for immunotherapy diagnostics and therapeutics. Here, we show that CD103+CD39+ tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells (CD8 TIL) are enriched for tumor-reactive cells both in primary and metastatic tumors. This CD8 TIL subset is found across six different malignancies and displays an exhausted tissue-resident memory phenotype. CD103+CD39+ CD8 TILs have a distinct T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, with T-cell clones expanded in the tumor but present at low frequencies in the periphery. CD103+CD39+ CD8 TILs also efficiently kill autologous tumor cells in a MHC-class I-dependent manner. Finally, higher frequencies of CD103+CD39+ CD8 …

Recurrent Tumor-Specific Regulation Of Alternative Polyadenylation Of Cancer-Related Genes., Zhuyi Xue, René L Warren, Ewan A Gibb, Daniel Macmillan, Johnathan Wong, Readman Chiu, S Austin Hammond, Chen Yang, Ka Ming Nip, Catherine A Ennis, Abigail Hahn, Sheila Reynolds, Inanc Birol

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: Alternative polyadenylation (APA) results in messenger RNA molecules with different 3' untranslated regions (3' UTRs), affecting the molecules' stability, localization, and translation. APA is pervasive and implicated in cancer. Earlier reports on APA focused on 3' UTR length modifications and commonly characterized APA events as 3' UTR shortening or lengthening. However, such characterization oversimplifies the processing of 3' ends of transcripts and fails to adequately describe the various scenarios we observe.

RESULTS: We built a cloud-based targeted de novo transcript assembly and analysis pipeline that incorporates our previously developed cleavage site prediction tool, KLEAT. We applied this pipeline to …

Perspectives In Immunotherapy: Meeting Report From The Immunotherapy Bridge (29-30 November, 2017, Naples, Italy)., Paolo A Ascierto, James Brugarolas, Luigi Buonaguro, Lisa H Butterfield, David Carbone, Bruno Daniele, Robert Ferris, Bernard A Fox, Jérôme Galon, Cesare Gridelli, Howard L Kaufman, Christopher A Klebanoff, Ignacio Melero, Paul Nathan, Chrystal M Paulos, Marco Ruella, Ryan Sullivan, Hassane Zarour, Igor Puzanov

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Immunotherapy represents the third important wave in the history of the systemic treatment of cancer after chemotherapy and targeted therapy and is now established as a potent and effective treatment option across several cancer types. The clinical success of anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4, first, and anti-programmed death (PD)-1/PD-ligand (L)1 agents in melanoma and other cancers a few years later, has encouraged increasing focus on the development of other immunotherapies (e.g. monoclonal antibodies with other immune targets, adoptive cell transfer, and vaccines), with over 3000 immuno-oncology trials ongoing, involving hundreds of research institutes across the globe. The potential use of these …