Despite significant improvement in the survival of pediatric patients with cancer, treatment outcomes for high-risk, relapsed, and refractory cancers remain unsatisfactory. Moreover, prolonged survival is frequently associated with long-term adverse effects due to intensive multimodal treatments. Accelerating the progress of pediatric oncology requires both therapeutic advances and strategies to m

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most prevalent cancer type worldwide, which highlights the urgent need for non-invasive biomarkers for its early detection and improved prognosis. We aimed to investigate the patterns of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) collected from low-volume blood serum specimens of CRC patients, focusing on their potential as diagnosti

OBJECTIVES: Small extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain various signaling molecules, thus playing a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication and emerging as a promising source of biomarkers. However, the lack of standardized procedures impedes their translation to clinical practice. Thus, we compared different approaches for high-throughput analysis of small EVs transcriptome.METHODS: Small EVs w

BACKGROUND: Complement activation may promote atherosclerosis. Yet, data on the to which extent complement, and more specifically the alternative complement pathway, is activated in patients with carotid atherosclerosis and related to adverse outcome in these patients, are scarce.METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured, by ELISA, plasma levels of factor D, properdin, C3bBbP (C3 convertase), and factor H

Cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), syndecans and glypicans, play crucial roles in the functional properties of cancer cells, such as proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/PDGF receptor (PDGF-R) mediated signaling, on the other hand, is highly associated with cancer progression. Specifically, PDGF-Rα and PDGF-Rβ expressions documente

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may be impaired in individuals living with obesity, possibly due to exposure to obesity-related stigma which may in turn activate shame. Few studies have been conducted on shame in relation to obesity and its potential association with other constructs such as HRQoL, self-esteem, and body image. In this study, internalized shame and the potentia

Considering the Islamic perspective on forced migration and displacement, along with the conceptual framework of Islamic social welfare instruments as tools for wealth redistribution to support those in need, this study explores the potential complementarity between Islamic and conventional financing in addressing refugees' basic needs and economic empowerment. Specifically, this research examines

Motivation: Pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining Earth's terrestrial biodiversity. However, rapid human-induced environmental changes are compromising the long-term persistence of plant-pollinator interactions. Unfortunately, we lack robust, generalisable data capturing how plant-pollinator communities are structured across space and time. Here, we present the EuPPollNet (European Plant-

Interdisciplinary research and education on human-environment relations has a natural place in many Anglo-American geography and anthropology departments. In Sweden, however, critical scholarship across the socio-natural divide has largely been outsourced to the interdisciplinary field of human ecology. Since the 1970s, Swedish human ecologists have sought to integrate perspectives from the social

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Warming temperature promotes bacterial growth while extreme precipitation enhances fecal-oral route of exposures to these pathogens, particularly in resource limited settings, increasing burden of diarrheal diseases. Given climate change related increases in frequency of extreme events, there is a pressing need to develop meaningful early warning system with adequate lead time

BACKGROUND: ATOR-1017 (evunzekibart) is a human agonistic immunoglobulin G4 antibody targeting the costimulatory receptor 4-1BB (CD137). ATOR-1017 activates T cells and natural killer cells in the tumor environment, leading to immune-mediated tumor cell death.METHODS: In this first-in-human, multicenter, phase I study, ATOR-1017 was administered intravenously every 21 days as a monotherapy to pati

CD40-stimulating immunotherapy can elicit potent anti-tumor responses by activating dendritic cells and enhancing T-cell priming. Tumor vessels orchestrate T-cell recruitment during immune response, but the effect of CD40-stimulating immunotherapy on tumor endothelial cells has not been evaluated. Here, we have investigated how tumor endothelial cells transcriptionally respond to CD40-stimulating

Agonistic CD40 antibodies activate dendritic cells and can expand and activate tumor-specific T cells. Our purpose was to assess the CD40 agonistic antibody ADC-1013 in the clinical setting including intratumoral administration since preclinical studies have indicated that intratumoral is better than intravenous administration. A Phase I, open label, multicenter study was conducted in patients wit

Background: The CTLA-4 blocking antibody ipilimumab has demonstrated substantial and durable effects in patients with melanoma. While CTLA-4 therapy, both as monotherapy and in combination with PD-1 targeting therapies, has great potential in many indications, the toxicities of the current treatment regimens may limit their use. Thus, there is a medical need for new CTLA-4 targeting therapies wit