We describe current immunotherapeutic approaches to treating these complications, including the generation of antigen-specific T cells from cord blood, redirecting cord blood T cells using chimeric antigen receptors, and generating cord blood-derived natural killer cells and regulatory T cells.”
“The existence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins encoded by alternate reading frames overlapping the core-encoding
region has been suggested. Several mechanisms of production have been postulated, and the functions of these proteins in the HCV life cycle remain unknown. We analyzed cases of seroconversion to an alternate reading frame protein in a group of 17 patients infected by one of the two HCV genotype 1b strains during an outbreak in
Baf-A1 a hemodialysis unit. Three patients seroconverted, and antibodies were transiently detected in another patient. Three of these patients were infected see more by one of the two HCV strains, whereas the strain infecting the remaining patient could not be identified. Quasispecies sequence analysis of the core-coding region showed no differences in the core or +1 reading frame sequences that could explain alternate reading frame protein seroconversion in some but not all of the patients infected by one of the HCV strains, and no such difference was found between the two strains. Because differences in the structure of RNA elements could play a role in frameshift events, we conducted a predictive analysis of RNA folding. No difference was found between the patients who did and did not seroconvert to alternate reading frame protein. Conclusion: Our findings prove that alternate reading frame proteins can be produced during acute HCV infection. However, seroconversion does not occur in all patients for unknown reasons. Alternate reading frame protein could be generated by minority quasispecies variants or variants that occur transiently. (HEPATOLOGY 2009;49: 1449-1459.)”
“Purpose\n\nPatients with thin melanoma (<= 1.0 mm) and melanoma in situ (MIS) represent the majority of newly diagnosed melanoma. We estimated
the impact of expert review of outside pathology material on the staging and thus treatment decisions affecting patients referred to a multidisciplinary clinic with early-stage melanoma.\n\nPatients and Methods\n\nWe Y27632 studied patients with a diagnosis of thin melanoma or MIS referred to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center from 2006 to 2009. After comparing the referring laboratory and in-house dermatopathologic interpretations, we calculated any differences in diagnosis and tumor staging and the potential impact of differences in diagnosis and staging on prognosis and surgical treatment using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical guidelines.\n\nResults\n\nThe overall pathologic discordance rate in diagnosis was 4% (15 of 420 patients; 95% CI, 2% to 6%).