The local immune phenotype influences prognosis in patients with nodal-positive rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation

International Journal of Colorectal Disease - The local immune contexture in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has important prognostic value after neoadjuvant chemoradiation and...     

Cancer Prevention and Screening for Older Adults: Part 1. Lung,Colorectal, Bladder,and Kidney Cancer

The incidence of most cancers increases with age. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in older adults after cardiovascular disease. Many common cancers in older adults can be prevented from occurring or can be identified at an early stage and treated effectively. The prevention and identification of cancer in its early stages, in an attempt to reduce discomfort and disability associated with advanced cancer and cancer treatment, is also a priority. Overscreening for cancer in older adults can lead to unnecessary diagnostic testing and unnecessary treatment. Both older adults and their healthcare providers need guidance on the appropriate use of cancer prevention and screening interventions. This first of a two-part review addresses special considerations regarding cancer prevention for adults aged 65 and older. Screening decisions and the impact of limited life expectancy and an older adult's ability to tolerate cancer treatment are also addressed. Guidance is provided regarding the prevention and early identification of lung, colorectal, bladder, and kidney cancer in older adults. The prevention of breast, prostate, and female urogenital cancers are addressed in Part 2. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:2399–2406, 2020.     

Selecting Journal for Publication in the Era of “Haste Predatory Journals and COVID-19”

How to cite this article: Siddiqui S, Ahmed A, Azim A. Selecting Journal for Publication in the Era of “Haste Predatory Journals and COVID-19”. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(12):1284–1285.     

Transforming growth factor-β-mediated autocrine growth regulation of gliomas as detected with phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides

Transforming growth factors-β1 and -β2 (TGF-β1 and -β2) are important growth-regulatory proteins for astroglial neoplasms. We analyzed their role in tumor-cell proliferation in 12 glioma cell lines, employing phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (S-ODNs, 14 mer), specifically targeted against the coding sequences of TGF-β1-mRNA and TGF-β2-mRNA. TGF-β1-S-ODNs inhibited cell proliferation in 5 of 12 gliomas, whereas TGF-β2-S-ODNs reduced the cell proliferation in all glioma cell lines, compared to nonsense-S-ODN-treated and S-ODN-untreated cells as controls. The efficacy and specificity of antisense effects was validated by Northern-blot analysis and determination of protein concentrations in culture supernatants (ELISA). Exogenous hrTGF-β1 either stimulated or inhibited the cell lines, whereas pnTGF-β2 stimulated the proliferation of most glioma cells. Blocking the extracellular pathway of TGF-β by neutralizing antibodies only slightly inhibited those cell lines, which were markedly stimulated by TGF-βs. As the effects of TGF-β2-S-ODNs were much stronger than those of TGF-β neutralizing antibodies, we postulate that the endogenously produced TGF-β2 control glioma-cell proliferation, in part by an intracellular loop. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Growth retardation of tumors by adoptive transfer of cytotoxic T lymphocytes reprogrammed by CD44V6-specific SCFV: ζ-chimera

Variants of the CD44 protein family containing sequences encoded by variant exon 6 (v6) are involved in the metastatic spread of rat and human tumors. The rat-specific antibody I.IASML, which recognizes a v6 epitope, interferes with metastatic dissemination of a rat pancreatic carcinoma. The single-chain antigen-binding fragment of this monoclonal antibody was fused to the ζ-chain of the T-cell receptor complex. The appropriate fusion gene was incorporated into a retroviral gene transfer vector. Murine cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were infected, and cellular clones which express the single-chain ζ-chain fusion protein on their cell surface were selected. These CTLs are not MHC-restricted in their CD44v6 recognition and exhibit in vitro lytic activity toward cells expressing CD44 variants comprising exon v6. Tumor cell xenografts grown in athymic nude mice are suppressed in their growth upon infusion of the genetically manipulated CTLs. Our data indicate that the CD44v6 epitope is an effective target for immune tumor therapy and demonstrate the efficacy of genetically engineered CTLs in targeting tumors expressing such epitopes. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Mechanical Property Improvement in Dissimilar Friction Stir Welded Al5083/Al6061 Joints: Effects of Post-Weld Heat Treatment and Abnormal Grain Growth

The 5083 and 6061(T6) aluminum (Al) alloys are widely used in transportation industries and the development of structural designs because of their high toughness and high corrosion resistance. Friction stir welding (FSW) was performed to produce the dissimilar welded joint of Al5083-Al 6061(T6) under different welding parameters. However, softening behavior occurred in the friction stir welded (FSWed) samples because of grain coarsening or the dissolution of precipitation-hardening phases in the welding zone. Consequently, this research intended to investigate the effect of the post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) method on the mechanical property improvement of the dissimilar FSWed Al5083-Al6061(T6) and governing abnormal grain growth (AGG) through different welding parameters. The results showed PWHT enhanced the mechanical properties of dissimilar joints of Al5083-Al6061(T6). AGG was obtained in the microstructure of PWHTed joints, but appropriate PWHT could recover the dissolved precipitation-hardening particle in the heat-affected zone of the as-welded joint. Further, the tensile strength of the dissimilar joint increased from 181 MPa in the as-welded joint to 270 MPa in the PWHTed joint, showing 93% welding efficacy.