Phase I dose-escalation trial of AMXT 1501 dicaprate plus difluoromethylornithine: a dual-agent approach targeting immunosuppressive polyamine metabolism.

Background: Dysregulation of polyamine synthesis has been observed in various cancer cell types. A novel approach to depriving cancer cells of polyamines involves the use of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) to block polyamine biosynthesis in combination with AMXT 1501, a potent inhibitor of polyamine transport. Preclinical mouse tumor models showed that the combination of AMXT 1501 plus DFMO had strong antitumor activity, together with evidence of a stimulated immune response against tumors.

From Wound Coverage to Functional Healing: A Narrative Review of Biomaterial Applications in Head and Neck Mucosal Defects.

Background: Reconstruction of head and neck mucosal defects presents unique challenges due to the anatomical complexity and functional demands of the region. Artificial biomaterials such as collagen and polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets have gained clinical traction owing to their ease of use and reduced surgical burden. However, limitations such as local inflammation, degradation-related complications, and mechanical instability-particularly in highly mobile areas like the tongue-continue to hinder their broader application.

EXPRESS: Exacerbation of paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain behaviors in breast tumor-bearing mice.

Background: Chronic pain and cancer interact bidirectionally, with pain enhancing sensory peptides and potentially promoting tumor growth. Despite this, most chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CIPN) studies overlook the contribution of cancer itself to neuropathy, focusing instead on chemotherapy-induced mechanisms. Animal models of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP) have been developed by injecting chemotherapeutic drugs such as paclitaxel into normal animals without cancer.

Upper gastrointestinal symptoms and Gulf War Illness in a clinical cohort of US veterans: a retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Objective: Approximately 30% of the 700 000 US Gulf War Veterans (GWVs) report symptoms collectively termed Gulf War Illness (GWI), a multisymptom illness of uncertain pathophysiology. Prior studies in GWI focus on overlap with irritable bowel syndrome. This study examines the associations between upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms, GWI and specialty GI care.

Mastectomy and breast augmentation outcomes among nonbinary, transgender, and cisgender adults.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate epidemiologic characteristics and postoperative complications among nonbinary, transgender, and cisgender adults undergoing mastectomy or breast augmentation. Comparable postoperative complication rates were observed between gender modality cohorts undergoing breast augmentation, but higher complication rates were observed among cisgender patients following mastectomy, likely due to variations in clinical indications and technique. These results underscore the safety of chest surgery for gender-diverse patients.

Sentinel node detection and imaging concordance in Early-Stage ovarian cancer: A MELISA trial analysis of tracer, timing, and intraoperative gamma camera.

Purpose: To evaluate the detection rate of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in early-stage ovarian cancer using [Tc]Tc-nanocolloid and indocyanine green (ICG), and the added value of an intraoperative gamma camera.

Methods: This was a prospective single-center trial of 63 patients with suspected early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent SLN mapping with combined tracers. [Tc]Tc-nanocolloid was injected into the ovarian ligaments before adnexectomy, and if malignancy was confirmed on intraoperative frozen section, ICG was administered after adnexectomy in immediate staging cases.

The efficacy of a filtered handheld far-ultraviolet disinfection device for decontamination of high-touch surfaces in healthcare settings: a genomic bacterial analysis.

Background And Objectives: Enhanced environmental disinfection is linked to reduced hospital-acquired infection rates. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an emerging disinfection technology, a filtered far-UV-C handheld (FFUHH) device, for reducing bacterial loads on high-touch surfaces in shared clinical workrooms, and to isolate, identify and characterize clinically significant environmental pathogens.

Methods: We compared samples from high-touch items (dictation device, mouse, armchair, desk, and keyboard) before and after FFUHH treatment.

Neutrophils unveiled in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

This review explores neutrophils' roles in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), highlighting their functions within the immune system. While neutrophils are known for fighting infections, their altered behavior in CLL significantly impacts disease progression. This review notes the reduced phagocytic abilities of neutrophils and the increased formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in patients with CLL.

A multimodal approach to assess a liposomal carrier's biodistribution, stability, and clearance.

Liposomal carriers, used for site-specific drug delivery, are being investigated for diagnostic approaches by replacing the therapeutic with an imaging contrast agent, exploring potential for selective treatment planning. There remains a critical need to improve assessment of biodistribution, stability, and clearance kinetics of liposomal carriers. This pilot study presents a multimodal approach in which liposome-encapsulated J-aggregated indocyanine green (ICG) dye (Lipo-JICG) is imaged with high spatial resolution using both photoacoustic (PA) imaging, to assess the absorbance characteristics of JICG and monomeric ICG, and cryofluorescence tomography (CFT), to measure ICG fluorescence.

Implications of the COMET Trial for the Management of Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia.

Background: The recently reported results from the COMET trial investigating the nonoperative management of low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) question the need for routine excision of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH). This study aimed to examine the upgrade rates of patients with ADH who met applicable COMET trial criteria.

Methods: Cases of ADH managed with surgery at our institution between 2004 and 2022 were identified, and clinical variables were extracted from the medical record.

Target volume delineation of the neck for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, the Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology collaboratively developed evidence-based guidelines and a comprehensive contouring atlas for neck target volume delineation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These guidelines address five key challenges in modern radiotherapy practice: margin design of clinical target volume; nodal target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; delineation of equivocal nodes evident on imaging; low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on regional stepwise extension patterns; and modifications for anatomical boundaries of lymphatic areas. Developed through a rigorous systematic review and expert appraisal process by a panel of 50 international, multidisciplinary members from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines incorporate the latest advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment.

Primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology jointly developed evidence-based guidelines and a contouring atlas for primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The guidelines systematically address three crucial challenges: margin design of clinical target volumes; target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; and low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on local stepwise extension patterns. Based on a comprehensive systematic review and critical appraisal by an international multidisciplinary panel of 50 nasopharyngeal carcinoma specialists from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines are in keeping with advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment, embodying contemporary treatment concepts, and elaborating on the differences in practice.

Epigenetic modulation of BARD1 to enhance anti-VEGF therapy.

Despite the clinical use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies (AVAs) in cancer therapy, resistance frequently develops, leading to disease progression. To address this, we identify a previously unknown role for breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1)-associated RING domain 1 (BARD1) in modulating AVA sensitivity. Epigenetic modulation-via global and targeted DNA methylation-reveals BARD1 as a key regulator of angiogenesis.

Novel approaches to clinical trial design in cancer neuroscience.

The emerging field of cancer neuroscience has revealed profound bidirectional interactions between the nervous system and cancer cells, identifying novel therapeutic vulnerabilities across diverse malignancies. This review examines the unique challenges and strategies for translating these insights into effective therapies. We propose innovative approaches to overcome these barriers through drug repurposing, enhanced biomarker development, and optimized trial designs.

Entangled cellular and molecular relationships at the sensory neuron-cancer interface.

Peripheral sensory neurons, once regarded merely as a passive route for nociceptive signals, are now acknowledged as active participants in solid tumor progression. This review explores how sensory neurons influence and are influenced by the tumor microenvironment (TME) through both chemical and electrical signaling, underscoring their pivotal role in the emerging field of cancer neuroscience. We summarize recent findings indicating that cancer-neuron interactions vary among different organs and experimental models, highlighting the ways in which various tumors recruit and reprogram sensory neurons to establish mutual communication loops that foster malignancy.

Spatial colocalization and molecular crosstalk of myofibroblastic CAFs and tumor cells shape lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a critical prognostic factor for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Previous research has implicated the partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of tumor cells and myofibroblastic cancer-associated fibroblasts (myCAFs) in the LNM process. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Co-phagocytosis of VEGFA with HER2-overexpressing cancer cells induced by HER2-VEGFA BsAb improves antitumor responses.

We conceived of a type of antitumor mechanism of action by which a soluble target in the tumor microenvironment, such as a tumor-driving growth factor, can be phagocytized along with cancer cells via antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) using an antibody bispecific for the soluble target and a solid target overexpressed on the cancer cell surface. We explored this concept through engineering bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) co-targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in an scFv-IgG format (VHS). We showed that the HER2-VEGFA BsAbs but not the parental antibodies alone or in combination induced co-phagocytosis of VEGFA and HER2-overexpressing cancer cells by tumor-associated macrophages via ADCP.

Homologous recombination deficiency and survival in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma by self-reported race.

Background: Half of ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC) have homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). However, HRD is not well-characterized in Black individuals who experience worse survival after a diagnosis of HGSC. The objective of this study was to characterize ovarian HGSC HRD and examine its association with survival by self-reported race.

Mechanisms Underlying Treatment-Resistant Depression: Exploring Sex-Based Biological Differences.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) represents a severe and complex subtype of major depressive disorder (MDD), affecting approximately 30% of patients who fail to respond adequately to multiple standard antidepressant therapies. While the pathophysiology of TRD remains incompletely understood, emerging evidence suggests that sex-based biological differences might influence its onset, progression, and treatment response. Women are disproportionately affected by depression and are more likely to experience residual symptoms and treatment resistance, potentially due to hormonal fluctuations, immune system differences, and variations in brain circuitry and neuroplasticity.

Local Delivery of Non-opioid Analgesic Microparticles to Modulate Post-surgical Pain.

Purpose: Postsurgical pain (PSP) is a common complication in surgical patients that can progress to chronic pain and opioid dependence. Current analgesics, including opioids and non-opioid agents, are limited by short durations of action and adverse effects. This study reports the development and evaluation of extended-release bupivacaine microparticles (BuMPs) designed to provide sustained local analgesia and improve post-surgical pain management.

Noninfectious pulmonary complications after hematopoietic cell transplantation: a comprehensive review.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a cornerstone for the treatment of high-risk hematologic malignancies. The efficacy of HSCT is limited by transplant-related complications, particularly pulmonary complications. Broadly speaking, the myriads of non-infectious complications that occur after HSCT are less completely understood than infectious complications despite contributing to significant morbidity and mortality.