Crohn disease - microbiata direct link

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140312132617.htm

Immune system's redesigned role in fighting cancerous tumors

Rsearchers in the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute eradicated solid tumors in laboratory mice using a novel combination of two targeted agents. These two synergistic therapies stimulate an immune response, ultimately allowing solid tumors to act as their own cancer-fighting vaccine.

The study's findings, published in the journal Cancer Research, are the first to use

these combined agents as an immune stimulator and may have the potential to kill

cancerous cells in solid tumors, including some of the most aggressive cancers that

form in the lung and pancreas. Investigators hope to bring this science to early phase

clinical trials in coming months.

"Instead of administering a cancer vaccine to destroy tumors, we hope to modify the

immune system to allow the patient's own tumor to act as a cancer vaccine," said

Hyung Lae Kim, MD, co-medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program and lead

author of the study. "This approach differs from traditional methods, where the

immune system is stimulated by administering a vaccine. Instead, we administer a combination therapy to allow

immune cells, which are capable of killing tumors, to see tumors that were previously invisible to the immune

system."

When an immune system is working properly, diseased cells are captured and killed. However, cancerous

tumors are formed when the immune system is unable to remove these diseased cells. Using an "mTOR

inhibitor," which regulates cellular metabolism, and a CD4 antibody, which helps to initiate an immune response,

researchers increased the immune system's "memory" and ability to recognize and fight off tumors.

"With our approach, investigators simply combine an mTOR inhibitor and CD4 antibody to create an

immunotherapy treatment, requiring no surgery and a drug with virtually no shelf life," said Robert Figlin, MD,

deputy director of the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute and the Steven Spielberg Family Chair in

Hematology-Oncology. "This broad implication is in contrast to a more traditional vaccine-based approach, which

requires a specialist to surgically remove tumor samples from a patient's body then create a personalized

vaccine approach for one specific patient."

The combination of a CD4 antibody with an mTOR inhibitor may enhance immune memory and eradicate solid

tumors. Additional research is being done to better understand how the drugs work and develop optimal

strategies for applications in patients.

Yanping Wang, MD, project coordinator in the Kim Laboratory at Cedars-Sinai, and Tim Sparwasser, MD, from

the Institute of Infection Immunology at TWINCORE, were involved in the study.

Citation: Cancer Research. 2014 February: Foxp3+ T cells inhibit antitumor immune memory modulated by

mTOR inhibition.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.Note: Materials may be 

edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Y. Wang, T. Sparwasser, R. Figlin, H. L. Kim. Foxp3 T cells inhibit antitumor immune memory modulated by mTOR inhibition. Cancer Research, 2014; DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-2928

Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140312103145.htm

green teeth in neonatal syndrome

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1110461

http://www.nejm.org/image-challenge?ci=02062014

cazuri paraziți

http://info.fujita-hu.ac.jp/~tsutsumi/photo/photo195-4.htm

"Există locuri în care ar trebui să mergem descuți. Locuri sfințite de sângele Jertfei, sânge nevinovat care a udat pavajul acelor străzi și piețe. Ar trebui să ne scoatem încălțările și să pășim cu tălpile goale pe acele pietre, pe acel asfalt, pe care a curs sânge pentru noi, pentru izbăvirea noastră, a tuturor. Ar fi putut fi sângele nostru, al fiecăruia, dar n-a fost, a fost al lor."

Cristiana Tapoi
Caz clinic: sidrom Sjogren

Pacienta in varsta de 43 de ani se prezinta la camera de garda cu pleoapele superioare tumefiate, tumefiere care a evoluat treptat in ultimele luni. Istoricul pacientei arata frecvente tulburari de somn, xerostomie si xeroftalmie in ultimii 3 ani. Examinarea clinica pune in evidenta marirea glandelor lacrimale si a glandelor submandibulare. Testul Schirmer a fost pozitiv ( cuantifica productia de secretii lacrimale – o fasie de hartie de filtru este aplicata tangential la pleoapa inferioara si pastrata in aceasta pozitie timp de 5 minute, dupa care cu o rigla se masoara marimea petei de umezeala; testul e pozitiv pentru o pata mai mica de 5 mm). Efectuarea unui CT a demonstrat marirea glandelor lacrimale si salivare, iar probele serologice au fost pozitive pentru autoanticorpii anti-Ro. Acestea au sustinut punerea diagnosticului de sindrom Sjögren ( se citeste “Shougrin”). Pacienta a fost supusa unui tratament cu prednisolon pentru 5 luni, in urma caruia glandele au revenit la dimensiuni aproape de normal, efecte pozitive fiind prezente si asupra xerostomiei, xeroftalmiei.
Sindromul Sjogren este o boala sistemica autoimuna in care sunt atacate glandele exocrine – lacrimale si salivare. Incidenta este crescuta la femei, in special dupa menopauza. Poate fi intalnit sub forma primara sau secundara, cand aparitia sa este asociata cu artrita reumatoida, lupus eritematos sistemic, sclerodermie, ciroza. Pacientii cu acest sindrom acuza uscaciunea exagerata ( gura uscata, secretie conjunctivala vascoasa) si keratoconjuctivita. Uscaciunea poate aparea si la nivel vaginal, la nivelul tegumentului si al nasului, iar boala poate afecta si rinichii, vasele de sange, plamanii, ficatul, pancreasul, sistemul nervos periferic, dar si creierul.
Diagnosticul de sindrom Sjogren s-a pus atat pe baza semnelor evidentiate, cat si pe baza prezentei anticorpilor antinucleari ( autoanticorpi anti-Ro ), specifici bolilor autoimmune si foarte des intalniti in sindromul Sjogren.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1210527