The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) exhibits significant variation in auricular surface morphology. This variation influences the mechanics of the SIJ, a central node for transmitting mechanical energy from upper body to lower limbs and vice versa. The impact of the auricular surface morphology on stress and deformation in the SIJ remains poorly understood to date. Computed tomography scans obtained from 281 individuals were included to extract the geometry of the pelvic ring. Then, the auricular surface area, SIJ cartilage thickness, and total SIJ cartilage volume were identified. Based on these reconstructions, 281 finite element models were created to simulate SIJ mechanical loading. It was found that SIJ cartilage thickness only weakly depended on age or laterality, while being strongly sex sensitive. Auricular surface area and SIJ cartilage volume depended weakly and non-linearly on age, peaking around menopause in females, but without significant laterality effect. Larger SIJs, characterized by greater auricular area and cartilage volume, exhibited reduced stress and deformation under loading. These findings highlight the significant role of SIJ morphology in its biomechanical response, suggesting a potential link between morphological variations and the risk of SIJ dysfunction. Understanding this relationship could improve diagnosis and targeted treatment strategies for SIJ-related conditions.
- MeSH
- Finite Element Analysis MeSH
- Biomechanical Phenomena physiology MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Stress, Mechanical MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Tomography, X-Ray Computed * MeSH
- Sacroiliac Joint * anatomy & histology physiology diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
A new group of potent histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) capable of inhibiting cell growth and affecting cell-cycle progression in Tohoku Hospital Pediatrics-1 (THP-1) monocytic leukaemia cells was synthesized. The inhibitors belong to a series of hydroxamic acid derivatives. We designed and synthesized a series of 22 N-hydroxycinnamamide derivatives, out of which 20 are new compounds. These compounds contain various substituted anilides as the surface recognition moiety (SRM), a p-hydroxycinnamate linker, and hydroxamic acids as the zinc-binding group (ZBG). The whole series of synthesized hydroxamic acids inhibited THP-1 cell proliferation. Compounds 7d and 7p, which belong to the category of derivatives with the most potent antiproliferative properties, exert a similar effect on cell-cycle progression as vorinostat and induce apoptosis in THP-1 cells. Furthermore, compounds 7d and 7p were demonstrated to inhibit HDAC class I and II in THP-1 cells with comparable potency to vorinostat and increase acetylation of histones H2a, H2b, H3, and H4. Molecular modelling was used to predict the probable binding mode of the studied HDACis in class I and II histone deacetylases in terms of Zn2+ ion chelation by the hydroxamate group.
- MeSH
- Apoptosis * drug effects MeSH
- Cell Cycle drug effects MeSH
- Histone Deacetylases metabolism MeSH
- Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors * pharmacology chemical synthesis chemistry MeSH
- Hydroxamic Acids * pharmacology chemical synthesis chemistry MeSH
- Coumaric Acids * pharmacology chemistry chemical synthesis MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Molecular Structure MeSH
- Cell Line, Tumor MeSH
- Cell Proliferation drug effects MeSH
- Antineoplastic Agents * pharmacology chemical synthesis chemistry MeSH
- Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor MeSH
- Molecular Docking Simulation MeSH
- THP-1 Cells MeSH
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug MeSH
- Structure-Activity Relationship MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the beliefs about third-hand tobacco smoke (THS) among administrative and academic staff at a university. THS is a residual pollutant from tobacco smoke that lingers on surfaces and poses health risks, particularly to children. The study also aimed to understand these beliefs in relation to socio-demographic factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 332 university employees aged 18 and over. Data were collected between September and December 2023 through face-to-face and online questionnaires. The survey included the Beliefs About Third-hand Smoke (BATHS-T) Scale and questions on socio-demographic characteristics, second-hand smoke exposure, and attitudes towards a smoke-free campus. Beliefs About Third-hand Smoke Scale total and sub-dimension scores increase, it is understood that the participant's belief in the negative effects of third-hand tobacco exposure on persistence and health increases. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 36.1 years, with 38.3% being administrative personnel and 61.7% academic personnel. About 40.5% of the participants used tobacco products. The mean total BATHS-T score was 35.6, with health and persistence subscale scores averaging 19.9 and 15.7, respectively. Non-smokers had significantly higher BATHS-T scores than smokers. The participants with children scored higher on the health sub-dimension. Additionally, 78.9% supported a smoke-free campus, and those supporting it had higher BATHS-T scores. Awareness of the harms of second-hand smoke correlated with higher BATHS-T scores. CONCLUSION: The study highlights that non-smokers and those with children are more aware of THS risks. There is strong support for a smoke-free campus among university staff. The findings suggest a need for increased education on THS, especially targeted at smokers and those without children. Universities can play a crucial role in promoting smoke-free environments and raising awareness about the health risks associated with THS.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Universities MeSH
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice * MeSH
- Tobacco Smoke Pollution * adverse effects statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
BACKGROUND: In the phase 3 ALCYONE study, the addition of daratumumab to bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone (D-VMP) significantly improved outcomes in transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Here, we present results from the final analysis of ALCYONE. METHODS: ALCYONE was an international, multicentre, randomised, open-label, active-controlled, phase 3 trial in adults aged 18 years or older with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who were ineligible for high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation, because of their age (≥65 years) or presence of substantial comorbidities, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2. Patients were enrolled between Feb 9, 2015, and July 14, 2016, and were randomly assigned (1:1) by randomly permuted blocks using an interactive web-based randomisation system to receive bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) alone or D-VMP, with randomisation stratified by International Staging System disease stage, geographical region, and age. Patients received up to nine 6-week cycles of subcutaneous bortezomib (1·3 mg/m2 of body surface area, twice per week on weeks 1, 2, 4, and 5 of cycle 1 and once weekly on weeks 1, 2, 4, and 5 of cycles 2-9), oral melphalan (9 mg/m2, once daily on days 1-4 of each cycle), and oral prednisone (60 mg/m2, once daily on days 1-4 of each cycle). Patients in the D-VMP group also received intravenous daratumumab at a dose of 16 mg/kg once weekly during cycle 1, once every 3 weeks in cycles 2-9, and once every 4 weeks thereafter until disease progression, unacceptably toxicity, or the end of study. The primary endpoint, progression-free survival, has been previously reported. The ALCYONE study has completed; presented here are final analyses for selected secondary endpoints related to overall survival, depth of response, subsequent therapy, and safety. The intention-to-treat population was the primary analysis population (including for overall survival), defined as all patients who were randomly assigned to study treatment. The safety population, consisting of patients who received any dose of study treatment, was used in safety analyses. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02195479. FINDINGS: In total, 706 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive D-VMP (n=350) or VMP (n=356). Baseline characteristics were balanced between the two treatment groups; most participants were female (379 [54%] of 706 patients) and White (601 [85%] of 706 patients). At a median follow-up of 86·7 months (IQR 28·5-85·2), median overall survival was 83·0 months (95% CI 72·5-not estimable) with D-VMP versus 53·6 months (46·3-60·9) with VMP (hazard ratio [HR] 0·65 [95% CI 0·53-0·80]; p<0·0001). The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse events were neutropenia (140 [40%] of 346 patients in the D-VMP group vs 138 [39%] of 354 patients in the VMP group), thrombocytopenia (120 [35%] vs 134 [38%]), and anaemia (63 [18%] vs 70 [20%]). Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in 74 (21%) of 346 patients in the D-VMP group and 56 (16%) of 354 patients in the VMP group. Deaths due to treatment-related adverse events occurred in five (1%) of 346 patients in the D-VMP group (pneumonia, acute myocardial infarction, neuroendocrine tumour, tumour lysis syndrome, and acute respiratory failure) and three (1%) of 354 patients in the VMP group (acute myeloid leukaemia, pulmonary embolism, and bacterial pneumonia). INTERPRETATION: With more than 7 years of follow-up, D-VMP continued to elicit clinical benefits in transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, supporting the efficacy and safety of frontline daratumumab-based therapy in this patient population. FUNDING: Janssen Research & Development.
- MeSH
- Bortezomib administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Progression-Free Survival MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Melphalan administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Multiple Myeloma * drug therapy pathology mortality MeSH
- Antibodies, Monoclonal administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Prednisone administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols * therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase III MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
of the original article, 'Efficacy of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in HER2-Expressing Solid Tumors by Enrollment HER2 IHC Status: Post Hoc Analysis of DESTINY-PanTumor02'. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is an antibody-drug conjugate, which is a chemotherapy with a linker (deruxtecan) joined to an antibody (trastuzumab). Trastuzumab binds to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein on cancer cells, where it releases the chemotherapy to kill these cells. The DESTINY-PanTumor02 clinical study tested the effectiveness of T-DXd for people with various HER2-expressing cancers and the safety of treatment. Previous results from DESTINY-PanTumor02 showed that T-DXd had antitumor activity, and the greatest effects were seen in people with the highest tumor level of HER2 [defined as immunohistochemistry (IHC) 3+]. In this previous analysis, the HER2 expression was measured at a central laboratory. In clinical practice, HER2 expression will likely be measured at a local laboratory, so understanding whether T-DXd has similar effects regardless of how HER2 expression is measured is important. Here, we looked at the effects of T-DXd based on the HER2 test result used to determine a person's eligibility for the study, which could be measured using a local or central laboratory. In people with IHC 3+ tumors (where HER2 was measured at a local or central laboratory), 51% had a decrease in the size or number of tumors, according to established criteria (referred to as an objective response), while, in people with IHC 2+ tumors, 26% had an objective response. Side effects with T-DXd were consistent with previous studies. These results confirm T-DXd has antitumor effects in HER2-expressing cancers where the HER2 expression is measured by a local or central laboratory.
- MeSH
- Immunohistochemistry MeSH
- Immunoconjugates * therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Camptothecin * analogs & derivatives therapeutic use administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neoplasms * drug therapy metabolism pathology MeSH
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological * therapeutic use MeSH
- Receptor, ErbB-2 * metabolism MeSH
- Secondary Data Analysis MeSH
- Trastuzumab * therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Allelic variability in the adaptive immune receptor loci, which harbor the gene segments that encode B cell and T cell receptors (BCR/TCR), is of critical importance for immune responses to pathogens and vaccines. Adaptive immune receptor repertoire sequencing (AIRR-seq) has become widespread in immunology research making it the most readily available source of information about allelic diversity in immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor (TR) loci. Here, we present a novel algorithm for extrasensitive and specific variable (V) and joining (J) gene allele inference, allowing the reconstruction of individual high-quality gene segment libraries. The approach can be applied for inferring allelic variants from peripheral blood lymphocyte BCR and TCR repertoire sequencing data, including hypermutated isotype-switched BCR sequences, thus allowing high-throughput novel allele discovery from a wide variety of existing data sets. The developed algorithm is a part of the MiXCR software. We demonstrate the accuracy of this approach using AIRR-seq paired with long-read genomic sequencing data, comparing it to a widely used algorithm, TIgGER. We applied the algorithm to a large set of IG heavy chain (IGH) AIRR-seq data from 450 donors of ancestrally diverse population groups, and to the largest reported full-length TCR alpha and beta chain (TRA and TRB) AIRR-seq data set, representing 134 individuals. This allowed us to assess the genetic diversity within the IGH, TRA, and TRB loci in different populations and to establish a database of alleles of V and J genes inferred from AIRR-seq data and their population frequencies with free public access through VDJ.online database.
- MeSH
- Alleles * MeSH
- Algorithms * MeSH
- Genetic Variation MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell genetics immunology MeSH
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell genetics immunology MeSH
- Sequence Analysis, DNA methods MeSH
- Software * MeSH
- High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing methods MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Cerebellar atrophy is a characteristic sign of late-onset Tay-Sachs disease (LOTS). Other structural neuroimaging abnormalities are inconsistently reported. Our study aimed to perform a detailed whole-brain analysis and quantitatively characterize morphometric changes in LOTS patients. Fourteen patients (8 M/6F) with LOTS from three centers were included in this retrospective study. For morphometric brain analyses, we used deformation-based morphometry, voxel-based morphometry, surface-based morphometry, and spatially unbiased cerebellar atlas template. The quantitative whole-brain morphometric analysis confirmed the finding of profound pontocerebellar atrophy with most affected cerebellar lobules V and VI in LOTS patients. Additionally, the atrophy of structures mainly involved in motor control, including bilateral ventral and lateral thalamic nuclei, primary motor and sensory cortex, supplementary motor area, and white matter regions containing corticospinal tract, was present. The atrophy of the right amygdala, hippocampus, and regions of occipital, parietal and temporal white matter was also observed in LOTS patients in contrast with controls (p < 0.05, FWE corrected). Patients with dysarthria and those initially presenting with ataxia had more severe cerebellar atrophy. Our results show predominant impairment of cerebellar regions responsible for speech and hand motor function in LOTS patients. Widespread morphological changes of motor cortical and subcortical regions and tracts in white matter indicate abnormalities in central motor circuits likely coresponsible for impaired speech and motor function.
- MeSH
- Atrophy pathology MeSH
- White Matter * diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
- Brain pathology MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Tay-Sachs Disease * pathology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Although dramatically increased survival rates of early diagnosed cases have been observed, late diagnosed patients and metastatic cancer may still be considered fatal. The present study's main focus was on cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) which is an active component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) regulating the breast cancer ecosystem. Transcriptomic profiling and analysis of CAFs isolated from breast cancer skin metastasis, cutaneous basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma unravelled major gene candidates such as IL6, VEGFA and MFGE8 that induced co‐expression of keratins‐8/‐14 in the EM‐G3 cell line derived from infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma. Western blot analysis of selected keratins (keratin‐8, ‐14, ‐18, ‐19) and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition‐associated markers (SLUG, SNAIL, ZEB1, E‐/N‐cadherin, vimentin) revealed specific responses pointing to certain heterogeneity of the studied CAF populations. Experimental in vitro treatment using neutralizing antibodies against IL-6, VEGF‐A and MFGE8 attenuated the modulatory effect of CAFs on EM‐G3 cells. The present study provided novel data in characterizing and understanding the interactions between CAFs and EM‐G3 cells in vitro. CAFs of different origins support the pro‐inflammatory microenvironment and influence the biology of breast cancer cells. This observation potentially holds significant interest for the development of novel, clinically relevant approaches targeting the TME in breast cancer. Furthermore, its implications extend beyond breast cancer and have the potential to impact a wide range of other cancer types.
- MeSH
- Antigens, Surface MeSH
- Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts * metabolism MeSH
- Fibroblasts metabolism MeSH
- Keratins genetics metabolism MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant MeSH
- MCF-7 Cells MeSH
- Milk Proteins genetics metabolism MeSH
- Cell Line, Tumor MeSH
- Tumor Microenvironment genetics MeSH
- Breast Neoplasms * drug therapy genetics metabolism MeSH
- Prognosis MeSH
- Transcriptome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to central neuropathic pain, a condition associated with significant morbidity and is challenging in terms of the clinical management. Despite extensive efforts, identifying effective biomarkers for neuropathic pain remains elusive. Here we propose a novel approach combining matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with artificial neural networks (ANNs) to discriminate between mass spectral profiles associated with chronic neuropathic pain induced by SCI in female mice. Functional evaluations revealed persistent chronic neuropathic pain following mild SCI as well as minor locomotor disruptions, confirming the value of collecting serum samples. Mass spectra analysis revealed distinct profiles between chronic SCI and sham controls. On applying ANNs, 100% success was achieved in distinguishing between the two groups through the intensities of m/z peaks. Additionally, the ANNs also successfully discriminated between chronic and acute SCI phases. When reflexive pain response data was integrated with mass spectra, there was no improvement in the classification. These findings offer insights into neuropathic pain pathophysiology and underscore the potential of MALDI-TOF MS coupled with ANNs as a diagnostic tool for chronic neuropathic pain, potentially guiding attempts to discover biomarkers and develop treatments.
- MeSH
- Biomarkers blood MeSH
- Chronic Pain blood diagnosis etiology MeSH
- Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Neuralgia * blood diagnosis etiology MeSH
- Neural Networks, Computer * MeSH
- Spinal Cord Injuries * complications blood MeSH
- Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization * methods MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Mice MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
PURPOSE: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is a human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-directed antibody-drug conjugate approved in HER2-expressing breast and gastric cancers and HER2-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer. Treatments are limited for other HER2-expressing solid tumors. METHODS: This open-label phase II study evaluated T-DXd (5.4 mg/kg once every 3 weeks) for HER2-expressing (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+/2+ by local or central testing) locally advanced or metastatic disease after ≥1 systemic treatment or without alternative treatments. The primary end point was investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included safety, duration of response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: At primary analysis, 267 patients received treatment across seven tumor cohorts: endometrial, cervical, ovarian, bladder, biliary tract, pancreatic, and other. The median follow-up was 12.75 months. In all patients, the ORR was 37.1% (n = 99; [95% CI, 31.3 to 43.2]), with responses in all cohorts; the median DOR was 11.3 months (95% CI, 9.6 to 17.8); the median PFS was 6.9 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 8.0); and the median OS was 13.4 months (95% CI, 11.9 to 15.5). In patients with central HER2 IHC 3+ expression (n = 75), the ORR was 61.3% (95% CI, 49.4 to 72.4), the median DOR was 22.1 months (95% CI, 9.6 to not reached), the median PFS was 11.9 months (95% CI, 8.2 to 13.0), and the median OS was 21.1 months (95% CI, 15.3 to 29.6). Grade ≥3 drug-related adverse events were observed in 40.8% of patients; 10.5% experienced adjudicated drug-related interstitial lung disease (ILD), with three deaths. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates durable clinical benefit, meaningful survival outcomes, and safety consistent with the known profile (including ILD) in pretreated patients with HER2-expressing tumors receiving T-DXd. Greatest benefit was observed for the IHC 3+ population. These data support the potential role of T-DXd as a tumor-agnostic therapy for patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors.
- MeSH
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized adverse effects MeSH
- Immunoconjugates * adverse effects MeSH
- Lung Diseases, Interstitial * chemically induced drug therapy MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Lung Neoplasms * drug therapy MeSH
- Breast Neoplasms * drug therapy MeSH
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung * drug therapy MeSH
- Receptor, ErbB-2 metabolism MeSH
- Trastuzumab adverse effects MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase II MeSH