1,721,036 research outputs found
Transparency in Negotiation of European Union With Big Pharma on COVID-19 Vaccines
Full text linkImmunization through vaccination represents one of the most cost-effective public health interventions and the main tool for primary prevention of communicable diseases. Vaccination programs and vaccine prices, however, vary considerably among and within countries in the European Union (EU), because of the differences in the way healthcare systems are organized at the national or regional levels. These differences may lead to a new threat represented by the so-called “vaccine nationalism” that keep negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry behind the closed doors of each single nation, thus undermining global efforts to ensure fair access to vaccines for everyone (1). The severity of the recent COVID-19 pandemic is urging a major change in our capabilities to respond in the most appropriate and coordinated manner to the emergency situation. Transparency about the different roles of all stakeholders, either public or private, of vaccine manufacturers, and of health authorities and, most importantly, transparency in negotiations regarding vaccine price, could help avoid misconceptions, thus strengthening the collaboration required to protect against the pandemic
Anticorpi monoclonali anti-galectina-3 marcati per visualizzazione e radio ablazione in vivo di tumori galectina-3 positivi
No full textPredictive biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy: The Galectin-3 signature in NSCLCs
Full text linkCheckpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy is opening a promising scenario in oncology, with objective responses registered in multiple cancer types. However, reliable predictive markers of tumor responsiveness are still lacking. These markers need to be urgently identified for a better selection of patients that can be candidates for immunotherapy. In this pilot study, a cohort of 34 consecutive patients bearing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), treated with pembrolizumab, was considered. The retrospective immuno-phenotypic analysis performed on the original tumor biopsies allowed for the identification of a specific “galectin signature”, which strongly correlated with tumor responsiveness to anti PD-1 immunotherapy. We observed that the large majority of patients (about 90%) with high galectin-3 tumor expression (score 3+) showed an early and dramatic progression of the disease after three cycles of treatments. In contrast, all patients with negative or low/intermediate expression of galectin-3 in tumor cells showed an early and durable objective response to pembrolizumab, indicating galectin-3 as an interesting predictive marker of tumor responsiveness. The galectin-3 signature, at least in NSCLCs, promises a better selection of patient candidates for immunotherapy, reducing unnecessary treatment exposures and social costs. A large multicenter study is ongoing to validate this finding
Diffuse follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report with a revision of literature
No full textThe diffuse follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (DFV-PTC) is a rare malignant thyroid condition. It represents an uncommon variant of papillary carcinoma characterized by a diffuse involvement of thyroid parenchyma, follicular architecture and nuclear features of PTC in absence of a surrounding capsule. Up to date few data have been collected about this entity and, at the best of our knowledge, only 24 cases have been reported in the literature. According to these reports DFV-PTC seems to occur preferentially in young women and shows more aggressive behavior than other papillary thyroid tumors. Herein we present an unusual case of DFV-PTC occurring in an 83 years old woman, involving the entire thyroid gland, without distinct or prevalent thyroid nodules. The tumor was clinically misdiagnosed as obstructive goiter
A primary cutaneous adenoid-cystic carcinoma in a young woman
No full textPrimary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma (PCACC) is a rare slow-growing neoplasm of disputed histogenesis characterized by a cribriform pattern at histology and local aggressive behaviour. Up to date about 60 cases of PCACC have been reported in the literature. This tumour is most common in the scalp, affects middle-aged and older individuals (mean age 59) and has predilection for women. We describe an unexpected case of PCACC in a 32-years-old woman referred to our clinic for a subcutaneous nodule in the scalp showing a slow growth and indolent course. The differential diagnosis and the clinical management of this PCACC patient, successfully treated with a wide local excision, are presented and discussed
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