1,721,055 research outputs found
Retrospective Medical Record Research: Reflections of A Unsponsored Researcher
Get PDFThis article is a reflective narrative by the author following the successful completion of a doctoral thesis involving the analysis of primary care data. The aim of the study was to identify patterns in signs and symptoms preceding a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Here, we discuss the challenges of conducting research using the patient medical health records as a non-sponsored researcher. The narrative explores the experiences of undertaking practice recruitment, issues that arose around access to data and the requirement for stakeholder commitment, with proposals for other similar projects that attempt to undertake research using patients’ data. The Gibbs reflective cycle was adopted in this narrative. This model encourages a clear description of events, analysis of personal feelings, evaluation of the experience, conclusions as to the options that were considered and actions to take if faced with the same study methods (involving primary care practitioners and/or the review of patient records). It also allows a structured reflection while simultaneously discussing the barriers and facilitators to undertaking a retrospective medical record research. The researcher also proposes some recommendation(s) to overcoming barriers to recruitment in primary care
SSX2IP: an emerging role in cancer
No full textWe describe the emerging role of Synovial Sarcoma X breakpoint 2 Interacting Protein (SSX2IP) in cancer and its still largely unknown function in human cells. In rodents, SSX2IP has been shown to play a role in adherens junctions and cell adhesion, while in chickens SSX2IP was identified by virtue of its regulation by the light cycle and circadian rhythms. In humans, SSX2IP was identified through its interaction with the cancer-testis gene SSX2. However SSX2IP is expressed in a range of normal and fetal tissues unlike SSX2. SSX2IP containing constructs indicated that SSX2IP could be expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of transfected human cells, however, SSX2IP expression has been subsequently shown to peak on the surface of myeloid leukaemia cells during mitosis. Here we discuss the current knowledge of SSX2IP function in several species and the growing evidence that SSX2IP may be a suitable target for leukaemia immunotherap
CD66a (CEACAM1) is the only CD66 variant expressed on the surface of plasma cells in multiple myeloma: a refined target for radiotherapy trials?
No full textComparison of the survival implications of tumour-associated versus cancer-testis antigen expression in acute myeloid leukaemia.
No full textWe show that elevated levels of MGEA6 may be suggestive of improved survival for a subset of patients. In addition, we have shown, by RQ-PCR, that a distinct population of AML patients expressed elevated levels of the leukaemia-associated antigens G250 and/or PRAME and, by microarray, that the levels of expression of the AML TAAs described here were significantly different between patients and normal donors. The new data presented here and that of Greiner et al (2006) suggest that G250, PRAME and MGEA6 may act as biomarkers of good survival for a distinct population of AML patients. Better definition of the relevance of these 'distinctly high' TAA expressing patients may aid the future use of these markers in prognosis and MR
Role of 4-1BB:4-1BBL in cancer immunotherapy
No full textThe activation of T cells plays a central role in antitumor immunity. In order to activate naïve T cells, two key signals are required. Signal one is provided through the T-cell receptor (TCR) while signal two is that of costimulation. The CD28:B7 molecules are one of the best-studied costimulatory pathways, thought to be the main mechanism through which primary T-cell stimulation occurs. However, a number of molecules have been identified which serve to amplify and diversify the T-cell response, following initial T-cell activation. These include the more recently described 4-1BB:4-1BB ligand (4-1BBL) molecules. 4-1BB:4-1BBL are a member of the TNFR:TNF ligand family, which are expressed on T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs), respectively. Therapies utilizing the 4-1BB:4-1BBL signaling pathway have been shown to have antitumor effects in a number of model systems. In this paper, we focus on the 4-1BB:4-1BBL costimulatory molecules. In particular, we will describe the structure and function of the 4-1BB molecule, its receptor and how 4-1BB:4-1BBL costimulation has and may be used for the immunotherapy of cance
Leukemia-associated antigens are critical for the proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia cells
No full textAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults. With intensive induction therapy, most patients younger than 60 years achieve complete remission. However, even if these younger patients were treated intensively, more than 50% will relapse. Clinical results of patients older than 60 years are more unfavorable. Therefore, in all patients with AML, the overall survival is still low. In the past decade, several leukemia-associated antigens (LAA) have been identified in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. BAGE, BCL-2, OFA-iLRP, FLT3-ITD, G250, hTERT, PRAME, proteinase 3, RHAMM, survivin, and WT-1 are all LAAs that have been shown to induce CD8+ T-cell recognition and for some antigens also humoral immune responses. Interestingly, most of these LAAs are linked to cell cycle or proliferation. This article discusses the balance between LAA-driven leukemia cell expansion and the elimination of these cells through attacks on LAAs by the immune system. Current knowledge of the function and CD8+ T-cell recognition of LAAs is reviewed and an outlook is given on how to improve T-cell responses to LAAs in acute myeloid leukemia cell
Immunotherapy of myeloid leukaemias
No full textThe treatment of myeloid leukaemia has progressed in recent years with the advent of donor leukocyte infusions (DLI), haemopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCTs) and targeted therapies. However, relapse has a high associated morbidity rate and a method for removing diseased cells in first remission, when a minimal residual disease state is achieved and tumour load is low, has the potential to extend remission times and prevent relapse especially when used in combination with conventional treatments. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are heterogeneous diseases which lack one common molecular target while chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients have experienced prolonged remissions through the use of targeted therapies which remove BCR-ABL(+) cells effectively in early chronic phase. However, escape mutants have arisen and this therapy has little effectivity in the late chronic phase. Here we review the immune therapies which are close to or in clinical trials for the myeloid leukaemias and describe their potential advantages and disadvantage
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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