1,720,995 research outputs found
Monoclonal and Bispecific Anti-BCMA Antibodies in Multiple Myeloma
No full textB-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is universally expressed by normal and neoplastic plasma cells and plays a critical role in the proliferation, survival and tumor progression in multiple myeloma (MM). B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) have been recognized as proliferation ligands for BCMA in the bone marrow microenvironment. Soluble BCMA levels in the serum correlates with disease phase and tumor burden and is a predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Recently, the introduction of new monoclonal antibodies against CD38 (Daratumumab and Isatuximab) and SLAM7 (Elotuzumab) has changed the therapeutic approach to MM, improving the response rate and the time to progression, both in newly diagnosed and refractory/relapsed patients. Among the surface antigens on MM cells, BCMA is a suitable target for the design of new antibody-based strategies. Experimental approaches targeting BCMA are currently being investigated and include antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) and genetically engineered T-cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). In this review we summarize the more recent findings about BCMA biologic rationale as a therapeutic target and report the updated results of preclinical and clinical studies focused on ADCs and bsAbs targeting BCMA
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe 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
Molecular Features of the Mesenchymal and Osteoblastic Cells in Multiple Myeloma
No full textMultiple myeloma (MM) is a monoclonal gammopathy characterized by biological heterogeneity and unregulated proliferation of plasma cells (PCs) in bone marrow (BM). MM is a multistep process based on genomic instability, epigenetic dysregulation and a tight cross-talk with the BM microenvironment that plays a pivotal role supporting the proliferation, survival, drug-resistance and homing of PCs. The BM microenvironment consists of a hematopoietic and a non-hematopoietic compartment, which cooperate to create a tumor environment. Among the non-hematopoietic component, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and osteoblasts (OBs) appear transcriptionally and functionally different in MM patients compared to healthy donors (HDs) and to patients with pre-malignant monoclonal gammopathies. Alterations of both MSCs and OBs underly the osteolytic lesions that characterize myeloma-associated bone disease. In this review, we will discuss the different characteristics of MSCs and OBs in MM patients, analyzing the transcriptome, the deregulated molecular pathways and the role performed by miRNAs and exosome in the pathophysiology of MM
Possible targets to treat myeloma-related osteoclastogenesis
No full textBone destruction is the hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM). About 80% of MM patients at diagnosis presents myeloma bone disease (MBD) leading to bone pain and pathological fractures, significantly affecting patients' quality of life. Bisphosphonates are the treatment of choice for MBD, but osteolytic lesions remain a critical issue in the current management of MM patients. Several studies clarified the mechanisms involved in MM-induced osteoclast formation and activation, leading to the identification of new possible targets and the development of better bone-directed therapies, that are discussed in this review. Areas covered: This review summarizes the latest advances in the knowledge of the pathophysiology of the osteoclast formation and activation induced by MM cells, and the new therapeutic targets identified. Recently, neutralizing antibodies (i.e. denosumab, siltuximab, daratumumab), as well as recombinant fusion proteins, and receptor molecular inhibitors, have been developed to block these targets. Clinical trials testing their anti-MBD potential are ongoing. The emerging role of exosomes and microRNAs in the regulation of osteoclast differentiation has been also discussed. Expert commentary: Although further studies are needed to arrive at a clinical approving, the basis for the development of better bone-directed therapies has been established
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
- …
