Malcolm McGregor, 5, who is fighting cancer, returns home to hero’s welcome – Wisconsin Rapids Tribune

Malcolm McGregor, 5, has been receiving treatment in Madison for neuroblastoma and returned home Sunday for the first time in four months. 24/7 Wall Street

GRAND RAPIDS Malcolm McGregor returned home to a heros welcome Sunday.

Family and friends erupted into cheers as the 5-year-old boy pulled into his driveway for the first time in four months.The McGregor family was escorted through Kellner and back to their Grand Rapids home by emergency vehicles from the Grand Rapids Police Department, Grand Rapids Fire Department, Wood County Sheriffs Department, Wood County Sheriff's Rescue, United Ambulance and others.

Groups of well-wishers also gathered along 80th Street in Kellner to welcome him home.

Malcolm, who has been battling stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma since Dec. 24, 2018, spent the past four months at American Family Children's Hospitaland the Ronald McDonald House in Madison after receiving his second stem cell transplant in early October. The stay was initially expected to last only four weeks, but fevers, high blood pressure, infections and other life-threatening complications extended his stay.

RELATED:4-year-old Wisconsin Rapids boy fights cancer; family asks for cards and letters

RELATED:Wisconsin Rapids' 2019 People of the Year

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His parents, Jon and Tracy McGregor, have provided near-daily updates on Malcolms health struggles and victories during the stay on the Facebook group Malcolms MARVELous SUPER HERO cancer fighters, and on Saturday morningthey shared the happy news.

Four months Malcolm has been here. He missed four holidays. He almost died. Just thinking of writing this post has me all kinds of emotional but here we go. MALCOLM IS GOING HOME! Tracy McGregor wrote.

The McGregor family first shared Malcolms story with a Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune reporter in January 2019 when they asked people to send superhero-, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- and PAW Patrol-inspired cards and letters to the boy as he fought cancer.

Soon, packages started arriving from across the United States and countries around the world.

I cannot begin to describe what its been like getting all these cards and packages, Tracy McGregor shared last year on Facebook. Malcolm loves going to the post office to pick them up! Thank you everyone!

That support has continued throughout Malcolms ongoing treatment. Community members have contributed over $12,000 to the familys GoFundMe account, donated items to the familys Amazon Wishlist and provided meals through Meal Train.

Hundreds of people also organized, volunteered at, donated to and attended the Malcolms Marvelous Superhero Cancer Crusade fundraiser in September at Wildhorse Saloon. The event included music, childrens activities, food and basket raffles.

Malcolm McGregor, 5, his family and members of local law enforcement organizations pose for a photo after Malcolm returned to his Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, home on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020. He has been receiving treatment in Madison for stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma for the past four months and returned home for the first time Sunday.(Photo: Jamie Rokus/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

In November, two members of the Wood County Sheriffs Rescue traveled to Madison to deliver Christmas cheer and gifts to Malcolm. And many local small-business owners and individuals have held fundraisers during the past year for the family, too.

Malcolm still will have to return to Madison monthly for immunotheraphy treatment through June and by mid-summer Malcolm will be done with treatment, Tracy McGregor wrote on Facebook.

People who wish to support the family can find needed items on their Amazon Wishlist or donate money through PayPal or GoFundMe.

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Malcolm McGregor, 5, who is fighting cancer, returns home to hero's welcome - Wisconsin Rapids Tribune

Patient in Japan 1st to have iPS cell heart muscle transplant : The Asahi Shimbun – Asahi Shimbun

A patient who received the worlds first transplant of cardiac muscle cells using artificially derived stem cells known as iPS cells this month is in stable condition, an Osaka University team said Jan. 27.

After surgery, doctors closely monitored the patient, who had ischemic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which clotted arteries cause heart muscles to malfunction. But the patient has been moved toa general hospital ward, the team said.

Yoshiki Sawa, a professor of cardiovascular surgery at the university, who led the team that conducted the transplant, said the team aims to put the technique into practical use.

Sawa said the team hopestransplants of heart muscle tissues derived from induced pluripotent stem cellswill be used to save many patients who have heart conditions.

In the clinical trial, three sheets of heart muscle tissues made from iPS cells stocked at Kyoto Universitys Center for iPS Cell Research and Application were attached to affected parts of the patients heart. The iPS cells were created from tissues provided by a healthy donor.

The sheets were 4 to 5 centimeters in diameter and 0.1 millimeter thick.

The transplant's goal is to regenerate cardiac blood vessels using a substance secreted by the sheets of muscle cells. The sheets are degradable and disappear from the body several months after they secrete the substance, according to the team.

The university plans to perform similar transplants on nine other patients who have serious heart problems.

The Osaka University team had planned to conduct the clinical trial of the transplant earlier after the government approved the plan in May 2018.

But it was postponed due to damage from a powerful earthquake that hit Osaka Prefecture the following month that rendered its facility to cultivate cells unusable.

The trial is part of the process toward the future distribution of medical products using cells.

Osaka Universitys announcement of the successful transplant of tissues created from iPS cells marked the fourth such transplantation.

Including Osaka University's trial, Japanese surgeons have now successfully transplanted tissues created from iPS cells four times.

The world's first transplant of iPS-derived cells was conducted in 2014 whenthe Riken research institute transplanted retina cells for a patient with age-related macular degeneration.

In 2018, Kyoto University transplanted nerve cells for a Parkinson disease patient. Osaka University transplanted cornea cells into a patient with a disease of the cornea in 2019.

Patients who undergo transplants using iPS-derived cell must accept the risk that the cells may become cancerous.

The moreiPS-derived cells a patient receives, the higher their risk.

Hundreds of thousands of retina cells were used in the 2014 retina transplant. In the 2018 and 2019 transplants, the number of nerve and cornea cells used soared to between 5 million to 6 million.

Osaka University's latest transplant utilized roughly 100 milliontissues made from iPS cells.

Sawa acknowledged the transplanted heart muscle tissues could turn cancerous, but said the teamhas made great efforts to remove potentially cancerous cells.

Hideyuki Okano, professor of molecular neurobiology at Keio University, who is researching the application of iPS-derived nerve cells to treat patients with spinal cord damage, said the risk was worth it.

Okano said the Osaka University's transplant, using tissues made from iPS cells from a donor, could be more effective than the existing therapy, which uses the patients own muscle tissues.

I understand that the transplanted tissues might become cancerous or cause an erratic heart rhythm, but the transplantation of the iPS-derived heart muscle tissues can be more effective than muscle tissue sheets made from the patients leg, Okano said.

Keio University is also planning to conduct clinical research using iPS-derived cells to regenerate heart tissues.

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Patient in Japan 1st to have iPS cell heart muscle transplant : The Asahi Shimbun - Asahi Shimbun

"The results amazed both the doctors and ourselves" – first patient to receive pioneering cancer treatment at MRI – Manchester Evening News

A year ago Janice Baker's future seemed bleak.

A second bout of chemotherapy in February 2019 had failed to erase her cancer.

She was so weak she could not walk.

Janice, from Romiley in Stockport, had been diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma a type of cancer of the blood and lymph glands in April 2018 after feeling unwell for several months.

But now, she has the vim and energy to look after her grandchild after a remarkable response to a pioneering treatment.

CAR-T cell therapy helps to genetically reprogramme a person's immune system to help them fight cancer.

Janice was the first patient to undergo the therapy at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI).

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) was named as one of a very small number of centres in the UK to offer the revolutionary new treatment, widely regarded as the most exciting cancer treatment development in decades, in 2018.

Janice underwent two separate bouts of chemotherapy in August 2018 and February 2019, which didnt manage to successfully treat the cancer.

It was then she was offered CAR-T therapy.

Janice, who was diagnosed with the cancer in the same week her husband Chris was diagnosed with prostate cancer, said; Over the last 18 months my health was very up and down. At my worst I could barely get out of bed. I had to use a wheelchair, lost a lot of weight and hardly left the house, except for hospital appointments.

When I heard I was eligible for CAR-T cell treatment I was thrilled as I had read up about the amazing results and it felt like a real lifeline. My chemotherapy had limited success which was unfortunate but did mean that I was a bit stronger to face the CAR-T treatment.

The treatment itself was actually quite straightforward. The removal and replacement of cells is not that intrusive, and the wonderful staff were very attentive and kept a very close eye on me. There can be a few side effects but, fortunately, I had very few problems and the after effects were quite minimal.

Janice had the CAR-T treatment in May 2019 and was an inpatient for a couple of weeks at the MRI before returning home.

CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy is a personalised medicine used to treat patients with certain types of leukaemia and lymphoma.

It is a highly complex new type of immunotherapy which involves collecting and using the patients own immune cells to target their cancer in a process which is completed over a number of weeks.

Janice added; After two weeks I was feeling encouraged that everything was going well. I was still quite poorly and it has been a long slog but I have slowly been building up my strength.

I had a scan in August, which we hoped would show a significant decline in the cancer, but the results amazed both the doctors and ourselves, as it showed that the cancer cells seem to have gone completely.

Things are now getting back to normal. I have been on holiday, am back to driving my car and, best of all, I have the energy to look after my Grandson. I really feel like I have the opportunity to start planning for the future again.

I had another PET scan in November 2019, which was also clear, so I am feeling really optimistic now.

Dr Eleni Tholouli, Consultant Haematologist and Director of the Adult Stem Cell Transplant and CAR-T Therapy Unit at Manchester Royal Infirmary, and who has been involved in Janices care throughout, said: We are delighted for Janice and her family that she has responded so well to CAR-T therapy. This is a ground-breaking new treatment for adult cancer patients at the MRI which uses the patients own immune cells, allowing us to create a powerful medicine tailored to an individuals needs.

So to see Janice have these incredible results in such a short space of time is really encouraging. This reassures us that we have to continue all the hard work and make this therapy available to more patients.

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"The results amazed both the doctors and ourselves" - first patient to receive pioneering cancer treatment at MRI - Manchester Evening News

Snake venom can now be made in a lab and that could save many lives – WPMT FOX 43

If youre unlucky enough to have a poisonous snake sink its fangs into you, your best hope is an antivenom, which has been made in the same way since Victorian times.

It involves milking snake venom by hand and injecting it into horses or other animals in small doses to evoke an immune response. The animals blood is drawn and purified to obtain antibodies that act against the venom.

Producing antivenom in this way can get messy, not to mention dangerous. The process is error prone, laborious and the finished serum can result in serious side effects.

Experts have long called for better ways to treat snake bites, which kill some 200 people a day.

Now finally scientists are applying stem cell research and genome mappingto this long-ignored field of research. They hope it will bring antivenom production into the 21st Century and ultimately save thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives each year.

Researchers in the Netherlandshave created venom-producing glands from the Cape Coral Snake and eight other snake species in the lab, using stem cells. The toxins produced by the miniature 3-D replicas of snake glands are all but identical to the snakes venom, the team announced Thursday.

In a parallel breakthrough, scientists in India have sequenced the genome of the Indian cobra,one of the countrys big four snakes that are responsible for most of the50,000 snakebite deaths India sees a year.

Theyve really moved the game on, said Nick Cammack, head of the snakebite team at UK medical research charity Wellcome. These are massive developments because its bringing 2020 science into a field thats been neglected.

Hans Clevers, the principal investigator at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research in Utrecht, never expected to be using his lab to make snake venom.

A decade ago,he invented the technique to make human organoids miniature organs made from the stem cells of individual patients. Theyve allowed doctors to test the specific effects of drugs safely outside the body, something that has revolutionized and personalized areas such as cancer treatment.

So why did he decide to culture a snake venom gland?

Clevers said it was essentially a whim of three PhD students working in his lab whod grown bored of reproducing mouse and human kidneys, livers and guts. I think they sat down and asked themselves what is the most iconic animal we can culture? Not human or mouse. They said its got to be the snake. The snake venom gland.

They assumed that snakes would have stem cells the same way mice and humans have stems cells but nobody had ever investigated this, said Clevers.

After sourcing some fertilized snake eggs from a dealer, the researchers found they were able to take a tiny chunk ofsnake tissue,containing stem cells, and nurture it in a dish with the same growth factor they used for human organoids albeit at a lower temperature to createthe venom glands. And they found that these snake organoids tiny balls just one millimeter wide produced the same toxins as the snake venom.

Open them up and you have a lot of venom. As far as we can tell, its identical. Weve compared it directly to the venom from the same species of snake and we find the exact same components, said Clevers, who was an author of the paper that published in thejournal Celllast week.

The team compared their lab-made venom with the real thing at the genetic level and in terms of function, finding that muscle cells stopped firing when exposed to their synthetic venom.

The current antivenoms available to us, produced in horses not humans, trigger relatively high rates of adverse reactions, which can be mild, like rash and itch, or more serious, like anaphylaxis. Its also expensive stuff. Wellcome estimate that one vial of antivenom costs $160, and a full course usually requires multiple vials.

Even if the people who need it can afford it most snakebite victims live in rural Asia and Africa the world has less than half of the antivenom stock it needs, according to Wellcome.Plus antivenoms have been developed for only around 60% of the worlds venomous snakes.

In this context, the new research could have far-reaching consequences, allowing scientists to create a biobank of snake gland organoids from the 600 or so venomous snake species that could be used to produce limitless amounts of snake venom in a lab, said Clevers.

The next step is to take all that knowledge and start investigating new antivenoms that take a more molecular approach, said Clevers.

To create an antivenom, genetic information and organoid technology could be used to make the specific venom components that cause the most harm and from them produce monoclonal antibodies, which mimic the bodys immune system, to fight the venom, a method already used in immunotherapy treatments for cancer and other diseases.

Its a great new way to work with venom in terms of developing new treatments and developing antivenom. Snakes are very difficult to look after, Cammack said, who was not involved with the research.

Clevers said his lab now plans to make venom gland organoids from the worlds 50 most venomous animals and they will share this biobank with researchers worldwide. At the moment, Clevers said they are able to produce the organoids at a rate of one a week.

But producing antivenomis not an area that pharmaceutical companies have traditionally been keen to invest in,Clevers said

Campaigners often describe snakebites as a hidden health crisis, with snakebites killing more people than prostrate cancer and choleraworldwide, Cammack said.

Theres no money in the countries that suffer. Dont underestimate how many people die. Sharks kill about 20 per year. Snakes kill 100,000 or 150,000, said Clevers.

Im a cancer researcher essentially and I am appalled by the difference in investment in cancer research and this research.

One challenge to making synthetic antivenom is the sheer complexity of how a snake disables its prey. Its venom contains several different components that have different effects.

Researchers in India have sequenced the genome of the Indian Cobra, in an attempt to decode the venom.

Published in thejournal Nature Geneticsearlier this month,its the most complete snake genome assembled and contains the genetic recipe for the snake venom, establishing the link between the snakes toxins and the genes that encode them. Its not a straightforward cocktail the team identified 19 genes out of 139 toxin genes as the ones responsible for causing harm in humans.

Its the first time a very medically important snake has been mapped in such detail, said Somasekar Seshagiri, president of SciGenom Research Foundation, a nonprofit research center in India.

It creates the blueprint of the snake and helps us get the information from the venom glands. Next, his team will map the genomes of the saw-scaled viper, the common krait and the Russells viper the rest of Indias big four.This could help make antivenom from the glands as it will be easier to identify the right proteins.

In tandem, both breakthroughs will also make it easier to discover whether some of the potent molecules contained in snake venom are themselves worth prospecting as drugs allowing snakes to make their mark on human health in a different way to how nature intended by saving lives.

Snake venom has been used to make drugsthat treat hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure) and heart conditions such as angina.

As well as being scary, venom is amazingly useful, Seshagari said.

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Snake venom can now be made in a lab and that could save many lives - WPMT FOX 43

Lochaber cyclist pledges to cycle from London to Paris in aid of charity – Press and Journal

When David Wilsons spine snapped, leading to a cancer diagnosis, there were fears he would be left paralysed.

But the cyclist and mountaineer had his back rebuilt and went through gruelling chemotherapy and now, just a year later, he is planning a very physical challenge to raise funds for charity,

The Fort William man, who is 60, has journeyed across the globe to the far reaches of the Himalayas, Greenland, Norway and New Zealand. And now he is cycling from London to Paris.

In the summer of 2018, he was cycling the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail a 3,083-mile off-road ride from Canada to Mexico when his back began to hurt.

He cut the trip short, putting his injury down to old age and wear and tear.

And in February last year his spine suddenly snapped due to a form of blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma.

Following his devastating diagnosis, Mr Wilson owner of the Limetree Hotel, restaurant and art gallery in Fort William was transferred to hospital in Glasgow where he underwent surgery to rebuild his spine.

He explained: I was taken from the Belford Hospital to Inverness, then transferred from Inverness to Glasgow to the surgeons there and they were able to rebuild my spine by putting in a scaffolding in my back with titanium and screws. That stage was touch and go on whether I would be paraplegic now and being an outdoors geezer I was pretty fed up about that.

Following a successful surgery, the visual artist began to slowly walk again before enduring a rigorous six month cycle of chemotherapy to attack the disease.

On September 20, he then received a stem cell transplant, giving him a new lease of life.

The father-of-two said: I had a very adventurous life.

I have been in situations where death has been very close to me, people have been killed right next to me but I have always felt there was a way in those situations that you could get out of them but with cancer like this particular cancer there is no escape. Youre in the hands of the disease and you have to take your chances when you get them.

Now in remission, Mr Wilson is aiming to defy the odds by cycling 500km from London to Paris in September, arriving in Paris exactly a year following his stem cell treatment.

He has now launched a Just Giving page in the hopes of raising 1,500 for Myeloma UK towards finding a cure for the crippling disease.

Multiple myeloma, also known simply as Myeloma, is a form of blood cancer arising from plasma cells causing problems to various areas of the body such as the spine, skill, pelvis and ribs.

It develops in abnormal plasma cells, which release a large amount of a single type of antibody known as paraprotein which has no useful function.

Myeloma affects where bone marrow is normally active in an adult, such as in the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, the rib cage, long bones of the arms and legs and the areas around the shoulders and hips.

Each year in the UK, approximately 5,700 people are diagnosed with myeloma.

Myeloma mainly affects those over the age of 65, however it has been diagnosed in people much younger.

In the early stages of developing the disease, patients rarely experience side effects and is only diagnosed through routine blood or urine tests.

As the disease progresses, the cancer can cause a range of problems including aches and tender areas in your bones, causes bones to break and fracture easily, kidney problems and repeated infections.

Patients can also become lethargic, weak and short of breath caused as a result of anaemia.

In most diagnosed cases of myeloma it cannot be cured, however, treatment can be given to control the condition and minimise its effects for several years.

Treatment includes anti-myeloma medicines to destroy the cancer cells or control the cancer if patients suffer a relapse as well as a range of medicines to prevent or treat side effects of myeloma.

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Lochaber cyclist pledges to cycle from London to Paris in aid of charity - Press and Journal

Emerging Roles of Cancer Stem Cells in Bladder Cancer Progression, Tumorigenesis, and Resistance to Chemotherapy: A Potential Therapeutic Target for…

Bladder cancer (BC) is a complex and highly heterogeneous stem cell disease associated with high morbidity and mortality rates if it is not treated properly. Early diagnosis with personalized therapy and regular follow-up are the keys to a successful outcome. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the leading power behind tumor growth, with the ability of self-renewal, metastasis, and resistance to conventional chemotherapy. The fast-developing CSC field with robust genome-wide screening methods has found a platform for establishing more reliable therapies to target tumor-initiating cell populations. However, the high heterogeneity of the CSCs in BC disease remains a large issue. Therefore, in the present review, we discuss the various types of bladder CSC heterogeneity, important regulatory pathways, roles in tumor progression and tumorigenesis, and the experimental culture models. Finally, we describe the current stem cell-based therapies for BC disease.

Cells. 2020 Jan 17*** epublish ***

Amira Abugomaa, Mohamed Elbadawy, Hideyuki Yamawaki, Tatsuya Usui, Kazuaki Sasaki

Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan., Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31963556

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Emerging Roles of Cancer Stem Cells in Bladder Cancer Progression, Tumorigenesis, and Resistance to Chemotherapy: A Potential Therapeutic Target for...

Spinal injury researchers find a sweet spot for stem cell injections – New Atlas

As they do in many areas of medicine, stem cells hold great potential in treating injured spinal cords, but getting them where they need to go is a delicate undertaking. Scientists at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) are now reporting a breakthrough in this area, demonstrating a new injection technique in mice they say can deliver far larger doses of stem cells and avoid some of the dangers of current approaches.

The research focuses on the use of a type of stem cell known as a neural precursor cell, which can differentiate into different types of neural cells and hold great potential in repairing damaged spines. Currently, these are directly injected into the primary cord of nerve fibers called the spinal parenchyma.

As such, there is an inherent risk of (further) spinal tissue injury or intraparechymal bleeding, says Martin Marsala, professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UCSD School of Medicine.

In experiments on rodents, Marsala and his team have demonstrated a safer and less invasive approach. The scientists instead injected the stem cells in between a protective layer around the spine called the pial membrane and the superficial layers of the spinal cord, a region known as the spinal subpial space.

This injection technique allows the delivery of high cell numbers from a single injection, says Marsala. Cells with proliferative properties, such as glial progenitors, then migrate into the spinal parenchyma and populate over time in multiple spinal segments as well as the brain stem. Injected cells acquire the functional properties consistent with surrounding host cells.

Following these promising early results, the scientists are hopeful that stem cells injected in this way could one day greatly accelerate healing and improve the strength of cell-replacement therapies for several spinal neurodegenerative disorders, including spinal traumatic injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. But first will come experiments on larger animal models closer to the human anatomy in size, which will help them fine tune their technique for the best results.

The goal is to define the optimal cell dosing and timing of cell delivery after spinal injury, which is associated with the best treatment effect, says Marsala.

The research was published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

Source: University of California San Diego

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Spinal injury researchers find a sweet spot for stem cell injections - New Atlas

Younger Age, Consolidation Therapy With Autologous SCT Associated With Improved OS in Patients With Primary CNS Lymphoma – Oncology Nurse Advisor

Resultsof a large population-based study of patients with primary CNS lymphoma diagnosedbetween 2011 and 2016 showed a higher proportion of patients 60 years and oldercompared with reports from studies conducted 1 to 2 decades earlier. The findings from this study were published inNeurology.

PrimaryCNS lymphoma is a rare, aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that caninvolve the brain, spine, leptomeninges, and eyes. It is characterized by theabsence of systemic disease, and a poor prognosis.

Anumber of advances in the treatment of patients with this disease have beenmade over the past 3 decades. These have included replacement of conventional whole-brainradiotherapy (WBRT) alone with combined modality therapy including high-dosemethotrexate-based chemotherapy followed by WBRT consolidation, which was shownto prolong time to recurrence in these patients. Alternatively, the use of first-line,high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) consolidationis an approach designed to circumvent WBRT-associated toxicity.

Inaddition, studies of the safety and efficacy of combining first-line high-dosemethotrexate with other drugs, such as high-dose cytarabine or rituximab, haveshown promising results, although concerns related to toxicity, particularly inolder patients, remain with some of these approaches.

Thisretrospective study included patient-, disease-, and treatment-related data forall adult, HIV-negative patients with primary CNS lymphoma diagnosed between2011 and 2016 who were included in the French oculo-cerebral lymphoma network,a prospective, nationwide database.

Ofthe 1002 patients included in this analysis, the median patient age was 68years (range, 18-91 years), and the median Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) was60. Patients at least 60 years old and at least 70 years old comprised 72% and43% of the study population, respectively.

Thesedata are in line with epidemiologic studies reporting a continuouslyincreasing rate in the elderly over the last decades, the study authorscommented.

Morethan 90% of patients were treated with high-dose methotrexate chemotherapy,including more than 80% of patients aged 80 years or older, although the dosewas more likely to be lower in the latter population.

Consolidationtherapy with WBRT or ASCT was received by 15% and 6% of patients, respectively,although the majority of these patients were younger than 60, with only 11% ofpatients aged 60 years or older receiving consolidation therapy.

Theobjective response rate (ORR) to first-line treatment was significantly higherin younger patients compared with older patients (73% vs 54%; P <.001), and ORRs for the overallpopulation and the population treated with consolidation therapy were 59% and92%, respectively.

Ata median follow-up of 44.4 months, the median overall survival (OS) for theoverall population was 25.3 months. Although the rates of 1-, 2-, and 5-year OSfor the overall population were 62%, 51%, and 38%, the 5-year OS rate for thosetreated with first-line high-dose chemotherapy followed by ASCT was 76%.

One-quarterof patients included in the study died within 6 months of primary CNS lymphomadiagnosis, and these patients were more likely to be older (P <.001) and to have a worse KPS atdiagnosis (P <.001). Cause ofdeath in this group was determined to be multifactorial in 44% of cases, andincluded impaired neurologic status due to lymphoma, complications (eg,infections), and/or treatment-related side effects.

MedianOS in patients 60 years or older at diagnosis of primary CNS lymphoma was 15.4months compared with 28.4 months in those younger than 60 years (P <.001).

Onmultivariate analysis, prognostic factors associated with longer OS includedage younger than 60 years (P <.001),KPS of 70 or higher at diagnosis (P<.001), female sex (P =.03), andresponse to first-line induction chemotherapy (P <.001).

Thefinding that age represents not only the strongest prognostic factor of thedisease, but also a major risk factor for severe treatment-relatedneurotoxicity, prompted the study authors to conclude that these resultsshould stimulate specific studies devoted to the elderly [with primary CNSlymphoma] to optimize the therapeutic management of this growing vulnerablepopulation.

Reference

Houillier C, Soussain C, Ghesquires H, et al. Management and outcome of primary CNS lymphoma in the modern era: an LOC network study [published online January 6, 2020]. Neurology. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000008900

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Younger Age, Consolidation Therapy With Autologous SCT Associated With Improved OS in Patients With Primary CNS Lymphoma - Oncology Nurse Advisor

Now More Than Just Spine – PRNewswire

ATLANTA, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Spine Center Atlanta, founded in 1991 by James Chappuis, MD, FACS, welcomes two new physicians, Brett Rosenberg, MD and Brian Adams, MD. With their addition, Spine Center Atlanta expands its comprehensive patient care platform to include general orthopedic care and interventional pain management, bringing our unique, patient centric program to a wider range of patients.

Dr. Brett Rosenberg, certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, earned his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University Medical College, graduating cum laude. He went on to complete the orthopedic residency program at NYU Langone Hospital.

Dr. Rosenberg brings to Spine Center Atlanta his extensive experience in arthroscopic joint procedures specializing in shoulders and knees as well as total knee replacements, endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery, and fracture care.

Dr. Brian Adams, Spine Interventionalist, has earned a trio of board certifications including Anesthesiology, Interventional Pain Management, and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Adams received a master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Colorado State University and a Doctorate of Medicine from The Medical College of Georgia followed by an internship and residency with the Department of Anesthesiology at The University of Texas Southwestern. Dr. Adams was recruited by his physician educators to remain for an additional year of advanced level fellowship training in interventional spine procedures and pain management.

When asked about his interventional pain management practice at Spine Center Atlanta, Doctor Adams shared, "So far my experience here has been amazing. We see a population of patients with diverse types and sources of pain, both acute and chronic. It is very rewarding that we are able to successfully treat our patients with state-of-the-art techniques and management."

Both recently appointed physicians' practices are aligned with the Spine Center Atlanta's commitment of, "Getting our patients back to play, back to work, and back to life!"

Beyond our newly expanded practice and treatment options, Spine Center Atlanta provides comprehensive ancillary services including physical therapy, cryotherapy, stem cell treatments, therapeutic massage, and aquatic therapy for patients in our five Georgia locations as well as providing e-consults and travel assistance for patients across the globe.

For more information about Doctors Chappuis, Rosenberg, and Adams and the latest news with Spine Center Atlanta, visit us at https://www.spineatl.com.

SOURCE Spine Center Atlanta

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Now More Than Just Spine - PRNewswire

Cardio Round-up: Nanoparticles and Stem Cells in the Spotlight – DocWire News

This weeks Round-up looks to the future, as nanoparticles and stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells get a closer look. More good news for lovers of yogurt, and a smelly but effective treatment for atherosclerosis as well.

Using stem cells extracted from the patients own blood and skin cells, this Japanese research team completed the first-in-human transplant of cardiac muscle cells derived from pluripotent stem cells. The team achieved this by reprogramming them, reverting them to their embryonic-like pluripotent initial state. I hope that (the transplant) will become a medical technology that will save as many people as possible, as Ive seen many lives that I couldnt save, Yoshiki Sawa, a professor in the Osaka University cardiovascular surgery unit, said in apress report.

Stem Cell-Derived Heart Muscle Transplanted Into Human for First Time: Researchers

Like something from a sci-fi horror novel, this team of researcher examined the role that nanoparticles that eat dead cells and stabilize atherosclerotic plaque may be able to play in the future of atherosclerosis treatment. We found we could stimulate the macrophages to selectively eat dead and dying cells these inflammatory cells are precursor cells toatherosclerosis that are part of the cause of heart attacks, one of the authors said in press release. We could deliver a small molecule inside the macrophages to tell them to begin eating again. The authors noted that after a single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, they observed that the prophagocytic nanotubes decreased inflammatory gene expression linked to cytokine and chemokine pathways in lesional macrophages, thereby treating the cell from the inside out.

Are Nanoparticles Potential Gamechangers for Treating Clogged Arteries?

In this large analysis of more than 120,000 individuals, the authors reported multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI for all) for mortality were reduced in regular (more than four servings per week) consumers of yogurt, and there was an inverse relationship between regular consumption and cancer mortality as well as cardiovascular-related mortality in women. In our study, regular yogurt consumption was related to lower mortality risk among women, the authors wrote. Given that no clear doseresponse relation was apparent, this result must be interpreted with caution.

Yogurt Consumption Associated with Reduced Mortality Risk (Plus a Caveat)

This research teamlooked human microphages and compared them to dying cells in a dish. They observed that macrophages reclaim arginine and other amino acids when they eat dead cells, and then use an enzyme to convert arginine to putrescine. The putrescine, in return, activates a protein (Rac1) that causes the macrophage to eat more dead cells, suggesting to the authors that the problem of atherosclerosis may be, in part, a problem of putrescine. The findings, according to the accompanying press release, suggest that the compound could be use to potentially treat conditions with chronic inflammation, such as Alzheimers disease.

The Nose Knows: Pungent Compound Associated with Improvements in Atherosclerotic Plaque

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Cardio Round-up: Nanoparticles and Stem Cells in the Spotlight - DocWire News