The molecular mechanism of actions and clinical utilities of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in gastrointestinal cancers: a comprehensive review and future prospects toward personalized medicine

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a significant global health burden, accounting for a substantial number of cases and deaths. Regrettably, the inadequacy of dependable biomarkers hinders the precise forecasting of patient prognosis and the selection of appropriate therapeutic sequencing for individuals with GI cancers, leading to suboptimal outcomes for numerous patients. The intricate interplay between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) has been shown to be a pivotal determinant of response to anti-cancer therapy and consequential clinical outcomes across a multitude of cancer types. Therefore, the assessment of TILs has garnered global interest as a promising prognostic biomarker in oncology, with the potential to improve clinical decision-making substantially. Moreover, recent discoveries in immunotherapy have progressively changed the landscape of cancer treatment and significantly prolonged the survival of patients with advanced cancers. Nonetheless, the response rate remains constrained within solid tumor sufferers, even when TIL landscapes appear comparable, which calls for the development of our understanding of cellular and molecular cross-talk between TIME and tumor. Hence, this comprehensive review encapsulates the extant literature elucidating the TILs’ underlying molecular pathogenesis, prognostic significance, and their relevance in the realm of immunotherapy for patients afflicted by GI tract cancers. Within this review, we demonstrate that the type, density, and spatial distribution of distinct TIL subpopulations carries pivotal implications for the prediction of anti-cancer treatment responses and patient survival. Furthermore, this review underscores the indispensable role of TILs in modulating therapeutic responses within distinct molecular subtypes, such as those characterized by microsatellite stability or programmed cell death ligand-1 expression in GI tract cancers. The review concludes by outlining future directions in TIL-based personalized medicine, including integrating TIL-based approaches into existing treatment regimens and developing novel therapeutic strategies that exploit the unique properties of TILs and their potential as a promising avenue for personalized cancer treatment

Cytotoxic Activity of Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb. Leaves Essential Oil in Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Background and objectives: Juniperus excelsa is a flowering plant that has been applied as traditional medicine for treatment of various disorders such as dysmenorrhea, bronchitis and colds, jaundice and tuberculosis. The aims of the present study were analyzing J. excelsa essential oil and investigation of its cytotoxic activity on three breast cancer cell lines.  Methods:  Juniperus excelsa leaves were collected from Dena mountains, located in the south-west of Iran. The composition of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Cytotoxic activity was evaluated using MTT assay.   Results: Forty-one components, related to 99.83% of the total oil, were identified. Monoterpene hydrocarbons represented the major components of the volatile oil while α-pinene (73.27%) was the major component. The essential oil showed significant cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (IC50=0.084 µg/mL), MDA-MB-231 (IC50=0.090 µg/mL) and T-47D (IC50=0.124 µg/mL).  Conclusion: The analysis of J. excelsa oil revealed α-pinene and cedrol as the main compounds of the volatile oil that could justifiy its remarkable cytotoxic effect against the tested cell lines

Perceived Residential Environment Quality in Relation to Gender; An Exploratory Study in Lindängen, Malmö

This master’s thesis deals with some concepts and theories related to public space and everyday life and points to how neglecting women’s needs and preferences in public spaces can lead to the formation of gendered urban spaces which prevent women from earning their right to the city. Concepts such as quality of life, quality of place, living environment, residential perception and satisfaction, and place attachment overlap and have many interrelations. One cannot consider, for example, the quality of residential environment independent of residential satisfaction or ignore its influence on the quality of life. This study focuses specifically on the perception of residential environment quality, in the medium scale (neighborhood). Despite a wide range of studies in the field of perceived residential environment quality, the review of literature reveals that studies in this field lack sufficient attention to power relations which among others (cultural, ethnic, etc.), can be gender related. Given the mentioned issues, this study explores women’s perceptions of residential environment quality in the Lindängen neighborhood in Malmö, Sweden. Drawing upon the analysis of a questionnaire, the study presents four scales of REQ in which women’s perceptions have been different from men’s: Recreational services, Safety, Public furniture and Commercial services. In the next stage, a set of semi-structured interviews were done with five women living in the neighborhood. These interviews explore the way women’s ideas and perceptions about their neighborhood, more specifically about the four aforementioned scales, affect their daily lives. The findings of this study highlight the influence of the residential environment quality on everyday lives of women and indicates their different needs for urban facilities and infrastructures (such as recreational or commercial services, as this study indicates) as compared to men

Perceived Residential Environment Quality in Relation to Gender; An Exploratory Study in Lindängen, Malmö

This master’s thesis deals with some concepts and theories related to public space and everyday life and points to how neglecting women’s needs and preferences in public spaces can lead to the formation of gendered urban spaces which prevent women from earning their right to the city. Concepts such as quality of life, quality of place, living environment, residential perception and satisfaction, and place attachment overlap and have many interrelations. One cannot consider, for example, the quality of residential environment independent of residential satisfaction or ignore its influence on the quality of life. This study focuses specifically on the perception of residential environment quality, in the medium scale (neighborhood). Despite a wide range of studies in the field of perceived residential environment quality, the review of literature reveals that studies in this field lack sufficient attention to power relations which among others (cultural, ethnic, etc.), can be gender related. Given the mentioned issues, this study explores women’s perceptions of residential environment quality in the Lindängen neighborhood in Malmö, Sweden. Drawing upon the analysis of a questionnaire, the study presents four scales of REQ in which women’s perceptions have been different from men’s: Recreational services, Safety, Public furniture and Commercial services. In the next stage, a set of semi-structured interviews were done with five women living in the neighborhood. These interviews explore the way women’s ideas and perceptions about their neighborhood, more specifically about the four aforementioned scales, affect their daily lives. The findings of this study highlight the influence of the residential environment quality on everyday lives of women and indicates their different needs for urban facilities and infrastructures (such as recreational or commercial services, as this study indicates) as compared to men

Perceived Residential Environment Quality in Relation to Gender; An Exploratory Study in Lindängen, Malmö

This master’s thesis deals with some concepts and theories related to public space and everyday life and points to how neglecting women’s needs and preferences in public spaces can lead to the formation of gendered urban spaces which prevent women from earning their right to the city. Concepts such as quality of life, quality of place, living environment, residential perception and satisfaction, and place attachment overlap and have many interrelations. One cannot consider, for example, the quality of residential environment independent of residential satisfaction or ignore its influence on the quality of life. This study focuses specifically on the perception of residential environment quality, in the medium scale (neighborhood). Despite a wide range of studies in the field of perceived residential environment quality, the review of literature reveals that studies in this field lack sufficient attention to power relations which among others (cultural, ethnic, etc.), can be gender related. Given the mentioned issues, this study explores women’s perceptions of residential environment quality in the Lindängen neighborhood in Malmö, Sweden. Drawing upon the analysis of a questionnaire, the study presents four scales of REQ in which women’s perceptions have been different from men’s: Recreational services, Safety, Public furniture and Commercial services. In the next stage, a set of semi-structured interviews were done with five women living in the neighborhood. These interviews explore the way women’s ideas and perceptions about their neighborhood, more specifically about the four aforementioned scales, affect their daily lives. The findings of this study highlight the influence of the residential environment quality on everyday lives of women and indicates their different needs for urban facilities and infrastructures (such as recreational or commercial services, as this study indicates) as compared to men

Women in a safe and healthy urban environment: environmental top priorities for the women’s presence in urban public spaces

Highlights • Women’s presence in public spaces is affected by environmental factors of built environment. • Among environmental priorities affected on women’s presence in public spaces, Security is most significantly factor in motivating women for active social participation in urban public spaces. • Among the individual characteristics of the respondents, the components of collective memory, identity, freedom, and safety have had a positive correlation with the age of the respondents

<i>In vitro</i> cholinesterase inhibitory activity of some plants used in Iranian traditional medicine

<p>In this study, <i>in vitro</i> evaluation of cholinesterase inhibitory (ChEI) activity of various plants including betel nuts (<i>Areca catechu</i> L.), clove buds (<i>Syzygium aromaticum</i> L<i>.</i>), aerial parts of dodder (<i>Cuscuta chinensis</i> Lam.), common polypody rhizomes (<i>Polypodium vulgare</i> L.) and turpeth roots (<i>Ipomoea turpethum</i> R. Br.) which were recommended for the treatment of AD symptoms in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) is reported. Among them, aqueous extract of <i>A. catechu</i> L. was found as the most potent anti-AChE (IC₅₀ = 32.00 μg/mL) and anti-BChE (IC₅₀ = 48.81 ± 0.1200 μg/mL) agent.</p> <p>Aqueous extract of betel nuts as AChE inhibitor (IC₅₀ = 32.00 µg/mL).</p