23 research outputs found
Dendritic Cell Based Tumor Vaccination in Prostate and Renal Cell Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND: More than 200 clinical trials have been performed using dendritic cells (DC) as cellular adjuvants in cancer. Yet the key question whether there is a link between immune and clinical response remains unanswered. Prostate and renal cell cancer (RCC) have been extensively studied for DC-based immunotherapeutic interventions and were therefore chosen to address the above question by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Data was obtained after a systematic literature search from clinical trials that enrolled at least 6 patients. Individual patient data meta-analysis was performed by means of conditional logistic regression grouped by study. Twenty nine trials involving a total of 906 patients were identified in prostate cancer (17) and RCC (12). Objective response rates were 7.7% in prostate cancer and 12.7% in RCC. The combined percentages of objective responses and stable diseases (SD) amounted to a clinical benefit rate (CBR) of 54% in prostate cancer and 48% in RCC. Meta-analysis of individual patient data (nâ=â403) revealed the cellular immune response to have a significant influence on CBR, both in prostate cancer (OR 10.6, 95% CI 2.5-44.1) and in RCC (OR 8.4, 95% CI 1.3-53.0). Furthermore, DC dose was found to have a significant influence on CBR in both entities. Finally, for the larger cohort of prostate cancer patients, an influence of DC maturity and DC subtype (density enriched versus monocyte derived DC) as well as access to draining lymph nodes on clinical outcome could be demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: As a 'proof of principle' a statistically significant effect of DC-mediated cellular immune response and of DC dose on CBR could be demonstrated. Further findings concerning vaccine composition, quality control, and the effect of DC maturation status are relevant for the immunological development of DC-based vaccines
The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
To which world regions does the valenceâdominance model of social perception apply?
Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorovâs valenceâdominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of
how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social
judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether
these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorovâs methodology across
11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorovâs original analysis strategy,
the valenceâdominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated
dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valenceâdominance
model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed
when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution.C.L. was supported by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF VRG13-007);
L.M.D. was supported by ERC 647910 (KINSHIP); D.I.B. and N.I. received funding from
CONICET, Argentina; L.K., F.K. and Ă. Putz were supported by the European Social
Fund (EFOP-3.6.1.-16-2016-00004; âComprehensive Development for Implementing
Smart Specialization Strategies at the University of PĂ©csâ). K.U. and E. Vergauwe were
supported by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (PZ00P1_154911 to E.
Vergauwe). T.G. is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
of Canada (SSHRC). M.A.V. was supported by grants 2016-T1/SOC-1395 (Comunidad
de Madrid) and PSI2017-85159-P (AEI/FEDER UE). K.B. was supported by a grant
from the National Science Centre, Poland (number 2015/19/D/HS6/00641). J. Bonick
and J.W.L. were supported by the Joep Lange Institute. G.B. was supported by the Slovak
Research and Development Agency (APVV-17-0418). H.I.J. and E.S. were supported
by a French National Research Agency âInvestissements dâAvenirâ programme grant
(ANR-15-IDEX-02). T.D.G. was supported by an Australian Government Research
Training Program Scholarship. The Raipur Group is thankful to: (1) the University
Grants Commission, New Delhi, India for the research grants received through its
SAP-DRS (Phase-III) scheme sanctioned to the School of Studies in Life Science;
and (2) the Center for Translational Chronobiology at the School of Studies in Life
Science, PRSU, Raipur, India for providing logistical support. K. Ask was supported by
a small grant from the Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg. Y.Q. was
supported by grants from the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (5184035) and CAS
Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology. N.A.C. was supported
by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (R010138018). We
acknowledge the following research assistants: J. Muriithi and J. Ngugi (United States
International University Africa); E. Adamo, D. Cafaro, V. Ciambrone, F. Dolce and E.
Tolomeo (Magna GrĂŠcia University of Catanzaro); E. De Stefano (University of Padova);
S. A. Escobar Abadia (University of Lincoln); L. E. Grimstad (Norwegian School of
Economics (NHH)); L. C. Zamora (Franklin and Marshall College); R. E. Liang and R.
C. Lo (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman); A. Short and L. Allen (Massey University, New
Zealand), A. AteĆ, E. GĂŒneĆ and S. Can Ăzdemir (BoÄaziçi University); I. Pedersen and T.
Roos (Ă
bo Akademi University); N. Paetz (Escuela de ComunicaciĂłn MĂłnica Herrera);
J. Green (University of Gothenburg); M. Krainz (University of Vienna, Austria); and B.
Todorova (University of Vienna, Austria). The funders had no role in study design, data
collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/am2023BiochemistryGeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog
LâamĂ©nagement forestier au Congo engendre-t-il plus de dĂ©forestation ?
Un article publiĂ© dans Land Use Policy dĂ©but 2016 arrive Ă la conclusion a priori Ă©tonnante que la dĂ©forestation serait, au Congo, plus Ă©levĂ©e dans les concessions forestiĂšres avec des plans dâamĂ©nagement que dans celles qui nâen ont pas. Lâanalyse dâĂ©valuation dâimpact qui a conduit ces chercheurs Ă un tel rĂ©sultat se base sur un appariement de parcelles sĂ©lectionnĂ©es alĂ©atoirement dans des concessions avec et sans plans dâamĂ©nagement. Ces chercheurs indiquent que le rĂ©seau de routes forestiĂšres plus dĂ©veloppĂ© dans les concessions amĂ©nagĂ©es serait un des facteurs explicatifs. Lâautre facteur serait le dĂ©veloppement local liĂ© aux cahiers des charges des plans dâamĂ©nagement, lequel conduirait Ă une augmentation de la population dans ces concessions et Ă une dĂ©forestation accrue.
Notre groupe dâune vingtaine de chercheurs connaissant bien la problĂ©matique de lâamĂ©nagement forestier en Afrique centrale sâest penchĂ© Ă son tour sur cette question et a analysĂ© la dĂ©forestation au niveau des concessions sur le mĂȘme intervalle de temps. Nos rĂ©sultats montrent, cette fois, que la dĂ©forestation est moins importante dans les concessions avec un plan dâamĂ©nagement que dans les autres. Et si lâon compare Ă production Ă©gale la dĂ©forestation dans des concessions avec et sans plan dâamĂ©nagement, il apparaĂźt que les UFA amĂ©nagĂ©es sont environ deux fois plus « efficaces », câest-Ă -dire quâon observe deux fois moins de perte de couvert forestier par mĂštre-cube produit. Nous en concluons quâil est nĂ©cessaire dâanalyser prĂ©cisĂ©ment la dynamique des diffĂ©rents facteurs de dĂ©forestation, et Ă©viter dâimputer mĂ©caniquement Ă lâamĂ©nagement forestier un rĂŽle excessif dans lâĂ©volution dans un sens ou dans lâautre du taux de dĂ©boisement. Enfin, toute Ă©valuation doit rappeler que les effets de lâamĂ©nagement forestier doivent ĂȘtre mesurĂ©s sur le long terme : lâobjectif de lâamĂ©nagement est de permettre une mise en valeur forestiĂšre durable, en conservant lâessentiel du capital productif pour Ă©viter, autant que possible, la conversion Ă dâautres usages aprĂšs les cycles de coupe initiaux
Further characterization of an aversive learning task in Drosophila melanogaster: intensity of the stimulus, relearning, and use of rutabaga mutants.
Various learning tasks have been described in Drosophila melanogaster, flies being either tested in groups or at the individual level. Le Bourg and Buecher (Anim Learn Behav 33:330-341, 2002) have designed a task at the individual level: photopositive flies crossing a T-maze learn to prefer the dark exit when the lighted one is associated with the presence of aversive stimuli (humidity and quinine). Previous studies have reported various results (e.g. no effect of age) and the present article further characterizes this task by studying the possible effects of: (1) the intensity of the stimuli (quantity of water or concentration of quinine), (2) various delays between two learning sessions on the learning score at the second session, (3) the rutabaga learning mutation on the learning score. More concentrated quinine solutions increased learning scores but the quantity of water had no effect. Learning scores at the second session were higher with shorter delays between the two learning sessions and retrograde amnesia could decrease this memory score. rutabaga mutants showed learning deficits as in experiments testing groups of flies. This learning task could particularly be used to verify whether learning mutants isolated after experiments testing flies in groups display similar deficits when tested at the individual level