Eastern Spadefoots (Scaphiopus holbrookii) and Other Herpetofauna Inhabiting an Industrial Fly-Ash Disposal Site in Southern Ohio

Abstract: Eastern Spadefoots (Scaphiopus holbrookii) were once common in southern Ohio but are now rare, with most populations threatened by habitat loss. In 2010, we observed an Eastern Spadefoot breeding migration out of a raised fly-ash disposal site to a small depressional wetland in South Point (Lawrence County), Ohio. We used a series of drift fences and pitfalls to confirm adult and juvenile spadefoot occupancy at the fly-ash site as well as document the presence of nine additional species of herpetofauna.This is the first documentation of Eastern Spadefoots inhabiting a fly-ash disposal site in Ohio. We suggest further investigations to assess long-term population persistence and to address toxicological concerns

T cell receptor gene therapy targeting WT1 prevents acute myeloid leukemia relapse post-transplant.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowRelapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the leading cause of death in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) entering HCT with poor-risk features1-3. When HCT does produce prolonged relapse-free survival, it commonly reflects graft-versus-leukemia effects mediated by donor T cells reactive with antigens on leukemic cells4. As graft T cells have not been selected for leukemia specificity and frequently recognize proteins expressed by many normal host tissues, graft-versus-leukemia effects are often accompanied by morbidity and mortality from graft-versus-host disease5. Thus, AML relapse risk might be more effectively reduced with T cells expressing receptors (TCRs) that target selected AML antigens6. We therefore isolated a high-affinity Wilms' Tumor Antigen 1-specific TCR (TCRC4) from HLA-A2+ normal donor repertoires, inserted TCRC4 into Epstein-Bar virus-specific donor CD8+ T cells (TTCR-C4) to minimize graft-versus-host disease risk and enhance transferred T cell survival7,8, and infused these cells prophylactically post-HCT into 12 patients ( NCT01640301 ). Relapse-free survival was 100% at a median of 44 months following infusion, while a concurrent comparative group of 88 patients with similar risk AML had 54% relapse-free survival (P = 0.002). TTCR-C4 maintained TCRC4 expression, persisted long-term and were polyfunctional. This strategy appears promising for preventing AML recurrence in individuals at increased risk of post-HCT relapse.Juno Therapeutics Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Damon Runyon Guillot Family ZachAttacksLeukemia Foundatio

An 8-year pragmatic observation evaluation of the benefits of allogeneic HCT in older and medically infirm AML patients

We designed a prospective, observational study enrolling patients presenting for treatment of AML at 13 institutions to analyze associations between hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and survival, quality of life (QOL), function and geriatric health, in 6 groups: 1) the entire cohort, 2) ≥65 years old, 3) high comorbidity burden, 4) intermediate cytogenetic-risk, 5) adverse cytogenetic-risk, and 6) first complete remission with or without measurable residual disease. Patient health and preferences were assessed eight times across 2 years. Time-dependent regression models were used. Among 692 evaluable patients, 46% received HCT with 2-year survival of 58%. In unadjusted models, HCT was associated with reduced risks of mortality in the entire group and most of the subgroups. However, after accounting for covariates associated with increased mortality (age, comorbidity-burden, disease risks, frailty, impaired QOL, depression, and impaired function), the associations between HCT and longer survival disappeared in all groups. While function, social life, performance status, and depressive symptoms were better for those selected for HCT compared to those who were not, these health advantages were lost after receiving HCT. Recipients and non-recipients of HCT similarly ranked and expected cure as main goal of therapy, while physicians expected more cure for the formers. Accounting for health impairments negate survival benefits from HCT for AML, suggesting that the unadjusted observed benefit is due mostly to selection of the healthier candidates. Considering patients' overall expectations of cure but also the QOL burdens of HCT motivate the need for randomized trials to identify the best candidates for HCT