Emerging Approaches for Solid Tumor Treatment Using CAR-T Cell Therapy

Cancer immunotherapy is becoming more important in the clinical setting, especially for cancers resistant to conventional chemotherapy, including targeted therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, which uses patient’s autologous T cells, combined with engineered T cell receptors, has shown remarkable results, with five US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals to date. CAR-T cells have been very effective in hematologic malignancies, such as diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and multiple myeloma (MM); however, its effectiveness in treating solid tumors has not been evaluated clearly. Therefore, many studies and clinical investigations are emerging to improve the CAR-T cell efficacy in solid tumors. The novel therapeutic approaches include modifying CARs in multiple ways or developing a combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapies. In this review, we focus on the challenges and recent advancements in CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors

Kinetic modeling of CO2-assisted oxidative dehydrogenation over CrOx/SiO2 catalysts

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Low temperature activation of amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O semiconductors using microwave and e-beam radiation, and the associated thin film transistor properties

In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) films deposited by sputtering process generally require thermal annealing above 300°C to achieve satisfactory semiconductor properties. In this work, microwave and e-beam radiation are adopted at room temperature as alternative activation methods. Thin film transistors (TFTs) based on IGZO semiconductors that have been subjected to microwave and e-beam processes exhibit electrical properties similar to those of thermally annealed devices. However spectroscopic ellipsometry analyses indicate that e-beam radiation may have caused structural damage in IGZO, thus compromising the device stability under bias stress

Quantitative analysis of defect states in InGaZnO within 2 eV below the conduction band via photo-induced current transient spectroscopy

Abstract This work investigates the function of the oxygen partial pressure in photo-induced current measurement of extended defect properties related to the distribution and quantity of defect states in electronic structures. The Fermi level was adjusted by applying a negative gate bias in the TFT structure, and the measurable range of activation energy was extended to < 2.0 eV. Calculations based on density functional theory are used to investigate the changes in defect characteristics and the role of defects at shallow and deep levels as a function of oxygen partial pressure. Device characteristics, such as mobility and threshold voltage shift under a negative gate bias, showed a linear correlation with the ratio of shallow level to deep level defect density. Shallow level and deep level defects are organically related, and both defects must be considered when understanding device characteristics

Effects of Embedded TiO2−x Nanoparticles on Triboelectric Nanogenerator Performance

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are used as self-power sources for various types of devices by converting external waves, wind, or other mechanical energies into electric power. However, obtaining a high-output performance is still of major concern for many applications. In this study, to enhance the output performance of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based TENGs, highly dielectric TiO2&minus;x nanoparticles (NPs) were embedded as a function of weight ratio. TiO2&minus;x NPs embedded in PDMS at 5% showed the highest output voltage and current. The improved output performance at 5% is strongly related to the change of oxygen vacancies on the PDMS surface, as well as the increased dielectric constant. Specifically, oxygen vacancies in the oxide nanoparticles are electrically positive charges, which is an important factor that can contribute to the exchange and trapping of electrons when driving a TENG. However, in TiO2&minus;x NPs containing over 5%, the output performance was significantly degraded because of the increased leakage characteristics of the PDMS layer due to TiO2&minus;x NPs aggregation, which formed an electron path

Effects of tacrolimus intrapatient variability and CYP3A5 polymorphism on the outcomes of pediatric kidney transplantation

Background The intrapatient variability (IPV) of tacrolimus (Tac) is associated with the long-term outcome of kidney transplantation. The CYP3A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may affect the IPV of Tac. We investigated the impact of IPV and genetic polymorphism in pediatric patients who received kidney transplantation. Methods A total of 202 pediatric renal transplant recipients from 2000 to 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The IPV was calculated between 6 and 12 months after surgery. Among these patients, CYP3A5 polymorphism was analyzed in 67 patients. Results The group with high IPV had a significantly higher rate of de novo donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies (dnDSA) development (35.7% vs. 16.7%, p = .003). The high IPV group also had a higher incidence of T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR; p &lt; .001). The high IPV had no significant influence on Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and BK virus viremia but was associated with the incidence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (p = .003). Overall, the graft survival rate was inferior in the high IPV group (p &lt; .001). The CYP3A5 SNPs did not significantly affect the IPV of Tac. In the CYP3A5 expressor group, however, the IPV was significantly associated with the TCMR-free survival rate (p &lt; .001). Conclusion The IPV of Tac had a significant impact on dnDSA development, occurrence of acute TCMR, and graft failure in pediatric patients who received renal transplantation. CYP3A5 expressors with high IPV of Tac showed worse outcomes, while the CYP3A5 polymorphism had no impact on IPV of Tac.N

Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Top-Gate Transistors with Ultrahigh Electron Mobility via Enhanced Electron Pathways

The top-gate structure is currently adopted in various flat-panel displays because of its diverse advantages such as passivation from the external environment and process compatibility with industries. However, the mobility of the currently commercialized top-gate oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) is insufficient to drive ultrahigh-resolution displays. Accordingly, this work suggests metal-capped Zn–Ba–Sn–O transistors with top-gate structures for inducing mobility-enhancing effects. The fabricated top-gate device contains para-xylylene (PPx), which is deposited by a low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, as a dielectric layer and exhibits excellent interfacial and dielectric properties. A technology computer-aided design (TCAD) device simulation reveals that the mobility enhancement in the Al-capped (Zn,Ba)SnO3 (ZBTO) TFT is attributed not only to the increase in the electron concentration, which is induced by band engineering due to the Al work function but also to the increased electron velocity due to the redistribution of the lateral electric field. As a result, the mobility of the Al-capped top-gate ZBTO device is 5 times higher (∼110 cm2/Vs) than that of the reference device. These results demonstrate the applicability of top-gate oxide TFTs with ultrahigh mobility in a wide range of applications, such as for high-resolution, large-area, and flexible displays