Development of a Dendritic Cell based Vaccine for the Immunotherapy of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

22 patients with de novo or relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) were recruited into a Phase I/II clinical trial aimed at vaccinating with autologous Dendritic-like Leukemia Cells (DLLC) once in complete remission. At trial entry leukaemia cells were harvested and tested for their permissiveness to cytokineinduced dendritic cell differentiation. Study patients were then treated with induction chemotherapy. Five patients achieved both complete remission and had leukaemia cells that were permissive to differentiation, and were therefore eligible to proceed to vaccination. Four escalating doses of DLLC were administered weekly by subcutaneous injection. Levels of minimal residual disease were measured by Wilms tumour-1 gene expression. Development of anti-leukaemic T-cell responses was assessed by ELIPSOT analysis of gamma interferon secreting T-lymphocytes and by measurement of WT1 specific T-cells by HLA tetramer analysis. An increase in antileukaemic T-cell responses was demonstrated in four patients. Vaccination was generally well tolerated with the only significant side effect being the development of extensive eczema in one patient. Two patients relapsed during or shortly after the vaccination schedule. In the remaining three patients, one relapsed at 12 months with two in continued remission more than 12 months post vaccination.In a parallel investigation, the potential of Tumour Cell / Dendritic Cell Fusion Hybrids to generate in vitro anti-leukaemic T-cell responses following co-culture with autologous remission lymphocytes was assessed in six patients with AML. Comparison was made to anti-leukaemic responses induced by mature Dendritic Cells (mDC) co-cultured with autologous, irradiated myeloid blasts. Fusion Hybrids iv induced anti-leukaemic T-cell immune responses in three out of six patients. Tumour pulsed mDC induced T-cellular responses in two other patients. Only one of six patient's remission lymphocytes failed to develop leukaemia directed immune responses following stimulation with either construct. Anti-proliferative properties of Fusion Hybrids against allogeneic lymphocytes were observed in mixed lymphocyte-leukaemia reactions (MLLR) and were found not to be specific to the cell fusion partners and do not prevent the ability of AML-mDC heterokaryons to induce autologous anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity. In conclusion, Tumour Cell / Dendritic Cell Fusion Hybrids hold promise as a cellular vaccine for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Nachqualifizierung als Strategie vorbeugender Sozialpolitik: Eine Untersuchung zu Angeboten, Nutzung und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten der akademischen Nach- und Weiterqualifizierung zugewanderter Akademiker_innen

Viele Migrant_innen verfügen über im Herkunftsland erworbene akademische Abschlüsse, können diese auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt aber nicht adäquat verwerten. Die vorliegende, explorative Studie verfolgt das Ziel, einen Überblick über existierende Programme zur Nach- und Weiterqualifizierung zugewanderter Akademiker_innen zu vermitteln. Untersucht werden die Eigenheiten und strukturellen Bedingungen entsprechender Angebote, vor allem die gravierenden Probleme der Teilnehmenden bei der Finanzierung des Lebensunterhalts. Im Zentrum steht eine - an die Methode der Nutzer_innenforschung anknüpfende - qualitative empirische Untersuchung zu den Nutzungsweisen und zum Nutzen der Programme aus der Sicht von Teilnehmenden. Aufgezeigt werden Barrieren, aber auch Gelingensbedingungen der akademischen Nachqualifizierung. Aus den Analysen werden Lösungsansätze und Empfehlungen zur Weiterentwicklung von Qualifizierungsoptionen für zugewanderte Akademiker_innen entwickelt.Many migrants coming to Germany have obtained academic degrees in their country of origin, but are unable to make adequate use of them on the German labour market. The aim of this explorative study is to provide an overview of existing programmes for the post- and further qualification of highly qualified immigrants. The study examines the characteristics and structural conditions of existing qualification programmes, especially the serious problems the participants have in financing their livelihood. The focus is on a qualitative empirical study - based on the method of user research on the modes of use and the benefits of the programmes from the participants' point of view. Barriers are pointed out, but also conditions for success in academic continuing education. The analyses are used to develop solutions and recommendations for the further development of qualification options for immigrant academics

Nachqualifizierung zugewanderter Akademiker_innen als Strategie vorbeugender Sozialpolitik: Eine Untersuchung zu Angeboten, Nutzung und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten akademischer Weiterbildungsangebote und der Unterhaltssicherung während der Teilnahme

Unter den zugewanderten Migrant_innen befinden sich viele Akademiker_innen. Sie finden oft keine bildungsadäquate Beschäftigung. Bisher gibt es an deutschen Hochschulen kaum Weiterqualifizierungsprogramme für diese Gruppe. Die Projektergebnisse belegen, dass solche Programme bessere Arbeitsmarktchancen eröffnen können. Ein Ausbau und eine Verstetigung der Weiterqualifizierungsangebote sind dringend vonnöten. Auch sollte die Zielgruppe bessere Zugänge zum BAföG und zu Stipendien erhalten

Nachqualifizierung als Strategie vorbeugender Sozialpolitik: Eine Untersuchung zu Angeboten, Nutzung und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten der akademischen Nach- und Weiterqualifizierung zugewanderter Akademiker_innen

Viele Migrant_innen verfügen über im Herkunftsland erworbene akademische Abschlüsse, können diese auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt aber nicht adäquat verwerten. Die vorliegende, explorative Studie verfolgt das Ziel, einen Überblick über existierende Programme zur Nach- und Weiterqualifizierung zugewanderter Akademiker_innen zu vermitteln. Untersucht werden die Eigenheiten und strukturellen Bedingungen entsprechender Angebote, vor allem die gravierenden Probleme der Teilnehmenden bei der Finanzierung des Lebensunterhalts. Im Zentrum steht eine - an die Methode der Nutzer_innenforschung anknüpfende - qualitative empirische Untersuchung zu den Nutzungsweisen und zum Nutzen der Programme aus der Sicht von Teilnehmenden. Aufgezeigt werden Barrieren, aber auch Gelingensbedingungen der akademischen Nachqualifizierung. Aus den Analysen werden Lösungsansätze und Empfehlungen zur Weiterentwicklung von Qualifizierungsoptionen für zugewanderte Akademiker_innen entwickelt.Many migrants coming to Germany have obtained academic degrees in their country of origin, but are unable to make adequate use of them on the German labour market. The aim of this explorative study is to provide an overview of existing programmes for the post- and further qualification of highly qualified immigrants. The study examines the characteristics and structural conditions of existing qualification programmes, especially the serious problems the participants have in financing their livelihood. The focus is on a qualitative empirical study - based on the method of user research - on the modes of use and the benefits of the programmes from the participants' point of view. Barriers are pointed out, but also conditions for success in academic continuing education. The analyses are used to develop solutions and recommendations for the further development of qualification options for immigrant academics

Multicenter evaluation of blood-based biomarkers for the detection of endometriosis and adenomyosis: A prospective non-interventional study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate blood-based biomarkers to detect endometriosis and/or adenomyosis across nine European centers (June 2014-April 2018). METHODS This prospective, non-interventional study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of 54 blood-based biomarker immunoassays in samples from 919 women (aged 18-45 years) with suspicion of endometriosis and/or adenomyosis versus symptomatic controls. Endometriosis was stratified by revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine stage. Symptomatic controls were "pathologic symptomatic controls" or "pathology-free symptomatic controls". The main outcome measure was receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve (ROC-AUC) and Wilcoxon P values corrected for multiple testing (q values). RESULTS CA-125 performed best in "all endometriosis cases" versus "all symptomatic controls" (AUC 0.645, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.600-0.690, q < 0.001) and increased (P < 0.001) with disease stage. In "all endometriosis cases" versus "pathology-free symptomatic controls", S100-A12 performed best (AUC 0.692, 95% CI 0.614-0.769, q = 0.001) followed by CA-125 (AUC 0.649, 95% CI 0.569-0.729, q = 0.021). In "adenomyosis only cases" versus "symptomatic controls" or "pathology-free symptomatic controls", respectively, the top-performing biomarkers were sFRP-4 (AUC 0.615, 95% CI 0.551-0.678, q = 0.045) and S100-A12 (AUC 0.701, 95% CI 0.611-0.792, q = 0.004). CONCLUSION This study concluded that no biomarkers tested could diagnose or rule out endometriosis/adenomyosis with high certainty

High Anti-CoV2S Antibody Levels at Hospitalization Are Associated with Improved Survival in Patients with COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infection

Background: Although vaccination against COVID-19 is highly effective, breakthrough infections occur, often leading to severe courses and death. The extent of protection provided by individual antibody levels in breakthrough infections is still unknown and cut-off levels have yet to be determined. Methods: In 80 consecutive fully vaccinated patients hospitalized between August and December 2021 with COVID-19 breakthrough infection (Delta variant), anti-CoV2S antibody levels were analyzed for the endpoint of death. Results: Ten out of the 12 patients who died (83.3%) had antibody levels 600 U/mL died from vaccine breakthrough infection. Correction for the number of comorbidities and age revealed that anti-CoV2S antibody levels at the time of hospitalization were a significant predictor for reduced risk of death (OR = 0.402 for every 1000 U/mL, p = 0.018). Conclusions: In this retrospective data analysis, we show that almost all patients who died from COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infection had antibody levels < 600 U/mL, most of them below 200 U/mL. In logistic regression corrected for the number of comorbidities and age, anti-CoV2S antibody levels at the time of hospitalization proved to be a significantly protective predictor against death