An update on TroVax® for the treatment of progressive castration-resistant prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a common human malignancy with few effective therapeutic options for treating advanced castration-resistant disease. The potential therapeutic effectiveness of immunotherapy and vaccines, in particular, has gained popularity based on the identification of prostate-associated antigens, potent expression vectors for vaccination, and data from recent clinical trials. A modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus expressing 5T4, a tumor-associated glycoprotein, has shown promise in preclinical studies and clinical trials in patients with colorectal and renal cell carcinoma. This review will discuss the rationale for immunotherapy in prostate cancer and describe preclinical and limited clinical data in prostate cancer for the MVA-5T4 (TroVax®) vaccine

Glutamate receptor blockade alters the development of intracortical connections in rat barrel cortex

We tested the hypothesis that glutamate receptor mediated activity is required for the postnatal development of intracortical connections in layers II/III of rodent barrel cortex. To block glutamate receptors, a slow release polymer (elvax) loaded with a glutamate receptor antagonist (D-AP5) was targeted subdurally over the future rat barrel cortex on P0 (day of birth). On P14-16 biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) was injected under the elvax into all layers to label neurons retrogradely. A BDA injection was made stereotactically at the mirror site of the untreated hemisphere of each animal. The animals survived to P22-24. Injection sites and retrogradely labeled cell bodies were identified in tangential sections in relation to the barrel map. D-AP5 treated and untreated hemispheres were matched according to the location of the injection site in the barrel map. Glutamate receptor blockade did not prevent the growth of intrinsic projections, but altered their organization. The normal row-like asymmetry of connections in untreated hemispheres was lacking in the D-AP5 treated cortex (ANOVA, p =0.02). Cortical activity mediated through glutamate receptors contributes to the correct development of connections between barrel columns in layers II/III

Implementation of single-port robotic urologic surgery: experience at a large academic center

The Single-Port (SP) robotic system is increasingly being implemented in the United States, allowing for several minimally invasive urologic procedures to be performed. The present study aims to describe our single-center experience since the adoption of the SP platform. We retrospectively collected and analyzed consecutive SP cases performed at a major teaching hospital in the Midwest (Rush University Medical Center) from December 2020 to December 2023. Demographic variables were collected. Surgical and pathological outcomes were analyzed in the overall cohort and for each type of procedure. The study timeframe was divided into two periods to assess the evolution of SP technical features over time. In total, 160 procedures were performed, with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) being the most common (49.4%). Overall, 54.4% of the procedures were extraperitoneal, with a significantly higher adoption of this approach in the second half of the study period (30% vs 74.3%, p < 0.001). A "plus one" assistant port was adopted in 38.1% of cases, with a shift towards a "pure" single-port surgery in the most recent procedures (21.1% vs 76.7%, p < 0.001). The median LOS was 33.5 h (30-48), with a rate of any grade and CD >= 3 postoperative complications of 9.4% and 2.5%, respectively, and a 30-day readmission rate of 1.9%. SP robotic surgery can be safely and effectively implemented for various urologic procedures. With increasing experience, the SP platform allows shifting away from transperitoneal procedures, potentially minimizing postoperative pain, and shortening hospital stay and postoperative recovery