ECCO - A new initiative to support early-career researchers in the complement field

Research on the complement system, like most areas of immunology, has seen tremendous progress over the last decades. Further advances in the complement field will rely on the next generation of scientific leaders, which are today's early-career researchers (ECRs). ECRs are emerging scientists who obtained their PhD degree within the past five years. They represent a distinct population within the scientific community, and accordingly have unique needs. Unfortunately, ECRs are faced with significant challenges that require customized solutions. The current paper provides a snapshot of the major obstacles ECRs face, such as an unhealthy work-life balance, lack of mentor and peer support, and uncertain career prospects. Efforts must consequently be taken to ensure stability and success of ECRs, not only to benefit these researchers in the early stages of their career, but the entire field of complement research. The Early-Career Complementologists (ECCO) was, therefore, launched as a new Task Force to support ECRs in the complement field. This new initiative aims to support and connect ECRs in the complement field worldwide. Furthermore, ECCO is supported by both the International Complement Society (ICS) and the European Complement Network (ECN); two professional societies led by scientists investigating the complement system

Complement downregulation promotes an inflammatory signature that renders colorectal cancer susceptible to immunotherapy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The role of inflammatory immune responses in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and response to therapy is a matter of intense debate. While inflammation is a known driver of CRC, inflammatory immune infiltrates are a positive prognostic factor in CRC and predispose to response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Unfortunately, over 85% of CRC cases are primarily unresponsive to ICB due to the absence of an immune infiltrate, and even the cases that show an initial immune infiltration can become refractory to ICB. The identification of therapy supportive immune responses in the field has been partially hindered by the sparsity of suitable mouse models to recapitulate the human disease. In this study, we aimed to understand how the dysregulation of the complement anaphylatoxin C3a receptor (C3aR), observed in subsets of patients with CRC, affects the immune responses, the development of CRC, and response to ICB therapy. METHODS: We use a comprehensive approach encompassing analysis of publicly available human CRC datasets, inflammation-driven and newly generated spontaneous mouse models of CRC, and multiplatform high-dimensional analysis of immune responses using microbiota sequencing, RNA sequencing, and mass cytometry. RESULTS: We found that patients' regulation of the complement C3aR is associated with epigenetic modifications. Specifically, downregulation of C3ar1 in human CRC promotes a tumor microenvironment characterized by the accumulation of innate and adaptive immune cells that support antitumor immunity. In addition, in vivo studies in our newly generated mouse model revealed that the lack of C3a in the colon activates a microbiota-mediated proinflammatory program which promotes the development of tumors with an immune signature that renders them responsive to the ICB therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that C3aR may act as a previously unrecognized checkpoint to enhance antitumor immunity in CRC. C3aR can thus be exploited to overcome ICB resistance in a larger group of patients with CRC

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Analyse approfondie de la biologie systémique des lésions du système nerveux central

Dans un contexte d’étude des altérations biologiques survenant après un impact sur le système nerveux central (SNC), ma thèse porte sur l’étude des modifications protéomiques et lipidiques survenant après une lésion du SNC. Une étude spatio-temporelle a été menée sur un modèle TBI de rat afin d'identifier des marqueurs spécifiques de la lésion. En utilisant le MALDI-MSI, nous avons effectués une reconstruction 3D du cerveau lésé 3 jours post-lésion et nous avons représentés les molécules lipidiques spécifiques à la lésion. Après, cette analyse est réalisé avec d’autres délais après l’impact: 1, 3, 7 et 10 jours. En parallèle, une analyse microprotéomique est réalisée sur des coupes de tissus dans une approche visant à corréler les modifications lipidiques et protéiques. Nos résultats ont permis d'identifier une famille de lipides, les acylcarnitines, exprimés dans le cortex lésé avec une intensité maximale à 3 jours post-impact. Les données de protéomiques ont montrés une régulation positive de l’expression de protéines liées à la maladie de Parkinson. Dans l’ensemble, nos résultats décrivent un lien entre le TBI léger et la maladie de Parkinson dès 3 jours après l’impact, avec un rôle possible de l’acylcarnitine. Cette même famille de molécules est aussi présente dans les lésions médullaires. Dans une approche thérapeutique, les résultats précédents ont montrés que la protéine RhoA est un candidat majeur dans SCI. Après avoir utilisé un inhibiteur de RhoA, une étude protéomique a été réalisée pour évaluer l’impact sur ces lésions. Les résultats montrent que les traitements in-vivo et in-vitro avec l’inhibiteur stimule la croissance neuritique et la régénération axonale.In the context of studying biological alterations occurring post impact to the central nervous system, my thesis was focused on studying the proteomic and lipid changes occurring post injury to the brain and spinal cord. A fundamental spatio-temporal study was conducted on an open-head rat TBI model to identify potential injury-specific markers. Using MALDI MSI, we performed 3D reconstruction of the injured brain at 3 days after injury and depicted lesion-specific m/z lipid molecules. After, MALDI MSI was applied on the acute/sub-acute time frame post impact: 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, and 10 days. In parallel, a microproteomic analysis was carried out on tissue segments directly consecutive to the imaged ones in an approach to correlate both lipid and protein changes. Our results yielded the identification of a family of lipids, acylcarnitines, which are expressed within the injured cortex with maximum intensity 3 days post impact. These lipid molecules also were found to be expressed in the substantia nigra and microproteomics data showed an upregulation in expression of Parkinson’s related proteins. Taken altogether, our results depict a role of link between mild-TBI and Parkinson’s disease as early as 3 days post impact, with a possible role of acylcarnitine. This same family of molecules was also present in SCI. In a therapeutic approach previous results showed RhoA protein as a major candidate post impact in SCI. After using RhoA inhibitor treatment, a proteomic study was carried out to investigate its impact on SCI. The results showed that both in-vivo and in-vitro treatment with RhoA inhibitor stimulated neurite outgrowth and helped in axonal regeneration

Temporally and spatially-resolved microproteomics and MALDI MSI lipidomic analysis for traumatic brain injury biomarker identification

ABSTRACTInternational audienc

Lipid Changes Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury Revealed by 3D MALDI-MSI

International audienceTraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in children and young adults worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The emergence of mass-spectrometry-based techniques, such as MALDI-MSI, has allowed the monitoring and visualization of changes post injury, providing a global picture of the impact of TBI on different classes of molecules in a single study. In this work, we show the ability to track lipid changes post-TBI by three-dimensional matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass-spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI). Controlled cortical impact (CCI) was induced on adult male rats resulting in direct mechanical injury to the cortical tissue on the right ipsilateral hemisphere of the brain. Images of lipid distribution in coronally sectioned injured brains were acquired using a high-resolution mass spectrometer (MALDI-LTQ-Orbitrap-XL). Results reveal unique lipid signatures for the injured cortical tissue, which further segregate into two subgroups of injury (lesion interior and lesion exterior). Although both subgroups show different profiles from that of the noninjured cortical tissue, the lesion interior is more similar to the ventricular system than the lesion exterior. For example, m/ z 725.56 showed expression in both injured tissue and the ventricular system, whereas m/ z 856.59 (phosphatidylcholine 42:9) is uniquely expressed in injured tissue. On the other hand, m/ z 797.59 (also a phosphatidylcholine) showed unique expression to the ventricular system and not to the injured cortical tissue. Our results can help in further monitoring and identifying lesion-specific lipids in a 3D manner to obtain a better understanding and visualization of molecular and cellular events occurring post-TBI

Serum Calprotectin in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Promising Diagnostic Marker, How Far Is It Related to Activity and Sonographic Findings?

Background: In the past 2 decades, there has been increasing interest in calprotectin. It is released and detected in serum and body fluids as a potentially useful clinical inflammatory marker. The protein has been described in synovial tissue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, specifically in the lining layer adjacent to the cartilage–pannus junction, which is the primary site of cartilage destruction and bone erosion. Assessment of inflammatory activity in RA is of pivotal importance for the optimal treatment. Our aim in this study is to measure the serum calprotectin levels in RA patients and to assess its association—if there is any—with disease activity score and radiological findings using the musculoskeletal ultrasound. Patients and methods: In our case control study, we included 44 RA patients (Group I) and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers who served as the control group (Group II). Both groups were subjected to full history taking and thorough clinical examination. Assessment of RA disease activity state was done for all RA patients using the Disease Activity Score 28. Laboratory investigations included the measurement of complete blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, anticitrullinated peptide antibodies, kidney, liver functions; serum calprotectin levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and radiological joint assessment was done using musculoskeletal ultrasound score. Results: There was a statistically significant elevation of serum calprotectin levels among RA patients when compared with healthy controls. Statistically significant correlations were also found between serum calprotectin and the ultrasound grading score, Disease Activity Score 28, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which reflect the degree of inflammatory activity in the affected joints in RA patients. Moreover, the study yielded a significant correlation between serum calprotectin levels and rheumatoid autoantibodies (rheumatoid factor and anticitrullinated peptide antibodies), which are strong predictors of the aggressiveness of the disease. Serum calprotectin at a cutoff level of 93.9 μg/dL had 88.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity for diagnosis of RA. Conclusion: Calprotectin was found to have high association with laboratory and ultrasonography markers of inflammation in RA patients, so it is recommended for use as a marker of inflammatory activity in RA patients especially for the follow-up of patients on biological therapy to assess its efficacy

Early-Career Complementologists (ECCO):Past achievements and future directions

The Early-Career Complementologists (ECCO) is a task force that was established, in close collaboration with the European Complement Network (ECN) and the International Complement Society (ICS), with the specific mission to support and connect early-career researchers (ECRs) in the complement field. ECRs are junior scientists at the early stages of their training which include undergraduate as well as graduate students, Ph.D. graduates, and post-doctoral fellows. This unique population within the scientific community represents the next generation of scientific leaders. However, ECRs are faced with key challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted them. In this paper, we provide further insight into specific needs and challenges of ECRs in the complement field. We surveyed 52 ECRs in the complement field and assessed their perceptions of 1) mentor and peer support, 2) working conditions as well as 3) career interests and prospects. Furthermore, we review the various activities carried out by ECCO over the past years such as our social media presence, social events, and newly-created awards. We also discuss the future activities and events to be carried out by ECCO. Through these initiatives and activities, ECCO strives to boost collaborations between ECRs, provide recognition, and improve the visibility of their work. In addition, continuous joint efforts must also be made by the scientific community, research institutes, and funding organizations to nurture and invest in ECRs

Early-Career Complementologists (ECCO) – Past achievements and future directions

The Early-Career Complementologists (ECCO) is a task force that was established, in close collaboration with the European Complement Network (ECN) and the International Complement Society (ICS), with the specific mission to support and connect early-career researchers (ECRs) in the complement field. ECRs are junior scientists at the early stages of their training which include undergraduate as well as graduate students, Ph.D. graduates, and post-doctoral fellows. This unique population within the scientific community represents the next generation of scientific leaders. However, ECRs are faced with key challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic has dispropor-tionately impacted them. In this paper, we provide further insight into specific needs and challenges of ECRs in the complement field. We surveyed 52 ECRs in the complement field and assessed their perceptions of 1) mentor and peer support, 2) working conditions as well as 3) career interests and prospects. Furthermore, we review the various activities carried out by ECCO over the past years such as our social media presence, social events, and newly-created awards. We also discuss the future activities and events to be carried out by ECCO. Through these initiatives and activities, ECCO strives to boost collaborations between ECRs, provide recognition, and improve the visibility of their work. In addition, continuous joint efforts must also be made by the scientific community, research institutes, and funding organizations to nurture and invest in ECRs