Regulatory T Cells: Potential Target in Anticancer Immunotherapy

SummaryThe concept of regulatory T cells was first described in the early 1970s, and regulatory T cells were called suppressive T cells at that time. Studies that followed have demonstrated that these suppressive T cells negatively regulated tumor immunity and contributed to tumor growth in mice. Despite the importance of these studies, there was extensive skepticism about the existence of these cells, and the concept of suppressive T cells left the center stage of immunologic research for decades. Interleukin-2 receptor α-chain, CD25, was first demonstrated in 1995 to serve as a phenotypic marker for CD4+ regulatory cells. Henceforth, research of regulatory T cells boomed. Regulatory T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of cancer, autoimmune disease, transplantation immunology, and immune tolerance in pregnancy. Recent evidence has demonstrated that regulatory T cellmediated immunosuppression is one of the crucial tumor immune evasion mechanisms and the main obstacle of successful cancer immunotherapy. The mechanism and the potential clinical application of regulatory T cells in cancer immunotherapy are discussed

Comparison of single-incision mini-slings (Ajust) and standard transobturator midurethral slings (Align) in the management of female stress urinary incontinence: A 1-year follow-up

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness and safety of a new single-incision mini-sling (SIMS)—Ajust—compared with the standard transobturator midurethral sling (SMUS)—Align—for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI).Materials and MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 1, 2010 and August 31, 2012. Women with SUI who underwent either SMUS-Align or SIMS-Ajust were recruited. The primary outcomes included operation time, estimated operative blood loss, postoperative pain, and complications. The secondary outcomes included subjective and objective success, defined as an International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) score of 0 or improvement as felt by the patient and a long-term complication, such as dyspareunia and mesh erosion after 6 months and 12 months of follow-up.ResultsA total of 136 patients were enrolled, including 76 receiving SMUS-Align and 60 receiving SIMS-Ajust. Baseline characteristics of the patients in both groups were similar, without a statistically significant difference. Primary outcomes between both groups were similar, except that women treated with SIMS-Ajust had statistically significantly shorter operation time (p = 0.003), less intent to treat (p < 0.05), and earlier postoperative discharge (p = 0.001) than women treated with SMUS-Align. Secondary outcomes were similar without a significant difference between the two groups (93% vs. 88% success rate in each group).ConclusionOur results showed that SIMS-Ajust was not inferior to SMUS-Align with respect to success rate, and might have a slight advantage in early discharge. A long-term follow-up or prospective study is needed to confirm the above findings