The Ursinus Weekly, May 23, 1949

Variety of events await returning alumni June 4 • Speakers\u27 lives promise valuable commencement • Jentsch takes vote of future seniors in class elections • Mazurkiewicz gets \u27Lantern\u27 editorship • Ursinus to award honorary degrees in annual ceremony • Rosicrucians admit four senior girls to full membership • Y plans activities for 1949-50 season at spring retreat • Forum group plans next year\u27s roster; H. Isaacs to speak • Health group plans Pfahler conference • Musicians nominate choices for office • Cub and Key to celebrate tenth anniversary in June • Curtain Club chooses Tom Swan to serve as 1949-1950 president • WSGA to hold banquet • IRC elects officers • Editorial: chapel system • New IRC prexy asks for student interest • Y provides center with changed face by paint, furniture • Bear males take off in revealing take off • Three records fall on Patterson Field in meet with Lehigh • Excellent record shows merits of lady mentor • Rally beats bruins in 5-4 Drexel game • Softballers defeat Albright coeds 12-6 in Reading contest • Ursinus men place fourth in invitation track meet • Bear nine drops pair in final home stand • Local netmen split; secure initial win • Double loss befalls girls\u27 tennis squad • Interdorm softball playoffs to feature Stine and Curtis II • Dragons defeat golfers 5-4 in closing match of season • Tennis competition proves keen as coed jayvees drop 3-2 match • Barnard College considers honor system • Folklore group discusses Pennsylvania German traitshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1619/thumbnail.jp

Strategies to Target Tumor Immunosuppression

The tumor microenvironment is currently in the spotlight of cancer immunology research as a key factor impacting tumor development and progression. While antigen-specific immune responses play a crucial role in tumor rejection, the tumor hampers these immune responses by creating an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Recently, major progress has been achieved in the field of cancer immunotherapy, and several groundbreaking clinical trials demonstrated the potency of such therapeutic interventions in patients. Yet, the responses greatly vary among individuals. This calls for the rational design of more efficacious cancer immunotherapeutic interventions that take into consideration the “immune signature” of the tumor. Multimodality treatment regimens that aim to enhance intratumoral homing and activation of antigen-specific immune effector cells, while simultaneously targeting tumor immunosuppression, are pivotal for potent antitumor immunity

Using a modified Delphi methodology to gain consensus on the use of dressings in chronic wounds management

Objective: Managing chronic wounds is associated with a burden to patients, caregivers, health services and society and there is a lack of clarity regarding the role of dressings in improving outcomes. This study aimed to provide understanding on a range of topics, including: the definition of chronicity in wounds, the burden of illness, clinical outcomes of reducing healing time and the impact of early interventions on clinical and economic outcomes and the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in wound healing. Method: A systematic review of the literature was carried out on the role of dressings in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), and venous leg ulcer (VLU) management strategies, their effectiveness, associated resource use/cost, and quality of life (QoL) impact on patients. From this evidence-base statements were written regarding chronicity in wounds, burden of illness, healing time, and the role of MMPs, early interventions and dressings. A modified Delphi methodology involving two iterations of email questionnaires followed by a face-to-face meeting was used to validate the statements, in order to arrive at a consensus for each. Clinical experts were selected, representing nurses, surgeons, podiatrists, academics, and policy experts. Results: In the first round, 38/47 statements reached or exceeded the consensus threshold of 80% and none were rejected. According to the protocol, any statement not confirmed or rejected had to be modified using the comments from participants and resubmitted. In the second round, 5/9 remaining statements were confirmed and none rejected, leaving 4 to discuss at the meeting. All final statements were confirmed with at least 80% consensus. Conclusion: This modified Delphi panel sought to gain clarity from clinical experts surrounding the use of dressings in the management of chronic wounds. A full consensus statement was developed to help clinicians and policy makers improve the management of patients with these conditions

Mesothelioma tumor cells modulate dendritic cell lipid content, phenotype and function

Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in the generation of anti-cancer immune responses, however there is evidence that DCs in cancer patients are dysfunctional. Lipid accumulation driven by tumor-derived factors has recently been shown to contribute to DC dysfunction in several human cancers, but has not yet been examined in mesothelioma. This study investigated if mesothelioma tumor cells and/or their secreted factors promote increases in DC lipid content and modulate DC function. Human monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) were exposed to human mesothelioma tumor cells and tumor-derived factors in the presence or absence of lipoproteins. The data showed that immature MoDCs exposed to mesothelioma cells or factors contained increased lipid levels relative to control DCs. Lipid accumulation was associated with reduced antigen processing ability (measured using a DQ OVA assay), upregulation of the co-stimulatory molecule, CD86, and production of the tolerogenic cytokine, IL-10. Increases in DC lipid content were further enhanced by co-exposure to mesothelioma-derived factors and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, but not low-density lipoproteins. In vivo studies using a murine mesothelioma model showed that the lipid content of tumor-infiltrating CD4<sup>+</sup>CD8a<sup>-</sup> DCs, CD4<sup>-</sup>CD8a<sup>-</sup> DCs and plasmacytoid DCs increased with tumor progression. Moreover, increasing tumor burden was associated with reduced proliferation of tumor-antigen-specific CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes. This study shows that mesothelioma promotes DC lipid acquisition, which is associated with altered activation status and reduced capacity to process and present antigens, which may impair the ability of DCs to generate effective anti mesothelioma T cell responses