Integration of radiation oncology teaching in medical studies by German medical faculties due to the new licensing regulations: an overview and recommendations of the consortium academic radiation oncology of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO)

The new Medical Licensing Regulations 2025 (Ärztliche Approbationsordnung, ÄApprO) will soon be passed by the Federal Council (Bundesrat) and will be implemented step by step by the individual faculties in the coming months. The further development of medical studies essentially involves an orientation from fact-based to competence-based learning and focuses on practical, longitudinal and interdisciplinary training. Radiation oncology and radiation therapy are important components of therapeutic oncology and are of great importance for public health, both clinically and epidemiologically, and therefore should be given appropriate attention in medical education. This report is based on a recent survey on the current state of radiation therapy teaching at university hospitals in Germany as well as the contents of the National Competence Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Medicine 2.0 (Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin 2.0, NKLM) and the closely related Subject Catalogue (Gegenstandskatalog, GK) of the Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examination Questions (Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Prüfungsfragen, IMPP). The current recommendations of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie, DEGRO) regarding topics, scope and rationale for the establishment of radiation oncology teaching at the respective faculties are also included

Human CIK Cells Loaded with Au Nanorods as a Theranostic Platform for Targeted Photoacoustic Imaging and Enhanced Immunotherapy and Photothermal Therapy

How to realize targeted photoacoustic imaging, enhanced immunotherapy, and photothermal therapy of gastric cancer has become a great challenge. Herein, we reported for the first time that human cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) loaded with gold nanorods were used for targeted photoacoustic imaging, enhanced immunotherapy, and photothermal therapy of gastric cancer. Silica-modified gold nanorods were prepared; then incubated with human cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK), resultant human CIK cells loaded with Au nanorods were evaluated for their cytotoxicity, targeted ability of gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo, immunotherapy, and photothermal therapy efficacy. In vitro cell experiment shows that human CIK cells labeled with gold nanorods actively target gastric cancer MGC803 cells, inhibit growth of MGC803 cells by inducing cell apoptosis, and kill MGC803 cells under low power density near-infrared (NIR) laser treatment (808-nm continuous wave laser, 1.5 W/cm2, 3 min). In vivo experiment results showed that human CIK cells labeled with gold nanorods could target actively and image subcutaneous gastric cancer vessels via photoacoustic imaging at 4 h post-injection, could enhance immunotherapy efficacy by up-regulating cytokines such as IL-1, IL-12, IL-2, IL-4, IL-17, and IFN-γ, and kill gastric cancer tissues by photothermal therapy via direct injection into tumor site under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. High-performance human CIK cells labeled with Au nanorods are a good novel theranostic platform to exhibit great potential in applications such as tumor-targeted photoacoustic imaging, enhanced immunotherapy, and photothermal therapy in the near future

Immuncheckpointinhibitoren in der Behandlung der progressiven multifokalen Leukenzephalopathie

Hintergrund: E-Mental-Health (EMH) spielt im ambulanten Versorgungssetting depressiver Störungen zunehmend eine Rolle. Ziel dieser Studie war die Implementierung und Evaluierung der Anwendbarkeit und des Nutzens des onlinebasierten Selbstmanagementprogramms 'iFightDepression' (iFD) als Zusatzangebot im Rahmen einer leitliniengerechten Behandlung auf einer Spezialstation für affektive Störungen. Methodik: Es wurden insgesamt 78 stationäre PatientInnen mit einer unipolaren Depression unterschiedlichen Schweregrades (ICD-10 F32.0-3, F33.0-3) oder einer Dysthymie (F34) rekrutiert. Die Interventionsdauer mit dem iFD-Tool belief sich vom Zeitpunkt der stationären Aufnahme bis zur Entlassung und wurde vom Stationspersonal begleitet. Die Erhebung der Symptomschwere sowie von Parametern zur Behandlungserwartung und Therapievorerfahrung erfolgte online vor der Intervention (T0), die Interventionszufriedenheit wurde unmittelbar vor der stationären Entlassung (T1) mittels eines Paper-pencil-Fragebogens erfasst. Ergebnisse: Von den 78 Teilnehmenden loggten sich 42 mindestens einmal in das iFD-Tool ein. Es zeigten sich moderat hohe Erwartungswerte sowie leicht überdurchschnittliche Zufriedenheitswerte bezüglich der Behandlung. 67 % der aktiven NutzerInnen gaben an, das iFD-Tool poststationär weiter nutzen zu wollen. Wesentliche Gründe gegen die Nutzung waren eine kurze Aufenthaltsdauer, eine schwere depressive Symptomatik und fehlende Medienkompetenz. Diskussion: Eine Implementierung des iFD-Tools im stationären Setting ist prinzipiell machbar und führte zu positiven Rückmeldungen seitens der NutzerInnen. Auch konnten sich die meisten aktiv an der Studie Teilnehmenden eine weitere Nutzung des iFD-Tools nach der Entlassung gut vorstellen. Allerdings weisen die insgesamt geringen Nutzungs- (42/78, 54 %) und Komplettierungsraten auf Nutzungsbarrieren hin, deren Überwindung entsprechende Anpassungen der Intervention speziell für den stationären Einsatz erforderlich machen

Feature-tracking myocardial strain analysis in acute myocarditis: diagnostic value and association with myocardial oedema

Objectives To investigate the diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature-tracking (FT) myocardial strain analysis in patients with suspected acute myocarditis and its association with myocardial oedema. Methods Forty-eight patients with suspected acute myocarditis and 35 control subjects underwent CMR. FT CMR analysis of systolic longitudinal (LS), circumferential (CS) and radial strain (RS) was performed. Additionally, the protocol allowed for the assessment of T1 and T2 relaxation times. Results When compared with healthy controls, myocarditis patients demonstrated reduced LS, CS and RS values (LS: -19.5 +/- 4.4% vs. -23.6 +/- 3.1%, CS: -23.0 +/- 5.8% vs. -27.4 +/- 3.4%, RS: 28.9 +/- 8.5% vs. 32.4 +/- 7.4%; P < 0.05, respectively). LS (T1: r = 0.462, P < 0.001; T2: r = 0.436, P < 0.001) and CS (T1: r = 0.429, P < 0.001; T2: r = 0.467, P < 0.001) showed the strongest correlations with T1 and T2 relaxations times. Area under the curve of LS (0.79) was higher compared with those of CS (0.75; P = 0.478) and RS (0.62; P = 0.008). Conclusions FT CMR myocardial strain analysis might serve as a new tool for assessment of myocardial dysfunction in the diagnostic work-up of patients suspected of having acute myocarditis. Especially, LS and CS show a sufficient diagnostic performance and were most closely correlated with CMR parameters of myocardial oedema