Treatment Toxicity: Radiation

Radiation exposures, both intentional and unintentional, have influence on normal tissue function. Short-term and long-term injuries can occur to all cell systems of both limited and rapid self-renewal potential. Radiation effects can last a lifetime for a patient and can produce complications for all organs and systems. Often invisible at the time of exposure, the fingerprints for cell damage can appear at any timepoint after. Health-care providers will need comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the acute and late effects of radiation exposure and how these interrelate with immediate and long-term care

Proton Therapy Center Layout and Interface

Due to space requirements and a substantial financial burden, the feasibility of health systems adopting proton therapy has been called into question. However, advances in facility design and treatment delivery have allowed institutions offering proton therapy to reduce footprint while incorporating technological improvements at reduced costs. As the number of centers and patients treated continue to increase, this chapter will review the layout and interface of proton therapy facilities providing a detailed overview of the design, costs and faculty and staff considerations

Salivary Antibody Response of COVID-19 in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Young Adult Populations

COVID-19 is a terrible pandemic sweeping the whole world with more than 600 million confirmed cases and 6 million recorded deaths. Vaccination was identified as the sole option that could help in combatting the disease. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were assessed in the saliva of vaccinated participants (Covaxin and Covishield) through enzyme-linked sorbent assay (ELISA). The IgG antibody titres in females were significantly greater than those of males. The total antibody titres of vaccinated individuals were greater than those of unvaccinated participants, although not statistically significant. Individuals who had completed both doses of vaccination had higher antibody levels than those who had received a single dose. People who had experienced COVID-19 after vaccination had better immunity compared to those who were unvaccinated with COVID-19 history. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific antibodies were successfully demonstrated in saliva samples, and knowledge about the immunity triggered by the vaccines can assist in making informed choices

Immunocapture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Assessment of In Vitro Potency of Recombinant Hepatitis B Vaccines▿

Quantification of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or relative in vitro potency in the final vaccines is a prerequisite for hepatitis B vaccine batch release. The commercial kit for automated analysis (AxSYM) is expensive, and an alternative is required for the estimation of HBsAg in hepatitis B vaccines. Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for HBsAg were developed and characterized. One of the monoclonal antibodies (HBs06) was used in development of an immunocapture ELISA (IC-ELISA) as an unlabeled capture antibody and biotin-labeled detection antibody. The IC-ELISA was standardized and validated using experimental hepatitis B vaccine batches with various HBsAg concentrations per dose and commercial vaccines. The vaccine was treated with an alkaline solubilizer to desorb the HBsAg from Algel-adjuvanted vaccines before testing, and the sensitivity of the test was 5 ng/ml. A good correlation could be observed between the HBsAg estimates derived by both formats, except for the higher HBsAg concentration range, where the IC-ELISA format could estimate closer to the actual values than AxSYM. There was a significant correlation between the estimated relative potencies of the two methods. There was lack of correlation between the in vivo potency and the relative in vitro potency. However, the estimates of IC-ELISA were comparable to the in vivo values when compared with the estimates of AxSYM. The IC-ELISA can therefore be considered to be a reliable test for deriving in vitro relative potency and antigen concentration in vaccine batches for batch control and release

Role of flavonoids and vitamins in cancer

Flavonoids are naturally occurring polyphenolic plant compounds that are capable of inhibiting histamine and cytokine release from several cells. Many studies suggest that flavonoids are anticancer agents with an apoptotic effect on tumor cells. Studies with animal tumour models have found vitamin deficiency to enhance susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis and large doses of anti-oxidant vitamins and flavonoids to inhibit carcinogenesis. In some studies flavonoids and/or vitamins were found to reduce the predisposition to develop tumours in animals and humans. In conclusion, in this review we describe the role of flavonoids and vitamins in cancer