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Inclusive transverse momentum distributions of charged hadrons within 0.2<pT<6.0 GeV/c have been measured over a broad range of centrality for Au+Au collisions at sqrt[sNN]=130 GeV. Hadron yields are suppressed at high pT in central collisions relative to peripheral collisions and to a nucleon-nucleon reference scaled for collision geometry. Peripheral collisions are not suppressed relative to the nucleon-nucleon reference. The suppression varies continuously at intermediate centralities. The results indicate significant nuclear medium effects on high-pT hadron production in heavy-ion collisions at high energy.
We report the first measurement of strange ( Lambda ) and antistrange ( Lambda -bar) baryon production from sqrt[sNN]=130 GeV Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Rapidity density and transverse mass distributions at midrapidity are presented as a function of centrality. The yield of Lambda and Lambda -bar hyperons is found to be approximately proportional to the number of negative hadrons. The production of Lambda -bar hyperons relative to negative hadrons increases very rapidly with transverse momentum. The magnitude of the increase cannot be described by existing hadronic string fragmentation models alone.
Hypoxia-induced long non-coding RNA Malat1 is dispensable for renal ischemia/reperfusion-injury
(2018)
Renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Non-coding RNAs are crucially involved in its pathophysiology. We identified hypoxia-induced long non-coding RNA Malat1 (Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1) to be upregulated in renal I/R injury. We here elucidated the functional role of Malat1 in vitro and its potential contribution to kidney injury in vivo. Malat1 was upregulated in kidney biopsies and plasma of patients with AKI, in murine hypoxic kidney tissue as well as in cultured and ex vivo sorted hypoxic endothelial cells and tubular epithelial cells. Malat1 was transcriptionally activated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α. In vitro, Malat1 inhibition reduced proliferation and the number of endothelial cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle. In vivo, Malat1 knockout and wildtype mice showed similar degrees of outer medullary tubular epithelial injury, proliferation, capillary rarefaction, inflammation and fibrosis, survival and kidney function. Small-RNA sequencing and whole genome expression analysis revealed only minor changes between ischemic Malat1 knockout and wildtype mice. Contrary to previous studies, which suggested a prominent role of Malat1 in the induction of disease, we did not confirm an in vivo role of Malat1 concerning renal I/R-injury.
Selective BRAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib have become a treatment option in patients with Langerhans cell Histiocytosis (LCH). To date, only 14 patients receiving vemurafenib for LCH have been reported. Although vemurafenib can stabilize the clinical condition of these patients, it does not seem to cure the patients, and it is unknown, when and how to stop vemurafenib treatment. We present a girl with severe multisystem LCH who responded only to vemurafenib. After 8 months of treatment, vemurafenib was tapered and replaced by prednisone and vinblastine, a strategy which has not been described to date. Despite chemotherapy, early relapse occurred, but remission was achieved by re-institution of vemurafenib. Further investigation needs to address the optimal duration of vemurafenib therapy in LCH and whether and which chemotherapeutic regimen may prevent disease relapse after cessation of vemurafenib.
1. Analysiert werden die Daten aus dem Pädiatrischen Register für Stammzelltransplantation der Patienten, die nach einer ersten Stammzelltransplantation ein Folgerezidiv erlitten und mit einer zweiten Transplantation behandelt wurden.
2. In dem erfassten Zeitraum von 1988 bis 2007 sind im PRST 158 Patienten als Zweit-SZT nach Folgerezidiv erfasst. Letztlich konnten 106 Patienten in die Analyse aufgenommen werden.
3. Von den 106 pädiatrischen Patienten, die mit einer zweiten Transplantation wegen eines Rückfalls nach erster Transplantation bei ALL, AML und MDS behandelt wurden, haben 33 Patienten (ca. 30 %) ein ereignisfreies Langzeitüberleben erreicht. Aufgrund der vielen frühen Ereignisse fällt die Kaplan-Meier-Überlebenskurve auf errechnete 12 %. Die Nachbeobachtungszeit beträgt dabei im Mittel 27,5 Monate. Ein erneutes Rezidiv führt in der Regel zum Versterben des Patienten an einer Progression der Grunderkrankung. Lediglich 1 Patient mit ALL dieser Gruppe lebt in CR nach 3. Stammzelltransplantation. Dies entspricht einem Overall Survival von 32 %. Diese Daten sind vergleichbar mit den in der Literatur mitgeteilten.
4. Eine Analyse der in Frankfurt betreuten Patienten zeigt, dass nur 20% der Patienten mit Rezidiv nach 1.SZT zu einer 2.SZT gelangen. Auch dies entspricht den in der Literatur berichteten Ergebnissen.
5. Mädchen haben eine bessere Prognose als Jungen, insbesondere Mädchen jünger als 10 Jahre zum Zeitpunkt der Zweiten Transplantation zeigen ein ereignisfreies Überleben von 42 %.
6. Die Toxizitätsanalysen zeigen, dass die Hälfte der Ereignisse durch Transplantations-abhängige Mortalität bedingt ist. Die Verwendung eines Konditionierungsregimes mit reduzierter Intensität und erhofft reduzierter Toxizität verringert interessanterweise nicht die TRM-Rate, wohl aber die Rückfall-Rate.
7. Ein Mindestabstand von 200 Tagen zwischen den beiden Transplantationszeitpunkten führt zu einem signifikant besseren Ergebnis beim ereignisfreien Überleben, dabei kann nicht mit ausreichender Signifikanz gesagt werden, dass die Remissionsdauer nach 1. SZT in unserem Kollektiv von Bedeutung ist für das Langzeitüberleben, auch wenn ein Trend erkennbar ist. Remissionsdauern von mehr als 9 Monaten nach 1.SZT haben keinen zusätzlichen positiven Einfluß auf das Langzeitüberleben.
8. Patienten mit akuter Leukämie müssen vor einer zweiten Transplantation in einer morphologischen Remission sein, um eine realistische Chance auf Heilung zu haben.
9. Patienten, die nach 2003 einer Zweittransplantation unterzogen wurden, schneiden nicht signifikant besser ab, als die vor dem Jahr 2003 transplantierten. Dafür gibt es sicher eine Reihe von Gründen, die analysiertern Gruppen unterliegen aber einem BIAS. Unter anderem ist die Verteilung der Erkrankungen nicht gleich. Aber auch die unterschiedlich langen Remissionszeiträume deuten an, dass vor 2003 eine etwas andere Patientengruppe zweittransplantiert wurde als nach 2003. Die unterschiedlichen Mediane der Zeitintervalle zwischen den beiden Transplantationen mit einem deutlich längeren Zeitintervall in der Gruppe der nach 2003 transplantierten zeigen weiterhin an, dass insgesamt ein anderes therapeutisches Verhalten nach dem Rückfall nach erster Transplantation eingenommen wird und eine längere Intervallbehandlung in das Therapiekonzept eingeschlossen wird.
10. Die Patienten profitieren von akuter GvH bezüglich des ereignisfreien Überlebens. Höhergradige akute GvH führt aber entweder zu TRM oder mündet in ausgedehnter chronischer GvH. Auch chronische GvH bietet einen Schutz vor Rückfall. Aussagen über die Lebensqualität dieser Patienten können aus den gewonnenen Daten nicht gemacht werden.
11. Während ein Spenderwechsel bei 2. SZT offensichtlich nicht zu einem besseren Ergebnis beiträgt, zeigen Transplantationen von einem mismatch Spender und Transplantationen mit einem T-Zell-depletierten Graft ein gleichwertiges Ergebnis zu konventionellen Transplantationen. Die -allerdings sehr- kleine Gruppe der Patienten, die mit RIC konditioniert und von einem CD3/CD19 depletierten Grafteines haploidenten Familienspender transplantiert wurden, haben mit einem Overall Survival von 5/5 und einem EFS von 4/5 ein exzellentes Ergebnis. Ob dieses Behandlungskonzept zu einem besseren Outcome führen kann, muß in Zukunft aber noch an größeren Fallzahlen gezeigt werden.
12. Die in Frankfurt betreuten, lebenden Patienten zeigen durchweg eine zufriedenstellende bis gute Lebensqualität. Eine Frankfurter Patientin ist an eine ausgedehnten chronischen GvH nach langem schwerem Verlauf mit sehr eingeschränkter Lebensqualität gestorben.
13. Zweitmalignome sind ausser dem detailliert beschriebenen Frankfurter Patienten keine weiteren bisher berichtet worden. Nach den PRST- Daten ist ein Folge-Rezidiv nach erster Stammzelltransplantation bei ALL, AML und MDS therapeutisch keine ausweglose Situation und ein erneuter kurativer Behandlungswunsch der Patienten und ihrer Familien sollte unterstützt werden. Um aussagefähige Daten zu erhalten, sind allerdings prospektiv durchgeführte Studien erforderlich, die neben der Frage der optimalen SZT-Modalitäten zusätzlich auch Aussagen zur Lebensqualität treffen können müssen.
In an ongoing clinical phase I/II study, 16 pediatric patients suffering from high risk leukemia/tumors received highly purified donor natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy (NK-DLI) at day (+3) +40 and +100 post haploidentical stem cell transplantation. However, literature about the influence of NK-DLI on recipient's immune system is scarce. Here we present concomitant results of a noninvasive in vivo monitoring approach of recipient's peripheral blood (PB) cells after transfer of either unstimulated (NK-DLI(unstim)) or IL-2 (1000 U/ml, 9–14 days) activated NK cells (NK-DLI(IL-2 stim)) along with their ex vivo secreted cytokine/chemokines. We performed phenotypical and functional characterizations of the NK-DLIs, detailed flow cytometric analyses of various PB cells and comprehensive cytokine/chemokine arrays before and after NK-DLI. Patients of both groups were comparable with regard to remission status, immune reconstitution, donor chimerism, KIR mismatching, stem cell and NK-DLI dose. Only after NK-DLI(IL-2 stim) was a rapid, almost complete loss of CD56(bright)CD16(dim/−) immune regulatory and CD56(dim)CD16(+) cytotoxic NK cells, monocytes, dendritic cells and eosinophils from PB circulation seen 10 min after infusion, while neutrophils significantly increased. The reduction of NK cells was due to both, a decrease in patients' own CD69(−) NCR(low)CD62L(+) NK cells as well as to a diminishing of the transferred cells from the NK-DLI(IL-2 stim) with the CD56(bright)CD16(+/−)CD69(+)NCR(high)CD62L(−) phenotype. All cell counts recovered within the next 24 h. Transfer of NK-DLI(IL-2 stim) translated into significantly increased levels of various cytokines/chemokines (i.e. IFN-γ, IL-6, MIP-1β) in patients' PB. Those remained stable for at least 1 h, presumably leading to endothelial activation, leukocyte adhesion and/or extravasation. In contrast, NK-DLI(unstim) did not cause any of the observed effects. In conclusion, we assume that the adoptive transfer of NK-DLI(IL-2 stim) under the influence of ex vivo and in vivo secreted cytokines/chemokines may promote NK cell trafficking and therefore might enhance efficacy of immunotherapy.
Prognosis of refractory childhood cancers despite multimodal treatment strategies remains poor. Here, we report a single center experience encountered in 18 patients with refractory solid malignancies treated with adoptive cellular immunotherapy (ACI) from haploidentical or matched donors following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. While seven patients were in partial and six in complete remission (CR), five patients suffered from relapsed diseases at the time of ACI. 1.5-year probabilities of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 19.5% and 16.1% for all patients. Patients in CR showed estimated 1.5-year OS and PFS of 50.1% and 42.7%, respectively. CR was induced or rather sustained in ten children, with two still being alive 9.6 and 9.3 years after ACI. Naïve, central and effector memory T-cells correlated with responses. However, the majority of patients relapsed. Cumulative incidence of relapse was 79.8% at 1.5 years. Acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) occurred in nine of 18 patients (50%) with aGVHD grade I–II observed in six (33%) and aGVHD grade III seen in three (17%) patients, manageable in all cases.
Altogether, study results indicate that donor-derived ACI at its current state offers palliation but no clear curative benefit for refractory childhood cancers and warrants further improvement.
Background: Cytokine-induced-killer (CIK) cells are a promising immunotherapeutic approach for impending relapse following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, there is a high risk for treatment failure associated with severe graft versus host disease (GvHD) necessitating pharmaceutical intervention post-transplant. Whether immunosuppression with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or Ciclosporin A (CsA) influences the cytotoxic effect of CIK cell immunotherapy is still an open issue.
Methods: CIK cells were generated from PBMC as previously described followed by co-incubation with mycophenolic acid (MPA) or CsA. Proliferation, cytotoxicity and receptor expression were investigated following short- (24 h), intermediate- (3 days) and long-term (7 days) MPA incubation with the intention to simulate the in vivo situation when CIK cells were given to a patient with relevant MPA/CsA plasma levels.
Results: Short-term MPA treatment led to unchanged proliferation capacity and barely had any effect on viability and cytotoxic capability in vitro. The composition of CIK cells with respect to T-, NK-like T- and NK cells remained stable. Intermediate MPA treatment lacked effects on NKG2D, FasL and TRAIL receptor expression, while an influence on proliferation and viability was detectable. Furthermore, long-term treatment significantly impaired proliferation, restricted viability and drastically reduced migration-relevant receptors accompanied by an alteration in the CD4/CD8 ratio. CD3+CD56+ cells upregulated receptors relevant for CIK cell killing and migration, whereas T cells showed the most interference through significant reductions in receptor expression. Interestingly, CsA treatment had no significant influence on CIK cell viability and the cytotoxic potential against K562.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that if immunosuppressant therapy is indispensable, efficacy of CIK cells is maintained at least short-term, although more frequent dosing might be necessary.
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid extracranial tumor in childhood. Despite therapeutic progress, prognosis in high-risk NB is poor and innovative therapies are urgently needed. Therefore, we addressed the potential cytotoxic capacity of interleukin (IL)-activated natural killer (NK) cells compared to cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells for the treatment of NB. NK cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by indirect CD56-enrichment or CD3/CD19-depletion and expanded with different cytokine combinations, such as IL-2, IL-15, and/or IL-21 under feeder-cell free conditions. CIK cells were generated from PBMCs by ex vivo stimulation with interferon-γ, IL-2, OKT-3, and IL-15. Comparative analysis of expansion rate, purity, phenotype and cytotoxicity was performed. CD56-enriched NK cells showed a median expansion rate of 4.3-fold with up to 99% NK cell content. The cell product after CD3/CD19-depletion consisted of a median 43.5% NK cells that expanded significantly faster reaching also 99% of NK cell purity. After 10–12 days of expansion, both NK cell preparations showed a significantly higher median cytotoxic capacity against NB cells relative to CIK cells. Remarkably, these NK cells were also capable of efficiently killing NB spheroidal 3D culture in long-term cytotoxicity assays. Further optimization using a novel NK cell culture medium and a prolonged culturing procedure after CD3/CD19-depletion for up to 15 days enhanced the expansion rate up to 24.4-fold by maintaining the cytotoxic potential. Addition of an IL-21 boost prior to harvesting significantly increased the cytotoxicity. The final cell product consisted for the major part of CD16−, NCR-expressing, poly-functional NK cells with regard to cytokine production, CD107a degranulation and antitumor capacity. In summary, our study revealed that NK cells have a significantly higher cytotoxic potential to combat NB than CIK cell products, especially following the synergistic use of IL-15 and IL-21 for NK cell activation. Therefore, the use of IL-15+IL-21 expanded NK cells generated from CD3/CD19-depleted apheresis products seems to be highly promising as an immunotherapy in combination with haploidentical stem cell transplantation (SCT) for high-risk NB patients.
As the biology of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in patients with non-malignant hematological diseases (NMHD) is poorly understood, in the current study we performed a basic characterization of the phenotype and functional activity of NMHD-MSCs. Bone marrow (BM) of patients with thalassemia major (TM) possessed a significantly higher number of nucleated cells (BM-MNCs)/mL BM than healthy donors (P < 0.0001), which however did not result in a higher number of colony forming units-fibroblast (CFU-F) per milliliter BM. In contrast, from 1 × 106 BM-MNCs of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) were generated significantly more CFU-Fs than from TM-BM-MNCs (P < 0.013) and control group (P < 0.02). In addition, NMHD-MSCs expressed significantly lower levels of CD146 molecule, demonstrated an equal proliferation potential and differentiated along three lineages (osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes) as healthy donors’ MSCs, with exception of TM-MSCs which differentiated weakly in adipocytes. In contrast to other NMHD-MSCs and healthy donors’ MSCs, TM-MSCs demonstrated an impaired in vitro immunosuppressive potential, either. Noteworthy, the majority of the immunosuppressive effect of NMHD-MSCs was mediated through prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2), because indomethacin (an inhibitor of PGE2 synthesis) was able to significantly reverse this effect. Our results indicate therefore that NMHD-MSCs, except TM-MSCs, may be used as an autologous cell-based therapy for post-transplant complications such as graft failure, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and osteonecrosis.