Recent Publications

Patients with advanced salivary gland malignancies (SGCs) have few therapy options. Although results from newly published trials suggest that checkpoint inhibition may be useful in a subgroup of patients, there are no clear criteria for PD-L1 score in SGCs. Chemotherapy benefits were observed to be limited, with a dismal prognosis in unresectable and high-grade SGC. Immunotherapies have demonstrated extraordinary efficacy in a variety of cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer and malignant melanoma. Anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab has been shown to have potent anti-tumor action in a number of clinical trials. We report a unique case of advanced high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid salivary gland after Pembrolizumab treatment as a first line therapy. 

Mitochondria play central roles in maintaining cellular metabolic homeostasis, cell survival and cell death, and generate most of the cell's energy. Mitochondria maintain their homeostasis by dynamic (fission and fusion) and quality control mechanisms, including mitophagy, the removal of damaged mitochondria that is mediated mainly by the Pink1/Parkin pathway. Pink1 is a serine/threonine kinase which regulates mitochondrial function, hitherto many molecular mechanisms underlying Pink1 activity in mitochondrial homeostasis and cell fate remain unknown. Peptides are vital biological mediators that demonstrate remarkable potency, selectivity, and low toxicity, yet they have two major limitations, low oral bioavailability and poor stability. Herein, we rationally designed a linear peptide that targets Pink1 and, using straightforward chemistry, we developed molecular probes with drug-like properties to further characterize Pink1

In several countries, no gender identity- and sexual orientation-related data is routinely collected, if not for specific health or administrative/social purposes. Implementing and ensuring equitable and inclusive socio-demographic data collection is of paramount importance, given that the LGBTI community suffers from a disproportionate burden in terms of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there exists no systematic review addressing the methods that can be implemented in capturing gender identity- and sexual orientation-related data in the healthcare sector. A systematic literature review was conducted for filling in this gap of knowledge. 

The immune system matures throughout childhood to achieve full functionality in protecting our bodies against threats. The immune system has a strong reciprocal symbiosis with the host bacterial population and the two systems co-develop, shaping each other. Despite their fundamental role in health physiology, the ontogeny of these systems is poorly characterized. In this study, we investigated the development of the BCR repertoire by analyzing high-throughput sequencing of their receptors in several time points of young C57BL/6J mice. In parallel, we explored the development of the gut microbiome. 

There is a paucity of data regarding sex differences in the profiles and outcomes of ambulatory patients on LVAD support who present to the emergency department (ED). We performed a retrospective analysis of 57,200 LVAD-related ED patient-encounters from the 2010-2018 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Hypovolemic shock is the leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. Remote damage control resuscitation has evolved dramatically in the past decade by introducing novel treatments and approaches to bleeding in the prehospital setting. This report presents a case of a casualty who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and gluteal regions and suffered from hemorrhagic shock with an Injury Severity Score of 34.

Despite advancing technology, right heart failure after left ventricular assist device implantation remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality. With the UNOS allocation policy change, a larger proportion of patients proceeding to LVAD are destination therapy and consist of an overall sicker population. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of right heart failure is critical for ensuring the ongoing success of durable LVADs. The purpose of this review is to describe the effect of LVAD implantation on right heart function, review the diagnostic and predictive criteria related to right heart failure, and discuss the current evidence for management and treatment of post-LVAD right heart failure.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to comments gracefully raised by van der Pluijm et al. [1] and referring to our paper titled: “Resistance to antimalarial monotherapy is cyclic."...

To infer the causality between obesity and fracture and the difference between general and abdominal obesity, a prospective study was performed in 456,921 participants, and 10,142 participants developed an incident fracture with follow-up period of 7.96 years. A U-shape relationship was observed between BMI and fracture, with the lowest risk of fracture in overweight participants. 

Molar pregnancy is the most common type of gestational trophoblastic disease. Several recent reports have described changes in the clinical representation, the incidence and the diagnostic sensitivity of molar pregnancy. These changes could be due to widespread use of transvaginal ultrasound and beta-hCG testing in the management of routine first-trimester investigations. This is a retrospective study of 144 women diagnosed with partial or complete mole at a regional medical center during 2007-2020.

The association of vitiligo with psoriasis is inconsistent in the current literature. Assess the bidirectional association between vitiligo and psoriasis.

The association of autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs) with thyroid disorders remains to be profoundly investigated. Evaluates the epidemiological association between six AIBDs and thyroid disorders.

Promoting healthy lifestyle is key to tackling lifestyle-induced diseases, yet many doctors feel unskilled and medical schools lack its inclusion in their curricula. The impact of a novel elective lifestyle course is described, where students provided 3 months' coaching to at-risk patients.

Limited data exist regarding the significance of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We evaluated 16,922 consecutive ACS patients who were prospectively included in a national ACS registry. The co-primary endpoint included 30 days major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) (re-infarction, stroke, and/or cardiovascular death) and 1-year mortality.

Changing patterns of vaccine breakthrough can clarify vaccine effectiveness. Compares breakthrough infections during a SARS-CoV-2 Delta wave vs unvaccinated inpatients, and an earlier Alpha wave.