Project description:This report highlights key research from the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, with a focus on clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and non-clear cell RCC (nccRCC) across clinical trials and translational studies. Essential updates in the metastatic ccRCC clinical space encompass results from the CONTACT-03 study, which evaluated an immunotherapy containing regimen for patients who progressed on an initial immunotherapy containing regimen, alongside updated results from the KEYNOTE-426 and CLEAR trials. In the metastatic nccRCC domain, we review clinical trials of combination immunotherapies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Additionally, we highlight exciting early-phase studies exploring novel targets in RCC and engineered T-cell methodologies. Finally, we summarize notable efforts in translational research, emphasizing biomarker investigations to determine predictors of immunotherapy response, the application of molecular classifiers in RCC, and the relationship between the microbiome and RCC. There were many important RCC related abstracts presented at this year's ASCO conference, attesting to the continued momentum of research in the field. All conference materials, including abstracts and presentations, can be accessed online through the conference website.
Project description:IntroductionEstablishing robust reference intervals for clinical procedures has received much attention from international clinical laboratories, with approved guidelines. Physiological measurement laboratories have given this topic less attention; however, most of the principles are transferable.MethodsHerein, we summarise those principles and expand them to cover bilateral measurements and one-tailed reference intervals, which are common issues for those interpreting clinical visual electrophysiology tests such as electroretinograms (ERGs), visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and electrooculograms (EOGs).ResultsThe gold standard process of establishing and defining reference intervals, which are adequately reliable, entails collecting data from a minimum of 120 suitable reference individuals for each partition (e.g. sex, age) and defining limits with nonparametric methods. Parametric techniques may be used under some conditions. A brief outline of methods for defining reference limits from patient data (indirect sampling) is given. Reference intervals established elsewhere, or with older protocols, can be transferred or verified with as few as 40 and 20 suitable reference individuals, respectively. Consideration is given to small numbers of reference subjects, interpretation of serial measurements using subject-based reference values, multidimensional reference regions and age-dependent reference values. Bilateral measurements, despite their correlation, can be used to improve reference intervals although additional care is required in computing the confidence in the reference interval or the reference interval itself when bilateral measurements are only available from some of subjects.DiscussionGood quality reference limits minimise false-positive and false-negative results, thereby maximising the clinical utility and patient benefit. Quality indicators include using appropriately sized reference datasets with appropriate numerical handling for reporting; using subject-based reference limits where appropriate; and limiting tests for each patient to only those which are clinically indicated, independent and highly discriminating.
Project description:The abstracts presented at the 2018 International Society for Extracellular Vesicles Annual Meeting offer unique insight into the newest discoveries related to the biology and applied use of extracellular vesicles (EVs). As an extension of a recent "Clinical-Wrap Up" discussion at the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles 2018 Annual Meeting, a systematic review of each abstract was performed to determine which abstracts could be considered clinical research. Once the clinical research abstracts were identified, systematic data extraction included: the major focus of each clinical research abstract; the countries in which the work was done; and the sample size, if provided in the abstract. Each abstract was reviewed by two independent authors, with a third author resolving discrepancies in cases of disagreement. 174 out of 656 (27%) unique abstracts were determined to be clinical research. Oncology was a principal research focus (51 of the 174 clinical research abstracts, 29%). Many other clinical research abstracts presented at the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles 2018 Annual Meeting focused on the use of human samples for development of methods for potential application in the clinic. Beyond oncology and methods development, a wide range of topics was represented, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, genetics, and many others. Current research involving EVs highlights the common, but false dichotomy of science into curiosity-driven basic science or application-driven clinical research, when in fact both quest for understanding and intent to apply the findings appeared to drive much of the work at the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles 2018 Annual Meeting. Using Pasteur's Quadrant as a framework, we discuss where the field of EV research is heading and how we may gain insight into the biological function of EVs in tandem with how they may benefit individual health.