Culture Expansion Research Articles

Unsuppressed HIV infection impairs T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and abrogates T cell cross-recognition.

In some instances, unsuppressed HIV has been associated with severe COVID-19 disease, but the mechanisms underpinning this susceptibility are still unclear. Here, we assessed the impact of HIV infection on the quality and epitope specificity of SARS-CoV-2 T cell responses in the first wave and second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in South Africa. Flow cytometry was used to measure T cell responses following peripheral blood mononuclear cell stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 peptide pools. Culture expansion was used to determine T cell immunodominance hierarchies and to assess potential SARS-CoV-2 escape from T cell recognition. HIV-seronegative individuals had significantly greater CD4+ T cell responses against the Spike protein compared to the viremic people living with HIV (PLWH). Absolute CD4 count correlated positively with SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses (CD4 r=0.5, p=0.03; CD8 r=0.5, p=0.001), whereas T cell activation was negatively correlated with CD4+ T cell responses (CD4 r=-0.7, p=0.04). There was diminished T cell cross-recognition between the two waves, which was more pronounced in individuals with unsuppressed HIV infection. Importantly, we identify four mutations in the Beta variant that resulted in abrogation of T cell recognition. Taken together, we show that unsuppressed HIV infection markedly impairs T cell responses to SARS-Cov-2 infection and diminishes T cell cross-recognition. These findings may partly explain the increased susceptibility of PLWH to severe COVID-19 and also highlights their vulnerability to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Disasters and Society: Comparing the Shang and Mycenaean Response to Natural Phenomena through Text and Archaeology

Disasters do and have happened throughout human existence. Their traces are found in the environmental record, archaeological evidence, and historical chronicles. Societal responses to these events vary and depend on ecological and cultural constraints and opportunities. These elements are being discovered more and more on a global scale. When looking at disasters in antiquity, restoring the environmental and geographical context on both the macro- and microscale is necessary. The relationships between global climatic processes and microgeographical approaches ought to be understood by examining detailed societal strategies conceived in response to threatening natural phenomena. Architectural designs, human geography, political geography, technological artefacts, and textual testimony are linked to a society’s inherited and real sense of natural threats, such as floods, earthquakes, fires, diseases, etc. The Shang and Mycenaean cultures are prime examples, among others, of Bronze Age societies with distinctive geographical, environmental, and cultural features and structures that defined their attitudes and responses to dangerous natural phenomena, such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, and drought. By leaning on two well-documented societies with little to no apparent similarities in environmental and cultural aspects and no credible evidence of contact, diffusion, or exchange, we can examine them free of the onus of diffused intangible and tangible cultural features. Even though some evidence of long-distance networks in the Bronze Age exists, they presumable had no impact on local adaptive strategies. The Aegean Sea and Yellow River cultural landscapes share many similarities and dissimilarities and vast territorial and cultural expansions. They have an apparent contemporaneity, and both recede and collapse at about the same time. Thus, through the microgeography of a few select Shang and Mycenaean sites and their relevant environmental, archaeological, and historical contexts, and through environmental effects on a global scale, we may understand chain events of scattered human societal changes, collapses, and revolutions on a structural level.

TGF-β1 Induces Interlukin-11 Expression and Pro-Fibrotic Effect by DNA Demethylation in Subconjunctival Fibroblasts.

Objective To assess Interlukin-11 (IL11) expression in the tears of patients after filtration surgery and to find out its pro-transdifferentiational and pro-fibrotic functions and mechanisms on subconjunctival human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts (HTFs) induced by transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1). Methods Tears were collected from glaucoma patients with or without filtration surgery. The expression of IL11 in tears was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Primary HTFs were prepared as an expansion culture of human Tenon's explants from patients undergoing cataract surgery. TGF-β1 and IL11 were used to stimulate the cultured HTFs. Quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analyzed the roles of TGF-β1 in IL11 and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) expression and the effects of IL11 on collagen-1A1 and α-smooth muscle actin expression. The effects of IL11 on human HTFs' migration were tested via the scratch-wound assay. MassARRAY platform of Sequenom was applied for analyzing the quantitative methylation of the IL11 promoter region. Result Our data presented significantly high levels of IL11 in the tears of patients who underwent filtration surgery with uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP) compared with those who underwent filtration surgery with controlled IOP. The up-regulation of IL11 was related to TGF-β1. We also found that TGF-β induced IL11 up-regulation in the HTFs, which activates the HTFs and enhanced the translation of the pro-fibrotic protein expression. This is correlated with inhibiting the activity and expression of DNMTs and demethylating the IL11 promoter. Therefore, IL11 may be an ideal target to be regulated to control the filtering pathway scar formation.

Gel-Free Single-Cell Culture Arrays on a Microfluidic Chip for Highly Efficient Expansion and Recovery of Colon Cancer Stem Cells.

The microgel single-cell culture approach we developed to expand tumor stem cells (TSCs) is associated with limited TSC production, which can be attributable to cell viability loss in microgel formation and tumorsphere expansion limitation caused by hydrogel stiffness. In this work, we developed a gel-free single-cell culture array on a microfluidic chip to overcome these issues. The microfluidic chip used in the study has a 16,000 hydrophilic microchamber array, which can capture ∼2000 single cells at a time. After cell capturing, the cell culture chambers were enclosed by forming a chitosan layer through interactions between chitosan and alginate, thus preventing cell loss in the gel-free culture. The hydrophilic coating prevented cell adhesion, so only TSCs with anti-apoptosis and self-renewal properties can survive the harsh culture and form tumorspheres. After a 7 day culture, 19.04% of the HCT116 colon cancer cells formed single-cell-derived tumorspheres with an average size of 46.59 ± 10.58 μm. Compared with the microgel single-cell culture, sphere-forming rate and TSC expansion efficiency were significantly improved by using this gel-free single-cell culture array. After cell culture, the chitosan layer could be destabilized easily, thus allowing recovery of the tumorspheres from the microchip by applying a reverse flow. Approximately 13,600 cells could be obtained in a single culture, which can be used for off-chip cell assays. Flow cytometry analysis indicated high proportions of LGR5(+) and SOX2(+) cells within the single-cell-derived tumorspheres. Moreover, the differentiation experiments confirmed the multi-lineage differentiation potential of single-cell-derived tumorspheres. The gel-free single-cell culture offers a label-free approach to obtain sufficient amounts of TSCs, which is valuable for tumor biology research and the development of TSC-specific therapeutic strategies.

PROSODIC PARAMETRES VARIATION IN THE SPEECH OF CANADIAN PROVINCE NEW SCOTIA REPRESENTATIVES

The given article focuses on the variation of prosodic parametres of Canadian Variant of English which have been analyzed on the examples of the speech of province New Scotia representatives. The research has been performed within the scientific paradigm of functional linguistics. The national identity of New Scotia representatives as well as the character and peculiarity of historical penetration of the British variant of English to the territory of Canadian province are in the centre of attention. The interest in the study of national versions of English is dictated by a number of reasons, including, on the one hand, the cultural expansion of English on a global scale, which contributes to the emergence of new versions, on the other – the destruction of old stereotypes. Melodic, frequency and temporal characteristics have been studied in the article and mutual prosodic traits have been revealed. With the help of auditory and computer analysis main units of speech melody, namely, terminal tones and scales have been defined, frequency and temporal parametres with the account of gender belonging have been studied. The frequency of Scales and terminal tones usage allows to state that New Scotia representatives' speech is under the influence of British English. Among prosodic characteristics peculiar for the British-Descending Stepping Scale, Falling, Rising and Falling-Rising terminal tones, wide frequency range dominate. Temporal and melodic prosodic parametres serve as informative data of regional speech and can also identify speaker's gender belonging. The results of the study make it possible to determine the prospects for further study of the prosodic features of the Canadian version of the English language, taking into account age, gender, and occupational differences.

Poster 106: Commonly Used Orthopaedic Clinical Therapeutics Affect the Cytokine Activity of Culture-Expanded Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Objectives:Hyaluronic acid (HA), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and methylprednisolone are widely used for the non-operative management of osteoarthritis (OA). More recently, human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have garnered significant interest as a non-operative means for symptom modification of OA. Anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion is a major component of proposed BM-MSC action. We sought to describe the effect of HA, PRP, and methylprednisolone on the cytokine profile of BM-MSCs at multiple stages of culture expansion.Methods:Following Institutional Review Board and United States Food and Drug Administration approval, nine BM-MSC cell lines from 4 human donors underwent three stages of culture expansion: passage 2 (P2), passage 3 (P3), and passage 4 (P4). Levels of OA-related cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, Stem cell Factor [SCF], Stem Cell Derived Factor-alpha [SDF-α]) were measured using Luminex multiplexing technology. Each of the BM-MSC preparations were evaluated at each passage, 24 hours following exposure to HA, PRP, or methylprednisolone. Paired T-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank testing were performed as appropriate following assessment of normality. Significance was set at p<0.05.Results:Culture expansion significantly altered cytokine production, however treatment with current OA therapeutics further altered these responses implicating the potential of combined treatment of culture expanded hMSCs and OA therapeutics. Figure 1 demonstrates the behavior of selected cytokines after exposure to HA, PRP or methylprednisolone preparations. Further, we tested different concentrations of each of the therapeutics to determine optimal dosing. Exposure to increasing doses of HA led to reductions in BM-MSC expression of SCF, SDF-α, VEGF, CCL20, and adiponectin (p<0.05 for all). PRP increased IL-1 levels in P2 and P3 (p<0.05 for both), IL-6 in P2 (100 pg/mL vs 5500 pg/mL, p<0.001), and IL-8 in P3 (900 pg/mL vs 3900 pg/mL, p<0.001). PRP did not affect IL-10 expression (p>0.05). Aside from an increase in IL-6 production for P2 (200 pg/mL vs 1500 pg/mL, p<0.05), methylprednisolone did not have significant effects on cytokine expression.Conclusions:Orthopaedic therapeutic adjuvants influence the inflammatory cytokine profile of BM-MSCs at multiple stages of culture expansion. Although further study is needed, these therapeutics have potential to be used in tandem with BM-MSCs to create an optimal cytokine environment for treatment of degenerative joint disease.Figure 1.hMSCs and Osteoarthritis Adjuvants. Human bone marrow derived hMSCs were culture expanded over 4 passages and treated with hyaluronan (HA), platelet rich plasma (PRP) and methylprednisolone (DEPO). Culture expansion significantly altered cytokine production, however treatment with current OA therapeutics further altered these responses implicating the potential of combined treatment of culture expanded hMSCs with OA therapeutics.

Invitro atlas of dorsal spinal interneurons reveals Wnt signaling as a critical regulator of progenitor expansion.

SUMMARYRestoring sensation after injury or disease requires a reproducible method for generating large quantities of bona fide somatosensory interneurons. Toward this goal, we assess the mechanisms by which dorsal spinal interneurons (dIs; dI1–dI6) can be derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Using two developmentally relevant growth factors, retinoic acid (RA) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4, we recapitulate the complete in vivo program of dI differentiation through a neuromesodermal intermediate. Transcriptional profiling reveals that mESC-derived dIs strikingly resemble endogenous dIs, with the correct molecular and functional signatures. We further demonstrate that RA specifies dI4–dI6 fates through a default multipotential state, while the addition of BMP4 induces dI1–dI3 fates and activates Wnt signaling to enhance progenitor proliferation. Constitutively activating Wnt signaling permits the dramatic expansion of neural progenitor cultures. These cultures retain the capacity to differentiate into diverse populations of dIs, thereby providing a method of increasing neuronal yield.

La traduction garantit-elle la diffusion des idées dans une autre culture ?

DOES TRANSLATION GUARANTEE THE EXPANSION OF IDEAS IN ANOTHER CULTURE? THE CASE OF L’AMOUR EN PLUS BY ELISABETH BADINTER&#x0D; Translation has certainly contributed to the spread of French feminist thought around the world. There are, however, translations which do not seem to have contributed significantly to the spread of this thought in Poland. This is the case of Elisabeth Badinter’s essay, L’amouren plus: histoire de l’amourmaternel (XVIIe – XXe siècle), published in 1980, which sparked controversy in France. According to the author, the maternal instinct is a social and cultural construct. L’amouren plus was a success and it has been translated into a total of 28 languages. The Polish translation of this work, Historia miłości macierzyńskiej, appeared in 1998, 18 years after the original was published. However, as our study shows, Badinter’s thought is hardly present in Polish works on feminism. Thus, translation does not always guarantee the circulation of the ideas of the original work in another culture or the love of foreign readers.

Influence of Culture Conditions on Ex Vivo Expansion of T Lymphocytes and Their Function for Therapy: Current Insights and Open Questions.

Ex vivo expansion of T lymphocytes is a central process in the generation of cellular therapies targeted at tumors and other disease-relevant structures, which currently cannot be reached by established pharmaceuticals. The influence of culture conditions on T cell functions is, however, incompletely understood. In clinical applications of ex vivo expanded T cells, so far, a relatively classical standard cell culture methodology has been established. The expanded cells have been characterized in both preclinical models and clinical studies mainly using a therapeutic endpoint, for example antitumor response and cytotoxic function against cellular targets, whereas the influence of manipulations of T cells ex vivo including transduction and culture expansion has been studied to a much lesser detail, or in many contexts remains unknown. This includes the circulation behavior of expanded T cells after intravenous application, their intracellular metabolism and signal transduction, and their cytoskeletal (re)organization or their adhesion, migration, and subsequent intra-tissue differentiation. This review aims to provide an overview of established T cell expansion methodologies and address unanswered questions relating in vivo interaction of ex vivo expanded T cells for cellular therapy.

Investment Feasibility Analysis of Large Submersible Cage Culture in Taiwan: A Case Study of Snubnose Pompano (Trachinotus anak) and Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

Onshore farming for premium aquaculture is under scrutiny and criticism partially due to possible causes of adverse environmental impacts on other resource users and the surrounding environment. The best alternative to preventing or minimizing these impacts is to utilize open seawater by large submersible cage culture. The current operation in Taiwan has demonstrated that the culture operation is technically feasible but economically demanding because of high capital and operating costs. Therefore, this study conducted an economic analysis of the expansion of large submersible cage culture by selecting two premium species of snubnose pompano (Trachinotus anak) and cobia (Rachycentron canadum) and examined the profitability of large submersible cage culture investment. This study found that the current operation of four-unit cages highlighted a negative net present value and internal rate of return with a payback period of over ten and six years, respectively. Large submersible cage culture can be financially profitable when its operation unit expands from 8 to 24 units. Increasing unit cages to eight incurred a gross margin of 17.09%, BCR 1.21, with a payback period of 5.36 years. Expanding the operation to 24-unit cages was a potentially lucrative investment with a gross margin of 18.51%, BCR 1.23, PI 2.15, internal rate of return of 20.84%, and a payback period of 3.55 years. Sensitivity analyses revealed that market price and survival rate significantly impact the profitability of large submersible cage culture. Finally, it is suggested that producers could invest in 8-unit cages and maintaining the survival rate of snubnose pompano and cobia at 80% and 40%, respectively.

Agricultural extensification or intensification: Nitrogen isotopic investigation into late Yangshao agricultural strategies in the middle Yellow River area

Millet-dominant agriculture built a solid material base for cultural expansion and social development in prehistoric northern China. Around the middle-late Yangshao period (around 4000 BCE–2600 BCE), especially during the late Yangshao period (around 3500 BCE–2600 BCE), with the establishment of settlement hierarchies and population growth in the middle Yellow River area, response patterns of settlements in this area mainly focused on strategies to increase crop yields and food supplies. Response patterns included agricultural intensification (increasing inputs of labor and resources) and agricultural extensification (significant expansion of the land under cultivation). To date, the detailed farming strategies in the different regions of this area have not yet been clearly illustrated. Our study reports on the new isotopic data of charred seeds (crops and weeds) from archaeological sites in the Zhengzhou region, and investigates the crop management practices based on elevated nitrogen isotope values (e.g., δ15N) in crops to elucidate agricultural strategies during the late Yangshao period (around 3500 BCE–2600 BCE) in the middle Yellow River area by combining the new data with previous interdisciplinary studies.Elevated nitrogen isotope values of cereal grains relative to local vegetation indicates that crops were likely manured in Zhengzhou region. Manuring practices possibly prevailed in the middle Yellow River area during the late Yangshao period, although the amount of manuring varied likely due to topographical conditions. A combined agricultural strategy of intensification (mixed crop cultivation/manuring) and extensification (expansion of the land under cultivation) was likely employed in the center settlement of Dahecun to feed the inhabitants and ensure the development of the settlement. Due to limited available land for cultivation and pure millet cultivation, increasing crop yields with manuring formed an essential part of the agricultural strategy in the Baishui River area. This indicates that agricultural intensification was likely the most effective avenue to support growing populations and land demand in the regional center Xiahe and other sites in Baishui River area. Faced with societal development and different environmental conditions, settlements in the different regions in the middle Yellow River area likely adopted their own agricultural strategies in response to internal and external conditions, indicating late Yangshao settlement resilience in this area.

Recipient Tregs: Can They Be Exploited for Successful Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Outcomes?

Human and mouse CD4+FoxP3+ T cells (Tregs) comprise non-redundant regulatory compartments which maintain self-tolerance and have been found to be of potential therapeutic usefulness in autoimmune disorders and transplants including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). There is substantial literature interrogating the application of donor derived Tregs for the prevention of graft versus host disease (GVHD). This Mini-Review will focus on the recipient’s Tregs which persist post-transplant. Although treatment in patients with low dose IL-2 months post-HSCT are encouraging, manipulating Tregs in recipients early post-transplant is challenging, in part likely an indirect consequence of damage to the microenvironment required to support Treg expansion of which little is understood. This review will discuss the potential for manipulating recipient Tregs in vivo prior to and after HSCT (fusion proteins, mAbs). Strategies that would circumvent donor/recipient peripheral blood harvest, cell culture and ex-vivo Treg expansion will be considered for the translational application of Tregs to improve HSCT outcomes.

Establishment of a culture system for human nasal mucosa organoids with controllable differentiation

To establish a culture system for human nasal mucosal organoids with controllable differentiation to reproduce the structure and function of the source tissue through staged expansion-differentiation culture. Fresh samples of surgically resected middle turbinate and nasal polyp tissues were collected, from which the nasal mucosa epithelial cells were isolated by enzymatic digestion and filtration for continuous culture at the air-liquid interface for expansion (EO group) or staged culture for expansion and differentiation (DO group). Immunohistochemical staining was used to characterize the structure, cellular composition and ciliary function of nasal mucosal organoids in the two groups. The secretion function of the differentiated nasal mucosal organoids in DO group was evaluated using PAS staining. Both of the two organoid culture systems yielded vacuolar or solid spherical 3D organoids, and their diameters increased progressively with time. On day 16 of culture, more vacuolar organoids occurred in DO group, while more solid spherical organoids were seen in EO group, and the proportion of vacuoles was significantly greater in DO group than in EO group [(54.67±13.26)% vs (21.67±8.57)%, P < 0.05]. Short tandem repeat (STR) test of the nasal mucosal organoids and the source tissue showed a 100% match between them. On day 21 of culture, scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the nasal mucosal organoids identified ultrastructure of cilia in DO group and short villi structure in most of the organoids in EO group. Immunohistochemical staining showed positivity for P63 (basal cells), β-tubulin (ciliated columnar cells), and MUC5AC (goblet cells) in the organoids. Compared with those in EO group, the organoids in DO group showed significantly greater percentages of ciliated cells [(7.95±1.81)% vs (27.04±5.91)%, P < 0.05] and goblet cells [(14.46±0.93)% vs (39.85±5.43)%, P < 0.05) with a similar percentage of basal cells [(56.91±14.12)% vs (53.42±15.77)%, P > 0.05]. The differentiated nasal mucosal organoids in DO group were positively stained for glycogen. The staged expansion-differentiation culture method allows more stable and prolonged growth of the cultured cells in vitro to produce organoids with controllable differentiation closely resembling the morphological structure and functions (ciliary function and secretory function) of the source tissue.

Status of Fisheries Sector in Gujarat: An Overview

Gujarat state offers tremendous scope for enhancing fishery production in India owing to its massive endowed resources. The study analysed the production growth, consumption, distribution and export growth in the domestic and international markets, using time series data for 2000-01 to 2019-20. The study revealed an immense possibility for horizontal and vertical expansion of fish culture in the state because of its vast underlying untapped brackish water resources. The study identified that the value realized in fish production was subjected to high instability and may be related to the demand-supply mismatch in the domestic marketing of fish in Gujarat. The state had performed well in domestic and international exports, as evidenced by its significant growth in the foreign export revenue but with the caution of high instability. The paper suggested the need for the adoption of concerted efforts for diversifying the potential markets to augment fish exports and emphasizing the fish benefits awareness campaigns as well as the infrastructural facilities to increase the consumption of fish within the state.

Expansion of Lymphocytes from Prostatic Adenocarcinoma and Adjacent Nonmalignant Tissue.

Background The evaluation of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in solid malignancies has yielded insights into immune regulation within the tumour microenvironment and has also led to the development and optimisation of adoptive T cell therapies. Objectives This study examined the in vitro expansion of TILs from prostate adenocarcinoma, as a preliminary step to evaluate the potential of TILs for adoptive T cell therapy. Design, Setting, and Participants. Malignant and adjacent nonmalignant tissues were obtained from fifteen men undergoing radical prostatectomy. Interventions. There were no study interventions. Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis. Expanded cells were analysed by flow cytometry, and the data was assessed for associations between cell subpopulations and expansion rate. Results Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes could be expanded to numbers that would be needed to generate a therapeutic infusion product from nine of 15 malignant specimens (60%). The CD4+ T cells predominated over CD8+ T cells (median 56.8% CD4+, 30.0% CD8+), and furthermore, faster TIL expansion was associated with a higher proportion of CD4+ T cells (median 69.8% in faster-growing cultures; 36.8% in slower-growing cultures). A higher proportion of CD3−CD56+ cells versus CD3+ cells was associated with slower TIL expansion in cultures from malignant specimens (median 13.3% in slower-growing cultures versus 2.05% in faster-growing cultures), but not from nonmalignant specimens. Conclusions The expansion of TILs for potential therapeutic use is feasible. Our findings also indicate that further examination of TILs from prostate adenocarcinomas may yield insights into mechanisms of regulation of T cells within the tumour microenvironment. Further research is required to evaluate their therapeutic potential.

Abstract 5581: A genetically modified tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes product (GT202) exhibits enhanced persistence and anti-tumor efficacy against solid tumor in vivo

Abstract Adoptive cell therapy by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has demonstrated significant clinical benefits for patients with solid tumors. However, the toxicities related to high-dose IL-2 that is required to support TIL survival and the exhaustion status of the final TIL product after rapid expansion in culture largely limits the clinical application and long-term efficacy of TIL therapy. Grit Biotechnology designed a genetically engineered TIL product (GT202) to express a membrane-bound cytokine that is critical for T cell activation and effector function, leading to enhanced cytotoxicity as well as persistence in vitro and in vivo. Multiple designs of the transmembrane domain of GT202 were compared and the best design was selected based on stable and efficient expression of GT202 on the membrane of TILs. GT202 demonstrated significantly increased cytotoxicity and cytokine production when cocultured with tumor cells in vitro than conventional TILs and better tumor control ability during a serial killing assay. In the meanwhile, GT202 TILs showed enhanced long-term survival and better preservation of TCR clonality without IL-2 in vitro, as well as persisted longer in multiple tissues without IL-2 over conventional TILs + IL-2 in NGS mice. Notably, GT202 TILs achieved better anti-tumor efficacy with low IL-2 in NSG mice inoculated with HLA-matched tumor cells than conventional TILs, corelated with their better infiltration and proliferation in spleen and tumor. In summary, GT202 demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor efficacy and persistence as well as decreased IL-2 dependency in vitro and in vivo. Currently, an investigator-initiated trial of GT202 is ongoing in China. Citation Format: Jingwei Sun, Jiahui Jin, Yongchao Tan, Lingyun Chen, Quanwei Wang, Yarong Liu. A genetically modified tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes product (GT202) exhibits enhanced persistence and anti-tumor efficacy against solid tumor in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5581.

TURKEY’S SOFT POWER POLICY TOWARDS THE BALKANS: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES

The Balkans is considered a vital area in international relations. It has always attracted and is still attracting the interest of global and regional powers and factors on the international stage, including Turkey. Besides the political, economic, and defense aspects, the soft power of Turkish multidimensional diplomacy represents one of the most important segments of the relations between Turkey and the Balkan countries. Turkish government institutions like the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs), Yunus Emre, Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), TIKA, Turkish State Media, Maarif education institutions, and various non-governmental organizations represent some of the most vital segments of the cultural, religious and educational expansion of the Turkish state in the Balkan countries. This paper is mainly based on the following research methods: historical, descriptive, and in-depth analysis. This study aims to answer the main question of this research - Do the above-mentioned soft power policy tools play a vital role in the further development of Turkey-Balkan countries relations? This paper concludes that the Turkish soft power policy in the Balkans faces a series of challenges that affect its expansion's functionality and success.

Fat Grafting With Expanded Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells for Breast Augmentation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The main challenge with fat grafting is loss of some of the graft to postsurgery resorption. Previous studies suggest that adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) can improve the volume retention of fat grafts but there is a lack of randomized trials to support the use of ASCs in clinical practice. This trial aimed to investigate whether ASCs improve fat graft volume retention in patients undergoing breast augmentation with lipofilling. This was a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of breast augmentation with ASC-enriched fat grafting. Healthy women aged 30 to 45 years were enrolled. First, the participants underwent liposuction to obtain fat for culture expansion of ASCs. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to undergo a 300- to 350-mL breast augmentation with ASC-enriched fat grafting (10 × 106 ASCs/mL fat graft) to 1 of their breasts and placebo-enriched fat grafting of identical volume to the contralateral breast. The primary outcome was fat graft volume retention after a 1-year follow-up measured with MRI. The trial is registered at www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu (EudraCT-2014-000510-59). Ten participants were included in the trial; all completed the treatment and follow-up. No serious adverse events occurred. Fat graft volume retention after 1 year was 54.0% (95% CI, 30.4%-77.6%) in the breasts treated with ASC-enriched fat grafting (n = 10) and 55.9% (95% CI, 28.9%-82.9%) in the contralateral breasts treated with placebo-enriched fat grafting (n = 10) (P = 0.566). The findings of this trial do not support that ASC-enriched fat grafting is superior to standard fat grafting for breast augmentation.

Reimagining the Indigenous art market: site of decolonisation and assertion of Indigenous cultures

ABSTRACT This research examines the role of art intermediaries as power brokers working with different market stakeholders in the Indigenous art market in Australia. To conceptualise the legacies of settler colonialism and colonial market structures, we employ a decolonisation approach to understand how art intermediaries navigate the inherent tensions and power struggles within society. Using in-depth interviews, archival data, and fieldnotes, we identify three different roles of art intermediaries as cultural conduits, art connoisseurs, and change agents who use their power to engage in cultural expansion, aesthetic expansion, and political resurgence, respectively. This research highlights how some art intermediaries work to decolonise the market, while others reproduce dominant settler market structures.

An Industry Worth Protecting? The Manufacturers Aircraft Association’s Struggle against the British Surplus, 1919–1922

AbstractThe American aircraft industry’s important role in the economic, military, and cultural expansion of the United States over the past one hundred years has been well documented by historians. But America’s twentieth century aerial dominance was not preordained. After World War I, the nascent American aircraft industry faced a concerted British effort to dump thousands of war surplus machines on the U.S. market. With aircraft outside of the nation’s tariff regime, members of the Manufacturers Aircraft Association turned to Congress for emergency protections in the face of what they considered an existential threat. Despite efforts to equate a strong industrial base for aviation with the national defense, aircraft antidumping legislation became mired in partisan debates over tariff policy and accusations of wartime corruption. In the absence of relief from Congress, the Wright patent served as a barrier against the importation of foreign surplus machines.