Local Reactions Research Articles

Efficacy of low-temperature argon plasma in the rehabilitation of patients undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer

Background: During radiation therapy for breast cancer, healthy tissues are damaged, leading to both systemic and local reactions, including radiation dermatitis with such symptoms as erythema, dryness, peeling, and pain. Disturbances of the microcirculation lead to hypoxia and fibrosis. The use of low-temperature argon plasma is a promising method for preventing acute radiation-induced skin damage, which is crucial for maintaining quality of life, preventing complications, and minimizing long-term effects. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of low-temperature argon plasma used in the complex medical rehabilitation of patients undergoing external radiation therapy for breast cancer. Materials and methods: A prospective, randomized interventional study was conducted involving 60 breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. All patients received a course of medical rehabilitation, including general magnetic therapy, exercise therapy, balance response training on a biofeedback simulator, nutritional support, and sessions with a medical psychologist. In the main group (n = 30), rehabilitation included low-temperature argon plasma treatment. Outcomes were assessed using the RTOG scale for acute complications of radiation therapy and laser Doppler flowmetry. Results: After completing radiation therapy and complex medical rehabilitation, statistically significant differences were observed between the main group and the comparison group (which did not receive low-temperature argon plasma treatment) in the severity of radiation reactions on the RTOG scale (p = 0.016) and in peripheral blood flow parameters. Conclusion: Low-temperature argon plasma supports nutritional blood flow and active mechanisms for microcirculatory regulation, preserving skin blood supply and preventing severe acute radiation dermatitis.

Safety and immunogenicity of the yellow fever vaccine for patients with end-stage renal disease.

In December 2016, an outbreak of sylvatic yellow fever (YF) occurred in the non-endemic areas of the south-eastern region of Brazil. The immune response to the yellow fever vaccine and its safety in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) living in YF-endemic regions are not thoroughly understood. The objective of this study is to assess the incidence of adverse events and the serological response after primary vaccination with the 17DD-YF vaccine in CKD patients undergoing dialysis. This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study involving 223 individuals with CKD who were on dialysis after primary vaccination against YF. Clinical and epidemiologic characteristics were collected and the vaccine adverse event (VAE) were assessed. Around 35 months after vaccination, the serological response was evaluated in 71 (32%) patients using neutralization tests. No serious VAE occurred in any patient. Local reactions were reported in 13 individuals (5.8%), while 6 (2.7%) reported generalized systemic reactions and 205 (91.9%) did not display any VAE. No clinical or epidemiologic characteristic predicted the occurrence of VAE. Adequate serological response was found in 38% of participants and none of the clinical or epidemiological characteristics were associated with immunogenicity. The outcomes of our study suggest that the yellow YF vaccine is well-tolerated in CKD patients undergoing dialysis, but it does not induce adequate immune response. Future research should focus on evaluating both cellular and humoral immune responses following administration of various doses of the YF vaccine.

Wear, Material Transfer, and Electrocautery Damage Are Ubiquitous on CoCrMo Femoral Knee Retrievals.

Despite high total knee arthroplasty (TKA) survivorship after 10 years (92%-99%), a gap persists where patient satisfaction lags clinical success. Additionally, while cobalt chrome molybdenum (CoCrMo) use decreases in primary total hip arthroplasty, the alloy continues to be widely used in TKA femoral components. Invivo, CoCrMo degradation may be associated with adverse local tissue reactions (ALTR) and compared with the hip, the damage mechanisms that may release metal in the knee and the potential biological effects remain poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the damage on 50 retrieved CoCrMo femoral knee implants paired with 19 titanium alloy and 31 CoCrMo tibial baseplates. We asked (1) what damage modes can release CoCrMo debris invivo from femoral components and (2) how frequently does the damage occur? First, we developed a semiquantitative scoring system for abrasive wear. Then, we characterized damage modes on CoCrMo femoral implants using digital optical microscopy (DOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). We found that wear, electrocautery damage, and Ti-6Al-4V material transfer were ubiquitous. Of the 50 CoCrMo femoral implants we investigated, we documented wear on 100% (n = 50/50), electrocautery damage on 98% (n = 49/50), and Ti-6Al-4V material transfer to the posterior condyles on 95% (n = 18/19). Our results suggest that these damage modes may be more prevalent than previously thought and may act as metal release mechanisms invivo.

Heterojunction semiconductor nanocatalysts as cancer theranostics.

Cancer nanotechnology is a promising area of cross-disciplinary research aiming to develop facile, effective, and noninvasive strategies to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment. Catalytic therapy based on exogenous stimulus-responsive semiconductor nanomaterials has shown its potential to address the challenges under the most global medical needs. Semiconductor nanocatalytic therapy is usually triggered by the catalytic action of hot electrons and holes during local redox reactions within the tumor, which represent the response of nontoxic semiconductor nanocatalysts to pertinent internal or external stimuli. However, careful architecture design of semiconductor nanocatalysts has been the major focus since the catalytic efficiency is often limited by facile hot electron/hole recombination. Addressing these challenges is vital for the progress of cancer catalytic therapy. In recent years, diverse strategies have been developed, with heterojunctions emerging as a prominent and extensively explored method. The efficiency of charge separation under exogenous stimulation can be heightened by manipulating the semiconducting performance of materials through heterojunction structures, thereby enhancing catalytic capabilities. This review summarizes the recent applications of exogenous stimulus-responsive semiconducting nanoheterojunctions for cancer theranostics. The first part of the review outlines the construction of different heterojunction types. The next section summarizes recent designs, properties, and catalytic mechanisms of various semiconductor heterojunctions in tumor therapy. The review concludes by discussing the challenges and providing insights into their prospects within this dynamic and continuously evolving field of research.

Advances in the study of nebulized tranexamic acid for pulmonary hemorrhage.

Pulmonary hemorrhage is a life-threatening condition characterized by blood leakage into lung tissues, leading to severe respiratory distress. Nebulized tranexamic acid (TXA) has emerged as a promising treatment option for pulmonary hemorrhage due to its localized hemostatic effects and minimal systemic side effects. This review aims to summarize the research progress on the effectiveness and safety of nebulized TXA in pulmonary hemorrhage. A comprehensive search of the Embase, PubMed, and Scopus databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published between the date of inception of each database and November 2023. A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using the following keywords: "hemoptysis," "haemoptysis," "pulmonary hemorrhage," "tranexamic acid," "antifibrinolytic," "nebulize," and "inhale." Additional articles were identified by reviewing the references of the retrieved studies. Studies were selected based on their focus on the application of nebulized TXA for pulmonary hemorrhage. The authors and dates of publication, study type, patients, diseases, intervention and main outcomes of these papers are tabulated. This consisted of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), six case series, and nine case reports. The commonly used dosage of nebulized TXA in the studies reviewed was 500mg/5ml, administered 3-4 times daily. Evidence suggests that nebulized TXA effectively controls bleeding in pulmonary hemorrhage with a hemostatic efficacy comparable to systemic administration, but with a lower risk of venous thrombosis. Safety data indicates that nebulized TXA is generally well-tolerated, with no significant systemic adverse reactions reported. Local reactions, such as bronchospasm, were rare and resolved with short-term bronchodilator treatment. Nebulized TXA appears to be an innovative and minimally invasive therapy for pulmonary hemorrhage, providing targeted hemostatic effects with a favorable safety profile. However, the predominance of small-scale studies and case reports highlights the need for large-scale, high-quality research to establish standardized guidelines.

Aluminum/steel dissimilar material with high interfacial strength manufactured by additive friction stir deposition

Dissimilar metallic materials find broad applications owing to the possibility of integrating multiple functions. However, the joining interface is a vulnerable site for failure in service. The design of high-strength bonding of dissimilar materials has been urgently needed. This study showed that a combination of additive friction stir deposition coupled with post-processing annealing enables the formation of a continuous Mg/O-enriched amorphous layer dotted with nano-rivet structures at the aluminum (Al)/steel interface. As a result, a high bonding strength (138.1 MPa) of Al/steel was achieved. We clarify the formation of discontinuous nano-rivet intermetallic compounds thanks to the AFSD-induced severe plastic deformation and local chemical reaction upon annealing, and we demonstrate the highest bonding strength is achieved at the size of nano-rivet compounds of ~200 nm and the aspect ratio ~ 0.5. Our findings provide a simple but versatile strategy to reverse the adverse effects of intermetallic compounds on the interface strength of dissimilar materials.

A single-center clinical trial evaluating topical propranolol for preventing stress-induced hair loss.

There is currently a lack of pathological research on the hair loss caused by stress, and there is no effective treatment available. It has been previously reported that stress can cause sympathetic nerve activation and release of norepinephrine, which binds to beta-2 adrenergic receptors and causes a series of chemical reactions. Propranolol, as a beta-2 adrenergic receptors blocker, competitively antagonizes the effects of norepinephrine. We initiated a single-center clinical trial with a self-controlled approach to assess the effectiveness of topical applied hydrochloride salt of propranolol solution in preventing stress-induced hair loss in humans. A total of 20 volunteers were enrolled. 14 out of 20 volunteers experienced a significant reduction in the number of hair loss (p < .05) after using hydrochloride salt of propranolol solution. No local adverse reactions were found. This study showed hydrochloride salt of propranolol solution may alleviate stress-induced alopecia to a certain extent, which provides clues for the development of pharmaceutical interventions for the treatment of stress-induced alopecia.

Development of Novel Squid Gladius Biomaterials for Cornea Tissue Engineering

Cornea tissue engineering is strictly dependent on the development of biomaterials that fulfill the strict biocompatibility, biomechanical, and optical requirements of this organ. In this work, we generated novel biomaterials from the squid gladius (SG), and their application in cornea tissue engineering was evaluated. Results revealed that the native SG (N-SG) was biocompatible in laboratory animals, although a local inflammatory reaction was driven by the material. Cellularized biomaterials (C-SG) demonstrated that the SG provides an adequate substrate for cell attachment and growth, and corneal epithelial cells cultured on this biomaterial were able to express crystallin alpha, a marker for this type of cells. Biomechanical analyses showed that N-SG biomaterials have higher Young modulus and lower traction deformation than control native corneas (CTR), and C-SG showed a similar Young modulus than CTR. Analysis of the optical properties of these samples revealed that the diffuse transmittance of N-SG and C-SG were higher than CTR, with the diffuse reflectance showing the opposite behavior. These results confirm the putative usefulness of this abundant marine-derived biomaterial that can be obtained as a byproduct of the fishing industry.

Hydrogen Peroxide Electrosynthesis via Selective Oxygen Reduction Reactions Through Interfacial Reaction Microenvironment Engineering.

The electrochemical two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e- ORR) offers a compelling alternative for decentralized and on-site H2O2 production compared to the conventional anthraquinone process. To advance this electrosynthesis system, there is growing interest in optimizing the interfacial reaction microenvironment to boost electrocatalytic performance. This review consolidates recent advancements in reaction microenvironment engineering for the selective electrocatalytic conversion of O2 to H2O2. Starting with fundamental insights into interfacial electrocatalytic mechanisms, an overview of various strategies for constructing the favorable local reaction environment, including adjusting electrode wettability, enhancing mesoscale mass transfer, elevating local pH, incorporating electrolyte additives, and employing pulsed electrocatalysis techniques is provided. Alongside these regulation strategies, the corresponding analyses and technical remarks are also presented. Finally, a summary and outlook on critical challenges, suggesting future research directions to inspire microenvironment engineering and accelerate the practical application of H2O2 electrosynthesis is delivered.

Intralesional Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine for multiple non-genital viral warts

Background: The majority of treatment options available for warts are destructive with some limitations to their utility, especially in the setting of multiple lesions. Accordingly, there is a need for other treatment options. Immunotherapy is a promising method for such cases. Intralesional administration of Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is one of the immunotherapeutic methods. It was intended to display the results of BCG immunotherapy in the treatment of multiple non- genital warts in a group of patients at Al-Karak Government Hospital. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intralesional BCG vaccine in the treatment of non-genital multiple warts in a group of our patients at Al-Karak Government Hospital. Methods: A total number of 15 immunocompetent patients with non-genital multiple warts, with an age range of (12-39) years were included. Intralesional BCG vaccine was injected into the largest wart at 0, 4 and 8 weeks. Patients were followed up every 4 weeks for a total of 6 months Results: Complete response was noted in 12 patients after 4-16 weeks of the first injection, while 3 cases displayed a partial response. Few local and transient reaction were seen. No serious side effects were encountered. Limitations: The results are based on a small sample size (15 cases) and there was no control group for comparison. Conclusion: Immunotherapy with intralesional BCG vaccine is an effective and safe treatment option for immunocompetent patients with non-genital multiple warts.

Warehouse-based, immunopeptidome-guided design of personalised peptide vaccines shows feasibility in clinical trial evaluation in CLL patients

Cancer peptide vaccination represents a promising therapeutic approach, but has been hampered by lack of suitable antigens and restricted applicability due to different HLA backgrounds of individual patients. We here introduce a novel warehouse-based concept for composition of personalized peptide vaccines and report on its successful application in a Phase II clinical trial in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) after first-line therapy. 26 CLL patients in at least partial remission (PR) after 6 months of immuno-chemotherapy were vaccinated with a personalized vaccine compiled from a premanufactured peptide warehouse comprising immunopeptidome-defined CLL-associated peptides. Primary objective was evaluation of immunogenicity, secondary objectives were safety and minimal residual disease (MRD) response. Immunopeptidome-guided vaccine composition was throughout successful, proving the feasibility of warehouse-based vaccine design. Vaccination was well tolerated, with local injection site reactions being the most common adverse event. Only few patients showed vaccine-induced T cell responses, attributable to their inability to mount strong immune responses due to immune-chemotherapy and lack of potent adjuvant formulations. Both issues are addressed within a follow-up trial (NCT04688385), combining the immunopeptidome-guided warehouse-based vaccine design reported here with a potent novel adjuvant evaluating personalized multi- peptide vaccination in CLL patients under T cell supportive BTK inhibitor therapies.Clinical trial registrationwww.clinicaltrialsregister.eu, identifier NCT02802943.

Development and Evaluation of a Candidate Inactivated Vaccine Against Bluetongue Virus Serotype 4 (BTV4)

Objectives: Although bluetongue is not a contagious disease, it is easily transmitted and spread by appropriate insect vectors, causing great economic damage. Climate change has led to the fact that vectors and diseases have spread to the top of Northern Europe, causing great economic losses in livestock production. An even greater problem is controlling the disease, because numerous species of domestic and wild ruminants are susceptible to bluetongue. The most effective tool against bluetongue disease is vaccination. Methods: Our goal was to carry out laboratory tests of the starting material and the finished product of the candidate inactivated vaccine against BTV4, and to comment on the obtained laboratory results and the results of previously performed clinical studies. There is no ideal vaccine against the bluetongue virus (BTV) due to the serotype diversity of its strains. Thus, there is a need for a vaccine for at least 24 clinically significant serotypes. Sometimes, it is difficult to obtain the desired amount of vaccine against a defined serotype on the market, and this has led to the need for a new vaccine against bluetongue disease. In this study, we tested an experimental inactivated vaccine against BTV4. The master seed BTV4 was examined and characterized by sequencing. Results: The candidate BTV4 vaccine induced the onset of immunity at the latest at day 21 after the application of the first dose in more than 80% of the vaccinated individuals, while the ELISA test detected specific antibodies against BTV for more than a year. Along with our laboratory results, the preliminary results of safety and efficacy trials are also presented. Conclusions: The side effects of this inactivated BTV4 vaccine are within the limits of permissible local reactions without generalized changes in the health status, while the serology and challenge test leads to the conclusion that this vaccine against BTV4 protects a high percentage of vaccinated individuals against BTV4 or causes a significant reduction in the intensity and duration of the clinical signs in the vaccinated sheep. Based on the trial results, the new vaccine has given encouraging results in terms of quality, safety, and preliminary efficacy tests. Thus, we believe that a new vaccine against BTV is on the horizon.

The 9th Victor de Mello lecture: reflections and speculations

The paper reviews the published literature on some aspects of fabric and particle behaviour in cohesionless soils. It uses insights from Discrete Element Modelling and Microcomputed Tomography to speculate on reasons for the difference in behaviour observed between moist tamped and sedimented sands at the same global void ratio and stress state. It is suggested that inhomogeneities in the form of macrovoids in moist tamped samples trigger localisation, collapse and the development of a local scale chain reaction. It questions whether a similar sequence applies at the field scale and whether expansive partial drainage influences the rate of propagation of the chain reaction. The paper offers reasons why the use of critical state based on moist tamped samples to assess the stability of tailings, may not be the best approach, and suggests that identifying instability lines for sedimented samples at appropriate void ratios and principal stress directions, may be preferable. Critical state reflects behaviour at large strains where initial and evolving inhomogeneities affect identification of relevant void ratios; instability lines reflect behaviour at small strains where inhomogeneities probably initiate collapse. The paper emphasises the importance of spatial variations in local void ratios in loose material, the importance of anisotropy of collapse potential and of load-controlled rather that strain-controlled shearing.

Spatial Control over Reactions via Localized Transcription within Membraneless DNA Nanostar Droplets.

Biomolecular condensates control where and how fast many chemical reactions occur in cells by partitioning reactants and catalysts, enabling simultaneous reactions in different spatial locations of a cell. Even without a membrane or physical barrier, the partitioning of the reactants can affect the rates of downstream reaction cascades in ways that depend on reaction location. Such effects can enable systems of biomolecular condensates to spatiotemporally orchestrate chemical reaction networks in cells to facilitate complex behaviors such as ribosome assembly. Here, we develop a system for developing such control in synthetic systems. We localize different transcription templates within different phase-separated, membraneless DNA nanostar (NS) droplets─programmable, in vitro liquid-liquid phase separation systems for partitioning of substrates and localization of reactions to membraneless droplets. When RNA produced within such droplets is also degraded in the bulk, droplet-localized transcription creates RNA concentration gradients. Consistent with the formation of these gradients, toehold-mediated strand displacement reactions involving transcripts are 2-fold slower far from the site of transcription than when nearby. We then demonstrate how multiple such gradients can form and be maintained independently by simultaneous transcription reactions occurring in tandem, each localized to different NS droplet types. Our results provide a means for constructing reaction systems in which different reactions are spatially localized and controlled without the need for physical membranes. This system also provides a means for generally studying how localized reactions and the exchange of reaction products might occur between protocells.

Frozen autocatalytic fronts in a radial flow

Autocatalytic reaction-diffusion fronts are localized reaction zones propagating at a constant speed with a constant width. We show both theoretically and experimentally that, if the reactant Y of the autocatalytic reaction is injected radially at a constant flow rate in a sea of the autocatalytic species X, a stationary front can be maintained at a fixed position that scales linearly with the flow rate. When this reaction front is about to reach a stationary state, a second outward traveling front emerges to adapt the outer concentration of the autocatalytic species to the stoichiometry ratio between X and Y. Simple analytical solutions to the reaction-diffusion-advection equations governing the dynamics are computed for both fronts. The analytical predictions for the stationary front position and moving front dynamics as a function of injection flow rate, reactant concentration, and gap of the quasi-two-dimensional reactor agree well with experimental results obtained with the autocatalytic chlorite-tetrathionate reaction. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Immunogenicity and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with lung cancer : results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

COVID-19 has emerged as a significant worldwide health crisis in recent years, characterized by elevated morbidity and mortality rates. COVID-19 vaccinations can diminish transmission and safeguard people. The evaluation of immunogenicity and safety in high-risk populations, such as lung cancer patients, continues to provide a problem. This evaluation seeks to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccinations in patients with lung cancer. A search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science from January 2021 to November 2022 utilizing the keywords: COVID-19 OR SARS-CoV-2 AND COVID-19 vaccination AND lung cancer OR lung carcinoma. The subsequent requirements must be satisfied for inclusion: (1) Research involving at least 30 lung cancer patients undergoing active anti-tumor therapy alongside healthy controls; (2) COVID-19 vaccination; (3) Observational studies (either prospective or retrospective) and clinical trials featuring healthy controls; (4) The primary outcome measured was anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG titers following the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in lung cancer patients. Secondary results included local and systemic adverse responses following the first and second doses. Antibody titers (mean ± standard deviation) were assessed for each study individually. The occurrence of adverse events following the first and second dosages was recorded Results: Eight studies were included, comprising 1,220 lung cancer patients and 599 healthy persons. IgG titers against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were markedly reduced in lung cancer patients compared to healthy controls, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.002). The safety profiles of lung cancer patients and healthy individuals were comparable: local reaction after the first vaccine: RR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.68-1.19; systemic reaction after the first vaccine: RR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.51-1.66; local reaction after the second vaccine: RR=0.81, 95% CI: 0.54-1.19; systemic reaction after the second vaccine: RR=1.20, 95% CI: 0.65-2.21. The antibody titer in lung cancer patients is markedly lower than that in the healthy group. Consequently, fatalities from COVID-19 may transpire in these people notwithstanding vaccination. Consequently, comprehensive protective measures must continue to be implemented to safeguard lung cancer patients who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccination against COVID-19.

Evaluating the safety and efficacy of aminolevulinic acid 20% topical solution activated by blue light in the treatment of facial cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in situ

Background: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in situ (isSCC) is a common skin cancer occurring from sun exposure and often appears on the face. Treatment is primarily surgical but less invasive treatments are desirable. Currently, aminolevulinic acid for photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is approved in the US and Canada for the treatment of single and multiple non-hyperkeratotic actinic keratoses of the face and scalp. This study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of ALA-PDT for treatment of facial isSCC.Methods: Thirty-two patients with biopsy-confirmed isSCC on the face were recruited. Lesions 0.4–1.3 cm in diameter were included. Per the actinic keratosis treatment protocol, the lesion was debrided with a 4 x 4 gauze and ALA 20% topical solution was applied to the lesion and adjacent skin and incubated for 18–24 hours, followed by blue light therapy 16 minutes 40 seconds at 10 J/cm2. Patients underwent two treatments with ALA-PDT spaced 28 +/- 3 days apart. The area of the original lesion was excised eight weeks following the second treatment for histopathological assessment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the complete absence histologically of the isSCC at end of treatment. The secondary efficacy endpoint was the achievement of clinical clearance of the skin lesion. Safety assessment was done through adverse events and local skin reactions (LSRs; erythema, flaking/scaling, crusting, swelling, vesiculation/pustulation, and erosion/ulceration) and site pain within 15 minutes of each treatment session.Results: Of the 32 patients enrolled, two did not complete the study. No residual SCCis was detected in 30/30 (100%) patients. Clinical clearance was achieved in 30/30 (100%) of the patients by the end of treatment. None of the patients experienced related adverse events and only 2/30 (5%) experienced an AE of hypertension and was considered to be unrelated. The most common LSRs were erythema and scaling and were primarily mild, seen to occur immediately after both treatments and diminished over time. The average median ± SD immediate post-treatment pain score was 2.56 ± 2.15 on the VAS scale.Conclusion: The ALA-PDT protocol outlined in this study appears to be a very effective, safe and well-tolerated treatment option for isSCC on the face.

Novel Approach to Fat Reduction: A Phase I Study Evaluating Safety and Tolerability of STP705 in Abdominoplasty

Background: RNAi therapeutics are a rapidly developing technology with broad medical applications predicated on reducing the expression of genes with key links to disease pathogenesis. The TGF-β1/Smad3 and COX-2 signaling pathways are strongly implicated in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Reducing the expression of TGF-β1 and COX-2 may have benefits in fat reduction procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and tolerability of STP705 (a TGF-β1/COX-2 siRNA complex in a polypeptide nanoparticle vehicle) injections in persons undergoing abdominoplasty. A secondary aim was to make initial histologic observations on the efficacy of STP705 injections in inducing adipocyte apoptosis for the purpose of focal fat reduction. Methods: The study treatment consisted of 3 rounds of treatment with 7 subcutaneous abdominal injections of STP705 or placebo. Eight female subjects aged 18-65 years received 120 μg, 240 μg, or 360 μg STP705 in 0.5 or 1.0 ml doses (per injection) or an equivalent amount of placebo injected randomly across seven 1 cm2 areas. Treatments were administered 28 days apart with follow-ups occurring at 2 and 7 days’ post-procedure. Tissue samples from each of the 7 injection sites were harvested from total abdominoplasty excisional specimens obtained 28 days after the final injection. Safety assessments were conducted, including physical examination, clinical laboratory tests, electrocardiograms, evaluation of local skin reactions (LSRs), and collection of adverse events (AEs). Lipolytic and inflammatory effects of STP705 were assessed by blinded histologic analysis of harvested tissue samples. Results: There were no clinically significant changes in clinical labs, vital signs, or ECGs. The incidence of LSRs was low throughout the study. There were 3 moderate AEs deemed likely to be related to STP705 injection; none required intervention, and all resolved without dose modification. Histology revealed marginally dose-dependent tissue response with adipocyte destruction and fat remodeling. Conclusion: In general, STP705 was well tolerated at all concentrations and volumes studied. STP705 demonstrated excellent safety, and initial histologic analysis is suggestive of its efficacy in adipocyte destruction. The lack of cutaneous side effects with STP705 injection is an advantage over current treatments for similar indications.

Photosensitivity Dermatitis associated with the Moderna Booster Vaccination

Adverse reactions have been documented following administration of mRNA COVID vaccinations, including systemic and local cutaneous reactions. Cutaneous reactions have been reported more frequently and of greater severity when vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine compared to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. While multiple studies have investigated cutaneous reactions following initial vaccinations, few have reported on the effects of booster vaccinations, specifically in individuals of darker skin color. Additionally, we have found no reported cases of photosensitive dermatitis following vaccination. Thus, we present a case of photosensitivity dermatitis likely secondary to a booster shot of the Moderna vaccination in a Fitzpatrick Type IV 81-year-old female patient.

Stability of closed and needle-punctured vials of Porvac® subunit vaccine against classical swine fever subjected to thermal stress

BackgroundClassical Swine Fever (CSF) is still one of the most economically important viral diseases of pigs. In endemic countries, the disease is controlled mostly through vaccination; hence, the availability of safe and effective vaccines is of utmost importance. Vaccines intended for application in developing countries must also be thermally stable, since the infrastructure needed to maintain a cold chain in those countries is usually lacking. Porvac® is a second-generation subunit marker vaccine against CSF that has demonstrates to be safe and protective. Previous studies have also shown that the vaccine is stable for 1 week at 37 oC and have a shelf life of at least 36 months at 2–8 oC. The aim of this work was to further explore the accelerated stability of Porvac® by assessing the physicochemical properties of the emulsion, and the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine subjected to more drastic conditions of thermal stress: (1) 25 oC for 12 months; (2) 30oC and 37 oC for one month and (3) 15 days at 37 °C after the cap of the vials had been needle-punctured.ResultsThe vaccine subjected to all these conditions did not show significant changes in the physicochemical properties of the emulsion; did not produce local or systemic adverse reactions in pigs, and the chromatographic profile of the recovered antigen was preserved. All vaccinated swine developed neutralizing antibody titers ≥ 1:1000 at 28 days post vaccination.ConclusionsPorvac® is stable in all the experimental conditions tested, even after cap puncture, and retains the capacity to induce high titers of neutralizing antibodies, well above the threshold of protection. These results reinforce the robustness of the vaccine, and support its use as a very attractive alternative to modified live vaccines in developing countries endemic for CSF.