In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been the focus of research for their role in posttranscriptional regulation and as potential biomarkers of risk for disease development. Their identification in specific physiological processes, like angiogenesis, a key pathway in placental vascular development in pregnancy, suggests an important role of miRNAs that regulate angiogenesis (angiomiRs). Many complications of pregnancy have in common placental vascular alterations, involving an imbalance in the angiogenesis process in the development of conditions such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and gestational diabetes, complications with the highest rates of morbimortality in pregnancy. Many studies have identified angiomiRs with differential expression profiles in each of these diseases; however, this evidence requires further studies focused on evaluating their potential as biomarkers of risk for the angiomiRs detected, to establish correlations between placental tissue and serum/plasma expression profiles. Therefore, the objective of this review is to highlight the best angiomiRs detected in placental tissue and serum/plasma in each of these three pathologies to show the current data available for potential biomarkers and to propose future research strategies on this topic.
Ibrutinib-based therapies are costly and require continuous administration. We hypothesized combining BTK inhibition with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies would yield deep remissions allowing discontinuation. We enrolled 32 therapy-naïve CLL patients to receive ibrutinib plus obinutuzumab, followed by single-agent ibrutinib. Patients could discontinue ibrutinib after 36 months with sustained complete response (CR). We evaluated treatment safety, efficacy, and outcomes after ibrutinib discontinuation. The overall response rate was 100%, 28% achieved a CR, and 12.5% achieved bone marrow undetectable minimal residual disease. At a three-year median follow-up, 91% remain in remission with 100% overall survival. Five patients in sustained CR stopped ibrutinib and have not progressed. Eight non-CR patients discontinued for other reasons, with only two progressing. The treatment was safe, with a lower IRR rate. All patients responded to treatment with longer time-to-progression after discontinuation of ibrutinib. Our data support the evaluation of ibrutinib discontinuation strategies in more extensive clinical trials (https://Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02315768).
1 September 2016 in Revista Colombiana de Cardiología
ResumenEl síndrome de deleción 22q11 consiste en una agrupación variable de características fenotípicas secundarias a la pérdida del material genético localizado en la banda 22q11.2. El espectro de deleción del 22q11 abarca varios síndromes, antes considerados independientes pero hoy relacionados con la misma etiología, con anomalías superpuestas incluyendo el síndrome de DiGeorge y el síndrome velocardiofacial, entre otros. Se trata de un síndrome pleiotrópico incluyendo: alteraciones en los sistemas cardiaco e inmunológico, dificultades en el aprendizaje y malformaciones del paladar entre las afecciones más comunes.Se hizo una revisión de: la base embriológica de las malformaciones congénitas cardiacas, la epidemiología, la genética, la fisiopatología y los aspectos clínicos en el manejo de esta enfermedad. Dado que esta enfermedad rara es potencialmente una causa importante pero ignorada de morbimortalidad en Colombia, se propone también una estrategia para su búsqueda activa y se discuten aspectos relacionados con su diagnóstico.AbstractThe 22q11 deletion syndrome is characterized by a variable group of phenotypic features secondary to the loss of genetic material located on the band 22q11.2. Its spectrum covers multiple syndromes, previously considered independent but nowadays related to the same etiology with overlapping anomalies, including DiGeorge and velocardiofacial syndromes. It presents alterations in the immune and cardiac systems, neurodevelopment and palatal defects amongst the most common problems.This article is a review of the embryologic basis for the congenital heart defects, epidemiology, genetics, pathophysiology and clinical aspects of this disease. This is a rare disease but is a potentially underdiagnosed cause of morbidity and mortality in Colombia, for which a strategy for its active search is also proposed and diagnostic aspects are discussed
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is an effective treatment for hematologic malignancies. However, it is limited by high costs, risk of severe toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, and heterogeneous patient responses. The current therapy monitoring depends largely on subjective symptom assessment, routine laboratory tests, and basic vital signs, without real-time, quantitative evaluation of CAR T-cell expansion or activation in clinical practice. This lack of timely immune monitoring hampers individualized care and contributes to increased treatment costs. To address this need, we present a proof-of-concept, label-free rapid optical imaging (ROI) biosensor with automated machine learning analysis for direct quantification of CAR T-cells from whole blood. This microfluidic platform integrates red blood cell (RBC) removal, CAR T-cell capture, and imaging-based quantification on a single chip, eliminating the need for centrifugation, staining, and operator-dependent interpretation. For validation, 50 μL whole blood samples spiked with Jurkat cells expressing CD19 CARs underwent RBC depletion by agglutination and microfiltration. The remaining blood components were then incubated on a sensor chip functionalized with recombinant CD19 protein. Captured CAR T-cells were imaged by brightfield microscopy and automatically enumerated using a machine learning algorithm trained on fluorescence-validated cells. The CD-19 cells’ capture performance was validated by flow cytometry and fluorescence imaging. The trained machine learning model validated at 88% sensitivity and 96% specificity. Buffer and whole blood calibration curves were established across clinically relevant concentrations (1–1000 cells/µL) with triple replicates. The results showed high correlation (0.975 and 0.990 R2) between the spiked concentration and the detected CAR T-cells, with a 95% certainty limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.6 and 1.1 cells/µL for spiked buffer, and 14 and 67 cells/µL for spiked whole-blood, respectively.