Arming Vδ2 T cells with chimeric antigen receptors to combat cancer.

Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach in the field of cancer treatment, with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy demonstrating remarkable success. However, challenges such as tumor antigen heterogeneity, immune evasion, and limited persistence of CAR-T cells have prompted the exploration of alternative cell types for CAR-based strategies. Gamma delta T cells, a unique subset of lymphocytes with inherent tumor recognition capabilities and versatile immune functions, have garnered increasing attention in recent years. In this review, we will present how arming Vδ2-T cells might be the basis for next-generation immunotherapies against solid tumors. Following a comprehensive overview of γδ T cell biology and innovative CAR engineering strategies, we will discuss the clinical potential of Vδ2 CAR-T cells to overcome the current limitations of immunotherapy in solid tumors. Indeed, while applications of Vδ2 CAR-T cells in cancer research are relatively in their infancy and many challenges are yet to be identified, Vδ2 CAR-T cells represent a promising breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy.

Creating a psychosocial intervention combining growth mindset and implementation intentions (GMII) to reduce alcohol consumption: A mixed method approach.

This work aimed at creating a psychosocial intervention based on growth mindset theory and implementation intention strategies, in order to reduce alcohol consumption among users in the general population, and the clinical population of individuals with alcohol use disorder. A mixed method approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods among both populations. Four focus groups were first conducted to extract arguments in favor of a malleable view of alcohol consumption (study 1A), situations that trigger the desire to drink alcohol, as well as strategies used by people to counteract this need (study 1B). Data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis in line with the scientific literature on alcohol consumption. The results were used to create a questionnaire scoring the relevance of each argument, situation and strategy (study 2). The 20 best scored arguments, situations and strategies were selected to create the intervention. The created intervention consisted in a popularized scientific article describing alcohol consumption as malleable, including the selected arguments and followed by two internalization exercises. Then, a volitional help sheet included the selected situations and solutions was presented, allowing forming up to three plans. The discussion focused on the added value of the created material compared to pre-existing tools in the literature, and presents plans to test the intervention in a future study.

Predicting subacute hematological toxicity of 177Lu-DOTATATE therapy using healthy organs' uptake on post-treatment quantitative SPECT: A pilot study.

The aim is to investigate the usefulness of 177Lu-DOTA-0-Tyr3-Octreotate (DOTATATE) healthy organs' (spleen, kidneys, bone marrow) standard uptake value for the prediction of subacute hematological toxicity in patients undergoing 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment. All patients referred from January 2021 to May 2022 for 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment were retrospectively screened. For each treatment session, baseline clinical data including age, sex, weight, delay between 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment and last cold somatostatin analogue intake were collected. Mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) of healthy organs was measured and analyzed by generalized linear mixed effect models. Outcomes (significant decrease of platelets, hemoglobin levels and neutrophils) were assessed 1 month later, considering their within-subject biological coefficient of variation, published by the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. A total of 9 patients (33 treatment sessions) were included. No predictive factors were identified for platelet and neutrophil decrease. Splenic SUVmean was found to be a significant predictor of hemoglobin levels decrease. Using an optimal threshold of ≥6.22, derived sensitivity and specificity to predict hemoglobin decrease were 85.7% [46.4; 99.0] and 76.9% [57.5; 89.2] respectively with an accuracy of 82.4%. Although not significantly predictive of hematological toxicity, bone marrow SUVmean and renal SUVmean were correlated with splenic SUVmean. Quantitative single photon emission computed tomography and healthy organs analysis might help to foresee hematological subacute toxicity in patients undergoing 177Lu-DOTATATE treatment and improve patient management.

[Ethics: supporting the sexuality of people with a mental disability in an institution]. / Éthique : accompagner la sexualité des personnes atteintes de handicap en institution.

The question of the sexuality of people with a disability in an institution touches on two sensitive aspects: sexuality, between taboo and unknown, and disability-related particularities. Within the microsociety of an institution, the protocols, daily living rules and therapeutic framework guide institutional life, and caregivers are sometimes helpless. An ethical perspective can help professionals support people with a mental disability with regard to their emotional and sexual life.