Osteometric indices have a direct relationship with sex, height, age and race of an individual. These factors play a pivotal role in the identification of an individual. There are very few reports in Ghana on the use of bones for personal identification as compared to the developed world. Therefore the present study sought to use the ulna and femur as models for height and sex determination. One hundred undergraduate students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi made up of 55% males and 45% females between the ages of 18 -45 years were recruited for the study. The total standing height, ulnar and femoral lengths were measured. The data was analysed using excel and SPSS version 20.0. In the present study, males were taller than females (p < 0.05). Ulnar and femoral lengths were significantly higher in the male participants than in the females. Ulnar length was the better index for estimating height and the right femoral length was the better model for sex determination in the participants. Therefore the ulnar and right femoral lengths can serve as preliminary useful tools for height and sex determination. The results of this study serve as baseline data for future studies.

One of the most important technologies in modern medicine is gene therapy, which allows therapeutic genes to be introduced into cells of the body. The approach involves genetics and recombinant DNA techniques that allow manipulating vectors for delivery of exogenous material to target cells. The efficacy and safety of the delivery system are a key step towards the success of gene therapy. Somatic cell gene therapy is the easiest in terms of technology and the least problematic in terms of ethics. Although genetic manipulation of germline cells at the gene level has the potential to permanently eradicate certain hereditary disorders, major ethical issues such as eugenics, enhancement, mosaicism, and the transmission of undesirable traits or side effects to patients’ descendants currently stymie its development, leaving only somatic gene therapy in the works. However, moral, social, and ethical arguments do not imply that germline gene therapy should be banned forever. This review discusses in detail the current challenges surrounding the practice of gene therapy, focusing on the moral arguments and scientific claims that affect the advancement of the technology. The review also suggests precautionary principles as a means to navigate ethical uncertainties.

Immunotherapy for cancer treatment is growing at an unprecedented rate since the inception of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells. However, the efficacy of CAR-T cells against solid tumors is hampered by various issues, including “on-target, off-tumor toxicities,” T cell exhaustion, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. To overcome these limitations, recent advances focus on optimizing CAR-T cells using vaccines to develop more effective cell immunotherapies. Here, we summarize the most recent studies on how vaccine-based CAR-T therapies are advancing the response of cancer immunotherapy as well as the current state of their clinical and preclinical development. Finally, we share perspectives on how future studies can incorporate other strategies to augment the antitumor response of vaccine-assisted CAR-T cell therapy.