With the development of cancer immunotherapy, cancer vaccine has become a novel modality for cancer treatment, and the important role of adjuvant has been realized recently. Chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives have shown their advantages as adjuvants for cancer vaccine. In this paper, the adjuvant properties of chitin and chitosan were discussed, and some detailed information about glycated chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles was also presented to illustrate the trend for future development.
We report our preliminary results of a pilot clinical trial of late-stage breast cancer patients treated by laser immunotherapy (LIT), a local intervention using an 805-nm laser for non-invasive irradiation, indocyanine green for selective thermal effect, and immunoadjuvant (glycated chitosan) for immunological stimulation. Ten breast cancer patients were enrolled in this study; all the patients were considered to be out of other available treatment options. Preliminary data of toxicity tolerance was individually evaluated through physical exams and laboratory tests. Adverse reactions only occurred in the area of treatment due to photothermal injury and local administration of immunoadjuvant. No grade 3 or 4 side effects were observed. Treatment efficacy of LIT was also evaluated by physical examination and tomography. In 8 patients available for evaluation, the objective response rate was 62.5% and the clinical beneficial response rate was 75%. While the study is still ongoing, the initial outcomes of this clinical trial show that LIT is well tolerated and is of great promise in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
A novel, promising potential cancer vaccine strategy was proposed to use a two-injection procedure for solid tumors to prompt the immune system to identify and systemically eliminate the primary and metastatic cancers. The two-injection procedure consists of local photothermal application on a selected tumor intended to liberate whole cell tumor antigens, followed by a local injection of an immunoadjuvant that consists of a semi-synthetic functionalized glucosamine polymer, N-dihydro-galacto-chitosan (GC), which is intended to activate antigen presenting cells and facilitate an increased uptake of tumor antigens. This strategy is thus proposed as an in situ autologous cancer vaccine (inCVAX) that may activate antigen presenting cells and expose them to tumor antigens in situ, with the intention of inducing a systemic tumor specific T-cell response. Here, the development of inCVAX for the treatment of metastatic cancers in the past decades are systematically reviewed. The antitumor immune responses of local photothermal treatment and immunological stimulation with GC are also discussed. This treatment approach is also commonly referred to as laser immunotherapy (LIT).
The Siljan ring structure (368 +/- 1.1 Ma) is the largest known impact structure in Europe. It isa 65-km-wide, eroded, complex impact structure, displaying several structural units, including a central uplifted region surrounded by a ring-shaped depression. Associated with the impact crater are traces of a post-impact hydrothermal system indicated by precipitated and altered hydrothermal mineral assemblages. Precipitated hydrothermal minerals include quartz veins and breccia fillings associated with granitic rocks at the outer margin of the central uplift, and calcite, fluorite, galena, and sphalerite veins associated with Paleozoic carbonate rocks located outside the central uplift. Two-phase water/gas and oil/gas inclusions in calcite and fluorite display homogenization temperatures between 75 degrees C and 137 degrees C. With an estimated erosional unloading of approximately 1 km, the formation temperatures were probably not more than 10-15 degrees C higher. Fluid inclusion ice-melting temperatures indicate a very low salt content, reducing the probability that the mineralization was precipitated during the Caledonian Orogeny. Our findings suggest that large impacts induce low-temperature hydrothermal systems that may be habitats for thermophilic organisms. Large impact structures on Mars may therefore be suitable targets in the search for fossil thermophilic organisms.
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