The BiTE (bispecific T-cell engager) platform: Development and future potential of a targeted immuno-oncology therapy across tumor types

Immuno-oncology therapies engage the immune system to treat cancer. BiTE (bispecific T-cell engager) technology is a targeted immuno-oncology platform that connects patients' own T cells to malignant cells. The modular nature of BiTE technology facilitates the generation of molecules against tumor-specific antigens, allowing off-the-shelf immuno-oncotherapy. Blinatumomab was the first approved canonical BiTE molecule and targets CD19 surface antigens on B cells, making blinatumomab largely independent of genetic alterations or intracellular escape mechanisms. Additional BiTE molecules in development target other hematologic malignancies (eg, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma) and solid tumors (eg, prostate cancer, glioblastoma, gastric cancer, and small-cell lung cancer). BiTE molecules with an extended half-life relative to the canonical BiTE molecules are also being developed. Advances in immuno-oncology made with BiTE technology could substantially improve the treatment of hematologic and solid tumors and offer enhanced activity in combination with other treatments.     

The potential impact of bereavement grief on workers,work, careers,and the workplace

ABSTRACT

Bereavement grief is typically very painful and often highly consequential. People who are working could be significantly impacted by the death of someone they care about. A qualitative study sought an understanding of the lived experience of bereavement on the mourner’s ability to work and their work-related experiences following the death of a loved one. Three themes emerged: (a) grief is universal but individually impactful, (b) accommodation is needed to assist the return to work and to regain work abilities, and (c) there are many impediments to working again. These themes highlight the potential for bereavement grief to substantially effect mourners and thus their work, careers, and the workplace. Older workers could be particularly disadvantaged because of workplace ageism. Societal and other changes appear to be needed for the health and wellbeing of mourning workers, and to address related work and bereavement issues. Bereavement grief is highly relevant to the social work profession, given its involvement in providing information, developing supportive services, and making referrals.     

Intimate partner violence and subsequent depression and anxiety disorders

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology - The current longitudinal study examines the temporal association between different types of intimate partner violence (IPV) at early adulthood...     

Prenatal diethylstilbestrol exposure and cancer risk in women

In the Diethylstilbestrol [DES] Combined Cohort Follow-up, the age- and calendar-year specific standardized incidence ratio [SIR] for clear cell adenocarcinoma [CCA] was 27.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.51-70.6) for the exposed women. The SIR for breast cancer was 1.17 (95% CI 1.01-1.36) and the hazard ratio [HR] adjusted for birth year and cohort for comparison with the unexposed was 1.05 (95% CI 0.79-1.41). The SIR for pancreatic cancer was 2.43 (95% CI 1.21-4.34) and the adjusted HR for comparison with unexposed women was 7.16 (95% CI 0.84-61.5). There was little evidence of excess risk for other sites. There appeared to be a deficit in risk for endometrial cancer among the exposed (SIR 0.61; 95% CI 0.35-0.98), and an excess in the unexposed (SIR 1.55; 95% CI 0.95-2.40); the adjusted HR was 0.45 (95% CI 0.22-0.93) for the internal comparison. There was no overall excess cancer risk in exposed women compared with general population rates (1.06; 95% CI 0.95-1.17) or with unexposed participants (adjusted HR 1.03; 95% CI 0.84-1.25). These data do not support the suggestion that there is a diathesis of cancers in DES exposed female offspring The excess risk of breast and pancreatic cancers that we observed is concerning and warrants continued follow-up and mechanistic investigation. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 60:395–403, 2019. Published 2017. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.