Charité

About: Charité is a healthcare organization based out in Berlin, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 30624 authors who have published 64507 publications receiving 2437322 citations. The organization is also known as: Charite & Charité – University Medicine Berlin.

Assessing Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes in Solid Tumors: A Practical Review for Pathologists and Proposal for a Standardized Method from the International Immunooncology Biomarkers Working Group: Part 1: Assessing the Host Immune Response, TILs in Invasive Breast Carcinoma and Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, Metastatic Tumor Deposits and Areas for Further Research

Abstract: Assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in histopathologic specimens can provide important prognostic information in diverse solid tumor types, and may also be of value in predicting response to treatments. However, implementation as a routine clinical biomarker has not yet been achieved. As successful use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and other forms of immunotherapy become a clinical reality, the need for widely applicable, accessible, and reliable immunooncology biomarkers is clear. In part 1 of this review we briefly discuss the host immune response to tumors and different approaches to TIL assessment. We propose a standardized methodology to assess TILs in solid tumors on hematoxylin and eosin sections, in both primary and metastatic settings, based on the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group guidelines for TIL assessment in invasive breast carcinoma. A review of the literature regarding the value of TIL assessment in different solid tumor types follows in part 2. The method we propose is reproducible, affordable, easily applied, and has demonstrated prognostic and predictive significance in invasive breast carcinoma. This standardized methodology may be used as a reference against which other methods are compared, and should be evaluated for clinical validity and utility. Standardization of TIL assessment will help to improve consistency and reproducibility in this field, enrich both the quality and quantity of comparable evidence, and help to thoroughly evaluate the utility of TILs assessment in this era of immunotherapy.

Sex and gender differences in health: Science & Society Series on Sex and Science

Abstract: Men and women are alike in many ways. However, there are important biological and behavioural differences between the two genders. They affect manifestation, epidemiology and pathophysiology of many widespread diseases and the approach to health care. Despite our knowledge of these crucial differences, there is little gender‐specific health care; the prevention, management and therapeutic treatment of many common diseases does not reflect the most obvious and most important risk factors for the patient: sex and gender. This omission is holding back more efficient health care, as gender‐based prevention measures or therapies are probably more effective than the usual ‘one‐size‐fits all’ approach and would benefit patients of both genders. Addressing gender in health and health care therefore requires new approaches at many levels, from training medical personal to clinical medicine, epidemiology and drug development. > …the prevention, management and therapeutic treatment of many common diseases does not reflect the most obvious and most important risk factors for the patient: sex and gender To discuss and address properly the differences in health and health care between men and women, it is necessary to distinguish between sex and gender and their respective effects on health. Sex differences are based on biological factors. These include reproductive function, concentrations of sexual hormones, the expression of genes on X and Y chromosomes and their effects and the higher percentage of body fat in women. By contrast, gender is associated with behaviour, lifestyle and life experience. It determines access to health care, use of the health care system and the behavioural attitudes of medical personnel. Typical gender differences in health care include differences in the use of preventive measures, the prescription of drugs, health insurance reimbursement and referral for or acceptance of particular surgical therapies such as pacemaker implantation or heart transplantation. > Gender medicine must consider the needs …

Mechanistic Pathways of Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract: Major differences between men and women exist in epidemiology, manifestation, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcome of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as coronary artery disease, pressure overload, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. Corresponding sex differences have been studied in a number of animal models, and mechanistic investigations have been undertaken to analyze the observed sex differences. We summarize the biological mechanisms of sex differences in CVD focusing on three main areas, i.e., genetic mechanisms, epigenetic mechanisms, as well as sex hormones and their receptors. We discuss relevant subtypes of sex hormone receptors, as well as genomic and nongenomic, activational and organizational effects of sex hormones. We describe the interaction of sex hormones with intracellular signaling relevant for cardiovascular cells and the cardiovascular system. Sex, sex hormones, and their receptors may affect a number of cellular processes by their synergistic action on multiple targets. We discuss in detail sex differences in organelle function and in biological processes. We conclude that there is a need for a more detailed understanding of sex differences and their underlying mechanisms, which holds the potential to design new drugs that target sex-specific cardiovascular mechanisms and affect phenotypes. The comparison of both sexes may lead to the identification of protective or maladaptive mechanisms in one sex that could serve as a novel therapeutic target in one sex or in both.