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Biomedical subjects

F Baron

Publications and source records attributed to F Baron.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Minitransplants: allogeneic stem cell transplantation with reduced toxicity.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used for the treatment of selected hematological malignancies. Its curative potential is based on two very different mechanisms, involving the conditioning regimen and the graft-versus-host reactions, respectively. The high-dose chemo-radiotherapy conditioning regimen is aimed at destroying tumor cells, ablating the host immune system (to prevent rejection) and eliminating the host bone marrow (to "make space" for donor stem cells). However, the definitive eradication of tumor cells is also largely mediated by an immune-mediated destruction of malignant cells by donor lymphocytes termed graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) or graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect. However, because of its toxicity, conventional allogeneic HSCT is restricted to younger (< 55 years) and fitter patients. These observations led several groups to set up new (less toxic) transplant protocols based on a two step approach: first the use of immunosuppressive (but nonmyeloablative) conditioning regimens providing sufficient immunosuppression to achieve engraftment of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells and, in a second step, destruction of malignant cells by the GVL effect. These transplants are called nonmyeloablative HSCT or reduced-conditioning HSCT or minitransplants. Preliminary results show that minitransplants are feasible with a relatively low transplant-related mortality (TRM) even in patients up to 70 years. In addition, strong anti-tumor responses are observed in several hematological malignancies as well as in some patients with renal cell carcinoma. As the benefits of minitransplants over alternative forms of treatment remain to be demonstrated, this strategy should be restricted to patients included in clinical trials.

Adult↗

[Facial paralysis and tuberculous otitis. Significance of early neural decompression].

Facial paralyses associated with tuberculous otitis have consistently had a bad prognosis. This is bound up with delay in diagnosing the tuberculous nature of the lesions and with slow-acting medical treatment. The facial nerve must be decompressed immediately and not delayed until medical treatment has failed. This attitude is particularly necessary in two types of circumstances in which the tuberculous origin should be under suspicion as a matter of routine / firstly when facial paralysis appears in the secondary sequelae of ear surgery and, secondly, when facial paralysis is a complication in chronic otitis without cholesteatoma.

Adult↗