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In this paper, we described technique of platelet rich plasma injection into the olfactory cleft in a 22-year-old female with 24-month post–COVID-19 anosmia. The technique starts with the blood extraction and the isolation of PRP through a 10-min centrifugation. The supernatant was injected in nasal regions after a local anesthesia through a 0° rigid optic. Several points of.2–.5 mL were performed in the nasal septum in regard of the head of the middle turbine and in the head of the middle turbine in both sides. The baseline threshold, discrimination, and identification scores were 1, 8, and 0, and the Olfactory Disorder Questionnaire score was 51, respectively. The injection of PRP in olfactory cleft was done without complication and mild pain. The patient perception of recovery of smell sense occurred at 3-week post-injection. From this time, the smell sense progressively improved to the 2-month consultation. At 2-month post-injection, the TDI scores reached 16, 16, and 16 (48), while the Olfactory Disorder Questionnaire was 73. The injection of PRP into the olfactory cleft appears to be a safe and easiness new approach that may improve the recovery of smell sense. Future controlled studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-associated macrophages are key components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and have been shown to play important roles in the progression of head and neck cancer. As a result, novel treatment approaches are focused on reprogramming M2 macrophages to adopt the M1 phenotype. A 3D coculture model was established to analyze the influence of cancer cells on monocyte recruitment and their polarization. Macrophages phenotypes were determined by immunofluorescence, western blot and RT-QPCR. Interleukines were analyzed by using CBA array. First, a scoring system based on the high or low density of M1 CD80+ and M2 CD163+ macrophages and on the tumor-infiltrated phenotype was developed in a clinical series of 54 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients. Interestingly, this macroscore was found to be more powerful than TNM criteria and p16 status and also significantly associated with poor prognosis for these patients. In vitro, the 3D model demonstrated that cancer cells are responsible for monocyte recruitment and M2 polarization, resulting in an immunosuppressive microenvironment with an increased production of IL8 and IL10 cytokines.Finally, we focused on a new compound found in toad venom. Bufalin is an endogenous cardiotonic steroid with reported anti-cancer and immunomodulatory properties. Our data indicated that bufalin reprogram M2 macrophages towards the M1 phenotype underlining its potential as an antitumor immune modulator. Overall, this research highlights the power of the macroscore as a new valuable prognostic biomarker and sheds light on the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Moreover, it indicates that modulating macrophages in the tumor microenvironment using bufalin could be a promising immunotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a French Short Version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (Fr-sQOD) to assess the quality of life impairments of patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD). Methods: Patients with OD and controls were enrolled from 2 academic centers. Individuals completed the Fr-sQOD, an OD visual analog scale severity, and the French version of the sinonasal outcome tool-22 (SNOT-22). Cronbach α was used to measure the internal consistency of Fr-sQOD. The reliability and the external validity of Fr-sQOD were assessed through a test–retest approach and by correlating Fr-sQOD with SNOT-22 scores, respectively. The external validity was assessed by correlation analysis between Fr-sQOD and the result of an assessment of the severity of OD on a visual analog scale. Results: Eighty patients completed the evaluations. The internal consistency was adequate (Cronbach α.96), and the test–retest reliability was high in the entire cohort (rs = 0.877, P <.001). The correlation between Fr-sQOD total scores and the severity of OD was moderate but significant (rs = −0.431; P =.001) supporting an acceptable external validity. Patients with OD had a significantly higher score of Fr-sQOD than healthy individuals (P <.001), indicating a high internal validity. Conclusion: The Fr-sQOD is a reliable and valid self-administered tool in the evaluation of the impact of OD on quality of life of French-speaking patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-vaccine olfactory and gustatory disorders are very rare and were reported in patients who received influenza vaccines. In this article, we report 6 cases of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine olfactory and gustatory disorders in patients with negative nasal swabs. Precisely, olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions were reported in 5 and 1 patients, respectively. Sense disorders occurred after the first injection of AstraZeneca (n = 4) or the second injection of Pfizer (n = 2) vaccines. In 4 cases, the olfactory or gustatory disorder was confirmed with psychophysical evaluations. The duration of chemosensory dysfunction ranged from 4 to 42 days. None of the patient reported mid- or long-term olfactory or gustatory disorder. The occurrence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in adults benefiting from COVID-19 vaccines is still rare but has to be known by otolaryngologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advancements in treating metastatic melanoma, many patients exhibit resistance to targeted therapies. Our study focuses on ATP1A1, a sodium pump subunit associated with cancer development. We aimed to assess ATP1A1 prognostic value in melanoma patients and examine the impact of its ligand, bufalin, on melanoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo. High ATP1A1 expression (IHC) correlated with reduced overall survival in melanoma patients. Resistance to BRAF inhibitor was linked to elevated ATP1A1 levels in patient biopsies (IHC, qPCR) and cell lines (Western blot, qPCR). Additionally, high ATP1A1 mRNA expression positively correlated with differentiation/pigmentation markers based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases and Verfaillie proliferative gene signature analysis. Bufalin specifically targeted ATP1A1 in caveolae, (proximity ligation assay) and influenced Src phosphorylation (Western blot), thereby disrupting multiple signaling pathways (phosphokinase array). In vitro, bufalin induced apoptosis in melanoma cell lines by acting on ATP1A1 (siRNA experiments) and, in vivo, significantly impeded melanoma growth using a nude mouse xenograft model with continuous bufalin delivery via an osmotic pump. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that ATP1A1 could serve as a prognostic marker for patient survival and a predictive marker for response to BRAF inhibitor therapy. By targeting ATP1A1, bufalin inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis in vitro, and effectively suppressed tumor development in mice. Thus, our findings strongly support ATP1A1 as a promising therapeutic target, with bufalin as a potential agent to disrupt its tumor-promoting activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of personalized medicine in olfactory testing to improve patient compliance. Olfactory disorders (OD) have a significant impact on quality of life, but there is a lack of awareness among medical professionals about this problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the sense of smell, as many patients experience persistent olfactory dysfunctions. Psychophysical tests (PT) are considered the gold standard for evaluating olfaction, but they are not always adjusted to the patient's complaints and wishes. The addition of specific odors from the patient's daily life could improve the accuracy of PT and patient compliance. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) software in olfactory training could also enhance patient adherence and collect important data for research. [Extracted from the article]

The article proposes a potential hypothesis about the pathophysiological mechanism of olfactory dysfunction (OD) based on some clinical observations. Topics include observation on some patients with persistent COVID-19 OD since the development of vaccination in Western countries, observation on olfactory region abnormalities in imaging study several months after the onset of OD, and analysis of the persistence of OD in COVID-19 patients.