1.Anti-IgLON5 encephalopathy with memory deficits: A case report and literature review
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2026;43(1):81-84
Anti-IgLON5 encephalopathy, also known as anti-IgLON5 antibody-associated encephalopathy, is an extremely rare autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. The core clinical manifestations of this disease include sleep disturbance, gait abnormalities, medulla oblongata dysfunction, and cognitive impairment, as well as the presence of anti-IgLON5 antibodies in serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid. This article reports a case of anti-IgLON5 encephalopathy with memory deficits diagnosed in our hospital, and a literature review is also conducted to enhance the understanding of this condition.
Immunotherapy
2.Drivers for decision change in getting vaccinated against COVID-19: A retrospective cross-sectional study
Rosemary R. Seva ; Lourdes Marie S. Tejero ; Bettina Joyce P. Ilagan
Acta Medica Philippina 2026;60(3):60-69
Background:
A certain percentage of the vaccinated population initially did not want to get vaccinated but changed
their minds (from 30% to 70%). By October 2022, World Bank reported that the Philippines had 77.8% COVID-19 vaccination rate. Knowing the factors that changed their decision can help improve the vaccination rate.
Objective:
This survey aimed to identify the factors that influence positive change in vaccination decisions.
Methods:
This survey was conducted in the Philippines among Filipinos aged 18-80 years old between March to April 2022. The dependent variable in the study was decision change, a binary variable coded as 1 for a vaccinated person who changed their decision from no to yes and 0 for an unvaccinated person who did not change their decision from yes to no.
Results:
Age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.89-0.96) and having a college degree (aOR=11.707,
95% CI=3.23-42.41) are related to changing decisions. Young and college degree holders are likely to change their decisions positively about getting vaccinated. Employer requirement also influences decision change because it affects a person's livelihood. High scores on vaccine confidence (aOR = 1.181, 95% CI = 1.12-1.25) and awareness (aOR = 1.318, 95% CI = 1.08-1.61) are associated with decision change.
Conclusion
Being young, educated, employed with a requirement to vaccinate, and having high vaccine awareness
and confidence are strongly associated with a positive change in the decision to get vaccinated.
Vaccines
;
Vaccination
;
Philippines
;
Awareness
;
Covid-19
3.Measles in Indonesia: Vaccination Coverage and Identified Challenges
Acta Medica Indonesiana 2026;58(1):3-4
Abstract
Measles has re-emerged as a significant public health threat in Indonesia, signaling gaps in immunization coverage and systemic health inequities. Following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has seen a troubling resurgence in cases. This editorial examines the current epidemiological situation, structural barriers to vaccination, and necessary strategies for elimination. In 2025, Indonesia recorded over 63,000 suspected cases, with the trend continuing into 2026. Current vaccination coverage for children aged 12–23 months stands at 73.46%, which is significantly below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity. Key barriers identified include maternal education levels, archipelagic geography, and sociocultural factors such as religious permissibility and safety concerns. Addressing the measles resurgence requires a multi-faceted approach: strengthening routine and catch-up immunization services, addressing social determinants of health, and rebuilding public trust through community engagement. Achieving high coverage is essential to prevent severe clinical complications and protect vulnerable populations.
Measles
;
Measles resurgence
;
Immunization coverage
;
Indonesia
;
Vaccine hesitancy
;
Public health systems
4.COVID-19 vaccine literacy, confidence, and vaccination coverage in two Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in Floridablanca, Pampanga: A descriptive cross-sectional study
Dennise Grace C. Lazam ; Juean Joloue D. Lama ; Azizzah M. Lao ; Mark Brandon G. Lao ; Jerenlyn A. Laxamana ; Kayla Gabrielle C. Lecciones ; Ma. Hannah Sofia R. Magtibay ; Juan Miguel M. Mañ ; ago ; Angelica Mae G. Manalo ; Nicole Ira L. Manere ; Charles Kevin L. Rivera, MD ; Maria Peñ ; afrancia L. Adversario, MD, MSPH ; Maria Milagros U. Magat, MD, MEM
Health Sciences Journal 2026;15(1):23-35
Introduction:
Effective vaccination campaigns have been instrumental in reducing COVID-19 transmission and severe disease outcomes. Despite efforts to improve vaccine accessibility, vaccine literacy and confidence remain important determinants of vaccine uptake. Rural and geographically isolated communities often experience barriers to healthcare access that may affect vaccination coverage. This study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccination coverage, vaccine literacy, and vaccine confidence among residents of selected Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in Floridablanca, Pampanga.
Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 211 residents of Barangays San Ramon and Nabuclod. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a translated and pretested questionnaire on vaccine literacy and vaccine confidence. Vaccination records obtained from the Rural Health Unit were reviewed to determine COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Descriptive statistics, including
frequencies and percentages, were used to summarize the data.
Results:
The majority of respondents demonstrated an average level of vaccine literacy (75.8%), while 17.5% exhibited high vaccine literacy. Most respondents also demonstrated positive to very positive vaccine confidence (71.6%). Among the eligible population, 80.5% had completed the primary COVID-19 vaccination series, whereas 19.5% remained unvaccinated. Among those who completed the primary series, only 24.2% had received at least one booster dose.
Conclusion
Residents of the selected GIDAs generally demonstrated average vaccine literacy, positive vaccine confidence, and relatively high primary COVID-19 vaccination coverage. However, low booster uptake and the persistence of unvaccinated individuals highlight the need for sustained health education, improved healthcare accessibility, and targeted community-based interventions. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening vaccine literacy and confidence to support future immunization programs in geographically isolated communities.
COVID-19
;
Rural Health
;
Vaccination coverage
5.Socio-cultural and technical gaps in rabies control in the Philippines
Gerry Joey P. Laurito II ; Angelika Buenaventura Ramos ; Kimberly Cu
Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development 2025;29(3):100-103
Rabies remains a persistent public health issue in the Philippines, despite the existence of national and local policies and programs aimed at addressing its eradication. The viral disease, which elicits fatality yet is preventable, disproportionately affects rural areas, especially geographically isolated and disadvantaged area due to the junction of socio-cultural and technical challenges. This commentary article explores the myriad of barriers to rabies prevention and control, including poverty, cultural beliefs, limited health literacy, health delivery, and access inequity. However, the implementation of Rabies Act of 2007, which mandates mass vaccination, education, and the establishment of Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTCs), has gaps in the implementation that compromises the program’s sustainability and effectiveness. Deep-rooted cultural practices and beliefs delay or, more so replace evidence-informed medical practices, while geographic isolation and underfunded healthcare facilities hinder optimal provision of care. Moreover, interagency coordination and fragmented reporting surveillance systems further complicate effective rabies control. To address the gaps, this paper advocates for a culturally tailored and community-centered One Health approach that addresses both social and technical aspects of rabies prevention. Important recommendations include decentralizing ABTCs, sustaining vaccination programs with local government support and funding, integrating rabies education into schools and community outreach, and intensifying through multisectoral collaboration both government and nongovernment institutions. Achieving a rabies-free country requires not only biomedical interventions but also a holistic approach – equitable access to healthcare, trust building in communities, and long-term political commitment. In this manner, regardless of location and socioeconomic status, it ensures that this viral disease will be controlled and prevented.
Human ; Philippines ; Social Class ; Rabies ; Virus Diseases ; Mass Vaccination
6.Immune checkpoint blockade for cancer therapy: current progress and perspectives.
Hongying YE ; Weijie LIAO ; Jiongli PAN ; Yin SHI ; Qingqing WANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(3):203-226
Dysfunction of anti-tumor immune responses is crucial for cancer progression. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), which can potentiate T cell responses, is an effective strategy for the normalization of host anti-tumor immunity. In recent years, immune checkpoints, expressed on both tumor cells and immune cells, have been identified; some of them have exhibited potential druggability and have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical treatment. However, limited responses and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) cannot be ignored. This review outlines the development and applications of ICBs, potential strategies for overcoming resistance, and future directions for ICB-based cancer immunotherapy.
Humans
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
Immunotherapy/methods*
;
Animals
7.Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis reveals that an immune cell-related signature could predict clinical outcomes for microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer patients receiving immunotherapy.
Shijin YUAN ; Yan XIA ; Guangwei DAI ; Shun RAO ; Rongrong HU ; Yuzhen GAO ; Qing QIU ; Chenghao WU ; Sai QIAO ; Yinghua XU ; Xinyou XIE ; Haizhou LOU ; Xian WANG ; Jun ZHANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(4):371-392
Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4+ T, regulatory CD4+ T, CD4+ Th17, exhausted CD8+ T, cytotoxic CD8+ T, proliferated CD8+ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans
;
Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Immunotherapy
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Tumor Microenvironment/immunology*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Microsatellite Instability
;
Transcriptome
;
Single-Cell Analysis
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology*
;
Gene Expression Profiling
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Adult
;
Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*
8.New characteristics of cancer immunotherapy: trends in viral tumor immunotherapy with influenza virus-based approaches.
Shiyao HU ; Yiqi CAI ; Yong SHEN ; Yingkuan SHAO ; Yushen DU ; Yiding CHEN
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(6):546-556
Immunomodulatory cancer therapy is witnessing the rise of viral immunotherapy. The oncolytic influenza A virus, although promising in preclinical investigations, remains to be implemented in clinical practice. Recent progress in genetic engineering, coupled with experiential insights, offers opportunities to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the influenza A virus. This review explores the use of the influenza virus, its attenuated forms, and associated vaccines in cancer immunotherapy, highlighting their respective advantages and challenges. We further elucidate methods for engineering influenza viruses and innovative approaches to augment them with cytokines or immune checkpoint inhibitors, aiming to maximize their clinical impact. Our goal is to provide insights essential for refining influenza A virus-based viral tumor immunotherapies.
Humans
;
Neoplasms/immunology*
;
Immunotherapy/trends*
;
Influenza A virus/immunology*
;
Oncolytic Virotherapy/trends*
;
Animals
;
Cancer Vaccines/therapeutic use*
;
Oncolytic Viruses
;
Genetic Engineering
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
9.Current status and progress of health economics research on allergen specific immunotherapy.
Qianxue HU ; Liyue LI ; Ziyi LONG ; Bingyue HUO ; Yuzhe HAO ; Xiangning CHENG ; Tianjian XIE ; Qing CHENG ; Tao ZHOU ; Liuqing ZHOU ; Shan CHEN ; Yue ZHOU ; Jianjun CHEN
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(9):894-898
Allergen specific immunotherapy(AIT), as an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and other allergic diseases, has received widespread attention in the field of health economic evaluation in recent years. This article reviews the current status and progress of economic research on AIT, mainly discussing the socioeconomic burden of allergic rhinitis, the results of health economic studies from different countries, and the primary methods used in health economic research on allergic rhinitis. Existing studies indicate that, although AIT involves high initial costs, it offers significant long-term economic benefits by reducing healthcare resource utilization, improving patient quality of life, and decreasing medication dependence. Moreover, reducing initial costs, applying standardized assessment tools, and conducting cross-national comparative analyses have become key directions for future research. Overall, AIT demonstrates strong potential in terms of long-term health benefits and cost savings, providing solid economic evidence for the management of allergic diseases.
Humans
;
Desensitization, Immunologic/economics*
;
Cost-Benefit Analysis
;
Rhinitis, Allergic/economics*
;
Economics, Medical
10.Chinese expert consensus on the evaluation of allergen-specific immunotherapy outcomes(Wuhan, 2025).
Yuqin DENG ; Xi LUO ; Zhuofu LIU ; Shuguang SUN ; Jing YE ; Tiansheng WANG ; Jianjun CHEN ; Meiping LU ; Yin YAO ; Ying WANG ; Wei ZHOU ; Bei LIU ; Qingxiang ZENG ; Yuanteng XU ; Qintai YANG ; Yucheng YANG ; Feng LIU ; Chengli XU ; Yanan SUN ; Haiyu HONG ; Haibo YE ; Liqiang ZHANG ; Fenghong CHEN ; Huabin LI ; Hongtian WANG ; Yuncheng LI ; Wenlong LIU ; Yu XU ; Hongfei LOU
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(11):1075-1085
Allergen-specific immunotherapy(AIT) remains the only therapeutic approach with the potential to modify the natural course of allergic rhinitis(AR). Nevertheless, considerable inter-individual variability exists in patients'responses to AIT. To facilitate more reliable assessment of treatment efficacy, the China Rhinopathy Research Cooperation Group(CRRCG) convened young and middle-aged nasal experts in China to formulate the present consensus. The recommended subjective outcome measures for AIT comprise symptom scores, medication scores, combined symptom and medication scores, quality-of-life assessments, evaluation of disease control, and assessment of comorbidities. Objective indicators may supplement these measures. Currently available objective approaches include skin prick testing, nasal provocation testing, and allergen exposure chambers. However, these methods remain constrained by practical limitations and are not yet appropriate for routine implementation in clinical efficacy evaluation. In addition, several biomarkers, including sIgE and the sIgE/tIgE ratio, sIgG4, serum IgE-blocking activity, IgA, cytokines and chemokines, as well as immune cell surface molecules and their functional activity, have been shown to have associations with AIT outcomes. While these biomarkers may complement subjective assessments, they are subject to significant limitations. Consequently, large-scale multicenter trials and real-world evidence are required to strengthen the evidence base. The present consensus underscores the necessity of integrating patients'subjective experiences with objective testing throughout the treatment process, thereby providing a more comprehensive and accurate framework for efficacy evaluation. Looking forward, future investigations should prioritize the incorporation of multi-omics data and artificial intelligence methodologies, which hold promise for overcoming current limitations in assessment strategies and for advancing both the standardization and personalization of AIT.
Humans
;
Allergens/immunology*
;
China
;
Consensus
;
Desensitization, Immunologic
;
Immunoglobulin E
;
Quality of Life
;
Rhinitis, Allergic/therapy*
;
Treatment Outcome
;
East Asian People


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