Immune-relevant aspects of murine models of head and neck cancer.

Head and neck cancers (HNCs) cause significant mortality and morbidity. There have been few advances in therapeutic management of HNC in the past 4 to 5 decades, which support the need for studies focusing on HNC biology. In recent years, increased recognition of the relevance of the host response in cancer progression has led to novel therapeutic strategies and putative biomarkers of tumor aggressiveness. However, tumor-immune interactions are highly complex and vary with cancer type. Pre-clinical, in vivo models represent an important and necessary step in understanding biological processes involved in development, progression and treatment of HNC. Rodents (mice, rats, hamsters) are the most frequently used animal models in HNC research. The relevance and utility of information generated by studies in murine models is unquestionable, but it is also limited in application to tumor-immune interactions. In this review, we present information regarding the immune-specific characteristics of the murine models most commonly used in HNC research, including immunocompromised and immunocompetent animals. The particular characteristics of xenograft, chemically induced, syngeneic, transgenic, and humanized models are discussed in order to provide context and insight for researchers interested in the in vivo study of tumor-immune interactions in HNC.

Level of acceptance of islet cell and kidney xenotransplants by personnel of hospitals with and without experience in clinical xenotransplantation.

BACKGROUND: Recently, significant progress in both safety and efficacy has been achieved in the field of xenotransplantation, as exemplified by results from the first clinical trials of porcine islet transplantation. It would be of interest to learn whether the attitude of the clinical staff involved in such trials changes as the trials are carried out in their own hospital. METHODS: One hundred and four clinical staff members from the Eva Peron Hospital of San Martin (Buenos Aires, Argentina) where clinical trials of islet xenotransplantation have been performed and 92 similar staff members from the Diego Thompson Hospital (Buenos Aires, Argentina) where no such xenotransplantation has been carried out participated in the study. Data were collected anonymously using questionnaires. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences between the acceptance of xenotransplantation by clinical personnel in a hospital that had carried out clinical xenotransplantation trials were observed when compared with the acceptance of a similar staff from the hospital that had not carried out such trials. CONCLUSION: This study shows that involvement in clinical xenotransplantation trials significantly changes the attitude of the clinical staff towards this technology and suggests that better information given to the society may increase acceptance of the xenotransplantation.