ORCID Profile
0000-0002-1950-1505
Current Organisation
Austin Health
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/RESP.14135
Abstract: See related Editorial
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2021
DOI: 10.1111/RESP.14155
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/RESP.14296
Abstract: The US Preventive Task Force (USPSTF) has updated screening criteria by expanding age range and reducing smoking history required for eligibility the International Lung Screen Trial (ILST) data have shown that PLCOM2012 performs better for eligibility than USPSTF criteria. Screening adherence is low (4%–6% of potential eligible candidates in the United States) and depends upon multiple system and patient/candidate‐related factors. Smoking cessation in lung cancer improves survival (past prospective trial data, updated meta‐analysis data) smoking cessation is an essential component of lung cancer screening. Circulating biomarkers are emerging to optimize screening and early diagnosis. COVID‐19 continues to affect lung cancer treatment and screening through delays and disruptions specific operational challenges need to be met. Over 70% of suspected malignant lesions develop in the periphery of the lungs. Bronchoscopic navigational techniques have been steadily improving to allow greater accuracy with target lesion approximation and therefore diagnostic yield. Fibre‐based imaging techniques provide real‐time microscopic tumour visualization, with potential diagnostic benefits. With significant advances in peripheral lung cancer localization, bronchoscopically delivered ablative therapies are an emerging field in limited stage primary and oligometastatic disease. In advanced stage lung cancer, small‐volume s les acquired through bronchoscopic techniques yield material of sufficient quantity and quality to support clinically relevant biomarker assessment.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/RESP.14230
Abstract: Inhalation of high concentrations of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can lead to silicosis. RCS contains varying levels of iron, which can cause oxidative stress and stimulate ferritin production. This study evaluated iron‐related and inflammatory markers in control and silicosis patients. A cohort of stone benchtop industry workers ( n = 18) were radiologically classified by disease severity into simple or complicated silicosis. Peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were collected to measure iron, ferritin, C‐reactive protein, serum amyloid A and serum silicon levels. Ferritin subunit expression in BAL and transbronchial biopsies was analysed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Lipid accumulation in BAL macrophages was assessed by Oil Red O staining. Serum iron levels were significantly elevated in patients with silicosis, with a strong positive association with serum ferritin levels. In contrast, markers of systemic inflammation were not increased in silicosis patients. Serum silicon levels were significantly elevated in complicated disease. BAL macrophages from silicosis patients were morphologically consistent with lipid‐laden foamy macrophages. Ferritin light chain (FTL) mRNA expression in BAL macrophages was also significantly elevated in simple silicosis patients and correlated with systemic ferritin. Our findings suggest that elevated iron levels during the early phases of silicosis increase FTL expression in BAL macrophages, which drives elevated BAL and serum ferritin levels. Excess iron and ferritin were also associated with the emergence of a foamy BAL macrophage phenotype. Ferritin may represent an early disease marker for silicosis, where increased levels are independent of inflammation and may contribute to fibrotic lung remodelling.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2021
DOI: 10.1111/IMJ.15230
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 21-04-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.04.20.440373
Abstract: Tissue-resident memory T cells (T RM ) provide immune defence against local infection and can inhibit cancer progression. However, it is unclear to what extent chronic inflammation impacts T RM activation and how the immune pressure exerted by T RM affects developing tumours in humans. We performed deep profiling of lung cancers arising in never-smokers (NS) and ever-smokers (ES), finding evidence of enhanced T RM immunosurveillance in ES lung. Only tumours arising in ES patients underwent clonal immune escape, even when evaluating cancers with similar tumour mutational burden to NS patients, suggesting that the timing of immune pressure exerted by T RM is a critical factor in the evolution of tumour immune evasion. Tumours grown in T cell quiescent NS lungs displayed little evidence of immune evasion and had fewer neoantigens with low ersity, paradoxically making them amenable to treatment with agonist of the costimulatory molecule, ICOS. These data demonstrate local environmental insults enhance T RM immunosurveillance of human tissue, shape the evolution of tumour immunogenicity and that this interplay informs effective immunotherapeutic modalities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/RESP.13933
No related grants have been discovered for Tracy Leong.