Long Stay Activity Report for 2009

Long Stay Activity Report for 2009 Click here to download PDF 2.19MB

Connexin 30 sets synaptic strength by controlling astroglial synapse invasion.

Astrocytes play active roles in brain physiology by dynamic interactions with neurons. Connexin 30, one of the two main astroglial gap-junction subunits, is thought to be involved in behavioral and basic cognitive processes. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are unknown. We show here in mice that connexin 30 controls hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission through modulation of astroglial glutamate transport, which directly alters synaptic glutamate levels. Unexpectedly, we found that connexin 30 regulated cell adhesion and migration and that connexin 30 modulation of glutamate transport, occurring independently of its channel function, was mediated by morphological changes controlling insertion of astroglial processes into synaptic clefts. By setting excitatory synaptic strength, connexin 30 plays an important role in long-term synaptic plasticity and in hippocampus-based contextual memory. Taken together, these results establish connexin 30 as a critical regulator of synaptic strength by controlling the synaptic location of astroglial processes.

A long, naturally presented immunodominant epitope from NY-ESO-1 tumor antigen: implications for cancer vaccine design.

The tumor antigen NY-ESO-1 is a promising cancer vaccine target. We describe here a novel HLA-B7-restricted NY-ESO-1 epitope, encompassing amino acids 60-72 (APRGPHGGAASGL), which is naturally presented by melanoma cells. The tumor epitope bound to HLA-B7 by bulging outward from the peptide-binding cleft. This bulged epitope was not an impediment to T-cell recognition, however, because four of six HLA-B7(+) melanoma patients vaccinated with NY-ESO-1 ISCOMATRIX vaccine generated a potent T-cell response to this determinant. Moreover, the response to this epitope was immunodominant in three of these patients and, unlike the T-cell responses to bulged HLA class I viral epitopes, the responding T cells possessed a remarkably broad TCR repertoire. Interestingly, HLA-B7(+) melanoma patients who did not receive the NY-ESO-1 ISCOMATRIX vaccine rarely generated a spontaneous T-cell response to this cryptic epitope, suggesting a lack of priming of such T cells in the natural anti-NY-ESO-1 response, which may be corrected by vaccination. Together, our results reveal several surprising aspects of antitumor immunity and have implications for cancer vaccine design.

Long Stay Activity Report for 2011

This report presents data collected through a survey of long-stay units in 2011. The aim of the survey is to provide statistics on the number of beds available for long-term care, how the beds are used and the types of patients who occupy these beds. In order to present the data this report has been divided into a number of sections. This introductory section examines how data was collected and analysed and gives a summary of the results.   Click here to download PDF 2.8mb  

Long-Stay Activity Statistics 2012

This report presents data collected through a survey of long-stay units in 2012. The aim of the survey is to provide statistics on the number of beds available for long-term care, how the beds are used and the types of patients who occupy these beds.In order to present the data this report has been divided into a number of sections. This introductory section examines how data was collected and analysed and gives a summary of the results. Long-Stay Activity Statistics 2012  

Improving care for people with long term conditions: 'at a glance' information sheets for healthcare professionals

The Department has produced a series of information sheets for doctors,nurses, those delivering personal health budgets, allied health professionals, health trainers and anyone supporting individuals with long term conditions. The information sheets cover a range of topics including care planning, care co-ordination, managing need and assessment of risk, motivating people to self care, goal setting and action planning and end of life care.Download information sheet 1: Personalised care planning (PDF, 2514K)Download information sheet 2: Personalised care planning diagram (PDF, 2213K)Download information sheet 3: Care co-ordination (PDF, 1967K.