1. A seat structure for a passenger seat, the seat structure comprising:
a seat pan for mounting on a frame structure of the passenger seat in a manner such that the seat pan is moveable in forward and backward directions relative to the frame independently from movement of a seat back of the passenger seat; and
biasing means for biasing the seat pan in a default position.
2. The seat structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the default position, the seat pan is substantially in a maximum backward position.
3. The seat structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the seat pan is movable on a curved trajectory along the forward and backward directions.
4. The seat structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the curved trajectory comprises first and second opposing ends and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends, the intermediate portion being at a vertically lower position compared to the first and second ends.
5. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat pan is curved along a depth thereof.
6. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat pan comprises one or more rollers for engaging one or more a track strips mounted to the frame structure of the passenger seat.
7. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the seat pan comprises one or more track strips for engaging one or more rollers mounted to the frame structure of the passenger seat.
8. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat pan comprises one or more slider elements for being received in corresponding one or more guiding tracks mounted to the frame structure of the passenger seat.
9. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the seat pan comprises one or more guiding tracks for receiving one or more corresponding slider elements mounted to the frame structure of the passenger seat.
10. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat pan is corrugated.
11. The seat structure as claimed in claim 10, wherein the seat pan is corrugated along one or more directions thereof.
12. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more retaining structures for limiting the movement of the seat pan.
13. The seat structure as claimed in claim 12, wherein each restraining structure comprises a first element on the seat pan for abutting a second element mounted to the frame structure of the passenger seat.
14. The seat structure as claimed in claim 13, wherein the biasing means comprises one or more biasing elements configured to about the respective first elements on the seat pan.
15. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat pan is further configured for receiving a force exerted by a seat back of the passenger seat for movement of the seat pan relative to the frame structure of the passenger seat.
16. The seat structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein the seat pan is configured to receive a pushing force exerted by the seat back.
17. The seat structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein the seat pan is configured to receive the pushing force as a result of reclining of the seat back.
18. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the seat pan comprises an interface structure disposed for receiving the force.
19. The seat structure as claimed in claim 18, wherein the interface structure comprises a substantially flat surface for receiving the force.
20. The seat structure as claimed in claim 18, wherein the interface structure comprises a surface with a recess formed therein for receiving the force.
21. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the interface structure is disposed at one end of the seat pan and extending substantially across a corrugation pattern of the seat pan.
22. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat pan is configured to be mounted to the frame structure by being disposed above and supported by a further seat pan mounted to the frame structure.
23. The seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the biasing means comprises one or more springs.
24. A seat structure for a passenger seat, the seat structure comprising:
a first seat pan for mounting to a frame structure of the passenger seat;
a second seat pan for disposing above the first seat pan such that the second seat pan is moveable relative to the first seat pan in forward and backward directions with reference to the frame structure.
25. The seat structure as claimed in claim 24, wherein the second seat pan is moveable relative to the first seat pan independent from movement of a seat back of the passenger seat.
26. The seat structure as claimed in claim 24 or 25, wherein the first seat pan or a guiding structure of the seat structure is configured for guiding the movement of the second seat pan on a curved trajectory along the forward and backward directions.
27. The seat structure as claimed in claim 26, wherein the guiding structure comprises a seat beam for the frame structure or an interface structure for mounting to the frame structure.
28. The seat structure as claimed in claim 26 or 27, wherein the curved trajectory comprises first and second opposing ends and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends, the intermediate portion being at a vertically lower position compared to the first and second ends.
29. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the first and second seat pans have substantially matching curvatures along respective depths thereof.
30. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 29, further comprising a roller mechanism or a sliding mechanism for the movement of the second seat pan relative to the first seat pan.
31. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 30, wherein one of the first and second seat pans comprises one or more slider elements for being received in corresponding one or more guiding tracks formed in the other.
32. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 31, further comprising biasing means for biasing the first and second seat pans in a first relative position to each other.
33. The seat structure as claimed in claim 32, wherein the biasing means comprises one or more springs.
34. The seat structure as claimed in claim 32 or 33, wherein in the first relative position, the second seat pan is substantially at a maximum backward position.
35. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 34, wherein the second seat pan is corrugated.
36. The seat structure as claimed in claim 35, wherein the second seat pan is corrugated along one or more directions thereof.
37. The seat structure as claimed in claim 35 or 36, wherein the first seat pan has substantially parallel curved top and bottom surfaces.
38. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 37, further comprising one or more retaining structures for limiting the relative movement of the first and second seat pans to a maximum displacement.
39. The seat structure as claimed in claim 38, wherein each restraining structure comprises a first element on one of the first and second seat pans and a second element on the other, for abutting each other at the maximum displacement.
40. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 39, wherein the second seat pan is further configured for receiving a force exerted by a seat back of the passenger seat for movement of the second seat pan relative to the first seat pan.
41. The seat structure as claimed in claim 40, wherein the second seat pan is configured to receive a pushing force exerted by the seat back.
42. The seat structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein the second seat pan is configured to receive the pushing force as a result of reclining of the seat back.
43. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 40 to 42, wherein the second seat pan comprises a flat surface disposed for receiving the force.
44. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 40 to 42, wherein the second seat pan comprises a surface with a recess formed therein for receiving the force.
45. The seat structure as claimed in claim 43 or 44, wherein the flat surface or the surface with the recess is disposed at one end of the second seat pan and extending substantially across a corrugation pattern of the second seat pan.
46. The seat structure as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 45, comprising a plurality of second seat pans and a common first seat pan.
47. A passenger seat comprising a seat structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A method for enhancing the reactivity of a T cell toward a tumour cell comprising the steps of:
(a) isolating the T cell from a patient, wherein the tumour cell is present in said patient;
(b) exposing the T cell to an agent, wherein the agent is capable of reducing or preventing expression or interaction of an endogenous Notch or Notch ligand in the T cell; and
(c) re-introducing the T-cell into the patient;
wherein the T cell comprises a T cell receptor specific for a tumour antigen expressed by the tumour cell.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the T cell is a tumour infiltrating lympocyte.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tumour cell is a melanoma cell and wherein the tumour is a melanoma.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tumour cell is a small cell lung tumour cell and wherein the tumour is a small cell lung tumour.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the agent is a nucleic acid sequence which is introduced into the T cell.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the agent is a polypeptide or a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of a Toll-like receptor, a cytokine a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a BMP receptor and an activin.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the endogenous Notch ligand is selected from the group consisting of Serrate, Delta and homologues thereof.
8. A method for enhancing the reactivity of a T cell toward a tumour cell comprising the steps of:
(a) isolating an antigen presenting cell (APC) from a tumour present in a patient;
(b) exposing the APC to an agent, wherein the agent is capable of reducing or preventing expression or interaction of an endogenous Notch or Notch ligand in the T cell when the T cell is contacted with the APC; and
(c) re-introducing the APC into the patient.
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the T cell is a tumour infiltrating lympocyte.
10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the tumour cell is a melanoma cell and wherein the tumour is a melanoma.
11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the tumour cell is a small cell lung tumour cell and wherein the tumour is a small cell lung tumour.
12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the APC is a dendritic cell.
13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the agent is a nucleic acid sequence which is introduced into the APC.
14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the agent is a polypeptide or a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of a Toll-like receptor, a cytokine a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a BMP receptor and an activin.
15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the endogenous Notch ligand is selected from the group consisting of Serrate, Delta and homologues thereof.
16. A method for enhancing the reactivity of a T cell toward a tumour cell comprising the steps of:
(a) isolating a tumour cell from a tumour present in a patient;
(b) exposing the tumour cell to an agent, wherein the agent is capable of reducing or preventing expression or interaction of an endogenous Notch or Notch ligand in the T cell when the T cell is contacted with the tumour cell; and
(c) re-introducing the tumour cell into the patient.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the T cell is a tumour infiltrating lympocyte.
18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the tumour cell is a melanoma cell and wherein the tumour is a melanoma.
19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the tumour cell is a small cell lung tumour cell and wherein the tumour is a small cell lung tumour.
20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the agent is a nucleic acid sequence which is introduced into the tumour cell.
21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the agent is a polypeptide or a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of a Toll-like receptor, a cytokine a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a BMP receptor and an activin.
22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the endogenous Notch ligand is selected from the group consisting of Serrate, Delta and homologues thereof.
23. A method for enhancing the reactivity of a T cell toward a tumour cell comprising exposing the T cell to an agent which is capable of reducing or preventing expression, interaction or processing of an endogenous Notch or Notch ligand in the T cell.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the T cell is a tumour infiltrating lympocyte.
25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the tumour cell is a melanoma cell and wherein the tumour is a melanoma.
26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the tumour cell is a small cell lung tumour cell and wherein the tumour is a small cell lung tumour.
27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the agent is a nucleic acid sequence which is introduced into the T cell.
28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the agent is a polypeptide or a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of a Toll-like receptor, a cytokine a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a BMP receptor and an activin.
29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the endogenous Notch ligand is selected from the group consisting of Serrate, Delta and homologues thereof.
30. A method for enhancing the reactivity of a T cell toward a tumour cell comprising exposing the tumour cell to an agent which is capable of reducing or preventing expression, interaction or processing of an endogenous Notch or Notch ligand in the T cell when the T cell is contacted with the tumour cell.
31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the T cell is a tumour infiltrating lympocyte.
32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the tumour cell is a melanoma cell and wherein the tumour is a melanoma.
33. The method according to claim 30, wherein the tumour cell is a small cell lung tumour cell and wherein the tumour is a small cell lung tumour.
34. The method according to claim 30, wherein the agent is a nucleic acid sequence which is introduced into the tumour cell.
35. The method according to claim 30, wherein the agent is a polypeptide or a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of a Toll-like receptor, a cytokine a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a BMP receptor and an activin.
36. The method according to claim 30, wherein the endogenous Notch ligand is selected from the group consisting of Serrate, Delta and homologues thereof.
37. A method of vaccinating a patient against a tumour comprising administering an agent which is capable of reducing or preventing interaction, expression or processing of Notch or a Notch ligand.
38. A method of vaccinating a patient against a tumour comprising the steps of:
(a) administering a tumour antigen expressed by the tumour to a patient; and
(b) exposing an APC present in the patient to an agent, wherein the agent is capable of reducing or preventing interaction, expression or processing of Notch or a Notch ligand in a T cell.
39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the tumour antigen is administered topically to the skin of the patient.
40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the tumour is a melanoma.
41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the tumour is a small cell lung tumour.
42. The method according to claim 38, wherein the agent is a nucleic acid sequence.
43. The method according to claim 38, wherein the agent is a polypeptide or a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of a Toll-like receptor, a cytokine a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a BMP receptor and an activin.
44. The method according to claim 38, wherein the Notch ligand is selected from the group consisting of Serrate, Delta and homologues thereof.
45. A transgenic animal or cell line capable of expressing Notch, Notch ligand or an inhibitor or enhancer of Notch-Notch ligand interactions.
46. An anti-tumour vaccine or immunogenic composition comprising an agent which is capable of reducing or preventing interaction, expression or processing of Notch or a Notch ligand.
47. An anti-tumour vaccine or immunogenic composition comprising a tumour antigen and an agent which is capable of reducing or preventing interaction, expression or processing of Notch or a Notch ligand.