Sperm protein 17 is expressed in human nervous system tumours

BACKGROUND: Human sperm protein 17 (Sp17) is a highly conserved protein that was originally isolated from a rabbit epididymal sperm membrane and testis membrane pellet. It has recently been included in the cancer/testis (CT) antigen family, and shown to be expressed in multiple myeloma and ovarian cancer. We investigated its immunolocalisation in specimens of nervous system (NS) malignancies, in order to establish its usefulness as a target for tumour-vaccine strategies. METHODS: The expression of Sp17 was assessed by means of a standardised immunohistochemical procedure [(mAb/antigen) MF1/Sp17] in formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded surgical specimens of NS malignancies, including 28 neuroectodermal primary tumours (6 astrocytomas, 16 glioblastoma multiforme, 5 oligodendrogliomas, and 1 ependymoma), 25 meningeal tumours, and five peripheral nerve sheath tumours (4 schwannomas, and 1 neurofibroma),. RESULTS: A number of neuroectodermal (21%) and meningeal tumours (4%) were found heterogeneously immunopositive for Sp17. None of the peripheral nerve sheath tumours was immunopositive for Sp17. The expression pattern was heterogeneous in all of the positive samples, and did not correlate with the degree of malignancy. CONCLUSION: The frequency of expression and non-uniform cell distribution of Sp17 suggest that it cannot be used as a unique immunotherapeutic target in NS cancer. However, our results do show the immunolocalisation of Sp17 in a proportion of NS tumour cells, but not in their non-pathological counterparts. The emerging complex function of Sp17 makes further studies necessary to clarify the link between it and immunopositive cells

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Secondo volume di Parma Città Futura Il libro bianco raccoglie il lavoro di riflessione strategica organizzato in dieci tavoli di discussione che si sono spontaneamente attivati grazie all’impegno di docenti di vari Dipartimenti dell’Università di Parma che si sono dedicati a elaborare proposte collegate all’attuazione del Progetto Urbano Strategico documentato nel primo volume. Come le varie politiche urbane possono orientarsi e svilupparsi nella prospettiva di concretizzare una idea di città verde accessibile ed accogliente come quella prefigurata? Cultura con la proposta di realizzare un museo/laboratorio della città, Sport e tempo libero orientato all’uso consapevole e condiviso dello spazio pubblico, cittadi- nanza attiva, comunicazione scientifica come nuovo cromosoma nel DNA della città, musica come identità e risorsa, economia di territorio ed area integrata, mobilità sostenibile, tecnologie innovative per la casa e la città, salute e benessere, strategie di attuazione, sono i temi affrontati da oltre 130 persone provenienti da 66 enti, fondazioni, istituzioni e associazioni per elaborare progettualità di settore mirate e complementari. Oltre alle proposte dei vari tavoli offerte alla città ed alla sua amministrazione comunale, l’esperienza di un network flessibile di lavoro collettivo come quello coagulatosi nel 2016 viene presentato come strumento di riflessione operativa e di confronto permanente da mantenere in vita e rilanciare per stimolare un processo prezioso quanto raro di democrazia deliberativa

Unruptured Aneurysms Italian Study (UAIS) background and method

Treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms still represents an unsettled question in neurosurgical and neuroradiological communities. Although nowadays the indication for treatment have become relatively clear, indeed uncertainity remains for what concerns the proper treatment modality (surgical or endovascular) in terms of both the risk and the mid and long-term efficacy of the two procedures. The "Unruptured Aneurysms Italian Study" is a cooperative prospective study which aims to delineate the "State of the Art" in a nation based population. It has been designed: 1) to depict the nationwide modality of treatment of Unruptured Aneurysms, 2) to assess in the most objective way the overall treatment-related mortality and morbidity as well as the surgical and endovascular risk in the respective patient populations (it is not a surgical versus endovascular study) and 3) to asses the efficacy of the different procedures in the mid and long term periods. The study started on June 2003 and to June 2006, 637 patients have been enrolled. The study will end when the 1000th patient is enrolled