Age-related changes within the knee / Barbara Koszyca.

Attempts to understand the effects of ageing on the condition of a synovial joint. Knee joints of individuals with no known history of joint disease were examined and the pattern of cartilage damage was mapped macroscopically in a manner that allowed quantitation of the affected areas.Bibliography: leaves 267-277.vi, 277 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Pathology, 199

Marfan syndrome and sudden death within a family - Aetiologic, molecular and diagnostic issues at autopsy

Although Marfan syndrome has a range of characteristic morphological features involving the ocular, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems, the phenotype is variable. In addition, mutations have been identified in the gene encoding for fibrillin-1 and also in the transforming growth factor-beta receptor 2 (TGF-betaR2) gene. Two cases are presented of sudden and unexpected deaths in cousins who manifested morphologic features of Marfan syndrome at autopsy. Case 1: A 36-year-old male who collapsed and was found at autopsy to have arachnodactyly, a high arched palate and lethal aortic dissection with haemopericardium. Case 2: A 34-year-old male who collapsed and was found at autopsy to have arachnodactyly, a high arched palate, pes cavus and a dysplastic mitral valve. Current aetiological theories and molecular findings are discussed. While family follow-up and counselling are advised when cases come to autopsy, given the variability in phenotype and genotype, and the difficulties that exist in attempting to determine clinical prognosis from either of these, such deaths may raise more concerns for surviving family members than providing answers.Rena Hirani, Barbara Koszyca, Roger W. Byar

Endothelial, pericyte and tumor cell expression in glioblastoma identifies fibroblast activation protein (FAP) as an excellent target for immunotherapy

Objectives: Targeted immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells are emerging as attractive treatment options for glioblastoma, but rely on identification of a suitable tumor antigen. We validated a new target antigen for glioblastoma, fibroblast activation protein (FAP), by undertaking a detailed expression study of human samples. Methods: Glioblastoma and normal tissues were assessed using immunostaining, supported by analyses of published transcriptomic datasets. Short-term cultures of glioma neural stem (GNS) cells were compared to cultures of healthy astrocytes and neurons using flow cytometry. Glioblastoma tissues were dissociated and analysed by high-parameter flow cytometry and single-cell transcriptomics (scRNAseq). Results: Compared to normal brain, FAP was overexpressed at the gene and protein level in a large percentage of glioblastoma tissues, with highest levels of expression associated with poorer prognosis. FAP was also overexpressed in several paediatric brain cancers. FAP was commonly expressed by cultured GNS cells but absent from normal neurons and astrocytes. Within glioblastoma tissues, the strongest expression of FAP was around blood vessels. In fact, almost every tumor vessel was highlighted by FAP expression, whereas normal tissue vessels and cultured endothelial cells (ECs) lacked expression. Single-cell analyses of dissociated tumors facilitated a detailed characterisation of the main cellular components of the glioblastoma microenvironment and revealed that vessel-localised FAP is because of expression on both ECs and pericytes. Conclusion: Fibroblast activation protein is expressed by multiple cell types within glioblastoma, highlighting it as an ideal immunotherapy antigen to target destruction of both tumor cells and their supporting vascular network.</p