Embryonic development of the avian sternum and its morphological adaptations for optimizing locomotion

The sternum is part of the forelimb appendicular skeleton found in most terrestrial vertebrates and has become adapted across tetrapods for distinctive modes of locomotion. We review the regulatory mechanisms underlying sternum and forelimb development and discuss the possible gene expression modulation that could be responsible for the sternal adaptations and associated reduction in the forelimb programme found in flightless birds. In three phylogenetically divergent vertebrate lineages that all undertake powered flight, a ventral extension of the sternum, named the keel, has evolved independently, most strikingly in volant birds. In flightless birds, however, the sternal keel is absent, and the sternum is flattened. We review studies in a variety of species that have analysed adaptations in sterna morphology that are related to the animal’s mode of locomotion on land, in the sky and in water

Global Patient Involvement in Sarcoma Care—A Collaborative Initiative of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) & Sarcoma Patients EuroNet (SPAEN)

Sarcomas are a grouping of rare cancers with a wide variety of histological types that are difficult to diagnose and treat. This leads to many varying challenges not only for sarcoma patients, but also for doctors, researchers, and caregivers. Patient advocacy groups have an important role to play in rare cancers such as sarcomas, especially in collaboration with experts and their medical societies. To this end, patients and patient advocates from Sarcoma Patients EuroNet (SPAEN), a global network of national Sarcoma Patient Advocacy Groups, and medical experts from the scientifically driven Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) came together on 9 November 2021 at an official ancillary event to the CTOS 2021 Annual Meeting. At the event, representatives of CTOS and SPAEN jointly discussed gaps and challenges in global sarcoma care and management. This resulting position paper highlights the main findings and possible future steps

Systematic approach to selecting licensed drugs for repurposing in the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a rigorous, expert-led, evidence-based approach to the evaluation of licensed drugs for repurposing and testing in clinical trials of people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: We long-listed licensed drugs with evidence of human safety, blood-brain barrier penetrance and demonstrable efficacy in at least one animal model, or mechanistic target, agreed by a panel of experts and people with MS to be relevant to the pathogenesis of progression. We systematically reviewed the preclinical and clinical literature for each compound, condensed this into a database of summary documents and short-listed drugs by scoring each one of them. Drugs were evaluated for immediate use in a clinical trial, and our selection was scrutinised by a final independent expert review. RESULTS: From a short list of 55 treatments, we recommended four treatments for immediate testing in progressive MS: R-α-lipoic acid, metformin, the combination treatment of R-α-lipoic acid and metformin, and niacin. We also prioritised clemastine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, nimodipine and flunarizine. CONCLUSIONS: We report a standardised approach for the identification of candidate drugs for repurposing in the treatment of progressive MS.JB received expense payments from Novartis for speaking as patient representative during Siponimod licensing. AJC receives funding from the MRC and MS Society UK. DF is funded by the Wellcome and BBSRC, and has a project with Sangamo. A.G. de la Fuente has been supported by the ECTRIMS postdoctoral fellowship during this period. GG declares current research funding from Merck KGa (CLAD-B study), Roche (ORATORIO-HAND study) and Takeda (SIZOMUS Study). DM received funding previously from Biogen, MedDay and SanofiGenzyme. BN received funding from the Cambridge Centre for Myelin Repair, funded by MS Society UK. SP declares current funding from Italian and US Multiple Sclerosis Societies. LP has been supported by a senior research fellowship FISM - Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla - cod. 2017/B/5 and financed or co financed with the ‘5 per mille' public funding, by the Isaac Newton Trust RG 97440 and the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust RG 97519. KS declares current funding from Fondation Leducq, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Rosetrees Trust. A. Wilkins received a research grant from Sanofy (2018). A. Williams declares funding from MS Society UK, Roche, MRC, Lifearc