REPS2 (RALBP1 associated Eps domain containing 2)

Review on REPS2 (RALBP1 associated Eps domain containing 2), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Giant fluctuations and structural effects in a flocking epithelium

We thank S Henkes for useful discussions. FGia and RC acknowledge funding from the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research (MIUR) under the program Futuro in Ricerca—Project ANISOFT (RBFR125H0M) and from Regione Lombardia and CARIPLO foundation under the joint action Avviso congiunto per l'incremento dell'attrattivitá del sistema ricerca lombardo e della competitivitá dei ricercatori candidati su strumenti ERC—Project 2016-0998. CM, SC and GS acknowledge funding from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC 10168 and 18621), MIUR, the Italian Ministry of Health, Ricerca Finalizzata (RF0235844), Worldwide Cancer Research (AICR-14-0335), and the European Research Council (Advanced-ERC-268836). CM was also supported by Fondazione Umberto Veronesi and SC by an AIRC fellowship. FGin acknowledges support from the Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (CIG) PCIG13-GA-2013-618399, and wish to thank the University of Milan and LibrOsteria for their hospitality while this work was underway.Peer reviewedPostprin

PTPRJ (protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, J)

Review on PTPRJ (protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, J), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

Cancer risk in adrenalectomy: are adrenal lesions equal or more than 4 cm a contraindication for laparoscopy?

none7openBalla A, Corallino D, Ortenzi M, Palmieri L, Meoli F, Guerrieri M, Paganini AMBalla, A; Corallino, D; Ortenzi, M; Palmieri, L; Meoli, F; Guerrieri, M; Paganini, A

Is transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma really more challenging? A propensity score-matched analysis

Purpose Minimally invasive surgery is the gold standard treatment for adrenal masses, but it may be a challenging procedure in the case of pheochromocytoma (PHEO). The aim of the present study is to report the results of transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (TLA) in cases of PHEO in comparison to other types of adrenal lesions. Methods From 1994 to 2021, 629 patients underwent adrenalectomy. Twenty-two and thirty-five patients, respectively, were excluded because they underwent bilateral and open adrenalectomy, leaving 572 patients for inclusion. Of these, 114 patients had PHEO (Group A), and 458 had other types of lesions (Group B). To adjust for potential baseline confounders, a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted. Results After PSM, 114 matched pairs of patients were identified from each group. Statistically significant differences were not observed when comparing the median operative time (85 and 90 min in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 0.627), conversion rate [6 (5.3%) in each group, p = 1.000], transfusion rate [4 (3.5%) and 3 (2.6%) in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 1.000], complication rate [7 (6.1%) and 9 (7.9%) in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 0.796), median postoperative hospital stay (3.9 and 3.6 days in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 0.110), and mortality rate [1 (0.9%) in each group, p = 1.000]. Conclusions Based on this analysis, the results of TLA for PHEO are equivalent to those of TLA for other types of adrenal lesions, but the fundamental requirements are multidisciplinary patient management and adequate surgeon experience. Further prospective studies are required to draw definitive conclusions

How i do it: laparoscopic implantation of lower esophageal sphincter stimulator for the treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease

The principal medical treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. PPI lowers gastric acid secretion, but its long-term use is not free from adverse effects. However, PPI therapy has no effects on the dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and on reflux of stomach contents. Prior to the introduction of medical therapy, surgical gastric fundoplication was originally proposed in order to create a mechanical valve to prevent reflux. The postoperative results obtained after fundoplication depend on the surgical volume of the centers in which surgery is performed, and important functional sequelae, including dysphagia and gas bloat syndrome, have been reported. LES electrical stimulation therapy (EST) has been recently introduced as an alternative treatment option in the management of GERD. The rationale of this strategy is to electrically stimulate the LES in order to increase its tone and to reduce reflux. LES stimulator implantation is a feasible and safe minimally invasive technique. Data reported in the literature regarding the postoperative functional outcomes related to GERD, evaluated by 24 h-pH-manometry, and GERD specific questionnaire after the implantation of LES-EST, show significant improvement at both short and long-term follow up, up to three years after surgery. Although these data are encouraging, further prospective and randomized studies are required to draw definitive conclusions. We report the technique of laparoscopic LES stimulator surgical implantation, together with an explanatory video

Pituitary T1 signal intensity at magnetic resonance imaging is reduced in patients with obesity: results from the CHIASM study

Background: Despite obesity being well known to be associated with several pituitary hormone imbalances, pituitary appearance in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with obesity is understudied. Objective: To evaluate the pituitary volume and signal intensity at MRI in patients with obesity. Methods: This is a prospective study performed in an endocrine Italian referral center (ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier: NCT03458533). Sixty-nine patients with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and twenty-five subjects without obesity were enrolled. Thirty-three patients with obesity were re-evaluated after 3 years of diet and lifestyle changes, of whom 17 (51.5%) achieved a > 5% loss of their initial body weight, whereas the remaining 16 (48.5%) had maintained or gained weight. Evaluations included metabolic and hormone assessments, DEXA scan, and pituitary MRI. Pituitary signal intensity was quantified by measuring the pixel density using ImageJ software. Results: At baseline, no difference in pituitary volume was observed between the obese and non-obese cohorts. At the 3-year follow-up, pituitary volume was significantly reduced (p = 0.011) only in participants with stable-increased body weight. Furthermore, a significant difference was noted in the mean pituitary intensity of T1-weighted plain and contrast-enhanced sequences between the obese and non-obese cohorts at baseline (p = 0.006; p = 0.002), and a significant decrease in signal intensity was observed in the subgroup of participants who had not lost weight (p = 0.012; p = 0.017). Insulin-like growth factor-1 levels, following correction for BMI, were correlated with pituitary volume (p = 0.001) and intensity (p = 0.049), whereas morning cortisol levels were correlated with pituitary intensity (p = 0.007). The T1-weighted pituitary intensity was negatively correlated with truncal fat (p = 0.006) and fibrinogen (p = 0.018). Conclusions: The CHIASM study describes a quantitative reduction in pituitary intensity in T1-weighted sequences in patients with obesity. These alterations could be explained by changes in the pituitary stromal tissue, correlated with low-grade inflammation

Unjamming overcomes kinetic and proliferation arrest in terminally differentiated cells and promotes collective motility of carcinoma

During wound repair, branching morphogenesis and carcinoma dissemination, cellular rearrangements are fostered by a solid-to-liquid transition, known as unjamming. The biomolecular machinery behind unjamming and its pathophysiological relevance remain, however, unclear. Here, we study unjamming in a variety of normal and tumorigenic epithelial two-dimensional (2D) and 3D collectives. Biologically, the increased level of the small GTPase RAB5A sparks unjamming by promoting non-clathrin-dependent internalization of epidermal growth factor receptor that leads to hyperactivation of the kinase ERK1/2 and phosphorylation of the actin nucleator WAVE2. This cascade triggers collective motility effects with striking biophysical consequences. Specifically, unjamming in tumour spheroids is accompanied by persistent and coordinated rotations that progressively remodel the extracellular matrix, while simultaneously fluidizing cells at the periphery. This concurrent action results in collective invasion, supporting the concept that the endo-ERK1/2 pathway is a physicochemical switch to initiate collective invasion and dissemination of otherwise jammed carcinoma