Intracranial dissemination in a primary small cell carcinoma of the brain: a case report and literature review

Primary intracranial small cell carcinoma (SCC) is extremely rare with only 8 previously reported cases. We describe a case of primary intracranial SCC with intracranial metastasis. A 46-year-old man presented with decreased vision and a red and swollen left eye. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a heterogeneously enhanced tumor on the left frontal lobe. Preoperative systemic computed tomography (CT), MRI, and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT revealed no extracranial tumors. The tumor on the left frontal lobe was excised. Immunohistochemical staining on the excision showed positivity for CD56, synaptophysin (Syn), cytokeratin (CK), and Ki-67 (30%), and negativity for thyroid transcriptional factor-1 (TTF-1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), B-cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl-6), multiple myeloma oncogene 1 (MUM-1), C-Myc, Vimentin, P40, P53, CK7, CD3, CD5, CD20, CD79a, CD10, and CD23. The pathological examination strongly suggested that the tumor was a primary intracranial SCC. One year after the surgery, the patient was readmitted with slurred speech and slow movements. Three well-defined tumors were found in the left upper frontal lobe by brain MRI. Tumor resection was then performed. Further immunohistochemical examination of the excised tissue displayed the same pattern as previously, indicating the recurrence of intracranial SCC in the left frontal lobe. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy after the tumor resection. At the 2-year follow-up, he remained asymptomatic

Photoresist-enabled assembly of BN/graphene/BN heterostructure and fabrication of one-dimensional contact electrode

A poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate is easily soluble in acetone and cannot withstand high temperatures, thereby restricting the application of graphene or boron nitride (BN) on it. Furthermore, the assembly mechanism of a BN/graphene/BN heterostructure directly determines the performance of a device. In this paper, we report the single-spin photoresist stacking transfer assembly (SPSTA) of a BN/graphene/BN heterostructure on a PMMA substrate using a photoresist as a support layer. The photoresist served as a protective layer for the retained BN/graphene/BN heterostructure. The excess BN/graphene/BN heterostructure was etched away by oxygen plasma, following which a metal was evaporated on the photoresist surface. As metal is impervious to light, the excellent light transmittance of the PMMA substrate could be utilized. After the photoresist was denatured by ultraviolet light exposure on the back of the substrate, it was dissolved by a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, and a one-dimensional contact of the BN/graphene/BN heterostructure and metal was achieved. Finally, through different testing methods, we found that the SPSTA of the BN/graphene/BN heterostructure yields a smooth morphology and high electrical conductivity with a uniform sheet resistance. We examined the air failure of the BN/graphene/BN heterostructure and found that its SPSTA was stable. Our study realized the transfer of two-dimensional (2D) materials on PMMA substrates for the first time, overcame the membrane surface pollution caused by the traditional BN/graphene/BN heterostructure assembly process, realized the fabrication of BN/graphene/BN heterostructure devices on PMMA substrates for the first time, and offers important insights for the application of graphene and BN or other 2D materials on PMMA substrates

Engineering micro oxygen factories to slow tumour progression via hyperoxic microenvironments.

While hypoxia promotes carcinogenesis, tumour aggressiveness, metastasis, and resistance to oncological treatments, the impacts of hyperoxia on tumours are rarely explored because providing a long-lasting oxygen supply in vivo is a major challenge. Herein, we construct micro oxygen factories, namely, photosynthesis microcapsules (PMCs), by encapsulation of acquired cyanobacteria and upconversion nanoparticles in alginate microcapsules. This system enables a long-lasting oxygen supply through the conversion of external radiation into red-wavelength emissions for photosynthesis in cyanobacteria. PMC treatment suppresses the NF-kB pathway, HIF-1α production and cancer cell proliferation. Hyperoxic microenvironment created by an in vivo PMC implant inhibits hepatocarcinoma growth and metastasis and has synergistic effects together with anti-PD-1 in breast cancer. The engineering oxygen factories offer potential for tumour biology studies in hyperoxic microenvironments and inspire the exploration of oncological treatments

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting FcRH5 provide robust tumour-specific responses in murine xenograft models of multiple myeloma

Abstract BCMA-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy demonstrates impressive clinical response in multiple myeloma (MM). However, some patients with BCMA-deficient tumours cannot benefit from this therapy, and others can experience BCMA antigen loss leading to relapse, thus necessitating the identification of additional CAR-T targets. Here, we show that FcRH5 is expressed on multiple myeloma cells and can be targeted with CAR-T cells. FcRH5 CAR-T cells elicited antigen-specific activation, cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity against MM cells. Moreover, FcRH5 CAR-T cells exhibited robust tumoricidal efficacy in murine xenograft models, including one deficient in BCMA expression. We also show that different forms of soluble FcRH5 can interfere with the efficacy of FcRH5 CAR-T cells. Lastly, FcRH5/BCMA-bispecific CAR-T cells efficiently recognized MM cells expressing FcRH5 and/or BCMA and displayed improved efficacy, compared with mono-specific CAR-T cells in vivo. These findings suggest that targeting FcRH5 with CAR-T cells may represent a promising therapeutic avenue for MM