23 research outputs found
Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma
SummaryWe report a comprehensive molecular characterization of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PCCs/PGLs), a rare tumor type. Multi-platform integration revealed that PCCs/PGLs are driven by diverse alterations affecting multiple genes and pathways. Pathogenic germline mutations occurred in eight PCC/PGL susceptibility genes. We identified CSDE1 as a somatically mutated driver gene, complementing four known drivers (HRAS, RET, EPAS1, and NF1). We also discovered fusion genes in PCCs/PGLs, involving MAML3, BRAF, NGFR, and NF1. Integrated analysis classified PCCs/PGLs into four molecularly defined groups: a kinase signaling subtype, a pseudohypoxia subtype, a Wnt-altered subtype, driven by MAML3 and CSDE1, and a cortical admixture subtype. Correlates of metastatic PCCs/PGLs included the MAML3 fusion gene. This integrated molecular characterization provides a comprehensive foundation for developing PCC/PGL precision medicine
Formulation, stabilisation and encapsulation of bacteriophage for phage therapy
Against a backdrop of global antibiotic resistance and increasing awareness of the importance of the
human microbiota, there has been resurgent interest in the potential use of bacteriophages for
therapeutic purposes, known as phage therapy. A number of phage therapy phase I and II clinical
trials have concluded, and shown phages don’t present significant adverse safety concerns. These
clinical trials used simple phage suspensions without any formulation and phage stability was of
secondary concern. Phages have a limited stability in solution, and undergo a significant drop in
phage titre during processing and storage which is unacceptable if phages are to become regulated
pharmaceuticals, where stable dosage and well defined pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
are de rigueur. Animal studies have shown that the efficacy of phage therapy outcomes depend on
the phage concentration (i.e. the dose) delivered at the site of infection, and their ability to target and
kill bacteria, arresting bacterial growth and clearing the infection. In addition, in vitro and animal
studies have shown the importance of using phage cocktails rather than single phage preparations to
achieve better therapy outcomes. The in vivo reduction of phage concentration due to interactions
with host antibodies or other clearance mechanisms may necessitate repeated dosing of phages, or
sustained release approaches. Modelling of phage-bacterium population dynamics reinforces these
points. Surprisingly little attention has been devoted to the effect of formulation on phage therapy
outcomes, given the need for phage cocktails, where each phage within a cocktail may require
significantly different formulation to retain a high enough infective dose.
This review firstly looks at the clinical needs and challenges (informed through a review of key animal
studies evaluating phage therapy) associated with treatment of acute and chronic infections and the
drivers for phage encapsulation. An important driver for formulation and encapsulation is shelf life and
storage of phage to ensure reproducible dosages. Other drivers include formulation of phage for
encapsulation in micro- and nanoparticles for effective delivery, encapsulation in stimuli responsive
systems for triggered controlled or sustained release at the targeted site of infection. Encapsulation of
phage (e.g. in liposomes) may also be used to increase the circulation time of phage for treating
systemic infections, for prophylactic treatment or to treat intracellular infections. We then proceed to
document approaches used in the published literature on the formulation and stabilisation of phage for
storage and encapsulation of bacteriophage in micro- and nanostructured materials using freeze
drying (lyophilization), spray drying, in emulsions e.g. ointments, polymeric microparticles,
nanoparticles and liposomes. As phage therapy moves forward towards Phase III clinical trials, the
review concludes by looking at promising new approaches for micro- and nanoencapsulation of
phages and how these may address gaps in the field
Multiplatform Analysis of 12 Cancer Types Reveals Molecular Classification within and across Tissues of Origin
Recent genomic analyses of pathologically-defined tumor types identify “within-a-tissue” disease subtypes. However, the extent to which genomic signatures are shared across tissues is still unclear. We performed an integrative analysis using five genome-wide platforms and one proteomic platform on 3,527 specimens from 12 cancer types, revealing a unified classification into 11 major subtypes. Five subtypes were nearly identical to their tissue-of-origin counterparts, but several distinct cancer types were found to converge into common subtypes. Lung squamous, head & neck, and a subset of bladder cancers coalesced into one subtype typified by TP53 alterations, TP63 amplifications, and high expression of immune and proliferation pathway genes. Of note, bladder cancers split into three pan-cancer subtypes. The multi-platform classification, while correlated with tissue-of-origin, provides independent information for predicting clinical outcomes. All datasets are available for data-mining from a unified resource to support further biological discoveries and insights into novel therapeutic strategies
Machine Learning Identifies Stemness Features Associated with Oncogenic Dedifferentiation.
Cancer progression involves the gradual loss of a differentiated phenotype and acquisition of progenitor and stem-cell-like features. Here, we provide novel stemness indices for assessing the degree of oncogenic dedifferentiation. We used an innovative one-class logistic regression (OCLR) machine-learning algorithm to extract transcriptomic and epigenetic feature sets derived from non-transformed pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated progeny. Using OCLR, we were able to identify previously undiscovered biological mechanisms associated with the dedifferentiated oncogenic state. Analyses of the tumor microenvironment revealed unanticipated correlation of cancer stemness with immune checkpoint expression and infiltrating immune cells. We found that the dedifferentiated oncogenic phenotype was generally most prominent in metastatic tumors. Application of our stemness indices to single-cell data revealed patterns of intra-tumor molecular heterogeneity. Finally, the indices allowed for the identification of novel targets and possible targeted therapies aimed at tumor differentiation
Questioning the catalytic effect of Ni nanoparticles on CO2 hydration and the very need of such catalysis for CO2 capture by mineralization from aqueous solution – Response to letter
Questioning the catalytic effect of Ni nanoparticles on CO2 hydration and the very need of such catalysis for CO2 capture by mineralization from aqueous solution
Качество администрирования налога на добавленную стоимость в странах ОЭСР и России (Quality of VAT Administration in OECD Countries and Russia)
The dark nature of GRB 130528A and its host galaxy
Aims. We study the dark nature of GRB 130528A through multi-wavelength observations and conclude that the main reason for the optical darkness is local extinction inside of the host galaxy.
Methods. Automatic observations were performed at the Burst Optical Observer and Transient Exploring System (BOOTES)-4/MET robotic telescope. We also triggered target of opportunity (ToO) observations at Observatorio de Sierra Nevada (OSN), IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) and Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC + OSIRIS). The host galaxy photometric observations in optical to near-infrared (nIR) wavelengths were achieved through large ground-based aperture telescopes, such as 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT), 6 m Bolshoi Teleskop Alt-azimutalnyi (BTA) telescope, and 2 m Liverpool Telescope (LT). Based on these observations, spectral energy distributions (SED) for the host galaxy and afterglow were constructed.
Results. Thanks to millimetre (mm) observations at PdBI, we confirm the presence of a mm source within the XRT error circle that faded over the course of our observations and identify the host galaxy. However, we do not find any credible optical source within early observations with BOOTES-4/MET and 1.5 m OSN telescopes. Spectroscopic observation of this galaxy by GTC showed a single faint emission line that likely corresponds to [OII] 3727 Å at a redshift of 1.250 ± 0.001, implying a star formation rate (M⊙/yr) > 6.18 M⊙/yr without correcting for dust extinction. The probable line-of-sight extinction towards GRB 130528A is revealed through analysis of the afterglow SED, resulting in a value of \hbox{}≥ 0.9 at the rest frame; this is comparable to extinction levels found among other dark GRBs. The SED of the host galaxy is explained well (χ2/d.o.f. = 0.564) by a luminous (MB = −21.16), low-extinction (AV = 0, rest frame), and aged (2.6 Gyr) stellar population. We can explain this apparent contradiction in global and line-of-sight extinction if the GRB birth place happened to lie in a local dense environment. In light of having relatively small specific star formation rate ~5.3 M⊙/yr (L/L⋆)-1, this also could explain the age of the old stellar population of host galaxy