Pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The most common pediatric malignancy is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), of which T-cell ALL (T-ALL) comprises 10–15% of cases. T-ALL arises in the thymus from an immature thymocyte as a consequence of a stepwise accumulation of genetic and epigenetic aberrations. Crucial biological processes, such as differentiation, self-renewal capacity, proliferation, and apoptosis, are targeted and deranged by several types of neoplasia-associated genetic alteration, for example, translocations, deletions, and mutations of genes that code for proteins involved in signaling transduction, epigenetic regulation, and transcription. Epigenetically, T-ALL is characterized by gene expression changes caused by hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes, histone modifications, and miRNA and lncRNA abnormalities. Although some genetic and gene expression patterns have been associated with certain clinical features, such as immunophenotypic subtype and outcome, none has of yet generally been implemented in clinical routine for treatment decisions. The recent advent of massive parallel sequencing technologies has dramatically increased our knowledge of the genetic blueprint of T-ALL, revealing numerous fusion genes as well as novel gene mutations. The challenges now are to integrate all genetic and epigenetic data into a coherent understanding of the pathogenesis of T-ALL and to translate the wealth of information gained in the last few years into clinical use in the form of improved risk stratification and targeted therapies. Here, we provide an overview of pediatric T-ALL with an emphasis on the acquired genetic alterations that result in this disease

Corps et machines à l'âge industriel

L'industrialisation qui s'amorce à la fin du XVIIIe siècle apporte au monde occidental une multitude d'objets mécaniques dotés d'une puissance inédite. En décuplant les capacités du corps, les machines s'y substituent. Elles étendent son aire d'influence, déplacent les frontières corporelles ou donnent des images inédites d'un intérieur du corps, mais elles provoquent aussi de multiples altérations physiques. Au-delà des appréciations morales dont elles ont constamment été l'objet – alternativement perçues comme libératrices et aliénantes – cet ouvrage se propose de réfléchir aux rapports qu'elles nouent avec les corps, aux apprentissages dont elles font l'objet et à toute une expérience corporelle des machines, faites d'ajustements et adaptations réciproques. Ces vingt-trois études proposent autant d'analyses historiques spécifiques, destinées à cerner un territoire vaste et peu connu. En abordant les machines industrielles dont la chaîne de montage offre certainement un aboutissement, les machines de santé, les machines de mort ou le traitement mécanique des cadavres, les machines de loisirs et de transport, ou enfin les machines productrices d'images, ce livre propose d'inclure les machines dans l'histoire d'une anthropologie du corps contemporain

A new washing procedure for inorganic element analysis of hair

International audienceHair incorporates chemical compounds from the bloodstream and external sources as it grows. Different analytical procedures are proposed, but no consensus can be found for external contamination removal (washing stage). Thus, a major limitation of the use of hair analysis for human biomonitoring is the issue related to the washing efficiency, and the objective of this study was to propose a simple washing method for a better cleaning of external contamination. Based on a sequence of three steps of detergent or acid washing (Triton, nitric acid, and hydrochloric acid), the TNCl method was tested on raw and spiked samples and compared to other methods. Thirty-seven inorganic elements were analyzed by inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) after washing and acid digestion of 10 hair samples (Li, Be, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co, N, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Ru, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Gd, Lu, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th, and U). The inorganic element concentrations in the hair samples were compared to those reported in the literature. The TNCl method was shown to be more efficient than other methods based on the use of surfactants and organic solvents