Glioblastoma treated with magnetic resonance imaging-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy: Safety, efficacy, and outcomes

BACKGROUND: Despite the multitude of available treatments, glioblastoma (GBM) remains an aggressive and uniformly fatal tumor. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a novel, minimally invasive treatment that holds promise for treating patients with GBM who are not candidates for traditional open craniotomy. However, due to the recent introduction of LITT into clinical practice, large series that evaluate safety and long-term outcomes after LITT are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To present our institution\u27s series of over 50 GBM patients treated with LITT, with regard to safety, efficacy, and outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective descriptive study of patients with histologically proven GBM who underwent LITT. Data collected included demographics, tumor location and volume, tumor genetic markers, treatment volume, perioperative complications, and long-term follow-up data. RESULTS: We performed 58 LITT treatments for GBM in 54 patients over 5.5 yr. Forty-one were recurrent tumors while 17 were frontline treatments. Forty GBMs were lobar in location, while 18 were in deep structures (thalamus, insula, corpus callosum). Average tumor volume was 12.5 ± 13.4 cm3. Average percentage of tumor treated with the yellow thermal damage threshold (TDT) line (dose equivalent of 43°C for 2 min) was 93.3% ± 10.6%, and with the blue TDT line (dose equivalent of 43°C for 10 min) was 88.0% ± 14.2%. There were 7 perioperative complications (12%) and 2 mortalities (3.4%). Median overall survival after LITT for the total cohort was 11.5 mo, and median progression-free survival 6.6 mo. CONCLUSION: LITT appears to be a safe and effective treatment for GBM in properly selected patients

Tuning electronic and optical properties of BlueP/MoSe2 van der Waals heterostructures by strain and external electric field

Van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) have recently attracted much attention owing to their excellent physicochemical properties and extensive application prospects. The structural, electronic and optical properties of BlueP/MoSe2 vdWHs are systematically investigated based on the first-principles calculations. The BlueP/MoSe2 vdWHs are indirect band gap semiconductors with type II band alignment. Biaxial strain and external electric field (Efield) can effectively modulate the electronic and optical properties of the heterostructures. The biaxial strain and Efield not only can induce a transition of the semiconductors from type Ⅱ to type I band alignment, but also can achieve the semiconductor–metal transition. The band gap values of heterostructures show linear variation, while the characteristic of the indirect band gap is not changed under the Efield. Tensile strain can induce the red shift and the compressive strain cause the blue shift of the heterostructures. The work provides theoretical guidance for design of the photovoltaic materials and photoelectric devices

Whole exome sequencing reveals the maintained polyclonal nature from primary to metastatic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in two patients with NF1.

BackgroundMalignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft tissue sarcomas with high metastatic rates and poor overall patient survival. There are currently no effective therapies, underscoring the pressing need to define the molecular etiologies that underlie MPNST progression. The aim of this study was to examine clonal progression and identify the molecular events critical for MPNST spread.MethodsIn two patients with temporally and spatially distinct metastatic lesions, we employed whole exome sequencing (WES) to elucidate the genetic events of clonal progression, thus identifying the molecular events critical for MPNST spread.ResultsFirst, we demonstrated shared clonal origins for the metastatic lesions relative to the primary tumors, which were maintained throughout the course of MPNST progression, supporting the conclusion that cancer cells with metastatic potential already exist in the primary neoplasm. Second, we discovered TRIM23, a member of the Tripartite Motif family of proteins, as a regulator of MPNST lung metastatic spread in vivo.ConclusionsThe ability to track the genomic evolution from primary to metastatic MPNST offers new insights into the sequence of genetic events required for tumor progression and has identified TRIM23 as a novel target for future study in this rare cancer

Whole exome sequencing reveals the maintained polyclonal nature from primary to metastatic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in two patients with NF1

BACKGROUND: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft tissue sarcomas with high metastatic rates and poor overall patient survival. There are currently no effective therapies, underscoring the pressing need to define the molecular etiologies that underlie MPNST progression. The aim of this study was to examine clonal progression and identify the molecular events critical for MPNST spread. METHODS: In two patients with temporally and spatially distinct metastatic lesions, we employed whole exome sequencing (WES) to elucidate the genetic events of clonal progression, thus identifying the molecular events critical for MPNST spread. RESULTS: First, we demonstrated shared clonal origins for the metastatic lesions relative to the primary tumors, which were maintained throughout the course of MPNST progression, supporting the conclusion that cancer cells with metastatic potential already exist in the primary neoplasm. Second, we discovered TRIM23, a member of the Tripartite Motif family of proteins, as a regulator of MPNST lung metastatic spread in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: The ability to track the genomic evolution from primary to metastatic MPNST offers new insights into the sequence of genetic events required for tumor progression and has identified TRIM23 as a novel target for future study in this rare cancer

PDXNet portal: patient-derived Xenograft model, data, workflow and tool discovery

We created the PDX Network (PDXNet) portal (https://portal.pdxnetwork.org/) to centralize access to the National Cancer Institute-funded PDXNet consortium resources, to facilitate collaboration among researchers and to make these data easily available for research. The portal includes sections for resources, analysis results, metrics for PDXNet activities, data processing protocols and training materials for processing PDX data. Currently, the portal contains PDXNet model information and data resources from 334 new models across 33 cancer types. Tissue samples of these models were deposited in the NCI's Patient-Derived Model Repository (PDMR) for public access. These models have 2134 associated sequencing files from 873 samples across 308 patients, which are hosted on the Cancer Genomics Cloud powered by Seven Bridges and the NCI Cancer Data Service for long-term storage and access with dbGaP permissions. The portal includes results from freely available, robust, validated and standardized analysis workflows on PDXNet sequencing files and PDMR data (3857 samples from 629 patients across 85 disease types). The PDXNet portal is continuously updated with new data and is of significant utility to the cancer research community as it provides a centralized location for PDXNet resources, which support multi-agent treatment studies, determination of sensitivity and resistance mechanisms, and preclinical trials