Molecular and Genetic Determinants of Glioma Cell Invasion.

A diffusely invasive nature is a major obstacle in treating a malignant brain tumor, "diffuse glioma", which prevents neurooncologists from surgically removing the tumor cells even in combination with chemotherapy and radiation. Recently updated classification of diffuse gliomas based on distinct genetic and epigenetic features has culminated in a multilayered diagnostic approach to combine histologic phenotypes and molecular genotypes in an integrated diagnosis. However, it is still a work in progress to decipher how the genetic aberrations contribute to the aggressive nature of gliomas including their highly invasive capacity. Here we depict a set of recent discoveries involving molecular genetic determinants of the infiltrating nature of glioma cells, especially focusing on genetic mutations in receptor tyrosine kinase pathways and metabolic reprogramming downstream of common cancer mutations. The specific biology of glioma cell invasion provides an opportunity to explore the genotype-phenotype correlation in cancer and develop novel glioma-specific therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease

Ocular Pathology of Fukuyama Congenital Muscular Dystrophy

Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) is one of the congenital muscular dystrophies, showing central nervous system (CNS) and ocular lesions, in addition to muscular dystrophy. It is included in α-dystroglycanopathy, an entity of muscular dystrophies caused by reduced glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Studies of ocular lesions are not so many, compared with those of the muscle and CNS. Clinical ocular manifestations are myopia, strabismus, retinal detachment, and so on. Since the retina has a structure partly resembling the cerebral cortex, pathological findings similar to those found in the brain have been reported. The major observation considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of retinal lesions is abnormalities in the internal limiting membrane formed by Müller cells, which is corresponding to the glia limitans formed by astrocytes in the brain. Fukutin, responsible for FCMD, and α-DG are expressed in Müller cells. Moreover, fukutin may be involved in synaptic functions of retinal neurons through the glycosylation of α-DG. In this chapter, ocular lesions of fetal and child FCMD patients are presented, especially focusing on pathological findings of the retina, and functions of fukutin are discussed

Stent-graft detachment from aortic wall after stent-graft repair of acute aortic dissection

AbstractPreliminary studies have demonstrated that stent-graft repair is an attractive method for treatment of aortic dissection. However, few reports have described long-term results. A 72-year-old woman with acute type B aortic dissection underwent stent-graft repair. The entry was closed, and the false lumen disappeared completely. The postoperative course was uneventful for 4 years 5 months, when detachment of the stent graft from the aortic wall was noted. Because the device appears to be stable, follow-up is on an outpatient basis

(4-Bromo­phen­yl)(2,7-dimeth­oxy-1-naphth­yl)methanone

In the title compound, C19H15BrO3, the dihedral angle between the naphthalene ring system and the benzene ring is 72.02 (9)°. The bridging carbonyl C—C(=O)—C plane makes dihedral angles of 70.88 (10) and 1.87 (12)°, respectively, with the naphthalene ring system and the benzene ring. In the crystal, two types of weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O inter­actions and a short Br⋯C contact [3.345 (2) Å] are observed

(5-Benzoyl-3,6-dimeth­oxy­naphthalen-2-yl)(phen­yl)methanone

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C26H20O4, contains two independent conformers. The aromatic rings of the aroyl groups are twisted with respect to the naphthalene ring systems to form dihedral angles of 66.58 (6) and 66.45 (6)° in one conformer, and 75.00 (7) and 81.17 (6)° in the other conformer. The crystal packing is stabilized by weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and by C—H⋯π inter­actions

(2-Hy­droxy-7-meth­oxy­naphthalen-1-yl)(phen­yl)methanone

In the mol­ecule of the title compound, C18H14O3, there is an intra­molecular O—H⋯O=C hydrogen bond between the carbonyl and hy­droxy groups on the naphthalene ring system. The angles between the C=O bond vector and the least-squares planes of the naphthalene ring system and the phenyl ring are 30.58 (6) and 42.82 (7)°, respectively, while the dihedral angle between the naphthalene ring system and the phenyl ring is 58.65 (5)°. In the crystal, mol­ecules are connected by pairs of inter­molecular O—H⋯O=C hydrogen bonds, forming centrosymmetric dimers

1-[(4-Chloro­phen­yl)(phenyl­imino)­meth­yl]-7-meth­oxy-2-naphthol–1,4-diaza­bicyclo­[2.2.2]octane (2/1)

In the crystal structure of the title cocrystal, 2C24H18ClNO2·C6H12N2, the 1,4-diaza­bicyclo­[2.2.2]octane mol­ecule is located on a twofold rotation axis and linked to the two triaryl­imine mol­ecules by O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming a 2:1 aggregate. C—H⋯Cl inter­actions are also observed. In the triaryl­imine mol­ecule, the naphthalene ring system makes dihedral angles of 80.39 (6) and 82.35 (6)°, respectively, with the phenyl and benzene rings. The dihedral angle between these two latter rings is 87.09 (7)°

(4-Bromo­phen­yl)(3,6-dimeth­oxy-2-naphth­yl)methanone

In the title compound, C19H15BrO3, the dihedral angle between the naphthalene ring system and the benzene ring is 62.51 (8)°. The bridging carbonyl C—C(=O)—C plane makes dihedral angles of 47.07 (6)° with the naphthalene ring system and 24.20 (10)° with the benzene ring. A weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond exists between the H atom of one meth­oxy group and the O atom of the other meth­oxy group in an adjacent mol­ecule. The crystal packing is additionally stabilized by two types of weak inter­molecular inter­actions involving the Br atom, C—H⋯Br and Br⋯O [3.2802 (14) Å]