Extensive "halo naevi" phenomenon and regression of melanin during nivolumab treatment in metastatic melanoma: A predictor of a better outcome?

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Primary Tumor Resection for Metastatic Colorectal, Gastric and Pancreatic Cancer Patients: In Search of Scientific Evidence to Inform Clinical Practice

The management of the primary tumor in metastatic colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancer patients may be challenging. Indeed, primary tumor progression could be associated with severe symptoms, compromising the quality of life and the feasibility of effective systemic therapy, and might result in life-threatening complications. While retrospective series have suggested that surgery on the primary tumor may confer a survival advantage even in asymptomatic patients, randomized trials seem not to definitively support this hypothesis. We discuss the evidence for and against primary tumor resection for patients with metastatic gastrointestinal (colorectal, gastric and pancreatic) cancers treated with systemic therapies and put in context the pros and cons of the onco-surgical approach in the time of precision oncology. We also evaluate current ongoing trials on this topic, anticipating how these will influence both research and everyday practice

A complex of α6 integrin and E-cadherin drives the liver metastasis of colorectal cancer cells by a physical and functional interaction with hepatic angiopoietin-like 6

Homing of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to the liver is a non-random process driven by a crosstalk between tumour cells and components of the host tissue. Here we report the isolation of a liver metastasis-specific peptide ligand (CGIYRLRSC) that binds a complex of E-cadherin and α(6) integrin on the surface of CRC cells. We identify angiopoietin-like 6 protein as a peptide-mimicked natural ligand enriched in hepatic blood vessels of CRC patients. We demonstrate that an interaction between hepatic angiopoietin-like 6 and tumoural α(6) integrin/E-cadherin drives liver homing and colonization by CRC cells, and that CGIYRLRSC inhibits liver metastasis through interference with this ligand/receptor system. Our results indicate a mechanism for metastasis whereby a soluble factor accumulated in normal vessels functions as a specific ligand for circulating cancer cells. Consistently, we show that high amounts of coexpressed α(6) integrin and E-cadherin in primary tumours represent a poor prognostic factor for patients with advanced CRC

Vitamin D in melanoma: Controversies and potential role in combination with immune check-point inhibitors

The role of vitamin D in melanoma is still controversial. Although several Authors described a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and poor survival in metastatic melanoma patients, clinical trials exploring the effects of vitamin D supplementation in this clinical setting were mostly inconclusive. However, recent evidence suggests that vitamin D exerts both anti-proliferative effects on tumor cells and immune-modulating activities, that have been widely explored in auto-immune disorders. On the one hand, vitamin D has been shown to inhibit T-helper17 lymphocytes, notoriously involved in the pathogenesis of immune-related adverse events (iAEs) which complicate immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. On the other hand, vitamin D up-regulates PDL-1 expression on both epithelial and immune cells, suggesting a synergic effect in combination with ICIs, for which further investigation is needed

Autoimmune bullous dermatoses in cancer patients treated by immunotherapy: a literature review and Italian multicentric experience

Cutaneous immune-related adverse events are frequently associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) administration in cancer patients. In fact, these monoclonal antibodies bind the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 and programmed cell death-1/ligand 1 leading to a non-specific activation of the immune system against both tumoral cells and self-antigens. The skin is the most frequently affected organ system appearing involved especially by inflammatory manifestations such as maculopapular, lichenoid, psoriatic, and eczematous eruptions. Although less common, ICI-induced autoimmune blistering diseases have also been reported, with an estimated overall incidence of less than 5%. Bullous pemphigoid-like eruption is the predominant phenotype, while lichen planus pemphigoides, pemphigus vulgaris, and mucous membrane pemphigoid have been described anecdotally. Overall, they have a wide range of clinical presentations and often overlap with each other leading to a delayed diagnosis. Achieving adequate control of skin toxicity in these cases often requires immunosuppressive systemic therapies and/or interruption of ICI treatment, presenting a therapeutic challenge in the context of cancer management. In this study, we present a case series from Italy based on a multicenter, retrospective, observational study, which included 45 patients treated with ICIs who developed ICI-induced bullous pemphigoid. In addition, we performed a comprehensive review to identify the cases reported in the literature on ICI-induced autoimmune bullous diseases. Several theories seeking their underlying pathogenesis have been reported and this work aims to better understand what is known so far on this issue

Implementation of Software Defined Radio on GPU

The usage of Software Defined Radio rose significantly in lasts years. Is largely used by researchers, radioamateur but also inside commercial devices. A widely used framework is GNU Radio, which exploits mainly CPU and FPGA. The goal of my project is to take advantage also by GPGPU, especially CUD

Implementation of Software Defined Radio on GPU

The usage of Software Defined Radio rose significantly in lasts years. Is largely used by researchers, radioamateur but also inside commercial devices. A widely used framework is GNU Radio, which exploits mainly CPU and FPGA. The goal of my project is to take advantage also by GPGPU, especially CUD