Identification of 12 new susceptibility loci for different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer.

To identify common alleles associated with different histotypes of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), we pooled data from multiple genome-wide genotyping projects totaling 25,509 EOC cases and 40,941 controls. We identified nine new susceptibility loci for different EOC histotypes: six for serous EOC histotypes (3q28, 4q32.3, 8q21.11, 10q24.33, 18q11.2 and 22q12.1), two for mucinous EOC (3q22.3 and 9q31.1) and one for endometrioid EOC (5q12.3). We then performed meta-analysis on the results for high-grade serous ovarian cancer with the results from analysis of 31,448 BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, including 3,887 mutation carriers with EOC. This identified three additional susceptibility loci at 2q13, 8q24.1 and 12q24.31. Integrated analyses of genes and regulatory biofeatures at each locus predicted candidate susceptibility genes, including OBFC1, a new candidate susceptibility gene for low-grade and borderline serous EOC

CSF glial biomarkers YKL40 and sTREM2 are associated with longitudinal volume and diffusivity changes in cognitively unimpaired individuals

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) YKL40 and sTREM2 are astroglial and microglial activity biomarkers, respectively. We assessed whether CSF YKL40 and sTREM2 baseline levels are associated with longitudinal brain volume and diffusivity changes in cognitively unimpaired adults. Two brain MRI scans of 36 participants (57 to 78-years old, 12 male) were acquired in a 2-year interval. Aβ42, p-tau, YKL40 and sTREM2 concentrations in CSF were determined at baseline. We calculated gray and white matter volume changes per year maps (ΔGM and ΔWM, respectively) by means of longitudinal pairwise registration, and mean diffusivity variation per year (ΔMD) by subtraction. We checked voxel-wise for associations between ΔGM, ΔWM and ΔMD and baseline CSF level of YKL40 and sTREM2 and verified to what extent these associations were modulated by age (YKL40xAGE and sTREM2xAGE interactions). We found a positive association between ΔGM and YKL40 in the left inferior parietal region and no association between sTREM2 and ΔGM. Negative associations were also observed between ΔGM and YKL40xAGE (bilateral frontal areas, left precuneus and left postcentral and supramarginal gyri) and sTREM2xAGE (bilateral temporal and frontal cortex, putamen and left middle cingulate gyrus). We found negative associations between ΔWM and YKL40xAGE (bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus) and sTREM2xAGE (bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, left superior corona radiata, retrolenticular external capsule and forceps minor, among other regions) but none between ΔWM and neither YKL40 nor sTREM2. ΔMD was positively correlated with YKL40 in right orbital region and negatively with sTREM2 in left lingual gyrus and precuneus. In addition, significant associations were found between ΔMD and YKL40xAGE (tail of left hippocampus and surrounding areas and right anterior cingulate gyrus) and sTREM2xAGE (right superior temporal gyrus). Areas showing statistically significant differences were disjoint in analyses involving YKL40 and sTREM2. These results suggest that glial biomarkers exert a relevant and distinct influence in longitudinal brain macro- and microstructural changes in cognitively unimpaired adults, which appears to be modulated by age. In younger subjects increased glial markers (both YKL40 and sTREM2) predict a better outcome, as indicated by a decrease in ΔGM and ΔWM and an increase in ΔMD, whereas in older subjects this association is inverted and higher levels of glial markers are associated with a poorer neuroimaging outcome.The research leading to these results has received support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement n° 115568, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union‘s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) and EFPIA companies’ in-kind contribution. Juan D Gispert holds a ‘Ramón y Cajal’ fellowship (RYC-2013-13054) and Lorena Rami is part of the ‘Programa de Investigadores del Sistema Nacional Miguel Servet II’ (CPII14/00023; IP: Lorena Rami). Marc Suárez-Calvet was awarded with an AFTD Biomarkers Initiative awards from the The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration and receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie action grant agreement No 752310. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) within the framework of the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (EXC 1010 SyNergy), Cure Alzheimer's Fund and MetLife Foundation Award (to Christian Haass). The present communication reflects the authors' view and neither IMI nor the European Union, EFPIA, or any Associated Partners are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein

Creative ART Interchange Barcelona-Chicago. Projecte d’intercanvi artístic entre escoles de Barcelona i Chicago

La idea de fer aquest projecte va començar l'any 2009/10 quan el Govern de Catalunya va donar una beca a Glòria Martí Rubí per fer una recerca d'educació artística a la ciutat de Chicago (IL), Grand Rapits (MI) i Barcelona(CAT). Durant la recerca hi van haver molts contactes amb artistes, artterapeutes i professors d'art com Rene Arceo que junt amb Glòria Martí són els coordinadors d’aquest nou projecte. L’objectiu és posar en contacte a professors/es i alumnes de l'àrea artística d’ Escoles i Instituts de Chicago i de Barcelona -sense descartar ampliar-ho a tot Catalunya- per intercanviar idees, treballs i experiències. L'art permet conèixer i aprofundir en les realitats culturals de cada país. El tema general a treballar per totes les escoles és “La Meva Ciutat”