Studies on Schistosome Dermatitis (\u27Swimmer\u27s Itch ) in Minnesota

A preliminary study was conducted to determine the causative agents of schistosome dermatitis ( swimmer\u27s itch ) in Minnesota and to determine the incidence schistosome infection in vector snails. A total of 1180 snails were collected from ten different localities, eight of which were sites of known schistosome activity . The incidence of schistosome infection in snails from individual areas was always less than 10 percent. Cercariae of Trichobilharzia ocellata from Lymnaea stagnalis were the most frequently-found schistosomes in our study

Dual and opposing roles of primary cilia in medulloblastoma development.

Recent work has shown that primary cilia are essential for Hedgehog (Hh) signaling during mammalian development. It is also known that aberrant Hh signaling can lead to cancer, but the role of primary cilia in oncogenesis is not known. Cerebellar granule neuron precursors (GNPs) can give rise to medulloblastomas, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. The primary cilium and Hh signaling are required for GNP proliferation. We asked whether primary cilia in GNPs have a role in medulloblastoma growth in mice. Genetic ablation of primary cilia blocked medulloblastoma formation when this tumor was driven by a constitutively active Smoothened protein (Smo), an upstream activator of Hh signaling. In contrast, removal of cilia was required for medulloblastoma growth by a constitutively active glioma-associated oncogene family zinc finger-2 (GLI2), a downstream transcription factor. Thus, primary cilia are either required for or inhibit medulloblastoma formation, depending on the initiating oncogenic event. Remarkably, the presence or absence of cilia was associated with specific variants of human medulloblastomas; primary cilia were found in medulloblastomas with activation in HH or WNT signaling but not in most medulloblastomas in other distinct molecular subgroups. Primary cilia could serve as a diagnostic tool and provide new insights into the mechanism of tumorigenesis

NHS Brain Cancer Healthcare and Research: Does It Matter Where You Are Treated?

This report presents extensive insights, collected in 2020-2022,  into 28 of the 30 NHS brain cancer centres in the UK.  It highlights significant geographical variation in treatment and care and sets out how to level up services. The report presents the most comprehensive dataset on NHS brain cancer services ever collected, providing the Mission with a unique strategic overview on how to drive change and innovation nationally.It reveals striking variation in brain cancer services across the UK, with disparities in the design, quality and extent of the treatment and care pathway. In all hospitals reviewed, treatment was delivered according to internationally recognised standards by a motivated team: however there was notable variability in access to genetic testing of tumour samples, involvement in clinical studies and the extent of nurse and allied health-led services. All of which have the potential to impact patient experience and outcomes

A molecular biology and phase II trial of lapatinib in children with refractory CNS malignancies: a pediatric brain tumor consortium study.

High expression of ERBB2 has been reported in medulloblastoma and ependymoma; EGFR is amplified and over-expressed in brainstem glioma suggesting these proteins as potential therapeutic targets. We conducted a molecular biology (MB) and phase II study to estimate inhibition of tumor ERBB signaling and sustained responses by lapatinib in children with recurrent CNS malignancies. In the MB study, patients with recurrent medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and high-grade glioma (HGG) undergoing resection were stratified and randomized to pre-resection treatment with lapatinib 900 mg/m(2) dose bid for 7-14 days or no treatment. Western blot analysis of ERBB expression and pathway activity in fresh tumor obtained at surgery estimated ERBB receptor signaling inhibition in vivo. Drug concentration was simultaneously assessed in tumor and plasma. In the phase II study, patients, stratified by histology, received lapatinib continuously, to assess sustained response. Eight patients, on the MB trial (four medulloblastomas, four ependymomas), received a median of two courses (range 1-6+). No intratumoral target inhibition by lapatinib was noted in any patient. Tumor-to-plasma ratios of lapatinib were 10-20 %. In the 34 patients (14 MB, 10 HGG, 10 ependymoma) in the phase II study, lapatinib was well-tolerated at 900 mg/m(2) dose bid. The median number of courses in the phase II trial was two (range 1-12). Seven patients (three medulloblastoma, four ependymoma) remained on therapy for at least four courses range (4-26). Lapatinib was well-tolerated in children with recurrent or CNS malignancies, but did not inhibit target in tumor and had little single agent activity.Fil: Fouladi, Maryam. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Stewart, Clinton F.. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Blaney, Susan M.. Baylor College of Medicine. Texas Children’s Cancer Center; Estados UnidosFil: Onar Thomas, Arzu. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Schaiquevich, Paula Susana. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Packer, Roger J.. Children’s National Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Goldman, Stewart. Anne and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Estados UnidosFil: Geyer, J. Rusell. Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Gajjar, Amar. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Kun, Larry E.. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Boyett, James M.. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Gilbertson, Richard J.. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados Unido

The choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid: Emerging roles in development, disease, and therapy

Although universally recognized as the source of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the choroid plexus (ChP) has been one of the most understudied tissues in neuroscience. The reasons for this are multiple and varied, including historical perceptions about passive and permissive roles for the ChP, experimental issues, and lack of clinical salience. However, recent work on the ChP and instructive signals in the CSF have sparked new hypotheses about how the ChP and CSF provide unexpected means for regulating nervous system structure and function in health and disease, as well as new ChP-based therapeutic approaches using pluripotent stem cell technology. This minisymposium combines new and established investigators to capture some of the newfound excitement surrounding the ChP-CSF system