Latest Developments in Targeted Biological Therapies in the Management of Chordoma and Chondrosarcoma.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: The objective of this review paper was to summarize targeted molecular therapy options for spinal chordoma and chondrosarcoma, and to provide an update on the relevant clinical trials open for recruitment.

Methods: A systematic review of the current literature was performed, according to PRISMA guidelines, to summarize the latest developments in non-surgical molecular treatment options for low grade malignant primary spinal tumours.

Potential molecular mechanism in self-renewal is associated with miRNA dysregulation in sacral chordoma - A next-generation RNA sequencing study.

Background: Chordoma, the most frequent malignant primary spinal neoplasm, characterized by a high rate of recurrence, is an orphan disease where the clarification of the molecular oncogenesis would be crucial to developing new, effective therapies. Dysregulated expression of non-coding RNAs, especially microRNAs (miRNA) has a significant role in cancer development.

Methods: Next-generation RNA sequencing (NGS) was used for the combinatorial analysis of mRNA-miRNA gene expression profiles in sacral chordoma and nucleus pulposus samples.

Genetic variants of interleukin 1B and 6 are associated with clinical outcome of surgically treated lumbar degenerative disc disease.

Background: Successfully surgically treating degenerative disc diseases can be challenging to the spine surgeons, the long-term outcome relies on both the physical and mental status of the patient before and after treatment. Numerous studies underlined the role of inflammatory cytokines - like interleukin 1B and 6 - in the development of chronic diseases such as failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) and major depressive disorder (MDD) which alter the outcome after spinal surgery. Our aim was to evaluate the associations of IL6 and IL1B gene polymorphisms with the long-term outcome of degenerative lumbar spine surgeries.

Outcome of group physical therapy treatment for non-specific low back pain patients can be predicted with the cross-culturally adapted and validated Hungarian version STarT back screening tool.

Purpose: The STarT Back Tool was developed to identify the specific modifiable prognostic factors for non-specific low back pain and to classify the patients into risk groups; low, medium and high risk of chronicity. Applied therapeutic approaches often involve group physical therapy. The aim of this study was the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Hungarian version of the STarT Back Tool and to investigate the predictive ability for global treatment outcome.

Global Treatment Outcome after Surgical Site Infection in Elective Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Operations.

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious complication after routine lumbar spinal operations, and its effect on global treatment outcome (GTO) is less reported. The aim of the current study was to measure the impact of SSI on outcome, which was evaluated with patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patients' subjective judgment (GTO). A total of 910 patients underwent primary a single- or two-level lumbar decompression or instrumented fusion surgical procedure.

Correction to: Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with disc degeneration.

Unfortunately, the following reference was missed out in the original publication.

Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with disc degeneration.

Purpose: Numerous candidate genes and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified in the background of lumbar disc degeneration (LDD). However, in most of these underpowered studies, definitions of LDD are inconsistent; moreover, many of the findings have not been replicated and are contradictory. Our aim was to characterize LDD by well-defined phenotypes and possible endophenotypes and analyse the association between these and candidate vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms on a large (N = 1426) dataset.

GM-CSF and GM-CSF receptor have regulatory role in transforming rat mesenteric mesothelial cells into macrophage-like cells.

Objective And Design: During peritonitis, mesothelial cells assume macrophage characteristics, expressing macrophage markers, indicating that they might differentiate into macrophage-like cells.

Materials And Subjects: Twenty-five male rats were used for in vivo experiments. For in vitro experiments, a primary mesentery culture model was developed.