Publications by authors named "Anna Smokovich"
Article Synopsis
- Glioblastoma is described as immunologically "cold," making it resistant to solo immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) like pembrolizumab, although neoadjuvant use may improve survival based on prior studies.
- A study involving 25 additional patients analyzed tumor tissue for gene signatures and found that neoadjuvant pembrolizumab led to decreased cancer proliferation genes and increased T-cell activity, indicating a specific response to this treatment.
- Despite observing these molecular changes, the study did not confirm an overall survival benefit from neoadjuvant pembrolizumab, suggesting that some patients may inherently resist ICI and may need additional therapies for effective treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Activating point mutations in the MET tyrosine kinase domain are identified as oncogenic drivers in various cancers, occurring in about 0.5% of cases, particularly in certain papillary renal cell carcinomas.
- Specific mutations at positions H1094, L1195, F1200, D1228, Y1230, and M1250 were labeled as oncogenic or likely oncogenic based on genetic profiling.
- Preclinical models and patient responses indicate that these mutations may enhance sensitivity to MET inhibitors, highlighting the potential for targeted precision treatments in oncology.
Objective: A common opportunity to collect research samples is during image-guided percutaneous core needle biopsies (CNBs) performed when clinically indicated or for assessing clinical trial eligibility. The relative safety of extra CNBs collected for research is undefined.
Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent CNB for research purposes only [RO], as clinically indicated [CI], or as part of a clinical trial [CT] were identified.