Publications by authors named "Christopher French"

Purpose: Nuclear protein in testis carcinoma (NC) is an underdiagnosed and aggressive squamous/poorly differentiated cancer characterized by rearrangement of the gene on chromosome 15q14. Co-occurring alternations have not been fully characterized.

Methods: We analyzed the genomic and immune landscape of 54 cases of NC that underwent DNA- and RNA-based NGS sequencing (Caris).

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Gliomas are highly malignant brain tumours that remain refractory to treatment. Treatment is typically surgical intervention followed by concomitant temozolomide and radiotherapy; however patient prognosis remains poor. Voltage gated ion channels have emerged as novel targets in cancer therapy and inhibition of a potassium selective subtype (hERG, Kv11.

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We report a woman in her 30s with dysferlinopathy whose diagnosis was masked by superimposed hypothyroidism. Laboratory studies revealed Hashimoto's thyroiditis and markedly raised serum creatine kinase (CK of 6255 U/L; reference range 0-170 U/L). Electromyography, nerve conduction studies and MRI of the hip and thigh were consistent with a diagnosis of hypothyroid myopathy, but thyroxine failed to resolve her clinical presentation or normalise the CK level.

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NUT carcinoma is a rare subcategory of squamous cell carcinoma. The latter is primarily characterized by the fusion of the coding sequence on chromosome 15q14 with BRD4 or BRD3, both of which are acetyl-histone binding bromodomains. This tumor is often misdiagnosed due to its rarity and its histological similarity with other squamous cell carcinomas.

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We present the first known case of a patient with -driven NUT carcinoma. A 59-year-old woman presented with poorly differentiated squamous cell lung cancer metastatic to the pleura. Eventually, a positive NUT immunohistochemistry, NUT fluorescence in situ hybridization, and RNA next-generation sequencing with a fusion led to the diagnosis of NUT carcinoma.

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Introduction: NUT carcinoma (NC) is an underdiagnosed and aggressive poorly differentiated or squamous cell cancer. A subset of NC is sensitive to chemotherapy, but the optimal regimen is unknown. Experts have recommended platinum- and ifosfamide-based therapy based on case reports.

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Unlabelled: NUT carcinoma (NC) is an aggressive squamous carcinoma defined by the BRD4-NUT fusion oncoprotein. Routinely effective systemic treatments are unavailable for most NC patients. The lack of an adequate animal model precludes identifying and leveraging cell-extrinsic factors therapeutically in NC.

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Article Synopsis
  • NUT carcinoma is an aggressive cancer driven by the BRD4-NUT fusion oncoprotein, but treatments using BET bromodomain inhibitors (BETi) alone have limited effectiveness.
  • The study shows that inhibiting EZH2, a protein that silences tumor suppressor genes, with a drug called tazemetostat, effectively blocks the growth of NUT carcinoma cells.
  • Combining EZH2 and BET inhibitors leads to stronger anti-cancer effects, blocking tumor growth and prolonging survival in models, highlighting a new strategy for treating NUT carcinoma based on targeting epigenetic regulation.
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Article Synopsis
  • - NUT carcinoma (NC) is a fast-growing cancer driven by the BRD4-NUT fusion protein, which promotes growth by activating genes; while BET bromodomain inhibitors are a potential treatment, they work better when combined with other therapies.
  • - EZH2, a gene silencing enzyme, is essential for NC growth, and its inhibition using tazemetostat significantly reduces NC cell proliferation and restores tumor suppressor gene expression without affecting certain oncogenes.
  • - Combining EZH2 inhibitors with BET inhibitors enhances the effectiveness of treatment, leading to greater tumor suppression and longer survival in animal models, with some mice even showing complete remission.
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Night-time is a period of great significance for many people who report paranormal experiences. However, there is limited understanding of the associations between sleep variables and seemingly paranormal experiences and/or beliefs. The aim of this review is to improve our understanding of these associations while unifying a currently fragmented literature-base into a structured, practical review.

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Study Objectives: Isolated sleep paralysis is a benign but frightening condition characterised by a temporary inability to move at sleep onset or upon awakening. Despite the prevalence of this condition, little is known concerning its clinical features, associated demographic characteristics, and prevention as well as disruption strategies.

Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted.

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Previous studies have found significant associations between paranormal beliefs and sleep variables. However, these have been conducted on a small scale and are limited in the number of sleep variables investigated. This study aims to fill a gap in the literature by investigating paranormal beliefs in relation to a wide range of sleep variables in a large sample.

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We recently published a preliminary assessment of the activity of a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, stenoparib, also known as 2X-121, which inhibits viral replication by affecting pathways of the host. Here we show that stenoparib effectively inhibits a SARS-CoV-2 wild type (BavPat1/2020) strain and four additional variant strains; alpha (B.1.

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NUT carcinoma (NC) is a rare subtype of squamous cell carcinoma defined by NUTM1 rearrangements encoding NUT fusion oncoproteins (the most frequent fusion partner being BRD4 ) that carries a very poor prognosis, with most patients dying in under 1 year. Only rare primary thyroid NCs have been reported. Here, we evaluated a series of 14 cases.

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NUT carcinoma (NC) is an extremely aggressive tumor and current treatment regimens offer patients a median survival of six months only. This article reports on the first in vitro studies using immunovirotherapy as a promising therapy option for NC and its feasible combination with BET inhibitors (iBET). Using NC cell lines harboring the BRD4-NUT fusion protein, the cytotoxicity of oncolytic virus (T-VEC) and the iBET compounds BI894999 and GSK525762 were assessed in vitro in monotherapeutic and combinatorial approaches.

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NUT carcinoma (NC) is a rare malignancy with aggressive clinical behavior, defined by rearrangements involving the NUTM1 gene locus. This entity is often under-recognized and its diagnosis may be challenging. In this study, we describe a subset of patients that, despite the molecularly proven diagnosis of NC, show improved outcomes.

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NUT carcinoma is a rare, aggressive cancer defined by rearrangements of the NUTM1 gene. No routinely effective treatments of NUT carcinoma exist, despite harboring a targetable oncoprotein, most commonly BRD4-NUT. The vast majority of cases are fatal.

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In type II CRISPR systems, the guide RNA (gRNA) comprises a CRISPR RNA (crRNA) and a hybridized trans-acting CRISPR RNA (tracrRNA), both being essential in guided DNA targeting functions. Although tracrRNAs are diverse in sequence and structure across type II CRISPR systems, the programmability of crRNA-tracrRNA hybridization for Cas9 is not fully understood. Here, we reveal the programmability of crRNA-tracrRNA hybridization for Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9, and in doing so, redefine the capabilities of Cas9 proteins and the sources of crRNAs, providing new biosensing applications for type II CRISPR systems.

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Background And Objectives: Epilepsy is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality, including sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Serious cardiac arrythmias might go undetected in routine epilepsy and cardiac investigations.

Methods: This prospective cohort study aimed to detect cardiac arrhythmias in patients with chronic drug-resistant epilepsy (≥5 years duration) using subcutaneous cardiac monitors for a minimum follow-up duration of 12 months.

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Nuclear protein in testis (NUT) carcinoma is a rare, highly aggressive, undifferentiated carcinoma that harbors a characteristic rearrangement of the NUTM1 gene. The majority arise in adolescents and young adults especially from the midline structures of the thorax, head, and neck. Until the present, there have only been three reported cases of NUT carcinoma of the submandibular gland, two of which were reported in children and another one in an adult from Korea.

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Article Synopsis
  • Molibresib is a new medication that blocks certain proteins and is taken by mouth. In a study, they found that taking 75 mg once a day is the best dose to try for different types of cancer.
  • The study looked at how safe the medicine is and how well it works against different cancers like testicular cancer and breast cancer, finding some side effects like low blood platelets and nausea that happened to many patients.
  • Although some patients showed a decrease in tumor size, the overall results weren’t good enough for all cancers to be considered a strong success, and the researchers think combining Molibresib with other treatments might work better.
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