Publications by authors named "Courtois L"

Article Synopsis
  • Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) shows significant genetic diversity within tumors, complicating targeted treatment approaches and making traditional imaging ineffective for detecting minimal residual disease (MRD).
  • A study of 41 patients with resectable HNSCC found that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can serve as a biomarker for assessing tumor heterogeneity and MRD, with notable detection rates at surgery and recurrence.
  • The presence of ctDNA shortly after surgery correlated with disease recurrence, providing an early warning about potential relapse, thus supporting its role in post-operative monitoring and precision medicine strategies.
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Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) is the most frequent high-grade soft tissue sarcoma subtype. It is characterized by a component of undifferentiated tumor cells coexisting with a component of well-differentiated adipocytic tumor cells. Both dedifferentiated (DD) and well-differentiated (WD) components exhibit MDM2 amplification, however their cellular origin remains elusive.

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Ubiquitination plays a crucial role in cellular homeostasis by regulating the degradation, localization, and activity of proteins, ensuring proper cell function and balance. Among E3 ubiquitin ligases, WW domain-containing protein 1 (WWP1) is implicated in cell proliferation, survival, and apoptosis. Notably WWP1 is frequently amplified in breast cancer and associated with poor prognosis.

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  • Esotropia caused by sixth cranial nerve palsy can greatly affect visual acuity, and if it doesn't improve within 6-10 months, surgery may be needed, with the modified Nishida procedure being a promising option for treatment without splitting muscles.
  • A 59-year-old woman with chronic complete sixth nerve palsy underwent the modified Nishida procedure combined with botulinum toxin A (BTA) injection after multiple unsuccessful surgeries, resulting in significant improvement in her condition.
  • Post-surgery, the patient experienced better eye alignment, less double vision, and a broader field of vision, showcasing the effectiveness of the modified Nishida procedure for this type of eye disorder.
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Article Synopsis
  • γδ T cells play a crucial role in immune responses by quickly producing interferon-γ (IFN-γ), especially during the perinatal period when there's an increase in these cells that express CD8αβ heterodimers.
  • Their development relies on low T cell receptor signaling, supported by interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-7, which helps regulate their growth.
  • Aberrations in IL-7R-STAT5B signaling can lead to an excessive number of these cells in certain diseases, and they are also linked to pediatric cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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Breast cancer develops upon sequential acquisition of driver mutations in mammary epithelial cells; however, how these mutations collaborate to transform normal cells remains unclear in most cases. We aimed to reconstitute this process in a particular case. To this end, we combined the activated form of the PI 3-kinase harboring the H1047R mutation with the inactivation of the histone lysine methyl-transferase KMT2D in the non-tumorigenic human mammary epithelial cell line MCF10A.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates genomic imbalances in 317 newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis, focusing on clinical features and outcomes.* -
  • The majority of patients (approximately 96%) showed at least one genomic imbalance, with del(9)(p21) being the most common, followed by other significant deletions involving various chromosomal regions.* -
  • The research identified specific genomic patterns related to age and subclassifications of T-ALL, and established a threshold of 15 imbalances for defining high- and low-risk relapse groups, highlighting the importance of genomic complexity in predicting survival outcomes.*
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The Rac1-WAVE-Arp2/3 pathway pushes the plasma membrane by polymerizing branched actin, thereby powering membrane protrusions that mediate cell migration. Here, using knockdown (KD) or knockout (KO), we combine the inactivation of the Arp2/3 inhibitory protein arpin, the Arp2/3 subunit ARPC1A and the WAVE complex subunit CYFIP2, all of which enhance the polymerization of cortical branched actin. Inactivation of the three negative regulators of cortical branched actin increases migration persistence of human breast MCF10A cells and of endodermal cells in the zebrafish embryo, significantly more than any single or double inactivation.

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Purpose: To assess the impact of PHF6 alterations on clinical outcome and therapeutical actionability in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

Experimental Design: We described PHF6 alterations in an adult cohort of T-ALL from the French trial Group for Research on Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (GRAALL)-2003/2005 and retrospectively analyzed clinical outcomes between PHF6-altered (PHF6ALT) and wild-type patients. We also used EPIC and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data of patient samples to analyze the epigenetic landscape of PHF6ALT T-ALLs.

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About half of the human genome is composed of repeated sequences derived from mobile elements, mainly retrotransposons, generally without pathogenic effect. Familial forms of retinoblastoma are caused by germline pathogenic variants in gene. Here, we describe a family with retinoblastoma affecting a father and his son.

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The high frequency of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) is the main rationale of testing platinum-based chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), however, the existing methods to identify HRD are controversial and there is a medical need for predictive biomarkers. We assess the in vivo response to platinum agents in 55 patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of TNBC to identify determinants of response. The HRD status, determined from whole genome sequencing, is highly predictive of platinum response.

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T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy with a dismal prognosis related to refractory/relapsing diseases, raising the need for new targeted therapies. Activating mutations of interleukin-7-receptor pathway genes (IL-7Rp) play a proven leukemia-supportive role in T-ALL. JAK inhibitors, such as ruxolitinib, have recently demonstrated preclinical efficacy.

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Background: Management of advanced chordomas remains delicate considering their insensitivity to chemotherapy. Homozygous deletion of the regulatory gene has been described as the most frequent genetic alteration in chordomas and may be considered as a potential theranostic marker. Here, we evaluated the tumor efficacy of the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib, as well as the PLK1 inhibitor volasertib, in three chordoma patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models to validate and identify novel therapeutic approaches.

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Main prognostic factors of anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) are tumor size, differentiation, lymph node involvement, and male gender. However, they are insufficient to predict relapses after exclusive radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). has been associated with poor prognosis in several digestive cancers.

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A prevalence of around 26% of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has been previously reported. HPV induced oncogenesis mainly involving E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins. In some cases, HPV viral DNA has been detected to integrate with the host genome and possibly contributes to carcinogenesis by affecting the gene expression.

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Aerogels are attracting increasing interest due to their functional properties, such as lightweight and high porosity, which make them promising materials for energy storage and advanced composites. Compressive deformation allows the nano- and microstructure of lamellar freeze-cast aerogels to be tailored toward the aforementioned applications, where a 3D nanostructure of closely spaced, aligned sheets is desired. Quantitatively characterizing their microstructural evolution during compression is needed to allow optimization of manufacturing, understand in-service structural changes, and determine how aerogel structure relates to functional properties.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs) have poor clinical outcomes and are linked to chronic T cell receptor (TCR) activation, but their exact mechanisms are not well understood.
  • - Research using a mouse model shows that while chronic TCR stimulation can lead to the development of PTCLs, it does not help their survival; instead, PTCLs reprogram to adopt characteristics similar to natural killer (NK) cells, expressing NK cell receptors (NKRs) and relying on specific signaling pathways.
  • - Analysis of human PTCL cases indicates that a similar reprogramming occurs, prompting the need for clinical studies targeting molecules like SYK and NKRs to potentially improve treatment outcomes for this aggressive cancer.
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Background: Malaria infections in the first trimester of pregnancy are frequent and deleterious for both mother and child health. To investigate if these early infections are newly acquired or already present in the host, we assessed whether parasites detected before pregnancy and those detected in early pregnancy are the same infection.

Methods: We used data from the preconceptional "RECIPAL" study (Benin, 2014-2017).

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Advanced imaging is useful for understanding the three-dimensional (3D) growth of cells. X-ray tomography serves as a powerful noninvasive, nondestructive technique that can fulfill these purposes by providing information about cell growth within 3D platforms. There are a limited number of studies taking advantage of synchrotron X-rays, which provides a large field of view and suitable resolution to image cells within specific biomaterials.

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A 41-year-old woman suffering from a left cor triatrium, pregnant for the first time, was hospitalized for a caesarean section in the context of a pulmonary arterial hypertension with severe anaemia. The anaesthetic strategy which was decided on involved setting up a haemodynamic monitoring prior to induction of a general anaesthetia with etomidate, remifentanil and succinylcholine and maintained with propofol, sufentanil and cisatracurium. This strategy allowed the hemodynamic to be stabilized during the operation.

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