MTAP deficiency contributes to immune landscape remodelling and tumour evasion.

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) deficiency occurs in various malignancies and is associated with poor survival in cancer patients. However, the mechanisms underlying tumour progression due to MTAP loss are yet to be elucidated. Utilizing integrated analyses of the transcriptome, proteome and secretome, we demonstrated that MTAP deficiency alters tumour-intrinsic, immune-related pathways and reprograms cytokine profiles towards a tumour-favourable environment.

Stomal maturation does not increase the rate of tracheocutaneous fistulas.

Objectives/hypothesis: To determine the rate of persistent tracheocutaneous fistula (TCF) in pediatric patients managed with stomal maturation at the time of the tracheostomy.

Study Design: Retrospective chart analysis of all cases of tracheostomy performed at a tertiary pediatric care center between 2001 and 2011.

Methods: The use of stomal maturation, number of decannulations, number of persistent TCFs, timing of TCF repair, and the overall mortality were assessed.

The role of gastric pepsin in the inflammatory cascade of pediatric otitis media.

Importance: Otitis media is characterized as an ongoing inflammation with accumulation of an effusion in the middle ear cleft. The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis, particularly the inflammatory response, remain largely unknown. We hypothesize that aspiration of gastric contents into the nasopharynx may be responsible for the initiation of the inflammatory process or aggravate a preexisting condition.

Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training Leaders: Where Are They Now?

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of prior governing council (GC) members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Section for Residents and Fellows-in-Training (SRF) and assess the impact of early Academy involvement. A survey was conducted via email on all prior AAO-HNS SRF GC members. The AAO-HNS SRF has elected 52 GC members since its 2003 inception.

A homozygous SLITRK6 nonsense mutation is associated with progressive auditory neuropathy in humans.

Objectives/hypothesis: SLITRK family proteins control neurite outgrowth and regulate synaptic development. In mice, Slitrk6 plays a role in the survival and innervation of sensory neurons in the inner ear, vestibular apparatus, and retina, and also influences axial eye length. We provide the first detailed description of the auditory phenotype in humans with recessive SLITRK6 deficiency.