Publications by authors named "Francesco Missale"

Introduction: Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) infiltrate a large set of human cancers. Interferon alpha (IFN-α) produced by pDCs induces growth arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells and modulates innate and adaptive immune cells involved in anti-cancer immunity. Moreover, effector molecules exert tumor cell killing.

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  • Mucosal Melanomas (MM) are super aggressive cancers that arise in certain skin cells, and current treatments aren't helping much for advanced cases.
  • Scientists created five new cell lines (named SN-MM1-5) from patient samples to better study and understand these cancers, testing how they behave in lab experiments and in mice.
  • The study found that these new cell lines showed important differences from normal cells and identified specific cancer-related features, helping researchers learn more about how to treat mucosal melanomas better.
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Recent studies have characterized various mouse antigen-presenting cells (APCs) expressing the lymphoid-lineage transcription factor RORγt (Retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t), which exhibit distinct phenotypic features and are implicated in the induction of peripheral regulatory T cells (Tregs) and immune tolerance to microbiota and self-antigens. These APCs encompass Janus cells and Thetis cell subsets, some of which express the AutoImmune REgulator (AIRE). RORγt MHCII type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) have also been implicated in the instruction of microbiota-specific Tregs.

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The early detection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is essential to improve patient prognosis and enable organ and function preservation treatments. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of using electrical bioimpedance (EBI) sensing technology to detect HNSCC tissue. A prospective study was carried out analyzing tissue from 46 patients undergoing surgery for HNSCC.

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Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) represents a lethal disease with heterogeneous outcomes. Only patients with mismatch repair (MMR) deficient CRC showing microsatellite instability and hyper-mutated tumors can obtain clinical benefits from current immune checkpoint blockades; on the other hand, immune- or target-based therapeutic strategies are very limited for subjects with mismatch repair proficient CRC (CRC). Here, we report a comprehensive typing of immune infiltrating cells in CRC.

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Objectives: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LSCCs) typically have an excellent prognosis for stage I tumors but a significant risk of locoregional and distant recurrence for intermediate to advanced disease. This study will investigate the clinical relevance of the tumor microenvironment in a large cohort of treatment-naïve patients affected by stage II-IV LSCC.

Methods: Whole slide-based digital pathology analysis was applied to measure six immune cell populations identified by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for CD3, CD8, CD20, CD66b, CD163 and CD38.

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Background: Malnutrition, in patients with solid tumors, is associated with a worse clinical outcome and about 40% of patients affected by head and neck cancers (HNC) are malnourished at the time of cancer diagnosis. We investigated the potential benefit of a standardized immunonutritional protocol (INP) to patients with HNC receiving major ablative surgery.

Methods: An observational study was conducted enrolling 199 patients: 50 treated with the INP and 149 with standard enteral nutrition.

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Objectives: Oral tongue carcinomas represent more than half of the tumors arising in the oral cavity, a site with a high cancer specific mortality and impact on quality of life. Current guidelines are lacking for a standardized surgical approach of these tumors. The aim of this study is to compare two currently adopted surgical strategies, compartmental surgery (CTS) and wide local excision (WLE), with loco-regional control as the main oncological endpoint.

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TIM4 has previously been associated with antitumor immunity, yet the pattern of expression and the function of this receptor across human cancer tissues remain poorly explored. Here we combined extensive immunolabeling of human tissues with in silico analysis of pan-cancer transcriptomic data sets to explore the clinical significance of TIM4 expression. Our results unveil that TIM4 is expressed on a fraction of cavity macrophages (CATIM4+MΦ) of carcinoma patients.

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  • The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of transoral CO laser microsurgery (TOLMS) for improving the quality of life and decannulation rates in patients with posterior glottic stenosis (PGS) grades I-IV.
  • Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis involving 22 patients treated at two specialized centers, evaluating outcomes through various standardized questionnaires at least 6 months post-surgery.
  • Results showed significant improvements in patients' quality of life related to voice and swallowing, with nearly 80% of previously tracheostomized patients able to undergo decannulation, highlighting TOLMS as a promising surgical option for PGS.
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  • This study looked at using a special surgery called modified glossoepiglottopexy to help adults with a sleep problem called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) caused by the epiglottis collapsing.
  • Researchers reviewed data from 49 patients and found that after the surgery, their sleep problems decreased a lot, meaning they had fewer breathing issues while sleeping.
  • Overall, the study showed that the surgery was safe and effective, with no patients having trouble swallowing afterward.
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Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) is a unique kinase among MAPKs family members, given its large structure characterized by the presence of a unique C-terminal domain. Despite increasing data demonstrating the relevance of the ERK5 pathway in the growth, survival, and differentiation of normal cells, ERK5 has recently attracted the attention of several research groups given its relevance in inflammatory disorders and cancer. Accumulating evidence reported its role in tumor initiation and progression.

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Background: In the management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, the identification of the exact discharge spot is paramount. This process can represent a challenge for the radiologist and the surgeon. In the present study, we analyzed a series of patients affected by endonasal CSF leak who underwent endoscopic surgical reconstruction aided by the use of ITF.

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Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common head and neck cancer characterized by a poor prognosis associated with locoregional or distant failure. Among the predictors of prognosis, a dense infiltration of adaptive immune cells is protective and associated with improved clinical outcomes. However, few tools are available to integrate immune contexture variables into clinical settings.

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Purpose: Non-squamous cell carcinoma (non-SCC) accounts for about 5% of laryngeal malignancies. Survival data are limited, and consensus on management principles is lacking. The present study reviews our experience in the surgical treatment of non-metastatic non-SCC of the larynx and compares oncological and functional outcomes in a cohort of patients affected by traditional SCC.

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Objectives: Bilateral adductor vocal cord paralysis (BAVCP) is a rare and challenging condition whose main consequence is reduction of airway patency at the glottic level, often causing respiratory distress, while vocal function tends to remain almost normal. We investigated the effect of transoral glottal widening on quality of life and decannulation rates in patients affected by BAVCP.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients affected by BAVCP and treated by transoral CO posterior cordotomy with or without medial partial arytenoidectomy (PC ± MPA) at two referral centers.

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Ovarian carcinomas (OCs) are poorly immunogenic and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have offered a modest benefit. In this study, high CD3 T-cells and CD163 tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) densities identify a subgroup of immune infiltrated high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSCs) with better outcomes and superior response to platinum-based therapies. On the contrary, in most clear cell carcinomas (CCCs) showing poor prognosis and refractory to platinum, a high TAM density is associated with low T cell frequency.

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Background: Tracheostomy can be performed safely in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, little is known about the optimal timing, effects on outcome, and complications.

Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, observational study.

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Purpose: In 2016, the European Laryngological Society (ELS) proposed a classification for vascular changes occurring in glottic lesions as visible by narrow band imaging (NBI), based on the dichotomic distinction between longitudinal vessels (not suspicious) and perpendicular ones (suspicious). The aim of our study was to validate this classification assessing the interobserver agreement and diagnostic test performance in detecting the final histopathology.

Methods: A retrospective study was carried out by reviewing clinical charts, preoperative videos, and final pathologic diagnosis of patients submitted to transoral microsurgery for laryngeal lesions in two Italian referral centers.

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Objectives: The role of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) in the nodal spread of cancer cells remains unexplored. The present study evaluates the occurrence and clinical significance of human nodal TANs.

Methods: The relevance, derivation, phenotype and interactions of nodal TANs were explored a large immunohistochemical analysis of carcinoma-draining lymph nodes, and their clinical significance was evaluated on a retrospective cohort of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC).

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Objectives: to describe the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on undetected cases and to evaluate different post-lockdown scenarios.

Design: the study introduces a SEIR compartmental model, taking into account the region-specific fraction of undetected cases, the effects of mobility restrictions, and the personal protective measures adopted, such as wearing a mask and washing hands frequently.

Setting And Participants: the model is experimentally validated with data of all the Italian regions, some European countries, and the US.

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In the last decades, new technological devices and instruments have been developed to overcome the technical limits of transoral laser microsurgery. The recent introduction of 3D endoscopy seems to be a promising tool in the field of diagnostic and operative laryngology as an alternative to the traditional microlaryngoscopy. Our work aims to present a novel transoral microsurgical setting that expands the use of exoscopic systems (in this case the VITOM® 3D-HD) as an alternative to the standard operating microscope.

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