Publications by authors named "Frederick Lang"

Article Synopsis
  • Dual heart-kidney transplantation (HKT) is an emerging treatment for patients with severe heart failure and kidney issues, with new guidelines from UNOS in 2023 formalizing its indications.
  • Recent studies indicate that simultaneous heart-kidney transplantation (SHKT) offers better outcomes than heart transplantation alone for certain patients with renal problems, while kidney-after-heart transplantation (KAHT) serves as a safety option.
  • Advances in pre- and post-transplant management, including device trials and innovative drug regimens, alongside future research in AI and biomarkers, highlight the potential of dual HKT as a vital option for patients with limited alternatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Endovascular surgical neuro-oncology is a relatively new subspecialty which uses endovascular neuro-interventional techniques for the management of nervous system tumors and tumor-related vascular conditions. Although there are several endovascular procedures that are widely available as standard-of-care diagnostic and treatment adjuncts, there has been a renewed interest to explore endovascular approaches as a means for selective intra-arterial delivery of therapeutic agents to nervous system tumors, including methods for opening the blood brain and blood tumor barriers. In this review, we discuss the historical development of various forms of endovascular intra-arterial treatment for tumors over the past 40 years, summarize endovascular approaches that are currently being employed, and highlight current clinical trials.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Heart failure (HF) is a major public health issue in the U.S., leading to numerous deaths but treatable through medical and device therapies that can improve heart function.
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are emerging as powerful tools for identifying predictors of heart recovery, offering potential advancements in patient care.
  • The review explores how ML can aid in predicting heart recovery, understanding its mechanisms, challenges in clinical application, and future research directions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pediatric brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Even to date, with the advances in multimodality therapeutic management, survival outcomes remain dismal in some types of tumors, such as pediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas or central nervous system embryonal tumors. Failure to understand the complex molecular heterogeneity and the elusive tumor and microenvironment interplay continues to undermine therapeutic efficacy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain cancer with limited therapeutic options. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells with strong anti-tumor activity and may offer a promising treatment strategy for GBM. We compared the anti-GBM activity of NK cells engineered to express interleukin (IL)-15 or IL-21.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Human gliomas are classified using isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) status as a prognosticator; however, the influence of genetic differences and treatment effects on ensuing immunity remains unclear.

Methods: In this study, we used sequential single-cell transcriptomics on 144 678 and spectral cytometry on over 2 million immune cells encompassing 48 human gliomas to decipher their immune landscape.

Results: We identified 22 distinct immune cell types that contribute to glioma immunity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A study was conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in patients with amyloid light-chain cardiomyopathy (AL-CM), a condition linked to heart failure.
  • In the study, 27 AL-CM patients were analyzed for adverse events and efficacy, with a subset of 17 patients compared to 21 untreated controls to assess changes in disease markers.
  • Results indicated that while there were some mild adverse events, SGLT2i treatment led to significant improvements in reducing loop diuretic use and lowering NTproBNP levels in the treated group compared to controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Successful treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive form of primary brain neoplasm, mandates the need to develop new therapeutic strategies. In this study, we investigated the potential of PBI-05204 in targeting GBM stem cells (GSCs) and the underlying mechanisms. Treatment with PBI-05204 significantly reduced both the number and size of tumor spheres derived from patient-derived GSCs (GBM9, GSC28 and TS543), and suppressed the tumorigenesis of GBM9 xenografts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Primary, glioblastoma, and secondary brain tumors, from metastases outside the brain, are among the most aggressive and therapeutically resistant cancers. A physiological barrier protecting the brain, the blood-brain barrier (BBB), functions as a deterrent to effective therapies. To enhance cancer therapy, we developed a cancer terminator virus (CTV), a unique tropism-modified adenovirus consisting of serotype 3 fiber knob on an otherwise Ad5 capsid that replicates in a cancer-selective manner and simultaneously produces a potent therapeutic cytokine, melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (MDA-7/IL-24).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

With improvements in survival for patients with metastatic cancer, long-term local control of brain metastases has become an increasingly important clinical priority. While consensus guidelines recommend surgery followed by stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for lesions >3 cm, smaller lesions (≤3 cm) treated with SRS alone elicit variable responses. To determine factors influencing this variable response to SRS, we analyzed outcomes of brain metastases ≤3 cm diameter in patients with no prior systemic therapy treated with frame-based single-fraction SRS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * This case presents a unique instance of TCM triggered by thyrotoxicosis from Graves' disease, highlighting the complexity of the condition.
  • * Learning objectives include understanding hyperthyroidism as a potential cause of TCM and how radioiodine contrast can impact the diagnosis of different TCM types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Given recent advances in the delivery of novel antitumor therapeutics using endovascular selective intraarterial delivery methods in neuro-oncology, there is an urgent need to develop methods for intracarotid injections in mouse models, including methods to repair the carotid artery in mice after injection to allow for subsequent injections. We developed a method of intracarotid injection in a mouse model to deliver therapeutics into the internal carotid artery (ICA) with two alternative procedures. During injection, the needle is inserted into the common carotid artery (CCA) after tying a suture around the external carotid artery (ECA) and injected therapeutics are delivered into the ICA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A retrospective study evaluated the short-term effectiveness and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), as previous randomized trials had excluded these individuals.
  • The study involved 87 ATTR-CM patients on SGLT2i and 95 untreated control patients, measuring changes in weight, diuretic dosage, and cardiac/renal biomarkers.
  • SGLT2i treatment significantly improved weight and diuretic use, with most patients tolerating the treatment well, although 11.5% discontinued it due to side effects; further randomized trials are needed for validation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Herein, we report a case of a collision tumor involving a multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor (MVNT) and a diffuse astrocytoma. A collision tumor between these two entities has not previously been reported. The patient is a 35-year-old woman who presented with new-onset hearing loss and ringing in her right ear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oncolytic viruses are a promising treatment for patients with high-grade gliomas, but neutralizing antibodies can limit their efficacy in patients with prior virus exposure or upon repeated virus injections. Data from a previous clinical trial using the oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD showed that generation of anti-viral neutralizing antibodies may affect the long-term survival of glioma patients. Past studies have examined the effects of neutralizing antibodies during systemic virus injections, but largely overlooked their impact during local virus injections into the brain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The AANS/CNS Section on Tumors, established in 1984, focuses on educating neurosurgeons in neuro-oncology and acts as a resource for national organizations about nervous system tumor treatments.
  • - It was the first national organization dedicated specifically to studying and treating brain and spine tumors, leading to significant developments like satellite meetings and the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
  • - A review of the section's 40-year history highlights its achievements, challenges, and future opportunities, incorporating insights from past section chairs and their contributions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • CSF analysis is currently underutilized in glioblastoma patients, partly due to a scarcity of studies showing the clinical value of CSF biomarkers.
  • This study assessed CSF from 31 glioblastoma patients and 13 non-neoplastic controls, revealing distinct metabolite differences primarily linked to fatty acid oxidation and gut microbiome impacts.
  • Additionally, specific metabolite variations were noted in GBM patients based on TP53 or PTEN mutations, suggesting that different mutations influence tumor metabolism and may provide insights into potential biomarkers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Glioblastomas (GBMs) are central nervous system tumors that resist standard-of-care interventions and even immune checkpoint blockade. Myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment can contribute to GBM progression; therefore, emerging immunotherapeutic approaches include reprogramming these cells to achieve desirable antitumor activity. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a myeloid signaling regulator that has been implicated in a variety of cancers and neurological diseases with contrasting functions, but its role in GBM immunopathology and progression is still under investigation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Glioblastoma (GBM) is a challenging brain cancer with poor outcomes, and understanding its tumor microenvironment could improve treatment effectiveness.
  • The study adapts stereotactic biopsies to gather multi-omics data from GBM patients, revealing detailed insights into the tumor and immune response.
  • Results indicate that stereotactic needle biopsies can provide high-quality samples for comprehensive analysis, aiding in monitoring treatment responses and furthering research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Right heart failure (RHF) commonly complicates left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates in patients.
  • Understanding RHF mechanisms and predictors can help identify patients early, allowing for proactive management and better outcomes.
  • Despite available therapies for post-LVAD RHF, current risk assessment tools are inadequate, highlighting the need for further research to improve identification and treatment strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The most prevalent cancer treatments cause cell death through DNA damage. However, DNA damage response (DDR) repair pathways, initiated by tumor cells, can withstand the effects of anticancer drugs, providing justification for combining DDR inhibitors with DNA-damaging anticancer treatments.

Methods: Cell viability assays were performed with CellTiter-Glo assay.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Genomic alterations are fundamental for molecular-guided therapy in patients with breast and lung cancer. However, the turn-around time of standard next-generation sequencing assays is a limiting factor in the timely delivery of genomic information for clinical decision-making.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated genomic alterations in 54 cerebrospinal fluid samples from 33 patients with metastatic lung cancer and metastatic breast cancer to the brain using the Oncomine Precision Assay on the Genexus sequencer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: There is a paucity of literature regarding the clinical characteristics and management of subependymomas of the fourth ventricle due to their rarity. Here, we describe the operative and non-operative management and outcomes of patients with such tumors.

Methods: This retrospective single-institution case series was gathered after Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) has poor prognosis due to ineffective agents and poor delivery methods. MicroRNAs (miRs) have been explored as novel therapeutics for GBM, but the optimal miRs and the ideal delivery strategy remain unresolved. In this study, we sought to identify the most effective pan-subtype anti-GBM miRs and to develop an improved delivery system for these miRs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Lemierre syndrome is marked by severe throat infections, blood clots in the internal jugular vein, and the spread of infection through the bloodstream.
  • A case study is presented about a 27-year-old healthy man who developed a serious bone infection (emphysematous osteomyelitis) as a result of Lemierre syndrome.
  • While there’s a high risk of death from these conditions, timely diagnosis and prompt treatment can lead to complete recovery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF