Sarcomas are rare, mesenchymal tumors, representing about 10-15% of all childhood cancers. GD2 is a suitable target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy due to its overexpression in several solid tumors. In this preclinical study, we investigated the potential use of iCasp9.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoft tissue myoepithelial tumors (METs) are diagnostically challenging tumors that require careful histologic and immunohistochemical characterization for accurate classification. Nearly half of METs show recurrent EWSR1 or FUS gene rearrangements with a diverse set of fusion partners. The diversity of fusion partners and lack of known driver abnormalities in many cases raises the question of whether METs represent a uniformly distinct tumor entity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patients with PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcomas (fnRMS) harbouring the rare L122R MYOD1 mutation have significantly poorer prognosis than other fnRMS. We undertook a detailed clinicopathological evaluation of a cohort of patients with MYOD1 mutated fnRMS in order to improve risk stratification and treatment options.
Procedure: Histological, mutational and clinical data from a cohort of patients with MYOD1 mutant RMS treated in Europe were analysed.
Purpose: Recurrent shoulder instability, a common musculoskeletal disorder, often involves glenoid bone loss and Hill-Sachs lesions. However, the optimal imaging modality for accurately and reliably quantifying bipolar bone loss remains uncertain. This systematic review aims to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of various imaging modalities in assessing bipolar bone loss in anterior shoulder instability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe study by molecular dynamics simulations the absorption of polypropylene (PP) chains within a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid membrane in aqueous solvent. DPPC represents the most abundant phospholipid in biological membranes, while PP is one of the most common synthetic polymers diffused in the anthropic environment. By following in detail the absorption process, and the corresponding structural modification undergone by the membrane, we show how the initial configuration and the PP molecular weight determine the overall behavior of the system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Rotator cuff repair is one of the most frequently performed procedures in orthopedic surgery. However, considering the limited healing potential of rotator cuff tendons, several augmentation strategies have evolved to enhance tendon healing. The purpose of this article was to present a new surgical technique called
Methods: Patients with repairable full-thickness posterosuperior rotator cuff tear and a moderate-to-high risk of healing failure were chosen as candidates for the procedure.
Multimodal analgesia in arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery is commonly used for pain control and to reduce opioid consumption in the early postoperative time and the days following. Indeed, the combination of local anesthetic peripheral nerve blocks and systemic or oral analgesics ensures a better outcome than the isolated use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In particular, intrascalene block has significant advantages in more complex procedures involving the anterior aspect of the shoulder.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRotator cuff pathology in competitive athletes is common and may produce chronic symptoms and joint disability, impairing sports participation and leading to premature retirement. Athletes are a high-functioning patient population with unique characteristics. Decision-making for return to sport is a complex and multifactorial process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Though the prognosis for pediatric patients with localised synovial sarcoma (SS) is generally good, the chances of being cured after relapse are limited. This study describes a retrospective multi-institutional series of relapsing SS patients treated at six selected European referral centers for pediatric sarcoma.
Patients And Methods: The study included 41 patients <21 years with relapsing SS, treated between 2002 and 2022.
Angiosarcoma (AS) represents a rare and aggressive vascular sarcoma, posing distinct challenges in clinical management compared to other sarcomas. While the current European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) clinical practice guidelines for sarcoma treatment are applicable to AS, its unique aggressiveness and diverse tumor presentations necessitate dedicated and detailed clinical recommendations, which are currently lacking. Notably, considerations regarding surgical extent, radiation therapy (RT), and neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy vary significantly in localized disease, depending on each different site of onset.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article describes the oncology programs developed in Italy for adolescents and young adults with cancer, with a specific focus on the local projects created in pediatric oncology centers. A common feature of such projects is the emphasis on creative and artistic activities and laboratories (involving music, photography, novel writing, fashion design, and so on) designed to give young patients innovative means of expression.This article highlights the amazing powers of adolescents involved in these projects: the power to produce beautiful things in a place that is not normally associated with the idea of beauty; the power to make their doctors smile and grasp the profound sense of life; the power to make hospitals become places for producing culture.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsymmetric liquid-crystal (LC) organic semiconductors, such as 2-decyl-7-(-tolyl)-[1]benzothieno[3,2-][1]benzothiophene (Tol-BTBT-C), exhibit high mobilities exceeding 10 cm V s. The LC phases play important roles in thermal stability and self-assembly ordering during film deposition and annealing. In this study, we show molecular dynamics simulations of Tol-BTBT-C and reveal a unique mechanism of the molecular flip-flop motion at the smectic E/smectic B phase transition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) account for 3-10% of pediatric sarcomas, 50% of which occur in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Sporadic MPNSTs diagnosis may be challenging due to the absence of specific markers, apart from immunohistochemical H3K27me3 loss. DNA methylation (DNAm) profiling is a useful tool for brain and mesenchymal neoplasms categorization, and MPNSTs exhibit a specific DNAm signature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, presenting as the main causes of morbidity and mortality within this group. Besides the usual primary and secondary prevention in combination with screening during follow-up, the modifiable lifestyle factors of physical activity, nutrition, and body weight have not yet gained enough attention regarding potential cardiovascular risk reduction.
Objective: These practical recommendations aim to provide summarised information and practical implications to paediatricians and health professionals treating childhood cancer survivors to reduce the risk of cardiovascular late effects.