Analysis of lumbar lateral instability on upright left and right bending radiographs in symptomatic patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Background: To evaluate lumbar mobility in various positions using upright left and right bending radiographs in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS), as well as to assess the impact of lateral instability on patient-reported outcomes.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of patients with DLS between January 2019 and October 2020. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups: the lateral instability group (group L) and non-lateral instability group (group NL).

Combination of levetiracetam and IFN-α increased temozolomide efficacy in MGMT-positive glioma.

Purpose: Glioma, especially glioblastoma (GBM), is the most aggressive malignant brain tumor and its standard therapy is often ineffective because of temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. Reversal of the TMZ resistance might improve the prognosis of glioma patients. We previously found that interferon-α (IFN-α) and anti-epileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV) could sensitize glioma to TMZ, respectively.

Transferrin receptor 1 targeted optical imaging for identifying glioma margin in mouse models.

Objective: Optical molecular imaging technology that indiscriminately detects intracranial glioblastoma (GBM) can help neurosurgeons effectively remove tumor masses. Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR 1) is a diagnostic and therapeutic target in GBM. A TfR 1-targeted peptide, CRTIGPSVC (CRT), was shown to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and accumulate at high levels in GBM tissues.

Association between glioblastoma cell-derived vessels and poor prognosis of the patients.

Background: Vessels with different microcirculation patterns are required for glioblastoma (GBM) growth. However, details of the microcirculation patterns in GBM remain unclear. Here, we examined the microcirculation patterns of GBM and analyzed their roles in patient prognosis together with two well-known GMB prognosis factors (O -methylguanine DNA methyltransferase [MGMT] promoter methylation status and isocitrate dehydrogenase [IDH] mutations).

Skp2 modulates proliferation, senescence and tumorigenesis of glioma.

Background: Gliomas represent the largest class of primary central nervous system neoplasms, many subtypes of which exhibit poor prognoses. Surgery followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy has been used as a standard strategy but yielded unsatisfactory improvements in patient survival outcomes. The S-phase kinase protein 2 (Skp2), a critical component of the E3-ligase SCF complex, has been documented in tumorigenesis in various cancer types but its role in glioma has yet to be fully clarified.

Dual antivascular function of human fibulin-3 variant, a potential new drug discovery strategy for glioblastoma.

The ECM protein EFEMP1 (fibulin-3) is associated with all types of solid tumor through its cell context-dependent dual function. A variant of fibulin-3 was engineered by truncation and mutation to alleviate its oncogenic function, specifically the proinvasive role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells at stem-like state. ZR30 is an in vitro synthesized 39-kDa protein of human fibulin-3 variant.

Tenascin-cmediated vasculogenic mimicry formation via regulation of MMP2/MMP9 in glioma.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), the formation of vessel-like structures by highly invasive tumor cells, has been considered one of several mechanisms responsible for the failure of anti-angiogenesis therapy in glioma patients. Therefore, inhibiting VM formation might be an effective therapeutic method to antagonize the angiogenesis resistance. This study aimed to show that an extracellular protein called Tenascin-c (TNC) is involved in VM formation and that TNC knockdown inhibits VM in glioma.