Publications by authors named "Ionut-Gabriel Funingana"

Article Synopsis
  • - Tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is a highly lethal form of cancer that often responds to platinum-based chemotherapy due to common issues with DNA damage repair pathways.
  • - Current mechanisms behind platinum resistance in HGSC are complex and not well understood, leading to a lack of effective biomarkers or treatments to improve patient outcomes.
  • - The study uses advanced single-cell mass cytometry to analyze protein responses in HGSC cells, identifying eight specific protein modules linked to carboplatin resistance and sensitivity, which could help in better categorizing and treating drug resistance in patients.
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Standard of care genetic testing has undergone significant changes in recent years. The British Gynecological Cancer Society and the British Association of Gynecological Pathologists (BGCS/BAGP) has re-assembled a multidisciplinary expert consensus group to update the previous guidance with the latest standard of care for germline and tumor testing in patients with ovarian cancer. For the first time, the BGCS/BAGP guideline group has incorporated a patient advisor at the initial consensus group meeting.

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Article Synopsis
  • - A Phase I trial tested the safety and tolerability of MOv18 IgE, a new type of chimeric IgE antibody, in cancer patients whose tumors express folate receptor-alpha, with a focus on minimizing allergic reactions.
  • - The study involved dose escalation from 70 μg to 12 mg, using skin prick and basophil activation tests to identify low-risk patients; the main side effect noted was temporary hives, with one case of anaphylaxis linked to pre-existing reactive basophils.
  • - Results indicate that MOv18 IgE therapy is tolerable and shows potential anti-tumor activity, evidenced by a positive response in a patient with ovarian cancer, suggesting that IgE-based
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The drivers of recurrence and resistance in ovarian high grade serous carcinoma remain unclear. We investigate the acquisition of resistance by collecting tumour biopsies from a cohort of 276 women with relapsed ovarian high grade serous carcinoma in the BriTROC-1 study. Panel sequencing shows close concordance between diagnosis and relapse, with only four discordant cases.

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High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Its diagnosis at advanced stage compounded with its excessive genomic and cellular heterogeneity make curative treatment challenging. Two critical therapeutic challenges to overcome are carboplatin resistance and lack of response to immunotherapy.

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Clinical trials for oncology drug development have long relied on surrogate outcome biomarkers that assess changes in tumor burden to accelerate drug registration (i.e., Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.

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Article Synopsis
  • CT900 is a new small molecule drug that inhibits thymidylate synthase and targets tumors overexpressing the α-folate receptor (α-FR).
  • In a clinical trial, doses between 1-12 mg/m2 were tested on patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, focusing on a dose of 12 mg/m2 given every two weeks.
  • The trial showed manageable side effects and a 21.9% overall response rate, with better outcomes in patients who had higher α-FR expression, indicating that CT900 has potential for further study.
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Background: Pathological response to neoadjuvant treatment for patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is assessed using the chemotherapy response score (CRS) for omental tumor deposits. The main limitation of CRS is that it requires surgical sampling after initial neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) treatment. Earlier and non-invasive response predictors could improve patient stratification.

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Background: Active surveillance (AS) is a preferred management option for men with prostate cancer with favourable prognosis. However, nearly half of men on AS switch to treatment within 5 years, so therapeutic strategies to prevent or delay disease progression could be considered. The androgen receptor is the pre-eminent oncogenic driver in prostate cancer.

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Niraparib is an oral, potent, highly selective poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1) and PARP2 inhibitor. In most developed countries, it is approved as a maintenance treatment for epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer in patients with complete or partial response to platinum-based therapy. These approvals are based on results of randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, particularly the NOVA trial and more recently the PRIMA trial.

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Epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) encompasses distinct histological, molecular and genomic entities that determine intrinsic sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy. Current management of each subtype is determined by factors including tumour grade and stage, but only a small number of biomarkers can predict treatment response. The recent incorporation of PARP inhibitors into routine clinical practice has underscored the need to personalise ovarian cancer treatment based on tumour biology.

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Purpose: To develop a precision tissue sampling technique that uses computed tomography (CT)-based radiomic tumour habitats for ultrasound (US)-guided targeted biopsies that can be integrated in the clinical workflow of patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).

Methods: Six patients with suspected HGSOC scheduled for US-guided biopsy before starting neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included in this prospective study from September 2019 to February 2020. The tumour segmentation was performed manually on the pre-biopsy contrast-enhanced CT scan.

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Rationale: Acrometastases of the hand are an unusual sign of lung cancer onset and may often be mistaken for other benign disorders, thus delaying diagnosis and treatment.

Patient Concerns: A 58-year-old man presented at the Rheumatology Clinic with a lump in the distal phalanx of the right index finger associated with intense pain, swelling, rib pain, and hemoptysis.

Diagnoses: Given the clinical manifestations, an x-ray of the right hand was performed, and it revealed an osteolytic lesion in the distal phalanx of the right index finger.

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