Chronic kidney disease prevalence and clinical outcomes in anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke patients with reperfusion therapy: A meta-analysis.

Aim: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a common comorbidity among acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients undergoing reperfusion therapies, including intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Acknowledging CKD's prevalence in this cohort and understanding its influence on outcomes is crucial for prognosis and optimizing care. This study aims to determine the prevalence of CKD among anterior circulation AIS (acAIS) patients undergoing reperfusion therapies and to analyse the role of CKD in mediating outcomes.

Circulating Tumour Cell Associated MicroRNA Profiles Change during Chemoradiation and Are Predictive of Response in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has traditionally been treated with trimodality therapy consisting of neoadjuvant radiation +/- chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy. There is currently a clinical need for biomarkers to predict treatment response and outcomes, especially during neoadjuvant therapy. Liquid biopsies in the form of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating nucleic acids in particular microRNAs (miRNA) are novel, the latter also being highly stable and clinically relevant regulators of disease.

Association of Lesion Topography with Functional Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Considered for, or Receiving, Reperfusion Therapy: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The impact of lesion topography (LT), characterised by the Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score (ASPECTS), on outcomes after reperfusion therapy in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is poorly elucidated. We investigated the prognostic accuracy of ASPECTS-based LT assessment and its association with clinical outcomes in AIS patients considered for reperfusion therapy or receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), or none or both. Methods: Studies were identified from PubMed with additional studies added from Google Scholar.

Short-chain fatty acid concentrations in the incidence and risk-stratification of colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The beneficial role of gut microbiota and bacterial metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), is well recognized, although the available literature around their role in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been inconsistent.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the associations of fecal SCFA concentrations to the incidence and risk of CRC. Data extraction through Medline, Embase, and Web of Science was carried out from database conception to June 29, 2022.

Role of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in the Prognosis of Acute Ischaemic Stroke After Reperfusion Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Inflammation may mediate response to acute reperfusion therapy (RT) in acute cerebral ischaemia. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an inflammatory biomarker, may play an important role in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) prognostication.

Objective: This meta-analysis sought to examine the effect of NLR on functional outcomes, mortality and adverse outcomes in AIS patients receiving RT.

Considerations for the selection of tests for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnostics.

During the course of 2020, the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread rapidly across the world. Clinical diagnostic testing for SARS-Cov-2 infection has relied on the real-time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction and is considered the gold standard assay. Commercial vendors and laboratories quickly mobilised to develop diagnostic tests to detect the novel coronavirus, which was fundamentally important in the pandemic response.

Harnessing Liquid Biopsies to Guide Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Immunotherapy (IO), involving the use of immune checkpoint inhibition, achieves improved response-rates and significant disease-free survival for some cancer patients. Despite these beneficial effects, there is poor predictability of response and substantial rates of innate or acquired resistance, resulting in heterogeneous responses among patients. In addition, patients can develop life-threatening adverse events, and while these generally occur in patients that also show a tumor response, these outcomes are not always congruent.

Role of diabetes in stroke: Recent advances in pathophysiology and clinical management.

The increasing prevalence of diabetes and stroke is a major global public health concern. Specifically, acute stroke patients, with pre-existing diabetes, pose a clinical challenge. It is established that diabetes is associated with a worse prognosis after acute stroke and the various biological factors that mediate poor recovery profiles in diabetic patients is unknown.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in acute ischemic stroke: Immunopathology, management, and prognosis.

There is an ongoing need for accurate prognostic biomarkers in the milieu of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) receiving reperfusion therapy. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been implicated in emergency medicine and acute stroke setting as an important biomarker in the prognosis of patients. However, there are ongoing questions around its accuracy and translation into clinical practice given suboptimal sensitivity and specificity results, as well as varying thresholds and lack of clarity around which NLR time points are most clinically indicative.

Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and tissue resident memory cells in colorectal cancer based on microsatellite instability and BRAF status.

Background: Recent studies in non-colorectal malignancy have associated T resident memory (T) cells with improved patient survival. It is unknown if T plays a role in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Aim: To examine the potential role of T cells in providing immunogenicity in CRC stratified by microsatellite instability (MSI) and BRAF status.

Rate of dissemination and prognosis in early and advanced stage colorectal cancer based on microsatellite instability status: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: For the past two decades, microsatellite instability (MSI) has been reported as a robust clinical biomarker associated with survival advantage attributed to its immunogenicity. However, MSI is also associated with high-risk adverse pathological features (poorly differentiated, mucinous, signet cell, higher grade) and exhibits a double-edged sword phenomenon. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the rate of dissemination and the prognosis of early and advanced stage colorectal cancer based on MSI status.

Current status on microsatellite instability, prognosis and adjuvant therapy in colon cancer: A nationwide survey of medical oncologists, colorectal surgeons and gastrointestinal pathologists.

Background: There is significant variation in attitude both towards the role of microsatellite instability (MSI) in predicting prognosis, and towards its role in guiding which Stage II colon cancer patients may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Aim: To examine the current status of specialist attitudes towards MSI in guiding prognosis and adjuvant therapy in stage II colon cancer.

Methods: The Pathology in Colon Cancer, Prognosis and Uptake of Adjuvant Therapy (PiCC UP) Australia and New Zealand questionnaire was distributed to colorectal surgeons, medical oncologists and pathologists after institutional board approval.

Micro RNA Expression after Ingestion of Fucoidan; A Clinical Study.

Fucoidans are a class of fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharides derived from brown macroalgae that exert a range of biological activities in vitro and in vivo. To generate an unbiased assessment of pathways and processes affected by fucoidan, a placebo-controlled double-blind pilot study was performed in healthy volunteers. Blood samples were taken immediately before and 24 h after ingestion of a single dose of 1 g of fucoidan (UPF) or placebo.

Association Between Microsatellite Instability Status and Peri-Operative Release of Circulating Tumour Cells in Colorectal Cancer.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) in colorectal cancer (CRC) is a marker of immunogenicity and is associated with an increased abundance of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). In this subgroup of colorectal cancer, it is unknown if these characteristics translate into a measurable difference in circulating tumour cell (CTC) release into peripheral circulation. This is the first study to compare MSI status with the prevalence of circulating CTCs in the peri-operative colorectal surgery setting.

Health-Related Quality of Life during Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: Impacts and Ethnic Disparities.

There is limited data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in locally advanced rectal cancer. We assessed HRQoL before, during and after neoadjuvant chemoradiation, correlated this to corresponding clinician-reported adverse events (CR-AEs) and explored disparities between patients of Asian ethnicity versus Caucasians. Correlation between HRQoL and treatment response was also assessed.

CEP55 is a determinant of cell fate during perturbed mitosis in breast cancer.

The centrosomal protein, CEP55, is a key regulator of cytokinesis, and its overexpression is linked to genomic instability, a hallmark of cancer. However, the mechanism by which it mediates genomic instability remains elusive. Here, we showed that CEP55 overexpression/knockdown impacts survival of aneuploid cells.

Author Correction: Structural determinants and functional consequences of protein affinity for membrane rafts.

In the originally published version of this Article, financial support was not fully acknowledged. The PDF and HTML versions of the Article have now been corrected to include support from National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health grant R01GM124072.

Oncogenic BRAF mutation induces DNA methylation changes in a murine model for human serrated colorectal neoplasia.

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of cancer death and approximately 20% arises within serrated polyps, which are under-recognized and poorly understood. Human serrated colorectal polyps frequently exhibit both oncogenic BRAF mutation and widespread DNA methylation changes, which are important in silencing genes restraining neoplastic progression. Here, we investigated whether in vivo induction of mutant Braf is sufficient to result in coordinated promoter methylation changes for multiple cancer-related genes.

Structural determinants and functional consequences of protein affinity for membrane rafts.

Eukaryotic plasma membranes are compartmentalized into functional lateral domains, including lipid-driven membrane rafts. Rafts are involved in most plasma membrane functions by selective recruitment and retention of specific proteins. However, the structural determinants of transmembrane protein partitioning to raft domains are not fully understood.

Novel STAT binding elements mediate IL-6 regulation of MMP-1 and MMP-3.

Dynamic remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key feature of cancer progression. Enzymes that modify the ECM, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), have long been recognised as important targets of anticancer therapy. Inflammatory cytokines are known to play a key role in regulating protease expression in cancer.

Characterisation of colonic dysplasia-like epithelial atypia in murine colitis.

Aim: To determine if exacerbation of pre-existing chronic colitis in Winnie ( mutant) mice induces colonic dysplasia.

Methods: Winnie mice and C57BL6 as a genotype control, were administered 1% w/v dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) orally, followed by drinking water alone in week-long cycles for a total of three cycles. After the third cycle, mice were killed and colonic tissue collected for histological and immunohistochemical evaluation.