In the original article, the author names were published incorrectly. The names are correct in this publication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Children with unresectable brainstem-infiltrated ganglioglioma have poor progression-free survival when treated with conventional chemotherapy and radiation regimens. The BRAF mutation occurs in a large number of gangliogliomas, making them amenable for targeted therapy using mutation-specific kinase inhibitors. However, limited data exists on the effectiveness and best treatment duration of these inhibitors in this tumor setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Pediatric pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) are low grade gliomas and the most common brain tumors in children. They often represent a therapeutic challenge when incompletely resected as they can recur and progress despite the use of several lines of chemotherapeutic agents or even radiation therapy. Genetic alterations leading to activation of the mitogen-activated-protein-kinase pathway are a hallmark of this disease and offer an interesting therapeutic alternative through the use of targeted inhibitors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Neurotrophins are growth factors that regulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis in the nervous system. Their diverse actions are mediated through two different transmembrane - receptor signaling systems: Trk receptor tyrosine kinases (TrkA, TrkB, TrkC) and p75NTR neurotrophin receptor. Trk receptors promote cell survival and differentiation while p75NTR induces, in most cases, the activity of JNK-p53-Bax apoptosis pathway or suppresses intracellular survival signaling cascades.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent evidence suggests that the expression of p75NTR and Trk neurotrophin receptors is essential for neuronal survival, not only during development, but also in adulthood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cell localization and distribution of p75NTR and Trk receptors in the normal adult human enteric nervous system (ENS) using double-label immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity for p75NTR was observed in a few neurons, whereas Trk immunoreactivity was present in a higher percentage of neurons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF