A phase II, open-label, single-arm trial of pembrolizumab for recurrent meningioma and solitary fibrous tumor.

Background: Atypical and anaplastic meningiomas account for 20% of all meningioma cases. Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a type of soft tissue sarcoma with similar attributes to meningioma. For patients with refractory or recurrent disease after previous surgery or radiotherapy, there is no effective treatment.

Stem the blood flow: beneficial impact of bevacizumab on survival of subventricular zone glioblastoma patients.

Purpose: Angiogenesis is a crucial step in tumorigenesis of glioblastoma (GBM). Bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drug, is approved for second-line therapy for GBM. Glioma stem cells, presumably the cell of origin of GBM, take an active role in angiogenesis.

TXA combined with whole blood transfusion in trauma patients does not increase the risk of VTE but shock index does.

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of tranexamic acid (TXA) administration in combination with packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion in trauma patients without increasing the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the effect of TXA in combination with whole blood (WB) has not been studied. Injury, abbreviated injury severity scores (ISS and AIS) and the need for blood transfusions are historically associated with VTE.

Celiac plexus radiosurgery for pain management in advanced cancer: a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

Background: Refractory upper abdominal pain or lower back pain (retroperitoneal pain syndrome) related to celiac plexus involvement characterises pancreatic and other upper gastrointestinal malignancies and is an unmet need. We hypothesised that ablative radiation delivered to the celiac plexus would decrease pain.

Methods: This multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 study was done at eight hospitals in five countries (Israel, Poland, Canada, the USA, and Portugal).

The role of a radiopaque peri-rectal hydrogel spacer in aiding accurate daily image-guidance for prostate stereotactic radiotherapy.

Introduction: Precise patient positioning with image guidance (IGRT) is essential for safe prostate radiotherapy. We present the first report of utilizing a CT-visible hydrogel spacer, used to decrease rectal radiation dose, as a surrogate fiducial marker to aid in daily IGRT with cone-beam CT (CBCT) in stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR) for prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Prior to CT simulation, patients underwent placement of three intraprostatic gold fiducial markers and radiopaque hydrogel spacer per standard practice.

Prophylactic zinc and therapeutic selenium administration in adult rats prevents long-term cognitive and behavioral sequelae by a transient ischemic attack.

The transient hypoxic-ischemic attack, also known as a minor stroke, can result in long-term neurological issues such as memory loss, depression, and anxiety due to an increase in nitrosative stress. The individual or combined administration of chronic prophylactic zinc and therapeutic selenium is known to reduce nitrosative stress in the first seven days post-reperfusion and, due to an antioxidant effect, prevent cell death. Besides, zinc or selenium, individually administered, also causes antidepressant and anxiolytic effects.

SABR-Dual: a phase II/III trial of two-fraction versus five-fraction stereotactic radiotherapy for localized low- and favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Background: Dose-escalated radiotherapy is known to improve progression free survival in patients with localized prostate cancer, and recent advances have led to the standardization of ultrahypofractionated stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) delivered in just 5-fractions. Based on the known effectiveness of the accepted though invasive 2-fraction treatment method of high-dose-rate brachytherapy and given the ubiquity of prostate cancer, a further reduction in the number of treatments of external-beam SABR is possible. This study aims to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and non-inferiority of generalizable 2-fraction SABR compared to the current 5-fraction regimen.

Converging survival trends in non-small cell lung cancer patients with and without brain metastasis receiving state-of-the-art treatment.

Introduction: Historically, patients with brain metastasis (BM) have been excluded from clinical trials investigating treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) due to their unfavorable prognosis. Advanced treatments have increased survival prospects for NSCLC patients with BM. This study evaluated the life expectancy of NSCLC patients with and without BM in the context of contemporary treatments.

Pancreatic cancer outcome-local treatment with radiation using MRI-LINAC.

Introduction: Stereotactic MR-guided on-table adaptive radiotherapy (SMART) allows the precise delivery of high-dose radiation to tumors in great proximity to radiation-sensitive organs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the toxicity and clinical outcome in locally advanced or recurrent pancreatic tumors, with or without prior irradiation, treated with SMART.

Methods: Patients were treated for pancreatic cancer (PC) using SMART technology to a prescribed dose of 50 Gy (BED, 100 Gy) in five fractions, with daily on-table adaptation of treatment plan.

Same-day versus delayed simulation imaging after placement of a perirectal hydrogel spacer for prostate radiotherapy.

Introduction: Placement of a perirectal hydrogel spacer has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of rectal toxicity from prostate radiation. Practices vary regarding the timing of CT simulation after hydrogel placement, and the ideal schedule remains unknown.

Methods: Thirty patients with localized prostate adenocarcinoma underwent transrectal ultrasound-guided placement of an iodinated SpaceOAR™ hydrogel prior to radiotherapy.

-Secretase-1: In Silico Drug Reposition for Alzheimer's Disease.

The -secretase-1 enzyme (BACE-1) performs a key role in the production of beta-Amyloid protein (Aβ), which is associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The inhibition of BACE-1 has been an important pharmacological strategy in the treatment of this neurodegenerative disease. This study aims to identify new potential candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's with the help of in silico studies, such as molecular docking and ADME prediction, from a broad list of candidates provided by the DrugBank database.

Intrinsic Permeation and Anti-Inflammatory Evaluation of Curcumin, Bisdemethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethylcurcumin by a Validated HPLC-UV Method.

Curcumin shows anti-inflammatory activity, and it has been widely investigated for neurodegenerative diseases, adjuvant treatment in AIDS and antitumor activity against different tumors, among other activities. The goal of this work was to evaluate the capacity of curcumin and its derivatives (bisdemethoxycurcumin and bisdemethylcurcumin) in preventing the irritant effects of topically applied xylol and to assess the intrinsic capacity of curcuminoids in permeating human skin by ex vivo permeation tests. Its secondary goal was to validate an HPLC method to simultaneously determine the curcuminoids in the samples from the ex vivo permeation studies and drug extraction from the skin.

Assessing the Solubility of Baricitinib and Drug Uptake in Different Tissues Using Absorption and Fluorescence Spectroscopies.

The low water solubility of baricitinib (BCT) limits the development of new formulations for the topical delivery of the drug. The aims of this study were to assess the solubility of BCT in different solvents, including Transcutol, a biocompatible permeation enhancer that is miscible in water, to evaluate the drug uptake in human skin and porcine tissues (sclera, cornea, oral, sublingual, and vaginal), and to subsequently extract the drug from the tissues so as to determine the drug recovery using in vitro techniques. Analytical methods were developed and validated for the quantification of BCT in Transcutol using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies, which are complementary to each other and permit the detection of the drug across a broad range of concentrations.

UNcommon EGFR Mutations: International Case Series on Efficacy of Osimertinib in Real-Life Practice in First-LiNe Setting (UNICORN).

Introduction: Approximately 10% of EGFR mutations (EGFRmuts) are uncommon (ucEGFRmuts). We aimed to collect real-world data about osimertinib for patients with ucEGFRmuts.

Methods: This is a multicenter, retrospective study of ucEGFRmut (exon 20 insertions excluded) metastatic NSCLC treated with osimertinib as first EGFR inhibitor.

Model-free dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI analysis: differentiation between active tumor and necrotic tissue in patients with glioblastoma.

Objective: Treatment response assessment in patients with high-grade gliomas (HGG) is heavily dependent on changes in lesion size on MRI. However, in conventional MRI, treatment-related changes can appear as enhancing tissue, with similar presentation to that of active tumor tissue. We propose a model-free data-driven method for differentiation between these tissues, based on dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI.

Obese male Zucker rats exhibit dendritic remodeling in neurons of the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit as well as spatial memory deficits.

Obesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation. The Zucker rat displays genetic obesity due to a mutation in the leptin receptor gene; this model is of great interest because of its similarity to human obesity. Brain regions may be affected by obesity, but detailed information is lacking.

Brain metastases in patients with ovarian cancer.

Background: Brain metastasis (BM) are uncommon among women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The frequency, risk factors and clinical repercussions of BM in these patients are not well described.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated EOC patients treated at our center from 2002 to 2020 and assessed their clinical parameters, risk for BM development and association with overall survival (OS).

Polysilicon Microchips Functionalized with Bipyridinium-Based Cyclophanes for a Highly Efficient Cytotoxicity in Cancerous Cells.

The use of micrometric-sized vehicles could greatly improve selectivity of cytotoxic compounds as their lack of self-diffusion could maximize their retention in tissues. We have used polysilicon microparticles () to conjugate bipyridinium-based compounds, able to induce cytotoxicity under regular intracellular conditions. Homogeneous functionalization in suspension was achieved, where the open-chain structure exhibits a more dense packing than cyclic analogues.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Relapse Limited to the Anterior Chamber of the Eye and Treated with Novel CAR T-Cell Therapy.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant neoplasm of the blood stem cells, characterized by increased formation of immature lymphocytes. Ocular manifestations may vary with ocular, adnexal, and orbital involvement. In this case report, we describe the first case of extramedullary relapse of ALL limited to the anterior chamber of the eye treated with the novel chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T)-cell therapy and provide a literature review of cases of ALL relapse in the anterior chamber.

Utilization of a Best Practice Alert (BPA) at Point-of-Care for Recruitment into a US-Based Autism Research Study.

Provider referral is one of the most influential factors in research recruitment. To ease referral burden on providers, we adapted the Best Practice Alert (BPA) in the EPIC Electronic Health Record and assessed its utility in recruiting pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder for the national SPARK study. During a year-long surveillance, 1203 (64.

Use of a Best Practice Alert (BPA) to Increase Diversity Within a US-Based Autism Research Cohort.

We evaluated the success of a best practice alert (BPA) in recruiting underrepresented families into an autism spectrum disorder research cohort by comparing BPA-response outcomes (Interested, Declined, Enrolled, Dismissed) in pediatric primary care practices (TCPs) serving diverse communities with those of subspecialty clinics. Compared to subspecialty clinics, TCPs had higher proportions of Interested responses for patients with private insurance (60.9% vs.