PARP inhibitors in gliomas: Mechanisms of action, current trends and future perspectives.

Gliomas are the most common primary malignant brain tumours in adults. Despite decades of research into novel therapeutic approaches, the prognosis remains poor. PARP1-2 are critical for DNA repair, cell survival and genomic stability and PARP inhibition (PARPi) may be a promising therapeutic approach for gliomas.

Dissecting the prognostic signature of patients with astrocytoma isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutant grade 4: a large multicenter, retrospective study.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) 2021 classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors classified astrocytoma isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutant (A IDHm) with either microvascular proliferation and/or necrosis or homozygous deletion of CDKN2A/B as CNS grade 4 (CNS WHO G4), introducing a distinct entity and posing new challenges to physicians for appropriate management and prognostication.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively collected information about patients diagnosed with A IDHm CNS WHO G4 at three reference neuro-oncological Italian centers and correlated them with survival.

Results: A total of 133 patients were included.

T Cell Features in Glioblastoma May Guide Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Microenvironment Immunosuppression.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal primary brain tumor, bearing a survival estimate below 10% at five years, despite standard chemoradiation treatment. At recurrence, systemic treatment options are limited and the standard of care is not well defined, with inclusion in clinical trials being highly encouraged. So far, the use of immunotherapeutic strategies in GBM has not proved to significantly improve patients' prognosis in the treatment of newly diagnosed GBM, nor in the recurrent setting.

Refining patient selection for next-generation immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials with a novel and externally validated prognostic nomogram.

Introduction: Identifying which patient may benefit from immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials is an unmet need in drug development. Among several proposed prognostic scores, none has been validated in patients receiving immunomodulating agents (IMAs)-based combinations.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively collected data of 208 patients enrolled in early-phase clinical trials investigating IMAs at our Institution, correlating clinical and blood-based variables with overall survival (OS).

Peripheral blood lymphocytes predict clinical outcomes in hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors.

Background: Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) combined with Endocrine Therapy (ET) are the standard treatment for patients with Hormone Receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (HR+/HER2- aBC).

Objectives: While CDK4/6i are known to reduce several peripheral blood cells, such as neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelets, the impact of these modulations on clinical outcomes is unknown.

Design: A multicenter, retrospective-prospective Italian study.

Effect of music therapy intervention on anxiety and pain during percutaneous renal biopsy: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Percutaneous renal biopsy (PRB) may subject patients to emotional distress and pain before and during the biopsy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of complementary/non-pharmacological interventions such as music therapy (MT) on anxiety, pain and satisfaction in renal patients undergoing PRB.

Methods: A prospective, single-centre, single-blind, randomized controlled two-arm trial was conducted.

Resting state EEG rhythms in different stages of chronic kidney disease with mild cognitive impairment.

Here, we tested that standard eyes-closed resting-state electroencephalographic (rsEEG) rhythms may characterize patients with mild cognitive impairment due to chronic kidney disease at stages 3-4 (CKDMCI-3&4) in relation to CKDMCI patients under hemodialysis (CKDMCI-H) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVMCI). Clinical and rsEEG data in 22 CKDMCI-3&4, 15 CKDMCI-H, 18 CVMCI, and 30 matched healthy control (HC) participants were available in a national archive. Spectral rsEEG power density was calculated from delta to gamma frequency bands at scalp electrodes.

Phenotypic diversity of T cells in human primary and metastatic brain tumors revealed by multiomic interrogation.

The immune-specialized environment of the healthy brain is tightly regulated to prevent excessive neuroinflammation. However, after cancer development, a tissue-specific conflict between brain-preserving immune suppression and tumor-directed immune activation may ensue. To interrogate potential roles of T cells in this process, we profiled these cells from individuals with primary or metastatic brain cancers via integrated analyses on the single-cell and bulk population levels.

Prognostic significance of HER2-low status in HR-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors.

Whether Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-low status has prognostic significance in HR + /HER2- advanced Breast Cancer (aBC) patients treated with first-line Endocrine Therapy plus CDK 4/6 inhibitors remains unclear. In 428 patients evaluated, HER2-low status was independently associated with significantly worse PFS and OS when compared with HER2-0 status. Based on our findings, HER2-low status could become a new prognostic biomarker in this clinical setting.

Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Cross-Sectional Study.

: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the association between OSA and AF in acute ischemic stroke. The secondary objective is to describe the clinical features of patients with acute ischemic stroke and concomitant OSA.

Volunteering in an emergency project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: the experience of Italian midwives.

Objectives: During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Region of Lombardy in Italy and its Regional Emergency Service (Azienda Regionale Emergenza Urgenza [AREU]) created a dedicated 24/7 free phone service to help the Lombard population. After an invitation from their professional order, local midwives collaborated on the AREU project as volunteers to address the needs of women from antenatal to postnatal periods. The aim of this article was to explore the experiences of midwives who volunteered in the AREU project.

Highly specialized Breast Centers did not experience delay of care during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: the Senonetwork experience.

Aim Of The Study: The study aims to evaluate the performance of selected, high-volume, highly specialized, Italian Breast Centers at the time of COVID-19 pandemic (year 2020), compared to pre-pandemic time (year 2019), highlighting differences in terms of clinical presentation of breast cancer (BC) and therapeutic strategies.

Methods: Patients' data were provided by the Senonetwork data warehouse Senonet. In order to examine changes in the surgical and oncological management of BC patients during different phases of COVID-19 pandemic, we took advantage of a selection quality indicators (QIs).

Surgical management of BRCA-mutation carriers: A single institution experience.

Introduction: The optimal surgical management of BRCA-mutation carriers remains a subject of debate. To evaluate the appropriateness of breast cancer (BC) treatment, the oncological outcomes of BRCA-mutation carriers treated either with breast-conserving therapy (BCT) or mastectomy were compared. Additionally, the role of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) and potential independent predictive factors for BC treatment were analyzed.

Precision Oncology in Lower-Grade Gliomas: Promises and Pitfalls of Therapeutic Strategies Targeting IDH-Mutations.

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase ( and its homolog are considered an earliest "driver" genetic event during gliomagenesis, representing now the molecular hallmark of lower-grade gliomas (LGGs). -mutated genes encode for a neomorphic enzyme that converts α-ketoglutarate to the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), which accumulates to high concentrations and alters cellular epigenetics and metabolism. Targeting IDH mutations is the first attempt to apply "precision oncology" in LGGs.

Progress and pitfalls in the use of immunotherapy for patients with triple negative breast cancer.

Introduction: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an area of high unmet medical need in terms of new effective treatment strategies. Although breast cancer is traditionally considered a 'cold' tumor type, TNBC is the most appropriate subtype for immunotherapeutic strategies; this is due to the high level of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, PD-L1 expression, and tumor mutational burden compared to other breast cancer subtypes.

Areas Covered: This review examines the available evidence on the use of immunotherapeutic strategies in early and advanced TNBC, discusses the pitfalls and limitations often encountered in clinical research, and summarizes data on novel promising immunomodulatory approaches that have been explored in early-phase trials.

Effect of single session receptive music therapy on anxiety and vital parameters in hospitalized Covid-19 patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients are vulnerable to different degrees of stress disorders as well as depression, anxiety and fear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of introducing Music therapy on site with Covid-19 patients and investigating the immediate effects a single session has on anxiety, heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (O2Sat) and satisfaction compared to standard care. A randomized controlled trial of 40 patients was conducted.

Immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials and malignant gliomas: A single-center experience and comprehensive immunophenotyping of circulating leukocytes.

Background: Immunotherapeutic early-phase clinical trials (ieCTs) increasingly adopt large expansion cohorts exploring novel agents across different tumor types. High-grade glioma (HGG) patients are usually excluded from these trials.

Methods: Data of patients with recurrent HGGs treated within multicohort ieCTs between February 2014 and August 2019 (experimental group, EG) at our Phase I Unit were retrospectively reviewed and compared to a matched control group (CG) of patients treated with standard therapies.

Paralysis of the cytotoxic granule machinery is a new cancer immune evasion mechanism mediated by chitinase 3-like-1.

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells require a functional lytic granule machinery to mediate effective antitumor responses. Evading the lytic cargo deployed at the immune synapse (IS) could be a critical step for cancer progression through yet unidentified mechanisms.

Methods: NK cell antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) is a major determinant of the clinical efficacy of some therapeutic antibodies including the anti-HER2 Trastuzumab.

Safety of autologous fat grafting in breast cancer: a multicenter Italian study among 17 senonetwork breast units autologous fat grafting safety: a multicenter Italian retrospective study.

Background: Autologous fat grafting (AFG), defined as the re-implant to the breast of fat tissue from different body areas, has been firstly applied to esthetic plastic surgery and then has moved to reconstructive surgery, mainly used for scar correction and opposite breast altering. Nevertheless, due to the potentially unsafe stem-like properties of adipocytes at the tumoral bed level, no clear evidence of the procedure's oncological safety has been clearly documented at present.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively collected data of early breast cancer (BC) patients from 17 Italian Breast Units and assessed differences in terms of locoregional recurrence rate (LRR) and locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) between patients who underwent AFG and patients who did not.

Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Luminal, Node Positive Breast Cancer: Characteristics, Treatment and Oncological Outcomes: A Single Center's Experience.

Objective: Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the treatment of choice for patients with locally advanced breast cancer (BC). In luminal-like BC, the decision to administer NAC remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics, treatment, and oncological outcomes of luminal-like, node positive, BC patients treated with NAC, and to identify independent predictive factors for treatment.