Droplet Digital PCR: A New Molecular Method to Detect G1105S/V Mutations in Gene.

is the causal agent of Grapevine Downy Mildew (GDM), which is a devastating disease of grapevines in humid temperate regions. The most employed method for protecting grapevines against GDM is the application of chemical fungicides. In Spain, Carboxylic Acid Amides (CAAs) are a fungicide group currently utilized in GDM control.

The landscape of cancer-associated transcript fusions in adult brain tumors: a longitudinal assessment in 140 patients with cerebral gliomas and brain metastases.

Background: Oncogenic fusions of neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase , , or genes have been found in different types of solid tumors. The treatment of patients with TRK fusion cancer with a first-generation TRK inhibitor (such as larotrectinib or entrectinib) is associated with high response rates (>75%), regardless of tumor histology and presence of metastases. Due to the efficacy of TRK inhibitor therapy of larotrectinib and entrectinib, it is clinically important to identify patients accurately and efficiently with TRK fusion cancer.

Radio-chemotherapy feasibility for biopsy-only unresectable wild-type glioblastomas (BO-GBM).

Background: "Biopsy-only" glioblastoma (BO-GBM) is a heterogeneous, understudied group of patients associated with a poor outcome. Our objective was to explore the pattern of care and prognosis associated with BO-GBM in our center.

Methods: Patients with wild-type BO-GBM included in a prospective regional cohort initiated in 2014 and closed in 2017 were retrospectively reviewed for patient characteristics, MRI findings, treatment allocation, and delivery.

Cytological Samples: An Asset for the Diagnosis and Therapeutic Management of Patients with Lung Cancer.

Background: Lung cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death for men and women. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage when surgery is no longer a therapeutic option. At this stage, cytological samples are often the less invasive source for diagnosis and the determination of predictive markers.

Adrenomedullin Secreted by Melanoma Cells Promotes Melanoma Tumor Growth through Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis.

Introduction: Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive tumor and can constitute a real therapeutic challenge despite the significant progress achieved with targeted therapies and immunotherapies, thus highlighting the need for the identification of new therapeutic targets. Adrenomedullin (AM) is a peptide with significant expression in multiple types of tumors and is multifunctional. AM impacts angiogenesis and tumor growth and binds to calcitonin receptor-like receptor/receptor activity-modifying protein 2 or 3 (CLR/RAMP2; CLR/RAMP3).

Comparison between Immunocytochemistry, FISH and NGS for and Rearrangement Detection in Cytological Samples.

The detection of and rearrangements is performed for advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Several techniques can be used on cytological samples, such as immunocytochemistry (ICC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and, more recently, next-generation sequencing (NGS), which is gradually becoming the gold standard. We performed a retrospective study to compare and rearrangement results from immunocytochemistry, FISH and NGS methods from 131 cytological samples.

Machine learning random forest for predicting oncosomatic variant NGS analysis.

Since 2017, we have used IonTorrent NGS platform in our hospital to diagnose and treat cancer. Analyzing variants at each run requires considerable time, and we are still struggling with some variants that appear correct on the metrics at first, but are found to be negative upon further investigation. Can any machine learning algorithm (ML) help us classify NGS variants? This has led us to investigate which ML can fit our NGS data and to develop a tool that can be routinely implemented to help biologists.

High MET Overexpression Does Not Predict the presence of MET exon 14 Splice Mutations in NSCLC: Results From the IFCT PREDICT.amm study.

Introduction: MET proto-oncogene (MET) exon 14 splice site (METex14) mutations were recently described in NSCLC and has been reported to correlate with efficacy of MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors. High diversity of these alterations makes them hard to detect by DNA sequencing in clinical practice. Because METex14 mutations induce increased stabilization of the MET receptor, it is anticipated that these mutations are associated with MET overexpression.

Critical Assessment in Routine Clinical Practice of Liquid Biopsy for EGFR Status Testing in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Single-Laboratory Experience (LPCE, Nice, France).

Background: The introduction of liquid biopsy using PCR-based assays into routine practice has had a strong impact on the treatment of EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma and is now commonly used for routine testing of EGFR mutations in certain clinical settings. To assess whether the claimed benefits of PCR-based assays hold true in daily practice at a multicenter clinical institution, we assessed how treatment decisions are affected by PCR-based assays for the analysis of EGFR mutations from plasma samples in a centralized laboratory (LPCE, Nice, France).

Patients And Methods: A total of 345 samples were analyzed using the US Food and Drug Administration-approved Cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 and 103 using the Therascreen EGFR Plasma RGQ PCR Kit over 3 years (395 samples from 324 patients).

Genome Sequence Resource for , Causing Brown Spot Disease of Pear.

is the causal agent of several plant diseases as well brown spot of pear (BSP), which is one of the most economically important fungal diseases in European pear-production areas. In addition to the relevance of the economic impact, conidia spread widely from plant material infected by the pathogen can trigger respiratory allergy. Here, we report the first genome of a strain, 173-1a13FI1M3, isolated from pear and sensitive to the mostly used fungicide classes currently authorized in Europe against BSP.

Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in KRAS-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

Introduction: KRAS mutation is the most frequent molecular alteration found in advanced NSCLC; it is associated with a poor prognosis without available targeted therapy. Treatment options for NSCLC have been recently enriched by the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and data about its efficacy in patients with KRAS-mutant NSCLC are discordant. This study assessed the routine efficacy of ICIs in advanced KRAS-mutant NSCLC.

Proof of concept: prognostic value of the plasmatic concentration of circulating cell free DNA in desmoid tumors using ddPCR.

Since desmoid tumors (DT) exhibit an unpredictable clinical course, with stabilization and/or spontaneous regression, an initial "wait-and-see" policy is the new standard of care-thus, the actual challenge is to identify early factors of progression. We present a method of detection of mutations using a targeted digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) extracted from blood samples of 31 DT patients. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation between DT evolution and plasmatic concentration of total and mutated cfDNA at the time of diagnosis.

Use of proton pump inhibitors in general practice.

Aim: To evaluate the characteristics of the prescription of the proton pump inhibitor drugs (PPI) and the adherence to the indications of the guidelines regulating the reimbursement limitations set forth by the Italian Drug Agency.

Methods: Thirty general practitioners (GP) participated in the study, providing data on more than 40000 patients in total. The population was divided into non occasional users of PPI drugs (PPI users) and non-users (PPI non-users) based on evidence of a prescription of at least 3 packs of PPIs in the last 90 d before analysis.

General phytoplasma detection by a q-PCR method using mycoplasma primers.

Phytoplasmas and mycoplasmas are bacteria belonging to the class Mollicutes. In this study, a fine tuning of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with a universal mycoplasma primer pair (GPO3F/MGSO) targeting the 16S rRNA gene was carried out on phytoplasmas. The dissociation curves of DNAs from Catharanthus roseus phytoplasma-infected micropropagated shoots and from phytoplasma field-infected plant samples showed a single peak at 82.

EGFR and KRAS Mutations Predict the Incidence and Outcome of Brain Metastases in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of brain metastases (BM). The identification of driver oncogenes and matched targeted therapies has improved outcome in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients; however, a better understanding of BM molecular biology is needed to further drive the process in this field.

Methods: In this observational study, stage IV NSCLC patients tested for and mutations were selected, and BM incidence, recurrence and patients' outcome were assessed.

Changes in PlGF and MET-HGF expressions in paired initial and recurrent glioblastoma.

Angiogenesis is one of the key features of glioblastoma (GB). However, the use of anti-angiogenic therapies directed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is limited by primary or acquired resistance. MET/HGF and PlGF signaling are involved in potential alternative escape mechanisms to VEGF pathway.

Screening of sensitivity to mandipropamid of Plasmopara viticola populations from Italian vineyards by molecular and biological methods.

Unlabelled: The objective of this work was to study the sensitivity to mandipropamid of 33 Plasmopara viticola populations utilizing both molecular and biological techniques. The PCR-RFLP technique was developed in order to detect the single point mutation, G1105S, occurring on the PvCesA3 gene. The sensitivity was also studied using the leaf-disc bioassay.

Molecular heterogeneity of glioblastomas: does location matter?

Glioblastomas in adults are highly heterogeneous tumors that can develop throughout the brain. To date no predictive-location marker has been identified. We previously derived two glioblastoma cell lines from cortical and periventricular locations and demonstrated distinct transcriptomic profiles.

Differences in the efficacy of carboxylic acid amide fungicides against less sensitive strains of Plasmopara viticola.

Background: Plasmopara viticola is controlled by fungicides with different modes of action, including carboxylic acid amides (CAAs). The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the response of CAA-resistant P. viticola strains towards CAAs.

BRAF mutation and anaplasia may be predictive factors of progression-free survival in adult pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma.

Background: Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare, low-grade glioma that frequently occurs in pediatric patients.

Objective: To analyze adult patients diagnosed with PXA and to search for pathological and molecular markers of diagnosis and prognosis.

Methods: We retrospectively included patients older than 16 years with PXA who were referred to our institution between October 2003 and September 2013.

New rapid DNA extraction method with Chelex from Venturia inaequalis spores.

The objective of this study was to develop a rapid method to isolate DNA from Venturia inaequalis spores for use in diagnostic DNA mutation analysis. Chelex-100 resin was evaluated and compared with a well established DNA exctraction method, utilizing CTAB in order to have a robust comparison. In this research we demonstrated that Chelex-100 efficiently makes extraction of the DNA from V.

Recurrence of glioblastoma after radio-chemotherapy is associated with an angiogenic switch to the CXCL12-CXCR4 pathway.

Angiogenesis is one of the key features of glioblastoma (GBM). Our objective was to explore the potential changes of angiogenic factors in GBM between initial diagnosis and recurrence after radiotherapy-temozolomide (RT/TMZ). Paired frozen tumors from both initial and recurrent surgery were available for 29 patients.

First Report of Resistance to Cyflufenamid in Podosphaera xanthii, Causal Agent of Powdery Mildew, from Melon and Zucchini Fields in Italy.

The fungicide cyflufenamid (phenyl-acetamide, Fungicide Resistance Action Committee [FRAC] code U6) was approved for use in Italy in 2011 as Takumi (Certis Europe, Utrecht, The Netherlands) to control Podosphaera xanthii (Castagne) U. Braun. & N.