Causally Mapping the Cerebellum in Children and Young Adults: from Motor to Cognition.

While the cerebellum's role in orchestrating motor execution and routines is well established, its functional role in supporting cognition is less clear. Previous studies claim that motricity and cognition are mapped in different areas of the cerebellar cortex, with an anterior/posterior dichotomy. However, most of the studies supporting this claim either use correlational methods (neuroimaging) or are lesion studies that did not consider central covariates (such as age, gender, treatment presence, and deep nuclei impairment) known to influence motor and cognitive recoveries in patients.

Establishing a living biobank of pediatric high-grade glioma and ependymoma suitable for cancer pharmacology.

Background: Brain tumors are the deadliest solid tumors in children and adolescents. Most of these tumors are glial in origin and exhibit strong heterogeneity, hampering the development of effective therapeutic strategies. In the past decades, patient-derived tumor organoids (PDT-O) have emerged as powerful tools for modeling tumoral cell diversity and dynamics, and they could then help defining new therapeutic options for pediatric brain tumors.

Nanopore Sequencing as a Cutting-Edge Technology for Medulloblastoma Classification.

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most prevalent embryonal malignant brain tumors. Current classification organizes these tumors into four molecular subgroups (WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 MB). Recently, a comprehensive classification has been established, identifying numerous subtypes, some of which exhibit a poor prognosis.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of central nervous system tumors harboring NTRK gene fusions.

Purpose: TRK fusions are detected in less than 2% of central nervous system tumors. There are limited data on the clinical course of affected patients.

Experimental Design: We conducted an international retrospective cohort study of patients with TRK fusion-driven CNS tumors.

Conjugation Mediates Large-Scale Chromosomal Transfer in Streptomyces Driving Diversification of Antibiotic Biosynthetic Gene Clusters.

Streptomyces are ubiquitous soil-dwelling bacteria with large, linear genomes that are of special importance as a source of metabolites used in human and veterinary medicine, agronomy, and industry. Conjugative elements (actinomycetes integrative and conjugative elements, AICEs) are the main drivers of Streptomyces Horizontal Gene Transfer. AICE transfer has long been known to be accompanied by mobilization of chromosomal DNA.