Determinants of long-term survival in patients with IDH-mutant gliomas.

Background: Survival times of patients with IDH-mutant gliomas are variable and can extend to decades. Many studies provide progression-free rather than overall survival times and prognostic factors remain ill-defined. Here we explored characteristics of short- and long-term survivors within a cohort of patients with extended follow-up.

Neurosurgical resection of multiple brain metastases: outcomes, complications, and survival rates in a retrospective analysis.

Purpose: This study investigates the outcomes of microsurgical resection of multiple brain metastasis (BMs).

Methods: This retrospective, monocentric analysis included clinical data from all consecutive BM patients, who underwent simultaneous resection of ≥ 2 BMs between January 2018 and May 2023. Postoperative neurological and functional outcomes, along with perioperative complications, as well as survival data were evaluated.

Evaluation of surgical treatment strategies and outcome for cerebral arachnoid cysts in children and adults.

Objective: The best treatment strategies for cerebral arachnoid cysts (CAC) are still up for debate. In this study, we present CAC management, outcome data, and risk factors for recurrence after surgical treatment, focusing on microscopic/endoscopic approaches as compared to minimally invasive stereotactic procedures in children and adults.

Methods: In our single-institution retrospective database, we identified all patients treated surgically for newly diagnosed CAC between 2000 and 2022.

Efficacy and safety of cysto-ventricular catheter implantation for space-occupying cysts arising from glioma and brain metastasis: a retrospective study.

Background: Cysto-ventricular catheters (CVC) have emerged as promising treatment option for cystic craniopharyngioma and arachnoid cysts, but their effectiveness in treating cysts originating from glioma or brain metastasis (BM) remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of CVC in patients with glioma and BM as well as procedure-associated morbidity.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included all patients treated with CVC placement for acquired space-occupying cysts deriving from previously treated glioma or BMs between 1/2010 and 12/2021.

Energy-Reduced Fabrication of Light-Frame Ceramic Honeycombs by Replication of Additive Manufactured Templates.

Ceramic components require very high energy consumption due to synthesis, shaping, and thermal treatment. However, this study suggests that combining the sol-gel process, replica technology, and stereolithography has the potential to produce highly complex geometries with energy savings in each process step. We fabricated light-frame honeycombs of AlO, BaCaZrTiO (BCZT), and BaTiO (BT) using 3D-printed templates with varying structural angles between -30° and 30° and investigated their mechanical and piezoelectric properties.

Treatment benefit in patients aged 80 years or older with biopsy-proven and non-resected glioblastoma is dependent on MGMT promoter methylation status.

Purpose: Glioblastoma is associated with especially poor outcome in the elderly. It is unclear if patients aged ≥80 years benefit from tumor-specific therapy as opposed to receiving best supportive care (BSC) only.

Methods: Patients with IDH-wildtype glioblastoma (WHO 2021), aged ≥80 years, and diagnosed by biopsy between 2010 and 2022 were included.

Acute Hiccups Detected by Electromyographic Recordings During Resection of a Vestibular Schwannoma.

Background And Importance: Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is routinely used to monitor cranial nerve function during resection of vestibular schwannomas. Sudden movements in the surgical field can be a disturbing factor for the surgeon. IONM can help determine the cause of unexpected patient movements.

Intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations-association between intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring changes and neurological outcome.

Background: Microsurgical resection of spinal cord cavernous malformations can be assisted by intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM). While the clinical outcome after surgical resection has been discussed in several case series, the association of intraoperative IONM changes and detailed neurological outcome, however, has not been analyzed so far.

Methods: Seventeen patients with spinal cavernomas underwent surgery between 02/2004 and 06/2020.

Spinal Tuberculosis within the Vertebral Arch Mimicking a Malignant Tumor: Case Report.

Background:  Spinal tuberculosis is a manifestation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The incidence of tuberculosis is low in high-income countries; however, globally, it still remains one of the most frequent fatal infectious diseases. Because of its rarity in developed countries, spinal tuberculosis can be mistaken for malignant tumors of the spine, especially in case of an atypical radiologic manifestation and without pulmonary affection.

Epithelial-type systemic breast carcinoma cells with a restricted mesenchymal transition are a major source of metastasis.

Carcinoma cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT); however, contributions of EMT heterogeneity to disease progression remain a matter of debate. Here, we addressed the EMT status of ex vivo cultured circulating and disseminated tumor cells (CTCs/DTCs) in a syngeneic mouse model of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Epithelial-type CTCs with a restricted mesenchymal transition had the strongest lung metastases formation ability, whereas mesenchymal-type CTCs showed limited metastatic ability.

Spatiotemporal patterning of EpCAM is important for murine embryonic endo- and mesodermal differentiation.

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM is expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESC) in vitro, but is repressed in differentiated cells, except epithelia and carcinomas. Molecular functions of EpCAM, possibly imposing such repression, were primarily studied in malignant cells and might not apply to non-pathologic differentiation. Here, we comprehensively describe timing and rationale for EpCAM regulation in early murine gastrulation and ESC differentiation using single cell RNA-sequencing datasets, in vivo and in vitro models including CRISPR-Cas9-engineered ESC-mutants.