Increased expression of CXCL10 and CCL3 salivary gland chemokines in primary Sjögren's syndrome detected and systematically quantified using novel RNAscope® in situ hybridisation.

Primary Sjogren's syndrome is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by the destruction of exocrine glands. We have previously shown significantly upregulated levels of CXCL10 and CCL3 chemokines in saliva from Sjogren's syndrome patients. In this study, we examined the expression pattern and localisation of these chemokines at the site of inflammation in patients' minor salivary glands using novel RNAscope® in situ hybridisation.

Development of a high dimensional imaging mass cytometry panel to investigate spatial organization of tissue microenvironment in formalin-fixed archival clinical tissues.

To decipher the interactions between various components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and tumor cells in a preserved spatial context, a multiparametric approach is essential. In this pursuit, imaging mass cytometry (IMC) emerges as a valuable tool, capable of concurrently analyzing up to 40 parameters at subcellular resolution. In this study, a set of antibodies was selected to spatially resolve multiple cell types and TME elements, including a comprehensive panel targeted at dissecting the heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), a pivotal TME component.

The neuroprotective potential of mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow and human exfoliated deciduous teeth in a murine model of demyelination.

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by chronic inflammation, demyelination, and axonal degeneration within the central nervous system (CNS), for which there is no current treatment available with the ability to promote neuroprotection or remyelination. Some aspects of the progressive form of MS are displayed in the murine cuprizone model, where demyelination is induced by the innate immune system without major involvement of the adaptive immune system. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells with immunomodulatory and neuroprotective potential.

TP53 mutation and human papilloma virus status as independent prognostic factors in a Norwegian cohort of vulva squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Vulva squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) develops through two separate molecular pathways-one involving high-risk human papilloma virus infection (HPV-associated), and the other without HPV infection (HPV-independent) often involving TP53 mutation. HPV-associated VSCC generally has a better progression-free survival than HPV-independent VSCC. The aim of this study was to determine TP53 mutation status using immunohistochemistry, compare different methods of HPV detection and correlate both with survival in a retrospective cohort of 123 patients with VSCC.

The Codon 72 Arginine Polymorphism Is Found with Increased Somatic Mutations in HPV(-) and in an Increased Percentage among HPV(+) Norwegian HNSCC Patients.

Background: Somatic mutations are frequent in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and are important pathogenic factors.

Objective: To study mutations relative to the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in tumors in HNSCC patients.

Methods: Using a custom-made next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue, we analyzed somatic mutations and the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) codon 72 (P72R; rs1042522) (proline → arginine) from 104 patients with HNSCC.

Epithelial PD-L1 expression at tumor front predicts overall survival in a cohort of oral squamous cell carcinomas from Sudan.

Background: We recently described the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) from Sudan by assessing the core of the lesions. However, the invasive tumor front (ITF) is the most active part of OSCC lesions; thus, TIME should also be characterized at the ITF in this patient cohort.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate patterns of immune cell infiltration at the ITF in a cohort of OSCC patients from Sudan previously investigated at the tumor center and their association with clinicopathological parameters.

Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing of Cancer-Related Genes in a Norwegian Patient Cohort With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Reveals Novel Actionable Mutations and Correlations With Pathological Parameters.

Background: Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly applied in clinical oncology to advance personalized treatment. Despite success in many other tumour types, use of targeted NGS panels for assisting diagnosis and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is still limited.

Aim: The focus of this study was to establish a robust NGS panel targeting most frequent cancer mutations in long-term preserved formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples of HNSCC from routine diagnostics.

Characterization of immune cell infiltrate in tumor stroma and epithelial compartments in oral squamous cell carcinomas of Sudanese patients.

Background: Tumor immune infiltrate has been explored in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but studies on simultaneous characterization of multiple immune cell subtypes separately in stromal and intraepithelial tumor compartments are limited.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the immune cell infiltrate in OSCC by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for a panel of inflammatory cells in stromal and epithelial tumor compartments for a better characterization of the tumors.

Methods: Thirty-six OSCC lesions and nine normal oral mucosa (NOM) samples from patients attending Khartoum Dental Teaching Hospital, Sudan were investigated for presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor-associated macrophages, tumor-associated neutrophils, and PD-L1 positive cells in the inflammatory infiltrate by single and double IHC.

Inflammatory Stratification in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Reveals Novel Immune Cell Alterations in Patients' Minor Salivary Glands.

There is a critical need to deconvolute the heterogeneity displayed by the minor salivary glands of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients. This is challenging primarily because the disease etiology remains unknown. The hypothesis includes that initial events in the disease pathogenesis target the salivary glands, thereby triggering the development of focal infiltrates (≥50 mononuclear cells) and finally germinal center-like structures.

Expression of NGAL-specific cells and mRNA levels correlate with inflammation in the salivary gland, and its overexpression in the saliva, of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Salivary gland involvement is a characteristic feature of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), where tissue destruction is mediated by infiltrating immune cells, and may be accompanied by the presence of adipose tissue. Optimally diagnosing this multifactorial disease requires the incorporation of additional routines. Screening for disease-specific biomarkers in biological fluid could be a promising approach to increase diagnostic accuracy.

Establishment of a novel cancer cell line derived from vulvar carcinoma associated with lichen sclerosus exhibiting a fibroblast-dependent tumorigenic potential.

Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma associated with lichen sclerosus (VLS-VSCC) are rare tumors but with higher recurrence and worse prognosis than other types of VSCC. Lack of experimental models has limited the search for better understanding of the biology and development of treatment modalities. In this study, we isolated and characterized primary cells from VSCC (n = 7) and normal vulvar tissue adjacent to tumor (n = 7).