Whole-Exome Sequencing, Mutational Signature Analysis, and Outcome in Multiple Myeloma-A Pilot Study.

The complex and heterogeneous genomic landscape of multiple myeloma (MM) and many of its clinical and prognostic implications remains to be understood. In other cancers, such as breast cancer, using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and molecular signatures in clinical practice has revolutionized classification, prognostic prediction, and patient management. However, such integration is still in its early stages in MM.

Modeling of tumor response to macrophage and T lymphocyte interactions in the liver metastatic microenvironment.

The dynamic interactions between macrophages and T-lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment exert both antagonistic and synergistic functions affecting tumor growth. Extensive experimental effort has been expended to investigate immunotherapeutic strategies targeting macrophage polarization as well as T-cell activation with the goal to promote tumor cell killing and cancer elimination. However, these interactions remain poorly understood, and cancer immunotherapeutic strategies are often disappointing.

POLE Score: a comprehensive profiling of programmed death 1 ligand 1 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) being characterized by a pronounced stromal compartment is commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage limiting curative treatment options. Although therapeutical targeting of immune checkpoint regulators like programmed death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) represent a promising approach that substantially improved survival of several highly aggressive malignancies, convincing indicators for response prediction are still lacking for PDAC which might be attributed to the insufficient characterization of PD-L1 status. Therefore, we investigated PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry in a well characterized cohort of 59 PDAC and 18 peritumoral tissues.

Seasonal Variations in the Metabolome and Bioactivity Profile of Extracted by an Optimised, Pressurised Liquid Extraction Protocol.

The metabolism of seaweeds depends on environmental parameters, the availability of nutrients, and biotic/abiotic stresses; therefore, their chemical composition fluctuates throughout the year. This study investigated seasonal variations in the metabolome of the Baltic Sea brown alga and its potential relation to the bioactivity profile. By using a definitive screening design (DSD) combined with pressurised liquid extraction (PLE), an optimised protocol was developed to extract algal biomass monthly for a full calendar year.

Unraveling the Role of Vegetables in Spreading Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria: A Need for Quantitative Risk Assessment.

In recent years, vegetables gain consumer attraction due to their reputation of being healthy in combination with low energy density. However, since fresh produce is often eaten raw, it may also be a source for foodborne illness. The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria might pose a particular risk to the consumer.

Liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer: the hepatic microenvironment impacts differentiation and self-renewal capacity of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is often diagnosed at advanced stages with the liver as the main site of metastases. The hepatic microenvironment has been shown to determine outgrowth of liver metastases. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are essential for initiation and maintenance of tumors and acquisition of CSC-properties has been linked to Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition.

Diabetes as risk factor for pancreatic cancer: Hyperglycemia promotes epithelial-mesenchymal-transition and stem cell properties in pancreatic ductal epithelial cells.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with hyperglycemia and a risk to develop pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the most fatal malignancies. Cancer stem cells (CSC) are essential for initiation and maintenance of tumors, and acquisition of CSC-features is linked to epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT). The present study investigated whether hyperglycemia promotes EMT and CSC-features in premalignant and malignant pancreatic ductal epithelial cells (PDEC).

Physiological responses of coccolithophores to abrupt exposure of naturally low pH deep seawater.

Upwelling is the process by which deep, cold, relatively high-CO2, nutrient-rich seawater rises to the sunlit surface of the ocean. This seasonal process has fueled geoengineering initiatives to fertilize the surface ocean with deep seawater to enhance productivity and thus promote the drawdown of CO2. Coccolithophores, which inhabit many upwelling regions naturally 'fertilized' by deep seawater, have been investigated in the laboratory in the context of ocean acidification to determine the extent to which nutrients and CO2 impact their physiology, but few data exist in the field except from mesocosms.

Fungal rDNA signatures in coronary atherosclerotic plaques.

Bacterial DNA has been found in coronary plaques and it has therefore been concluded that bacteria may play a role as trigger factors in the chronic inflammatory process underlying coronary atherosclerosis. However, the microbial spectrum is complex and it is not known whether microorganisms other than bacteria are involved in coronary disease. Fungal 18S rDNA signatures were systematically investigated in atherosclerotic tissue obtained through catheter-based atherectomy of 38 patients and controls (unaffected coronary arteries) using clone libraries, denaturating gradient gel analysis (DGGE), in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).