Central obesity may account for most of the colorectal cancer risk linked to obesity: evidence from the UK Biobank prospective cohort.

Background: General obesity commonly represented by body mass index (BMI) is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, it is unclear to what extent this association is accounted for by central obesity. We aimed to evaluate the associations between BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist circumference (WC) with CRC risk and to investigate if and to what extent these associations are independent from each other.

Identifying colorectal cancer-specific vulnerabilities in the Wnt-driven long non-coding transcriptome.

Background: Aberrant Wnt pathway activation is a key driver of colorectal cancer (CRC) and is essential to sustain tumour growth and progression. Although the downstream protein-coding target genes of the Wnt cascade are well known, the long non-coding transcriptome has not yet been fully resolved.

Objective: In this study, we aim to comprehensively reveal the Wnt-regulated long non-coding transcriptome and exploit essential molecules as novel therapeutic targets.

Measurable disease as baseline criterion for response assessment in glioblastoma: A comparison of PET -based (PET RANO 1.0) and MRI-based (RANO) assessments.

Background: Recently, criteria based on amino acid positron emission tomography (PET) have been proposed for response assessment in diffuse gliomas (PET RANO 1.0). In this study, we compare the prevalence of measurable disease according to PET RANO 1.

Diffuse pediatric high-grade glioma of methylation-based RTK2A and RTK2B subclasses present distinct radiological and histomolecular features including Gliomatosis cerebri phenotype.

Diffuse pediatric-type high-grade gliomas (pedHGG), H3- and IDH-wildtype, encompass three main DNA-methylation-based subtypes: pedHGG-MYCN, pedHGG-RTK1A/B/C, and pedHGG-RTK2A/B. Since their first description in 2017 tumors of pedHGG-RTK2A/B have not been comprehensively characterized and clinical correlates remain elusive. In a recent series of pedHGG with a Gliomatosis cerebri (GC) growth pattern, an increased incidence of pedHGG-RTK2A/B (n = 18) was observed.

Towards routine proteome profiling of FFPE tissue: insights from a 1,220-case pan-cancer study.

Proteome profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens has gained traction for the analysis of cancer tissue for the discovery of molecular biomarkers. However, reports so far focused on single cancer entities, comprised relatively few cases and did not assess the long-term performance of experimental workflows. In this study, we analyze 1220 tumors from six cancer entities processed over the course of three years.

Alternative lengthening of telomere-based immortalization renders H3G34R -mutant diffuse hemispheric glioma hypersensitive to PARP inhibitor combination regimens.

Background: Diffuse hemispheric glioma, H3G34R/V-mutant (DHG-H3G34) is characterized by poor prognosis and lack of effective treatment options. DHG-H3G34R further harbor deactivation of Alpha-Thalassemia/Mental Retardation Syndrome X-linked protein (ATRX; DHG-H3G34R_ATRX) suggesting a unique interaction of these two oncogenic alterations. In this study, we dissect their cell biological interplay, investigate the impact on telomere stabilization and, consequently, validate a targeted therapy approach.

SABRE-SHEATH Hyperpolarization of [1,5-C]Z-OMPD for Noninvasive pH Sensing.

Hyperpolarized (HP) C-labeled probes are emerging as promising agents to noninvasively image pH in vivo. HP [1,5-C]Z-OMPD (Z-4-methyl-2-oxopent-3-enedioic acid) in particular has recently been used to simultaneously report on kidney perfusion, filtration, and pH homeostasis, in addition to the ability to detect local tumor acidification. In previous studies, dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization was used to hyperpolarize Z-OMPD.

An AMP-activated protein kinase-PGC-1α axis mediates metabolic plasticity in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma, the most frequent primary malignant brain tumour in adults, is characterised by profound yet dynamic hypoxia and nutrient depletion. To sustain survival and proliferation, tumour cells are compelled to acquire metabolic plasticity with the induction of adaptive metabolic programs. Here, we interrogated the pathways necessary to enable processing of nutrients other than glucose.

Single-cell transcriptomics link gene expression signatures to clinicopathological features of gonadotroph and lactotroph PitNET.

Background: Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET) are among the most common intracranial tumors. Despite a frequent benign course, aggressive behavior can occur. Tumor behavior is known to be under the influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Chromothripsis in cancer.

Chromothripsis is a mutational phenomenon in which a single catastrophic event generates extensive rearrangements of one or a few chromosomes. This extreme form of genome instability has been detected in 30-50% of cancers. Studies conducted in the past few years have uncovered insights into how chromothripsis arises and deciphered some of the cellular and molecular consequences of chromosome shattering.

PRDX6 contributes to selenocysteine metabolism and ferroptosis resistance.

Selenocysteine (Sec) metabolism is crucial for cellular function and ferroptosis prevention and begins with the uptake of the Sec carrier, selenoprotein P (SELENOP). Following uptake, Sec released from SELENOP is metabolized via selenocysteine lyase (SCLY), producing selenide, a substrate for selenophosphate synthetase 2 (SEPHS2), which provides the essential selenium donor, selenophosphate (HSePO), for the biosynthesis of the Sec-tRNA. Here, we discovered an alternative pathway in Sec metabolism mediated by peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6), independent of SCLY.

Gliosarcoma: A Multi-Institutional Analysis on Clinical Outcomes and Prognostic Factors.

Purpose: This study describes oncological outcomes and investigates prognostic factors for patients with gliosarcomas (GSM).

Methods: Histopathologically confirmed GSM patients who underwent treatment at five European institutions were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: We analyzed 170 patients with a median clinical follow-up time of 9.

Cardiac arrhythmias during and after thoracic irradiation for malignancies.

Background: Cardiac arrhythmia has been reported as a significant complication of thoracic radiotherapy. Both bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias have been reported, highlighting the arrhythmia-modulating potential of radiation in certain oncologic therapies. This study aimed to analyse the arrhythmic burden in patients with cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIEDs) undergoing thoracic irradiation, examining both immediate effects of radiotherapy and long-term sequelae post-therapy.

Redistribution of PU.1 partner transcription factor RUNX1 binding secures cell survival during leukemogenesis.

Transcription factors (TFs) orchestrating lineage-development often control genes required for cellular survival. However, it is not well understood how cells survive when such TFs are lost, for example in cancer. PU.

An interaction network of inner centriole proteins organised by POC1A-POC1B heterodimer crosslinks ensures centriolar integrity.

Centriole integrity, vital for cilia formation and chromosome segregation, is crucial for human health. The inner scaffold within the centriole lumen composed of the proteins POC1B, POC5 and FAM161A is key to this integrity. Here, we provide an understanding of the function of inner scaffold proteins.

Base-excision repair pathway shapes 5-methylcytosine deamination signatures in pan-cancer genomes.

Transition of cytosine to thymine in CpG dinucleotides is the most frequent type of mutation in cancer. This increased mutability is commonly attributed to the spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), which is normally repaired by the base-excision repair (BER) pathway. However, the contribution of 5mC deamination in the increasing diversity of cancer mutational signatures remains poorly explored.

Physicians' perspectives on cancer-related fatigue management and their suggestions for improvements in medical training: a cross-sectional survey study in Germany.

Purpose: Contrary to guidelines, many cancer patients are not screened for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and do not receive information or adequate treatment. As physicians play a key role in cancer therapy, their knowledge of this common sequela and perspectives on its management are of major interest.

Methods: For an online survey, physicians working in oncology in Germany were systematically drawn from registers and invited by using institutional newsletters or colleagues.

PRO-P: evaluating the effect of electronic patient-reported outcome measures monitoring compared with standard care in prostate cancer patients undergoing surgery-study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: With over 65,000 new cases per year in Germany, prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in men in Germany. Localized PC is often treated by radical prostatectomy and has a very good prognosis. Postoperative quality of life (QoL) is significantly influenced by the side effects of surgery.

Nutritional quality of diet characterized by the Nutri-Score profiling system and cardiovascular disease risk: a prospective study in 7 European countries.

Background: Nutri-Score is a scientifically validated 5-color front-of-pack nutrition label reflecting the nutrient profile of foods. It has been implemented in several European countries on a voluntary basis, pending the revision of the European labeling regulation. Hence, scientific evidence is needed regarding the ability of the nutrient profile underlying the Nutri-Score (uNS-NPS, 2023-updated version) to characterize healthier foods.