Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Shijie Wang, Wenwen Wei, Yuncang Yuan, Bin Sun, Dong Yang, Nan Liu, Xudong Zhao
Summary: In this study, CAR-T cells targeting cell surface GRP78 protein were generated and shown to efficiently kill GBM tumor cells and glioma stem cells both in vitro and in vivo, suppressing tumor growth without obvious off-target effects or tissue injuries.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Nadia Trivieri, Alberto Visioli, Gandino Mencarelli, Maria Grazia Cariglia, Laura Marongiu, Riccardo Pracella, Fabrizio Giani, Amata Amy Soriano, Chiara Barile, Laura Cajola, Massimiliano Copetti, Orazio Palumbo, Federico Legnani, Francesco DiMeco, Leonardo Gorgoglione, Angelo L. Vescovi, Elena Binda
Summary: In this study, we identified a subset of self-activating stem cells in high-grade gliomas that are capable of activating regulatory growth signaling. These self-activating stem cells possess distinct functional and molecular features compared to their growth factor-dependent counterparts. Regardless of the GBM subtype, these self-activating stem cells exhibit higher tumorigenic potential and their transcriptomic fingerprints reflect the original tumor, suggesting their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic markers. Additionally, we found that inhibiting two key regulators, Wnt5a and EphA2, can attenuate the tumorigenic and invasive abilities of these stem cells, leading to improved survival.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Xueran Chen, Wanxiang Niu, Xiaoqing Fan, Haoran Yang, Chenggang Zhao, Junqi Fan, Xuebiao Yao, Zhiyou Fang
Summary: In this study, it was found that Oct4A can impact the tumorigenic activity of glioblastoma and its stability is maintained through palmitoylation. Oct4A palmitoylation helps to integrate Sox4 and Oct4A in the SOX2 enhancement subregion, thereby maintaining the stem performance of glioma stem cells. The study also designed Oct4A palmitoylation competitive inhibitors that can inhibit the self-renewal ability and tumorigenicity of glioma stem cells.
Article
Oncology
Maria Patrizia Mongiardi, Mariachiara Buccarelli, Alessia Formato, Elisa Orecchini, Maria Salbini, Valentina Ricci, Tiziana Orsini, Sabrina Putti, Silvia Chiesa, Lucia Ricci-Vitiani, Quintino Giorgio D'Alessandris, Roberto Pallini, Andrea Levi, Maria Laura Falchetti
Summary: Glioblastoma is an aggressive primary brain tumor with poor prognosis. A recent clinical trial showed that the multikinase inhibitor regorafenib can significantly increase the overall survival of glioblastoma patients. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of regorafenib's effectiveness. This study found that regorafenib can limit glioblastoma cell proliferation but might also induce an invasive phenotype.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hyunkoo Kang, Haksoo Lee, Dahye Kim, Byeongsoo Kim, JiHoon Kang, Hae Yu Kim, HyeSook Youn, BuHyun Youn
Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly malignant brain tumor that is resistant to current therapies. This review focuses on the resistance mechanisms of GBM, particularly towards temozolomide (TMZ), and summarizes the recent findings on the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of chemoresistance in GBM stem cells (GSCs). It also discusses novel therapeutic strategies, such as molecular targeting, autophagy inhibition, oncolytic viral therapy, drug repositioning, and targeting of GSC niches, to eliminate GSCs and improve GBM therapy.
Article
Oncology
Alberto Visioli, Nadia Trivieri, Gandino Mencarelli, Fabrizio Giani, Massimiliano Copetti, Orazio Palumbo, Riccardo Pracella, Maria Grazia Cariglia, Chiara Barile, Luigi Mischitelli, Amata Amy Soriano, Pietro Palumbo, Federico Legnani, Francesco Dimeco, Leonardo Gorgoglione, Graziano Pesole, Angelo L. Vescovi, Elena Binda
Summary: This study demonstrates that distinct pools of GSCs enrich the functional inter-cluster variances in GBM patients. Two novel functional biomarkers that selectively represent GSCs pools were identified, capable of discriminating GBM patient stratification, survival, and drug response. These findings provide the groundwork for personalized diagnostic and prognostic strategies, as well as patient-selective treatment protocols.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Simona Daniele, Valeria La Pietra, Rebecca Piccarducci, Deborah Pietrobono, Chiara Cavallini, Vincenzo Maria D'Amore, Linda Cerofolini, Stefano Giuntini, Pasquale Russomanno, Michela Puxeddu, Marianna Nalli, Martina Pedrini, Marco Fragai, Claudio Luchinat, Ettore Novellino, Sabrina Taliani, Giuseppe La Regina, Romano Silvestri, Claudia Martini, Luciana Marinelli
Summary: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is characterized by high invasiveness, resistance to treatment, and poor survival, with abnormal p53 function, overexpression of MDM2/4, and involvement of the CXCR4 pathway. Inhibiting CXCR4/MDM2/4 shows promise in reducing GBM proliferation and invasion, including in cancer stem cell components.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luisa Salvatori, Silvia Malatesta, Barbara Illi, Maria Patrizia Somma, Cinzia Fionda, Helena Stabile, Rosaria Anna Fontanella, Carlo Gaetano
Summary: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has high mortality and recurrence rates. Glioblastoma Stem Cells (GSCs) contribute to malignancy resilience. Nitric Oxide (NO) has shown anti-cancer efficacy in GBM cells and can enhance the sensitivity of GSCs to TMZ.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Cristina Almenglo, Pilar Caamano, Maximo Fraga, Jesus Devesa, Jose A. Costoya, Victor M. Arce
Summary: GBM, the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, presents vast genetic variation and phenotypic diversity, making therapeutic strategy development challenging. Transformation of primary mouse embryo astrocytes into immortalized cultures with neural stem cell characteristics provides a model for studying gliomagenesis and testing drug effectiveness throughout GBM's natural history.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Leonardo Delello Di Filippo, Juliana Hofstatter Azambuja, Jessyca Aparecida Paes Dutra, Marcela Tavares Luiz, Jonatas Lobato Duarte, Luiza Ribeiro Nicoleti, Sara Teresinha Olalla Saad, Marlus Chorilli
Summary: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain cancer with aggressive development and increasing resistance to drugs like temozolomide (TMZ). Functionalized nanocarriers can serve as an efficient and safe strategy for delivering TMZ, improving its biopharmaceutical properties and potentially repurposing its use in anti-GBM therapy.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Lingfei Li, Yuxin Yin, Jinping Zhang, Xiaoxu Wu, Jin Liu, Jia Chai, Yanru Yang, Mingyang Li, Qingge Jia, Yixiong Liu
Summary: In this study, it was found that USP18 was up-regulated in glioblastoma, promoting the growth and proliferation of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), affecting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and being associated with poor clinical prognosis of patients.
PATHOLOGY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Nguyen Thi Thanh Ho, Chinmay Satish Rahane, Subrata Pramanik, Pok-Son Kim, Arne Kutzner, Klaus Heese
Summary: This review discusses the significance of the gene pair |-SRGAP2-FAM72-| in the treatment of GBM and other cancers, as well as the potential of neural stem cells in regenerative medicine. It highlights the role of the SRGAP2-Family with sequence similarity 72 (FAM72) master gene in cell renewal and differentiation, emphasizing the importance of monitoring this gene for cancer prevention and treatment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna L. Koessinger, Catherine Cloix, Dominik Koessinger, Dieter Henrik Heiland, Florian J. Bock, Karen Strathdee, Kevin Kinch, Laura Martinez-Escardo, Nikki R. Paul, Colin Nixon, Gaurav Malviya, Mark R. Jackson, Kirsteen J. Campbell, Katrina Stevenson, Sandeep Davis, Yassmin Elmasry, Asma Ahmed, Jim O'Prey, Gabriel Ichim, Oliver Schnell, William Stewart, Karen Blyth, Kevin M. Ryan, Anthony J. Chalmers, Jim C. Norman, Stephen W. G. Tait
Summary: This study investigated the therapeutic potential of targeting anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins in glioblastoma (GBM), the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. The study found that the expression levels of anti-apoptotic BCL-xL and MCL-1 were consistently increased in GBM compared with non-malignant cells and tissue. Furthermore, patient-derived GBM stem-like cells also displayed higher expression of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members. Sequential inhibition of BCL-xL and MCL-1 led to robust anti-tumor responses in vivo.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wookyeom Yang, Dasol Kim, Dae Kyoung Kim, Kyung Un Choi, Dong Soo Suh, Jae Ho Kim
Summary: Ovarian cancer is a fatal gynecological malignancy, and its treatment remains a challenge. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a key role in cancer relapse and treatment resistance, with their malignancy regulated by cell surface receptors and intracellular factors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philippe Aretz, Donata Maciaczyk, Suad Yusuf, Rudiger V. Sorg, Daniel Haenggi, Hongjia Liu, Hongde Liu, Tikam Chand Dakal, Amit Sharma, Ramakrishna Bethanabatla, Silke Neumann, Jarek Maciaczyk
Summary: The study reveals the crucial role of beta-catenin in attracting monocytes towards GBM cells and suggests that the interaction between beta-catenin and CCL2 may contribute to the maintenance of GSCs by modulating immune cell interaction and promoting GBM growth and recurrence.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marco V. Corniola, Torstein R. Meling
Summary: This article reports the use of a minimally invasive sub-occipital approach in the surgical management of a lesion in the lower fourth ventricle. The method was found to be safe and effective, allowing for en bloc resection of the lesion.
ACTA NEUROCHIRURGICA
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Abdurrahman I. Islim, Christopher P. Millward, Rory J. Piper, Daniel M. Fountain, Shaveta Mehta, Ruwanthi Kolamunnage-Dona, Usama Ali, Shelli Diane Koszdin, Theo Georgious, Samantha J. Mills, Andrew R. Brodbelt, Ryan K. Mathew, Thomas Santarius, Michael D. Jenkinson
Summary: Due to the increased use of CT and MRI, the prevalence of incidental findings on brain scans is increasing. Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumor and often encountered as an incidental finding. The management methods for incidental meningioma vary, and there is a lack of defined duration of monitoring and time intervals for assessment. A statistical model called IMPACT has been developed to categorize patients with incidental meningioma into risk groups and propose an active monitoring strategy based on the risk and progression trajectory. The aim of this study is to assess the external validity of this model.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Martin Ndengera, Benedicte M. A. Delattre, Max Scheffler, Karl-Olof Lovblad, Torstein R. Meling, Maria Isabel Vargas
Summary: SyMRI is a new tool that allows faster imaging and quantifies T1 and T2 relaxation times in the brain. Studying RT values in healthy geriatric individuals may help identify biomarkers for age-related brain diseases. Significant differences were found in T1 and T2 relaxation times between white matter and gray matter when comparing ROI-based and whole-brain analysis.
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Aria Nouri, Enrico Tessitore, Granit Molliqaj, Torstein Meling, Karl Schaller, Hiroaki Nakashima, Yasutsugu Yukawa, Josef Bednarik, Allan R. Martin, Peter Vajkoczy, Joseph S. Cheng, Brian K. Kwon, Shekar N. Kurpad, Michael G. Fehlings, James S. Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, James D. Guest, Benjamin M. Davies, Mark R. N. Kotter, Jefferson R. Wilson
Summary: This article is a narrative review discussing the natural history of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). The study found that DCM is a common condition with neurological symptoms, and its etiology may be related to anatomical and genetic factors. Current estimates of the natural history of DCM, especially for individuals with mild or minimal impairment, lack precision.
GLOBAL SPINE JOURNAL
(2022)
Letter
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elizabeth L. Johnson, William K. Chang, Callum D. Dewar, Donna Sorensen, Jack J. Lin, Anne-Kristin Solbakk, Tor Endestad, Pal G. Larsson, Jugoslav Ivanovic, Torstein R. Meling, Donatella Scabini, Robert T. Knight
Editorial Material
Health Care Sciences & Services
Mari Nygard, Stale Nygard
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Letter
Clinical Neurology
Marco V. Corniola, Kristof Egervari, Maria I. Vargas, Torstein R. Meling
JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Rebecca Rootwelt Winther, Eva Skovlund, Joakim Stray Andreassen, Lisa Arvidsson, Jonathan Halvardson, Ole Solheim, Jiri Bartek, Stein Kaasa, Marianne Jensen Hjermstad, Einar Osland Vik-Mo
Summary: Metastases to the brain are serious and often fatal. This study identified factors that predict survival after surgery for these metastases, and created a prognostic index to guide decision-making. The index was validated on patients from other hospitals and found to be effective.
Letter
Clinical Neurology
Georgios Mavrovounis, Torstein R. Meling, Jesus Lafuente, Kostas N. Fountas, Andreas K. Demetriades
GLOBAL SPINE JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Victor Volovici, Iris S. Verploegh, Djaina Satoer, Noelle J. M. C. Vrancken Peeters, Yasmin Sadigh, Mervyn D. I. Vergouwen, Joost W. Schouten, Gavin Bruggeman, Dana Pisica, Gizem Yildirim, Ayca Cozar, Femke Muller, Ana-Maria Zidaru, Kelsey Gori, Nefeli Tzourmpaki, Esther Schnell, Mbaye Thioub, Kimberly Kicielinski, Pieter-Jan van Doormaal, Nikolay Velinov, Mahjouba Boutarbouch, Michael T. Lawton, Giuseppe Lanzino, Sepideh Amin-Hanjani, Ruben Dammers, Torstein R. Meling
Summary: In this systematic review and meta-analysis of IA treatment literature, studies claiming safety, effectiveness, or durability of IA treatment had methodological flaws and incomplete reporting of relevant outcomes supporting these claims.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Felix Behling, Michael Bruneau, Jurgen Honegger, Moncef Berhouma, Emmanuel Jouanneau, Luigi Cavallo, Jan Frederick Cornelius, Mahmoud Messerer, Roy Thomas Daniel, Sebastien Froelich, Diego Mazzatenta, Torstein Meling, Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos, Pierre-Hugues Roche, Henry W. S. Schroeder, Idoya Zazpe, Eduard Voormolen, Massimiliano Visocchi, Ekkehard Kasper, Jens Schittenhelm, Marcos Tatagiba
Summary: This study examined the sampling methods and diagnostic value of invasive growth of meningiomas in neurosurgical departments, and found significant variations in sampling methods among departments. A structured sampling method is needed to optimize the diagnosis of invasive growth of meningiomas.
Article
Clinical Neurology
C. Zoia, G. Mantovani, E. Suero Molina, M. Muether, A. Scerrati, P. De Bonis, J. F. Cornelius, P. H. Roche, M. Tatagiba, E. Jouanneau, R. Manet, H. W. S. Schroeder, L. M. Cavallo, E. M. Kasper, T. R. Meling, D. Mazzatenta, R. T. Daniel, M. Messerer, M. Visocchi, S. Froelich, M. Bruneau, G. Spena
Summary: This paper provides a narrative review on the current state and future trends in endoscopic orbital surgery, discussing its significant impact on neurosurgery.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Juan Carlos Roa Montes de Oca, Jesus Maria Goncalves Estella, Ana Belen Nieto-Librero, Purificacion Galindo-Villardon, Carlos Julio Roa Ramirez, Jaime Goncalves Sanchez, Moncef Berhouma, Jan Frederick Cornelius, Roy Thomas Daniel, Idoya Zazpe, Sebastien Froelich, Emmanuel Jouanneau, Diego Mazzatenta, Mahmoud Messerer, Torstein Meling, Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos, Pierre-Hugues Roche, Henry Werner Siegfried Schroeder, Marcos Tatagiba, Massimilliano Visocchi, Eduard Voormolen, Kasper Ekkehard, Michael Bruneau
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sayoa Eulate-Beramendi, Ainhoa Casajus, Lola Ollero, Lynnette K. Niemann, Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda, Michael Bruneau, Moncef Berhouma, Luigi Maria Cavallo, Jan Frederick Cornelius, Roy T. Daniel, Sebastien Froelich, Emmanuel Jouanneau, Ekkehard Kasper, Diego Mazzatenta, Torstein R. Meling, Mahmoud Messerer, Henry W. S. Schroeder, Marcos Tatagiba, Massimiliano Visocchi, Eduard H. Voormolen, Idoya Zazpe
Summary: This consensus paper aims to review the main aspects of Cushing's disease that a neurosurgeon should know and provide updated recommendations on the controversial aspects of its management. The discussion and conclusion section presents some consensus opinions on treatment and surgical strategies.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marco Corniola, Pierre-Hugues Roche, Michael Bruneau, Luigi M. Cavallo, Roy T. Daniel, Mahmoud Messerer, Sebastien Froelich, Paul A. Gardner, Fred Gentili, Takeshi Kawase, Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos, Jean R. Regis, Henry W. S. Schroeder, Theodore H. Schwartz, Marc Sindou, Jan F. Cornelius, Marcos Tatagiba, Torstein R. Meling
Summary: The management of cavernous sinus meningiomas (CSMs) requires a highly specialized multidisciplinary team and should be tailored based on clinical presentation, size, evolution, and patient characteristics. Radiosurgery is the preferred first-line treatment for small, enclosed, and pauci-symptomatic lesions in elderly patients, while large CSMs that are not amenable to resection or are WHO grade II-III should be treated with radiotherapy. Microsurgery is an option for aggressive/rapidly progressing lesions in young patients with neurological impairments. Open cranial approaches are currently considered the standard surgical method. Limited experience exists for endoscopic endonasal approach for CSMs, mainly used for decompression of the cavernous sinus to improve symptoms.
