Review
Oncology
Jorg Otte, Cecilia Dyberg, Adena Pepich, John Inge Johnsen
Summary: Dysregulated expression of the transcription factor MYCN is frequently detected in nervous system tumors such as childhood neuroblastoma and is a strong predictor of poor prognosis. Increased MYCN expression is an early event in these cancers, leading to a peculiar dysregulation of cells that exhibit embryonal or cancer stem-like qualities.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Dane Kim, Alisa E. Lee, Qilin Xu, Qunzhou Zhang, Anh D. Le
Summary: GMSCs, a unique subpopulation of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from human gingival tissues, possess potent regenerative potential and the ability to differentiate into neural cell lineages. They also exhibit strong immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, making them a promising source for tissue engineering and regenerative therapy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ling Tao, Myrthala Moreno-Smith, Rodrigo Ibarra-Garcia-Padilla, Giorgio Milazzo, Nathan A. Drolet, Blanca E. Hernandez, Young S. Oh, Ivanshi Patel, Jean J. Kim, Barry Zorman, Tajhal Patel, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Yanling Zhao, John Hicks, Sanjeev A. Vasudevan, Nagireddy Putluri, Cristian Coarfa, Pavel Sumazin, Giovanni Perini, Ronald J. Parchem, Rosa A. Uribe, Eveline Barbieri
Summary: This study shows that CHAF1A gain-of-function supports cell malignancy, blocks neuronal differentiation, and promotes NB oncogenesis. Mechanistically, CHAF1A upregulates polyamine metabolism, which blocks neuronal differentiation and promotes cell cycle progression.
Review
Developmental Biology
Sandra Guadalupe Gonzalez Malagon, Karen J. Liu
Summary: Childhood cancers, though rare, are a significant cause of death in young children. Pediatric cancers like neuroblastoma (NB) are developmental diseases that arise from undifferentiated neural crest-derived progenitor cells. The genetic factors associated with NB and the molecular underpinnings of this cancer in the context of developmental trajectories of the neural crest lineage are areas of ongoing research.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna M. Wulf, Marcela M. Moreno, Chloe Paka, Alexandra Rampasekova, Karen J. Liu
Summary: Neuroblastoma is a common childhood solid tumor derived from sympathoadrenal progenitor cells, with an association to the ALK gene activation. Understanding the impact of ALK activity on neural crest cells could lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for neuroblastoma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Mir Hilal Ahmad, Balaram Ghosh, Moshahid Alam Rizvi, Mansoor Ali, Loveleena Kaur, Amal Chandra Mondal
Summary: Neuroblastoma is a common heterogeneous extracranial cancer in infancy that is associated with aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. The Wnt signaling pathway regulates the development and differentiation of neural crest cells and affects the proliferation and metastasis of neuroblastoma. Inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway can induce apoptosis and prevent the occurrence of neuroblastoma.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Surangi N. Perera, Laura Kerosuo
Summary: The neural crest (NC) is a unique embryonic stem cell population in vertebrates, contributing to a wide range of derivatives. Recent discoveries have revealed the coexpression of pluripotency factors in NC cells, leading to the proposal of a new term pleistopotent. Studies on the maintenance of NC stemness are crucial for understanding its contribution to tissue formation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leah C. Ott, Christopher Y. Han, Jessica L. Mueller, Ahmed A. Rahman, Ryo Hotta, Allan M. Goldstein, Rhian Stavely
Summary: Neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system are derived from progenitor cell populations originating from embryonic neural crest, and these cells have previously been shown to possess neural stem cell qualities. In this study, a population of neural crest-derived Schwann cells residing in the bone marrow, in association with nerve fibers, were found to exhibit plasticity and generate neural stem cells with neurogenic potential. These cells can form neural networks within the enteric nervous system following transplantation, making them a novel source of autologous neural stem cells for the treatment of neurointestinal disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Mirco Ponzoni, Tiziana Bachetti, Maria Valeria Corrias, Chiara Brignole, Fabio Pastorino, Enzo Calarco, Veronica Bensa, Elena Giusto, Isabella Ceccherini, Patrizia Perri
Summary: Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumor caused by genetic and epigenetic impairments that hinder proper cell differentiation. Recent research has shed light on the developmental origin and epigenetic landscape of neuroblastoma, revealing its genetic heterogeneity and high plasticity. The severity of neuroblastoma correlates with its differentiation grade, highlighting the importance of targeting genetic and epigenetic alterations in developing new therapies.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Anna L. Hoeving, Beatrice A. Windmoeller, Cornelius Knabbe, Barbara Kaltschmidt, Christian Kaltschmidt, Johannes F. W. Greiner
Summary: The review highlights the cellular heterogeneity within neural crest-derived stem cell populations and emphasizes this heterogeneity as a crucial parameter for understanding their role in tissue homeostasis and regeneration.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Alexander J. Tarashansky, Jacob M. Musser, Margarita Khariton, Pengyang Li, Detlev Arendt, Stephen R. Quake, Bo Wang
Summary: SAMap is a new method that can map cell atlas manifolds across species within phyla, identifying homologous cell types with shared expression programs, even in complex examples where homologous tissues emerge from distinct germ layers.
Retraction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sabine Wislet-Gendebien, Emerence Laudet, Virginie Neirinckx, Philippe Alix, Pierre Leprince, Aneta Glejzer, Christophe Poulet, Benoit Hennuy, Lukas Sommer, Olga Shakhova, Bernard Rogister
Summary: A correction to this paper has been published.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Maged Zeineldin, Anand G. Patel, Michael A. Dyer
Summary: Neuroblastoma, a deadly cancer in children, may be caused by developmental arrest of neural-crest-derived progenitor cells. Understanding this concept could lead to new clinical management strategies.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shoichiro Tani, Hiroyuki Okada, Ung-il Chung, Shinsuke Ohba, Hironori Hojo
Summary: Skeletal disorders, such as osteoarthritis and bone fractures, can greatly impact the quality of life for elderly individuals. Regenerative therapies using skeletal cells are a promising treatment option, with two main strategies for cell sources: induced pluripotent stem cells or extraction from skeletal tissues. These cells have the potential for differentiation into various skeletal cell types and offer applications for skeletal regeneration.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lingling Li, Dongxian Jiang, Hui Liu, Chunmei Guo, Rui Zhao, Qiao Zhang, Chen Xu, Zhaoyu Qin, Jinwen Feng, Yang Liu, Haixing Wang, Weijie Chen, Xue Zhang, Bin Li, Lin Bai, Sha Tian, Subei Tan, Zixiang Yu, Lingli Chen, Jie Huang, Jian-Yuan Zhao, Yingyong Hou, Chen Ding
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive characterization of duodenal cancer, including the identification of subtypes, molecular mechanisms, and potential therapeutic targets.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Sandra Acosta, Luciano Fiore, Isabel Anna Carota, Guillermo Oliver
Article
Cell Biology
Ira Espuny-Camacho, Kimmo A. Michelsen, Daniele Linaro, Angeline Bilheu, Sandra Acosta-Verdugo, Adele Herpoel, Michele Giugliano, Afsaneh Gaillard, Pierre Vanderhaeghen
Article
Developmental Biology
Luciano Fiore, Nozomu Takata, Sandra Acosta, Wanshu Ma, Tanushree Pandit, Michael Oxendine, Guillermo Oliver
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sandra Walsh, Merce Izquierdo-Serra, Sandra Acosta, Albert Edo, Maria Lloret, Roser Moret, Elena Bosch, Baldo Oliva, Jaume Bertranpetit, Jose Manuel Fernandez-Fernandez
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Oncology
Brigitte Royer-Pokora, Maike Anna Busch, Sarah Tenbusch, Mathias Schmidt, Manfred Beier, Andrew D. Woods, Holger Thiele, Jaume Mora
Summary: Wilms tumors are childhood kidney tumors that are heterogeneous with distinct subgroups, including a subtype associated with WT1 gene mutations. Researchers have successfully established 11 cell lines from the WT1 mutant subtype, providing a valuable tool for studying the biology and genetics of this specific type of Wilms tumor. These cell lines may lead to new approaches in treatment development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Beatrice Borsari, Pablo Villegas-Miron, Silvia Perez-Lluch, Isabel Turpin, Hafid Laayouni, Alba Segarra-Casas, Jaume Bertranpetit, Roderic Guigo, Sandra Acosta
Summary: The study explored the correlation between the genomic location of active enhancers and tissue-specific gene expression, revealing that tissue-specific enhancers are enriched in intronic regions and control genes involved in tissue-specific functions. The results suggest that the genomic location of active enhancers is crucial for the tissue-specific control of gene expression, with the transition from developmental to adult stages showing a continuum of intergenic to intronic enhancers.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xavier Farre, Ruben Molina, Fabio Barteri, Paul R. H. J. Timmers, Peter K. Joshi, Baldomero Oliva, Sandra Acosta, Borja Esteve-Altava, Arcadi Navarro, Gerard Muntane
Summary: The study identified amino acid changes and genes related to longevity in mammals, with pathways involved in regulating lifespan. It also found that certain genes explain a larger fraction of human lifespan heritability than expected, with longevity-associated proteins being significantly more stable. Overall, the research demonstrates the potential of comparative genomics in enhancing understanding of human genome-wide association studies.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Pablo Villegas-Miron, Sandra Acosta, Jessica Nye, Jaume Bertranpetit, Hafid Laayouni
Summary: Recent positive selection events on the X chromosome in human populations show a higher number among sub-Saharan Africans compared to non-African populations. A global enrichment of neural-related processes and the importance of fertility-related genes in human evolution are observed. Commonalities in genes across different continental groups, as well as signals in genes that escape X chromosome inactivation, are reported.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Jaume Mora
Summary: This article reviews the history of high-dose chemotherapy in the field of oncology and finds that it has not shown significant benefits in the treatment of solid tumors in adults, except for high-risk neuroblastoma. However, new immunotherapy approaches have demonstrated significant survival benefits with lesser side effects.
Review
Oncology
Sara Sanchez-Molina, Elisabet Figuerola-Bou, Victor Sanchez-Margalet, Luis de la Cruz-merino, Jaume Mora, Enrique de alava Casado, Daniel Jose Garcia-Dominguez, Lourdes Hontecillas-Prieto
Summary: Ewing Sarcoma treatment traditionally involves chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, but many patients do not respond well, prompting the search for more effective treatments. Recent advancements in epigenetic and immunotherapy-based drugs, as well as nanotechnology delivery systems, offer promising alternatives for improving the therapeutic response in Ewing Sarcoma patients. Research in the last decade has focused on targeting epigenetic dependencies and the immune system, as well as utilizing nanomedicine for more effective drug delivery to address challenges associated with standard therapies in Ewing Sarcoma.
Review
Cell Biology
Laura Garcia-Gonzalez, Andrea Marti-Sarrias, Maria C. Puertas, Angel Bayon-Gil, Patricia Resa-Infante, Javier Martinez-Picado, Arcadi Navarro, Sandra Acosta
Summary: The acute phase of COVID-19 may have long-term implications, leading to chronic disorders that can last for months or even years. Neurological manifestations can vary in severity and may persist for more than 12 weeks after the initial infection. Brain organoid models provide valuable insights into the neuropathology of acute and long COVID, allowing for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
DISEASE MODELS & MECHANISMS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Juan Pablo Munoz, Cristina Larrosa, Saray Chamorro, Sara Perez-Jaume, Margarida Simao, Nazaret Sanchez-Sierra, Amalia Varo, Maite Gorostegui, Alicia Castaneda, Moira Garraus, Sandra Lopez-Miralles, Jaume Mora
Summary: This study investigated the effectiveness of naxitamab-based chemo-immunotherapy in treating primary chemo-resistant high-risk neuroblastoma. The results showed that early treatment with naxitamab-based therapy significantly improved the survival rate of patients, indicating it as an effective treatment option.
Review
Oncology
Jaume Mora, Shakeel Modak, Joyce Kinsey, Carolyn E. Ragsdale, Hillard M. Lazarus
Summary: Colony-stimulating factors, such as GM-CSF, have been studied extensively for their potential to enhance the effectiveness of anti-GD2 monoclonal antibodies in high-risk neuroblastoma. However, access to these therapies is not uniform, and there is limited clinical data supporting the use of G-CSF as an alternative to GM-CSF. More research is needed to ensure equitable access to these treatments globally.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Jaume Mora, Godfrey C. Chan, Daniel A. Morgenstern, Karsten Nysom, Melissa K. Bear, Karen Tornoe, Brian H. Kushner
Summary: This article reviews the safety profile and adverse event management of naxitamab in a pediatric population, providing protocol-based recommendations for AE management and emphasizing the importance of close monitoring and timely intervention to ensure maximum clinical benefit from naxitamab therapy.
Article
Oncology
J. Mora, S. Perez-Jaume, O. Cruz
CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY
(2018)
