Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Antonia Marazioti, Anthi C. Krontira, Sabine J. Behrend, Georgia A. Giotopoulou, Giannoula Ntaliarda, Christophe Blanquart, Hasan Bayram, Marianthi Iliopoulou, Malamati Vreka, Lilith Trassl, Mario A. A. Pepe, Caroline M. Hackl, Laura Klotz, Stefanie A. Weiss, Ina Koch, Michael Lindner, Rudolph A. Hatz, Juergen Behr, Darcy E. Wagner, Helen Papadaki, Sophia G. Antimisiaris, Didier Jean, Sophie Deshayes, Marc Gregoire, Ozgecan Kayalar, Deniz Mortazavi, Sukru Dilege, Serhan Tanju, Suat Erus, Omer Yavuz, Pinar Bulutay, Pinar Firat, Ioannis Psallidas, Magda Spella, Ioanna Giopanou, Ioannis Lilis, Anne-Sophie Lamort, Georgios T. Stathopoulos
Summary: A portion of human MPM cases have mutations in KRAS, and mouse models suggest that KRAS mutations can lead to MPM, especially when combined with TP53 deletion. These findings indicate that KRAS alterations may play an important and underestimated role in certain MPM patients.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Valeria Panzetta, Ida Musella, Sabato Fusco, Paolo A. Netti
Summary: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare but devastating tumor that is difficult to diagnose and treat effectively. Effusion cytology, although used for diagnosis, is time-consuming and has limited sensitivity. Therefore, alternative research methods are needed to support early diagnosis. Mechanobiology offers new perspectives and diagnostic tools for the mechanical and biophysical characterization of malignant pleural mesothelioma cells.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Maxime Borgeaud, Floryane Kim, Alex Friedlaender, Filippo Lococo, Alfredo Addeo, Fabrizio Minervini
Summary: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare cancer with a poor prognosis caused by asbestos exposure. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown superiority over standard chemotherapy in improving overall survival. However, not all patients benefit from ICIs, highlighting the need for new treatment strategies and predictive biomarkers. Combinations with chemo-immunotherapy or ICIs and anti-VEGF are being evaluated in clinical trials, while non-ICI immunotherapeutic approaches such as CAR-T cells and dendritic-cell vaccines are showing promising results in early trials.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Rita Terenziani, Silvia Zoppi, Claudia Fumarola, Roberta Alfieri, Mara Bonelli
Summary: ICIs have emerged as a promising therapeutic option for difficult-to-treat cancers, especially showing superior efficacy in first-line treatment. Immunotherapeutic approaches for malignant pleural mesothelioma have also shown encouraging results. These novel treatments are crucial for the management of this disease.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Sam M. Janes, Doraid Alrifai, Dean A. Fennell
Summary: Mesothelioma, mostly caused by asbestos exposure, has a decreasing incidence but high mortality due to late diagnosis and treatment resistance. Pemetrexed-cisplatin and immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown modest survival extension.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
DeVon Hunter-Schlichting, Karl T. Kelsey, Ryan Demmer, Manish Patel, Raphael Bueno, Brock Christensen, Naomi Fujioka, Deepa Kolarseri, Heather H. Nelson
Summary: A study found that nearly half of malignant pleural mesothelioma patients have high level current HCMV infection, with a higher detection rate of HCMV DNA in tumor tissue compared to normal pleural tissue, suggesting the pleura may serve as a reservoir for latent HCMV infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Federica Morani, Luisa Bisceglia, Giulia Rosini, Luciano Mutti, Ombretta Melaiu, Stefano Landi, Federica Gemignani
Summary: The study identified multiple molecular signatures associated with the progression of malignant pleural mesothelioma, including genes involved in cell adhesion, extracellular matrix organization, mitotic cell division, and apoptosis inhibition. Some proteins were found to potentially drive tumorigenesis, suggesting they could be targets for novel therapies. Further research with small-molecule inhibitors or silencing RNAs is warranted to evaluate the cancer-driving role of the identified targets.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Elisabeth Digifico, Marco Erreni, Laura Mannarino, Sergio Marchini, Aldo Ummarino, Clement Anfray, Luca Bertola, Camilla Recordati, Daniela Pistillo, Massimo Roncalli, Paola Bossi, Paolo Andrea Zucali, Maurizio D'Incalci, Cristina Belgiovine, Paola Allavena
Summary: This study investigated the expression of inflammatory mediators in tumor samples from patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM), focusing on inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and matrix components. The results showed that Osteopontin (OPN) was significantly upregulated in MPM tumors and plasma samples, and its high expression was associated with poor prognosis. In animal models, OPN was found to promote MPM cell proliferation, and inhibition of its signaling pathway could restrain tumor progression. These findings have translational potential for improving the therapeutic response in human MPM.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Alex Dipper, Nick Maskell, Anna Bibby
Summary: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) presents diagnostic challenges, with ancillary diagnostic tests such as immunocytochemical markers, molecular techniques, diagnostic biomarkers, and imaging discussed in cases where histological samples are unavailable or inconclusive. While no single adjunctive test has the sensitivity and specificity to diagnose MPM in isolation, correlation of pleural fluid cytology with radiology and biomarkers can help make an MDT-consensus diagnosis when invasive tests are not feasible.
Review
Oncology
Dean A. Fennell, Sean Dulloo, James Harber
Summary: ICIs have greatly improved the treatment of mesothelioma, but the predictive biological features of response to ICIs are still poorly understood. Rational combinations involving ICIs are being studied and there is emerging evidence of synergistic antitumour activity. Non-ICI-based immunotherapies also show promising efficacy. Results from trials of dendritic cell vaccines and viral cytokine delivery, among others, are eagerly awaited.
NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Critical Care Medicine
Chuan T. Foo, Anna Paterson, Adam Duckworth, Jurgen Herre
Summary: Malignant pleural effusion is common in mesothelioma, with the presence of hyaluronic acid contributing to its viscosity. Intrapleural hyaluronidase can effectively reduce fluid viscosity and drainage duration, demonstrating feasibility and safety in managing hyaluronic acid-rich viscous malignant pleural effusion.
Review
Oncology
Agnes Y. Choi, Anand Singh, Danyi Wang, Karthik Pittala, Chuong D. Hoang
Summary: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a thoracic surface cancer without cure. Multimodality therapy, including surgical resection, is the current paradigm in treating MPM. However, the main limitation of surgical approaches is the lack of long-term durability due to frequent locoregional relapse. Various intrapleural strategies, such as intracavitary chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy, have been studied to extend the effect of surgical resection. Novel therapeutics delivered by specialized drug vehicles show great potential for improved efficacy in the management of MPM.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Alex Di Genova, Lise Mangiante, Alexandra Sexton-Oates, Catherine Voegele, Lynnette Fernandez-Cuesta, Nicolas Alcala, Matthieu Foll
Summary: In the context of the MESOMICS project, this study provided the most comprehensive molecular characterization of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) to date. The high-quality multiomics dataset and bioinformatics tools provided in this study will support the development of precision medicine in MPM.
Review
Oncology
Benjamin Wadowski, Raphael Bueno, Assunta De Rienzo
Summary: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options, although immune checkpoint inhibition has shown some efficacy in a small subset of patients. Advances in next-generation sequencing technology have provided a better understanding of the molecular characteristics of MPM and its impact on the immune microenvironment.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Federica Borea, Marika A. Franczak, Maria Garcia, Matteo Perrino, Nadia Cordua, Ryszard T. Smolenski, Godefridus J. Peters, Rafal Dziadziuszko, Armando Santoro, Paolo A. Zucali, Elisa Giovannetti
Summary: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplasm that is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and requires systemic treatment due to its ineligibility for radical surgery. Chemotherapy has been the standard treatment for 20 years until immune checkpoint inhibitors were introduced. However, the prognosis remains poor, and targeted therapies for MPM have mostly failed in clinical trials. This review aims to explore the potential reasons for treatment failures and determine the need for further research in this area.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Matthias Eberhard, Micheal McInnis, Marc de Perrot, Mona Lichtblau, Silvia Ulrich, Ilhan Inci, Isabelle Opitz, Thomas Frauenfelder
Summary: Dual-energy CT pulmonary angiography is highly sensitive in classifying the level of disease in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and is associated with hemodynamic improvement after surgery.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Oliver Guido Verhoek, Lisa Jungblut, Olivia Lauk, Christian Bluethgen, Isabelle Opitz, Thomas Frauenfelder, Katharina Martini
Summary: This study evaluated the prognostic value of sarcopenia, low precardial adipose tissue (PAT), and high tumor volume in the outcome of surgically-treated pleural mesothelioma (PM) patients. The results showed that sarcopenia and tumor volume were associated with long-term mortality in these patients, while a correlation with PAT could only be shown for epithelioid PM.
Review
Oncology
Michele Carbone, Harvey Pass, Guntulu Ak, H. Richard Alexander, Paul Baas, Francine Baumann, Andrew M. Blakely, Raphael Bueno, Aleksandra Bzura, Giuseppe Cardillo, Jane E. Churpek, Irma Dianzani, Assunta De Rienzo, Mitsuru Emi, Salih Emri, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Dean A. Fennell, Raja M. Flores, Federica Grosso, Nicholas K. Hayward, Mary Hesdorffer, Chuong D. Hoang, Peter A. Johansson, Hedy L. Kindler, Muaiad Kittaneh, Thomas Krausz, Aaron Mansfield, Muzaffer Metintas, Michael Minaai, Luciano Mutti, Maartje Nielsen, Kenneth O'Byrne, Isabelle Opitz, Sandra Pastorino, Francesca Pentimalli, Marc de Perrot, Antonia Pritchard, Robert Taylor Ripley, Bruce Robinson, Valerie Rusch, Emanuela Taioli, Yasutaka Takinishi, Mika Tanji, Anne S. Tsao, A. Murat Tuncer, Sebastian Walpole, Andrea Wolf, Haining Yang, Yoshie Yoshikawa, Alicia Zolondick, David S. Schrump, Raffit Hassan
Summary: The most common malignancies that develop in carriers of BAP1 germline mutations include mesothelioma, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and other tumor types. The features of malignancies can vary among individuals, and a multidisciplinary approach is required for diagnosis and treatment. Detecting BAP1 germline mutations has significant medical, social, and economic impact.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karin D. Prummel, Helena L. Crowell, Susan Nieuwenhuize, Eline C. Brombacher, Stephan Daetwyler, Charlotte Soneson, Jelena Kresoja-Rakic, Manuel Ronner, Agnese Kocere, Alexander Ernst, Zahra Labbaf, David E. Clouthier, Anthony B. Firulli, Hector Sanchez-Iranzo, Sundar R. Naganathan, Rebecca O'Rourke, Erez Raz, Nadia Mercader, Alexa Burger, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Jan Huisken, Mark D. Robinson, Christian Mosimann
Summary: This study uncovers the early origins of mesothelium progenitor cells in zebrafish, linking the function of the Hand2 gene to mesothelium formation and the re-activation of mesothelioma tumors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Giulia Pasello, Jordi Remon, Emanuela Felley-Bosco
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Isabelle Opitz, Miriam Patella, Olivia Lauk, Ilhan Inci, Dominique Bettex, Thomas Horisberger, Reto Schuepbach, Dagmar Keller, Thomas Frauenfelder, Nils Kucher, John Granton, Thomas Pfammatter, Marc de Perrot, Silvia Ulrich
Summary: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a distinct form of pulmonary hypertension closely related to acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The importance of diagnosing and distinguishing CTEPH during an episode of acute PE should not be underestimated. A multidisciplinary expert team evaluation is needed, along with consideration of clinical condition and imaging findings, for diagnosis and management.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Marc Humbert, Gabor Kovacs, Marius M. Hoeper, Roberto Badagliacca, Rolf M. F. Berger, Margarita Brida, Jorn Carlsen, Andrew J. S. Coats, Pilar Escribano-Subias, Pisana Ferrari, Diogenes S. Ferreira, Hossein Ardeschir Ghofrani, George Giannakoulas, David G. Kiely, Eckhard Mayer, Gergely Meszaros, Blin Nagavci, Karen M. Olsson, Joanna Pepke-Zaba, Jennifer K. Quint, Goran Radegran, Gerald Simonneau, Olivier Sitbon, Thomy Tonia, Mark Toshner, Jean-Luc Vachiery, Anton Vonk Noordegraaf, Marion Delcroix, Stephan Rosenkranz, Markus Schwerzmann, Anh-Tuan Dinh-Xuan, Andy Bush, Magdy Abdelhamid, Victor Aboyans, Eloisa Arbustini, Riccardo Asteggiano, Joan-Albert Barbera, Maurice Beghetti, Maja Cikes, Robin Condliffe, Frances de Man, Volkmar Falk, Laurent Fauchier, Sean Gaine, Nazzareno Galie, Wendy Gin-Sing, John Granton, Ekkehard Grunig, Paul M. Hassoun, Merel Hellemons, Tiny Jaarsma, Barbro Kjellstrom, Frederikus A. Klok, Aleksandra Konradi, Konstantinos C. Koskinas, Dipak Kotecha, Irene Lang, Basil S. Lewis, Ales Linhart, Gregory Y. H. Lip, Maja-Lisa Lochen, Alexander G. Mathioudakis, Richard Mindham, Shahin Moledina, Robert Naeije, Jens Cosedis Nielsen, Horst Olschewski, Isabelle Opitz, Steffen E. Petersen, Eva Prescott, Amina Rakisheva, Abilio Reis, Arsen D. Ristic, Nicolas Roche, Rita Rodrigues, Christine Selton-Suty, Rogerio Souza, Andrew J. Swift, Rhian M. Touyz, Silvia Ulrich, Martin R. Wilkins, Stephen John Wort
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Marc Humbert, Gabor Kovacs, Marius M. Hoeper, Roberto Badagliacca, Rolf M. F. Berger, Margarita Brida, Jorn Carlsen, Andrew J. S. Coats, Pilar Escribano-Subias, Pisana Ferrari, Diogenes S. Ferreira, Hossein Ardeschir Ghofrani, George Giannakoulas, David G. Kiely, Eckhard Mayer, Gergely Meszaros, Blin Nagavci, Karen M. Olsson, Joanna Pepke-Zaba, Jennifer K. Quint, Goran Radegran, Gerald Simonneau, Olivier Sitbon, Thomy Tonia, Mark Toshner, Jean Luc Vachiery, Anton Vonk Noordegraaf, Marion Delcroix, Stephan Rosenkranz
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Weihong Qi, Didier Jean, Clement Meiller, Hubert Rehrauer
Summary: This study reveals the association between RNA editing and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype in pleural mesothelioma (PM). Analysis of RNA editing expression changes in PM samples showed increased editing in introns and decreased editing in 3' UTR in samples with EMT phenotype.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Licun Wu, Kosuke Yoshihara, Hana Yun, Saraf Karim, Nastaran Shokri, Fatemeh Zaeimi, H. S. Jeffrey Man, Amin Zia, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Marc de Perrot
Summary: Malignant mesothelioma (MESO) has different subtypes and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes. A panel of MESO EMT genes were found to be correlated with hypermethylation of epigenetic genes and loss of CDKN2A/B expression. The MESO EMT genes were associated with activation of TGF-beta, hedgehog, and IL-2-STAT5 signaling, and suppression of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma response. Immune checkpoints were upregulated, while certain immune receptors were downregulated with the expression of MESO EMT genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Licun Wu, Mikihiro Kohno, Junichi Murakami, Amin Zia, Jonathan Allen, Hana Yun, Meilin Chan, Cristina Baciu, Mingyao Liu, Veronique Serre-Beinier, Michele De Palma, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Jonathan Yeung, Trevor J. Pugh, Marc de Perrot
Summary: Defining the origin of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) is crucial for developing targeted therapies for mesothelioma. Two distinct macrophage populations, small peritoneal/pleural macrophages (SPM) and large peritoneal/pleural macrophages (LPM), were identified in mice. SPM, which mainly consisted of M2-like TAM, rapidly increased in the tumor microenvironment and contributed to tumor development. On the other hand, LPM activated the IFN-gamma response and played a crucial role in the immune response, as confirmed by their depletion leading to loss of antitumoral memory immunity. The gene signature of SPM was observed in the pleural effusion and tumor of untreated mesothelioma patients, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Alexander Laure, Angelica Rigutto, Michaela B. Kirschner, Lennart Opitz, Linda Grob, Isabelle Opitz, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Stefanie Hiltbrunner, Alessandra Curioni-Fontecedro
Summary: Patient-derived cell lines show closer resemblance to MPM tumors in terms of genome and transcriptome compared to commercial cell lines. This finding has significant implications for using cell line models to study predictive biomarkers and interpret preclinical results that cannot be translated in clinical practice.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lisa Jungblut, Harry Etienne, Caroline Zellweger, Alessandra Matter, Miriam Patella, Thomas Frauenfelder, Isabelle Opitz
Summary: This pilot study in Switzerland assesses the implementation and performance of low-dose CT lung cancer screening and explores its potential impact on reducing mortality rates. The study enrolls participants meeting specific criteria and uses LDCT scans for assessment. Preliminary results suggest the feasibility of LDCT lung cancer screening in Switzerland.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Paula Appenzeller, Mona Lichtblau, Charlotte Berlier, John-David Aubert, Andrea Azzola, Jean-Marc Fellrath, Thomas Geiser, Frederic Lador, Susanne Pohle, Isabelle Opitz, Markus Schwerzmann, Hans Stricker, Michael Tamm, Stephanie Saxer, Silvia Ulrich
Summary: Pulmonary hypertension, especially pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, is a rare and progressive condition. This retrospective analysis of the Swiss Pulmonary Hypertension Registry found that newly diagnosed patients are older, have a more balanced gender distribution, improved hemodynamics, and better survival rates.
PULMONARY CIRCULATION
(2022)
