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Aim: To independently confirm that the 40-gene expression profile (40-GEP) test can identify patients with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who are more or less likely to benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy (ART).Materials & methods: Primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma tumors from two academic centers received retrospective 40-GEP testing and were analyzed for 5-year metastasis-free survival and projected time to event.Results: Random sampling of matched patient pairs (n = 52 ART-treated; 371 no ART) showed a median 50% decrease in 5-year progression rate for ART-treated patients (vs no ART) with 40-GEP Class 2B. Class 2A was associated with a modest ART benefit, but not Class 1.Conclusion: The 40-GEP identified patients most likely to benefit from ART (Class 2B) and those that can consider deferring treatment (Class 1).
Independent validation study: 40-GEP identifies patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma who would be most likely to benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy.
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BACKGROUND: Histopathological examination is adequate for the diagnosis of most cutaneous melanocytic neoplasms. However, there is a subset that is either difficult to definitively diagnose or would have diagnostic disagreement upon review by multiple dermatopathologists if a more exhaustive review was performed. METHODS: Melanocytic lesions underwent an independent, blinded diagnostic histopathological review of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections. Each lesion was reviewed by three to six dermatopathologists and categorized as benign, malignant, or unknown malignant potential (UMP). Diagnoses were grouped as concordant (all the same designation); opposing (received benign and malignant designations); majority (single designation with the highest number of diagnoses, no benign/malignant opposing designations); and non-definitive (equal number of non-opposing designations [i.e., benign/UMP or malignant/UMP]). Lesions with equivocal designations (concordant or majority UMP, opposing, majority, and non-definitive) were utilized in a patient treatment model of projected surgical treatment discrepancies. RESULTS: In total, 3317 cases were reviewed, and 23.8% of lesions received equivocal diagnoses. Of these, 7.3% were majority benign, 4.8% were majority malignant, 2.7% were majority UMP, 0.5% were concordant UMP, 6.9% were opposing, and 1.6% were non-definitive. Patient treatment models of those with equivocal lesions (n = 788) revealed a potential of overall surgical treatment variations ranging from 18% to 72%, with the highest variation amongst lesions with opposing, non-definitive, or majority UMP (40%-72%) diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Histopathologic review in this large cohort demonstrated substantial diagnostic variation, with 23.8% of cases receiving equivocal diagnoses. We identified diagnostic ambiguity even in lesions where a definitive diagnosis was previously rendered by a single real-world dermatopathologist. The combined clinical impact of diagnostic discordance or a final diagnosis of UMP is highlighted by high diagnosis-dependent treatment variation in the patient treatment model, which could be underreported in a real-world setting, where review by more than one to two dermatopathologists is relatively rare.
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Melanoma , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Humanos , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patología , Neoplasias Cutáneas/diagnóstico , Melanoma/patología , Melanoma/diagnóstico , Femenino , Masculino , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Melanocitos/patología , Anciano , Diagnóstico DiferencialRESUMEN
ABSTRACT: Comparing studies of molecular ancillary diagnostic tests for difficult-to-diagnose cutaneous melanocytic neoplasms presents a methodological challenge, given the disparate ways accuracy metrics are calculated. A recent report by Boothby-Shoemaker et al investigating the real-world accuracy of the 23-gene expression profile (23-GEP) test highlights this methodological difficulty, reporting lower accuracy than previously observed. However, their calculation method-with indeterminate test results defined as either false positive or false negative-was different than those used in previous studies. We corrected for these differences and recalculated their reported accuracy metrics in the same manner as the previous studies to enable appropriate comparison with previously published reports. This corrected analysis showed a sensitivity of 92.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82.1%-100%) and specificity of 94.4% (91.6%-96.9%). We then compared these results directly to previous studies with >25 benign and >25 malignant cases with outcomes and/or concordant histopathological diagnosis by ≥3 dermatopathologists. All studies assessed had enrollment imbalances of benign versus malignant patients (0.8-7.0 ratio), so balanced cohorts were resampled according to the lowest common denominator to calculate point estimates and CIs for accuracy metrics. Overall, we found no statistically significant differences in the ranges of 23-GEP sensitivity, 90.4%-96.3% (95% CI, 80.8%-100%), specificity, 87.3%-96.2% (78.2%-100%), positive predictive value, 88.5%-96.1% (81.5%-100%), or negative predictive value, 91.1%-96.3% (83.6%-100%) between previous studies and the cohort from Boothby-Shoemaker et al with this unified methodological approach. Rigorous standardization of calculation methods is necessary when the goal is direct cross-study comparability.
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Treatment decisions for patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are traditionally based upon clinicopathologic risk factors and staging systems. Due to the accuracy limitations of these resources in predicting poor outcomes, there is a clinically significant need for more accurate methods of risk assessment. The 40-gene expression profile (40-GEP) test was developed to augment metastatic risk prediction of high-risk cSCC patients and has been validated in two independent, multi-center studies involving over 1,000 patients. This study substantiates that the 40-GEP is appropriately utilized by clinicians and that the personalized risk-stratification results are impactful in guiding risk-aligned patient management.
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Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Humanos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/diagnóstico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patología , Pronóstico , Neoplasias Cutáneas/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Cutáneas/genética , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patología , Estadificación de Neoplasias , TranscriptomaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Many patients with low-stage cutaneous melanoma will experience tumor recurrence, metastasis, or death, and many higher staged patients will not. OBJECTIVE: To develop an algorithm by integrating the 31-gene expression profile test with clinicopathologic data for an optimized, personalized risk of recurrence (integrated 31 risk of recurrence [i31-ROR]) or death and use i31-ROR in conjunction with a previously validated algorithm for precise sentinel lymph node positivity risk estimates (i31-SLNB) for optimized treatment plan decisions. METHODS: Cox regression models for ROR were developed (n = 1581) and independently validated (n = 523) on a cohort with stage I-III melanoma. Using National Comprehensive Cancer Network cut points, i31-ROR performance was evaluated using the midpoint survival rates between patients with stage IIA and stage IIB disease as a risk threshold. RESULTS: Patients with a low-risk i31-ROR result had significantly higher 5-year recurrence-free survival (91% vs 45%, P < .001), distant metastasis-free survival (95% vs 53%, P < .001), and melanoma-specific survival (98% vs 73%, P < .001) than patients with a high-risk i31-ROR result. A combined i31-SLNB/ROR analysis identified 44% of patients who could forego sentinel lymph node biopsy while maintaining high survival rates (>98%) or were restratified as being at a higher or lower risk of recurrence or death. LIMITATIONS: Multicenter, retrospective study. CONCLUSION: Integrating clinicopathologic features with the 31-GEP optimizes patient risk stratification compared to clinicopathologic features alone.
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Melanoma , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Humanos , Melanoma/patología , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patología , Transcriptoma , Estudios Retrospectivos , Biopsia del Ganglio Linfático Centinela , Pronóstico , Melanoma Cutáneo MalignoRESUMEN
Aim: To clinically validate the 40-gene expression profile (40-GEP) test for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma patients and evaluate coupling the test with individual clinicopathologic risk factor-based assessment methods. Patients & methods: In a 33-site study, primary tumors with known patient outcomes were assessed under clinical testing conditions (n = 420). The 40-GEP results were integrated with clinicopathologic risk factors. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed for metastasis. Results: The 40-GEP test demonstrated significant prognostic value. Risk classification was improved via integration of 40-GEP results with clinicopathologic risk factor-based assessment, with metastasis rates near the general cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma population for class 1 and ≥50% for class 2B. Conclusion: Combining molecular profiling with clinicopathologic risk factor assessment enhances stratification of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma patients and may inform decision-making for risk-appropriate management strategies.
Plain language summary Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer, with approximately 2 million cases diagnosed each year in the USA. Because substantial numbers of patients experience metastasis, which can result in death, accurate metastatic risk assessment is important. Clinicians use clinicopathologic factors to determine risk for disease progression. However, traditional methods miss pinpointing many patients who experience metastasis and sometimes categorize patients as at risk who do not develop metastasis, indicating that additional tools are needed. A molecular test, the 40-gene expression profile (40-GEP), was developed to predict metastatic risk based on the biology of the tumor. This study demonstrates that the 40-GEP, either as an independent tool or together with traditional methods, accurately identifies patients' risk of metastasis. Using the 40-GEP could improve patient management to improve patient outcomes.
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Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica/métodos , Medición de Riesgo/métodos , Neoplasias Cutáneas/genética , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patología , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pronóstico , Factores de Riesgo , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patologíaRESUMEN
Loss-of-function PTEN Induced Kinase 1 (PINK1) mutations cause early-onset familial Parkinson's disease (PD) with similar clinical and neuropathological characteristics as idiopathic PD. While Pink1 knockout (KO) rats have mitochondrial dysfunction, locomotor deficits, and α-synuclein aggregates in several brain regions such as cerebral cortex, dorsal striatum, and substantia nigra, the functional ramifications on synaptic circuits are unknown. Using whole cell patch clamp recordings, we found a significant increase in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) onto striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs) in Pink1 KO rats at ages 4 and 6 months compared to wild-type (WT) littermates, suggesting increased excitability of presynaptic neurons. While sEPSC amplitudes were also increased at 2 and 4 months, no changes were observed in AMPAR/NMDAR ratio or receptor expression. Further analysis revealed increased glutamate release probability and decreased recovery of the synaptic vesicle pool following a train of stimulation in Pink1 KO rats. Ultrastructural analysis revealed increased excitatory and inhibitory synapse number and increased levels of presynaptic α-synuclein, while the number and structure of striatal mitochondria appeared normal. Lastly, we found that Pink1 KO rats have altered striatal dopamine tone, which together with the abnormal α- synuclein distribution and dysfunctional mitochondria, could contribute to the increase in excitatory transmission. Together, these studies show that PINK1 is necessary for normal glutamatergic transmission onto striatal SPNs and reveal possible mechanisms underlying striatal circuit dysfunction in PD.
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Potenciales Postsinápticos Excitadores , Ácido Glutámico/metabolismo , Neostriado/metabolismo , Neuronas/metabolismo , Enfermedad de Parkinson/genética , Proteínas Quinasas/genética , Transmisión Sináptica/genética , Animales , Western Blotting , Cuerpo Estriado/metabolismo , Dopamina/metabolismo , Técnicas de Inactivación de Genes , Inmunohistoquímica , Microscopía Electrónica , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Enfermedad de Parkinson/metabolismo , Técnicas de Placa-Clamp , Ratas , alfa-Sinucleína/metabolismoRESUMEN
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in many pathological conditions and diseases. The normal functioning of mitochondria relies on maintaining the inner mitochondrial membrane potential (also known as ΔΨm) that is essential for ATP synthesis, Ca2+ homeostasis, redox balance, and regulation of other key signaling pathways such as mitophagy and apoptosis. However, the detailed mechanisms by which ΔΨm regulates cellular function remain incompletely understood, partially because of the difficulty of manipulating ΔΨm with spatiotemporal resolution, reversibility, or cell type specificity. To address this need, we have developed a next generation optogenetic-based technique for controllable mitochondrial depolarization with light. We demonstrate successful targeting of the heterologous channelrhodopsin-2 fusion protein to the inner mitochondrial membrane and formation of functional cationic channels capable of light-induced selective ΔΨm depolarization and mitochondrial autophagy. Importantly, we for the first time, to our knowledge, show that optogenetic-mediated mitochondrial depolarization can be well controlled to differentially influence the fate of cells expressing mitochondrial channelrhodopsin-2; whereas sustained moderate light illumination induces substantial apoptotic cell death, transient mild light illumination elicits cytoprotection via mitochondrial preconditioning. Finally, we show that Parkin overexpression exacerbates, instead of ameliorating, mitochondrial depolarization-mediated cell death in HeLa cells. In summary, we provide evidence that the described mitochondrial-targeted optogenetics may have a broad application for studying the role of mitochondria in regulating cell function and fate decision.
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Apoptosis , Channelrhodopsins/metabolismo , Potencial de la Membrana Mitocondrial , Optogenética/métodos , Células Cultivadas , Channelrhodopsins/genética , Células HeLa , Humanos , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/metabolismoAsunto(s)
Bases de Datos Factuales , Metástasis Linfática , Melanoma , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Humanos , Melanoma/patología , Melanoma/epidemiología , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patología , Neoplasias Cutáneas/epidemiología , Australia/epidemiología , Medición de Riesgo/estadística & datos numéricos , Metástasis Linfática/patología , Biopsia del Ganglio Linfático Centinela/estadística & datos numéricos , Ganglio Linfático Centinela/patologíaAsunto(s)
Melanoma , Ganglio Linfático Centinela , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Humanos , Melanoma/patología , Neoplasias Cutáneas/cirugía , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patología , Metástasis Linfática/patología , Ganglio Linfático Centinela/cirugía , Ganglio Linfático Centinela/patología , Biopsia del Ganglio Linfático Centinela , Probabilidad , Ganglios Linfáticos/cirugía , Ganglios Linfáticos/patología , Escisión del Ganglio Linfático , Melanoma Cutáneo MalignoRESUMEN
Preclinical research on Parkinson's disease has relied heavily on mouse and rat animal models. Initially, PD animal models were generated primarily by chemical neurotoxins that induce acute loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. On the discovery of genetic mutations causally linked to PD, mice were used more than rats to generate laboratory animals bearing PD-linked mutations because mutagenesis was more difficult in rats. Recent advances in technology for mammalian genome engineering and optimization of viral expression vectors have increased the use of genetic rat models of PD. Emerging research tools include "knockout" rats with disruption of genes in which mutations have been causally linked to PD, including LRRK2, α-synuclein, Parkin, PINK1, and DJ-1. Rats have also been increasingly used for transgenic and viral-mediated overexpression of genes relevant to PD, particularly α-synuclein. It may not be realistic to obtain a single animal model that completely reproduces every feature of a human disease as complex as PD. Nevertheless, compared with mice with the same mutations, many genetic rat animal models of PD better reproduce key aspects of PD including progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, locomotor behavior deficits, and age-dependent formation of abnormal α-synuclein protein aggregates. Here we briefly review new developments in genetic rat models of PD that may have greater potential for identifying underlying mechanisms, for discovering novel therapeutic targets, and for developing greatly needed treatments to slow or halt disease progression. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Mutación/genética , Enfermedad de Parkinson/genética , Animales , Humanos , Proteína 2 Quinasa Serina-Treonina Rica en Repeticiones de Leucina/genética , Proteínas Quinasas/genética , Ratas , Ratas Transgénicas , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/genética , alfa-Sinucleína/genéticaRESUMEN
Dominantly inherited mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common causes of familial Parkinson's disease (PD) and LRRK2 polymorphisms are associated with increased risk for idiopathic PD. However, the molecular mechanisms by which these mutations cause PD remain uncertain. In vitro studies indicate that disease-linked mutations in LRRK2 increase LRRK2 kinase activity and LRRK2-mediated cell toxicity. Identifying LRRK2-interacting proteins and determining their effects on LRRK2 are important for understanding LRRK2 function and for delineating the pathophysiological mechanisms of LRRK2 mutations. Here we identified a novel protein, F-box and leucine-rich repeat domain-containing protein 18 (Fbxl18) that physically associates with LRRK2. We demonstrated that Fbxl18 is a component of a Skp1-Cullin1-F-box ubiquitin ligase complex that regulates the abundance of LRRK2 by selectively targeting phosphorylated LRRK2 for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Knockdown of endogenous Fbxl18 stabilized LRRK2 abundance while protein kinase C activation enhanced LRRK2 degradation by Fbxl18. Dephosphorylation of LRRK2 blocked Fbxl18 association with LRRK2. Taken together, we have identified potential mechanisms for LRRK2 regulation by kinase signaling pathways. Furthermore, Fbxl18 prevented caspase activation and cell death caused by LRRK2 and PD-linked mutant LRRK2. This reveals novel targets for developing potential therapies for familial and idiopathic PD.
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Muerte Celular/fisiología , Proteínas F-Box/metabolismo , Proteína 2 Quinasa Serina-Treonina Rica en Repeticiones de Leucina/metabolismo , Complejo de la Endopetidasa Proteasomal/metabolismo , Animales , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Células COS , Línea Celular Tumoral , Supervivencia Celular/fisiología , Chlorocebus aethiops , Proteínas F-Box/genética , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Proteína 2 Quinasa Serina-Treonina Rica en Repeticiones de Leucina/genética , Ratones , Células 3T3 NIH , Neuronas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Cancer is a disease consisting of both genetic and epigenetic changes. Although increasing evidence demonstrates that tumour progression entails chromatin-mediated changes such as DNA methylation, the role of histone variants in cancer initiation and progression currently remains unclear. Histone variants replace conventional histones within the nucleosome and confer unique biological functions to chromatin. Here we report that the histone variant macroH2A (mH2A) suppresses tumour progression of malignant melanoma. Loss of mH2A isoforms, histone variants generally associated with condensed chromatin and fine-tuning of developmental gene expression programs, is positively correlated with increasing malignant phenotype of melanoma cells in culture and human tissue samples. Knockdown of mH2A isoforms in melanoma cells of low malignancy results in significantly increased proliferation and migration in vitro and growth and metastasis in vivo. Restored expression of mH2A isoforms rescues these malignant phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that the tumour-promoting function of mH2A loss is mediated, at least in part, through direct transcriptional upregulation of CDK8. Suppression of CDK8, a colorectal cancer oncogene, inhibits proliferation of melanoma cells, and knockdown of CDK8 in cells depleted of mH2A suppresses the proliferative advantage induced by mH2A loss. Moreover, a significant inverse correlation between mH2A and CDK8 expression levels exists in melanoma patient samples. Taken together, our results demonstrate that mH2A is a critical component of chromatin that suppresses the development of malignant melanoma, a highly intractable cutaneous neoplasm.
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Quinasa 8 Dependiente de Ciclina/metabolismo , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica , Histonas/metabolismo , Melanoma/patología , Metástasis de la Neoplasia/patología , Animales , Línea Celular Tumoral , Movimiento Celular , Proliferación Celular , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Técnicas de Silenciamiento del Gen , Células HCT116 , Histonas/deficiencia , Histonas/genética , Humanos , Melanoma/fisiopatología , Melanoma Experimental , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Metástasis de la Neoplasia/fisiopatología , Ratas , Regulación hacia ArribaRESUMEN
With recent technological advances and cost reductions, automated embedding systems are rapidly becoming routine in the processing of skin biopsy specimens. The efficiency advantages of this technique are due in part to the use of patented sectionable cassettes that hold formalin-fixed tissue from the time of grossing through tissue sectioning. In this process, the final paraffin block contains both the tissue and the cassette, which are sectioned and stained in unison. Here, we report the multiple tissue and slide artifacts commonly seen with automated embedding systems that are unique to this method of tissue processing. The most frequently observed tissue changes are patterned molding of the biopsy specimen around the cassette material. The most common slide artifacts are due to the presence of geometrically shaped polarizable cassette material adjacent to or overlying the stained tissue. As many of these artifacts strongly resemble the shapes seen in the classic 1980s video game, Tetris, we propose the term of Tetris-like artifacts for these findings. Although we remain confident that use of an automated embedding system does not decrease diagnostic reliability, increased familiarity with the standard appearance of slides processed using this technique will help avoid confusion when evaluating these cases.
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Artefactos , Adhesión en Parafina , Automatización de Laboratorios , HumanosRESUMEN
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder behind Alzheimer's disease. There are currently no therapies proven to halt or slow the progressive neuronal cell loss in PD. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular causes of PD is needed to develop disease-modifying therapies. PD is an age-dependent disease that causes the progressive death of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons results in locomotor symptoms such as slowness of movement, tremor, rigidity and postural instability. Abnormalities in other neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, may also be involved in both the motor and non-motor symptoms of PD. Most cases of PD are sporadic but many families show a Mendelian pattern of inherited Parkinsonism and causative mutations have been identified in genes such as Parkin, DJ-1, PINK1, alpha-synuclein and leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). Although the definitive causes of idiopathic PD remain uncertain, the activity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1) is reduced in PD brains and has been shown to be a key determinant of vulnerability to dopaminergic neuron loss in PD animal models. Furthermore, Gpx1 activity decreases with age in human substantia nigra but not rodent substantia nigra. Therefore, we crossed mice deficient for both Parkin and DJ-1 with mice deficient for Gpx1 to test the hypothesis that loss-of-function mutations in Parkin and DJ-1 cause PD by increasing vulnerability to Gpx1 deficiency. Surprisingly, mice lacking Parkin, DJ-1 and Gpx1 have increased striatal dopamine levels in the absence of nigral cell loss compared to wild type, Gpx1(-/-), and Parkin(-/-)DJ-1(-/-) mutant mice. Additionally, Parkin(-/-)DJ-1(-/-) mice exhibit improved rotarod performance and have increased serotonin in the striatum and hippocampus. Stereological analysis indicated that the increased serotonin levels were not due to increased serotonergic projections. The results of our behavioral, neurochemical and immunohistochemical analyses reveal that PD-linked mutations in Parkin and DJ-1 cause dysregulation of neurotransmitter systems beyond the nigrostriatal dopaminergic circuit and that loss-of-function mutations in Parkin and DJ-1 lead to adaptive changes in dopamine and serotonin especially in the context of Gpx1 deficiency.
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Monoaminas Biogénicas/análisis , Cuerpo Estriado/química , Glutatión Peroxidasa/genética , Hipocampo/química , Proteínas Oncogénicas/genética , Enfermedad de Parkinson/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/genética , Factores de Edad , Animales , Recuento de Células , Dopamina/análisis , Neuronas Dopaminérgicas/fisiología , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Actividad Motora/genética , Peroxirredoxinas , Proteína Desglicasa DJ-1 , Serotonina/análisis , Glutatión Peroxidasa GPX1RESUMEN
Recessively inherited loss-of-function mutations in the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1(Pink1), DJ-1 (Park7) and Parkin (Park2) genes are linked to familial cases of early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). As part of its strategy to provide more tools for the research community, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) funded the generation of novel rat models with targeted disruption ofPink1, DJ-1 or Parkin genes and determined if the loss of these proteins would result in a progressive PD-like phenotype. Pathological, neurochemical and behavioral outcome measures were collected at 4, 6 and 8months of age in homozygous KO rats and compared to wild-type (WT) rats. Both Pink1 and DJ-1 KO rats showed progressive nigral neurodegeneration with about 50% dopaminergic cell loss observed at 8 months of age. ThePink1 KO and DJ-1 KO rats also showed a two to three fold increase in striatal dopamine and serotonin content at 8 months of age. Both Pink1 KO and DJ-1 KO rats exhibited significant motor deficits starting at 4months of age. However, Parkin KO rats displayed normal behaviors with no neurochemical or pathological changes. These results demonstrate that inactivation of the Pink1 or DJ-1 genes in the rat produces progressive neurodegeneration and early behavioral deficits, suggesting that these recessive genes may be essential for the survival of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). These MJFF-generated novel rat models will assist the research community to elucidate the mechanisms by which these recessive genes produce PD pathology and potentially aid in therapeutic development.
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Proteínas Asociadas a Microtúbulos/deficiencia , Trastornos Parkinsonianos/fisiopatología , Fenotipo , Proteínas Quinasas/deficiencia , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/deficiencia , Envejecimiento , Animales , Animales Modificados Genéticamente , Encéfalo/patología , Encéfalo/fisiopatología , Dopamina/metabolismo , Neuronas Dopaminérgicas/patología , Neuronas Dopaminérgicas/fisiología , Técnicas de Inactivación de Genes , Genes Recesivos , Masculino , Proteínas Asociadas a Microtúbulos/genética , Actividad Motora/fisiología , Trastornos Parkinsonianos/genética , Trastornos Parkinsonianos/patología , Proteína Desglicasa DJ-1 , Proteínas Quinasas/genética , Ratas Long-Evans , Serotonina/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligasas/genéticaRESUMEN
Ancillary tests such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and gene expression profile (GEP) testing may be needed to arrive at a definitive diagnosis for some atypical melanocytic neoplasms. A 34-year-old male with a family history of melanoma presented with a large, heterogeneous melanocytic lesion on the cheek. Histopathological review of two biopsies revealed an atypical intradermal melanocytic proliferation with spitzoid features without ulceration or regression. Scattered mitotic figures were identified. In addition to performing SOX10 IHC, PRAME and HMB45 staining highlighted weak, patchy positivity that was stronger in superficial, pleomorphic melanocytes (Ki-67, 5-7% mitotic rate). Based on these concerning but ambiguous IHC results and lingering concern for melanoma reiterated by other consulting dermatopathologists, the 23-GEP was requested for both specimens, which both returned a malignant result. The inconclusive histopathological features of malignancy were resolved by 23-GEP testing, facilitating a final diagnosis of malignant melanoma (pT3a, 2.5 mm Breslow depth, Clark's level IV).
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Melanoma , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Masculino , Humanos , Adulto , Melanoma/diagnóstico , Melanoma/genética , Transcriptoma , Neoplasias Cutáneas/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Cutáneas/genética , Neoplasias Cutáneas/patología , Melanocitos/metabolismo , Melanocitos/patología , Proliferación Celular/genética , Antígenos de NeoplasiasRESUMEN
α-synuclein accumulation is recognized as a prominent feature in the majority of Parkinson's disease cases and also occurs in a broad range of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. It has been shown that α-synuclein can spread from a donor cell to neighboring cells and thus propagate cellular damage, antagonizing the effectiveness of therapies such as transplantation of fetal or iPSC derived dopaminergic cells. As we and others previously have shown, insufficient lysosomal function due to genetic mutations or targeted disruption of cathepsin D can cause α-synuclein accumulation. We here investigated whether overexpression of cathepsin D or knockout (KO) of the transcriptional suppressor of lysosomal biogenesis ZKSCAN3 can attenuate propagation of α-synuclein aggregation and cell death. We examined dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra using stereology of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells 4 months and 6 months after intrastriatal injection of α-synuclein preformed fibrils or monomeric α-synuclein control in control, central nervous system (CNS)-cathepsin D overexpressing and CNS-specific ZKSCAN3 KO mice. We also examined pS129-α-synuclein aggregates in the substantia nigra, cortex, amygdala and striatum. The extent of dopaminergic neurodegeneration and pS129-α-synuclein aggregation in the brains of CNS-specific ZKSCAN3 knockout mice and CNS-cathepsin D overexpressing mice was similar to that observed in wild-type mice. Our results indicate that neither enhancing cathepsin D expression nor disrupting ZKSCAN3 in the CNS is sufficient to attenuate pS129-α-synuclein aggregate accumulation or dopaminergic neurodegeneration.
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Background: Empirical decisions to select therapies for psoriasis (PSO) and atopic dermatitis (AD) can lead to delays in disease control and increased health care costs. However, routine molecular testing for AD and PSO are lacking. Objective: To examine (1) how clinicians choose systemic therapies for patients with PSO and AD without molecular testing and (2) to determine how often the current approach leads to patients switching medications. Methods: A 20-question survey designed to assess clinician strategies for systemic treatment of AD and PSO was made available to attendees of a national dermatology conference in 2022. Results: Clinicians participating in the survey (265/414, 64% response rate) ranked "reported efficacy" as the most important factor governing treatment choice (P < .001). However, 62% (165/265) of clinicians estimated that 2 or more systemic medications were typically required to achieve efficacy. Over 90% (239/265) of respondents would or would likely find a molecular test to guide therapeutic selection useful. Limitations: To facilitate ease of recall, questions focused on systemic therapies as a whole and not individual therapies. Conclusion: Clinicians want a molecular test to help determine the most efficacious drug for individual patients.