The piRNA Response to Retroviral Invasion of the Koala Genome.

Antisense Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) guide silencing of established transposons during germline development, and sense piRNAs drive ping-pong amplification of the antisense pool, but how the germline responds to genome invasion is not understood. The KoRV-A gammaretrovirus infects the soma and germline and is sweeping through wild koalas by a combination of horizontal and vertical transfer, allowing direct analysis of retroviral invasion of the germline genome. Gammaretroviruses produce spliced Env mRNAs and unspliced transcripts encoding Gag, Pol, and the viral genome, but KoRV-A piRNAs are almost exclusively derived from unspliced genomic transcripts and are strongly sense-strand biased. Significantly, selective piRNA processing of unspliced proviral transcripts is conserved from insects to placental mammals. We speculate that bypassed splicing generates a conserved molecular pattern that directs proviral genomic transcripts to the piRNA biogenesis machinery and that this "innate" piRNA response suppresses transposition until antisense piRNAs are produced, establishing sequence-specific adaptive immunity.

Platypus and echidna genomes reveal mammalian biology and evolution.

Egg-laying mammals (monotremes) are the only extant mammalian outgroup to therians (marsupial and eutherian animals) and provide key insights into mammalian evolution1,2. Here we generate and analyse reference genomes of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), which represent the only two extant monotreme lineages. The nearly complete platypus genome assembly has anchored almost the entire genome onto chromosomes, markedly improving the genome continuity and gene annotation. Together with our echidna sequence, the genomes of the two species allow us to detect the ancestral and lineage-specific genomic changes that shape both monotreme and mammalian evolution. We provide evidence that the monotreme sex chromosome complex originated from an ancestral chromosome ring configuration. The formation of such a unique chromosome complex may have been facilitated by the unusually extensive interactions between the multi-X and multi-Y chromosomes that are shared by the autosomal homologues in humans. Further comparative genomic analyses unravel marked differences between monotremes and therians in haptoglobin genes, lactation genes and chemosensory receptor genes for smell and taste that underlie the ecological adaptation of monotremes.

Activity and safety of enobosarm, a novel, oral, selective androgen receptor modulator, in androgen receptor-positive, oestrogen receptor-positive, and HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (Study G200802): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, multinational, parallel design, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: The androgen receptor is a tumour suppressor in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The activity and safety of enobosarm, an oral selective androgen receptor modulator, was evaluated in women with oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative, and androgen receptor (AR)-positive disease. METHODS: Women who were postmenopausal (aged ≥18 years) with previously treated ER-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2 were enrolled in a randomised, open-label, multicentre, multinational, parallel design, phase 2 trial done at 35 cancer treatment centres in nine countries. Participants were stratified on the setting of immediately preceding endocrine therapy and the presence of bone-only metastasis and randomly assigned (1:1) to 9 mg or 18 mg oral enobosarm daily using an interactive web response system. The primary endpoint was clinical benefit rate at 24 weeks in those with centrally confirmed AR-positive disease (ie, the evaluable population). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02463032). FINDINGS: Between Sept 10, 2015, and Nov 28, 2017, 136 (79%) of 172 patients deemed eligible were randomly assigned to 9 mg (n=72) or 18 mg (n=64) oral enobosarm daily. Of these 136 patients, 102 (75%) patients formed the evaluable population (9 mg, n=50; 18 mg, n=52). The median age was 60·5 years (IQR 52·3-69·3) in the 9 mg group and 62·5 years (54·0-69·3) in the 18 mg group. The median follow-up was 7·5 months (IQR 2·9-14·1). At 24 weeks, 16 (32%, 95% CI 20-47) of 50 in the 9 mg group and 15 (29%, 17-43) of 52 in the 18 mg group had clinical benefit. Six (8%) of 75 patients who received 9 mg and ten (16%) of 61 patients who received 18 mg had grade 3 or grade 4 drug-related adverse events, most frequently increased hepatic transaminases (three [4%] of 75 in the 9 mg group and two [3%] of 61 in the 18 mg group), hypercalcaemia (two [3%] and two [3%]), and fatigue (one [1%] and two [3%]). Four deaths (one in the 9 mg group and three in the 18 mg group) were deemed unrelated to the study drug. INTERPRETATION: Enobosarm has anti-tumour activity in patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, showing that AR activation can result in clinical benefit, supporting further clinical investigation of selective AR activation strategies for the treatment of AR-positive, ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. FUNDING: GTx.

Getting out of a mammalian egg: the egg tooth and caruncle of the echidna.

In the echidna, after development in utero, the egg is laid in the pouch and incubated for 10 days. During this time, the fetuses develop an egg tooth and caruncle to help them hatch. Using rare and unprecedented access to limited echidna pre- and post-hatching tissues, development of the egg tooth and caruncle were assessed by micro-CT, histology and immunofluorescence. Unlike therian tooth germs that develop by placode invagination, the echidna egg tooth developed by evagination, similar to the first teeth in some reptiles and fish. The egg tooth ankylosed to the premaxilla, rather than forming a tooth root with ligamentous attachment found in other mammals, with loss of the egg tooth associated with high levels of activity odontoclasts and apoptosis. The caruncle formed as a separate mineralisation from the adjacent nasal capsule, and as observed in birds and turtles, the nasal region epithelium on top of the nose expressed markers of cornification. Together, this highlights that the monotreme egg tooth shares many similarities with typical reptilian teeth, suggesting that this tooth has been conserved from a common ancestor of mammals and reptiles.

Longitudinal monitoring of circulating tumor DNA to detect relapse early and predict outcome in early breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Detection of molecular residual disease (MRD) allows for the identification of breast cancer patients at high-risk of recurrence, with the potential that early initiation of treatment at early stages of relapse could improve patient outcomes. The Invitae Personalized Cancer Monitoring™ assay (PCM) is a newly developed next-generation sequencing approach that utilizes up to 50 patient-specific, tumor-informed DNA variants, to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). The ability of the PCM assay to detect MRD before clinical relapse was evaluated. METHODS: The cohort included 61 female patients with high-risk breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Plasma samples were collected before and during neoadjuvant therapy, after surgery and during monitoring. PCM was used to detect ctDNA at each time point. RESULTS: The sensitivity to detect ctDNA in plasma from patients who relapsed during the monitoring phase was 76.9% (10/13). Specificity and positive predictive values were both 100% with all (10/61, 16%) of the patients who had ctDNA detected during the monitoring phase subsequently relapsing. Detection of ctDNA during monitoring was associated with a high-risk of future relapse (HR 37.2, 95% CI 10.5-131.9, p < 0.0001), with a median lead-time from ctDNA detection to clinical relapse of 11.7 months. CONCLUSION: PCM detected ctDNA in patients who relapsed with a long lead-time over clinical relapse, shows strong association with relapse-free survival and may be used to identify patients at high-risk for relapse, allowing for earlier intervention.

The emerging predictive and prognostic role of HER2 in HER2-negative early breast cancer: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Many patients with early breast cancer (eBC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy do not achieve pathological complete response (pCR), which is a prognostic factor. We examined the role of HER2-low expression in predicting pCR and prognosis in HER2-negative eBC. METHODS: We evaluated patients with stage I-III HER2-negative BC, treated between 2013 and 2023 at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London. Tumors were classified based on estrogen receptor (ER) status and into HER2-low and HER2-zero subgroups. We analyzed pCR rates, relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: 754 patients were included in the analysis. pCR rate was 8.9% in the ER+ /HER2-low, 16.5% in the ER+ /HER2-zero, 38.9% in the ER- ER-/HER2-low and 35.9% in the ER-/HER2-zero eBC (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed a significantly lower pCR rate in HER2-low compared to HER2-zero BC in the ER+ subgroup. At a median follow-up of 63.8 months (59.9-67.4), we observed longer OS in HER2-low compared to HER2-zero patients in the overall and in the ER+ population. There was no predictive or prognostic impact of HER2-low status in the ER- population. CONCLUSION: This study supports the interpretation of HER2 status as a possible prognostic and predictive biomarker for HER2-negative eBC, especially among patients with ER+ disease.

Spermatogonial stem cell technologies: applications from human medicine to wildlife conservation†.

Spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) technologies that are currently under clinical development to reverse human infertility hold the potential to be adapted and applied for the conservation of endangered and vulnerable wildlife species. The biobanking of testis tissue containing SSCs from wildlife species, aligned with that occurring in pediatric human patients, could facilitate strategies to improve the genetic diversity and fitness of endangered populations. Approaches to utilize these SSCs could include spermatogonial transplantation or testis tissue grafting into a donor animal of the same or a closely related species, or in vitro spermatogenesis paired with assisted reproduction approaches. The primary roadblock to progress in this field is a lack of fundamental knowledge of SSC biology in non-model species. Herein, we review the current understanding of molecular mechanisms controlling SSC function in laboratory rodents and humans, and given our particular interest in the conservation of Australian marsupials, use a subset of these species as a case-study to demonstrate gaps-in-knowledge that are common to wildlife. Additionally, we review progress in the development and application of SSC technologies in fertility clinics and consider the translation potential of these techniques for species conservation pipelines.

Observations on the reproductive morphology of the female short-beaked echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus.

Although monotremes diverged from the therian mammal lineage approximately 187 million years ago, they retain various plesiomorphic and/or reptilian-like anatomical and physiological characteristics. This study examined the morphology of juvenile and adult female reproductive tracts across various stages of the presumptive oestrous cycle, collected opportunistically from cadaver specimens submitted to wildlife hospitals during the breeding season. In adult females, ovaries had a convoluted cortex with follicles protruding from the ovarian surface. While protruding antral follicles were absent from the ovaries of juvenile echidnas, histological analysis identified early developing primordial and primary follicles embedded into the ovarian cortex. The infundibulum epithelial cells of the oviducts were secretory during the follicular phase but not at other stages, the ampulla region was secretory at all stages and is likely responsible for the mucoid layer deposited around the zona pellucida, and the isthmus region of the oviduct appeared to be responsible for initial deposition of the shell coat, as in marsupials. Female echidnas have two separate uteri, which never merge and enter separately into the urogenital sinus (UGS). This study confirmed that both uteri are functional and increase in glandular activity during the luteal phase. In the juvenile uteri, the endometrium was immature with minimal, small uterine glands. A muscular cervical region at the caudal extremity of each uterus, just before the cranial region of the UGS was defined by the absence of glandular tissue in all female echidnas, including the juveniles. There was no evidence of a definitive vaginal region. A clitoris was also detected that possessed a less developed but similar structural (homologous) anatomy to the male penis; urethral ducts while present did not appear to be patent.

Abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy for HR+, HER2-, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer: a plain language summary of the monarchE study.

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: This article summarizes the most recent results of the monarchE study. This study was completed in participants with a type of breast cancer called HR+, HER2-, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer. In this study, abemaciclib, a non-chemotherapy treatment, was administered with standard of care endocrine therapy after curative surgery. Most participants had received prior chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The study investigated if abemaciclib helped participants live longer without their cancer returning compared with participants who only received standard of care endocrine therapy. The study participants were assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. Participants in Group A were assigned to receive standard of care endocrine therapy with abemaciclib for 2 years, followed by endocrine therapy for a total of at least 5 years. Participants in Group B were assigned to receive standard of care endocrine therapy only for at least 5 years. The effect of treatment was compared between these 2 groups. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?: Overall, the results showed that the cancer was 34% less likely to come back after surgery in the participants in Group A (abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy) compared with those in Group B (endocrine therapy only). At 4 years since the start of the study treatment, more participants who received the combination of abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy remained free of cancer compared with participants who received endocrine therapy alone (86% versus 79%). Participants who received abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy had more side effects than those who received endocrine therapy alone, but most of these effects were mild to moderate and reversible upon the end of therapy. The most common side effects in the abemaciclib group were diarrhea, infections, low number of white blood cells, and tiredness. WHAT DO THE RESULTS MEAN?: This study found that administering abemaciclib in combination with standard endocrine therapy after curative breast surgery helped lower the risk of cancer returning in people with HR+, HER2-, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer. Abemaciclib is a new treatment option for people with this diagnosis. People with high-risk early breast cancer should always talk to their doctors and nurses before making any decisions about their treatment.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03155997 (monarchE study).

Optimization-Based Stable Balancing Weights Versus Propensity Score Weighting for Samples With High Covariate Imbalance.

PURPOSE: To compare the performance (covariate balance, effective sample size [ESS]) of stable balancing weights (SBW) versus propensity score weighting (PSW). Two applied cases were used to compare performance: (Case 1) extreme imbalance in baseline covariates between groups and (Case 2) substantial discrepancy in sample size between groups. METHODS: Using the Premier Healthcare Database, we selected patients who (Case 1) underwent a surgical procedure with one of two different bipolar forceps between January 2000 and June 2020, or (Case 2) a neurological procedure using one of two different nonabsorbable surgical sutures between January 2000 and March 2020. Average treatment effects on the treated (ATT) weights were generated based on selected covariates. SBW was implemented using two techniques: (1) "grid search" to find weights of minimum variance at the lowest target absolute standardized mean difference (SMD); (2) finding weights of minimum variance at prespecified SMD tolerance. PSW and SBW methods were compared on postweighting SMDs, the number of imbalanced covariates, and ESS of the ATT-weighted control group. RESULTS: In both studies, improved covariate balance was achieved with both SBW techniques. All methods suffered from postweighting ESS that was lower than the unweighted control group's original sample size; however, SBW methods achieved higher ESS for the control groups. Sensitivity analyses using SBW to apply variable-specific SMD thresholds increased ESS, outperforming PSW. CONCLUSIONS: In this applied example, the optimization-based SBW method provided ample flexibility with respect to prespecification of covariate balance goals and resulted in better postweighting covariate balance and larger ESS as compared with PSW.

Immunohistochemical characterization of the immune cell response during chlamydial infection in the male and female koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) reproductive tract.

Chlamydiosis is one of the main causes of the progressive decline of koala populations in eastern Australia. While histologic, immunologic, and molecular studies have provided insights into the basic function of the koala immune system, the in situ immune cell signatures during chlamydial infection of the reproductive tract in koalas have not been investigated. Thirty-two female koalas and 47 males presented to wildlife hospitals with clinical signs suggestive of Chlamydia infection were euthanized with the entire reproductive tract collected for histology; immunohistochemistry (IHC) for T-cell (CD3ε, CD4, and CD8α), B-cell (CD79b), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR markers; and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) for Chlamydia pecorum. T-cells, B-cells, and HLA-DR-positive cells were observed in both the lower and upper reproductive tracts of male and female koalas with a statistically significant associations between the degree of the inflammatory reaction; the number of CD3, CD4, CD79b, and HLA-DR positive cells; and the PCR load. CD4-positive cells were negatively associated with the severity of the gross lesions. The distribution of immune cells was also variable according to the location within the genital tract in both male and female koalas. These preliminary results represent a step forward towards further exploring mechanisms behind chlamydial infection immunopathogenesis, thus providing valuable information about the immune response and infectious diseases in free-ranging koalas.

Koala retrovirus genetic diversity and transmission dynamics within captive koala populations.

Koala populations are currently in rapid decline across Australia, with infectious diseases being a contributing cause. The koala retrovirus (KoRV) is a gammaretrovirus present in both captive and wild koala colonies that presents an additional challenge for koala conservation in addition to habitat loss, climate change, and other factors. Currently, nine different subtypes (A to I) have been identified; however, KoRV genetic diversity analyses have been limited. KoRV is thought to be exogenously transmitted between individuals, with KoRV-A also being endogenous and transmitted through the germline. The mechanisms of exogenous KoRV transmission are yet to be extensively investigated. Here, deep sequencing was employed on 109 captive koalas of known pedigree, housed in two institutions from Southeast Queensland, to provide a detailed analysis of KoRV transmission dynamics and genetic diversity. The final dataset included 421 unique KoRV sequences, along with the finding of an additional subtype (KoRV-K). Our analysis suggests that exogenous transmission of KoRV occurs primarily between dam and joey, with evidence provided for multiple subtypes, including nonendogenized KoRV-A. No evidence of sexual transmission was observed, with mating partners found to share a similar number of sequences as unrelated koala pairs. Importantly, both distinct captive colonies showed similar trends. These findings indicate that breeding strategies or antiretroviral treatment of females could be employed as effective management approaches in combating KoRV transmission.

An evaluation of DNA sample source and molecular markers to determine gender in the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus).

The short-beaked echidna is sexually monomorphic such that gender identification without veterinary intervention is challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the most optimal noninvasive genetic source by extracting echidna genomic DNA (gDNA) from fecal scats, plucked hair, and quills to perform genetic sex testing using a range of molecular markers. Sex determination of 14 captive short-beaked echidnas was determined by amplifying isolated DNA from noninvasive samples, targeting two Y chromosome (male-specific) genes (mediator complex subunit 26 Y-gametologue [CRSPY] and anti-Müllerian hormone Y-gametologue [AMHY]), in addition to four confirmed sex-specific RADseq markers. Results of noninvasive samples were compared with blood samples and clinical records. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess accuracy of sex determination of markers for each sample type. The gender of the echidnas was successfully identified on 75% of occasions using fecal samples, 90.6% occasions using hair, and 84.6% occasions with quills. Overall, the male-specific RADseq markers accurately identified the sex of echidnas with all sample types for 90% of animals; compared with 81.5% using CRSPY, and 82.0% using AMHY to identify sex. Collection of hair, quills, and feces provides a useful alternative to invasively collected samples, however, the accuracy of results depends on sample type and genetic marker selected. We found gender determination in the short-beaked echidna was most accurate using four male-specific RADseq markers on gDNA isolated from blood and hair. The noninvasive genetic sexing techniques documented here will inform and facilitate husbandry and genetic management of captive echidna populations.

Abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer (monarchE): results from a preplanned interim analysis of a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy previously showed a significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival and distant relapse-free survival in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2; also known as ERBB2)-negative, node-positive, high-risk, early breast cancer. Here, we report updated results from an interim analysis to assess overall survival as well as invasive disease-free survival and distant relapse-free survival with additional follow-up. METHODS: In monarchE, an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial, adult patients (aged ≥18 years) who had hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive, early breast cancer at a high risk of recurrence with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 were recruited from 603 sites including hospitals and academic and community centres in 38 countries. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by means of an interactive web-based response system (block size of 4), stratified by previous chemotherapy, menopausal status, and region, to receive standard-of-care endocrine therapy of physician's choice for up to 10 years with or without abemaciclib 150 mg orally twice a day for 2 years (treatment period). All therapies were administered in an open-label manner without masking. High-risk disease was defined as either four or more positive axillary lymph nodes, or between one and three positive axillary lymph nodes and either grade 3 disease or tumour size of 5 cm or larger (cohort 1). A smaller group of patients were enrolled with between one and three positive axillary lymph nodes and Ki-67 of at least 20% as an additional risk feature (cohort 2). This was a prespecified overall survival interim analysis planned to occur 2 years after the primary outcome analysis for invasive disease-free survival. Efficacy was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all treated patients. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03155997, and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between July 17, 2017, and Aug 12, 2019, 5637 patients were randomly assigned (5601 [99·4%] were women and 36 [0·6%] were men). 2808 were assigned to receive abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy and 2829 were assigned to receive endocrine therapy alone. At a median follow-up of 42 months (IQR 37-47), median invasive disease-free survival was not reached in either group and the invasive disease-free survival benefit previously reported was sustained: HR 0·664 (95% CI 0·578-0·762, nominal p<0·0001). At 4 years, the absolute difference in invasive disease-free survival between the groups was 6·4% (85·8% [95% CI 84·2-87·3] in the abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy group vs 79·4% [77·5-81·1] in the endocrine therapy alone group). 157 (5·6%) of 2808 patients in the abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy group died compared with 173 (6·1%) of 2829 patients in the endocrine therapy alone group (HR 0·929, 95% CI 0·748-1·153; p=0·50). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (in 548 [19·6%] of 2791 patients receiving abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy vs 24 [0·9%] of 2800 patients in the endocrine therapy alone group), leukopenia (318 [11·4%] vs 11 [0·4%]), and diarrhoea (218 [7·8%] vs six [0·2%]). Serious adverse events occurred in 433 (15·5%) of 2791 patients receiving abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy versus 256 (9·1%) of 2800 receiving endocrine therapy. There were two treatment-related deaths in the abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy group (diarrhoea and pneumonitis) and none in the endocrine therapy alone group. INTERPRETATION: Adjuvant abemaciclib reduces the risk of recurrence. The benefit is sustained beyond the completion of treatment with an absolute increase at 4 years, further supporting the use of abemaciclib in patients with high-risk hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer. Further follow-up is needed to establish whether overall survival can be improved with abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy in these patients. FUNDING: Eli Lilly.

Adjuvant Abemaciclib Combined with Endocrine Therapy: Efficacy Results in monarchE Cohort 1.

The monarchE Cohort 1 patient population was enrolled based on high-risk clinicopathological features that can easily be identified as part of routine clinical breast cancer evaluation. Efficacy data from Cohort 1 demonstrate substantial evidence of benefit for adjuvant abemaciclib+ET in patients with HR+, HER2- early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03155997 [monarchE]).

Testing the efficacy of real-time fMRI neurofeedback for training people who smoke daily to upregulate neural responses to nondrug rewards.

Although the use of nondrug rewards (e.g., money) to facilitate smoking cessation is widespread, recent research has found that such rewards may be least effective when people who smoke cigarettes are tempted to do so. Specifically, among people who smoke, the neural response to nondrug rewards appears blunted when access to cigarettes is anticipated, and this blunting is linked to a decrease in willingness to refrain from smoking to earn a monetary incentive. Accordingly, methods to enhance the value of nondrug rewards may be theoretically and clinically important. The current proof-of-concept study tested if real-time fMRI neurofeedback training augments the ability to upregulate responses in reward-related brain areas relative to a no-feedback control condition in people who smoke. Adults (n = 44, age range = 20-44) who reported smoking >5 cigarettes per day completed the study. Those in the intervention group (n = 22, 5 females) were trained to upregulate brain responses using feedback of ongoing striatal activity (i.e., a dynamic "thermometer" that reflected ongoing changes of fMRI signal intensity in the striatum) in a single neurofeedback session with three training runs. The control group (n = 22, 5 females) underwent a nearly identical procedure but received no neurofeedback. Those who received neurofeedback training demonstrated significantly greater increases in striatal BOLD activation while attempting to think about something rewarding compared to controls, but this effect was present only during the first training run. Future neurofeedback research with those who smoke should explore how to make neurofeedback training more effective for the self-regulation of reward-related brain activities.

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) prostate: a comprehensive histological and immunohistochemical investigation.

The prostate of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), and of marsupials more generally, is the primary contributor of seminal fluid, yet comparatively little is known about its microanatomy or biochemistry. This study explored evidence of parenchymal segmentation of the koala prostate. The prostate of three sexually mature koalas were processed for histopathology, histochemistry (Masson's trichrome, Alcian Blue, periodic acid Schiff staining), and immunohistochemistry using basal (tumor protein 63, cytokeratin 14) and luminal (cytokeratin 8/18, prostate specific antigen, androgen receptor) markers. Results confirmed clear segmentation of the koala prostate into three zones, anterior, central, and posterior, characterized by differences in the proportion of glandular tissue, as well as the thickness of collagen fibers; there were also distinct differences in the secretions produced in each zone. Based on immunohistochemistry, the koala prostate showed evidence of both basal proliferative and luminal secretory cells. The ratio of cell types varied across the three segments, with the central segment housing the highest density of basal cells. Globular bodies produced in the anterior zone were shown to possess the same markers as those described for human prostasomes. This study is the first to comprehensively document the marsupial prostate in terms of microanatomy and corresponding immunohistochemistry. While further biochemical analysis, such as proteomics of each segment will better define the relative functions of each tissue, the data presented here are consistent with the hypothesis that the koala prostate potentially represents an example of an ontological stage in the evolutionary differentiation of male eutherian accessory glands.

Predicting response and toxicity to immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer using antibodies to frameshift neoantigens.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a new class of blood-based biomarkers, anti-frameshift peptide antibodies, for predicting both tumor responses and adverse immune events to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies in advanced lung cancer patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Serum samples were obtained from 74 lung cancer patients prior to palliative PD-(L)1 therapies with subsequently recorded tumor responses and immune adverse events (irAEs). Pretreatment samples were assayed on microarrays of frameshift peptides (FSPs), representing ~ 375,000 variant peptides that tumor cells can be informatically predicted to produce from translated mRNA processing errors. Serum-antibodies specifically recognizing these ligands were measured. Binding activities preferentially associated with best-response and adverse-event outcomes were determined. These antibody bound FSPs were used in iterative resampling analyses to develop predictive models of tumor response and immune toxicity. RESULTS: Lung cancer serum samples were classified based on predictive models of ICI treatment outcomes. Disease progression was predicted pretreatment with ~ 98% accuracy in the full cohort of all response categories, though ~ 30% of the samples were indeterminate. This model was built with a heterogeneous sample cohort from patients that (i) would show either clear response or stable outcomes, (ii) would be administered either single or combination therapies and (iii) were diagnosed with different lung cancer subtypes. Removing the stable disease, combination therapy or SCLC groups from model building increased the proportion of samples classified while performance remained high. Informatic analyses showed that several of the FSPs in the all-response model mapped to translations of variant mRNAs from the same genes. In the predictive model for treatment toxicities, binding to irAE-associated FSPs provided 90% accuracy pretreatment, with no indeterminates. Several of the classifying FSPs displayed sequence similarity to self-proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-FSP antibodies may serve as biomarkers for predicting ICI outcomes when tested against ligands corresponding to mRNA-error derived FSPs. Model performances suggest this approach might provide a single test to predict treatment response to ICI and identify patients at high risk for immunotherapy toxicities.

The efficacy of novel centrifugation-free sperm selection (Io-Lix) on sperm parameters and ICSI reproductive outcomes.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the effect of a novel non-centrifugation method (Io-Lix) of sperm selection on sperm parameters and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) reproductive outcomes? DESIGN: This pilot study elevated the capacity of the Io-Lix sperm selection protocol to improve sperm parameters (concentration, motility and sperm DNA fragmentation) of the neat ejaculate. Once established, the reproductive outcomes of Io-Lix selected spermatozoa were used for autologous and donor oocyte ICSI programmes and their efficacy compared with those using conventional swim-up. RESULTS: Io-Lix sperm selection resulted in lower sperm concentration yield (P < 0.001) and sperm DNA fragmentation (P < 0.001) but higher sperm motility (P < 0.001) when compared with spermatozoa in the neat ejaculate. When compared with swim-up sperm selection the Io-Lix protocol resulted in a 14.7% (P = 0.028) increase in pregnancy rate and 16.3% (P = 0.047) reduction in miscarriages in the autologous ICSI programme. A similar comparison of sperm selection procedures employed for a donor oocyte ICSI programme showed no difference in terms of their respective reproductive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The Io-Lix sperm selection protocol resulted in improved pregnancy rate and reduction in miscarriage when applied to autologous ICSI, which was attributed to a reduction in the proportion of spermatozoa with DNA damage post-selection. A similar finding was not apparent in the donor oocyte programme, which may be associated with the capacity of the donor oocyte to repair sperm DNA post-syngamy.

Trends and patterns of initial percutaneous nephrolithotomy and subsequent procedures among commercially-insured US adults with urinary system stone disease: a 10-year population-based study.

PURPOSE: To describe trends and patterns of initial percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and subsequent procedures from 2010 to 2019 among commercially-insured US adults with urinary system stone disease (USSD). METHODS: Retrospective study of administrative data from the IBM® MarketScan® Database. Eligible patients were aged 18-64 years and underwent PCNL between 1/1/2010 and 12/31/2019. Measures of interest for analysis of trends and patterns included the setting of initial PCNL (inpatient vs. outpatient), percutaneous access (1 vs. 2-step), and the incidence, time course, and type of subsequent procedures (extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy [SWL], ureteroscopy [URS], and/or PCNL) performed up-to 3 years after initial PCNL. RESULTS: A total of 8,348 patients met the study eligibility criteria. During the study period, there was a substantial shift in the setting of initial PCNL, from 59.9% being inpatient in 2010 to 85.3% being outpatient by 2019 (P < 0.001). The proportion of 1 vs. 2-step initial PCNL fluctuated over time, with a low of 15.1% in 2016 and a high of 22.0% in 2019 but showed no consistent yearly trend (P = 0.137). The Kaplan-Meier estimated probability of subsequent procedures following initial PCNL was 20% at 30 days, 28% at 90 days, and 50% at 3 years, with slight fluctuations by initial PCNL year. From 2010 to 2019, the proportion of subsequent procedures accounted for by URS increased substantially (from 30.8 to 51.8%), whereas SWL decreased substantially (from 39.5 to 14.7%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: From 2010 to 2019, PCNL procedures largely shifted to the outpatient setting. Subsequent procedures after initial PCNL were common, with most occurring within 90 days. URS has become the most commonly-used subsequent procedure type.