Spatial and temporal intra-tumoral heterogeneity in advanced HGSOC: Implications for surgical and clinical outcomes.

Limited evidence exists on the impact of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) on tumor evolution, clinical outcomes, and surgical operability. We perform systematic multi-site tumor mapping at presentation and matched relapse from 49 high-tumor-burden patients, operated up front. From SNP array-derived copy-number data, we categorize dendrograms representing tumor clonal evolution as sympodial or dichotomous, noting most chemo-resistant patients favor simpler sympodial evolution. Three distinct tumor evolutionary patterns from primary to relapse are identified, demonstrating recurrent disease may emerge from pre-existing or newly detected clones. Crucially, we identify spatial heterogeneity for clinically actionable homologous recombination deficiency scores and for poor prognosis biomarkers CCNE1 and MYC. Copy-number signature, phenotypic, proteomic, and proliferative-index heterogeneity further highlight HGSOC complexity. This study explores HGSOC evolution and dissemination across space and time, its impact on optimal surgical cytoreductive effort and clinical outcomes, and its consequences for clinical decision-making.

The number of tree species on Earth.

One of the most fundamental questions in ecology is how many species inhabit the Earth. However, due to massive logistical and financial challenges and taxonomic difficulties connected to the species concept definition, the global numbers of species, including those of important and well-studied life forms such as trees, still remain largely unknown. Here, based on global ground-sourced data, we estimate the total tree species richness at global, continental, and biome levels. Our results indicate that there are ∼73,000 tree species globally, among which ∼9,000 tree species are yet to be discovered. Roughly 40% of undiscovered tree species are in South America. Moreover, almost one-third of all tree species to be discovered may be rare, with very low populations and limited spatial distribution (likely in remote tropical lowlands and mountains). These findings highlight the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity to anthropogenic changes in land use and climate, which disproportionately threaten rare species and thus, global tree richness.