Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the uterine corpus: a clinicopathological and molecular analysis of 21 cases highlighting a frequent association with DICER1 mutations
Herein we evaluated a series of 21 embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas of the uterine corpus (ucERMS), a rare neoplasm, to characterize their morphology, genomics, and behavior. Patients ranged from 27 to 73 (median 52) years and tumors from 4 to 15 (median 9) cm, with extrauterine disease noted in two.
Follow-up (median 16 months) was available for 14/21 patients; nine were alive and well, four died of disease, and one died from other causes. Most tumors (16/21) showed predominantly classic morphology, comprised of alternating hyper- and hypocellular areas of primitive small cells and differentiating rhabdomyoblasts in a loose myxoid/edematous stroma.
A cambium layer was noted in all; seven had heterologous elements (six with fetal-type cartilage) and eight displayed focal anaplasia. The remaining five neoplasms showed only a minor component (≤20%) of classic morphology, with anaplasia noted in four and tumor cell necrosis in three. The most frequent mutations detected were in DICER1 (14/21), TP53 (7/20), PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway (7/20), and KRAS/NRAS (5/20). Copy-number alterations were present in 10/19 tumors.
Overall, 8/14 DICER1-associated ucERMS showed concurrent loss of function and hotspot mutations in DICER1, which is a feature more likely to be seen in tumors associated with DICER1 syndrome.
Germline data were available for two patients, both DICER1 wild type (one with concurrent loss of function and hotspot alterations). DICER1-associated ucERMS were more likely to show a classic histological appearance including heterologous elements than DICER1-independent tumors.
No differences in survival were noted between the two groups, but both patients with extrauterine disease at diagnosis and two with recurrences died from disease. As no patients had a known personal or family history of DICER1 syndrome, we favor most DICER1-associated ucERMS to be sporadic.
Using molecular dynamics simulations to prioritize and understand AI-generated cell penetrating peptides
Cell-penetrating peptides have important therapeutic applications in drug delivery, but the variety of known cell-penetrating peptides is still limited. With a promise to accelerate peptide development, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques including deep generative models are currently in spotlight.
Scientists, however, are often overwhelmed by an excessive number of unannotated sequences generated by AI and find it difficult to obtain insights to prioritize them for experimental validation. To avoid this pitfall, we leverage molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain mechanistic information to prioritize and understand AI-generated peptides.
A mechanistic score of permeability is computed from five steered MD simulations starting from different initial structures predicted by homology modelling. To compensate for variability of predicted structures, the score is computed with sample variance penalization so that a peptide with consistent behaviour is highly evaluated.
Our computational pipeline involving deep learning, homology modelling, MD simulations and synthesizability assessment generated 24 novel peptide sequences. The top-scoring peptide showed a consistent pattern of conformational change in all simulations regardless of initial structures.
As a result of wet-lab-experiments, our peptide showed better permeability and weaker toxicity in comparison to a clinically used peptide, TAT. Our result demonstrates how MD simulations can support de novo peptide design by providing mechanistic information supplementing statistical inference.
Description: A Monoclonal antibody against Human STAT6 (monoclonal) (M01). The antibodies are raised in mouse and are from clone 6C10. This antibody is applicable in WB, IHC and IF, E
Description: A Monoclonal antibody against Human TXN (monoclonal) (M04). The antibodies are raised in mouse and are from clone 6C10. This antibody is applicable in WB and IF, E
Description: For the quantitative determination of swine tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α) concentrations in cell culture supernates, serum, and plasma.This package insert must be read in its entirety before using this product.
Description: The Mouse Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) ELISA Kit is to be used for the vitro quantitative determination of Mouse TNF-α in serum, plasma, tissue lysates, cell culture supernatants and other biological fluids. The Kit is intended for research use only, not for diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. If detection of other special sample, please contact our technical support.
Description: A monoclonal antibody for detection of TNF Alpha from Human, Mouse, Rat. This TNF Alpha antibody is for WB, IHC-P. It is affinity-purified from mouse ascites by affinity-chromatography using epitope-specific immunogenand is unconjugated. The antibody is produced in mouse by using as an immunogen synthetic peptide
Description: A monoclonal antibody for detection of TNF Alpha from Human, Mouse, Rat. This TNF Alpha antibody is for WB, IHC-P. It is affinity-purified from mouse ascites by affinity-chromatography using epitope-specific immunogenand is unconjugated. The antibody is produced in mouse by using as an immunogen synthetic peptide
Description: A monoclonal antibody for detection of TNF Alpha from Human, Mouse, Rat. This TNF Alpha antibody is for WB, IHC-P. It is affinity-purified from mouse ascites by affinity-chromatography using epitope-specific immunogenand is unconjugated. The antibody is produced in mouse by using as an immunogen synthetic peptide
Description: A monoclonal antibody for detection of TNF Alpha from Human, Mouse, Rat. This TNF Alpha antibody is for WB, IHC-P. It is affinity-purified from mouse ascites by affinity-chromatography using epitope-specific immunogenand is unconjugated. The antibody is produced in mouse by using as an immunogen synthetic peptide
Description: A monoclonal antibody for detection of TNF Alpha from Human, Mouse, Rat. This TNF Alpha antibody is for WB, IHC-P. It is affinity-purified from mouse ascites by affinity-chromatography using epitope-specific immunogenand is unconjugated. The antibody is produced in mouse by using as an immunogen synthetic peptide
Description: A monoclonal antibody for detection of TNF Alpha from Human, Mouse, Rat. This TNF Alpha antibody is for WB, IHC-P. It is affinity-purified from mouse ascites by affinity-chromatography using epitope-specific immunogenand is unconjugated. The antibody is produced in mouse by using as an immunogen synthetic peptide
Sex-based dimorphism of anticancer immune response and molecular mechanisms of immune evasion
Purpose: We previously demonstrated that sex influences response tovimmune-checkpoint inhibitors. Here we investigate sex-based differences in the molecular mechanisms of anticancer immune-response and immune evasion in patients with NSCLC.
Experimental design: We analyzed a) transcriptome-data of 2575 early-stage NSCLCs from 7 different datasets; b) 327 tumor-samples extensively characterized at the molecular level from the TRACERx lung study; c) two independent cohorts of respectively 329 and 391 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with anti-PD1/anti-PDL1 drugs.
Results: As compared with men, the tumor microenvironment (TME) of women was significantly enriched for a number of innate and adaptive immune cell-types, including specific T-cell subpopulations. NSCLCs of men and women exploited different mechanisms of immune evasion.
The TME of females was characterized by significantly greater T-cell dysfunction status, higher expression of inhibitory immune-checkpoint molecules and higher abundance of immune-suppressive cells, including Cancer Associated Fibroblasts, MDSCs and Regulatory T-cells. By contrast, the TME of males was significantly enriched for a T-cells excluded phenotype.
We reported data supporting impaired neoantigens presentation to immune system in tumors of men, as molecular mechanism explaining the findings observed. Finally, in line with our results, we showed significant sex-based differences in the association between TMB and outcome of patients with advanced NSCLC treated with anti-PD1/PDL1 drugs.
Conclusions: We demonstrated meaningful sex-based differences of anticancer immune response and immune evasion mechanisms, that may be exploited to improve immunotherapy efficacy for both women and men.
Serum high-molecular-weight adiponectin and response to dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
A better baseline renal function is associated with a better response to sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Low serum adiponectin is associated with visceral fat accumulation and hepatic steatosis.
We investigated the relationship between baseline serum adiponectin and glycemic response to dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In a randomized, active-controlled, open-label trial, 57 patients with type 2 diabetes and NAFLD were randomized to either the dapagliflozin (5 mg/d) group or the control group.
Both groups were treated for 24 weeks. Serum high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin was measured with an ELISA kit. Visceral fat area (VFA) was measured by dual bioelectrical impedance analysis.
Hepatic steatosis was assessed by the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measured by a transient elastography (FibroScan). Treatment with dapagliflozin significantly decreased HbA1c from 8.4%±1.5% at baseline to 7.4%±1.2% at 24 weeks. Both VFA and CAP decreased in the dapagliflozin group.
Baseline serum HMW adiponectin was negatively correlated with changes in HbA1c from baseline to 24 weeks with dapagliflozin therapy. In the multivariate analysis, baseline HbA1c (β=-0.559, p=0.002) and serum HMW adiponectin (β=0.471, p=0.010) were independent determinants for the change (reduction) in HbA1c.
In the dapagliflozin group, the change in HbA1c was positively correlated with the changes of CAP, but negatively correlated with the change in serum HMW adiponectin. In conclusion, a lower serum level of HMW adiponectin was associated with a better response to dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and NAFLD.Trial registration numberUMIN000022155.
