Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
HMGCS1 as a Potential Mediator of Resistance to EZH2 Inhibition via Ferroptosis mediated by PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in the Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.
He N, et al
Researchers investigated the role of EZH2, an epigenetic enzyme, in pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs), a rare and often aggressive form of pancreatic cancer with limited treatment options. Analysis of patient databases confirmed that high EZH2 expression correlates with poor prognosis, and laboratory experiments showed that blocking EZH2 with the inhibitor GSK126 suppressed tumor cell proliferation and triggered ferroptosis — an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death — in both cell cultures and mouse tumor models. The team found that GSK126 achieves these effects by suppressing the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, a key driver of cancer cell survival and growth. However, GSK126 also unexpectedly increased the expression of HMGCS1, a gene that reactivates the same pathway and may allow cancer cells to develop resistance to EZH2 inhibition; silencing HMGCS1 enhanced GSK126-induced ferroptosis, confirming its role as a resistance mediator. Crucially, combining GSK126 with everolimus — an mTOR inhibitor already approved for pNEN treatment — produced stronger anti-tumor effects than either drug alone, both in cell cultures and in mice. These findings identify HMGCS1 as a novel resistance mechanism and support the clinical evaluation of EZH2-plus-mTOR inhibitor combinations as a new therapeutic strategy for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.
Endocrine-related cancer
Source →Standardized Perioperative Protocols Are Associated With Reduced Length of Stay and Readmission in Cushing Disease: Results From the Multicenter RAPID Study.
Suryadevara CM, et al
A large multicenter study examined whether standardized perioperative protocols for patients undergoing surgery for Cushing disease—a serious hormonal disorder caused by cortisol-secreting pituitary tumors—improve clinical outcomes across 13 US academic medical centers. Researchers analyzed data from 832 patients in the RAPID registry and found that institutions with established postoperative protocols achieved significantly shorter hospital stays, averaging 3.14 days compared to 3.42 days at centers without protocols, with even greater reductions when protocols were formalized as written documents or embedded in hospital policy. Specific protocol elements most strongly linked to shorter stays included dedicated Cushing disease care pathways, intraoperative checklists, non-narcotic pain management, and target discharge dates of two days or fewer. Intraoperative checklists, non-narcotic pain regimens, nasal packing, and a one-day target discharge date were independently associated with lower 90-day readmission risk. This is the first multicenter study to demonstrate that implementing structured perioperative care pathways in Cushing disease surgery reduces both hospital length of stay and the risk of unplanned readmission, offering a practical framework for institutions seeking to improve surgical care quality for this complex patient population.
Neurosurgery
Source →The Transcription Factor SOX6 Regulates Autophagy Levels Through LAMP5 to Inhibit the Development of Pituitary Adenomas.
Liu Z, et al
A new study published in Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology investigated the molecular role of the transcription factor SOX6 in the development of pituitary adenomas, which are tumors arising from the pituitary gland that can cause serious hormonal and neurological complications. Researchers discovered that SOX6 acts as a tumor suppressor by regulating the cellular self-degradation process known as autophagy through its control of the LAMP5 gene, a lysosomal membrane protein. When SOX6 is active, it drives LAMP5 expression, which in turn modulates autophagy levels in pituitary cells and thereby restrains uncontrolled tumor growth. These findings reveal a previously unknown SOX6–LAMP5–autophagy signaling axis that plays a critical protective role against pituitary adenoma formation. For patients and clinicians, this pathway represents a promising new therapeutic target, as activating or mimicking this axis could open avenues for novel treatments for pituitary tumors that are currently difficult to manage medically.
Applied biochemistry and biotechnology
Source →Mixed Reality-Assisted Osteotomy Guidance for Single-Stage Skull Tumor Resection and Cranial Reconstruction: A Brief Clinical Study.
Hayashi M, et al
Researchers report a clinical case in which mixed reality (MR) technology was used to guide precise bone-cutting (osteotomy) during a single-stage operation combining skull tumor removal and cranial reconstruction. A patient diagnosed with a meningioma that had invaded the skull bone underwent simultaneous tumor resection and reconstruction using a custom-fabricated ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene implant, with the pre-planned surgical blueprint projected as a hologram directly in the surgeon's field of view during the procedure. The three-dimensional dataset used to manufacture the patient-specific implant was imported into the MR device, and the holographic overlay was aligned to the patient's actual anatomy intraoperatively using natural bony landmarks. This approach enabled the surgical team to replicate the pre-planned bone cuts with high fidelity, achieving a perfect implant fit that required no intraoperative trimming and allowing preservation of the frontal sinus. The authors conclude that MR-assisted osteotomy guidance can meaningfully improve the reproducibility of complex pre-planned resections in single-stage cranial reconstruction while sustaining a unified digital workflow from design to surgery. This innovation holds promise for reducing operative complications and improving functional and aesthetic outcomes in patients requiring challenging skull surgeries.
The Journal of craniofacial surgery
Source →Pattern of Intracranial Meningiomas Associated With Prolonged DMPA Use: Systematic Review of Synthetic Progestins and Case Series of DMPA-Associated Intracranial Meningiomas.
Abou-Al-Shaar H, et al
A new study published in Neurosurgery investigated whether long-term use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), a widely used injectable contraceptive, is linked to a distinct pattern of brain tumors called meningiomas. Researchers conducted a systematic review of 32 published studies on progestin-associated meningiomas and a single-center retrospective case-control study comparing 38 women with prolonged DMPA exposure to 57 unexposed controls. Women who used DMPA for a median of nearly 11 years developed meningiomas that were significantly more likely to be multiple, to invade surrounding bone (50% vs. 18%), and to occur in specific skull-base locations such as the cavernous sinus and planum sphenoidale. Virtually all DMPA-associated tumors expressed progesterone receptors (100% vs. 62%), and both tumor multiplicity and progesterone receptor positivity independently predicted DMPA exposure with high statistical strength. These findings have important clinical implications: women presenting with multiple, bone-invasive, progesterone receptor-positive meningiomas should be screened for DMPA use, and clinicians should consider discontinuing the drug and monitoring asymptomatic lesions before proceeding to surgery, a strategy consistent with outcomes seen following withdrawal of other high-dose progestins.
Neurosurgery
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