Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Ochsner J 2020 ;20(2):226-231

Department of Neurosurgery, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare and often focal glioma that most commonly affects children and young adults. Lesions are preferentially supratentorial and superficial, although infratentorial masses have been described, along with occasional involvement of the leptomeninges. The World Health Organization (WHO) categorizes these tumors as grade II, with surgical resection carrying a favorable prognosis. Read More

Acta Radiol 2020 Jun 15:284185120933219. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Department of Pathology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) provides information about the cellular density of tumors. This feature is useful in grading and identifying different tumor types.

Purpose: To assess the value of diffusion restriction and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in differentiating pediatric infratentorial tumors. Read More

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2020 Jul;79(7):777-790

Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the TSC1 or TSC2 gene, is characterized by the growth of hamartomas in several organs. This includes the growth of low-grade brain tumors, known as subependymal giant cell astrocytomas (SEGA). Previous studies have shown differential expression of genes related to the extracellular matrix in SEGA. Read More

Int Rev Neurobiol 2020 13;151:171-183. Epub 2020 May 13.

Epilepsy Center, Guangdong Sanjiu Brain Hospital, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Objective: To explore the strategy of surgical treatment of low-grade brain tumors associated with epilepsy.

Methods: Clinical data of 158 patients with low-grade brain tumors were collected from January 2011 to December 2017 in Guangdong Sanjiu brain hospital. All patients received Preoperative evaluation. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2020 May 8. Epub 2020 May 8.

Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP-USP, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Bairro Monte Alegre, Ribeirao Preto, SP, CEP 14040-901, Brazil.

Introduction: Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common brain tumor that affects the pediatric population. Even though PA is benign and treatment only involves surgery, recurrent or unresectable tumors require chemo- and radiotherapy. Besides BRAF, CDKN2A, or IDH mutations, the hyperactivation of the nuclear factor NF-κB contributes to tumor growth and survival. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2020 May 4. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The discovery of IDH1/2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase) mutation in large scale, genomewide mutational analyses of gliomas has led to profound developments in understanding tumourigenesis, and restructuring of the classification of both high and low grade gliomas. Owing to this progress made in the recognition of molecular markers which predict tumour behavior and treatment response, the increasing importance of adjuvant treatments such as chemo- and radiotherapy, and the tremendous advances in surgical technique and intraoperative monitoring which have facilitated superior extents of resection whilst preserving neurological functioning and quality of life, contemporary management of low grade glioma (LGG) has switched from a passive, observant approach to a more active, interventional one. Furthermore, this has implications for the manner in which patients with incidentally discovered and/or asymptomatic LGG are managed, and this review of the biological behaviour of LGG, as well as its clinical investigation and management, should act as a timely reminder to all clinicians of the importance of referring LGG patients early to a surgical neuro-oncologist who is not only familiar and acquainted with the vagaries of this disease process, but who, in addition, is devoted to delivering care to these patients with the support of a multi-disciplinary clinical decision-making unit, comprising medical neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists and allied health professionals. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2020 May 4;12(5). Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA.

Brain tumors constitute the largest source of oncologic mortality in children and low-grade gliomas are among most common pediatric central nervous system tumors. Pediatric low-grade gliomas differ from their counterparts in the adult population in their histopathology, genetics, and standard of care. Over the past decade, an increasingly detailed understanding of the molecular and genetic characteristics of pediatric brain tumors led to tailored therapy directed by integrated phenotypic and genotypic parameters and the availability of an increasing array of molecular-directed therapies. Read More

J Mol Neurosci 2020 May 4. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Neurosurgery (Divisions of Neuro-oncology) and MUSC Brain & Spine Tumor Program CSB 310, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.

Allelic losses of the q13.3 region of chromosome 19 have been documented in all major types of diffuse gliomas, strongly suggesting the presence of a 19q13.3 tumor suppressor gene responsible for these malignancies. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2020 Apr 27;12(5). Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Tumorbiology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 11, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany.

Despite its significant overexpression in several malignant neoplasms, the expression of RPS27 in the central nervous system (CNS) is widely unknown. We identified the cell types expressing RPS27 in the CNS under normal and disease conditions. We acquired specimens of healthy brain (NB), adult pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) World Health Organization (WHO) grade I, anaplastic PA WHO grade III, gliomas WHO grade II/III with or without isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Read More

J Neurooncol 2020 May 27;148(1):187-198. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Introduction: Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common primary brain neoplasm in children and treated in curative intent with gross total resection (GTR). However, PA is rare in adults, resulting in limited knowledge on the natural clinical course. This study aimed to describe the clinical course and identify prognostic factors of adult patients with PA. Read More

Expert Opin Pharmacother 2020 Apr 27:1-8. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

: Subependymal ependymal giant cell astrocytomas (SEGAs) occur almost exclusively in the setting of tuberous sclerosis (TSC). They are low-grade gliomas which typically produce clinical symptoms through either mass effect or hydrocephalus. As do other manifestations of tuberous sclerosis, these lesions result from mutations in either the or the gene. Read More

Int J Neurosci 2020 May 3:1-6. Epub 2020 May 3.

Department of Oncology, Oncology 1, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy.

Brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTRE) is frequent in patients affected with glioma. Most patients have refractory seizures and require polytherapy. Promising treatment options derive from the development of novel anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), like Eslicarbazepine (ESL), whose role in BTRE has not yet been explored. Read More

Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2020 Apr 15;7(4):429-436. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.

Purpose: Malignant glioma (MG) is the most deadly primary brain cancer. Signaling though the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis is activated in most MGs and therefore a potential therapeutic target. The mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus and the AKT inhibitor perifosine are each well-tolerated as single agents but with limited activity reclinical data demonstrate synergistic anti-tumor effects from combined treatment. Read More

Neurooncol Pract 2020 Jan 13;7(1):4-10. Epub 2019 Aug 13.

Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco.

The treatment of children with low-grade glioma has evolved over the last several decades, beginning initially with focal radiotherapy, which has now been largely replaced by systemic treatment with conventional chemotherapy agents or more recently molecularly targeted therapeutics. A consensus standard of care is not well defined, leaving clinicians and parents to choose from an increasing number of options, often without complete information concerning the associated risks and benefits. Issues critical to this topic include timing of interventions (when to treat), preservation of neurological function (goals of treatment), choice of initial therapy strategy (conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy vs molecularly targeted therapy), duration of treatment (how long, and what clinical or imaging endpoints to consider), and perhaps most important, risk reduction relative to anticipated benefit. Read More

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020 Jul 3;107(4):720-725. Epub 2020 Apr 3.

Miami Cancer Institute, Kendall, Florida.

Purpose: To report the long-term outcomes of the RTOG 0424 study of a high-risk, low-grade glioma population treated with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy (RT).

Methods And Materials: For this single-arm, phase 2 study, patients with low-grade gliomas with ≥3 risk factors (age ≥40 years, astrocytoma, bihemispheric tumor, size ≥6 cm, or preoperative neurologic function status >1) received RT (54 Gy in 30 fractions) with TMZ and up to 12 cycles of post-RT TMZ. The initial primary endpoint P was overall survival (OS) at 3 years after registration. Read More

Int J Cancer 2020 Apr 2. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Institute of Neuropathology, DGNN Brain Tumor Reference Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

Reports on pediatric low-grade diffuse glioma WHO-grade II (DG2) suggest an impaired survival rate, but lack conclusive results for genetically defined DG2-entities. We analyzed the natural history, treatment and prognosis of DG2 and investigated which genetically defined sub-entities proved unfavorable for survival. Within the prospectively registered, population-based German/Swiss SIOP-LGG 2004 cohort 100 patients (age 0. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Mar;99(12):e18815

The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School.

Diffuse gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database provides correlative evidence between altered molecular pathways and gliomas. Dysregulated cholesterol homeostasis emerges as a potential indicator of the pathogenesis of gliomas. Read More

Neurol India 2020 Mar-Apr;68(2):389-393

Department of Neurosurgery, Longyan First Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Longyan, Fujian, China.

Objective: This study aimed to explore metabolic features in the peritumoral tissue of different-rank brain astrocytic tumors using multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) and to estimate its application value in the MRS quantitative ratio of brain astrocytic tumors.

Materials And Methods: A total of 82 patients with brain astrocytic tumors, confirmed by postoperative pathological evaluation, were divided into low-grade astrocytic tumors [World Health Organization (WHO) grade I-II; 32 cases] and high-grade astrocytic tumors (WHO grade III-IV; 50 cases). The semi-quantitative and relative quantitative metabolite ratios of the parenchyma area, peritumoral tissue area, and normal area were measured. Read More

Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020 03 9;8(1):27. Epub 2020 Mar 9.

Department of Neuropathology, University Hospitals Erlangen, Schwabachanalge 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.

Brain tumors represent the second most frequent etiology in patients with focal seizure onset before 18 years of age and submitted to epilepsy surgery. Hence, this category of brain tumors, herein defined as low-grade, developmental, epilepsy-associated brain tumors (LEAT) is different from those frequently encountered in adults as (A): 77% of LEAT occur in the temporal lobe; (B): the vast majority of LEAT are of low malignancy and classified as WHO I°; (C): LEAT are often composed of mixed glial and neuronal cell components and present with variable growth patterns including small cysts or nodules; (D): LEAT do not share common gene driving mutations, such as IDH1 or 1p/19q co-deletions. Characteristic entities comprise the ganglioglioma (GG), the dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT), the angiocentric glioma (AG), the isomorphic diffuse glioma (IDG) and the papillary glio-neuronal tumor (PGNT), representing 73. Read More

J Neurosci Rural Pract 2020 Jan 3;11(1):135-143. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Prognosis of low-grade glioma are currently determined by genetic markers that are limited in some countries. This study aimed to use clinical parameters to develop a nomogram to predict survival of patients with diffuse astrocytoma (DA) which is the most common type of low-grade glioma. Retrospective data of adult patients with DA from three university hospitals in Thailand were analyzed. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2020 May 26;36(5):961-965. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

Service de Génétique Clinique, Chromosomique et Moléculaire, Centre de Compétence des Epilepsies rares (CReER), CHU-Hôpital Nord, Saint Etienne, France.

Purpose: Subependymal giant-cell astrocytomas (SEGAs) are low grade intraventricular tumors typically found in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The occurrence of SEGA in non TSC patients is very rare and from a genetic point of view these so-called solitary SEGA are thought to result either from somatic mutations in one of the TSC genes (TSC1 or TSC2) limited to the tumor, or be part of a "forme fruste" of TSC with somatic mosaicism. We report on three new cases of solitary SEGA with germline and somatic mutation analysis. Read More

Gac Med Mex 2019 ;155(5):439-446

Specialty Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Mexico City, Mexico.

Introduction: Gliomas are neoplasms with high recurrence and mortality. Due to the difficulty to apply the World Health Organization (2016) classification, developing countries continue to use histological evaluation to diagnose and classify these neoplasms.

Objective: To develop a semi-quantitative scale to numerically grade gliomas by its morphological characteristics. Read More

Case Rep Pathol 2020 30;2020:5903863. Epub 2020 Jan 30.

Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Pilocytic astrocytoma is a low-grade glial neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS) that tends to occur in the pediatric population and less commonly presents in adults. Hereditary pilocytic astrocytoma is often associated with germline genetic alterations in the tumor suppressor , the gene responsible for the syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1. Sporadic pilocytic astrocytoma frequently harbors somatic alterations in , with rare pilocytic astrocytomas containing alterations in and . Read More

Life Sci 2020 Apr 15;247:117436. Epub 2020 Feb 15.

Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address:

Background And Aim: Forkhead box protein O4 (FOXO4) is a transcription factor, and aberrant FOXO4 expression is associated with development of various human cancers. This study explored the role of FOXO4 in glioma in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: FOXO4 expression was first assessed in normal brain tissues, low-grade glioma, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), normal human astrocytes (HA), and GBM cell lines, while manipulation of FOXO4 expression in glioma cell lines was assessed using qRT-PCR, Western blot, and cell viability CCK-8, Transwell, and a nude mouse subcutaneous xenograft assays. Read More

BMC Neurol 2020 Feb 17;20(1):59. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Background: Human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) has been extensively investigated in various human cancers including glioma. However, the clinical significance of HLA-E expression in glioma patients has not been elucidated. The current study aimed to investigate the association of HLA-E expression with clinicopathological features and survival in patients with diffuse glioma. Read More

J Neurosurg 2020 Feb 14:1-9. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

1Department of Neurosurgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo.

Objective: The authors aimed to investigate genetic alterations in low-grade gliomas (LGGs) in pediatric and young adult patients presenting with spontaneous hemorrhage.

Methods: Patients younger than 30 years of age with a pathological diagnosis of World Health Organization (WHO) grade I or II glioma and who had undergone treatment at the authors' institution were retrospectively examined. BRAF V600E, FGFR1 N546/K656, IDH1 R132, IDH2 R172, and KIAA1549-BRAF (K-B) fusion genetic alterations were identified, and the presence of spontaneous tumoral hemorrhage was recorded. Read More

Neuro Oncol 2020 Feb 13. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Background: Management of unresectable pediatric low-grade glioma and glioneuronal tumor (LGG/LGGNT) is controversial. There are no validated prognostic features to guide use of radiation therapy (RT). Our study aimed to identify negative prognostic features in patients treated with RT using clinicopathologic and molecular data and validate these findings in an external dataset. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 Feb 7;10(1):2086. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

Department of Radiation Oncology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.

We evaluated prognostic factors of adult low-grade glioma (LGG) according to the new 2016 WHO classification. Records of 153 patients diagnosed with WHO grade II LGG between 2003 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the 2016 WHO classification, 80 patients (52. Read More

Adv Exp Med Biol 2020 ;1225:115-125

Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Brain tumors are complex cellular ecosystems, composed of populations of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic cell types. While the contributions of the cancer cells in low-grade and high-grade gliomas have been extensively studied, there is comparatively less known about the contributions of the non-neoplastic cells in these tumors. As such, a large proportion of the non-neoplastic cells in gliomas are resident brain microglia, infiltrating circulating macrophages, and T lymphocytes. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jan;99(3):e18880

Introduction: Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXA) are rare, typically benign, slow-growing tumors that commonly occur in the cerebral hemispheres. We describe two cases of clinically aggressive PXA with uncommon locations; one was in the tectal plate, and the other had simultaneous multicentric lesions.

Patient Concerns: The both cases presented with severe headache with no significant past medical history. Read More

Neuro Oncol 2020 Jun;22(6):830-837

Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Background: The optimal radiation dose for adult supratentorial low-grade glioma is unknown. The aim of this study was to provide a final update on oncologic and cognitive outcomes of high-dose versus low-dose radiation for low-grade glioma.

Methods: Between 1986 and 1994, 203 patients with supratentorial low-grade glioma were randomized (1:1) to 50. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020 01 20;1:CD009229. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

University of Minnesota, Department of Neurosurgery, 420 Delaware St. SE, D429 Mayo, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 55455.

Background: This is an update of the review originally published in 2011 and first updated in 2015. In most people with low-grade gliomas (LGG), the primary treatment regimen remains a combination of surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. However, the optimal timing of radiotherapy is controversial. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 Apr 14;136:110-116. Epub 2020 Jan 14.

Department of Neurosurgery, National Neurosurgical Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

Background: Angiocentric glioma (AG) is an epileptogenic low grade (World Health Organization grade I) glial tumor with astrocytic and ependymal differentiation, most commonly affecting the pediatric and adolescent population. Despite its infiltrating histological growth kinetics, it is widely accepted that AG has a low potential for aggressive behavior.

Case Description: We present the case of a 42-year-old man who represents the first documented case of not only extracranial manifestation of AG, but also spinal metastatic dissemination. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2020 May 11;36(5):1055-1059. Epub 2020 Jan 11.

Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Riley Hospital for Children, Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Pediatric low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are found in approximately 1-3% of patients with childhood epilepsy that is often medically refractory. Magnetic resonance guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a minimal access technique FDA-approved since 2007 to ablate soft tissue lesions including brain tumors and seizure foci in children. The authors describe the case of an 11-year-old boy who presented with focal right-sided seizures and was found to have a growing left insular mass determined to be a WHO grade II diffuse astrocytoma. Read More

Can J Neurol Sci 2020 Jan 10:1-10. Epub 2020 Jan 10.

Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Technological advances in the field of molecular genetics have improved the ability to classify brain tumors into subgroups with distinct clinical features and important therapeutic implications. The World Health Organization's newest update on classification of gliomas (2016) incorporated isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 mutations, ATRX loss, 1p/19q codeletion status, and TP53 mutations to allow for improved classification of glioblastomas, low-grade and anaplastic gliomas. This paper reviews current advances in the understanding of diffuse glioma classification and the impact of molecular markers and DNA methylation studies on survival of patients with these tumors. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2020 Mar 2;36(3):641-646. Epub 2020 Jan 2.

Department of Neurosurgery, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226014, India.

Background: Angiocentric glioma (AG) is a relatively uncommon clinico-pathological entity that presents in childhood. Angiocentric glioma displays various histopathological features which resemble cortical ependymoma, astroblastoma, and pilomyxoid astrocytoma and schwannoma. The astrocytes in angiocentric glioma appear peculiarly elongated, bipolar in shape, and characteristically arranged around blood vessels. Read More

Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2020 Mar 27;190:105652. Epub 2019 Dec 27.

Department of Neurosurgery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Objective: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS). Despite the progress in therapeutic strategies such as surgical techniques, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, prognosis and therapeutically convenient monitoring tools in patients with GBM has not improved significantly up to now.Therefore, exosomal miRNAs as novel non-invasive biomarkers having high sensitivity and specificity are required to improve diagnosis and to develop new targeted therapy strategies for GBM patients. Read More

Pediatr Blood Cancer 2020 04 25;67(4):e28134. Epub 2019 Dec 25.

Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Nemours Children's Specialty Care and Wolfson Children's Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida.

Background/purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose, toxicities, and response of sirolimus combined with oral metronomic therapy in pediatric patients with recurrent and refractory solid and brain tumors.

Procedure: Patients younger than 30 years of age with recurrent, refractory, or high-risk solid and brain tumors were eligible. Patients received six-week cycles of sirolimus with twice daily celecoxib, and alternating etoposide and cyclophosphamide every three weeks, with Bayesian dose escalation over four dose levels (NCT01331135). Read More

Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2019 Dec 23. Epub 2019 Dec 23.

Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

Aims: DNA methylation-based central nervous system (CNS) tumour classification has identified numerous molecularly distinct tumour types, and clinically relevant subgroups among known CNS tumour entities that were previously thought to represent homogeneous diseases. Our study aimed at characterizing a novel, molecularly defined variant of glioneuronal CNS tumour.

Patients And Methods: DNA methylation profiling was performed using the Infinium MethylationEPIC or 450 k BeadChip arrays (Illumina) and analysed using the 'conumee' package in R computing environment. Read More

Insights Imaging 2019 Dec 18;10(1):122. Epub 2019 Dec 18.

Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.

The adult diffusely infiltrating low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are typically IDH mutant and slow-growing gliomas having moderately increased cellularity generally without mitosis, necrosis, and microvascular proliferation. Supra-total resection of LGG significantly increases the overall survival by delaying malignant transformation compared with a simple debulking so accurate MR diagnosis is crucial for treatment planning. Data from meta-analysis support the addition of diffusion and perfusion-weighted MR imaging and MR spectroscopy in the diagnosis of suspected LGG. Read More

Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics 2019 08 5;17(4):465-471. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address:

Gliomas are one of the most common types of brain cancers. Numerous efforts have been devoted to studying the mechanisms of glioma genesis and identifying biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. To help further investigations, we present a comprehensive database named GliomaDB. Read More

BMC Neurol 2019 Dec 5;19(1):313. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, No.119 South Fourth Ring West Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, China.

Background: Many peripheral blood biomarkers are associated with glioma grade, but eosinophils (Eo) are scarcely reported. This study assessed preoperative peripheral eosinophil levels and other peripheral biomarkers presented in prior literature, probing their associations and diagnostic value in the grading of glioma, including its most aggressive type, glioblastoma (GBM).

Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with neuroepithelial tumors were included and divided into low-grade glioma (LGG)/high-grade glioma (HGG) groups and non-GBM/GBM groups separately. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 Mar 28;135:e137-e163. Epub 2019 Nov 28.

Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran-Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

Background: Bioinformatics analysis integrating microenvironmental factors and single cell analysis segregated the glioblastoma (GBM) subtype into 3 subtypes: proneural, classic, and mesenchymal. Mesenchymal GBM tends to have the worst survival but benefits from aggressive treatment protocols. Therefore, it is clinically meaningful to identify relevant biomarkers to distinguish the mesenchymal subtype. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2020 Jun 27;36(6):1315-1318. Epub 2019 Nov 27.

Center for Data Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, 6 Wood Center, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.

Developmental venous anomalies (DVAs) are the most common type of cerebrovascular malformation and are considered benign. There are a few literature studies associating DVA with brain tumors, suggesting a possible underlying predisposition in these patients for tumor neogenesis. We report a 7-year-old female with a complex DVA who developed a low-grade astrocytoma in the opposite hemisphere. Read More

J Cancer 2019 17;10(25):6314-6326. Epub 2019 Oct 17.

Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Berlin, Germany.

: Pediatric low-grade glioma [PLGG] is often a chronic progressive disease requiring multiple treatments, i.e. surgery, chemotherapy and irradiation. Read More

J Neurooncol 2020 Jan 23;146(1):41-53. Epub 2019 Nov 23.

The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.

Introduction: Malignant astrocytomas are composed of heterogeneous cell populations. Compared to grade IV glioblastoma, low-grade astrocytomas have more differentiated cells and are associated with a better prognosis. Therefore, inducing cellular differentiation to alter the behaviour of high-grade astrocytomas may serve as a therapeutic strategy. Read More

J Photochem Photobiol B 2019 Dec 16;201:111640. Epub 2019 Oct 16.

Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Cantonale Ospedaliero, Torricella-Taverne, Switzerland.

Fluorescence image guided surgical resection (FIGR) of high grade gliomas (HGGs) takes advantage of the accumulation of the tracer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in glioma cells following administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Occasionally, PpIX fluorescence intensity may be insufficient, thus compromising the efficacy and precision of the surgical intervention. The cause for the signal variation is unclear and strategies to improve the intensity of PpIX fluorescence are considered necessary. Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2019 Nov 15:1-5. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

1Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery and.

Objective: Solitary posterior fossa low-grade glial tumors (SPFLGT) in children are rarely associated with leptomeningeal dissemination (LMD). To date, there are no clear guidelines regarding the role of screening and surveillance spinal MRI (sMRI) in children with SPFLGT, at diagnosis or during follow-up periods. The current study reviews a cohort of children with SPFLGT, focusing on sMRI findings. Read More

BMC Med Genomics 2019 11 15;12(1):165. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Dadao Bei Street 1838#, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.

Background: Previously developed classifications of glioma have provided enormous advantages for the diagnosis and treatment of glioma. Although the role of alternative splicing (AS) in cancer, especially in glioma, has been validated, a comprehensive analysis of AS in glioma has not yet been conducted. In this study, we aimed at classifying glioma based on prognostic AS. Read More

Virchows Arch 2020 May 9;476(5):763-772. Epub 2019 Nov 9.

Department of Human Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) are rare, highly malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system that predominantly occur in infants, and are characterized by the presence of rhabdoid cells and inactivation of INI1 or (extremely rarely) BRG1. The vast majority of AT/RT are recognized as primary tumors; however, rare AT/RT or INI1-deficient RT arising from other primary tumors have been reported. To better characterize secondary RT, we performed a histological and molecular analysis of four RT arising from pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA), anaplastic PXA, low-grade astrocytoma, or ependymoma. Read More