bims-netuvo Biomed News
on Nerves in tumours of visceral organs
Issue of 2023–01–15
seven papers selected by
Maksym V. Kopanitsa, The Francis Crick Institute
  1. Understanding and modeling nerve-cancer interactions.
  2. Construction of a pancreatic cancer nerve invasion system using brain and pancreatic cancer organoids.
  3. Predicting Tumor Perineural Invasion Status in High-Grade Prostate Cancer Based on a Clinical-Radiomics Model Incorporating T2-Weighted and Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images.
  4. Surgical Management of Peripheral Nerve Pathology in Patients With Neurofibromatosis Type 2.
  5. Cutaneous and Subcutaneous Perineuriomas in 2 Pediatric Patients.
  6. Monophasic synovial sarcoma mimicking schwannoma: a case report of a rare peripheral nerve tumor and literature review.
  7. Bipolar spectrum in prostate cancer patients and its role in stress related symptoms.
  1. Dis Model Mech. 2023 Jan 01. pii: dmm049729. [Epub ahead of print]16(1):
    Understanding and modeling nerve-cancer interactions.
    Thanh T Le, Madeleine J Oudin.
      The peripheral nervous system plays an important role in cancer progression. Studies in multiple cancer types have shown that higher intratumoral nerve density is associated with poor outcomes. Peripheral nerves have been shown to directly regulate tumor cell properties, such as growth and metastasis, as well as affect the local environment by modulating angiogenesis and the immune system. In this Review, we discuss the identity of nerves in organs in the periphery where solid tumors grow, the known mechanisms by which nerve density increases in tumors, and the effects these nerves have on cancer progression. We also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of current in vitro and in vivo models used to study nerve-cancer interactions. Increased understanding of the mechanisms by which nerves impact tumor progression and the development of new approaches to study nerve-cancer interactions will facilitate the discovery of novel treatment strategies to treat cancer by targeting nerves.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Innervation; Models
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/dmm.049729
  2. J Tissue Eng. 2023 Jan-Dec;14:14 20417314221147113
    Construction of a pancreatic cancer nerve invasion system using brain and pancreatic cancer organoids.
    Chenyun Song, Xinyu Chen, Jixin Ma, Hada Buhe, Yang Liu, Hexige Saiyin, Lixiang Ma.
      Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a fatal malignancy in the human abdominal cavity that prefers to invade the surrounding nerve/nerve plexus and even the spine, causing devastating and unbearable pain. The limitation of available in vitro models restricts revealing the molecular mechanism of pain and screening pain-relieving strategies to improve the quality of life of end-stage PC patients. Here, we report a PC nerve invasion model that merged human brain organoids (hBrO) with mouse PC organoids (mPCO). After merging hBrOs with mPCOs, we monitored the structural crosstalk, growth patterns, and mutual interaction dynamics of hBrO with mPCOs for 7 days. After 7 days, we also analyzed the pathophysiological statuses, including proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation. The results showed that mPCOs tend to approximate and intrude into the hBrOs, merge entirely into the hBrOs, and induce the retraction/shrinking of neuronal projections that protrude from the margin of the hBrOs. The approximating of mPCOs to hBrOs accelerated the proliferation of neuronal progenitor cells, intensified the apoptosis of neurons in the hBrOs, and increased the expression of inflammatory molecules in hBrOs, including NLRP3, IL-8, and IL-1β. Our system pathophysiologically replicated the nerve invasions in mouse GEMM (genetically engineered mouse model) primary and human PCs and might have the potential to be applied to reveal the molecular mechanism of nerve invasion and screen therapeutic strategies in PCs.
    Keywords:  Pancreatic cancer; brain organoid; inflammation; nerve invasion; pancreatic cancer organoid
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/20417314221147113
  3. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Dec 23. pii: 86. [Epub ahead of print]15(1):
    Predicting Tumor Perineural Invasion Status in High-Grade Prostate Cancer Based on a Clinical-Radiomics Model Incorporating T2-Weighted and Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images.
    Wei Zhang, Weiting Zhang, Xiang Li, Xiaoming Cao, Guoqiang Yang, Hui Zhang.
       PURPOSE: To explore the role of bi-parametric MRI radiomics features in identifying PNI in high-grade PCa and to further develop a combined nomogram with clinical information.
    METHODS: 183 high-grade PCa patients were included in this retrospective study. Tumor regions of interest (ROIs) were manually delineated on T2WI and DWI images. Radiomics features were extracted from lesion area segmented images obtained. Univariate logistic regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method were used for feature selection. A clinical model, a radiomics model, and a combined model were developed to predict PNI positive. Predictive performance was estimated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curves.
    RESULTS: The differential diagnostic efficiency of the clinical model had no statistical difference compared with the radiomics model (area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.766 and 0.823 in the train and test group, respectively). The radiomics model showed better discrimination in both the train cohort and test cohort (train AUC: 0.879 and test AUC: 0.908) than each subcategory image (T2WI train AUC: 0.813 and test AUC: 0.827; DWI train AUC: 0.749 and test AUC: 0.734). The discrimination efficiency improved when combining the radiomics and clinical models (train AUC: 0.906 and test AUC: 0.947).
    CONCLUSION: The model including radiomics signatures and clinical factors can accurately predict PNI positive in high-grade PCa patients.
    Keywords:  PNI; bi-parametric MRI; nomogram; prostate cancer; radiomics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15010086
  4. Neurosurgery. 2023 Feb 01. 92(2): 317-328
    Surgical Management of Peripheral Nerve Pathology in Patients With Neurofibromatosis Type 2.
    Matthieu Peyre, Suzanne Tran, Béatrice Parfait, Isabelle Bernat, Franck Bielle, Michel Kalamarides.
       BACKGROUND: Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is rare genetic disorder mainly characterized by the development of central nervous system lesions, but peripheral nerve pathology may also cause high morbidity including pain, motor, and sensory loss.
    OBJECTIVE: To describe the tumor burden of patients with peripheral nerve pathology in NF2 including peripheral neuropathies and schwannomas and the results of surgery in the latter group.
    METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients with NF2 followed up at our NF2 Reference Center to include all patients suffering from peripheral nerve pathology. Tumor detection relied on focal MRIs based on symptoms.
    RESULTS: Thirty-four patients harboring 105 peripheral nerve schwannomas and 1 perineurioma were included. Schwannomas were mainly located in major nerves (n = 74, 71%) compared with subcutaneous (n = 23, 22%) and intramuscular (n = 8, 7%) cases. Most schwannomas (81/90-90%) were classical discrete tumors while multinodular cases represented only 9 cases (10%). During follow-up, 63 (60%) tumors were operated in 24 patients, including 39 schwannomas of major nerves. A complete resection was achieved in most of the cases (52/63, 83%) with a complete relief of preoperative pain in most patients (57/60, 95%). Persistent motor deficits (5/39, 13%) were mostly encountered in patients operated from multinodular schwannomas (4/5, 80%). Six patients had an associated peripheral neuropathy with 5 cases of pseudo-Charcot-Marie-Tooth-associated amyotrophy.
    CONCLUSION: Surgery remains a safe and effective method of treating peripheral nerve schwannoma-associated pain in NF2, with the exception of rare multinodular tumors. Special attention should be drawn to patients harboring severely debilitating neuropathies and perineuriomas.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1227/neu.0000000000002202
  5. Cutis. 2022 Nov;110(5): 277-280
    Cutaneous and Subcutaneous Perineuriomas in 2 Pediatric Patients.
    Priscilla R Lyon, Brooke Burgess, Elyssa A Berg, Martin P Fernandez, Debby Rampisela.
      Perineuriomas are rare benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors that can present in a variety of locations with varying histologic patterns, most commonly in young to middle-aged adults; they are particularly rare in the pediatric population. Perineuriomas have a distinctive constellation of morphologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural characteristics that allows for distinction from other benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors. We present 2 cases of perineuriomas that arose as cutaneous lesions in children.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.12788/cutis.0644
  6. Neurol Res. 2023 Jan 08. 1-8
    Monophasic synovial sarcoma mimicking schwannoma: a case report of a rare peripheral nerve tumor and literature review.
    Crescenzo Capone, Alessandra Turrini, Giulio Rossi, Vanni Veronesi, Carlo Sacco, Guido Staffa.
       INTRODUCTION: Synovial sarcomas occurring as primary nerve tumors (SSPN) are rare and only 69 cases of SSPNs are reported in literature. Despite the little data available, SSPNs differ from other SSs in some distinctive aspects such as epidemiology, location, and early onset of symptoms. SSPN are consequently underdiagnosed and easily mistaken for benign or malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST). Therefore, cytogenetic or molecular testing becomes essential in order to make a correct diagnosis. This article deals with an extremely rare case of monophasic SSPN of the posterior cords of the right brachial plexus. To our knowledge, this is only the tenth case of intraneural synovial sarcoma involving the brachial plexus.
    CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 64-year-old man, who came to our attention due to a slow-growing painful right axillary neoformation, approximately 25 mm in size. The patient did not show any neurological impairments. Ultrasonography and constrast MRI showed a heterogeneous mass arising from the posterior cord of the right brachial plexus, resembling a schwannoma. The patient underwent total resection of tumor and capsule. Histologically, a diagnosis of monophasic synovial sarcoma was made based on histologic features and the immunohistochemical profile.
    CONCLUSIONS: We report a rare primary synovial sarcoma of the brachial plexus. Given its rarity, the diagnosis may be challenging and requires a core biopsy or the surgical specimen to permit immune-molecular analysis. Margin-free surgery is the mainstay of curative treatment, while chemo- or radiotherapy may have a role in advanced or margin-positive neoplasms.
    Keywords:  Schwannoma; Synovial sarcoma; brachial plexus; mimic; peripheral nerve tumor
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/01616412.2022.2164446
  7. Psychooncology. 2023 Jan 11.
    Bipolar spectrum in prostate cancer patients and its role in stress related symptoms.
    Adrian Andrzej Chrobak, Mikołaj Przydacz, Marcin Chłosta, Karolina Machalska, Aleksander Turek, Maja Popiół, Michał Skalski, Aleksandra Arciszewska-Leszczuk, Piotr Chłosta, Marcin Siwek, Dominika Dudek.
       BACKGROUND: Studies show significant co-occurrence of bipolar disorder and prostate cancer, as well as the presence of shared genes associated with both diseases. Our aim was to evaluate whether prostate cancer patients present bipolar spectrum symptoms and to establish their possible associations with stress related symptoms during diagnosis and the course of the cancer therapy.
    METHODS: 200 participants were enrolled to this study: 100 prostate cancer patients and 100 healthy males. Bipolar spectrum symptoms were measured with the use of Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and Hypomania Checklist-32 (HCL-32). Stress related symptoms were rated with The Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) and Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES).
    RESULTS: In comparison to healthy controls group, prostate cancer patients have shown higher HCL-32 scores. MDQ measures were associated with more severe stress related to prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment reflected by higher scores of IES-R and its subscales (Avoidance, Intrusions and Hyperarousal). MDQ, HCL-32, PSS-10, IES-R and GSES measures were not associated with clinical characteristics of prostate cancer severity.
    LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional study model precluded identification of causal relationship among variables. Bipolar spectrum symptoms and stress related measures were based on auto-questionnaires CONCLUSIONS: To our best knowledge, this is the first study evaluating bipolar spectrum symptoms in prostate cancer patients. We have shown that this clinical group presents increased bipolarity traits compared to healthy individuals. Moreover, bipolar spectrum symptoms were associated with more severe stress related to the prostate cancer diagnosis and its treatment, reflected in avoidance, hyperarousal, and intrusions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
    Keywords:  affective disorders; bipolar disorder; cancer; comorbidity; mood disorders; oncology; prostate cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.6096
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