UW Neurological Surgery Recent PubMed Publications

ZFTA-RELA^(+) ependymomas are malignant brain tumours defined by fusions formed between the putative chromatin remodeller ZFTA and the NF-κB mediator RELA¹. Here we show that ZFTA-RELA^(+) cells produce itaconate, a key macrophage-associated immunomodulatory metabolite². Itaconate is generated by cis-aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1; also known as IRG1). However, the production of itaconate by tumour cells and its tumour-intrinsic role are not well established. ACOD1 is upregulated in a...

CONCLUSIONS: SIMPLseq significantly extends the malaria genomic epidemiology toolkit, coupling high-sensitivity P. falciparum genotyping with PCR contamination detection in a simple laboratory protocol that uses only open-source reagents and does not require a costly pre-amplification step. Key prospective use cases for SIMPLseq include recurrent infection classification, polyclonality estimation, and genotypic infection endpoint application to intervention efficacy trials.

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CONCLUSION: Frontline aspiration for M2 occlusions resulted in better clinical and angiographic outcomes compared to SRs. Future trials for MeVO with a focus on contact aspiration thrombectomy may succeed where recent trials have failed.

CONCLUSIONS: Selecting patients for basilar EVT using conventional versus advanced imaging did not result in different clinical outcomes, regardless of treatment time windows. Conventional imaging appears sufficient as a first-line tool for selecting basilar EVT patients in routine clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS: REVOLUTION cohorts A and B demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity in patients with mPDAC. In cohort B, hydroxychloroquine-related tolerability issues contributed to early discontinuations and reduced drug exposure. These findings highlight the potential and limitations of current chemoimmunotherapy approaches. Although neither cohort will be expanded, the results reinforce the continued promise of chemoimmunotherapy in mPDAC and the importance of refining these strategies.

Background Chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs) are associated with high recurrence risks following surgical evacuation. The EMBOLISE trial demonstrated that, compared with surgery alone, adjunctive middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) significantly reduced reoperation rates. However, given the limitations of the clinical end points of the trial, which may be subject to interrater variability and certain biases, the quantitative imaging metrics need to be evaluated. Purpose To evaluate the...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319867.].

CONCLUSION: Baseline BCR has high specificity but limited sensitivity for preoperative continence. Intraoperative BCR loss is a specific but insensitive predictor of postoperative urinary dysfunction. Whilst BCR monitoring aids intraoperative decision-making, further studies are needed to optimise its role in predicting long-term bladder outcomes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The vast majority of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients are managed in regions of low resources. Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is, therefore, uncommon. There is insufficient literature to support evidence-based algorithm construction. We here explore current validated models for sTBI management in the absence of ICP monitoring.

Study DesignSystematic review.ObjectiveTo identify and classify intervertebral foraminal morphologies associated with failed indirect decompression (IND), with the goal of developing a preoperative classification system to assess candidacy for this procedure.MethodsA systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar was conducted. All reported cases of failed indirect decompression secondary to abnormal foraminal morphology were included. Imaging findings were reviewed to identify distinct...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a common comorbidity in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms, which is closely related to the instability of aneurysms. Though anti-hypertension therapy has been recommended by several guidelines, the optimal blood pressure range remains unknown. This trial aims to determine the optimal range of blood pressure by comparing standard blood pressure reduction and intensive blood pressure reduction to reduce the instability of unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

CONCLUSIONS: An institutional experience demonstrated that functional hemispherectomy is a safe and well-tolerated procedure in infants and offers excellent seizure control outcomes in hemispheric-onset epilepsies. The surgical technique, a focus on minimizing operative blood loss, and multidisciplinary care of these patients are critical elements in ensuring the safety and success of this procedure. Future studies are needed to better characterize long-term functional and neurodevelopmental...

CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention for IIH achieved high rates of papilledema resolution and visual improvement, with low long-term failure rates. Each modality showed distinct strengths, limitations, and temporal failure patterns. Papilledema resolution and time to resolution may serve as meaningful clinical endpoints in future multicenter IIH studies.

The respiratory parafacial region (pFRG) contributes critically to central chemoreception, CO(2)/H^(+) homeostasis and the regulation of all major components of the respiratory rhythm. The respiratory rhythm is also modulated by the neuropeptide substance P which is released by tachykinin-1 (Tac1)- expressing neurons. However, how tachykinergic signaling modulates the pFRG region remains incompletely understood. Here we show that substance P (1 µM, 30 nL) microinjected into the ventral pFRG...

Cost-effective approaches for integrating behavioral interventions for problematic alcohol and other drug (AOD) use into HIV care is needed, as problematic AOD is a primary barrier to adherence of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Thus, we investigated the cost-effectiveness of a recently completed pilot trial in South Africa, that showed promising findings in improved adherence of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The trial compared a task-shared, peer-delivered behavioral intervention (known as...

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Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is caused by acceleration-deceleration forces during trauma that shear white matter tracts. Susceptibility-weighted MRI (SWI) identifies microbleeds that are considered the radiologic hallmark of DAI and are used in clinical prognostication. However, this assumption is limited by a lack of systematic radiologic-pathologic correlation studies. Here, we performed ex vivo SWI on three brains from patients who died after severe TBI and assessed axonal injury around SWI...

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In human skin, erythema assessed 24 h after ultraviolet (UV) exposure is a non-invasive method for determining the acute UV response. Although erythema is often reported in murine models as a measure of acute UV response, the most informative timepoint after UV exposure is unclear because of variability in mouse strain, sex, and light source. Our current work addresses this critical gap by elucidating the development of erythema and edema over time after acute UV irradiation with solar-simulator...