Treatment barriers and clinical outcome of children with medulloblastoma in China: a report from the Chinese Children’s Cancer Group (CCCG)

Background Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant central nervous system tumor of childhood. Management requires interdisciplinary care and is associated with unique challenges in developing regions. Here, we report the characteristics, clinical outcome and treatment barriers for Chinese children with MB based on a multi-institutional cohort from the Chinese Children’s Cancer Group (CCCG). Methods Retrospective cohort study among 12 Chinese pediatric oncology units from the CCCG Brain Tumor Workgroup on patients aged < 18 years diagnosed with MB from 2016-2019. Results 221 patients (male:female = 138:83) were included, 175 (79%) were ≥ 3 years of age, and 46 (21%) < 3 years. 177 patients (80%) were completely staged, among which 50 (28%) had metastasis and 70 (40%) were considered to have high-risk (HR) disease. Gross/near-total resection was achieved in 203 patients (92%). In patients where molecular grouping could be assigned, 19 (16%), 35 (29%), and 65 (54%) respectively had WNT-activated, SHH-activated, and Group 3/4 MB. The median duration between resection and initiation of adjuvant therapy was 36 days. Respective 2-year PFS and OS rates were 76.0%±3.0% and 88.0%±2.3%. PFS was significantly associated with age, metastatic status and clinical risk grouping. Chemotherapy use during CSI or alkylator choice were not significant predictors for patient outcome. Conclusions We reported the clinical profiles and outcome from the largest cohort of Chinese children with MB after multi-modal therapy. Strengths and limitations on the local provision of neuro-oncology service are identified.

Current Status of Soybean Anthracnose Associated with Colletotrichum truncatum in Brazil and Argentina

Brazil and Argentina have a combined soybean area of 53.6 million hectares, which accounts for over half of the total global production. The soybean crop in South America extends from latitude 8–10° S to 32–36° S. Such a vast, almost contiguous area imposes a serious sanitary risk to the crop. Currently, the prevalence of anthracnose is increasing, with recurring reports of severe epidemics and expressive yield losses. Soybean anthracnose is mainly associated with Colletotrichum truncatum, although other Colletotrichum species have also been reported as causal agents of this disease. Knowledge about the morphological, cultural, and molecular variability of C. truncatum in South America is crucial for disease management. Here, we present data on the molecular, morphological, biological, cultural, and pathogenicity of C. truncatum isolates collected in Brazil and Argentina. Light microscopy and randomly-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis were used for estimating the variability of isolates. Colletotrichum truncatum displayed three types of conidiogenesis, viz. conidial formation from conidiogenous cells on hyphal extremities, in conidiomas in acervuli, and directly from fertile setae (a mechanism yet-unreported for C. truncatum). RAPD profiling was effective in revealing the genetic diversity among C. truncatum isolates. The intra-group similarity was greater among the Argentinian isolates when compared to the Brazilian group. Furthermore, the results indicated a strong correlation between geographical origin and molecular grouping, with the exclusive or semi-exclusive assembling of Brazilian and Argentinian isolates in distinct clades. Finally, a preliminary account of the reaction of soybean accessions to C. truncatum is also included.

Molecular grouping and outcomes of young children with newly diagnosed ependymoma treated on the multi-institutional SJYC07 trial

Background This report documents the clinical characteristics, molecular grouping, and outcome of young children with ependymoma treated prospectively on a clinical trial. Methods Fifty-four children (aged ≤3 y) with newly diagnosed ependymoma were treated on the St Jude Young Children 07 (SJYC07) trial with maximal safe surgical resection, 4 cycles of systemic chemotherapy, consolidation therapy using focal conformal radiation therapy (RT) (5-mm clinical target volume), and 6 months of oral maintenance chemotherapy. Molecular groups were determined by tumor DNA methylation using Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip and profiled on the German Cancer Research Center/Molecular Neuropathology 2.0 classifier. Results One of the 54 study patients had metastases (cerebrospinal fluid positive) at diagnosis. Gross or near-total resection was achieved in 48 (89%) patients prior to RT. At a median follow-up of 4.4 years (range, 0.2–10.3 y), 4-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 75.1% ± 7.2%, and overall survival was 92.6% ± 4.4%. The molecular groups showed no significant difference in PFS (4-year estimates: posterior fossa ependymoma group A [PF-EPN-A; 42/54], 71.2% ± 8.3%; supratentorial ependymoma positive for v-rel avian reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog A [ST-EPN-RELA; 8/54], 83.3% ± 17.0%; and supratentorial ependymoma positive for Yes-associated protein [4/54], 100%, P = 0.22). Subtotal resection prior to RT was associated with an inferior PFS compared with gross or near-total resection (4-year PFS: 41.7% ± 22.5% vs 79.0% ± 7.1%, P = 0.024), as was PF-EPN-A group with 1q gain (P = 0.05). Histopathologic grading was not associated with outcomes (classic vs anaplastic; P = 0.89). Conclusions In this prospectively treated cohort of young children with ependymoma, ST-EPN-RELA tumors had a more favorable outcome than reported from retrospective data. Histologic grade did not impact outcome. PF-EPN-A with 1q gain and subtotal resection were associated with inferior outcomes.

Karakter Morfologis dan Genetik Jamur Tiram (Pleurotus spp.)

Hutan tropis Indonesia merupakan salah satu pusat keanekaragaman hayati di dunia, yang salah satu di antaranya ialah jamur tiram (Pleurotus spp.). Penelitian ini bertujuan mempelajari karakteristik morfologi dan genetik delapan isolat Pleurotus spp.. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan September 2005 sampai April 2006 di Laboratorium Patologi Hutan dan Lab. Silvikultur, serta Lab. Bioteknologi Kehutanan dan Mikrobiologi Molekuler, Pusat Studi Hayati, Institut Pertanian Bogor. Tubuh buah delapan isolat jamur digunakan sebagai bahan pengamatan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tubuh buah delapan isolat jamur memiliki warna putih, coklat, atau merah jambu, dengan atau tanpa tangkai, bentuk tudung berupa lingkaran penuh atau setengah lingkaran. Amplifikasi dengan primer RAPD OPO11 menghasilkan 12 pita, satu pita bersifat monomorfik dan 11 pita lainnya bersifat polimorfik yang menunjukkan keragaman pada delapan isolat jamur tiram yang dipelajari. Pengelompokan berdasarkan pola pita amplifikasi primer RAPD tersebut menghasilkan tiga kelompok isolat. Kelompok I terdiri atas isolat Pleurotus sp.17, Pleurotus sp.16, Pleurotus sp.21, Pleurotus sp.27, dan Pleurotus sp.9, kelompok II terdiri atas isolat Pleurotus sp.4 dan Pleurotus sp.5, serta kelompok III yang hanya berisi satu isolat yaitu Pleurotus sp.24. Pengelompokan berdasarkan marka RAPD tersebut sejalan dengan karakteristik morfologinya. Informasi mengenai karakter morfologis dan genetik jamur tiram diharapkan akan bermanfaat untuk pengembangannya sebagai komoditas jamur komersial.<br /><br />Indonesian rainforest is one of the world’s centers of biodiversity, which one of them is the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.). This research was aimed to determine the morphological and genetic characteristics of eight isolates of Pleurotus spp.. The research was conducted from September 2005 to April 2006 at Forestry Pathology Laboratirum and Silvyculture Lab., and Forestry Biotechnology Lab. and Molecular Microbiology, Center of Biology Study, Agricultural Bogor Institute. The mushroom fruit body of the eight isolates was used as the material for observation of morphological and genetic characters. The results showed that the fruit body of eight isolates exhibited white, brown, or pink in color, with or without stalk, and full or half circle of cap shape. Amplification with RAPD primers OPO11 produced 12 bands, which one band was monomorphic while the others were polymorphic that showed the variability of the eight oyster mushroom isolates. Clustering based on banding patterns of amplification primers resulted in three groups. Group I consisted of Pleurotus sp.17, Pleurotus sp.16, Pleurotus sp.21, Pleurotus sp.27, and Pleurotus sp.9 isolates. Group II included Pleurotus sp.4 and Pleurotus sp.5 isolates, while the third group contained only one isolate i.e. Pleurotus sp.24. The molecular grouping was in line with the morphological characters. Information of morphological and genetic characteristics will hopefully give benefit for the development of the oyster mushroom as one of the commercial commodities.<br /><br />

Genetic diversity in sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) by using RAPD markers

Genetic diversity in a collection of 64 sugar apple accessions collected from different municipalities in northern Minas Gerais was assessed by RAPD analysis. Using 20 selected RAPD primers 167 fragments were generated, of which 48 were polymorphic (28.7%) producing an average of 2.4 polymorphic fragments per primer. Low percentage of polymorphism (< 29%) was observed by using the set of primers indicating low level of genetic variation among the 64 accessions evaluated. Genetic relationships were estimated using Jaccard's coefficient of similarity. Accessions from different municipalities clustered together indicating no correlation between molecular grouping and geographical origin. The dendrogram revealed five clusters. The first cluster grouped C19 and G29 accessions collected from the municipalities of Verdelândia and Monte Azul, respectively. The second cluster grouped G16 and B11 accessions collected from the municipalities of Monte Azul and Coração de Jesus, respectively. The remaining accessions were grouped in three clusters, with 8, 15 and 37 accessions, respectively. In summary, RAPD showed a low percentage of polymorphism in the germplasm collection.