Epithelioid Trophoblastic Tumour: A Case with Genetic Linkage to a Child Born over Seventeen Years Prior, Successfully Treated with Surgery and Pembrolizumab

Epithelioid trophoblastic tumours are rare neoplasms showing differentiation towards the chorion leave-type intermediate cytotrophoblast, with only a handful of cases being reported in the literature. These tumours are slow-growing and are typically confined to the uterus for extended periods of time. While the pathogenesis is unclear, they are thought to arise from a remnant intermediate trophoblast originating from prior normal pregnancies or, less frequently, gestational trophoblastic tumours. A protracted time period between the gestational event and tumour development is typical. This case describes a 49-year-old previously healthy female who presented with a completely asymptomatic uterine mass, discovered incidentally during a routine gynaecological assessment. The pathological analysis of the hysterectomy specimen confirmed an epithelioid trophoblastic tumour, involving the uterus and cervix. This is a rare gynaecological tumour. A comparative short tandem repeat analysis revealed genetic similarities to a previous healthy gestation seventeen years prior. She was successful treated with adjuvant pembrolizumab, with no evidence of disease recurrence to date.

2-Diphenylphosphinomethyl-3-methylpyrazine

The lateral metalation-electrophilic trapping reaction of alkyl-substituted pyrazines has always been challenging and poorly regioselective, with the corresponding derivatives often being isolated in moderate yield. In this contribution, we first report on the preparation of an unsymmetrically-substituted pyrazine, that is 2-diphenylphosphinomethyl-3-methylpyrazine, by subjecting to metalation with n-BuLi the commercially available 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, followed by interception of the putative lithiated benzyl-type intermediate with Ph2PCl. Such a functionalization has been successfully carried out in the absence of additional ligands, working either in THF at −78 °C or in a more environmentally friendly solvent like cyclopentyl methyl ether at 0 °C, with the desired phosphine derivative being isolated in 70–85% yield. The newly synthesized adduct has been fully characterized by means of multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques, and also by preparing a selenium derivative, which furnished single crystals that were suitable for X-ray analysis.

Development of highly efficient platinum catalysts for hydroalkoxylation and hydroamination of unactivated alkenes

Hydrofunctionalization, the direct addition of an X–H (e.g., X=O, N) bond across an alkene, is a desirable strategy to make heterocycles that are important structural components of naturally occurring molecules. Described here is the design and discovery of “donor–acceptor”-type platinum catalysts that are highly effective in both hydroalkoxylation and hydroamination of unactivated alkenes over a broad range of substrates under mild conditions. A number of alkene substitution patterns are accommodated, including tri-substituted, 1,1-disubstituted, (E)-disubstituted, (Z)-disubstituted and even mono-substituted double bonds. Detailed mechanistic investigations suggest a plausible pathway that includes an unexpected dissociation/re-association of the electron-deficient ligand to form an alkene-bound “donor–acceptor”-type intermediate. These mechanistic studies help understand the origins of the high reactivity exhibited by the catalytic system, and provide a foundation for the rational design of chiral catalysts towards asymmetric hydrofunctionalization reactions.

Reactivity of Poly(alkoxycarbonylmethylene)s under Basic Conditions: Alkylation of Main Chain Carbon Atoms via Ketene Silyl Acetal-type Intermediate and Cleavage of Carbon–carbon Main Chain

The reactivities of poly(alkoxycarbonylmethylene)s under basic conditions are described. The reactions of poly(ethoxycarbonylmethylene) (polyEDA’) and poly(benzyloxycarbonylmethylene) (polyBDA’) with a mixture of lithium diisopropylamide and trimethylsilyl chloride transformed a part of...

Development of Highly Efficient Platinum Catalysts for Hydroalkoxylation and Hydroamination of Unactivated Alkene

Hydrofunctionalization, the direct additon of an X–H (e.g., X = O, N) bond across an alkene, is a desirable strategy to make heterocycles that are important structural components of naturally occurring molecules. Described here is the design and discovery of “donor–acceptor”-type platinum catalysts that are highly effective in both hydroalkoxylation and hydroamination of unactivated alkenes over a broad range of substrates under mild conditions. A number of alkene substitution patterns were accommodated, including tri-substituted, 1,1-disubstituted, (E)-disubstituted, (Z)-disubstituted and even mono-substituted double bonds. Detailed mechanistic investigations suggest a plausible pathway that includes an unexpected dissociation/re-association of the electron-deficient ligand to form an alkene-bound “donor–acceptor”-type intermediate. These mechanistic studies help understand the origins of the high reactivity exhibited by the catalytic system, and provide a foundation for the rational design of chiral catalysts towards asymmetric hydrofunctionalization reactions.