TY - JOUR A1 - Adam, Pia A1 - Kircher, Stefan A1 - Sbiera, Iuliu A1 - Koehler, Viktoria Florentine A1 - Berg, Elke A1 - Knösel, Thomas A1 - Sandner, Benjamin A1 - Fenske, Wiebke Kristin A1 - Bläker, Hendrik A1 - Smaxwil, Constantin A1 - Zielke, Andreas A1 - Sipos, Bence A1 - Allelein, Stephanie A1 - Schott, Matthias A1 - Dierks, Christine A1 - Spitzweg, Christine A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Kroiss, Matthias T1 - FGF-Receptors and PD-L1 in Anaplastic and Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Evaluation of the Preclinical Rationale JF - Frontiers in Endocrinology N2 - Background Treatment options for poorly differentiated (PDTC) and anaplastic (ATC) thyroid carcinoma are unsatisfactory and prognosis is generally poor. Lenvatinib (LEN), a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR) 1-4 is approved for advanced radioiodine refractory thyroid carcinoma, but response to single agent is poor in ATC. Recent reports of combining LEN with PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (PEM) are promising. Materials and Methods Primary ATC (n=93) and PDTC (n=47) tissue samples diagnosed 1997-2019 at five German tertiary care centers were assessed for PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry using Tumor Proportion Score (TPS). FGFR 1-4 mRNA was quantified in 31 ATC and 14 PDTC with RNAscope in-situ hybridization. Normal thyroid tissue (NT) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) served as controls. Disease specific survival (DSS) was the primary outcome variable. Results PD-L1 TPS≥50% was observed in 42% of ATC and 26% of PDTC specimens. Mean PD-L1 expression was significantly higher in ATC (TPS 30%) than in PDTC (5%; p<0.01) and NT (0%, p<0.001). 53% of PDTC samples had PD-L1 expression ≤5%. FGFR mRNA expression was generally low in all samples but combined FGFR1-4 expression was significantly higher in PDTC and ATC compared to NT (each p<0.001). No impact of PD-L1 and FGFR 1-4 expression was observed on DSS. Conclusion High tumoral expression of PD-L1 in a large proportion of ATCs and a subgroup of PDTCs provides a rationale for immune checkpoint inhibition. FGFR expression is low thyroid tumor cells. The clinically observed synergism of PEM with LEN may be caused by immune modulation. KW - tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) KW - immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) KW - immunohistochemistry KW - immunotherapy KW - PD-L1 KW - FGFR Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-244653 SN - 1664-2392 VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koehler, Viktoria Florentine A1 - Adam, Pia A1 - Fuss, Carmina Teresa A1 - Jiang, Linmiao A1 - Berg, Elke A1 - Frank-Raue, Karin A1 - Raue, Friedhelm A1 - Hoster, Eva A1 - Knösel, Thomas A1 - Schildhaus, Hans-Ulrich A1 - Negele, Thomas A1 - Siebolts, Udo A1 - Lorenz, Kerstin A1 - Allelein, Stephanie A1 - Schott, Matthias A1 - Spitzweg, Christine A1 - Kroiss, Matthias T1 - Treatment of RET-positive advanced medullary thyroid cancer with multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors — a retrospective multi-center registry analysis JF - Cancers N2 - Background: RET (rearranged during transfection) variants are the most prevalent oncogenic events in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). In advanced disease, multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MKIs) cabozantinib and vandetanib are the approved standard treatment irrespective of RET status. The actual outcome of patients with RET-positive MTC treated with MKIs is ill described. Methods: We here retrospectively determined the RET oncogene variant status with a targeted DNA Custom Panel in a prospectively collected cohort of 48 patients with advanced MTC treated with vandetanib and/or cabozantinib at four German referral centers. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) probabilities were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: In total, 44/48 (92%) patients had germline or somatic RET variants. The M918T variant was found in 29/44 (66%) cases. In total, 2/32 (6%) patients with a somatic RET variant had further somatic variants, while in 1/32 (3%) patient with a germline RET variant, additional variants were found. Only 1/48 (2%) patient had a pathogenic HRAS variant, and no variants were found in 3 cases. In first-line treatment, the median OS was 53 (95% CI (95% confidence interval), 32–NR (not reached); n = 36), and the median PFS was 21 months (12–39; n = 33) in RET-positive MTC patients. In second-line treatment, the median OS was 18 (13–79; n = 22), and the median PFS was 3.5 months (2–14; n = 22) in RET-positive cases. Conclusions: RET variants were highly prevalent in patients with advanced MTC. The treatment results in RET-positive cases were similar to those reported in unselected cohorts. KW - medullary thyroid cancer KW - rearranged during transfection KW - variant KW - multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor KW - survival KW - treatment outcome Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-281776 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 14 IS - 14 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haake, Markus A1 - Haack, Beatrice A1 - Schäfer, Tina A1 - Harter, Patrick N. A1 - Mattavelli, Greta A1 - Eiring, Patrick A1 - Vashist, Neha A1 - Wedekink, Florian A1 - Genssler, Sabrina A1 - Fischer, Birgitt A1 - Dahlhoff, Julia A1 - Mokhtari, Fatemeh A1 - Kuzkina, Anastasia A1 - Welters, Marij J. P. A1 - Benz, Tamara M. A1 - Sorger, Lena A1 - Thiemann, Vincent A1 - Almanzar, Giovanni A1 - Selle, Martina A1 - Thein, Klara A1 - Späth, Jacob A1 - Gonzalez, Maria Cecilia A1 - Reitinger, Carmen A1 - Ipsen-Escobedo, Andrea A1 - Wistuba-Hamprecht, Kilian A1 - Eichler, Kristin A1 - Filipski, Katharina A1 - Zeiner, Pia S. A1 - Beschorner, Rudi A1 - Goedemans, Renske A1 - Gogolla, Falk Hagen A1 - Hackl, Hubert A1 - Rooswinkel, Rogier W. A1 - Thiem, Alexander A1 - Romer Roche, Paula A1 - Joshi, Hemant A1 - Pühringer, Dirk A1 - Wöckel, Achim A1 - Diessner, Joachim E. A1 - Rüdiger, Manfred A1 - Leo, Eugen A1 - Cheng, Phil F. A1 - Levesque, Mitchell P. A1 - Goebeler, Matthias A1 - Sauer, Markus A1 - Nimmerjahn, Falk A1 - Schuberth-Wagner, Christine A1 - Felten, Stefanie von A1 - Mittelbronn, Michel A1 - Mehling, Matthias A1 - Beilhack, Andreas A1 - van der Burg, Sjoerd H. A1 - Riedel, Angela A1 - Weide, Benjamin A1 - Dummer, Reinhard A1 - Wischhusen, Jörg T1 - Tumor-derived GDF-15 blocks LFA-1 dependent T cell recruitment and suppresses responses to anti-PD-1 treatment JF - Nature Communications N2 - Immune checkpoint blockade therapy is beneficial and even curative for some cancer patients. However, the majority don’t respond to immune therapy. Across different tumor types, pre-existing T cell infiltrates predict response to checkpoint-based immunotherapy. Based on in vitro pharmacological studies, mouse models and analyses of human melanoma patients, we show that the cytokine GDF-15 impairs LFA-1/β2-integrin-mediated adhesion of T cells to activated endothelial cells, which is a pre-requisite of T cell extravasation. In melanoma patients, GDF-15 serum levels strongly correlate with failure of PD-1-based immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Neutralization of GDF-15 improves both T cell trafficking and therapy efficiency in murine tumor models. Thus GDF-15, beside its known role in cancer-related anorexia and cachexia, emerges as a regulator of T cell extravasation into the tumor microenvironment, which provides an even stronger rationale for therapeutic anti-GDF-15 antibody development. KW - cancer microenvironment KW - immunotherapy KW - T cells KW - tumour immunology Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357333 VL - 14 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dörk, Thilo A1 - Peterlongo, Peter A1 - Mannermaa, Arto A1 - Bolla, Manjeet K. A1 - Wang, Qin A1 - Dennis, Joe A1 - Ahearn, Thomas A1 - Andrulis, Irene L. A1 - Anton-Culver, Hoda A1 - Arndt, Volker A1 - Aronson, Kristan J. A1 - Augustinsson, Annelie A1 - Beane Freeman, Laura E. A1 - Beckmann, Matthias W. A1 - Beeghly-Fadiel, Alicia A1 - Behrens, Sabine A1 - Bermisheva, Marina A1 - Blomqvist, Carl A1 - Bogdanova, Natalia V. A1 - Bojesen, Stig E. A1 - Brauch, Hiltrud A1 - Brenner, Hermann A1 - Burwinkel, Barbara A1 - Canzian, Federico A1 - Chan, Tsun L. A1 - Chang-Claude, Jenny A1 - Chanock, Stephen J. A1 - Choi, Ji-Yeob A1 - Christiansen, Hans A1 - Clarke, Christine L. A1 - Couch, Fergus J. A1 - Czene, Kamila A1 - Daly, Mary B. A1 - dos-Santos-Silva, Isabel A1 - Dwek, Miriam A1 - Eccles, Diana M. A1 - Ekici, Arif B. A1 - Eriksson, Mikael A1 - Evans, D. Gareth A1 - Fasching, Peter A. A1 - Figueroa, Jonine A1 - Flyger, Henrik A1 - Fritschi, Lin A1 - Gabrielson, Marike A1 - Gago-Dominguez, Manuela A1 - Gao, Chi A1 - Gapstur, Susan M. A1 - García-Closas, Montserrat A1 - García-Sáenz, José A. A1 - Gaudet, Mia M. A1 - Giles, Graham G. A1 - Goldberg, Mark S. A1 - Goldgar, David E. A1 - Guenél, Pascal A1 - Haeberle, Lothar A1 - Haimann, Christopher A. A1 - Håkansson, Niclas A1 - Hall, Per A1 - Hamann, Ute A1 - Hartman, Mikael A1 - Hauke, Jan A1 - Hein, Alexander A1 - Hillemanns, Peter A1 - Hogervorst, Frans B. L. A1 - Hooning, Maartje J. A1 - Hopper, John L. A1 - Howell, Tony A1 - Huo, Dezheng A1 - Ito, Hidemi A1 - Iwasaki, Motoki A1 - Jakubowska, Anna A1 - Janni, Wolfgang A1 - John, Esther M. A1 - Jung, Audrey A1 - Kaaks, Rudolf A1 - Kang, Daehee A1 - Kapoor, Pooja Middha A1 - Khusnutdinova, Elza A1 - Kim, Sung-Won A1 - Kitahara, Cari M. A1 - Koutros, Stella A1 - Kraft, Peter A1 - Kristensen, Vessela N. A1 - Kwong, Ava A1 - Lambrechts, Diether A1 - Le Marchand, Loic A1 - Li, Jingmei A1 - Lindström, Sara A1 - Linet, Martha A1 - Lo, Wing-Yee A1 - Long, Jirong A1 - Lophatananon, Artitaya A1 - Lubiński, Jan A1 - Manoochehri, Mehdi A1 - Manoukian, Siranoush A1 - Margolin, Sara A1 - Martinez, Elena A1 - Matsuo, Keitaro A1 - Mavroudis, Dimitris A1 - Meindl, Alfons A1 - Menon, Usha A1 - Milne, Roger L. A1 - Mohd Taib, Nur Aishah A1 - Muir, Kenneth A1 - Mulligan, Anna Marie A1 - Neuhausen, Susan L. A1 - Nevanlinna, Heli A1 - Neven, Patrick A1 - Newman, William G. A1 - Offit, Kenneth A1 - Olopade, Olufunmilayo I. A1 - Olshan, Andrew F. A1 - Olson, Janet E. A1 - Olsson, Håkan A1 - Park, Sue K. A1 - Park-Simon, Tjoung-Won A1 - Peto, Julian A1 - Plaseska-Karanfilska, Dijana A1 - Pohl-Rescigno, Esther A1 - Presneau, Nadege A1 - Rack, Brigitte A1 - Radice, Paolo A1 - Rashid, Muhammad U. A1 - Rennert, Gad A1 - Rennert, Hedy S. A1 - Romero, Atocha A1 - Ruebner, Matthias A1 - Saloustros, Emmanouil A1 - Schmidt, Marjanka K. A1 - Schmutzler, Rita K. A1 - Schneider, Michael O. A1 - Schoemaker, Minouk J. A1 - Scott, Christopher A1 - Shen, Chen-Yang A1 - Shu, Xiao-Ou A1 - Simard, Jaques A1 - Slager, Susan A1 - Smichkoska, Snezhana A1 - Southey, Melissa C. A1 - Spinelli, John J. A1 - Stone, Jennifer A1 - Surowy, Harald A1 - Swerdlow, Anthony J. A1 - Tamimi, Rulla M. A1 - Tapper, William J. A1 - Teo, Soo H. A1 - Terry, Mary Beth A1 - Toland, Amanda E. A1 - Tollenaar, Rob A. E. M. A1 - Torres, Diana A1 - Torres-Mejía, Gabriela A1 - Troester, Melissa A. A1 - Truong, Thérèse A1 - Tsugane, Shoichiro A1 - Untch, Michael A1 - Vachon, Celine M. A1 - van den Ouweland, Ans M. W. A1 - van Veen, Elke M. A1 - Vijai, Joseph A1 - Wendt, Camilla A1 - Wolk, Alicja A1 - Yu, Jyh-Cherng A1 - Zheng, Wei A1 - Ziogas, Argyrios A1 - Ziv, Elad A1 - Dunnig, Alison A1 - Pharaoh, Paul D. P. A1 - Schindler, Detlev A1 - Devilee, Peter A1 - Easton, Douglas F. T1 - Two truncating variants in FANCC and breast cancer risk JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder with 22 disease-causing genes reported to date. In some FA genes, monoallelic mutations have been found to be associated with breast cancer risk, while the risk associations of others remain unknown. The gene for FA type C, FANCC, has been proposed as a breast cancer susceptibility gene based on epidemiological and sequencing studies. We used the Oncoarray project to genotype two truncating FANCC variants (p.R185X and p.R548X) in 64,760 breast cancer cases and 49,793 controls of European descent. FANCC mutations were observed in 25 cases (14 with p.R185X, 11 with p.R548X) and 26 controls (18 with p.R185X, 8 with p.R548X). There was no evidence of an association with the risk of breast cancer, neither overall (odds ratio 0.77, 95%CI 0.44–1.33, p = 0.4) nor by histology, hormone receptor status, age or family history. We conclude that the breast cancer risk association of these two FANCC variants, if any, is much smaller than for BRCA1, BRCA2 or PALB2 mutations. If this applies to all truncating variants in FANCC it would suggest there are differences between FA genes in their roles on breast cancer risk and demonstrates the merit of large consortia for clarifying risk associations of rare variants. KW - oncology KW - risk factors Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222838 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jungwirth, Gerhard A1 - Yu, Tao A1 - Moustafa, Mahmoud A1 - Rapp, Carmen A1 - Warta, Rolf A1 - Jungk, Christine A1 - Sahm, Felix A1 - Dettling, Steffen A1 - Zweckberger, Klaus A1 - Lamszus, Katrin A1 - Senft, Christian A1 - Loehr, Mario A1 - Keßler, Almuth F. A1 - Ketter, Ralf A1 - Westphal, Manfred A1 - Debus, Juergen A1 - von Deimling, Andreas A1 - Simon, Matthias A1 - Unterberg, Andreas A1 - Abdollahi, Amir A1 - Herold-Mende, Christel T1 - Identification of KIF11 as a Novel Target in Meningioma JF - Cancers N2 - Kinesins play an important role in many physiological functions including intracellular vesicle transport and mitosis. The emerging role of kinesins in different cancers led us to investigate the expression and functional role of kinesins in meningioma. Therefore, we re-analyzed our previous microarray dataset of benign, atypical, and anaplastic meningiomas (n = 62) and got evidence for differential expression of five kinesins (KIFC1, KIF4A, KIF11, KIF14 and KIF20A). Further validation in an extended study sample (n = 208) revealed a significant upregulation of these genes in WHO°I to °III meningiomas (WHO°I n = 61, WHO°II n = 88, and WHO°III n = 59), which was most pronounced in clinically more aggressive tumors of the same WHO grade. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed a WHO grade-associated upregulated protein expression in meningioma tissues. Furthermore, high mRNA expression levels of KIFC1, KIF11, KIF14 and KIF20A were associated with shorter progression-free survival. On a functional level, knockdown of kinesins in Ben-Men-1 cells and in the newly established anaplastic meningioma cell line NCH93 resulted in a significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation upon siRNA-mediated downregulation of KIF11 in both cell lines by up to 95% and 71%, respectively. Taken together, in this study we were able to identify the prognostic and functional role of several kinesin family members of which KIF11 exhibits the most promising properties as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target, which may offer new treatment options for aggressive meningiomas. KW - meningioma KW - KIF KW - kinesin KW - KIF11 KW - NCH93 Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197402 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 11 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Roth, Kristina A1 - Mauer, Sonja A1 - Obinger, Matthias A1 - Ruf, Katharina C. A1 - Graf, Christine A1 - Kriemler, Susi A1 - Lenz, Dorothea A1 - Lehmacher, Walter A1 - Hebestreit, Helge T1 - Prevention through Activity in Kindergarten Trial (PAKT): A cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the effects of an activity intervention in preschool children N2 - Background: Physical activity and motor skills acquisition are of high importance for health-related prevention and a normal development in childhood. However, few intervention studies exist in preschool children focussing on an increase in physical activity and motor skills. Proof of positive effects is available but not consistent. Methods/Design: The design, curriculum, and evaluation strategy of a cluster randomised intervention study in preschool children are described in this manuscript. In the Prevention through Activity in Kindergarten Trial (PAKT), 41 of 131 kindergartens of Wuerzburg and Kitzingen, Germany, were randomised into an intervention and a control group by a random number table stratified for the location of the kindergarten in an urban (more than 20.000 inhabitants) or rural area. The aims of the intervention were to increase physical activity and motor skills in the participating children, and to reduce health risk factors as well as media use. The intervention was designed to involve children, parents and teachers, and lasted one academic year. It contained daily 30-min sessions of physical education in kindergarten based on a holistic pedagogic approach termed the “early psychomotor education”. The sessions were instructed by kindergarten teachers under regular supervision by the research team. Parents were actively involved by physical activity homework cards. The kindergarten teachers were trained in workshops and during the supervision. Assessments were performed at baseline, 3-5 months into the intervention, at the end of the intervention and 2-4 months after the intervention. The primary outcomes of the study are increases in physical activity (accelerometry) and in motor skills performance (composite score of obstacle course, standing long jump, balancing on one foot, jumping sidewise to and fro) between baseline and the two assessments during the intervention. Secondary outcomes include decreases in body adiposity (BMI, skin folds), media use (questionnaire), blood pressure, number of accidents and infections (questionnaire), increases in specific motor skills (throwing, balancing, complex motor performance, jumping) and in flexibility. Discussion: If this trial proofs the effectiveness of the multilevel kindergarten based physical activity intervention on preschooler’s activity levels and motor skills, the programme will be distributed nationwide in Germany. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00623844 KW - Vorschulkind KW - Kindergarten KW - preschool children KW - activity Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-67972 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ngwa, Che Julius A1 - Scheuermayer, Matthias A1 - Mair, Gunnar Rudolf A1 - Kern, Selina A1 - Brügl, Thomas A1 - Wirth, Christine Clara A1 - Aminake, Makoah Nigel A1 - Wiesner, Jochen A1 - Fischer, Rainer A1 - Vilcinskas, Andreas A1 - Pradel, Gabriele T1 - Changes in the transcriptome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum during the initial phase of transmission from the human to the mosquito JF - BMC Genomics N2 - Background: The transmission of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum from the human to the mosquito is mediated by dormant sexual precursor cells, the gametocytes, which become activated in the mosquito midgut. Because gametocytes are the only parasite stages able to establish an infection in the mosquito, they play a crucial role in spreading the tropical disease. The human-to-mosquito transmission triggers important molecular changes in the gametocytes, which initiate gametogenesis and prepare the parasite for life-cycle progression in the insect vector. Results: To better understand gene regulations during the initial phase of malaria parasite transmission, we focused on the transcriptome changes that occur within the first half hour of parasite development in the mosquito. Comparison of mRNA levels of P. falciparum gametocytes before and 30 min following activation using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) identified 126 genes, which changed in expression during gametogenesis. Among these, 17.5% had putative functions in signaling, 14.3% were assigned to cell cycle and gene expression, 8.7% were linked to the cytoskeleton or inner membrane complex, 7.9% were involved in proteostasis and 6.4% in metabolism, 12.7% were cell surface-associated proteins, 11.9% were assigned to other functions, and 20.6% represented genes of unknown function. For 40% of the identified genes there has as yet not been any protein evidence. For a subset of 27 genes, transcript changes during gametogenesis were studied in detail by real-time RT-PCR. Of these, 22 genes were expressed in gametocytes, and for 15 genes transcript expression in gametocytes was increased compared to asexual blood stage parasites. Transcript levels of seven genes were particularly high in activated gametocytes, pointing at functions downstream of gametocyte transmission to the mosquito. For selected genes, a regulated expression during gametogenesis was confirmed on the protein level, using quantitative confocal microscopy. Conclusions: The obtained transcriptome data demonstrate the regulations of gene expression immediately following malaria parasite transmission to the mosquito. Our findings support the identification of proteins important for sexual reproduction and further development of the mosquito midgut stages and provide insights into the genetic basis of the rapid adaption of Plasmodium to the insect vector. KW - parasitophorous vacuole KW - sexual development KW - gametocyte KW - transcriptome KW - signal peptide peptidase KW - host cell interface KW - alpha-tubulin-II KW - life-cycle KW - protein kinases KW - in-vitro KW - erythroyte invation KW - blocking antibodies KW - malaria KW - plasmodium falciparum KW - gametogenesis KW - mosquito KW - transmission Y1 - 2013 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121905 SN - 1471-2164 VL - 14 IS - 256 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wirth, Christine C. A1 - Glushakova, Svetlana A1 - Scheuermayer, Matthias A1 - Repnik, Urska A1 - Garg, Swatl A1 - Schaack, Dominik A1 - Kachman, Marika M. A1 - Weißbach, Tim A1 - Zimmerberg, Joshua A1 - Dandekar, Thomas A1 - Griffiths, Gareth A1 - Chitnis, Chetan E. A1 - Singh, Shallja A1 - Fischer, Rainer A1 - Pradel, Gabriele T1 - Perforin-like protein PPLP2 permeabilizes the red blood cell membrane during egress of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes JF - Cellular Microbiology N2 - Egress of malaria parasites from the host cell requires the concerted rupture of its enveloping membranes. Hence, we investigated the role of the plasmodial perforin-like protein PPLP2 in the egress of Plasmodium falciparum from erythrocytes. PPLP2 is expressed in blood stage schizonts and mature gametocytes. The protein localizes in vesicular structures, which in activated gametocytes discharge PPLP2 in a calcium-dependent manner. PPLP2 comprises a MACPF domain and recombinant PPLP2 has haemolytic activities towards erythrocytes. PPLP2-deficient [PPLP2(−)] merozoites show normal egress dynamics during the erythrocytic replication cycle, but activated PPLP2(−) gametocytes were unable to leave erythrocytes and stayed trapped within these cells. While the parasitophorous vacuole membrane ruptured normally, the activated PPLP2(−) gametocytes were unable to permeabilize the erythrocyte membrane and to release the erythrocyte cytoplasm. In consequence, transmission of PPLP2(−) parasites to the Anopheles vector was reduced. Pore-forming equinatoxin II rescued both PPLP2(−) gametocyte exflagellation and parasite transmission. The pore sealant Tetronic 90R4, on the other hand, caused trapping of activated wild-type gametocytes within the enveloping erythrocytes, thus mimicking the PPLP2(−) loss-of-function phenotype. We propose that the haemolytic activity of PPLP2 is essential for gametocyte egress due to permeabilization of the erythrocyte membrane and depletion of the erythrocyte cytoplasm. Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-120895 VL - 16 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Morris, E. Kathryn A1 - Caruso, Tancredi A1 - Buscot, Francois A1 - Fischer, Markus A1 - Hancock, Christine A1 - Maier, Tanja S. A1 - Meiners, Torsten A1 - Müller, Caroline A1 - Obermaier, Elisabeth A1 - Prati, Daniel A1 - Socher, Stephanie A. A1 - Sonnemann, Ilja A1 - Wäschke, Nicola A1 - Wubet, Tesfaye A1 - Wurst, Susanne A1 - Rillig, Matthias C. T1 - Choosing and using diversity indices: insights for ecological applications from the German Biodiversity Exploratories JF - Ecology and Evolution N2 - Biodiversity, a multidimensional property of natural systems, is difficult to quantify partly because of the multitude of indices proposed for this purpose. Indices aim to describe general properties of communities that allow us to compare different regions, taxa, and trophic levels. Therefore, they are of fundamental importance for environmental monitoring and conservation, although there is no consensus about which indices are more appropriate and informative. We tested several common diversity indices in a range of simple to complex statistical analyses in order to determine whether some were better suited for certain analyses than others. We used data collected around the focal plant Plantago lanceolata on 60 temperate grassland plots embedded in an agricultural landscape to explore relationships between the common diversity indices of species richness (S), Shannon's diversity (H'), Simpson's diversity (D-1), Simpson's dominance (D-2), Simpson's evenness (E), and Berger-Parker dominance (BP). We calculated each of these indices for herbaceous plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, aboveground arthropods, belowground insect larvae, and P.lanceolata molecular and chemical diversity. Including these trait-based measures of diversity allowed us to test whether or not they behaved similarly to the better studied species diversity. We used path analysis to determine whether compound indices detected more relationships between diversities of different organisms and traits than more basic indices. In the path models, more paths were significant when using H', even though all models except that with E were equally reliable. This demonstrates that while common diversity indices may appear interchangeable in simple analyses, when considering complex interactions, the choice of index can profoundly alter the interpretation of results. Data mining in order to identify the index producing the most significant results should be avoided, but simultaneously considering analyses using multiple indices can provide greater insight into the interactions in a system. KW - molecular diversity KW - plant diversity KW - plantago lanceolata KW - shannon index KW - simpson's index KW - arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi KW - Hill's powers KW - chemical diversity KW - Berger-Parker KW - arthropods Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115462 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 4 IS - 18 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wiedmann, Silke A1 - Heuschmann, Peter U. A1 - Hillmann, Steffi A1 - Busse, Otto A1 - Wiethoelter, Horst A1 - Walter, Georg M. A1 - Seidel, Guenter A1 - Misselwitz, Bjoern A1 - Janssen, Alfred A1 - Berger, Klaus A1 - Burmeister, Christoph A1 - Matthias, Christine A1 - Kolominsky-Rabas, Peter A1 - Hermanek, Peter T1 - The Quality of Acute Stroke Care-an Analysis of Evidence-Based Indicators in 260 000 Patients JF - Deutsches Ärzteblatt International N2 - Background: Stroke patients should be cared for in accordance with evidence-based guidelines. The extent of implementation of guidelines for the acute care of stroke patients in Germany has been unclear to date. Methods: The regional quality assurance projects that cooperate in the framework of the German Stroke Registers Study Group (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Schlaganfall-Register, ADSR) collected data on the care of stroke patients in 627 hospitals in 2012. The quality of the acute hospital care of patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) was assessed on the basis of 15 standardized, evidence-based quality indicators and compared across the nine participating regional quality assurance projects. Results: Data were obtained on more than 260 000 patients nationwide. Intravenous thrombolysis was performed in 59.7% of eligible ischemic stroke patients patients (range among participating projects, 49.7-63.6%). Dysphagia screening was documented in 86.2% (range, 74.8-93.1%). For the following indicators, the defined targets were not reached for all of Germany: antiaggregation within 48 hours, 93.4% (range, 86.6-96.4%); anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, 77.6% (range, 72.4-80.1%); standardized dysphagia screening, 86.2% (range, 74.8-93.1%); oral and written information of the patients or their relatives, 86.1% (range, 75.4-91.5%). The rate of patients examined or treated by a speech therapist was in the target range. Conclusion: The defined targets were reached for most of the quality indicators. Some indicators, however, varied widely across regional quality assurance projects. This implies that the standardization of care for stroke patients in Germany has not yet been fully achieved. KW - Hesse KW - study-group ADSR KW - ischemic-stroke KW - Germany KW - implementation KW - rehabilitation Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114747 SN - 1866-0452 VL - 111 IS - 45 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scheib, Ulrike A1 - Broser, Matthias A1 - Constantin, Oana M. A1 - Yang, Shang A1 - Gao, Shiqiang A1 - Mukherjee, Shatanik A1 - Stehfest, Katja A1 - Nagel, Georg A1 - Gee, Christine E. A1 - Hegemann, Peter T1 - Rhodopsin-cyclases for photocontrol of cGMP/cAMP and 2.3 Å structure of the adenylyl cyclase domain JF - Nature Communications N2 - The cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP are important second messengers that orchestrate fundamental cellular responses. Here, we present the characterization of the rhodopsinguanylyl cyclase from Catenaria anguillulae (CaRhGC), which produces cGMP in response to green light with a light to dark activity ratio > 1000. After light excitation the putative signaling state forms with tau = 31 ms and decays with tau = 570 ms. Mutations (up to 6) within the nucleotide binding site generate rhodopsin-adenylyl cyclases (CaRhACs) of which the double mutated YFP-CaRhAC (E497K/C566D) is the most suitable for rapid cAMP production in neurons. Furthermore, the crystal structure of the ligand-bound AC domain (2.25 angstrom) reveals detailed information about the nucleotide binding mode within this recently discovered class of enzyme rhodopsin. Both YFP-CaRhGC and YFP-CaRhAC are favorable optogenetic tools for non-invasive, cell-selective, and spatio-temporally precise modulation of cAMP/cGMP with light. KW - Enzymes KW - Molecular biophysics KW - Molecular neuroscience KW - X-ray crystallography Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228517 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Peters, Marcell K. A1 - Hemp, Andreas A1 - Appelhans, Tim A1 - Behler, Christina A1 - Classen, Alice A1 - Detsch, Florian A1 - Ensslin, Andreas A1 - Ferger, Stefan W. A1 - Frederiksen, Sara B. A1 - Gebert, Frederike A1 - Haas, Michael A1 - Helbig-Bonitz, Maria A1 - Hemp, Claudia A1 - Kindeketa, William J. A1 - Mwangomo, Ephraim A1 - Ngereza, Christine A1 - Otte, Insa A1 - Röder, Juliane A1 - Rutten, Gemma A1 - Costa, David Schellenberger A1 - Tardanico, Joseph A1 - Zancolli, Giulia A1 - Deckert, Jürgen A1 - Eardley, Connal D. A1 - Peters, Ralph S. A1 - Rödel, Mark-Oliver A1 - Schleuning, Matthias A1 - Ssymank, Axel A1 - Kakengi, Victor A1 - Zhang, Jie A1 - Böhning-Gaese, Katrin A1 - Brandl, Roland A1 - Kalko, Elisabeth K.V. A1 - Kleyer, Michael A1 - Nauss, Thomas A1 - Tschapka, Marco A1 - Fischer, Markus A1 - Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf T1 - Predictors of elevational biodiversity gradients change from single taxa to the multi-taxa community level JF - Nature Communications N2 - The factors determining gradients of biodiversity are a fundamental yet unresolved topic in ecology. While diversity gradients have been analysed for numerous single taxa, progress towards general explanatory models has been hampered by limitations in the phylogenetic coverage of past studies. By parallel sampling of 25 major plant and animal taxa along a 3.7 km elevational gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro, we quantify cross-taxon consensus in diversity gradients and evaluate predictors of diversity from single taxa to a multi-taxa community level. While single taxa show complex distribution patterns and respond to different environmental factors, scaling up diversity to the community level leads to an unambiguous support for temperature as the main predictor of species richness in both plants and animals. Our findings illuminate the influence of taxonomic coverage for models of diversity gradients and point to the importance of temperature for diversification and species coexistence in plant and animal communities. KW - community ecology KW - macroecology KW - tropical ecology KW - biodiversity Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-169374 VL - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holzmann-Littig, Christopher A1 - Braunisch, Matthias Christoph A1 - Kranke, Peter A1 - Popp, Maria A1 - Seeber, Christian A1 - Fichtner, Falk A1 - Littig, Bianca A1 - Carbajo-Lozoya, Javier A1 - Allwang, Christine A1 - Frank, Tamara A1 - Meerpohl, Joerg Johannes A1 - Haller, Bernhard A1 - Schmaderer, Christoph T1 - COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and hesitancy among healthcare workers in germany JF - Vaccines N2 - Vaccination hesitancy is a threat to herd immunity. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a key role in promoting Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in the general population. We therefore aimed to provide data on COVID-19 vaccination acceptance/hesitancy among German HCWs. For this exploratory, cross-sectional study, an online survey was conducted in February 2021. The survey included 54 items on demographics; previous vaccination behavior; trust in vaccines, physicians, the pharmaceutical industry and health politics; fear of adverse effects; assumptions regarding the consequences of COVID-19; knowledge about vaccines; and information seeking behavior. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated and chi-square tests were performed. Four thousand five hundred surveys were analyzed. The overall vaccination acceptance was 91.7%. The age group ≤20 years showed the lowest vaccination acceptance. Factors associated with vaccination hesitancy were lack of trust in authorities and pharmaceutical companies. Attitudes among acquaintances were associated with vaccination hesitancy too. Participants with vaccination hesitancy more often obtained information about COVID-19 vaccines via messenger services or online video platforms and underperformed in the knowledge test. We found high acceptance amongst German HCWs. Several factors associated with vaccination hesitancy were identified which could be targeted in HCW vaccination campaigns. KW - COVID-19 KW - vaccine KW - vaccination KW - vaccination hesitancy KW - vaccine refusal KW - vaccination campaign Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-242627 SN - 2076-393X VL - 9 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Baur, Johannes A1 - Büntemeyer, Tjark-Ole A1 - Megerle, Felix A1 - Deutschbein, Timo A1 - Spitzweg, Christine A1 - Quinkler, Marcus A1 - Nawroth, Peter A1 - Kroiss, Matthias A1 - Germer, Christoph-Thomas A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Steger, Ulrich T1 - Outcome after resection of Adrenocortical Carcinoma liver metastases: a retrospective study JF - BMC Cancer N2 - Background: Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with a poor 5-year-survival rate (<15%). A surgical approach is recommended in selected patients if complete resection of distant metastasis can be achieved. To date there are only limited data on the outcome after surgical resection of hepatic metastases of ACC. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the German Adrenocortical Carcinoma Registry was conducted. Patients with liver metastases of ACC but without extrahepatic metastases or incomplete tumour resection were included. Results: Seventy-seven patients fulfilled these criteria. Forty-three patients underwent resection of liver metastases of ACC. Complete tumour resection (R0) could be achieved in 30 (69.8%). Median overall survival after liver resection was 76.1 months in comparison to 10.1 months in the 34 remaining patients with unresected liver metastases (p < 0.001). However, disease free survival after liver resection was only 9.1 months. Neither resection status (R0/R1) nor extent of liver resection were significant predictive factors for overall survival. Patients with a time interval to the first metastasis/recurrence (TTFR) of greater than 12 months or solitary liver metastases showed significantly prolonged survival. Conclusions: Liver resection in the case of ACC liver metastases can achieve long term survival with a median overall survival of more than 5 years, but disease free survival is short despite metastasectomy. Time to recurrence and single versus multiple metastases are predictive factors for the outcome. KW - Adrenocortical Carcinoma KW - liver resection KW - retrospective study KW - prognosis KW - survival analysis Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-159409 VL - 17 IS - 522 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holzmann-Littig, Christopher A1 - Frank, Tamara A1 - Schmaderer, Christoph A1 - Braunisch, Matthias C. A1 - Renders, Lutz A1 - Kranke, Peter A1 - Popp, Maria A1 - Seeber, Christian A1 - Fichtner, Falk A1 - Littig, Bianca A1 - Carbajo-Lozoya, Javier A1 - Meerpohl, Joerg J. A1 - Haller, Bernhard A1 - Allwang, Christine T1 - COVID-19 Vaccines: Fear of side effects among German health care workers JF - Vaccines N2 - (1) Background: Health care workers (HCWs) play a key role in increasing anti-COVID vaccination rates. Fear of potential side effects is one of the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy. We investigated which side effects are of concern to HCWs and how these are associated with vaccine hesitancy. (2) Methods: Data were collected in an online survey in February 2021 among HCWs from across Germany with 4500 included participants. Free-text comments on previously experienced vaccination side effects, and fear of short- and long-term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination were categorized and analyzed. (3) Results: Most feared short-term side effects were vaccination reactions, allergic reactions, and limitations in daily life. Most feared long-term side effects were (auto-) immune reactions, neurological side effects, and currently unknown long-term consequences. Concerns about serious vaccination side effects were associated with vaccination refusal. There was a clear association between refusal of COVID-19 vaccination in one's personal environment and fear of side effects. (4) Conclusions: Transparent information about vaccine side effects is needed, especially for HCW. Especially when the participants' acquaintances advised against vaccination, they were significantly more likely to fear side effects. Thus, further education of HCW is necessary to achieve good information transfer in clusters as well. KW - COVID-19 KW - vaccine hesitancy KW - health care workers KW - side-effects KW - fears Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-270561 SN - 2076-393X VL - 10 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ziegler, Alice A1 - Meyer, Hanna A1 - Otte, Insa A1 - Peters, Marcell K. A1 - Appelhans, Tim A1 - Behler, Christina A1 - Böhning-Gaese, Katrin A1 - Classen, Alice A1 - Detsch, Florian A1 - Deckert, Jürgen A1 - Eardley, Connal D. A1 - Ferger, Stefan W. A1 - Fischer, Markus A1 - Gebert, Friederike A1 - Haas, Michael A1 - Helbig-Bonitz, Maria A1 - Hemp, Andreas A1 - Hemp, Claudia A1 - Kakengi, Victor A1 - Mayr, Antonia V. A1 - Ngereza, Christine A1 - Reudenbach, Christoph A1 - Röder, Juliane A1 - Rutten, Gemma A1 - Schellenberger Costa, David A1 - Schleuning, Matthias A1 - Ssymank, Axel A1 - Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf A1 - Tardanico, Joseph A1 - Tschapka, Marco A1 - Vollstädt, Maximilian G. R. A1 - Wöllauer, Stephan A1 - Zhang, Jie A1 - Brandl, Roland A1 - Nauss, Thomas T1 - Potential of airborne LiDAR derived vegetation structure for the prediction of animal species richness at Mount Kilimanjaro JF - Remote Sensing N2 - The monitoring of species and functional diversity is of increasing relevance for the development of strategies for the conservation and management of biodiversity. Therefore, reliable estimates of the performance of monitoring techniques across taxa become important. Using a unique dataset, this study investigates the potential of airborne LiDAR-derived variables characterizing vegetation structure as predictors for animal species richness at the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. To disentangle the structural LiDAR information from co-factors related to elevational vegetation zones, LiDAR-based models were compared to the predictive power of elevation models. 17 taxa and 4 feeding guilds were modeled and the standardized study design allowed for a comparison across the assemblages. Results show that most taxa (14) and feeding guilds (3) can be predicted best by elevation with normalized RMSE values but only for three of those taxa and two of those feeding guilds the difference to other models is significant. Generally, modeling performances between different models vary only slightly for each assemblage. For the remaining, structural information at most showed little additional contribution to the performance. In summary, LiDAR observations can be used for animal species prediction. However, the effort and cost of aerial surveys are not always in proportion with the prediction quality, especially when the species distribution follows zonal patterns, and elevation information yields similar results. KW - biodiversity KW - species richness KW - LiDAR KW - elevation KW - partial least square regression KW - arthropods KW - birds KW - bats KW - predictive modeling Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-262251 SN - 2072-4292 VL - 14 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kiesel, Matthias A1 - Beyers, Inga A1 - Kalisz, Adam A1 - Joukhadar, Ralf A1 - Wöckel, Achim A1 - Herbert, Saskia-Laureen A1 - Curtaz, Carolin A1 - Wulff, Christine T1 - A 3D printed model of the female pelvis for practical education of gynecological pelvic examination JF - 3D Printing in Medicine N2 - Background Pelvic palpation is a core component of every Gynecologic examination. It requires vigorous training, which is difficult due to its intimate nature, leading to a need of simulation. Up until now, there are mainly models available for mere palpation which do not offer adequate visualization of the concerning anatomical structures. In this study we present a 3D printed model of the female pelvis. It can improve both the practical teaching of gynecological pelvic examination for health care professionals and the spatial understanding of the relevant anatomy. Methods We developed a virtual, simplified model showing selected parts of the female pelvis. 3D printing was used to create a physical model. Results The life-size 3D printed model has the ability of being physically assembled step by step by its users. Consequently, it improves teaching especially when combining it with commercial phantoms, which are built solely for palpation training. This is achieved by correlating haptic and visual sensations with the resulting feedback received. Conclusion The presented 3D printed model of the female pelvis can be of aid for visualizing and teaching pelvic anatomy and examination to medical staff. 3D printing provides the possibility of creating, multiplying, adapting and sharing such data worldwide with little investment of resources. Thus, an important contribution to the international medical community can be made for training this challenging examination. KW - gynecology KW - pelvic examination KW - pelvic palpation KW - 3D printing KW - FDM KW - SLA KW - teaching KW - visualization KW - education Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313347 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kiesel, Matthias A1 - Beyers, Inga A1 - Kalisz, Adam A1 - Wöckel, Achim A1 - Löb, Sanja A1 - Schlaiss, Tanja A1 - Wulff, Christine A1 - Diessner, Joachim T1 - Evaluating a novel 3D printed model for simulating Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone (LLETZ) JF - 3D Printing in Medicine N2 - Background Electrosurgical excisions are common procedures for treating cervical dysplasia and are often seen as minor surgeries. Yet, thorough training of this intervention is required, as there are considerable consequences of inadequate resections, e.g. preterm birth, the risk of recurrence, injuries and many more. Unfortunately, there is a lack of sufficiently validated possibilities of simulating electrosurgeries, which focus on high fidelity and patient safety. Methods A novel 3D printed simulator for examination and electrosurgical treatment of dysplastic areas of the cervix was compared with a conventional simulator. Sixty medical students experienced a seminar about cervical dysplasia. Group A underwent the seminar with the conventional and Group B with the novel simulator. After a theoretical introduction, the students were randomly assigned by picking a ticket from a box and went on to perform the hands-on training with their respective simulator. Each student first obtained colposcopic examination training. Then he or she performed five electrosurgical excisions (each). This was assessed with a validated score, to visualize their learning curve. Furthermore, adequate and inadequate resections and contacts between electrosurgical loop and vagina or speculum were counted. Both groups also assessed the seminar and their simulator with 18 questions (Likert-scales, 1–10, 1 = strongly agree / very good, 10 = strongly disagree / very bad). Group B additionally assessed the novel simulator with four questions (similar Likert-scales, 1–10). Results Nine of 18 questions showed statistically significant differences favoring Group B (p < 0.05). Group B also achieved more adequate R0-resections and less contacts between electrosurgical loop and vagina or speculum. The learning curves of the performed resections favored the novel simulator of Group B without statistically significant differences. The four questions focusing on certain aspects of the novel simulator indicate high appreciation of the students with a mean score of 1.6 points. Conclusion The presented novel simulator shows several advantages compared to the existing model. Thus, novice gynecologists can be supported with a higher quality of simulation to improve their training and thereby patient safety. KW - 3D printing KW - simulation KW - gynecology KW - Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) KW - Large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) KW - teaching KW - education KW - patient safety KW - cervical dysplasia Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313356 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kiesel, Matthias A1 - Beyers, Inga A1 - Kalisz, Adam A1 - Wöckel, Achim A1 - Quenzer, Anne A1 - Schlaiß, Tanja A1 - Wulff, Christine A1 - Diessner, Joachim T1 - Evaluating the value of a 3D printed model for hands-on training of gynecological pelvic examination JF - 3D Printing in Medicine N2 - Background Simulation in the field of gynecological pelvic examination with educational purposes holds great potential. In the current manuscript we evaluate a 3D printed model of the female pelvis, which improves practical teaching of the gynecological pelvic examination for medical staff. Methods We evaluated the benefit of a 3D printed model of the female pelvis (Pelvisio®) as part of a seminar (“skills training”) for teaching gynecological examination to medical students. Each student was randomly assigned to Group A or B by picking a ticket from a box. Group A underwent the skills training without the 3D printed model. Group B experienced the same seminar with integration of the model. Both groups evaluated the seminar by answering five questions on Likert scales (1–10, 1 = “very little” or “very poor”, 10 equals “very much” or “very good”). Additionally, both groups answered three multiple-choice questions concerning pelvic anatomy (Question 6 to 8). Finally, Group B evaluated the 3D printed model with ten questions (Question 9 to 18, Likert scales, 1–10). Results Two of five questions concerning the students’ satisfaction with the seminar and their gained knowledge showed statistically significant better ratings in Group B (6.7 vs. 8.2 points and 8.1 vs. 8.9 points (p < 0.001 and p < 0.009). The other three questions showed no statistically significant differences between the traditional teaching setting vs. the 3D printed model (p < 0.411, p < 0.344 and p < 0.215, respectively). The overall mean score of Question 1 to 5 showed 8.4 points for Group B and 7.8 points for Group A (p < 0.001). All three multiple-choice questions, asking about female pelvic anatomy, were answered more often correctly by Group B (p < 0.001, p < 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively). The mean score from the answers to Questions 9 to 18, only answered by Group B, showed a mean of 8.6 points, indicating, that the students approved of the model. Conclusion The presented 3D printed model Pelvisio® improves the education of female pelvic anatomy and examination for medical students. Hence, training this pivotal examination can be supported by a custom designed anatomical model tailored for interactive and explorative learning. KW - gynecology KW - pelvic examination KW - pelvic palpation KW - 3D printing KW - teaching KW - visualization KW - education KW - Pelvisio® Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313365 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kiesel, Matthias A1 - Beyers, Inga A1 - Kalisz, Adam A1 - Wöckel, Achim A1 - Herbert, Saskia-Laureen A1 - Curtaz, Carolin A1 - Diessner, Joachim A1 - Joukhadar, Ralf A1 - Wulff, Christine T1 - Introducing a novel model for simulating large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) using 3D printing technique JF - Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics N2 - Purpose Electrosurgery is the gold-standard procedure for the treatment of cervical dysplasia. The quality of the outcome depends on the accuracy of performance, which underlines the role of adequate training of surgeons, especially, as this procedure is often performed by novice surgeons. According to our knowledge, medical simulation has up until now lacked a model, which focuses on realistically simulating the treatment of cervical dysplasia with the concerning anatomy. Methods and Result In our work, we present a model created using 3D printing for holistically simulating diagnostic, as well as surgical interventions of the cervix, as realistically as possible. Conclusion This novel simulator is compared to an existing model and both are evaluated. By doing so, we aim to provide novice gynecologists with standardized and high-quality simulation models for practicing to improve their proficiency. KW - fused deposition modeling (FDM) KW - 3D printing KW - virtual KW - gynecology KW - dysplasia KW - large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266739 SN - 1432-0711 VL - 305 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoesl, Christine A1 - Fröhlich, Thomas A1 - Posch, Christian A1 - Kneitz, Hermann A1 - Goebeler, Matthias A1 - Schneider, Marlon R. A1 - Dahlhoff, Maik T1 - The transmembrane protein LRIG1 triggers melanocytic tumor development following chemically induced skin carcinogenesis JF - Molecular Oncology N2 - The incidence of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer has increased tremendously in recent years. Although novel treatment options have significantly improved patient outcomes, the prognosis for most patients with an advanced disease remains dismal. It is, thus, imperative to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in skin carcinogenesis in order to develop new targeted treatment strategies. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) like the ERBB receptor family, including EGFR/ERBB1, ERBB2/NEU, ERBB3, and ERBB4, are important regulators of skin homeostasis and their dysregulation often results in cancer, which makes them attractive therapeutic targets. Members of the leucine‐rich repeats and immunoglobulin‐like domains protein family (LRIG1‐3) are ERBB regulators and thus potential therapeutic targets to manipulate ERBB receptors. Here, we analyzed the function of LRIG1 during chemically induced skin carcinogenesis in transgenic mice expressing LRIG1 in the skin under the control of the keratin 5 promoter (LRIG1‐TG mice). We observed a significant induction of melanocytic tumor formation in LRIG1‐TG mice and no difference in papilloma incidence between LRIG1‐TG and control mice. Our findings also revealed that LRIG1 affects ERBB signaling via decreased phosphorylation of EGFR and increased activation of the oncoprotein ERBB2 during skin carcinogenesis. The epidermal proliferation rate was significantly decreased during epidermal tumorigenesis under LRIG1 overexpression, and the apoptosis marker cleaved caspase 3 was significantly activated in the epidermis of transgenic LRIG1 mice. Additionally, we detected LRIG1 expression in human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma samples. Therefore, we depleted LRIG1 in human melanoma cells (A375) by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and found that this caused EGFR and ERBB3 downregulation in A375 LRIG1 knockout cells 6 h following stimulation with EGF. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that LRIG1‐TG mice develop melanocytic skin tumors during chemical skin carcinogenesis and a deletion of LRIG1 in human melanoma cells reduces EGFR and ERBB3 expression after EGF stimulation. KW - ERBB receptors KW - LRIG1 KW - melanoma KW - mouse model KW - skin carcinogenesis Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-238925 VL - 15 IS - 8 SP - 2140 EP - 2155 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Silwedel, Christine A1 - Hütten, Matthias C. A1 - Speer, Christian P. A1 - Härtel, Christoph A1 - Haarmann, Axel A1 - Henrich, Birgit A1 - Tijssen, Maud P. M. A1 - Alnakhli, Abdullah Ahmed A1 - Spiller, Owen B. A1 - Schlegel, Nicolas A1 - Seidenspinner, Silvia A1 - Kramer, Boris W. A1 - Glaser, Kirsten T1 - Ureaplasma-driven neonatal neuroinflammation: novel insights from an ovine model JF - Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology N2 - Ureaplasma species (spp.) are considered commensals of the adult genitourinary tract, but have been associated with chorioamnionitis, preterm birth, and invasive infections in neonates, including meningitis. Data on mechanisms involved in Ureaplasma-driven neuroinflammation are scarce. The present study addressed brain inflammatory responses in preterm lambs exposed to Ureaplasma parvum (UP) in utero. 7 days after intra-amniotic injection of UP (n = 10) or saline (n = 11), lambs were surgically delivered at gestational day 128–129. Expression of inflammatory markers was assessed in different brain regions using qRT-PCR and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by multiplex immunoassay. CSF was analyzed for UP presence using ureB-based real-time PCR, and MRI scans documented cerebral white matter area and cortical folding. Cerebral tissue levels of atypical chemokine receptor (ACKR) 3, caspases 1-like, 2, 7, and C–X–C chemokine receptor (CXCR) 4 mRNA, as well as CSF interleukin-8 protein concentrations were significantly increased in UP-exposed lambs. UP presence in CSF was confirmed in one animal. Cortical folding and white matter area did not differ among groups. The present study confirms a role of caspases and the transmembrane receptors ACKR3 and CXCR4 in Ureaplasma-driven neuroinflammation. Enhanced caspase 1-like, 2, and 7 expression may reflect cell death. Increased ACKR3 and CXCR4 expression has been associated with inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) diseases and impaired blood–brain barrier function. According to these data and previous in vitro findings from our group, we speculate that Ureaplasma-induced caspase and receptor responses affect CNS barrier properties and thus facilitate neuroinflammation. KW - Ureaplasma parvum KW - CNS integrity KW - neonatal meningitis KW - preterm birth KW - immaturity KW - animal model Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324285 VL - 43 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ferreira, Manuel A. A1 - Gamazon, Eric R. A1 - Al-Ejeh, Fares A1 - Aittomäki, Kristiina A1 - Andrulis, Irene L. A1 - Anton-Culver, Hoda A1 - Arason, Adalgeir A1 - Arndt, Volker A1 - Aronson, Kristan J. A1 - Arun, Banu K. A1 - Asseryanis, Ella A1 - Azzollini, Jacopo A1 - Balmaña, Judith A1 - Barnes, Daniel R. A1 - Barrowdale, Daniel A1 - Beckmann, Matthias W. A1 - Behrens, Sabine A1 - Benitez, Javier A1 - Bermisheva, Marina A1 - Bialkowska, Katarzyna A1 - Blomqvist, Carl A1 - Bogdanova, Natalia V. A1 - Bojesen, Stig E. A1 - Bolla, Manjeet K. A1 - Borg, Ake A1 - Brauch, Hiltrud A1 - Brenner, Hermann A1 - Broeks, Annegien A1 - Burwinkel, Barbara A1 - Caldés, Trinidad A1 - Caligo, Maria A. A1 - Campa, Daniele A1 - Campbell, Ian A1 - Canzian, Federico A1 - Carter, Jonathan A1 - Carter, Brian D. A1 - Castelao, Jose E. A1 - Chang-Claude, Jenny A1 - Chanock, Stephen J. A1 - Christiansen, Hans A1 - Chung, Wendy K. A1 - Claes, Kathleen B. M. A1 - Clarke, Christine L. A1 - Couch, Fergus J. A1 - Cox, Angela A1 - Cross, Simon S. A1 - Czene, Kamila A1 - Daly, Mary B. A1 - de la Hoya, Miguel A1 - Dennis, Joe A1 - Devilee, Peter A1 - Diez, Orland A1 - Dörk, Thilo A1 - Dunning, Alison M. A1 - Dwek, Miriam A1 - Eccles, Diana M. A1 - Ejlertsen, Bent A1 - Ellberg, Carolina A1 - Engel, Christoph A1 - Eriksson, Mikael A1 - Fasching, Peter A. A1 - Fletcher, Olivia A1 - Flyger, Henrik A1 - Friedman, Eitan A1 - Frost, Debra A1 - Gabrielson, Marike A1 - Gago-Dominguez, Manuela A1 - Ganz, Patricia A. A1 - Gapstur, Susan M. A1 - Garber, Judy A1 - García-Closas, Montserrat A1 - García-Sáenz, José A. A1 - Gaudet, Mia M. A1 - Giles, Graham G. A1 - Glendon, Gord A1 - Godwin, Andrew K. A1 - Goldberg, Mark S. A1 - Goldgar, David E. A1 - González-Neira, Anna A1 - Greene, Mark H. A1 - Gronwald, Jacek A1 - Guenél, Pascal A1 - Haimann, Christopher A. A1 - Hall, Per A1 - Hamann, Ute A1 - He, Wei A1 - Heyworth, Jane A1 - Hogervorst, Frans B. L. A1 - Hollestelle, Antoinette A1 - Hoover, Robert N. A1 - Hopper, John L. A1 - Hulick, Peter J. A1 - Humphreys, Keith A1 - Imyanitov, Evgeny N. A1 - Isaacs, Claudine A1 - Jakimovska, Milena A1 - Jakubowska, Anna A1 - James, Paul A. A1 - Janavicius, Ramunas A1 - Jankowitz, Rachel C. A1 - John, Esther M. A1 - Johnson, Nichola A1 - Joseph, Vijai A1 - Karlan, Beth Y. A1 - Khusnutdinova, Elza A1 - Kiiski, Johanna I. A1 - Ko, Yon-Dschun A1 - Jones, Michael E. A1 - Konstantopoulou, Irene A1 - Kristensen, Vessela N. A1 - Laitman, Yael A1 - Lambrechts, Diether A1 - Lazaro, Conxi A1 - Leslie, Goska A1 - Lester, Jenny A1 - Lesueur, Fabienne A1 - Lindström, Sara A1 - Long, Jirong A1 - Loud, Jennifer T. A1 - Lubiński, Jan A1 - Makalic, Enes A1 - Mannermaa, Arto A1 - Manoochehri, Mehdi A1 - Margolin, Sara A1 - Maurer, Tabea A1 - Mavroudis, Dimitrios A1 - McGuffog, Lesley A1 - Meindl, Alfons A1 - Menon, Usha A1 - Michailidou, Kyriaki A1 - Miller, Austin A1 - Montagna, Marco A1 - Moreno, Fernando A1 - Moserle, Lidia A1 - Mulligan, Anna Marie A1 - Nathanson, Katherine L. A1 - Neuhausen, Susan L. A1 - Nevanlinna, Heli A1 - Nevelsteen, Ines A1 - Nielsen, Finn C. A1 - Nikitina-Zake, Liene A1 - Nussbaum, Robert L. A1 - Offit, Kenneth A1 - Olah, Edith A1 - Olopade, Olufunmilayo I. A1 - Olsson, Håkan A1 - Osorio, Ana A1 - Papp, Janos A1 - Park-Simon, Tjoung-Won A1 - Parsons, Michael T. A1 - Pedersen, Inge Sokilde A1 - Peixoto, Ana A1 - Peterlongo, Paolo A1 - Pharaoh, Paul D. P. A1 - Plaseska-Karanfilska, Dijana A1 - Poppe, Bruce A1 - Presneau, Nadege A1 - Radice, Paolo A1 - Rantala, Johanna A1 - Rennert, Gad A1 - Risch, Harvey A. A1 - Saloustros, Emmanouil A1 - Sanden, Kristin A1 - Sawyer, Elinor J. A1 - Schmidt, Marjanka K. A1 - Schmutzler, Rita K. A1 - Sharma, Priyanka A1 - Shu, Xiao-Ou A1 - Simard, Jaques A1 - Singer, Christian F. A1 - Soucy, Penny A1 - Southey, Melissa C. A1 - Spinelli, John J. A1 - Spurdle, Amanda B. A1 - Stone, Jennifer A1 - Swerdlow, Anthony J. A1 - Tapper, William J. A1 - Taylor, Jack A. A1 - Teixeira, Manuel R. A1 - Terry, Mary Beth A1 - Teulé, Alex A1 - Thomassen, Mads A1 - Thöne, Kathrin A1 - Thull, Darcy L. A1 - Tischkowitz, Marc A1 - Toland, Amanda E. A1 - Torres, Diana A1 - Truong, Thérèse A1 - Tung, Nadine A1 - Vachon, Celine M. A1 - van Asperen, Christi J. A1 - van den Ouweland, Ans M. W. A1 - van Rensburg, Elizabeth J. A1 - Vega, Ana A1 - Viel, Alexandra A1 - Wang, Qin A1 - Wappenschmidt, Barbara A1 - Weitzel, Jeffrey N. A1 - Wendt, Camilla A1 - Winqvist, Robert A1 - Yang, Xiaohong R. A1 - Yannoukakos, Drakoulis A1 - Ziogas, Argyrios A1 - Kraft, Peter A1 - Antoniou, Antonis C. A1 - Zheng, Wei A1 - Easton, Douglas F. A1 - Milne, Roger L. A1 - Beesley, Jonathan A1 - Chenevix-Trench, Georgia T1 - Genome-wide association and transcriptome studies identify target genes and risk loci for breast cancer JF - Nature Communications N2 - Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 170 breast cancer susceptibility loci. Here we hypothesize that some risk-associated variants might act in non-breast tissues, specifically adipose tissue and immune cells from blood and spleen. Using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) reported in these tissues, we identify 26 previously unreported, likely target genes of overall breast cancer risk variants, and 17 for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer, several with a known immune function. We determine the directional effect of gene expression on disease risk measured based on single and multiple eQTL. In addition, using a gene-based test of association that considers eQTL from multiple tissues, we identify seven (and four) regions with variants associated with overall (and ER-negative) breast cancer risk, which were not reported in previous GWAS. Further investigation of the function of the implicated genes in breast and immune cells may provide insights into the etiology of breast cancer. KW - cancer KW - genetics Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228024 VL - 10 ER -