We present a series of 23 cases of a distinctive, hitherto poorly recognized low-grade adenocarcinoma, with several histologic features reminiscent of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, and which mostly but not exclusively occurs in the tongue. All the tumors were unencapsulated and were divided into lobules that were composed mainly of cribriform and solid growth patterns. Therefore, we propose the name "cribriform adenocarcinoma of minor salivary gland origin (CAMSG)." All the patients were adults with a mean age at diagnosis of 55.8 years (range, 25 to 85 y). Fourteen of the 23 tumors were localized in the tongue, 3 in the soft palate, 2 in the retromolar buccal mucosa, 3 in the lingual tonsils, and 1 in the upper lip. Fifteen patients of 23 had synchronous metastases in the cervical lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis, bilateral in 3 cases. In 3 patients, the nodal metastasis was the first evidence of disease, later investigation revealing primary neoplasms in the base of tongue and tonsil, respectively. In addition, 1 patient developed a cervical lymph node metastasis 8 years after excision of a primary tumor of the tongue. Data on treatment and follow-up were available in 14 cases. The patients were treated by radical excision with clear margins (12 cases) or by simple excision (2 cases). Neck dissection was performed in 10 patients; 9 received radiotherapy, but none were treated by chemotherapy. Clinical follow-up ranged from 2 months to 13 years (mean, 6 y and 5 mo). Twelve patients are alive with no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease after treatment, 1 patient died 2 years after surgery without evidence of tumor, and 1 patient is alive with recurrent tumor of the palate.

Prodrug cancer gene therapy by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) targeted to tumors represents an attractive tool to activate prodrugs directly within the tumor mass, thus avoiding systemic toxicity. In this study, we tested the feasibility and efficacy of human adipose tissue-derived MSCs, engineered to express the suicide gene cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase to treat intracranial rat C6 glioblastoma. Experiments were designed to simulate conditions of future clinical application for high-grade glioblastoma therapy by direct injections of therapeutic stem cells into tumor. We demonstrated that genetically modified therapeutic stem cells still have the tumor tropism when injected to a distant intracranial site and effectively inhibited glioblastoma growth after 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) therapy. Coadministration of C6 cells and therapeutic stem cells with delayed 5-FC therapy improved the survival in a therapeutic stem cell dose-dependent manner and induced complete tumor regression in a significant number of animals. Continuous intracerebroventricular delivery of 5-FC using osmotic pump reduced the dose of prodrug required for the same therapeutic effect, and along with repeated administration of therapeutic stem cells increased the survival time. Intracerebral injection of therapeutic stem cells and treatment with 5-FC did not show any detectable adverse effects. Results support the arguments to begin clinical studies for treatment of high-grade brain tumors.

Suicide gene therapy mediated by mesenchymal stem cells with their ability to engraft into tumors makes these therapeutic stem cells an attractive tool to activate prodrugs directly within the tumor mass. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and from adipose tissue, engineered to express the suicide gene cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase to treat intracerebral rat C6 glioblastoma in a simulated clinical therapeutic scenario. Intracerebrally grown glioblastoma was treated by resection and subsequently with single or repeated intracerebral inoculations of therapeutic stem cells followed by a continuous intracerebroventricular delivery of 5-fluorocytosine using an osmotic pump. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that surgical resection of the tumor increased the survival time of the resected animals depending on the extent of surgical intervention. However, direct injections of therapeutic stem cells into the brain tissue surrounding the postoperative resection cavity led to a curative outcome in a significant number of treated animals. Moreover, the continuous supply of therapeutic stem cells into the brain with growing glioblastoma by osmotic pumps together with continuous prodrug delivery also proved to be therapeutically efficient. We assume that observed curative therapy of glioblastoma by stem cell-mediated prodrug gene therapy might be caused by the destruction of both tumor cells and the niche where glioblastoma initiating cells reside.

Targeted biopsies are superior to random biopsies in the screening of IEN in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. CE increases the diagnostic yield of WLE. In our study CLE did not provide additional clinical benefits.

Cutaneous adnexal neoplasms are complex lesions, including benign and malignant neoplasms in addition to malformations and hamartomas. They show one or several features of differentiation along follicular, sebaceous, apocrine, and eccrine lines. Rarely, cutaneous adnexal neoplasms or their mimics may arise outside the skin. In some organs, such as the parotid gland, a number of tumors comprise well-established entities, whereas in the majority of cases an extracutaneous occurrence of cutaneous-type adnexal lesions is a rare and often diagnostically challenging finding. This review discusses various authentic cutaneous-type adnexal neoplasms or related lesions presented according to the organ involved.