TY - JOUR
T1 - Thymic Epithelial Tumors as a Model of Networking
T2 - Development of a Synergistic Strategy for Clinical and Translational Research Purposes
AU - Melis, Enrico
AU - Gallo, Enzo
AU - di Martino, Simona
AU - Gallina, Filippo Tommaso
AU - Laquintana, Valentina
AU - Casini, Beatrice
AU - Visca, Paolo
AU - Ganci, Federica
AU - Alessandrini, Gabriele
AU - Caterino, Mauro
AU - Cecere, Fabiana Letizia
AU - Mandoj, Chiara
AU - Papadantonakis, Arianna
AU - De Bello, Nicoletta
AU - Lattanzio, Rossano
AU - Palmieri, Giovannella
AU - Garassino, Marina Chiara
AU - Girard, Nicolas
AU - Conti, Laura
AU - Blandino, Giovanni
AU - Fazi, Francesco
AU - Facciolo, Francesco
AU - Pescarmona, Edoardo
AU - Ciliberto, Gennaro
AU - Marino, Mirella
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors want to thank our Biobank IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (BBIRE), Rome, Italy, for sample and data preservation and the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) and the ERN-EURACAN G8 Rare Thoracic Tumors network for fruitful discussion and for the several projects on TET realized or ongoing. We thank Dr. Tania Merlino for English language editing. Funding. The TMA study was supported by a grant from the Italian National Health Ministry to MM, the other studies by current research grants IRE to MM or to EP, or from other Research Units (Oncogenomic and Epigenetic Unit) at IRE. Other institutions (FFaz at Sapienza University) contributed with their own grants to microRNA studies. The biobank was fully supported by the Scientific Direction IRE. Funds for open-access publication fees were received from the IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute. This work was partially funded by EURACAN EC 739521.
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2020 Melis, Gallo, di Martino, Gallina, Laquintana, Casini, Visca, Ganci, Alessandrini, Caterino, Cecere, Mandoj, Papadantonakis, De Bello, Lattanzio, Palmieri, Garassino, Girard, Conti, Blandino, Fazi, Facciolo, Pescarmona, Ciliberto and Marino.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/7/14
Y1 - 2020/7/14
N2 - Among the group of thymic epithelial tumors (TET), thymomas often show either uncertain or explicit malignant biological behavior, local invasiveness, and intrathoracic relapse and are often difficult to manage. From the initial stages, thymic carcinomas tend to show aggressive behavior and extrathoracic spread. Moreover, the interplay of epithelial cells and thymocytes in thymomas causes complex immune derangement and related systemic autoimmune diseases. Due to their rare occurrence and to the limited funding opportunities available for rare tumors, it is challenging to make advances in clinical and translational research in TET. The authors of this paper are all members of a multidisciplinary clinical and research thoracic tumor team. Strong input was given to the team by long-standing expertise in TET in the Pathology Department. In addition, thanks to the collaboration between research units at our Institute as well as to national collaborations, over the last 10 years we were able to perform several tissue-based research studies. The most recent studies focused on microRNA and on functional studies on the thymic carcinoma cell line 1889c. The recent implementation of our biobank now provides us with a new tool for networking collaborative research activities. Moreover, the participation in a worldwide community such as ITMIG (International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group) has allowed us to significantly contribute toward fundamental projects/research both in tissue-based studies (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and in clinical studies (TNM staging of TET). Our achievements derive from constant commitment and long-standing experience in diagnosis and research in TET. New perspectives opened up due to the establishment of national [the Italian Collaborative Group for ThYmic MalignanciEs (TYME)] and European reference networks such as EURACAN, for an empowered joint clinical action in adult solid rare tumors. The challenge we face still lies in the advancement of clinical and basic science in thymic epithelial malignancies.
AB - Among the group of thymic epithelial tumors (TET), thymomas often show either uncertain or explicit malignant biological behavior, local invasiveness, and intrathoracic relapse and are often difficult to manage. From the initial stages, thymic carcinomas tend to show aggressive behavior and extrathoracic spread. Moreover, the interplay of epithelial cells and thymocytes in thymomas causes complex immune derangement and related systemic autoimmune diseases. Due to their rare occurrence and to the limited funding opportunities available for rare tumors, it is challenging to make advances in clinical and translational research in TET. The authors of this paper are all members of a multidisciplinary clinical and research thoracic tumor team. Strong input was given to the team by long-standing expertise in TET in the Pathology Department. In addition, thanks to the collaboration between research units at our Institute as well as to national collaborations, over the last 10 years we were able to perform several tissue-based research studies. The most recent studies focused on microRNA and on functional studies on the thymic carcinoma cell line 1889c. The recent implementation of our biobank now provides us with a new tool for networking collaborative research activities. Moreover, the participation in a worldwide community such as ITMIG (International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group) has allowed us to significantly contribute toward fundamental projects/research both in tissue-based studies (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and in clinical studies (TNM staging of TET). Our achievements derive from constant commitment and long-standing experience in diagnosis and research in TET. New perspectives opened up due to the establishment of national [the Italian Collaborative Group for ThYmic MalignanciEs (TYME)] and European reference networks such as EURACAN, for an empowered joint clinical action in adult solid rare tumors. The challenge we face still lies in the advancement of clinical and basic science in thymic epithelial malignancies.
KW - biobank
KW - EURACAN
KW - ITMIG
KW - microRNA
KW - TCGA
KW - thymic carcinoma
KW - thymic epithelial tumors
KW - thymoma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088789656&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85088789656&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fonc.2020.00922
DO - 10.3389/fonc.2020.00922
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85088789656
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Oncology
JF - Frontiers in Oncology
SN - 2234-943X
M1 - 922
ER -