Despite the overall poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer there is heterogeneity in clinical courses of tumors not assessed by conventional risk stratification. This yields the need of additional markers for proper assessment of prognosis and multimodal clinical management. We provide a proof of concept study evaluating the feasibility of Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to identify specific peptide signatures linked to prognostic parameters of pancreatic cancer. On 18 patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer after tumor resection, MALDI imaging analysis was performed additional to histopathological assessment. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explore discrimination of peptide signatures of prognostic histopathological features and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) to identify which specific m/z values are the most discriminative between the prognostic subgroups of patients. Out of 557 aligned m/z values discriminate peptide signatures for the prognostic histopathological features lymphatic vessel invasion (pL, 16 m/z values, eight proteins), nodal metastasis (pN, two m/z values, one protein) and angioinvasion (pV, 4 m/z values, two proteins) were identified. These results yield proof of concept that MALDI-MSI of pancreatic cancer tissue is feasible to identify peptide signatures of prognostic relevance and can augment risk assessment.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer revealed over the last decades a remarkable shift with an increasing proportion of a right- compared to a left-sided tumor location. In the current study, we aimed to disclose clinicopathological differences between right- and left-sided colon cancer (rCC and lCC) with respect to mortality and outcome predictors.Methods: In total, 417 patients with colon cancer stage I–IV were analyzed in the present retrospective single-center study. Survival rates were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method and uni/multivariate analyses were performed with a Cox proportional hazards regression model.Results: Our study showed no significant difference of the overall survival between rCC and lCC stage I–IV (p = 0.354). Multivariate analysis revealed in the rCC cohort the worst outcome for ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) score IV patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 16.0; CI 95%: 2.1–123.5), CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) blood level > 100 µg/l (HR: 3.3; CI 95%: 1.2–9.0), increased lymph node ratio of 0.6–1.0 (HR: 5.3; CI 95%: 1.7–16.1), and grade 4 tumors (G4) (HR: 120.6; CI 95%: 6.7–2179.6) whereas in the lCC population, ASA score IV (HR: 8.9; CI 95%: 0.9–91.9), CEA blood level 20.1–100 µg/l (HR: 5.4; CI 95%: 2.4–12.4), conversion to laparotomy (HR: 14.1; CI 95%: 4.0–49.0), and severe surgical complications (Clavien-Dindo III–IV) (HR: 2.9; CI 95%: 1.5–5.5) were identified as predictors of a diminished overall survival.Conclusion: Laterality disclosed no significant effect on the overall prognosis of colon cancer patients. However, group differences and distinct survival predictors could be identified in rCC and lCC patients.

Mechanisms of lymph node invasion seem to play a prognostic role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after resection. However, the 8th edition of the TNM classification of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) does not consider this. The aim of this study was to analyse the prognostic role of different mechanisms of lymph node invasion on PDAC. One hundred and twenty-two patients with resected PDAC were examined. We distinguished three groups: direct (per continuitatem, Nc) from the main tumour, metastasis (Nm) without any contact to the main tumour, and a mixed mechanism (Ncm). Afterwards, the prognostic power of the different groups was analysed concerning overall survival (OS). In total, 20 patients displayed direct lymph node invasion (Nc = 16.4%), 44 were classed as Nm (36.1%), and 21 were classed as Ncm (17.2%). The difference in OS was not statistically significant between N0 (no lymph node metastasis, n = 37) and Nc (p = 0.134), while Nm had worse OS than N0 (p < 0.001). Direct invasion alone had no statistically significant effect on OS (p = 0.885). Redefining the N0 stage by including Nc patients showed a more precise OS prediction among N stages (p = 0.001 vs. p = 0.002). Nc was more similar to N0 than to Nm; hence, we suggest a rethinking of TNM classification based on the mechanisms of lymph node metastases in PDAC. Overall, this novel classification is more precise.

Opioids provide effective pain relief during flares of inflammatory bowel disease but are limited by serious side effects. We showed that acute administration of a novel pH-sensitive opioid agonist, NFEPP, had potent analgesic effects in inflamed acidified colonic tissues without opioid typical side effects. However, the effects of repeated application of NFEPP during the course of an acute flare of colonic inflammation are unknown. To assess the analgesic and side effect profile resulting from repeated NFEPP applications during the course of acute colitis. Acute colitis in C57BL/6 mice was induced via 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium dissolved in drinking water for 5 days. Mice were then randomly group assigned to either vehicle, fentanyl or NFEPP. Drugs and vehicle were administered sc. BID for 5 days (0.4 mg/kg), with a final injection on Day 6 (Day 1–6). Visceral nociception was evaluated by performing visceromotor responses (VMRs) to colorectal distension at different time points during colitis. Side effects were assessed using 1) a combination of oral contrast-enhanced abdominal CT-scans (before/after treatment) and defecation assessments to analyze gastrointestinal transit and isometric tension recordings to evaluate colon motility 2) pulse oximeter measurements to reveal cardiorespiratory effects. Inflammation was assessed by histological scoring, myeloperoxidase activity assay and tissue pH measurement of colon samples. NFEPP decreased VMRs to colorectal distension over the entire period of acute DSS colitis (Day 6: 40.54%, p<0.001, reduction compared to baseline). However, strongest VMR inhibition was observed at Day 3 (66.7%, p<0.05), concordant with the peak of inflammation (MPO: 3.5 U/mg tissue, p<0.001; tissue Damage-Score: 3.0, p<0.001; tissue pH: ΔpH= -0.28, p=0.001, all compared to healthy control). Treatment with NFEPP did not delay gastrointestinal transit (GIT, p=0.37, compared to baseline) nor fecal output (p=0.45, compared to vehicle) whereas fentanyl decreased transit (GIT: p<0.05; fecal output: p<0.05). Colonic contractile responses evoked by electrical field stimulation were reduced in fentanyl treated mice compared to NFEPP (10 Hz: p<0.05). Fentanyl significantly reduced oxygen saturation (15 min: 85% SpO2, p<0.01) and caused a sustained reduction in heart rate at Day 2 (60 min: Δ BPM -91.8 from baseline, p=0.001) whereas NFEPP did not affect oxygen saturation (p=0.95) and revealed minor, transient effects on heart rate (15 min: Δ BPM -75.6, p<0.01) which recovered after 60 min. Prolonged NFEPP administration effectively inhibits visceral nociception during acute colitis in a preclinical mouse model without altering gastrointestinal transit, colon motility and oxygen saturation. CCC