The prognostic value of tumor regression scores (TRS) in patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation remains unclear. We sought to investigate the prognostic value of pathologic and metabolic treatment response among EAC patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Patients with pathologic complete response had prolonged OS, whereas no difference in survival was detected among other TRS categories. At initial staging, the presence of signet ring cells and greater SUV uptake at regional lymph nodes predicted residual disease at pathology and shorter OS, suggesting the need for new treatment strategies for these patients.

This graphic abstract combines pedigree, dysmorphology features, radiographs, and the PRKG2 protein domain, specifically the CNB-A regulatory domain, which harbors a mutation resulting in premature protein termination.

Mutations in the Claudin-1 (CLDN1, Gene ID: 9076) gene are known to result in the autosomal-recessive neonatal ichthyosis-sclerosing cholangitis (NISCH) syndrome (OMIM: 607626).¹ The long-term prognosis depends on the severity of the liver disease, which is partly dependent on the mutation present.² Other ichthyoses with neonatal cholestasis include arthrogryposis-renal dysfunction-cholestasis (ARC) syndrome, type 2 Gaucher’s disease, and MEDNIK syndrome (mental retardation, enteropathy, deafness, neuropathy, ichthyosis and keratodermia).³

Recent studies have advanced our understanding of the genetic drivers of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Rare variants in more than 20 genes are considered causal for PD, and the latest PD genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified 90 independent risk loci. However, there remains a gap in our understanding of PD genetics outside of the European populations in which the vast majority of these studies were focused.

Chromosomal microarray is recommended as the first line of investigation in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, advances in next-generation sequencing have unraveled more than 900 genes associated with NDDs, thus improving the genetic diagnosis. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the utility of clinical exome sequencing (CES) in NDDs from a tertiary care centre in India.

Sarcoglycanopathy is the most frequent form of autosomal recessive limb- girdle muscular dystrophies caused by mutations in SGCB gene encoding beta-sarcoglycan proteins. In this study, we describe a shared, common haplotype co-segregating in 14 sarcoglycanopathy cases from 13 unrelated families from south Indian region with the likely pathogenic homozygous mutation c.544 T > G (p.Thr182Pro) in SGCB.

Clinical diagnosis of several neurodegenerative disorders based on clinical phenotype is challenging due to its heterogeneous nature and overlapping disease manifestations. Therefore, the identification of underlying genetic mechanisms is of paramount importance for better diagnosis and therapeutic regimens.

Monogenic obesity can be caused by a mutation in one of the single genes involved in hunger and satiety. The most common mutations affect melanocortin 4 (MC4) followed by the leptin gene and its receptor. Leptin receptor (LEPR) gene mutation is an extremely rare endocrine disease characterized by early-onset obesity, hyperphagia in addition to pituitary hormone deficiency, and metabolic abnormalities.

A central question in evolutionary biology is whether sponges or ctenophores are the sister group to all other animals, with implications for the evolution of neural systems. Traditional phylogenetic methods, including morphological and gene sequence analysis, have not resolved this debate. Using chromosome-scale gene linkage (synteny), this study presents new genomes for ctenophores, sponges, and unicellular animal relatives. The analysis shows that ctenophores share ancestral syntenic patterns with unicellular eukaryotes, while sponges, bilaterians, and cnidarians share derived chromosomal rearrangements. These findings provide a new framework for resolving deep, recalcitrant phylogenetic problems and have implications for our understanding of animal evolution.