Introduction and Objective. Curative resection of proximal humerus tumours is now possible in this era of limb salvage with endoprosthetic replacement considered as the preferred reconstructive option. However, it has also been linked with mechanical and non-mechanical failures such as stem fracture and aseptic loosening. One of the challenges is to ensure that implants will endure the mechanical strain under physiological loading conditions, especially crucial in long surviving patients. The objective is to investigate the effect of varying prosthesis length on the bone and implant stresses in a reconstructed humerus-prosthesis assembly after tumour resection using finite element (FE) modelling. Methods. Computed tomography (CT) scans of 10 humeri were processed in Mimics 17 to create three-dimensional (3D) cortical and cancellous solid bone models. Endoprostheses of different lengths manufactured by Stryker were modelled using Solidworks 2020. The FE models were divided into four groups namely group A consisting of the intact humerus and groups B, C and D composed of humerus-prosthesis assemblies with a body length of 40, 100 and 120 mm respectively and were meshed using linear 4-noded tetrahedral elements in 3matic 13. The models were then imported into Abaqus CAE 6.14. Isotropic linear elastic behaviour with an elastic modulus of 13400, 2000 and 208 000 MPa were assigned to the cortical bone, cancellous bone and prosthesis respectively and a Poisson's ratio of 0.3 was assumed for each material. To represent the lifting of heavy objects and twisting motion, a tensile load of 200 N for axial loading and a 5 Nm torsional load for torsional loading was applied separately to the elbow joint surface with the glenohumeral joint fixed and with all contact interfaces defined as fully bonded. A comparative analysis against literature was performed to validate the intact model. Statistical analysis of the peak von Mises stress values collected from predicted stress contour plots was performed using a one-way repeated measure of analysis of variance (with a Bonferroni post hoc test) using SPSS Statistics 26. The average change in stress of the resected models from the intact state were then determined. Results. The validation of the intact humerus displayed a good agreement with literature values. The peak bone stress occurred distally above the coronoid and olecranon fossa closer to the load application region in the intact and resected bone models with a significant amount of loading borne by the cortical bone, while the peak implant stress occurred at the bone-prosthesis contact interface under both loading conditions. Based on the results obtained, a statistically significant difference (p =.013) in implant stress was only seen to occur between groups B and C under tension. Results illustrate initiation of stress shielding with the bone bearing lesser stress with increasing resection length which may eventually lead to implant failure by causing bone resorption according to Wolff's law. The peak implant stress under torsion was 3–5 times the stress under tension. The best biomechanical behaviour was exhibited in Group D, having the least average change in stress from the intact model, 5% and 3.8% under tension and torsion respectively. It can be deduced that the shorter the prosthesis length, the more pronounced the effect on cortical bone remodelling. With the maximum bone and implant stresses obtained being less than their yield strength, it can be concluded that the bone-implant construct is safe from failure. Conclusions. The developed FE models verified the influence of varying the prosthesis length on the bone and implant stresses and predicted signs of stress shielding in longer endoprostheses. By allowing for 2 cm shortening in the upper extremity and post-surgical scarring, it is beneficial to err towards a shorter endoprosthesis

The initiation and progression of malignant tumors are supported by their microenvironment: cancer cells per se cannot explain growth and formation of the primary or metastasis, and a combination of proliferating tumor cells, cancer stem cells, immune cells, mesenchymal stromal cells and/or cancer-associated fibroblasts all contribute to the tumor bulk. The interaction between these multiple players, under different microenvironmental conditions of biochemical and physical stimuli (i.e. oxygen tension, pH, matrix mechanics), regulates the production and biological activity of several soluble factors, extracellular matrix components, and extracellular vesicles that are needed for growth, maintenance, chemoresistance and metastatization of cancer. Both in osteosarcoma and bone metastases from carcinomas this aspect has been only recently explored. In this lecture, I will discuss the role of tumor microenvironment, with a particular focus on the mesenchymal stroma, contributing to bone tumor progression through inherent. The most recent advances in the molecular cues triggered by cytokines, soluble factors, and metabolites that are partially beginning to unravel the axis between stromal elements of mesenchymal origin and bone cancer cells, under different microenvironmental conditions, will be reviewed providing insights likely to be used for novel therapeutic approaches

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), the main cause of low back pain, is closely related to the inflammatory microenvironment in the nucleus pulposus (NP). Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays an important role in inflammation-related metabolic disturbance of NP cells. Melatonin has been proven to regulate the metabolism of NP cells, but whether it can protect NP cells from TNF-α-induced damage is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role and specific mechanism of melatonin on regulating the metabolism of NP cells in the inflammatory microenvironment. Human primary NP cells were treated with or without vehicle, TNF-α and melatonin. And the metabolic markers were also detected by western blotting and RT-qPCR. The activity of NF-κB signaling and Hippo/YAP signaling were assessed by western blotting and immunofluorescence. Membrane receptors inhibitors, pathway inhibitors, lentiviral infection, plasmids transfection and immunoprecipitation were used to explore the specific mechanism of melatonin. In vivo, the rat IDD model were constructed and melatonin was injected intraperitoneally to evaluate its therapeutical effect on IDD. We demonstrated that melatonin could alleviate the development of IDD in a rat model and reverse TNF-α–impaired metabolism of NP cells in vitro. Further investigation revealed that the protective effects of melatonin on NP cells mainly rely on MTNR1B, which subsequently activates Gαi2 protein. The activation of Gαi2 could upregulate the yes-associated protein (YAP) level, resulting in anabolic enhancement of NP cells. In addition, melatonin-mediated YAP upregulation increased the expression of IκBα and suppressed the TNF-α–induced activation of the NF-κB pathway, thereby inhibiting the catabolism of NP cells. Our results revealed that melatonin can reverse TNF-α–impaired metabolism of NP cells via the MTNR1B/Gαi2/YAP axis and suggested that melatonin can be used as a potential therapeutic drug in the treatment of IDD

Various chemicals are commonly used as adjuvant treatment to surgery for giant-cell tumour (GCT) of bone. The comparative effect of these solutions on the cells of GCT is not known. In this study we evaluated the cytotoxic effect of sterile water, 95% ethanol, 5% phenol, 3% hydrogen peroxide (H. 2. O. 2. ) and 50% zinc chloride (ZnCI. 2. ) on GCT monolayer tumour cultures which were established from six patients. The DNA content, the metabolic activity and the viability of the cultured samples of tumour cells were assessed at various times up to 120 hours after their exposure to these solutions. Equal cytotoxicity to the GCT monolayer culture was observed for 95% ethanol, 5% phenol, 3% H. 2. O. 2. and 50% ZnCI. 2. The treated samples showed significant reductions in DNA content and metabolic activity 24 hours after treatment and this was sustained for up to 120 hours. The samples treated with sterile water showed an initial decline in DNA content and viability 24 hours after treatment, but the surviving cells were viable and had proliferated. No multinucleated cell formation was seen in these cultures. These results suggest that the use of chemical adjuvants other than water could help improve local control in the treatment of GCT of bone

Summary. A novel bipolar cooled radiofrequency ablation probe, optimised for bone metastases applications, is shown in two preclinical models to offer a safe and minimally invasive treatment option that can ablate large tissue volumes and preserve the regenerative ability of bone. Introduction. Use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treating of skeletal metastases has been rising, yet its impact on bone tissue is poorly understood. 2–11 RF treatment induces frictional heating and effectively necrotises tissue in a local and minimally invasive manner.1 Bipolar cooled RF (BCRF) is a significant improvement to conventional RF whereby larger regions can be safely treated, protecting sensitive neighbouring tissues from thermal effects. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a novel bipolar RFA probe to create large contained lesions within healthy pig vertebrae and its determine its effects on bone and tumour cells in a rabbit long bone tumour model. Methods. Following a pre-treatment MRI, a BCRF probe was placed transpedicularly into targeted lumbar vertebrae of six Yorkshire pigs. Energy was delivered for 15min at a set temperature of 65°C (n=2 per animal) with a sham control performed at a non-contiguous level (n=1 per animal). Post-treatment neurologic evaluation, MRI and histology were used to characterise the region of effect. Twelve New Zealand White Rabbits received a 200 µl injection of VX2 tumour cells into one femur. On day 14, half of the tumour-bearing and contralateral healthy femora were RF-treated (n=6 per group). RF-treated femora were compared to tumour-bearing and healthy sham groups (n=6 per group) through pre (day 14) and post treatment (day 28) MRI and histology (H&E (for general evaluation), AE1/AE3 (for VX2 tumour cell evaluation), TRAP (for osteoclast evaluation) and TUNEL (for osteocyte evaluation)). Results. In treated porcine spines there were no neurological complications. MR imaging confirmed a 2cm oval shaped ablative zone. External thermocouple measurements indicated output values in the physiological temperature range suggesting treatment was safely confined within targeted vertebrae. Histological results correlated well with the ablation regions determined using MRI sequences in both models. In rabbit femora, large zones of RF ablation (average volume 12.9±5.5 cm3) extended beyond the femur cortex (corresponding to the probe design for human use) into the surrounding soft tissue. The RFA-treated tumour-involved specimens demonstrated a significant reduction in tumour volume compared to sham femora, however a small number of viable tumour cells remained within the ablation volume. Newly formed trabecular structures were also seen in all treated femora. TRAP staining demonstrated a significant reduction in osteoclast number post-RFA in both the tumour-involved and healthy groups. TUNEL staining revealed areas of patchy cortical osteocyte necrosis within the ablation zone. Discussion/Conclusions. The large histologic region of effect created by RFA was consistent with MRI findings in both models. Treatment was contained in the porcine vertebrae without collateral damage to neighbouring sensitive structures. In the femora, while osteoclasts were found to be very susceptible to RFA, a small number of tumour cells and osteocytes in the treated regions remained viable. As the treatment zone did not encompass the full extent of the intramedullary lesions, it is possible that the sporadic VX2 cell viability may be explained by local tumour cell migration. Limited destruction of healthy osteocytes by RFA may be desirable in restoring bone health

Concomitant tumour resistance (CTR) is a unique phenomenon in which animals harbouring large primary tumours are resistant to the growth of smaller metastatic tumours by systemic angiogenic suppression. To examine this clinically, in ten patients with osteosarcoma, we investigated the effects of removal of the primary tumour on the development of pulmonary metastases, the systemic angiogenesis-inducing ability and the serum levels of several angiogenesis modulators. We found that removal of the primary tumour significantly elevated systemic angiogenesis-inducing ability in five patients who had post-operative recurrence of the tumour. Post-operative elevation of the angiogenesis-induced ability was suppressed by the addition of an angiogenic inhibitor, endostatin. Also, primary removal of the tumour decreased the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and endostatin. These findings suggest, for the first time, the presence of CTR in patients with osteosarcoma for whom postoperative antiangiogenic therapy may be used to prevent the post-operative progression of micrometastases

We evaluated the possible induction of a systemic immune response to increase anti-tumour activity by the re-implantation of destructive tumour tissue treated by liquid nitrogen in a murine osteosarcoma (LM8) model. The tumours were randomised to treatment by excision alone or by cryotreatment after excision. Tissue from the tumour was frozen in liquid nitrogen, thawed in distilled water and then re-implanted in the same animal. In addition, some mice received an immunological response modifier of OK-432 after treatment. We measured the levels of interferon-gamma and interleukin-12 cytokines and the cytotoxicity activity of splenocytes against murine LM8 osteosarcoma cells. The number of lung and the size of abdominal metastases were also measured. Re-implantation of tumour tissue after cryotreatment activated immune responses and inhibited metastatic tumour growth. OK-432 synergistically enhanced the anti-tumour effect. Our results suggest that the treatment of malignant bone tumours by reconstruction using autografts containing tumours which have been treated by liquid nitrogen may be of clinical value

Curettage and packing with polymethylmethacrylate cement is a routine treatment for giant-cell tumour (GCT) of bone. We performed an in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of a combination of cement and methotrexate, doxorubicin and cisplatin on primary cell cultures of stromal GCT cells obtained from five patients. Cement cylinders containing four different concentrations of each drug were prepared, and the effect of the eluted drugs was examined at three different time intervals. We found that the cytotoxic effect of eluted drugs depended on their concentration and the time interval, with even the lowest dose of each drug demonstrating an acceptable rate of cytotoxicity. Even in low doses, cytotoxic drugs mixed with polymethylmethacrylate cement could therefore be considered as effective local adjuvant treatment for GCTs

Summary. We demonstrate that osteoclast-like cells of GCT result from the spontaneous fusion and differentiation of CD14+ cells of the monoblastic lineage by an autocrine mechanism mediated by RANKL, rather than induced by stromal cells. This process is further enhanced by the simultaneous impairment of the negative feed-back regulation of osteoclastogenesis by interferon β. Introduction. Giant cell tumor of bone (GCT) is a benign osteolytic lesion with a complex histology, comprising prominent multinucleated osteoclast-like cells (OC), mononuclear stromal cells (SC), and monocyte-like elements. So far, most studies have focused on SC as the truly transformed elements that sustain osteoclast differentiation, while less attention has been paid on the monocyte-like cell fraction. On the contrary, we have previously shown that SC are non-transformed element that can induce osteoclastogenesis of monocytes at levels that do not exceed that of normal mesenchymal stromal cells. We therefore focused on CD14+ monocyte-like cells as an alternative key candidate for the pathogenesis of GCT. Methods. We isolated CD14+ enriched cell fraction from tumor samples by immunomagnetic separation. We analyzed CD14+ cells for ultrastructural morphology, mRNA levels of haematopoietic, monocytic, and dendritic markers, and for RANKL, and M-CSF. Due to the very high number of OC in GCT, we hypothesised that the IFN-b pathway might be impaired. In fact, IFN-b functions as a negative-feedback regulator that inhibits osteoclast differentiation. We assayed IFN-b mRNA and protein expression in both cultures and tumor samples. Finally, we verified the ability of CD14+ cells to spontaneously form osteoclasts. Results. In the CD14+ enriched fraction we identified two different cell populations, both positive for TRACP activity and negative for Ki-67 nuclear localization, one with an undefined histotype and the other showing characteristics of the monoblastic lineage, mainly monoblasts and promonocytes. Isolated cells were positive for CD45, MSE-1, RANK, CD14, and CD80, and negative for CD144, and were able to spontaneously form collagen-resorbing multinucleated cells, a process that was strongly impaired by the addition of osteoprotegerin. The expression of RANKL and M-CSF mRNA in cultured cells demonstrated the presence of an autocrine circuit inducing osteoclast formation. Finally, we found very low expression of IFN-b both in the in vitro formed OC and in tissue samples. Conclusions. These data show that CD14+ cells in GCT are monocyte-like cells that can spontaneously form bone-resorbing multinucleated cells through impaired IFN-b expression. Taken together, these data raise questions regarding the role of the CD14+ cell component and of their regulating mechanisms that may be relevant for the development of effective therapeutic strategies

The purpose of our study was to identify possible risk factors of patients with GCT of the long bones after curettage and packing the bone cavity with bone cement or bone allografts. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 249 patients with GCT of the limbs treated at Musculoskeletal Oncology Department of our institution between 1990 and 2013, confirmed histologically and recorded in the Bone Tumor Registry. We reviewed 219 cases located in the lower limb and 30 of the upper limb. This series includes 135 females and 114 males, with mean age 32 years (ranging 5 to 80 yrs). According to Campanacci's grading system, 190 cases were stage 2, 48 cases stage 3, and 11 cases stage 1. Treatment was curettage (intralesional surgery). Local adjuvants, such as phenol and cement, were used in 185 cases; whereas in the remaining 64 cases the residual cavity was filled with allografts or autografts only. Oncological outcome shows 203 patients alive and continuously disease-free (CDF), 41 patients NED1 after treatment of local recurrence (LR), 2 patients NED1 after treatment of lung metastases, 2 AWD with lung metastases. One patient died of unrelated causes (DOD). LR rate was 15.3% (38 pts). Lung metastases rate was 1.6% (4 pts). In patients treated by curettage and cement (185 cases) LR was 12% (22 pts). Conversely, in patients treated curettage and bone allografts it was higher (16/64 cases), with an incidence of 25% of cases (p=0.004). Oncological complications seemed to be related with site, more frequently occurring in the proximal femur (p=0.037). LR occurred only in stage 2 or 3 tumors without statistical significance (p>0.05). The mean interval between the first surgical treatment and LR was 22 months (range: 3–89 mos). However, in the multivariate analysis no significant statistical effect on local recurrence rate could be identified for gender, patient's age, Campanacci's grading, or cement vs allografts. The only independent risk factor related to the local recurrence was the site, with a statistical significance higher risk for patients with GCT of the proximal femur (p= 0.008). Our observation on the correlation of tumor location and risk of local recurrence is new. Therefore, special attention must be given to GCTs in the proximal femur. In fact, primary benign bone tumors in the proximal femur are difficult to treat due to the risk of secondary osteonecrosis of the femoral head or pathologic fracture. Numerous methods of reconstructions have been reported. Among these, total hip arthroplasty (THA) or bipolar hip arthroplasty (BHA) should be avoided when possible as more cases are observed in young patients. Therefore, we do not suggest different approach for the proximal femur. GCT in the proximal femur is much more difficult to treat than in other sites, but if curettage is feasible, the best way is to save the joint with a higher risk of local recurrence, knowing that the sacrifice of the hip articulation in case of recurrence is always possible with THA or BHA

We performed positron emission tomography (PET) with . 18. fluorine-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) on 55 patients with tumours involving the musculoskeletal system in order to evaluate its role in operative planning. The standardised uptake value (SUV) of FDG was calculated and, to distinguish malignancies from benign lesions, the cases were divided into high (≥ 1.9) and low (< 1.9) SUV groups. The sensitivity of PET for correctly diagnosing malignancy was 100% with a specificity of 76.9% and an overall accuracy of 83.0%. The mean SUV for metastatic lesions was twice that for primary sarcomas (p < 0.0015). Our results suggest that the SUV may be useful in differentiating malignant tumours from benign lesions. However, some of the latter, such as schwannomas, had high SUVs so that biopsy or wide resection was selected as the first operation. Thus, some other quantitative analysis may be required for preoperative planning in cases of high-SUV neurogenic benign tumours. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that the RNA message of a key enzyme in glucose metabolism, phosphohexose isomerase (PHI)/autocrine motility factor, was augmented in only high FDG-uptake lesions, suggesting that a high expression of the PHI message may be associated with accumulation of FDG in musculoskeletal tumours

Summary. RNAi targeting p110β reduces TNF-alpha production and osteolysis in response to wear particles. Introduction. Aseptic joint loosening is a key factor that reduces the life span of joint prosthesis. Prosthetic wear particles are thought to play a central role in the initiation and development of periprosthetic osteolysis, leading to aseptic loosening of prostheses. This study aims to explore the effect of p110β-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) and lentivirus on particle-induced inflammatory cytokine expression in murine macrophage. Methods. siRNA and lentivirus targeting p110β were transfected and infected prior to particle stimulation, respectively. Ceramic and titanium particles of different sizes were prepared to stimulate macrophages. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the siRNA transfection and lentivirus infection efficiency were 74.2 ± 4.2% and 92.3 ± 2.6%, respectively. Results. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA in the particle stimulation plus RNA interference (RNAi) groups were significantly lower compared with the particle stimulation-only groups (P<0.05), respectively. Similarly, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that protein levels of TNF-alpha in RNAi-treated groups were significantly decreased after transfection or infection (P<0.05), respectively. Western Blot showed that Phospho-Akt activation was significantly reduced by RNAi. As assessed by CT and micro-CT, particle implantation induced a significant osteolysis effect in mice calvaria, which was limited by p110β-lentivirus addition. Conclusions. p110β subtype of PI3K, followed by activation of phosphor-AKT (Ser473), may possibly participate in the regulation of activating macrophages by wear particles, ultimately resulting in the secretion of TNF-α and osteolysis

We used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to evaluate the extent of periprosthetic bone remodelling around a prosthesis for distal femoral reconstruction, the Kotz modular femoral tibial replacement (KMFTR; Howmedica, Rutherford, New Jersey). A total of 23 patients was entered into the study which had four parts: 1) 17 patients were scanned three times on both the implant and contralateral legs to determine whether the precision of DEXA measurements was adequate to estimate bone loss surrounding the anchorage piece of the KMFTR; 2) in 23 patients the bone mineral density (BMD) in different regions of interest surrounding the diaphyseal anchorage was compared with that of the contralateral femur at the same location to test whether there was consistent evidence of loss of BMD adjacent to the prosthetic stem; 3) in 12 patients sequential studies were performed about one year apart to compare bone loss; and 4) bone loss was compared in ten patients with implants fixed by three screws and in 13 without screws.

The mean coefficients of variation (SD/mean) for the 17 sets of repeated scans ranged from 2.9% to 7.8% at different regions of interest in the KMFTR leg and from 1.4% to 2.5% in the contralateral leg. BMD was decreased in the KMFTR leg relative to the contralateral limb and the percentage of BMD loss in general increased as the region of interest moved distally in the femur. Studies done after one year showed no consistent pattern of progressive bone loss between the two measurements. The ten patients with implants fixed by screws were found to have a mean loss of BMD of 42% in the most distal part of the femur, while the 13 without screw fixation had a mean loss of 11%.

DEXA was shown to have adequate precision to evaluate loss of BMD around the KMFTR. This was evident relative to the contralateral leg in all patients and generally increased in the most distal part of the femur. In general, it stabilised between two measurements taken one year apart and was greater surrounding implants fixed by cross-locking screws.

Residual tumor cells left in the bone defect after malignant bone tumor resection can result in local tumor recurrence and high mortality. Therefore, ideal bone filling materials should not only aid bone reconstruction or regeneration, but also exert local chemotherapeutic efficacy. However, common bone substitutes used in clinics are barely studied in research for local delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. Here, we aimed to use facile manufacturing methods to render polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement and ceramic granules suitable for local delivery of cisplatin to limit bone tumor recurrence. Porosity was introduced into PMMA cement by adding 1-4% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) containing cisplatin, and chemotherapeutic activity was rendered to two types of granules via adsorption. Then, mechanical properties, porosity, morphology, drug release kinetics, ex vivo reconstructive properties of porous PMMA and in vitro anti-cancer efficacy against osteosarcoma cells were assessed. Morphologies, molecular structures, drug release profiles and in vitro cytostatic effects of two different drug-loaded granules on the proliferation of metastatic bone tumor cells were investigated. The mechanical strengths of PMMA-based cements were sufficient for tibia reconstruction at CMC contents lower than 4% (≤3%). The concentrations of released cisplatin (12.1% and 16.6% from PMMA with 3% and 4% CMC, respectively) were sufficient for killing of osteosarcoma cells, and the fraction of dead cells increased to 91.3% within 7 days. Functionalized xenogeneic granules released 29.5% of cisplatin, but synthetic CaP granules only released 1.4% of cisplatin over 28 days. The immobilized and released cisplatin retained its anti-cancer efficacy and showed dose-dependent cytostatic effects on the viability of metastatic bone tumor cells. Bone substitutes can be rendered therapeutically active for anticancer efficacy by functionalization with cisplatin. As such, our data suggest that multi-functional PMMA-based cements and cisplatin-loaded granules represent viable treatment options for filling bone defects after bone tumor resection

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in women with an estimation of 2.1 million new diagnoses in 2018. Even though primary tumours are usually efficiently removed by surgery, 20–40% of patients will develop metastases in distant organs. Bone is one of the most frequent site of metastases from advanced breast cancer, accounting from 55 to 58% of all metastases. Currently, none of the therapeutic strategies used to manage breast cancer bone metastasis are really curative. Tailoring a suitable model to study and evaluate the disease pathophysiology and novel advanced therapies is one of the major challenges that will predict more effectively and efficiently the clinical response. Preclinical traditional models have been largely used as they can provide standardization and simplicity, moreover, further advancements have been made with 3D cultures, by spheroids and artificial matrices, patient derived xenografts and microfluidics. Despite these models recapitulate numerous aspects of tumour complexity, they do not completely mimic the clinical native microenvironment. Thus, to fulfil this need, in our study we developed a new, advanced and alternative model of human breast cancer bone metastasis as potential biologic assay for cancer research. The study involved breast cancer bone metastasis samples obtained from three female patients undergoing wide spinal decompression and stabilization through a posterior approach. Samples were cultured in a TubeSpin Bioreactor on a rolling apparatus under hypoxic conditions at time 0 and for up to 40 days and evaluated for viability by the Alamar Blue test, gene expression profile, histology and immunohistochemistry. Results showed the maintenance and preservation, at time 0 and after 40 days of culture, of the tissue viability, biological activity, as well as molecular markers, i.e. several key genes involved in the complex interactions between the tumour cells and bone able to drive cancer progression, cancer aggressiveness and metastasis to bone. A good tis sue morphological and microarchitectural preservation with the presence of lacunar osteolysis, fragmented trabeculae locally surrounded by osteoclast cells and malignant cells and an intense infiltration by tumour cells in bone marrow compartment in all examined samples. Histomorphometrical data on the levels of bone resorption and bone apposition parameters remained constant between T0 and T40 for all analysed patients. Additionally, immunohistochemistry showed homogeneous expression and location of CDH1, CDH2, KRT8, KRT18, Ki67, CASP3, ESR1, CD8 and CD68 between T0 and T40, thus further confirming the invasive behaviour of breast cancer cells and indicating the maintaining of the metastatic microenvironment. The novel tissue culture, set-up in this study, has significant advantages in comparison to the pre-existent 3D models: the tumour environment is the same of the clinical scenario, including all cell types as well as the native extracellular matrix; it can be quickly set-up employing only small samples of breast cancer bone metastasis tissue in a simple, ethically correct and cost-effective manner; it bypasses and/or decreases the necessity to use more complex preclinical model, thus reducing the ethical burden following the guiding principles aimed at replacing/reducing/refining (3R) animal use and their suffering for scientific purposes; it can allow the study of the interactions within the breast cancer bone metastasis tissue over a relatively long period of up to 40 days, preserving the tumour morphology and architecture and allowing also the evaluation of different biological factors, parameters and activities. Therefore, the study provides for the first time the feasibility and rationale for the use of a human-derived advanced alternative model for cancer research and testing of drugs and innovative strategies, taking into account patient individual characteristics and specific tumour subtypes so predicting patient specific responses

Vertebral metastases are the most common type of malignant lesions of the spine. Although this tumour is still considered incurable and standard treatments are mainly palliative, the standard approach consists in surgical resection, which results in the formation of bone gaps. Hence, scaffolds, cements and/or implants are needed to fill the bone lacunae. Here, we propose a novel approach to address spinal metastases recurrence, based on the use of anti-tumour metallic-based nanostructured coatings. Moreover, for the first time, a gradient microfluidic approach is proposed for the screening of nanostructured coatings having anti-tumoral effect, to determine the optimal concentration of the metallic compound that permits selective toxicity towards tumoral cells. Coatings are based on Zinc as anti-tumour agent, which had been never explored before for treatment of bone metastases. The customized gradient generating microfluidic chip was designed by Autodesk Inventor and fabricated from a microstructured mould by using replica moulding technique. Microstructured mould were obtained by micro-milling technique. The chip is composed of a system of microfluidic channels generating a gradient of 6 concentrations of drug and a compartment with multiple arrays of cell culture chambers, one for each drug concentration. The device is suitable for dynamic cultures and in-chip biological assays. The formation of a gradient was validated using a methylene blue solution and the cell loading was successful. Preliminary biological data on 3D dynamic cultures of stromal cells (bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells) and breast carcinoma cells (MDA-MB-231) were performed in a commercial microfluidic device. Results showed that Zn eluates had a selective cytotoxic effect for tumoral cells. Indeed, cell migration and cell replication of treated tumoral cells was inhibited. Moreover, the three-dimensionality of the model strongly affected the efficacy of Zn eluates, as 2D preliminary experiments showed a high cytotoxic effect of Zn also for stromal cells, thus confirming that traditional screening tests on 2D cultured cells usually lead to an overestimation of drug efficacy and toxicity. Based on preliminary data, the customized platform could be considered a major advancement in cancer drug screenings as it also allows the rapid and efficient screening of biomaterials having antitumor effect

The in vitro mimicking of bone microenvironment for the study of pathologies is a challenging field that requires the design of scaffolds with suitable morphological, structural and cytocompatible properties. During last years, 3D in vitro tumour models have been developed to reproduce mechanical, biochemical and structural bone microenvironment elements, allowing cells to behave as in vivo. In this work, gas foamed polyether urethane foams (PUF) and 3D printed thermoplastic polyether urethane (3DP-PU) designed with different patterns are proposed as scaffolds for in vitro model of bone tissue. Surface coatings for a biomimetic behaviour of the 3D scaffold models were also investigated. Morphological, chemico-physical, mechanical properties, and biological in vitro behaviour were investigated. PUFs for metastases investigation. The suitability of PUF as 3D in vitro model to study the interactions between bone tumour initiating cells and the bone microenvironment was investigated. PUF open porosity (>70%) appeared suitable to mimic trabecular bone structure. Human adipose derived stem cells (ADSC) were cultured and differentiated into osteoblast lineage on the PU foam, as confirmed by Alizarin Red staining and RT-PCR, thus offering a bone biomimetic microenvironment to the further co-culture with bone derived tumour-initiating cells (MCFS). Tumour aggregates were observed after three weeks of co-culture by e-cadherin staining and SEM; modification in CaP distribution was identified by SEM-EDX and associated to the presence of tumour cells. 3DP-PU as tumour bone model. 3D printed scaffolds have pores with a precise and regular geometry (0°-90°, 0°-45°-90°-135°, 0°-60°-120°). PU scaffold porosity evidenced values from 55 to 67%, values that belong to the porosity range of the trabecular bone tissue (30-90%). The compressive modulus varied between 2 and 4 MPa, depending on the printed pattern. Biomimetic nanostructured coating was performed on 0-90° 3DP-PU by Ionized Jet Deposition. Coatings had a submicrometric thickness, variable tuning deposition time, nanostructured surface morphology and biomimetic composition. Coating on 3DP-PU promoted cells colonization of the whole porous scaffolds, compared to the controls, where cells concentrated mostly on the outer layers. In conclusion, based on the obtained results, scaffolds with different geometries have been successfully produced. Morphological and structural properties of the scaffolds here presented are suitable for mimicking the bone tissue, in order to produce a 3D in vitro model useful for bone pathologies research

Chordoma of the cervical spine is a rare but life-threatening disease with a relentless tendency towards local recurrence. Wide en bloc resection is recommended, but it is frequently not feasible in the cervical spine. Radiation therapy including high-energy particle therapy is commonly used as adjuvant therapy. The goal of this study was to examine treatment and outcome of patients with chordoma of the cervical spine. Patients affected by cervical spine chordoma who underwent surgery at the Rizzoli Institute and University Hospital of Modena, between 2007 and 2021 were identified. The clinical, pathologic, and radiographic data were reviewed in all cases. Patient outcomes including local recurrence and disease-specific survival (DSS) were analyzed using chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Characteristics of the 29 patients (10 females; 19 males) included: median age at surgery 52.0 years (IQR 35.5 - 62.5 years), 10 (35%) involved upper cervical spine, 16 (55%) with tumors in the mid cervical spine, and 4 in the lower cervical spine (10%). Median tumor volume was 16 cm. 3. (IQR 8.7 - 20.8). Thirteen patients (45%) were previously treated surgically while 9 patients (31%) had previous radiation therapy. All patients underwent surgery: en bloc resection was passible in 4 patients (14 %), seventeen patients (59%) were treated with gross total resection while 8 patients (27%) underwent subtotal resection. Tumor volume was associated with a significantly higher risk of intraoperative complications (p < 0.01). Nineteen patients (65%) received adjuvant high-energy particle therapy. The median follow-up was 26 months (IQR 11 - 44). Twelve patients (41%) had local recurrence of disease. Patients treated with adjuvant high-energy particle therapy had a significant higher local control than patients who received photons or no adjuvant treatment (p = 0.01). Recurrence was the only factor significantly associated with worse DSS (p = 0.03 – OR 1.7), being the survival of the group of patients with recurrent disease 58.3% while the survival of the group of patients with no recurrent disease was 100%. Post-operative high-energy particle therapy improved local control in patients with cervical chordoma after surgical resection. Increased tumor volume was associated with increased risk of intraoperative complications. Recurrence of the disease was the only factor significantly associated with disease mortality

Infections are among the most diffused complications of the implantation of medical devices. In orthopedics, they pose severe societal and economic burden and interfere with the capability of the implants to integrate in the host bone, significantly increasing failure risk. Infection is particularly severe in the case of comorbidities and especially bone tumors, since oncologic patients are fragile, have higher infection rate and impaired osteoregenerative capabilities. For this reason, prevention of infection is to be preferred over treatment. This is even more important in the case of spine surgery, since spine is among the main site for tumor metastases and because incidence of post operative surgical-site infections is significant (up to 15-20%) and surgical options are limited by the need of avoiding damaging the spinal cord. Functionalization of the implant surfaces, so as to address infection and, possibly, co- adjuvate anti-tumor treatments, appears as a breakthrough innovation. Unmet clinical needs in infection and tumors is presented, with a specific focus on the spine, then, new perspectives are highlighted for their treatment

Primary bone tumors are rare, complex and highly heterogeneous. Its diagnostic and treatment are a challenge for the multidisciplinary team. Developments on tumor biomarkers, immunohistochemistry, histology, molecular, bioinformatics, and genetics are fundamental for an early diagnosis and identification of prognostic factors. The personalized medicine allows an effective patient tailored treatment. The bone biopsy is essential for diagnosis. Treatment may include systemic therapy and local therapy. Frequently, a limb salvage surgery includes wide resection and reconstruction with endoprosthesis, biological or composites. The risk for local recurrence and distant metastases depends on the primary tumor and treatment response. Cancer patients are living longer and bone metastases are increasing. Bone is the third most frequently location for distant lesions. Bone metastases are associated to pain, pathological fractures, functional impairment, and neurological deficits. It impacts survival and patient quality of life. The treatment of metastatic disease is a challenge due to its complexity and heterogeneity, vascularization, reduced size and limited access. It requires a multidisciplinary treatment and depending on different factors it is palliative or curative-like treatment. For multiple bone metastases it is important to relief pain and increases function in order to provide the best quality of life and expect to prolong survival. Advances in nanotechnology, bioinformatics, and genomics, will increase biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and targeted treatment effectiveness. We are taking the leap forward in precision medicine and personalized care