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High-grade serous ovarian cancer arises from fallopian tube in a mouse model

Despite widespread peritoneal metastasis commonly seen in ovarian cancer at diagnosis, the ovary has long been considered the primary origin of this cancer—hence the name ovarian cancer. However, precursor lesions have not been identified in the ovary (, ). Over the past decade, new evidence has emerged to propose a different source of ovarian cancer: the fallopian tube (, ). After women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer-susceptibility gene (BRCA1, BRCA2) mutations have their ovaries and fallopian tubes prophylactically removed to prevent ovarian cancer, early serous carcinomas have been found in the fallopian tube—not in the ovary (). Further studies demonstrated early serous lesions of fallopian tube origin in 64–71% of nonhereditary high-grade ovarian serous carcinomas (, ). These studies have spawned a notion that the fallopian tube is a potential primary site of origin of high-grade serous carcinomas (, ). Intriguing as this theory is, the direct evidence is still lacking that the fallopian tube not only can initiate but, beyond that, can also advance de novo to the full-spectrum metastatic malignancy of high-grade serous carcinomas.

In the present study, we provide direct evidence to this “fallopian tube hypothesis.” When Dicer and Pten are conditionally disabled with Amhr2-Cre in mice, high-grade serous carcinomas arise from the fallopian tube. These primary fallopian tube cancers subsequently spread to the ovary and then aggressively metastasize throughout the abdominal cavity, leading to ascites and 100% lethality. In addition to these clinical similarities to the human cancer, gene expression analyses also affirm that these fallopian tube tumors resemble human serous ovarian cancer at the molecular level. Moreover, in these Dicer-Pten double-knockout (DKO) mice, the primary epithelial cancers originate in the stroma of the fallopian tube, suggesting that the cancers arise from cells of a mesenchymal lineage (i.e., cell of a nonepithelial lineage). Our study thus presents a paradigm for the origin and initiation of deadly high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Why obesity affects males and females differently

University of California, Riverside, scientists have an explanation for why males and females respond differently to obesity. They report in PNAS Nexus that certain immune cell populations in fat tissue may protect against obesity-related inflammation while others may contribute to harmful metabolic changes. They found these immune cells, called eosinophils and traditionally associated with asthma and allergies, behave differently in males and females.

The research, done in mice and led by biomedical scientists Meera Nair and Adam Godzik, challenges the conventional view that eosinophils are relatively uniform immune cells with a limited range of functions and suggests new possibilities for developing targeted treatments.

Using high-resolution single-cell sequencing, the team identified six distinct eosinophil populations in adipose (fat) tissue, each with different gene-expression patterns and potential functions.

Orforglipron for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Results From 2 Randomized Clinical Trials (ATTAIN-OSA)

These 2 randomized clinical trials examine the safety and efficacy of orforglipron in adults with overweight or obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, who were receiving or not receiving positive airway pressure treatment.

The Holistic Model of Higher Education Success (HMoHES) The Intersection of Networking, Leadership, and Education

Abstract

Higher education faces mounting pressure to prepare graduates who possess not only academic competence but also the leadership, networking, and communication skills needed for successful workforce integration. This paper introduces the Holistic Model of Higher Education Success (HMoHES), a theoretical framework that reimagines the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework for the contemporary higher education and workforce landscape. HMoHES reframes CoI’s cognitive, social, and teaching presences as Leadership, Networking, and Education. The intersections among these elements yield Communication, Commitment, and Connection, which together cultivate Holistic Development. Applicable across disciplines, the model offers faculty and administrators a practical framework for intentionally embedding leadership opportunities, networking experiences, and educational engagement throughout curricula. The paper outlines applied strategies for implementation, including peer mentoring, faculty-student relationship building, and structured face-to-face experiences, and discusses anticipated outcomes such as improved student and faculty retention, enhanced career readiness, expanded social capital, and a stronger sense of belonging. As a theoretical starting point, HMoHES calls for future empirical research examining its effects on skill development, networking, retention, and long-term career readiness, positioning holistic student development as a multidimensional, inter connected process essential to preparing graduates for meaningful personal and professional impact.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Connection, Communication, Relationships, Student Success

Parkinson’s may be driven by ‘vicious cycle’ that disrupts brain waste drainage

“It is a vicious cycle,” says Justin Rustenhoven at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. This may also help explain why Parkinson’s disease is a progressive condition that worsens over time, he says.

Parkinson’s disease, which affects more than 10 million people worldwide, is characterised by a loss of neurons in brain regions that control movement. This causes symptoms such as tremor and muscle stiffness. The condition is thought to be caused by alpha-synuclein, which occurs naturally in the brain, misfolding and forming clumps that damage neurons.

In phase 2 trial, novel therapy significantly reduced triglyceride levels

A phase 2b clinical trial led by Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute researchers shows that a monoclonal antibody therapy called MAR001 can significantly reduce triglyceride levels within 12 weeks for patients with high triglyceride levels. Their results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine and were presented simultaneously at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting.

“Despite advances in lipid-lowering therapy, many patients continue to have elevated triglyceride levels and cardiovascular risk,” says lead author Michelle O’Donoghue, a cardiologist with the Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute and senior investigator in the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group. “Our findings suggest that MAR001 may be able to safely and effectively lower triglycerides.”

Several classes of drugs have been previously shown to lower triglycerides, but MAR001 is novel because it targets ANGPTL4, a protein that naturally inhibits lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that breaks down triglycerides.