Contents
Vol 7, Issue 302
Contents
Editorial
- Trauma research—A field without a home base
Trauma research can be a cost-effective investment worthy of attention and emphasis from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Focus
- Does molecular monitoring matter in early-stage breast cancer?
Serial monitoring of circulating tumor DNA predicts recurrence after surgery for localized breast cancer (Garcia-Murillas et al., this issue).
Research Articles
- Mutation tracking in circulating tumor DNA predicts relapse in early breast cancer
Noninvasive mutation tracking in plasma can detect circulating tumor DNA arising from residual micrometastatic disease and thus identify patients at high risk of recurrence.
- Pronounced species divergence in corticospinal tract reorganization and functional recovery after lateralized spinal cord injury favors primates
Fundamental differences in the anatomy and function of the corticospinal tract support enhanced recovery of leg and hand function after lateralized spinal cord injury in primates compared to rodents, emphasizing the importance of primate models for spinal cord repair therapies.
- IgH sequences in common variable immune deficiency reveal altered B cell development and selection
Deep sequence analysis of the IgH repertoires of common variable immune deficiency patients highlights phenotypic features of the disorder and potential disease mechanisms.
- A DLL3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate eradicates high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor-initiating cells in vivo
Targeting DLL3 with an antibody-drug conjugate eliminates tumor-initiating cells in high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine cancers.
Editors' Choice
- Inheritance of fear and trauma
Holocaust survivors and their adult offspring show differences in DNA methylation, indicating that the effects of trauma can be passed down from human parents to their offspring.
- A soothing MSC-based ulcer treatment
Targeting MSCs to regions of the gut containing ulcers enables mucosal healing in a VEGF-dependent manner.
- Passenger mutations: Backseat drivers in failed translation
Nearly all 129-derived mouse strains carry passenger mutations with potential phenotypic consequences.
Podcast
- Science Translational Medicine Podcast: 26 August 2015
Scott Dylla discusses a new antibody-drug conjugate that may be effective in treating high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine cancers.
About The Cover

ONLINE COVER Liquid Biopsy. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can be captured from a simple, minimally invasive blood draw and then analyzed to understand a patient's disease. In this issue, Garcia-Murillas et al. show that tracking ctDNA mutations over time can tell breast cancer patients if they are at risk of relapse—some nearly 1 year before the cancer comes back—and what drugs might work best. Such early detection and prediction could change the way doctors care for their patients and plan personalized treatment regimens. See the related Focus by Sundaresan and Haber. [CREDIT: T. YURCHENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK]