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The historic center of Quito, Ecuador, was one of the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978. There are numerous religious buildings built during the Spanish colonial period reflecting the cultural heritage in this area. Between them, the cloisters of San Francisco, Santo Domingo, and Santa Clara should be highlighted. The specific problems of conservation of the outdoor canvas paintings are not well known at the moment. The objective of this paper is to achieve a conservation study of the canvas paintings exhibited in these three cloisters of the historic center of Quito in order to identify the microbial agents and the main bioclimatic parameters of deterioration. For this, a study of the state of conservation of five canvas paintings has been carried out, as well as a sampling and identification of the main microorganisms present on the obverse and reverse of the works, employing diverse techniques, traditional and biomolecular ones. An analysis of climatic conditions has also been achieved in the cloister of San Francisco. The results of the study indicate that the exhibition conditions in the cloisters are really problematic for the conservation of paintings. Important biodeteriorating agents have been isolated, including fungi and bacteria species belonging, among others, to the genera Bacillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Mucor, and Aspergillus. We have also researched its relationship with the deterioration state of the artworks and the exhibition conditions in each case, proposing guidelines for the proper conservation of this important World Cultural Heritage.
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Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Hongos/aislamiento & purificación , Pinturas , Textiles/microbiología , Alternaria/genética , Alternaria/aislamiento & purificación , Aspergillus/genética , Aspergillus/aislamiento & purificación , Bacillus/genética , Bacillus/aislamiento & purificación , Bacterias/clasificación , Bacterias/genética , Candida/genética , Candida/aislamiento & purificación , ADN Bacteriano/genética , ADN Bacteriano/aislamiento & purificación , ADN de Hongos/genética , ADN de Hongos/aislamiento & purificación , Ecuador , Microbiología Ambiental , Hongos/clasificación , Hongos/genética , Humanos , Penicillium/genética , Penicillium/aislamiento & purificación , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/métodos , Staphylococcus/genética , Staphylococcus/aislamiento & purificaciónRESUMEN
Mesothelioma is an aggressive tumor that affects thousands of people every year. The therapeutic options for patients are limited; hence, a better understanding of mesothelioma biology is crucial to improve patient survival. To find new molecular targets and therapeutic strategies related to the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) network, we analyzed the gene expression of known PP2A inhibitors in mesothelioma patient samples. Our analysis disclosed a general overexpression of all PP2A-negative regulators in mesothelioma patients. Moreover, the expression of ANP32E and CIP2A genes, increased in 16% and 11% of cases, positively correlates with the ones of all the other PP2A regulators and the ones of the main cyclins and CDKs, suggesting the existence of a feed-forward loop that might contribute to the mesothelioma progression via PP2A inactivation. Overall, our study indicates the existence of a strategic and targetable axis between PP2A inhibitors (ANP32E and CIP2A) and cell cycle regulators (cyclin B2/CDK1) and provides a valuable rationale for using a personalized combinational therapy approach to improve mesothelioma patient survival.
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Proteína Quinasa CDC2/genética , Mesotelioma/genética , Terapia Molecular Dirigida , Proteína Fosfatasa 2/genética , Autoantígenos/genética , Ciclo Celular/genética , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/genética , División Celular/genética , Línea Celular Tumoral , Ciclina B2/genética , Minería de Datos , Femenino , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Péptidos y Proteínas de Señalización Intracelular/genética , Masculino , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Mesotelioma/tratamiento farmacológico , Mesotelioma/inmunología , Mesotelioma/patología , Chaperonas Moleculares/genética , Fosforilación/efectos de los fármacos , Proteína Fosfatasa 2/antagonistas & inhibidores , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
The development of specific and individualized training programs is a possible way to improve athletic performance and minimize injuries in professional athletes. The information regarding the sport's physical demands and the athletes' physical profile have been, so far, considered as exhaustive for the design of effective training programs. However, it is currently emerging that the genetic profile has to be also taken into consideration. By merging medical and genetic data, it is thus possible to identify the athlete's specific attitude to respond to training, diet, and physical stress. In this context, we performed a study in which 30 professional soccer players, subjected to standard sport medical evaluation and practices, were also screened for genetic polymorphism in five key genes (ACTN3, COL5A1, MCT1, VEGF, and HFE). This genetic analysis represents the central point of a multidisciplinary method that can be adopted by elite soccer teams to obtain an improvement in athletic performance and a concomitant reduction of injuries by tailoring training and nutritional programs. The genetic fingerprinting of single athletes led to the identification of two performance-enhancing polymorphisms (ACTN3 18705C>T, VEGF-634C>G) significantly enriched. Moreover, we derived a genetic model based on the gene set analyzed, which was tentatively used to reduce athletes' predisposition to injuries, by dictating a personalized nutrition and training program. The potential usefulness of this approach is concordant with data showing that this team has been classified as the healthiest and least injured team in Europe while covering the highest distance/match with the highest number of high-intensity actions/match.
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Rendimiento Atlético/fisiología , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad/genética , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple/genética , Fútbol/fisiología , Heridas y Lesiones/genética , Atletas , Estudios de Asociación Genética/métodos , Genómica , Genotipo , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
The most prevalent malignancy in the oral cavity is represented by oral squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive disease mostly detected in low-income communities. This neoplasia is mostly diffused in older men particularly exposed to risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and a diet rich in fatty foods and poor in vegetables. In oral squamous cell carcinoma, a wide range of matrix-cleaving proteinases are involved in extracellular matrix remodeling of cancer microenvironment. In particular, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) represent the major and most investigated protagonists. Owing to their strong involvement in malignant pathologies, MMPs are considered the most promising new biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The interest in studying MMPs in oral cancer biology is also owing to their prominent role in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is an intricate process involving different complex pathways. EMT-related proteins are attractive diagnostic biomarkers that characterize the activation of biological events that promote cancer's aggressive expansion. Different antioncogenic natural compounds have been investigated to counteract oral carcinogenesis, with the scope of obtaining better clinical results and lower morbidity. In particular, we describe the role of different nutraceuticals used for the regulation of MMP-related invasion and proliferation of oral cancer cells.
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Gender-based differences may influence the occurrence of several ocular conditions suggesting the possibility that fluctuations in sex steroid homeostasis may have direct effects on the eye physiology. Here, we evaluated the effect of sex steroid hormone fluctuations in male retinal pigment epithelial cells, RPEs (ARPE-19). To mimic hormonal fluctuations occurring during aging, we exposed ARPE-19 to acute, prolonged or chronic estradiol, and progesterone challenges. We found that chronic estradiol treatment promotes a remarkable necrosis of RPE cells, and does not affect pRb2/p130 or PAI-2 sub-cellular localization. In contrast, chronic progesterone exposure induces nuclear subcellular rearrangement of pRb2/p130, co-immunolocalization of pRb2/p130 with PAI-2, and accumulation of cells in G2/M phase, which is accompanied by a remarkable reduction of necrosis in favour of apoptosis activation. This study has a high clinical significance since it considers sex steroid fluctuations as inducers of milieu change in the retina able to influence pathological situations occurring with aging in non-reproductive systems such as the eye. Exogenous administration of physiologically significant amounts of sex hormones for long periods of time is a common clinical practice for transgender patients seeking sex reassignment. In particular, our study offers the unique opportunity to unravel the effects of sex hormones, not only in determining gender differences but also in affecting the physiology of non-reproductive systems, such as the eye, in the underserved transgender community.
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Células Epiteliales/metabolismo , Hormonas Esteroides Gonadales/farmacología , Epitelio Pigmentado de la Retina/patología , Adulto , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Ciclo Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Línea Celular , Núcleo Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Células Epiteliales/efectos de los fármacos , Células Epiteliales/patología , Estradiol/farmacología , Humanos , Masculino , Necrosis , Inhibidor 2 de Activador Plasminogénico/metabolismo , Progesterona/farmacología , Proteína p130 Similar a la del Retinoblastoma/metabolismoRESUMEN
Autosomal recessive Pompe disease is a lysosomal disorder caused by mutations of the acid-α-glucosidase (GAA) gene. Deficiency of GAA enzyme leads to glycogen accumulation and autophagy impairment in cardiac and skeletal muscles, but also in lymphocytes. Since an effective therapy is available, a rapid, sensitive, and specific test is crucial to early identify affected subjects. Number of lymphocytes containing PAS-positive vacuoles was evaluated on blood films from 72 consecutive adult patients with hyperckemia and/or muscle weakness, 13 genetically confirmed late-onset-Pompe-disease (LOPD) and 13 of their offspring. GAA activity, measured on dried blood spot (DBS) in all patients inversely correlated with number of PAS-positive lymphocytes. More than 4 PAS-positive lymphocytes were found in 11 out of the 72 patients (6 new diagnosis of LOPD, 3 different glycogen storage myopathies, 1 glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, 1 caveolinopathy), in all 13 LOPD patients and in the 13 LOPD offspring. These latter resulted to have all a single GAA mutation but low GAA levels. Immunostaining with the autophagy markers LC3 and p62 confirmed the autophagic nature of lymphocytes vacuoles. ROC curve assessment of PAS-positive lymphocytes disclosed 100% of sensitivity and 94% of specificity in recognizing both compound heterozygous and heterozygous GAA carriers. The other myopathies with more than 4 PAS-positive lymphocytes appeared to be all related to impaired autophagy, which seems to be responsible of PAS-positive vacuolated lymphocytes formation. Quantification of PAS-positive lymphocytes in blood films is useful to identify autophagic vacuolar myopathies and should be routinely used as first level test for Pompe disease.
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Enfermedad del Almacenamiento de Glucógeno Tipo II/diagnóstico , Enfermedad del Almacenamiento de Glucógeno Tipo II/patología , Linfocitos/metabolismo , Vacuolas/patología , alfa-Glucosidasas/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Autofagia/fisiología , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Lisosomas/patología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Músculo Esquelético/patología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 (CDK9) is part of a functional diverse group of enzymes responsible for cell cycle control and progression. It associates mainly with Cyclin T1 and forms the Positive Transcription Elongation Factor b (p-TEFb) complex responsible for regulation of transcription elongation and mRNA maturation. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of CDK9 in many relevant pathologic processes, like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and viral replication. Herein we provide an overview of the different pathways in which CDK9 is directly and indirectly involved.
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Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/metabolismo , Quinasa 9 Dependiente de la Ciclina/metabolismo , Proteínas de Neoplasias/metabolismo , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Virosis/metabolismo , Animales , Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/genética , Ciclina T/genética , Ciclina T/metabolismo , Quinasa 9 Dependiente de la Ciclina/genética , Humanos , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/genética , Factor B de Elongación Transcripcional Positiva/genética , Factor B de Elongación Transcripcional Positiva/metabolismo , Elongación de la Transcripción Genética , Virosis/genéticaRESUMEN
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium that represent toxic real threat for human beings and animal health. In this study we evaluated the effect of a new recombinant mitochondrial manganese containing superoxide dismutase (rMnSOD) on oxidative stress and on the alterations of fluid reabsorption in renal proximal tubule (PT) as possible causes of OTA nephrotoxicity. Finally, we have measured the concentration of O2- in the kidney through dihydroethidium assay (DHE) and nitric oxide (NO) concentration through nitrites and nitrates assay. Male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 120-150 g were treated for 14 days by gavage, as follows: Control group, 12 rats received a corresponding amount of saline solution (including 10% DMSO); rMnSOD group, 12 rats treated with rMnSOD (10 µg/kg bw); OTA group, 12 rats treated with OTA (0.5 mg/kg bw) dissolved in 10% DMSO and then scaled to required volume with corn oil; rMnSOD + OTA, 12 rats treated with rMnSOD (10 µg/kg bw) plus OTA (0.5 mg/kg bw). Our results have shown that rMnSOD restores the alteration of reabsorption in PT in rats treated with OTA plus rMnSOD, probably through the response to pressure natriuresis, where nitric oxide plays a key role. Moreover, rMnSOD prevents the nephrotoxicity induced by OTA probably restoring the balance between superoxide and NO that is most probably the cause of hypertension and renal functional alterations through the inhibition of NO synthase. In conclusion these data provide important information for understanding of mechanism of toxic action of OTA. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 424-430, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Túbulos Renales Proximales/metabolismo , Ocratoxinas/toxicidad , Reabsorción Renal/efectos de los fármacos , Superóxido Dismutasa/farmacología , Animales , Humanos , Túbulos Renales Proximales/patología , Masculino , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-Dawley , Proteínas Recombinantes/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a highly aggressive bone and soft tissue cancer, representing the second most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Although the development of a multimodal therapy, including both local control (surgery and/or radiation) and systemic multidrug chemotherapy, has determined a significant improvement in survival, patients with metastatic and recurrent disease still face a poor prognosis. Moreover, considering that ES primarily affects young patients, there are concerns about long-term adverse effects of the therapy. Therefore, more rational strategies, targeting specific molecular alterations underlying ES, are required. Recent studies suggest that SRC family kinases (SFKs), which are aberrantly activated in most cancer types, could represent key therapeutic targets also for ES. Here, we challenged ES cell lines with a recently developed selective SFK inhibitor (a pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivative, called SI221), which was previously shown to be a valuable proapoptotic agent in other tumor types while not affecting normal cells. We observed that SI221 significantly reduced ES cell viability and proved to be more effective than the well-known SFK inhibitor PP2. SI221 was able to induce apoptosis in ES cells and also reduced ES cell clonogenic potential. Furthermore, SI221 was also able to reduce ES cell migration. At the molecular level, our data suggest that SFK inhibition through SI221 could reduce ES cell viability at least in part by hindering an SFK-NOTCH1 receptor-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) axis. Overall, our study suggests a potential application of specific SFK inhibition in ES therapy. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 129-135, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Neoplasias Óseas/metabolismo , Movimiento Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/farmacología , Pirazoles/farmacología , Pirimidinas/farmacología , Sarcoma de Ewing/patología , Proteínas Quinasas p38 Activadas por Mitógenos/metabolismo , Familia-src Quinasas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Neoplasias Óseas/patología , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Pirazoles/química , Pirimidinas/química , Familia-src Quinasas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Synaptic loss is the structural basis for memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the underlying pathological mechanism remains elusive, it is known that misfolded proteins accumulate as ß-amyloid (Aß) plaques and hyperphosphorylated Tau tangles decades before the onset of clinical disease. The loss of Pin1 facilitates the formation of these misfolded proteins in AD. Pin1 protein controls cell-cycle progression and determines the fate of proteins by the ubiquitin proteasome system. The activity of the ubiquitin proteasome system directly affects the functional and structural plasticity of the synapse. We localized Pin1 to dendritic rafts and postsynaptic density (PSD) and found the pathological loss of Pin1 within the synapses of AD brain cortical tissues. The loss of Pin1 activity may alter the ubiquitin-regulated modification of PSD proteins and decrease levels of Shank protein, resulting in aberrant synaptic structure. The loss of Pin1 activity, induced by oxidative stress, may also render neurons more susceptible to the toxicity of oligomers of Aß and to excitation, thereby inhibiting NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic plasticity and exacerbating NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic degeneration. These results suggest that loss of Pin1 activity could lead to the loss of synaptic plasticity in the development of AD.
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Enfermedad de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Peptidilprolil Isomerasa de Interacción con NIMA/metabolismo , Plasticidad Neuronal , Densidad Postsináptica/metabolismo , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Enfermedad de Alzheimer/patología , Péptidos beta-Amiloides/metabolismo , Animales , Encéfalo/patología , Células Cultivadas , Espinas Dendríticas/metabolismo , Espinas Dendríticas/patología , Homólogo 4 de la Proteína Discs Large/metabolismo , Humanos , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Noqueados , Ratones Transgénicos , Peptidilprolil Isomerasa de Interacción con NIMA/genética , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/metabolismo , Fosforilación , Densidad Postsináptica/patología , Receptores de N-Metil-D-Aspartato/metabolismo , Ubiquitina/metabolismo , Proteínas tau/metabolismoRESUMEN
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a natural mycotoxin, involved in the development of important human and animal diseases. In this work we have studied the role of oxidative stress in the development of OTA nephrotoxicity and the effect of a new recombinant mitochondrial manganese containing superoxide dismutase (rMnSOD) to prevent kidney damage induced by OTA. Blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate and renal histology were analyzed in control rats and in OTA treated rats. In addition, lipid peroxidation, catalase and superoxide dismutase productions were measured. Our data showed that animals treated with OTA presented hypertension and reduction of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). These effects are most probably related to an increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) productions. In fact, we have shown that treatment with rMnSOD restored the levels of blood pressure and GFR simultaneously. Moreover, we have noted that OTA induced alteration on glomerular and tubular degeneration and interstitial infiltrates and that use of rMnSOD combined with OTA prevent this renal histological damage confirming the potential therapeutic role in the treatment of rMnSOD OTA nephrotoxicity.
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Enfermedades Renales/prevención & control , Manganeso/química , Ocratoxinas/toxicidad , Estrés Oxidativo/efectos de los fármacos , Proteínas Recombinantes/administración & dosificación , Superóxido Dismutasa/química , Animales , Presión Sanguínea/efectos de los fármacos , Tasa de Filtración Glomerular/efectos de los fármacos , Enfermedades Renales/inducido químicamente , Peroxidación de Lípido/efectos de los fármacos , Masculino , Ratas , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes/farmacología , Superóxido Dismutasa/administración & dosificación , Superóxido Dismutasa/farmacologíaRESUMEN
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) contribute to genome instability, a key feature of cancer. DSBs are mainly repaired by homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). We investigated the role of an isoform of the multifunctional cyclin-dependent kinase 9, CDK9-55, in DNA repair, by generating CDK9-55-knockout HeLa clones (through CRISPR-Cas9), which showed potential HR dysfunction. A phosphoproteomic screening in these clones treated with camptothecin revealed that CDC23 (cell division cycle 23), a component of the E3-ubiquitin ligase APC/C (anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome), is a new substrate of CDK9-55, with S588 being its putative phosphorylation site. Mutated non-phosphorylatable CDC23(S588A) affected the repair pathway choice by impairing HR and favouring error-prone NHEJ. This CDK9 role should be considered when designing CDK-inhibitor-based cancer therapies.
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Caprine herpesvirus type 1 (CpHV-1), like other members of the alpha subfamily of herpesviruses, establishes latent infections in trigeminal ganglion neurons. Our groups previously demonstrated that CpHV-1 induces apoptosis in goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in an epithelial bovine cell line, but the ability of CpHV-1 to induce apoptosis in neuronal cells remains unexplored. In this report, the susceptibility of Neuro 2A cells to infection by CpHV-1 was examined. Following infection of cultured cells with CpHV-1, expression of cell death genes was evaluated using real-time PCR and Western blot assays. Analysis of virus-infected cells revealed activation of caspase-8, a marker for the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis, and caspase-9, a marker for the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis at 12 and 24 h post-infection. Significant increase in the levels of cleaved caspase-3 was also observed at the acme of cytopathic effect at 24 h post-infection. In particular, at 3 and 6 h post-infection, several proapototic genes were under-expressed. At 12 h post-infection several proapototic genes such as caspases, TNF, Cd70, and Traf1 were over expressed while Bcl2a1a, Fadd, and TNF genes were underexpressed. In conclusion, the simultaneous activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 suggests that CpHV-1 can trigger the death-receptor pathway and the mitochondrial pathway separately and in parallel. Our findings are significant because this is the first published study showing the effect of CpHV-1 infection in neuronal cells in terms of gene expression and apoptosis modulation.
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Apoptosis/genética , Infecciones por Herpesviridae/genética , Neuronas/metabolismo , Varicellovirus/genética , Animales , Caspasa 3/biosíntesis , Caspasa 8/biosíntesis , Caspasa 9/biosíntesis , Bovinos , Línea Celular , Células Epiteliales/metabolismo , Células Epiteliales/virología , Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Infecciones por Herpesviridae/patología , Infecciones por Herpesviridae/virología , Leucocitos Mononucleares/metabolismo , Neuronas/patología , Neuronas/virología , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-bcl-2/biosíntesis , Varicellovirus/patogenicidadRESUMEN
Cigarette smoking is associated with impairment of repair mechanisms necessary for vascular endothelium homeostasis. Reducing the exposure to smoke toxicants may result in the mitigation of the harmful effect on the endothelium and cardiovascular disease development. Previous investigations evaluated in vitro the effect of electronic cigarette (EC) compared with cigarette smoke demonstrating a significant reduction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) migration inhibition following EC aerosol exposure. In the present study, we replicated one of these studies, evaluating the effects of cigarette smoke on endothelial cell migration compared with aerosol from EC and heated tobacco products (HTPs). We performed an in vitro scratch wound assay on endothelial cells with a multi-center approach (ring-study) to verify the robustness and reliability of the results obtained in the replicated study, also testing the effect of aerosol from two HTPs on endothelial cells. Consistently with the original study, we observed a substantial reduction of the effects of aerosol from EC and HTPs on endothelial cell migration compared with cigarette smoke. While cigarette smoke reduced endothelial wound healing ability already at low concentrations (12.5%) and in a concentration-dependent manner, EC and HTPs aerosol showed no effect on endothelial cells until 80%-100% concentrations. In conclusion, our study further confirms the importance of EC and tobacco heated products as a possible harm reduction strategy for cardiovascular diseases development in smokers.
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Fumar Cigarrillos , Sistemas Electrónicos de Liberación de Nicotina , Humanos , Nicotiana , Nicotina , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Aerosoles/farmacología , Células Endoteliales de la Vena Umbilical HumanaRESUMEN
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including CTLA-4- and PD-1-blocking antibodies, can have profound effects on tumor immune cell infiltration that have not been consistent in biopsy series reported to date. Here, we analyze seven molecular datasets of samples from patients with advanced melanoma (N = 514) treated with ICI agents to investigate clinical, genomic, and transcriptomic features of anti-PD-1 response in cutaneous melanoma. We find that prior anti-CTLA-4 therapy is associated with differences in genomic, individual gene, and gene signatures in anti-PD-1 responders. Anti-CTLA-4-experienced melanoma tumors that respond to PD-1 blockade exhibit increased tumor mutational burden, inflammatory signatures, and altered cell cycle processes compared with anti-CTLA-4-naive tumors or anti-CTLA-4-experienced, anti-PD-1-nonresponsive melanoma tumors. We report a harmonized, aggregate resource and suggest that prior CTLA-4 blockade therapy is associated with marked differences in the tumor microenvironment that impact the predictive features of PD-1 blockade therapy response.
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Melanoma , Neoplasias Cutáneas , Humanos , Melanoma/tratamiento farmacológico , Melanoma/genética , Melanoma/metabolismo , Neoplasias Cutáneas/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Cutáneas/genética , Antígeno CTLA-4/genética , Biomarcadores de Tumor , Inmunoterapia , Microambiente TumoralRESUMEN
Modeling breast cancer in the mouse has helped to better define the heterogeneity of human breast cancer. In the recent past, it has become evident that some limitations have restricted the potential benefits that can be achieved with this approach. In this review, we highlight some key points that should be taken into account when the mouse is used, with special emphasis on transgenic models.
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Neoplasias de la Mama/genética , Neoplasias de la Mama/patología , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Ratones Transgénicos/genética , Animales , Femenino , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica , Humanos , Ratones , Ratones Transgénicos/metabolismo , Microambiente TumoralRESUMEN
Background: The spread of COVID-19 has been characterized by unprecedented global lock-downs. Although, the extent of containment policies cannot be explained only through epidemic data. Previous studies already focused on the relationship between the economy and healthcare, focusing on the impact of diseases in countries with a precarious economic situation. However, the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 drew most countries of the world into a precarious economic situation mostly caused by the global and local lock-downs policies. Methods: A discriminant analysis performed via partial least squares procedure was applied to evaluate the impact of economic and healthcare variables on the containment measures adopted by 39 countries. To collect the input variables (macroeconomic, healthcare, and medical services), we relied on official databases of international organizations, such as The World Bank and WHO. Results: The stringency lock-down policies could not only be influenced by the epidemical data, but also by previous features of the selected countries, such as economic and healthcare conditions. Conclusions: Indeed, economic and healthcare variables also contributed to shaping the implemented lock-down policies.
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COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/prevención & control , Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles , Atención a la Salud , Humanos , Pandemias , Políticas , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
A major challenge in the clinical management of prostate cancer (PC) is to inhibit tumor growth and prevent metastatic spreading. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to discover new compounds useful for PC therapy, and promising advances in this field were reached. Drugs currently used in PC therapy frequently induce resistance and PC progresses toward metastatic castration-resistant forms (mCRPC), making it virtually incurable. Curcumin, a commercially available nutritional supplement, represents an attractive therapeutic agent for mCRPC patients. In the present study, we compared the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs such as docetaxel, paclitaxel, and cisplatin, to curcumin, on two PC cell lines displaying a different metastatic potential: DU145 (moderate metastatic potential) and PC-3 (high metastatic potential). Our results revealed a dose-dependent reduction of DU145 and PC-3 cell viability upon treatment with curcumin similar to chemotherapeutic agents (paclitaxel, cisplatin, and docetaxel). Furthermore, we explored the EGFR-mediated signaling effects on ERK activation in DU145 and PC-3 cells. Our results showed that DU145 and PC-3 cells overexpress EGFR, and the treatment with chemotherapeutic agents or curcumin reduced EGFR expression levels and ERK activation. Finally, chemotherapeutic agents and curcumin reduced the size of DU145 and PC-3 spheroids and have the potential to induce apoptosis and also in Matrigel. In conclusion, despite different studies being carried out to identify the potential synergistic curcumin combinations with chemopreventive/therapeutic efficacy for inhibiting PC growth, the results show the ability of curcumin used alone, or in combinatorial approaches, to impair the size and the viability of PC-derived spheroids.
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Topical administration is the most convenient route for ocular drug delivery, but only a minor fraction is retained in the precorneal pocket. To overcome this limitation, numerous drug delivery systems (DDS) have been developed. The protein corona (PC) is the layer of biomolecules (e.g., proteins, sugars, lipids, etc.) that forms around DDS in physiological environments by non-covalent interaction. The PC changes the DDS physical-chemical properties, providing them with a completely novel biological identity. The specific involvement of PC in ocular drug delivery has not been addressed so far. To fulfill this gap, here we explored the interaction between a library of four cationic liposome-DNA complexes (lipoplexes) and mucin (MUC), one of the main components of the tear film. We demonstrate that MUC binds to the lipoplex surface shifting both their size and surface charge and reducing their absorption by primary corneal epithelial cells. To surpass such restrictions, we coated lipoplexes with two different artificial PCs made of Fibronectin (FBN) and Val-Gly-Asp (VGA) tripeptide that are recognized by receptors expressed on the ocular surface. Both these functionalizations remarkedly boosted internalization in corneal epithelial cells with respect to pristine (i.e., uncoated) lipoplexes. This opens the gateway for the exploitation of artificial protein corona in targeted ocular delivery, which will significantly influence the development of novel nanomaterials.
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Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) may reduce health risks associated with chronic exposure to smoke and their potential benefits have been the matter of intense scientific debate. We aimed to replicate three published studies on cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of cigarette smoke and ENDS aerosol in an independent multi-center ring study. We aimed to establish the reliability of results and the robustness of conclusions by replicating the authors' experimental protocols and further validating them with different techniques. Human bronchial epithelial cells (NCI-H292) were exposed to cigarette whole smoke and vapor phase and to aerosol from ENDS. We also assessed the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 and the remodeling mediator matrix metalloproteinase-1. We replicated cell viability results and confirmed that almost 80% of cytotoxic effects are due to volatile compounds in the vapor phase of smoke. Our findings substantiated the reduced cytotoxic effects of ENDS aerosol. However, our data on inflammatory and remodeling activity triggered by smoke differed significantly from those in the original reports. Taken together, independent data from multiple laboratories clearly demonstrated the reduced toxicity of ENDS products compared to cigarettes.