Plant extract from Caesalpinia spinosa inhibits cancer-associated fibroblast-like cells generation and function in a tumor microenvironment model.

Interactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) between tumor cells and stromal cells such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) favor increased survival, progression, and transformation of cancer cells by activating mechanisms of invasion and metastasis. The design of new therapies to modulate or eliminate the CAF phenotype or functionality has been the subject of recent research including natural product-based therapies. We have previously described the generation of a standardized extract rich in polyphenols obtained from the Caesalpinia spinosa plant (P2Et), which present antitumor activities in breast cancer and melanoma models through activities that modulate the metabolism of tumor cells or induce the development of the immune response. In this work, a model of CAF generation was initially developed from the exposure of 3T3 fibroblasts to the cytokine TGFß1. CAF-like cells generated in this way exhibited changes in the expression of Caveolin-1 and α-SMA, and alterations in glucose metabolism and redox status, typical of CAFs isolated from tumor tissues. Then, P2Et was shown to counteract in vitro-induced CAF-like cell generation, preventing caveolin-1 loss and attenuating changes in glucose uptake and redox profile. This protective effect of P2Et translates into a decrease in the functional ability of CAFs to support colony formation and migration of 4T1 murine breast cancer tumor cells. In addition to the functional interference, the P2Et extract also decreased the expression of genes associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and functional activities related to the modulation of the cancer stem cells (CSC) population. This work is an in vitro approach to evaluate natural extracts' effect on the interaction between CAF and tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment; thus, these results open the chance to design a more profound and mechanistic analysis to explore the molecular mechanisms of P2Et multimolecular activity and extent this analysis to an in vivo perspective. In summary, we present here a standardized polymolecular natural extract that has the potential to act in the TME by interfering with CAF generation and functionality.

Pancreatic tuberculosis mimicking a neoplastic mass in an immunosuppressed patient who also presented adenopathy syndrome: Case report.

Introduction: Pancreatic tuberculosis is unusual, with an incidence reported to be less than 4,7 % worldwide. Case report: We report the case of a 32-year-old man recently diagnosed with HIV whose adenopathy syndrome was understudy. Lymph node cervical and bone marrow biopsies were performed without evidence of neoplastic infiltration, fungal infection, or tuberculosis. He arrived at the emergency room for acute band abdominal pain radiating to the back. Results: Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography revealed a mass in the head of the pancreas which generates intra- and extrahepatic bile duct dilation. Serial sputum, PPD, Genexpert, bronchoscopy and ultrasound fine needle aspiration biopsy were negative for tuberculosis, with no evidence of microorganisms or malignancy; cultures results pending. A second biopsy was requested using a No. 19 needle reporting a necrotizing process with acid-fast bacilli, compatible with tuberculosis, and the pending cultures results were positive for the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, confirming the diagnosis. Conclusion: Clinical awareness of pancreatic tuberculosis in immunosuppressed patients in our country, may lead to faster and accurate diagnosis study and management, using minimally invasive techniques as diagnostic tools.

Otitis externa difusa: ¿una patología trivial?

Resumen La otitis externa es una patología frecuente en la consulta médica, se estima que 10% de las personas la padecerán al menos una vez en su vida, la presentación aguda cursa con afección del conducto auditivo externo de origen infeccioso en el 90% de los casos, llamada otitis externa difusa (OED). El presente artículo tiene como objetivo exponer la mejor evidencia actual que permita una descripción general de la patología, para ello se realizó una búsqueda de literatura científica en bases de datos reconocidas. Se encontró que la OED es caracterizada microbiológicamente por la presencia de Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Staphylococcus aureus, clínicamente los pacientes refieren otalgia lo que abre la puerta a una variedad de diagnósticos diferenciales y en el tratamiento se debe hacer una clasificación a partir de diversas variables (edad, compromiso auricular y estado inmunológico) a fin de determinar la vía terapéutica adecuada.

Abstract External otitis is a frequent pathology in the medical consultation, it is estimated that 10% of people will suffer it at least once in their life, the acute presentation compromises the external auditory canal of infectious origin in 90% of cases, called diffuse external otitis (DEO). The objective of this article is to present the best current evidence that allows a general description of the pathology, for which a search of scientific literature was carried out in recognized databases, finding that it was characterized microbiologically by the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, clinically, patients refer to otalgia generating a variety of differential diagnoses, and for treatment, a classification must be made based on various variables (age, atrial compromise, and immune status) in order to determine the appropriate therapeutic route.

La educación en salud como una importante estrategia de promoción y prevención / Health education as an important promotion and prevention strategy

La educación para la salud se define como la disciplina encargada de orientar y organizar procesos educativos con el propósito de influir positivamente en conocimientos, prácticas y costumbres de individuos y comunidades en relación con su salud. A través de la construcción de este manuscrito se buscó desarrollar una revisión actual sobre la educación en salud, con un enfoque en la promoción y prevención, abordando igualmente la importancia y el impacto de estas acciones en la población. Se realizó una búsqueda en las bases de datos PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scielo y Lilacs empleando palabras clave en español e inglés y se seleccionaron los artículos para la construcción del manuscrito. La medicina preventiva es un concepto que ha sido olvidado, sin embargo, es importante comprender la relevancia que tiene la promoción y prevención sobre la salud del paciente y el curso de la enfermedad; parte importante de esto, radica en la educación en salud que se brinda, que debería convertirse en un eje fundamental en la práctica médica..Au

Health education is defined as the discipline responsible for guiding and organizing educational processes with the purpose of positively influencing knowledge, practices and custom of individuals and communities in relation to their health. Through the construction of this manuscript we sought to develop a current and concrete review on health education, with a focus on promotion and prevention, also addressing the importance and impact of these actions on the population. A search made in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scielo and Lilacs databases using the key words in Spanish and English and articles were selected for the construction of the manuscript. Preventive medicine is a concept that has been forgotten, however, it is very important to understand the great importance of promotion and prevention in the patient's health and the course of the disease; An important part of this lies in the health education that is provided, which should become a fundamental axis in medical practice..Au

Piraguas medicinales: una propuesta de educación en salud para comunidades indígenas colombianas / Medicinal piraguas: a proposal for health education for colombian indigenous communities

Este artículo tiene como objetivo principal evidenciar el proceso de abordaje de actividades de educación en salud en las comunidades indígenas del Chocó en Colombia para la implementación de hábitos de vida saludables, además se pretende conocer la percepción que tienen los participantes de esta iniciativa, con el fin de evaluar el impacto que tienen estas intervenciones en el mejoramiento de las condiciones de salud y la calidad de vida de la comunidad. Para ello, se realizaron visitas a dichas comunidades y se ejecutó un programa educativo conocido como "Diplomado en hábitos saludables bajo el modelo de prevención de enfermedades infecciosas" para formar promotores de salud que transmitan el conocimiento adquirido a los miembros de sus comunidades. Se han capacitado más de 220 líderes indígenas del departamento del Chocó, pertenecientes a las comunidades Emberá (Dóbida, Chamí, Katío y Eperara Siapidara), Wounaan, Tulé y Zenú.

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the process of approaching health education activities in the indigenous communities of Chocó, in Colombia, for the implementation of healthy lifestyle habits, in addition to knowing the perception that the participants of this initiative have, in order to evaluate the impact of these interventions in the improvement of the health conditions and the quality of life of the community. Visits were made to various communities and an educational program known as "Diplomado en hábitos de vida saludables bajo el modelo de prevención de enfermedades infecciosa" was carried out, in order to train health promoters, who, in turn, transmitted the knowledge acquired to the members of their communities. More than 220 indigenous leaders were trained from the department of Chocó, belonging to the Emberá communities (Dobida, Chamí, Katío and Eperara Siapidara), Wounaan, Tulé and Zenú.

Generation of Organotypic Multicellular Spheres by Magnetic Levitation: Model for the Study of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells Microenvironment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The characteristics of human hematopoietic stem cells are conditioned by the microenvironment of the bone marrow, where they interact with other cell populations, such as mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial cells; however, the study of this microenvironment is complex. The objective of this work was to develop a 3D culture system by magnetic levitation that imitates the microenvironment of human HSC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Human bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells, umbilical cord blood-hematopoietic stem cells and a non-tumoral endothelial cell line (CC2811, LonzaⓇ) were used to develop organotypic multicellular spheres by the magnetic levitation method. We obtained viable structures with an average sphericity index greater than 0.6, an average volume of 0.5 mm3 and a percentage of aggregation greater than 70%. Histological studies of the organotypic multicellular spheres used hematoxylin and eosin stains, and an evaluation of vimentin expression by means of immunohistochemistry demonstrated an organized internal structure without picnotic cells and a high expression of vimentin. The functional capacity of human hematopoietic stem cells after organotypic multicellular spheres culture was evaluated by multipotency tests, and it was demonstrated that 3D structures without exogenous Flt3L are autonomous in the maintenance of multipotency of human hematopoietic stem cells. CONCLUSIONS: We developed organotypic multicellular spheres from normal human cells that mimic the microenvironment of the human hematopoietic stem cells. These structures are the prototype for the development of complex organoids that allow the further study of the biology of normal human stem cells and their potential in regenerative medicine.