Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens: Occurrence and Host Associations over Four Years of Wildlife Surveillance in the Liguria Region (Northwest Italy).

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a considerable public health problem worldwide. The occurrence of spp., s.

Extraordinary model systems for regeneration.

Regeneration is the remarkable phenomenon through which an organism can regrow lost or damaged parts with fully functional replacements, including complex anatomical structures, such as limbs. In 2019, Development launched its 'Model systems for regeneration' collection, a series of articles introducing some of the most popular model organisms for studying regeneration in vivo. To expand this topic further, this Perspective conveys the voices of five expert biologists from the field of regenerative biology, each of whom showcases some less well-known, but equally extraordinary, species for studying regeneration.

Safety and efficacy of losmapimod in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (ReDUX4): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial.

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a hereditary progressive myopathy caused by aberrant expression of the transcription factor DUX4 in skeletal muscle. No approved disease-modifying treatments are available for this disorder. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of losmapimod (a small molecule that inhibits p38α MAPK, a regulator of DUX4 expression, and p38β MAPK) for the treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Optimization of Xenografting Methods for Generating Human Skeletal Muscle in Mice.

Xenografts of human skeletal muscle generated in mice can be used to study muscle pathology and to test drugs designed to treat myopathies and muscular dystrophies for their efficacy and specificity in human tissue. We previously developed methods to generate mature human skeletal muscles in immunocompromised mice starting with human myogenic precursor cells (hMPCs) from healthy individuals and individuals with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Here, we examine a series of alternative treatments at each stage in order to optimize engraftment.

First record of Aedes japonicus in Liguria region, Northwest of Italy.

Aedes japonicus is an invasive Asian mosquito species, and to date it is widespread in many European countries. In Italy, it was first recorded in 2015 at the Austrian border and it then spread throughout the Northeast of the country. In 2019, it was also identified in Piedmont region, near the Swiss border.

Image3C, a multimodal image-based and label-independent integrative method for single-cell analysis.

Image-based cell classification has become a common tool to identify phenotypic changes in cell populations. However, this methodology is limited to organisms possessing well-characterized species-specific reagents (, antibodies) that allow cell identification, clustering, and convolutional neural network (CNN) training. In the absence of such reagents, the power of image-based classification has remained mostly off-limits to many research organisms.

p38 Regulates Expression of DUX4 in a Model of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by the loss of repression at the locus leading to aberrant double homeobox 4 (DUX4) expression in skeletal muscle. Activation of this early embryonic transcription factor results in the expression of its target genes causing muscle fiber death. Although progress toward understanding the signals driving DUX4 expression has been made, the factors and pathways involved in the transcriptional activation of this gene remain largely unknown.

Fibrogenesis in -Related Muscular Dystrophy Is a Central Tenet of Disease Etiology.

-related congenital muscular dystrophy, also known as MDC1A, is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the alpha2 chain of Laminin-211. Loss of this protein interrupts the connection between the muscle cell and its extracellular environment and results in an aggressive, congenital-onset muscular dystrophy characterized by severe hypotonia, lack of independent ambulation, and early mortality driven by respiratory complications and/or failure to thrive. Of the pathomechanisms of MDC1A, the earliest and most prominent is widespread and rampant fibrosis.

First report of the invasive mosquito Aedes koreicus (Diptera: Culicidae) and of its establishment in Liguria, northwest Italy.

Background: Invasive mosquito species (IMS) of the genus Aedes are a cause of increasing concern in Europe owing to their ability to vector important human viral diseases. Entomological surveillance to early detect alien mosquito and flavivirus circulation in Liguria, northwest Italy, has been carried out since 2011.

Results: The invasive species Aedes koreicus was first detected in Genoa in September 2015, when a male specimen was caught near the international airport; species identity was confirmed by genetic analysis.

Signatures of Divergence, Invasiveness, and Terrestrialization Revealed by Four Apple Snail Genomes.

The family Ampullariidae includes both aquatic and amphibious apple snails. They are an emerging model for evolutionary studies due to the high diversity, ancient history, and wide geographical distribution. Insight into drivers of ampullariid evolution is hampered, however, by the lack of genomic resources.

Toward the Molecular Deciphering of Pomacea canaliculata Immunity: First Proteomic Analysis of Circulating Hemocytes.

Pomacea canaliculata is a freshwater snail with interesting biological features that include invasiveness, human parasite hosting, and adult regeneration. Its immune system may represent the target for strategies aimed at controlling the spread of the snail population and its hosting of the human parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Moreover, immune functions likely have a role in the snail's ability to wound heal and regenerate.

An adaptable chromosome preparation methodology for use in invertebrate research organisms.

Background: The ability to efficiently visualize and manipulate chromosomes is fundamental to understanding the genome architecture of organisms. Conventional chromosome preparation protocols developed for mammalian cells and those relying on species-specific conditions are not suitable for many invertebrates. Hence, a simple and inexpensive chromosome preparation protocol, adaptable to multiple invertebrate species, is needed.

A prokineticin-like protein responds to immune challenges in the gastropod pest Pomacea canaliculata.

The golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata is an invasive pest originating from South America. It has already been found in Asia, the southern United States and more recently in the EU. Aiming to target the immune system of the snail as a way to control its spreading, we have developed organ-specific transcriptomes and looked for molecules controlling replication and differentiation of snail hemocytes.

IGF-1/GH axis enhances losartan treatment in Lama2-related muscular dystrophy.

As the complexities of dystrophic pathology have been elucidated over the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that primary monogenetic defects result in multiple secondary pathologies capable of autonomously driving disease progression. Consequently, single-mode therapies fail to comprehensively ameliorate all aspects of pathology. Lama2-related muscular dystrophy (MDC1A) is a devastating congenital muscular dystrophy caused by mutations in the LAMA2 gene that results in multi-faceted secondary pathologies that include inflammation, fibrosis, apoptosis, and necrosis leading to severe muscle weakness and minimal postnatal growth.

miR-410 and miR-495 Are Dynamically Regulated in Diverse Cardiomyopathies and Their Inhibition Attenuates Pathological Hypertrophy.

Noncoding RNAs have emerged as important modulators in cardiac development and pathological remodeling. Recently, we demonstrated that regulation of the Gtl2-Dio3 noncoding RNA locus is dependent on the MEF2 transcription factor in cardiac muscle, and that two of its encoded miRNAs, miR-410 and miR-495, induce robust cardiomyocyte proliferation. Given the possibility of manipulating the expression of these miRNAs to repair the damaged heart by stimulating cardiomyocyte proliferation, it is important to determine whether the Gtl2-Dio3 noncoding RNAs are regulated in cardiac disease and whether they function downstream of pathological cardiac stress signaling.

Detection of West Nile and Usutu Viruses in Italian Free Areas: Entomological Surveillance in Piemonte and Liguria Regions, 2014.

West Nile virus and Usutu virus have established in different parts of Italy over the past 10 years. Piemonte and Liguria Regions (Northwestern Italy) are known to be nonendemic areas, despite the presence of competent vectors and environmental conditions conducive to maintaining infection. This work evidences for the first time, through an entomological surveillance implemented on the basis of risk factor approach, the presence of West Nile and Usutu viruses in Piemonte and Liguria Regions (Northwestern Italy).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is Sensitive to Pathological Amelioration in a Model for Laminin-Deficient Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (MDC1A).

Purpose: To elucidate the reliability of MRI as a non-invasive tool for assessing in vivo muscle health and pathological amelioration in response to Losartan (Angiotensin II Type 1 receptor blocker) in DyW mice (mouse model for Laminin-deficient Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Type 1A).

Methods: Multiparametric MR quantifications along with histological/biochemical analyses were utilized to measure muscle volume and composition in untreated and Losartan-treated 7-week old DyW mice.

Results: MRI shows that DyW mice have significantly less hind limb muscle volume and areas of hyperintensity that are absent in WT muscle.

Do's and don'ts in the preparation of muscle cryosections for histological analysis.

Histological evaluation of muscle biopsies has served as an indispensable tool in the understanding of the development and progression of pathology of neuromuscular disorders. However, in order to do so, proper care needs to be taken when excising and preserving tissues to achieve optimal staining. One method of tissue preservation involves fixing tissues in formaldehyde and then embedding them with paraffin wax.

A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of osteopathic manipulative treatment on preterms.

Background: Despite some preliminary evidence, it is still largely unknown whether osteopathic manipulative treatment improves preterm clinical outcomes.

Materials And Methods: The present multi-center randomized single blind parallel group clinical trial enrolled newborns who met the criteria for gestational age between 29 and 37 weeks, without any congenital complication from 3 different public neonatal intensive care units. Preterm infants were randomly assigned to usual prenatal care (control group) or osteopathic manipulative treatment (study group).

Molluscs as models for translational medicine.

This paper describes the advantages of adopting a molluscan model for studying the biological basis of some central nervous system pathologies affecting humans. In particular, we will focus on the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis, which is already the subject of electrophysiological studies related to learning and memory, as well as ecotoxicological studies. The genome of L.

The multifaceted activity of insect caspases.

Caspases are frequently considered synonymous with apoptotic cell death. Increasing evidence demonstrates that these proteases may exert their activities in non-apoptotic functions. The non-apoptotic roles of caspases may include developmentally regulated autophagy during insect metamorphosis, as well as neuroblast self-renewal and the immune response.

Integrin dysregulation as a possible driver of matrix remodeling in Laminin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (MDC1A).

Background: Merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (MDC1A) is caused by a loss of Laminin-α2. Secondary manifestations include failed regeneration, inflammation, and fibrosis; however, specific pathomechanisms remain unknown.

Objectives: Using the LAMA2 (DyW) mouse model of MDC1A, we sought to determine if Integrin-αV and -α5, known drivers of pathology in other diseases, are dysregulated in dystrophic muscle.

The Effect of Optimally Timed Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment on Length of Hospital Stay in Moderate and Late Preterm Infants: Results from a RCT.

Introduction. Little research has been conducted looking at the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on preterm infants. Aim of the Study.

Dysregulation of matricellular proteins is an early signature of pathology in laminin-deficient muscular dystrophy.

Background: MDC1A is a congenital neuromuscular disorder with developmentally complex and progressive pathologies that results from a deficiency in the protein laminin α2. MDC1A is associated with a multitude of pathologies, including increased apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis. In order to assess and treat a complicated disease such as MDC1A, we must understand the natural history of the disease so that we can identify early disease drivers and pinpoint critical time periods for implementing potential therapies.