Nanofibrous ε-Polycaprolactone Matrices Containing Nano-Hydroxyapatite and L. Extract: Physicochemical and Biological Characterization for Oral Applications.

Oral bone defects occur as a result of trauma, cancer, infections, periodontal diseases, and caries. Autogenic and allogenic grafts are the gold standard used to treat and regenerate damaged or defective bone segments. However, these materials do not possess the antimicrobial properties necessary to inhibit the invasion of the numerous deleterious pathogens present in the oral microbiota.

Target Genes of c-MYC and MYCN with Prognostic Power in Neuroblastoma Exhibit Different Expressions during Sympathoadrenal Development.

Deregulation of the MYC family of transcription factors c-MYC (encoded by ), MYCN, and MYCL is prevalent in most human cancers, with an impact on tumor initiation and progression, as well as response to therapy. In neuroblastoma (NB), amplification of the oncogene and over-expression of characterize approximately 40% and 10% of all high-risk NB cases, respectively. However, the mechanism and stage of neural crest development in which MYCN and c-MYC contribute to the onset and/or progression of NB are not yet fully understood.

An origami-based technique for simple, effective and inexpensive fabrication of highly aligned far-field electrospun fibers.

Fabrication of highly aligned fibers by far-field electrospinning is a challenging task to accomplish. Multiple studies present advances in the alignment of electrospun fibers which involve modification of the conventional electrospinning setup with complex additions, multi-phased fabrication, and expensive components. This study presents a new collector design with an origami structure to produce highly-aligned far-field electrospun fibers.

Metabolic rewiring in MYC-driven medulloblastoma by BET-bromodomain inhibition.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumour in children. High-risk MB patients harbouring MYC amplification or overexpression exhibit a very poor prognosis. Aberrant activation of MYC markedly reprograms cell metabolism to sustain tumorigenesis, yet how metabolism is dysregulated in MYC-driven MB is not well understood.

Drug-Eluting, Bioresorbable Cardiovascular Stents─Challenges and Perspectives.

Globally, the leading causes of natural death are attributed to coronary heart disease and type 1 and type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure levels, high cholesterol levels, smoking, and poor eating habits lead to the agglomeration of plaque in the arteries, reducing the blood flow. The implantation of devices used to unclog vessels, known as stents, sometimes results in a lack of irrigation due to the excessive proliferation of endothelial tissue within the blood vessels and is known as restenosis.

The evolution of nutrition intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has challenged health professionals in widely divergent areas, including innovation of practice, communication, multidisciplinary activities, broader use of technology, and adaptability. The role of the dietitian and other health professionals in dealing with the evolving crisis might be considered essential in treating patients. Given the limited access to various food options, nutrition screening and assessment deserves a high priority to complete a comprehensive nutrition evaluation, identify nutrition risks, prioritize care, and provide early nutrition intervention and support to all patients with or who have had, COVID-19 and are experiencing ongoing symptoms.

COVID-19: the impact on oral health care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the economic, social, and oral care health inequities in societies, especially in the developing world. Severe restrictions have been imposed on dental practices, limiting prophylactic and routine oral care health, allowing treatment only for emergencies. Since dental care includes procedures that generate aerosols, the risk of infection for dental personnel has increased significantly.

Expression and activation of nuclear hormone receptors result in neuronal differentiation and favorable prognosis in neuroblastoma.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB), a childhood tumor derived from the sympathetic nervous system, presents with heterogeneous clinical behavior. While some tumors regress spontaneously without medical intervention, others are resistant to therapy, associated with an aggressive phenotype. MYCN-amplification, frequently occurring in high-risk NB, is correlated with an undifferentiated phenotype and poor prognosis.

Dental Applications of Carbon Nanotubes.

Glass ionomer cements and resin-based composites are promising materials in restorative dentistry. However, their limited mechanical properties and the risk of bulk/marginal fracture compromise their lifespan. Intensive research has been conducted to understand and develop new materials that can mimic the functional behavior of the oral cavity.

Longitudinal In-Vivo X-Ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography With Molybdenum Nanoparticles.

X-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) with nanoparticles (NPs) as contrast agents shows potential for molecular biomedical imaging with higher spatial resolution than present methods. To date the technique has been demonstrated on phantoms and mice, however, parameters such as radiation dose, exposure times and sensitivity have not yet allowed for high-spatial-resolution in vivo longitudinal imaging, i.e.

Influence of Controlled Cooling on Crystallinity of Poly (L-Lactic Acid) Scaffolds after Hydrolytic Degradation.

The use of hybrid manufacturing to produce bimodal scaffolds has represented a great advancement in tissue engineering. These scaffolds provide a favorable environment in which cells can adhere and produce new tissue. However, there are several areas of opportunity to manufacture structures that provide enough strength and rigidity, while also improving chemical integrity.

Serine-Glycine-One-Carbon Metabolism: The Hidden Achilles Heel of -Amplified Neuroblastoma?

In this issue of , Xia and colleagues show that MYC-induced metabolic reprograming results in dependency on the serine-glycine-one-carbon (SGOC) metabolic pathway in neuroblastoma. This occurs through MYCN and ATF4 activation of the SGOC biosynthetic pathway in -amplified cells. Furthermore, inhibition of serine synthesis generates metabolic stress in -amplified neuroblastoma cells, causing cell-cycle arrest and autophagy.

Dengue Fever: A Worldwide Threat An Overview of the Infection Process, Environmental Factors for a Global Outbreak, Diagnostic Platforms and Vaccine Developments.

Current review article focuses on dengue, which is one of the most fatal infectious illnesses and is considered to be a worldwide threat. The paper covers essential topics including an overview on neglected tropical diseases with specific emphasis on Dengue fever, mosquito's cycle of life and mechanism of infection, adaptive response, and different stages in dengue immunopathogenesis. The current work is also dedicated to the thorough study of dengue outbreak across the globe with a narrowed study to tropical and subtropical regions.

Latest Updates in Dengue Fever Therapeutics: Natural, Marine and Synthetic Drugs.

In this paper, we review the history of Dengue, the mechanism of infection, the molecular characteristics and components of Dengue, the mechanism of entry to the target cells, cyclization of the genome and replication process, as well as translation of the proteins for virus assembly. The major emphasis of this work is on natural products and plant extracts, which were used for as palliative or adjuvant treatment of Dengue. This review article also summarizes the latest findings in regards to the marine products as effective drugs to target different symptoms of Dengue.

GLUT1 protects prostate cancer cells from glucose deprivation-induced oxidative stress.

Glucose, chief metabolic support for cancer cell survival and growth, is mainly imported into cells by facilitated glucose transporters (GLUTs). The increase in glucose uptake along with tumor progression is due to an increment of facilitative glucose transporters as GLUT1. GLUT1 prevents cell death of cancer cells caused by growth factors deprivation, but there is scarce information about its role on the damage caused by glucose deprivation, which usually occurs within the core of a growing tumor.

-amplified neuroblastoma maintains an aggressive and undifferentiated phenotype by deregulation of estrogen and NGF signaling.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a remarkably heterogenic childhood tumor of the sympathetic nervous system with clinical behavior ranging from spontaneous regression to poorly differentiated tumors and metastasis. is amplified in 20% of cases and correlates with an undifferentiated, aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and the nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors TrkA and p75 are involved in neuronal differentiation and survival.

Polymethacrylate Coated Electrospun PHB Fibers as a Functionalized Platform for Bio-Diagnostics: Confirmation Analysis on the Presence of Immobilized IgG Antibodies against Dengue Virus.

In this article, a combination of far field electrospinning (FFES) and free-radical polymerization has been used to create a unique platform for protein immobilization via the physical attachment of biomolecules to the surface of the fiber mats. The large specific surface area of the fibers with its tailored chemistry provides a desirable platform for effective analyte-surface interaction. The detailed analysis of protein immobilization on a newly developed bio-receptive surface plays a vital role to gauge its advantages in bio-diagnostic applications.

Influence of Controlled Cooling in Bimodal Scaffold Fabrication Using Polymers with Different Melting Temperatures.

The combination of different materials and capabilities to manufacture at several scales open new possibilities in scaffold design for bone regeneration. This work is focused on bimodal scaffolds that combine polylactic acid (PLA) melt extruded strands with polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun fibers. This type of bimodal scaffold offers better mechanical properties, compared to the use of PCL for the extruded strands, and provides potential a means for controlled drug and/or growth factor delivery through the electrospun fibers.

Anticancer potential of Thevetia peruviana fruit methanolic extract.

Background: Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum or Cascabela peruviana (L.

Thioredoxin 1 modulates apoptosis induced by bioactive compounds in prostate cancer cells.

Accumulating evidence suggests that natural bioactive compounds, alone or in combination with traditional chemotherapeutic agents, could be used as potential therapies to fight cancer. In this study, we employed four natural bioactive compounds (curcumin, resveratrol, melatonin, and silibinin) and studied their role in redox control and ability to promote apoptosis in androgen sensitive and insensitive prostate cancer cells. Here is shown that curcumin and resveratrol promote ROS production and induce apoptosis in LNCaP and PC-3.

IGFBP3 and MAPK/ERK signaling mediates melatonin-induced antitumor activity in prostate cancer.

Treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), a leading cause of cancer among males, lacks successful strategies especially in advanced, hormone-refractory stages. Some clinical studies have shown an increase in neuroendocrine-like cells parallel to the tumor progression but their exact role is a matter of debate. The prostate is a well-known target for melatonin, which reduces PCa cells proliferation and induces neuroendocrine differentiation.

Melatonin uptake through glucose transporters: a new target for melatonin inhibition of cancer.

Melatonin is present in a multitude of taxa and it has a broad range of biological functions, from synchronizing circadian rhythms to detoxifying free radicals. Some functions of melatonin are mediated by its membrane receptors but others are receptor-independent. For the latter, melatonin must enter into the cell.

Melatonin enhances photo-oxidation of 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein by an antioxidant reaction that renders N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK).

The indolamine melatonin (MEL) is described as an antioxidant and a free radical scavenger. However occasionally, the indoleamine has been reported to increase free radicals with insufficient mechanistic explanation. In an attempt to find a reason for those controversial results, a potential mechanism that explains MEL prooxidant activity is investigated.

Regulation of GLUT transporters by flavonoids in androgen-sensitive and -insensitive prostate cancer cells.

Cancer cells show different metabolic requirements from normal cells. In prostate cancer, particularly, glycolytic metabolism differs in androgen-responsive and nonresponsive cells. In addition, some natural compounds with antiproliferative activities are able to modify glucose entry into cells by either modulating glucose transporter (GLUT) expression or by altering glucose binding.

Phenotypic changes caused by melatonin increased sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to cytokine-induced apoptosis.

Melatonin has antiproliferative properties in prostate cancer cells. Melatonin reduces proliferation without increasing apoptosis, and it promotes cell differentiation into a neuroendocrine phenotype. Because neuroendocrine cells displayed an androgen-independent growth and high resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the role of molecules that induce neuroendocrine differentiation was questioned in terms of their usefulness as oncostatic agents.