Publications by authors named "Alberto Repici"

One of the most used chemotherapy agents in clinical practice is 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a fluorinated pyrimidine in the category of antimetabolite agents. 5-FU is used to treat a variety of cancers, including colon, breast, pancreatic, and stomach cancers, and its efficacy lies in its direct impact on the patient's DNA and RNA. Specifically, its mechanism blocks the enzymes thymidylate synthetase and uracil phosphatase, inhibiting the synthesis of uracil, which cannot be incorporated into nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA.

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Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to severe and lasting impairments in motor and sensory functions. The intense inflammatory response following SCI is a significant challenge, and autophagy has emerged as a key factor in the recovery process. The C-C chemokine receptor type 1 (CCR1), a G-protein coupled receptor, plays a crucial role in managing the chemokine response under stress.

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The term "inflammatory bowel disease" (IBD) describes a class of relapse-remitting conditions that affect the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Among these, Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are two of the most globally prevalent and debilitating conditions. Several articles have brought attention to the significant role that inflammation and oxidative stress cooperatively play in the development of IBD, offering a different viewpoint both on its etiopathogenesis and on strategies for the effective treatment of these conditions.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is recognized as the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Even if PD etiopathogenesis is not yet fully understood, in recent years, it has been advanced that a chronic state of inflammation could play a decisive role in the development of this pathology, establishing the close link between PD and neuroinflammation. In the broad panorama of inflammation and its several signaling pathways, the C-C chemokine receptor type 1 (CCR1) could play a key pathogenic role in PD progression, and could constitute a valuable target for the development of innovative anti-PD therapies.

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Brain tumors are a diverse collection of neoplasms affecting the brain with a high prevalence rate in people of all ages around the globe. In this pathological context, glioblastoma, a form of glioma that belongs to the IV-grade astrocytoma group, is the most common and most aggressive form of the primary brain tumors. Indeed, despite the best treatments available including surgery, radiotherapy or a pharmacological approach with Temozolomide, glioblastoma patients' mortality is still high, within a few months of diagnosis.

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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common foregut disease, affecting about 20% of the adult population. Esophageal epithelial barrier plays a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of GERD; however, pharmacological therapies mainly aim to reduce the acidity of the gastroesophageal environment rather than to protect esophageal tissue integrity. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an oral solution containing xyloglucan and pea proteins (XP) in reestablishing gastroesophageal tissue integrity and biochemical markers.

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Migraine is one of the most common neurological illnesses, and it is characterized by complicated neurobiology. It was confirmed the influence of inflammation and oxidative stress in migraines and also in distal organs such as the intestine. Indeed, the constant bidirectional communication between the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, known as the gut-brain axis, has become an attractive target involved in different human disorders.

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A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a well-defined debilitating traumatic event to the spinal cord that usually triggers permanent changes in motor, sensory, and autonomic functions. Injured tissue becomes susceptible to secondary mechanisms caused by SCIs, which include pro-inflammatory cytokine release, the activation of astrocytes and microglia, and increased neuronal sensibility. As a consequence, the production of factors such as GFAP, IBA-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and S100-β slow down or inhibit central nervous system (CNS) regeneration.

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Currently, biological markers for COVID-19 disease severity still constitute the main goal of enhancing an efficient treatment to reduce critical consequences such as an abnormal systemic inflammatory response. In this regard, the latest research has shown that Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a highly conserved innate immunity protein, may serve as a valuable biochemical marker. Based on this evidence, we conducted a case-control study to compare the PTX3 serum levels and several immune-inflammatory mediators of 80 healthcare workers who were subdivided into subjects who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 ( = 40) and individuals who were never infected ( = 40).

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Brain tumors represent a heterogeneous group of neoplasms involving the brain or nearby tissues, affecting populations of all ages with a high incidence worldwide. Among the primary brain tumors, the most aggressive and also the most common is glioblastoma (GB), a type of glioma that falls into the category of IV-grade astrocytoma. GB often leads to death within a few months after diagnosis, even if the patient is treated with available therapies; for this reason, it is important to continue to discover new therapeutic approaches to allow for a better survival rate of these patients.

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Background: Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive disease characterized by lung remodeling due to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. Although the etiology remains unknown, aberrant angiogenesis and inflammation play an important role in the development of this pathology. In this context, recent scientific research has identified new molecules involved in angiogenesis and inflammation, such as the prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP), a proteolytic enzyme belonging to the serine protease family, linked to the pathology of many lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis.

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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronically relapsing inflammatory skin disease, predominantly common in children; it is characterized by an eczematous pattern generally referable to skin dryness and itchy papules that become excoriated and lichenified in the more advanced stages of the disease. Although the pathophysiology of AD is not completely understood, numerous studies have demonstrated the complex interaction between genetic, immunological, and environmental factors, which acts to disrupt skin barrier function. Free radicals play a key role by directly damaging skin structure, inducing inflammation and weakening of the skin barrier.

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Article Synopsis
  • Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), cause symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea due to an immune system imbalance.
  • A marine green alga extract has shown potential benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, in a mouse model of colitis.
  • The study examines the extract's ability to relieve pain and modulate the immune response, suggesting it could be an effective treatment for managing symptoms of IBD.
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Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide; thus, it is necessary to find successful strategies. Several growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF2), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), are involved in the main processes that fuel tumor growth, i.e.

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The management of post-operative (PO) pain has generally been shown to be inadequate; therefore, acquiring a novel understanding of PO pain mechanisms would increase the therapeutic options available. There is accumulating evidence to implicate -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the induction and maintenance of central sensitization during pain states by reinforcing glutamate sensory transmission. It is known that DMF protects from oxidative glutamate toxicity.

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Glioblastoma is the most commonly malignant and aggressive brain tumor, with a high mortality rate. The role of the purine nucleotide adenosine and its interaction with its four subtypes receptors coupled to the different G proteins, A1, A2A, A2B, and A3, and its different physiological functions in different systems and organs, depending on the active receptor subtype, has been studied for years. Recently, several works have defined extracellular adenosine as a tumoral protector because of its accumulation in the tumor microenvironment.

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