Publications by authors named "Alessandra Gargano"

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are heterogeneous in terms of origin and aetiology. In addition, there is uncertainty about the genetic evolution from initial diagnosis to recurrence after primary treatments and further disease progression following systemic treatment. Changes in the genetic profile have implications on the selection of appropriate treatments for patients, especially in the era of targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Key Clinical Message: A timely diagnosis is essential to start appropriate therapy and to reduce risks of life-threatening complications of rhabdomyolysis. Some cases can undergo differential diagnosis with other clinical conditions, e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive abilities, including memory and attention. It is generally accepted that age-related histological changes such as increased neuroinflammatory glial activity and a reduction in the number of specific neuronal populations contribute to cognitive aging. Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) undergo an approximately 20 % loss during ageing both in humans and mice, but whether this change contributes to cognitive deficits is not known.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Endocannabinoid system activity declines with age in the hippocampus, along with the density of the cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1). This process might contribute to brain ageing, as previous studies showed that the constitutive deletion of the CB1 receptor in mice leads to early onset of memory deficits and histological signs of ageing in the hippocampus including enhanced pro-inflammatory glial activity and reduced neurogenesis. Here we asked whether the CB1 receptor exerts its activity locally, directly influencing hippocampal ageing or indirectly, accelerating systemic ageing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Our laboratory and others have previously shown that cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1r) activity is neuroprotective and a modulator of brain ageing; a genetic disruption of CB1r signaling accelerates brain ageing, whereas the pharmacological stimulation of CB1r activity had the opposite effect. In this study, we have investigated if the lack of CB1r affects noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC), which are vulnerable to age-related changes; their numbers are reduced in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and probably also in healthy aged individuals. Thus, we compared LC neuronal numbers between cannabinoid 1 receptor knockout () mice and their wild-type littermates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and its receptors TrkA and p75 play a key role in the development and function of peripheral nociceptive neurons. Here, we describe novel technology to selectively photoablate TrkA-positive nociceptors through delivery of a phototoxic agent coupled to an engineered NGF ligand and subsequent near-infrared illumination. We demonstrate that this approach allows for on demand and localized reversal of pain behaviors in mouse models of acute, inflammatory, neuropathic, and joint pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The aim of this report is to illustrate the case of a patient whose myofascial pain syndrome was misdiagnosed as odontogenic pain, and who was treated using irreversible dental procedures. Even if dental pain commonly has an odontogenic etiology, it is also possible that pain arising from different orofacial sites such as jaw muscles, maxillary sinus, or nervous structures can be referred to the teeth. When the etiology of a dental pain condition cannot be clearly identified, it is necessary to consider all possible causes of dental pain, which may also be nonodontogenic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF