Epigenetics in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Impact on Biology and Utilization in Diagnostics and Treatment.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies with high potential of metastases and therapeutic resistance. Although genetic mutations drive PDAC initiation, they alone do not explain its aggressive nature. Epigenetic mechanisms, including aberrant DNA methylation and histone modifications, significantly contribute to inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity, disease progression and metastasis.

Cardiovascular protection by SGLT2 inhibitors - Do anti-inflammatory mechanisms play a role?

Background: Metabolic syndrome and related metabolic disturbances represent a state of low-grade inflammation, which accelerates insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) progression. Among antidiabetic medications, sodium glucose co-transporter (SGLT) 2 inhibitors are the only agents which showed remarkable reductions in heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and major cardiovascular endpoints (MACE) as well as renal endpoints regardless of diabetes status in large randomized clinical outcome trials (RCTs). Although the exact mechanisms underlying these benefits are yet to be established, growing evidence suggests that modulating inflammation by SGLT2 inhibitors may play a key role.