The Benefits of COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant Patients Hospitalized with Respiratory Symptoms: A Retrospective Cohort Study in South Brazil.

Objectives: SARS-CoV-2 infection is a known risk factor for adverse health outcomes in pregnancy, affecting both maternal and neonatal health. Mounting evidence suggests that even a single dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine protects against severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and is safe for both pregnant persons and neonates. Southern Brazil was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the protective effects of the vaccine on maternal and neonatal health are not well described.

Analysis of the Monophyletic Lineage of Avian Influenza H5N1 Which Circulated in Venezuelan Birds During the 2022-2023 Outbreak.

Avian influenza subtype H5N1 has caused outbreaks worldwide since 1996, with the emergence of the Guandong lineage in China. The current clade 2.3.

Ocular and Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Sitagliptin Eye Drops: Preclinical Data.

Early stages of diabetic retinopathy are currently considered an unmet medical need due to the lack of effective treatments beyond proper monitoring and control of glycemia and blood pressure. Sitagliptin eye drops have emerged as a new therapeutic approach against early stages of the disease, as they can prevent its main hallmarks, including both neurodegeneration and microvascular impairment. Interestingly, all of these effects occur without any glycemic systemic improvement.

Hepatocellular carcinoma hosts cholinergic neural cells and tumoral hepatocytes harboring targetable muscarinic receptors.

Background & Aims: Owing to unexplained interpatient variation and treatment failure in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), novel therapeutic approaches remain an urgent clinical need. Hepatic neurons, belonging to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), mediate liver/whole body crosstalk. Pathological innervation of the ANS has been identified in cancer, nurturing tumor stroma and conferring stronger carcinogenic properties.

Regulatory T cell expansion prevents retinal degeneration in type 2 diabetes.

Background: The global incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is rapidly increasing, with retinopathy being its most common complication and a leading cause of preventable blindness. Although the precise mechanisms involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) are not fully understood, defective immunomodulation is a recognized key factor in its pathophysiology. Regulatory T cells (Treg) regulate inflammation and promote regeneration, and while they are known to have important anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective roles in other tissues, including central nervous system, their role in the diabetic retina remains largely unknown.