Publications by authors named "C Silvestro"

Background: Gene therapy has been proposed as a strategy to induce cardiac regeneration following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Given that Tbx20, a transcription factor of the T-box subfamily, stimulates cell proliferation and angiogenesis, we designed a baculovirus overexpressing (Bv-Tbx20) and evaluated its effects in cultured cardiomyocytes and in an ovine model of AMI.

Methods And Results: Cell proliferation and angiogenesis were measured in cardiomyocytes transduced with Bv-Tbx20 or Bv-Null (control).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The purpose of this work is to present a patient-specific (PS) modeling approach for simulating percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) endovascular treatment and assessing the balloon sizing influence on short-term outcomes in peripheral arteries, i.e. without stent implantation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this work we propose a generic modeling approach for simulating percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) endovascular treatment, and evaluating the influence of balloon design, plaque composition, and balloon sizing on acute post-procedural outcomes right after PTA, without stent implantation. Clinically-used PTA balloons were classified into two categories according to their compliance characteristics, and were modeled correspondingly. Self-defined elastoplastic constitutive laws were implemented within the plaque and artery models, after calibration based on experimental and clinical data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Atherosclerosis is one of the most common vascular pathologies in the world. Among the most commonly performed endovascular treatments, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) has been showing significantly positive clinical outcomes. Due to the complex geometries, material properties and interactions that characterize PTA procedures, finite element analyses of acute angioplasty balloon deployment are limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this paper, we describe the pattern of an idiopathic corpus cavernosum (CC) abscess using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and compare this to the lesion characterization achieved using preliminary baseline ultrasound/color doppler (ECD). In a 43-year-old man, who arrived at our emergency department for a penile swelling and hematopyuria, ECD examination showed equivocal mucosal and subcutaneous tissue swelling, an inhomogeneous hypoechoic area in the left CC, and a suspected millimetric interruption of the albuginea. CEUS showed multiple avascular areas wrapped in a hyperperfused rim representing abscesses and a not-perfused balanopreputial-oriented fistula.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF