Studying models of healthy aging and exceptional longevity is crucial to understanding a possible longevity signature, as most show resistance to age-related diseases. In particular, semi- and supercentenarians are a highly selected group, having survived significant adversities, including the Spanish flu and COVID-19 pandemics, indicating distinctive immune system characteristics. This paper analyzes the inflammatory scores (INFLA-score, Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI)) and Aging-Related Immune Phenotype (ARIP) indicators calculated from the dataset of the DESIGN project, including 249 participants aged 19-111 years, aiming to understand the immune-inflammatory (IMFLAM) role in achieving longevity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypoimmune (HIP) allogeneic cell therapeutics hold the promise to allow off-the-shelf treatments for a broad patient population. Our HIP approach includes the depletion of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules and the overexpression of Cd47. Here, we report the engineering of HIP mice that stably exhibit the HIP phenotype in all cell types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Endobronchial ultrasound guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is the predominant method for investigation of centrally located solitary pulmonary nodules. The method is associated with good to excellent diagnostic sensitivity and specificity with the positive predictive value of the test reaching 100% and reported negative predictive values for FNA of pulmonary nodules ranging from 53% to 97%. The impact of correlating cytologic results with imaging and clinical findings for improvement of negative predictive value has been poorly studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the fields of biology and medicine, hormesis is defined as the adaptive response of cells and organisms to moderate and usually intermittent stress. Examples include radiation, pharmaceutical agents, as well as dietary and lifestyle factors such as calorie restriction and physical exercise. However, in the present chapter, we will focus on the hormetic role of certain phytochemicals, compounds that naturally occur in plants, playing roles in plant colour, flavour, and disease resistance, with nutraceutical properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs cholinergic innervation is a major contributor to increased vagal tone and mucus secretion, inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) are a pillar for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. By blocking the muscarinic receptors expressed in the lung, LAMA improve lung function and reduce exacerbations in asthma patients who remained poorly controlled despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists. Asthma guidelines recommend LAMA as a third controller to be added on before the initiation of biologicals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant hormones play a central role in various physiological functions and mediate defense responses against (a)biotic stresses. Jasmonic acid (JA) has emerged as one of the key phytohormones involved in the response to necrotrophic pathogens. Under stressful conditions, plants can also produce small molecules, such as methylglyoxal (MG), a cytotoxic aldehyde.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAltered mechanotransduction has been proposed as a putative mechanism for disease pathophysiology, yet evidence remains scarce. Here we introduce a concept we call single cell immuno-mechanical modulation, which links immunology, integrin biology, cellular mechanics, and disease pathophysiology and symptomology. Using a micropatterned hydrogel-laden coverslip compatible with standard fluorescence microscopy, we conduct a clinical mechanobiology study, specifically focusing on immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), an autoantibody-mediated platelet disorder that currently lacks a reliable biomarker for bleeding risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFilters and photoediting are widely used to transform or alter photos, mainly selfies, before sharing with friends or on social networks. In adult population there is a strong evidence of the potential risks of this behaviuor. Aim of the present work is to revise international literature exploring the correlation between photo manipulation and anorexia nervosa among children and adolescents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcetylsalicylic acid (ASA) represents a cornerstone of antiplatelet therapy for the treatment of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). ASA is in fact indicated in case of an acute coronary syndrome or after a percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation. Aspirin hypersensitivity is frequently reported by patients, and this challenging situation requires a careful evaluation of the true nature of the presumed sensitivity and of its mechanisms, as well as to differentiate it from a more frequent (and more easily manageable) aspirin intolerance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFlow cytometry serves as a crucial tool in immunology, allowing for the detailed analysis of immune cell populations. γδ T cells, a subset of T cells, play pivotal roles in immune surveillance and immune aging. Assessing the phenotype and functional capabilities of γδ T cells isolated from whole blood or tissue within the context of human aging yields invaluable insights into the dynamic changes affecting immune function, tissue homeostasis, susceptibility to infections, and inflammatory responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver the last two decades, we have witnessed great advancements in our understanding of the immunological pathways of asthma, leading to the development of targeted therapies, such as biologic drugs, that have radically and definitively changed the clinical outcomes of severe asthma. Despite the numerous therapeutic options available, ~4-10% of all people with asthma have severe or uncontrolled asthma, associated with an increased risk of developing chronic oral corticosteroid use, fixed airflow limitation, exacerbations, hospitalization and, finally, increased healthcare costs. The new concept of disease modification in asthma comes from the evolution of asthma management, which encompasses phenotyping patients with different inflammatory endotypes characterizing the disease, followed by the advent of more effective therapies capable of targeting the proximal factors of airway inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Extra virgin olive oil is a fundamental component of the Mediterranean diet. It contains several molecules that sustain human well-being by modulating cellular metabolism and exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ageing effects to protect normal tissues, and it can exert anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic effects on cancer cells. Metabolites found in different parts of the olive tree, including leaves, also possess properties that might help in cancer prevention and promote wellness in aging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/objectives: Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the interleukin-5 receptor (IL-5Rα), leading to the rapid depletion of blood eosinophils. RCTs have demonstrated efficacy in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of benralizumab on sinonasal outcomes in a real-life setting in patients with SEA and concomitant chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To establish statistically valid, population-based reference intervals (RIs) for canine anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and define changes in AMH and inhibin-B in bitches during breeding cycles.
Methods: A homologous canine ELISA was used to measure AMH in serum samples (collected between May 2019 and July 2024) from 102 intact and 78 reportedly ovariohysterectomized (OVH) bitches and 8 bitches before and after ovariohysterectomy, and in longitudinal samples from 24 bitches undergoing breeding management. Established 95% RIs were used in a retrospective assessment of 3,193 clinical submissions.
Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated responses to clinical parameters, but a significant proportion of allergy patients in real-life settings would have been excluded from such studies. Therefore, real-world research is needed, and there is a growing body of information on allergen immunotherapy's long-term effectiveness and safety. Real-world evidence can be a valuable instrument to better understand the patient's journey and the effectiveness and safety of therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSickle cell disease (SCD) is canonically characterized by reduced red blood cell (RBC) deformability, leading to microvascular obstruction and inflammation. Although the biophysical properties of sickle RBCs are known to influence SCD vasculopathy, the contribution of poor RBC deformability to endothelial dysfunction has yet to be fully explored. Leveraging interrelated in vitro and in silico approaches, we introduce a new paradigm of SCD vasculopathy in which poorly deformable sickle RBCs directly cause endothelial dysfunction via mechanotransduction, during which endothelial cells sense and pathophysiologically respond to aberrant physical forces independently of microvascular obstruction, adhesion, or hemolysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of HAr® (a novel ophthalmic solution containing modified hyaluronic acid covalently linked to riboflavin) compared to hyaluronic acid eye drops in patients with dry eye disease (DED).
Methods: Sixteen consecutive patients with bilateral medium to severe DED were divided into two groups. Group 1 received HAr® 0.
As on land, oceans exhibit high temporal and spatial temperature variation. This "ocean weather" contributes to the physiological and ecological processes that ultimately determine the patterns of species distribution and abundance, yet is often unrecognized, especially in tropical oceans. Here, we tested the paradigm of temperature stability in shallow waters (<12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The term "sharenting" describes the increasingly popular habit of parents to share photos, videos, or other information regarding their children on their social profiles, through online platforms. It is highly likely that many parents are posting content about their underage children online with little knowledge of the risks associated with this practice. This study aims to investigate whether variables such as parents' age, gender, marital status, occupation and educational level influence the practice of sharing child-related content and the degree of awareness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are known to have a regulatory effect on oxidative and inflammatory processes. This study aimed to identify the relationship between blood PUFA status and circulatory markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in a cohort of 172 subjects. The population was divided by sex and into three age groups: adults (18-64 years old, n = 69), older adults (65-89 years old, n = 54), and long-lived individuals (LLIs, 90-111 years old, n = 49).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Methods Programs Biomed
September 2024
Background And Objective: In the field of lung cancer research, particularly in the analysis of overall survival (OS), artificial intelligence (AI) serves crucial roles with specific aims. Given the prevalent issue of missing data in the medical domain, our primary objective is to develop an AI model capable of dynamically handling this missing data. Additionally, we aim to leverage all accessible data, effectively analyzing both uncensored patients who have experienced the event of interest and censored patients who have not, by embedding a specialized technique within our AI model, not commonly utilized in other AI tasks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPostnatal hippocampal neurogenesis is essential for learning and memory. Hippocampal neural precursor cells (NPCs) can be induced to proliferate and differentiate into either glial cells or dentate granule cells. Notably, hippocampal neurogenesis decreases dramatically with age, partly due to a reduction in the NPC pool and a decrease in their proliferative activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF