The Effects of Cancer Immunotherapy on Fertility: Focus on Hematological Malignancies.

In recent years, cancer management has benefitted from new effective treatments, including immunotherapy. While these therapies improve cancer survival rates, they can alter immune responses and cause long-term side effects, of which gonadotoxic effects and the potential impact on male and female fertility are growing concerns. Immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunomodulators, monoclonal antibodies, and CAR-T, can lead to elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines and immune-related adverse events that may exacerbate fertility problems.

Gradient-induced instability in tumour spheroids unveils the impact of microenvironmental nutrient changes.

Tumours often display invasive behaviours that induce fingering, branching and fragmentation processes. The phenomenon, known as diffusional instability, is driven by differential cell proliferation, migration, and death due to the presence of metabolite and catabolite concentration gradients. An understanding of the intricate dynamics of this spatially heterogeneous process plays a key role in the investigation of tumour growth and invasion.

Hematological Malignancies in Older Patients: Focus on the Potential Role of a Geriatric Assessment Management.

Geriatric assessment management is a multidimensional tool used to evaluate prognosis for clinical outcomes and targets for interventions in older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy. In this review, we evaluated the possible application of geriatric assessment management (GAM) in hematological malignancies. In older patients with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, GAM might be helpful in both predicting planned hospital admissions and improving quality of life.

Novel Optical Methodology Unveils the Impact of a Polymeric Pour-Point Depressant on the Phase Morphology of Waxy Crude Oils.

Crude oil, also known as petroleum, plays a crucial role in global economies, politics, and technological advancements due to its widespread applications in industrial organic chemistry. Despite environmental concerns, the dwindling supply of easily accessible oil reservoirs necessitates the exploration of unconventional resources, such as heavy and extra-heavy oils. These oils, characterized by high viscosity and complex composition, pose challenges in extraction, transportation, and refinement.

iRheo-optical assay: Measuring the viscoelastic properties of multicellular spheroids.

This study introduces a novel mechanobiology assay, named "i-Rheo-optical assay", that integrates rheology with optical microscopy for analysing the viscoelastic properties of multicellular spheroids. These spheroids serve as three-dimensional models resembling tissue structures. The innovative technique enables real-time observation and quantification of morphological responses to applied stress using a cost-effective microscope coverslip for constant compression force application.

The role of air relative humidity on the wettability of Pseudomonas fluorescens AR11 biofilms.

Biofilms are complex porous materials formed by microorganisms, polysaccharides, proteins, eDNA, inorganic matter, and water. They are ubiquitous in various environmental niches and are known to grow at solid-liquid, solid-air and air-liquid interfaces, often causing problems in several industrial and sanitary fields. Their removal is a challenge in many applications and numerous studies have been conducted to identify promising chemical species as cleaning agents.

Electrospun Chitosan-Based Nanofibrous Coating for the Local and Sustained Release of Vancomycin.

As the population ages, the number of vascular surgery procedures performed increases. Older adults often have multiple comorbidities, such as diabetes and hypertension, that increase the risk of complications from vascular surgery including vascular graft infection (VGI). VGI is a serious complication with significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.

Designing Advanced Drug Delivery Systems: Core-Shell Alginate Particles through Electro-Fluid Dynamic Atomization.

Innovations in drug delivery systems are crucial for enhancing therapeutic efficiency. Our research presents a novel approach based on using electro-fluid dynamic atomization (EFDA) to fabricate core-shell monophasic particles (CSMp) from sodium alginate blends of varying molecular weights. This study explores the morphological characteristics of these particles in relation to material properties and process conditions, highlighting their potential in drug delivery applications.

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of in Cancer.

Triterpenoids, such as ganoderic acid, and polysaccharides, including β-D-glucans, α-D-glucans, and α-D-mannans, are the main secondary metabolites of the medicinal fungus . There is evidence of the effects of ganoderic acid in hematological malignancies, whose mechanisms involve the stimulation of immune response, the macrophage-like differentiation, the activation of MAP-K pathway, an IL3-dependent cytotoxic action, the induction of cytoprotective autophagy, and the induction of apoptosis. In fact, this compound has been tested in twenty-six different human cancer cell types and has shown an anti-proliferative activity, especially in leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma lines.

Highlights on the Effects of Non-Coding RNAs in the Osteonecrosis of the Jaw.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw is the progressive loss and destruction of bone affecting the maxilla or mandible in patients treated with antiresorptive and antiangiogenic agents without receiving prior radiation therapy. The pathogenesis involves the inflammatory pathway of receptor activator of nuclear factor NF-kB ligand and the macrophage colony-stimulating factor, essential for osteoclast precursors survival and proliferation and acting through its receptor c-Fms. Evidence has shown the role of non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of osteonecrosis of the jaw and this finding might be useful in diagnosis since these small RNAs could be considered as biomarkers of apoptotic activity in bone.

Hybrid Cellular Automata Modeling Reveals the Effects of Glucose Gradients on Tumour Spheroid Growth.

Purpose: In recent years, mathematical models have become instrumental in cancer research, offering insights into tumor growth dynamics, and guiding the development of pharmacological strategies. These models, encompassing diverse biological and physical processes, are increasingly used in clinical settings, showing remarkable predictive precision for individual patient outcomes and therapeutic responses.

Methods: Motivated by these advancements, our study introduces an innovative in silico model for simulating tumor growth and invasiveness.

Circular RNAs: A New Approach to Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis, a condition characterised by demyelination and axonal damage in the central nervous system, is due to autoreactive immune cells that recognise myelin antigens. Alteration of the immune balance can promote the onset of immune deficiencies, loss of immunosurveillance, and/or development of autoimmune disorders such as MS. Numerous enzymes, transcription factors, signal transducers, and membrane proteins contribute to the control of immune system activity.

Exploring Cell Migration Mechanisms in Cancer: From Wound Healing Assays to Cellular Automata Models.

Purpose: Cell migration is a critical driver of metastatic tumor spread, contributing significantly to cancer-related mortality. Yet, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains incomplete.

Methods: In this study, a wound healing assay was employed to investigate cancer cell migratory behavior, with the aim of utilizing migration as a biomarker for invasiveness.

Aging and Age-Related Epigenetic Drift in the Pathogenesis of Leukemia and Lymphomas: New Therapeutic Targets.

One of the traits of cancer cells is abnormal DNA methylation patterns. The idea that age-related epigenetic changes may partially explain the increased risk of cancer in the elderly is based on the observation that aging is also accompanied by comparable changes in epigenetic patterns. Lineage bias and decreased stem cell function are signs of hematopoietic stem cell compartment aging.

The Interplay between Medical Plants and Gut Microbiota in Cancer.

The gut microbiota is a dynamic community of bacteria distributed in the gastroenteric tract and changes in response to diseases, diet, use of antibiotics and probiotics, hygiene status, and other environmental factors. Dysbiosis, a disruption of the normal crosstalk between the host and the microbes, is associated with obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, is linked to a reduction of anti-inflammatory bacteria like and , and to an increase in the growth of proinflammatory species like and . Some plants possess anticancer properties and various studies have reported that some of these are also able to modulate the gut microbiota.

Gender Differences and miRNAs Expression in Cancer: Implications on Prognosis and Susceptibility.

MicroRNAs are small, noncoding molecules of about twenty-two nucleotides with crucial roles in both healthy and pathological cells. Their expression depends not only on genetic factors, but also on epigenetic mechanisms like genomic imprinting and inactivation of X chromosome in females that influence in a sex-dependent manner onset, progression, and response to therapy of different diseases like cancer. There is evidence of a correlation between miRNAs, sex, and cancer both in solid tumors and in hematological malignancies; as an example, in lymphomas, with a prevalence rate higher in men than women, miR-142 is "silenced" because of its hypermethylation by DNA methyltransferase-1 and it is blocked in its normal activity of regulating the migration of the cell.

Gender Differences in Oxidative Stress in Relation to Cancer Susceptibility and Survival.

Genetic, developmental, biochemical, and environmental variables interact intricately to produce sex differences. The significance of sex differences in cancer susceptibility is being clarified by numerous studies. Epidemiological research and cancer registries have revealed over the past few years that there are definite sex variations in cancer incidence, progression, and survival.

The Anti-Cancer Effect of Cinnamon Aqueous Extract: A Focus on Hematological Malignancies.

Cinnamon is an evergreen and tropical plant of the family , growing particularly in Sri Lanka, whose aqueous extract has been tested in different studies to evaluate its possible use as an anti-cancer compound. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments seem to confirm that it acts on various cellular pathways, contributing to down-regulating the activity of molecules that stimulate the proliferation and survival of cells such as the transcription factors NF-KB and AP-1, COX-2, dihydrofolate reductase and pro-angiogenic substances such as VEGF, while up-regulating the function of immune cells against tumors, such as cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. In hematological malignancies, aqueous cinnamon extract has been studied in order to understand if it is possible to count on its help, alone or in combination with traditional drugs such as doxorubicin, to treat patients.

A modeling-based approach to optimize COVID-19 vaccine dosing schedules for improved protection.

While the development of different vaccines slowed the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, the occurrence of breakthrough infections has continued to fuel the COVID-19 pandemic. To secure at least partial protection in the majority of the population through 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, delayed administration of boosters has been implemented in many countries. However, waning immunity and emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 suggest that such measures may induce breakthrough infections due to intermittent lapses in protection.

Forced Wetting Properties of Bacteria-Laden Droplets Experiencing Initial Evaporation.

Microbial adhesion and spreading on surfaces are crucial aspects in environmental and industrial settings being also the early stage of complex surface-attached microbial communities known as biofilms. In this work, -laden droplets on hydrophilic substrates (glass coupons) are allowed to partially evaporate before running wetting measurements, to study the effect of evaporation on their interfacial behavior during spillover or splashing. Forced wetting is investigated by imposing controlled centrifugal forces, using a novel rotatory device ().

Nanoparticle Coatings on Glass Surfaces to Prevent AR 11 Biofilm Formation.

Microbial colonization of surfaces is a sanitary and industrial issue for many applications, leading to product contamination and human infections. When microorganisms closely interact with a surface, they start to produce an exo-polysaccaridic matrix to adhere to and protect themselves from adverse environmental conditions. This type of structure is called a biofilm.

Migration of surface-associated microbial communities in spaceflight habitats.

Astronauts are spending longer periods locked up in ships or stations for scientific and exploration spatial missions. The International Space Station (ISS) has been inhabited continuously for more than 20 years and the duration of space stays by crews could lengthen with the objectives of human presence on the moon and Mars. If the environment of these space habitats is designed for the comfort of astronauts, it is also conducive to other forms of life such as embarked microorganisms.

Collective rotational motion of freely expanding T84 epithelial cell colonies.

Coordinated rotational motion is an intriguing, yet still elusive mode of collective cell migration, which is relevant in pathological and morphogenetic processes. Most of the studies on this topic have been carried out on epithelial cells plated on micropatterned substrates, where cell motion is confined in regions of well-defined shapes coated with extracellular matrix adhesive proteins. The driver of collective rotation in such conditions has not been clearly elucidated, although it has been speculated that spatial confinement can play an essential role in triggering cell rotation.