Arylpiperazine Derivatives and Cancer: A New Challenge in Medicinal Chemistry.

In recent decades, there has been a startling rise in the number of cancer patients worldwide, which has led to an amazing upsurge in the development of novel anticancer treatment candidates. On a positive note, arylpiperazines have garnered attention in cancer research due to their potential as scaffolds for developing anticancer agents. These compounds exhibit a diverse array of biological activities, including cytotoxic effects against cancer cells.

Development and evaluation of nanostructured systems for cutaneous delivery of HS-releasing corticosteroids for skin inflammatory diseases.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease that causes major psychosocial impact. Topical corticosteroids represent the standard pharmacological treatment for mild-to-moderate disease, but their local and systemic adverse effects reinforce the need for treatment innovations. Here we developed lamellar phase-based formulations for topical delivery of a hybrid dexamethasone and hydrogen sulfide (HS) donor molecule (Dexa-TBZ), aiming to potentiate the effects of the glucocorticoid with HS.

A New Process for the Synthesis of Budesonide 21-Phosphate and Evaluation in a Murine Model of Inflammation.

In this study, a new and straightforward process for the preparation of budesonide 21-phosphate (Bud-21P) and its disodium salt (Bud-21P-Na2) is described. The method results in a yield comparable to those obtained by diphosphoryl chloride, but it is more manageable, less expensive, and safer. The new compounds are characterized by better water solubility compared to the parent compound.

Treatment response assessment of acute pyelonephritis: A multi-reader DWI-based MRI approach.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a structured reporting score (SRS) in treatment response assessment for acute pyelonephritis (APN) using a diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) -based MRI approach. Additionally, we explored the influence of reader experience on the interpretation of SRS and DWI, including lesion conspicuity and measurements of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) maps.

Methods: Follow-up DWI-based MRIs of 36 patients treated for APN between September 2021 and June 2023 were retrospectively reviewed by three readers.

Hydrogen Sulfide (HS)-Donor Molecules: Chemical, Biological, and Therapeutical Tools.

This Special Issue aims to gather new research on hydrogen sulfide (HS)-releasing compounds (Figure 1) as cutting-edge pharmacological tools and to advance the understanding of the critical role that HS plays in physiological and pathological processes [...

Free-hand ultrasound strain elastography in evaluation of soft tissue tumors.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate elastography in a wide spectrum of soft tissue superficial lesions by correlating the elastographic characteristics of these lesions with the elastographic score (ES) system established by Asteria.

Methods: Forty patients with different superficial lesions of the soft tissues were studied, including lipomas, schwannomas, neuromas, epidermal inclusion cysts, "in transit" melanoma metastasis, arterio-venous malformation, and giant-cell tumor. An ultrasound examination was performed combined with color-Doppler and elastographic module.

Newly Synthesized Indolylacetic Derivatives Reduce Tumor Necrosis Factor-Mediated Neuroinflammation and Prolong Survival in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Mice.

The debilitating neurodegenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons (MNs) in the brain, spinal cord, and motor cortex. The ALS neuroinflammatory component is being characterized and includes the overexpression of mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Currently, there are no effective treatments for ALS.

Pills of Multi-Target HS Donating Molecules for Complex Diseases.

Among the various drug discovery methods, a very promising modern approach consists in designing multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) able to modulate multiple targets of interest, including the pathways where hydrogen sulfide (HS) is involved. By incorporating an HS donor moiety into a native drug, researchers have been able to simultaneously target multiple therapeutic pathways, resulting in improved treatment outcomes. This review gives the reader some pills of successful multi-target HS-donating molecules as worthwhile tools to combat the multifactorial nature of complex disorders, such as inflammatory-based diseases and cancer, as well as cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Isothiocyanate-Corticosteroid Conjugates against asthma: Unity makes strength.

Asthma is a major noncommunicable disease, affecting both children and adults, and represents one of the major causes leading to high health care costs due to the need for chronic pharmacological treatments. The standard gold therapy of inflammation in asthmatic patients involves the use of glucocorticoids even if their chronic use is often related to serious adverse effects. Growing evidence suggests the biological relevance of hydrogen sulfide (HS) in the pathogenesis of airway diseases.

Chronic Pelvic Pain in Congestion Pelvic Syndrome: Clinical Impact and Electromyography Pelvic Floor Activity Prior to and after Endovascular Treatment.

Background: This study aims to characterize the clinical impact of endovascular treatment in Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP) patients due to Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS) and to assess the diagnostic value of surface electromyography (sEMG) studies of pelvic floor musculature (PFM) in PCS patients pre- and post-endovascular treatment. Between January 2019 and July 2023, we studied consecutive patients who were referred for interventional radiology assessment and treatment to a tertiary trauma care hospital, had evidence of non-obstructive PCS from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), had sEMG of PFM and who had undergone endovascular treatment. The primary outcome was clinical, defined as a change in symptom severity after endovascular treatment.

Ultrasound-Assisted and Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis: An Educational Review.

Thoracentesis is one of the most important invasive procedures in the clinical setting. Particularly, thoracentesis can be relevant in the evaluation of a new diagnosed pleural effusion, thus allowing for the collection of pleural fluid so that laboratory tests essential to establish a diagnosis can be performed. Furthermore, thoracentesis is a maneuver that can have therapeutic and palliative purposes.

Structural characterization of PHOX2B and its DNA interaction shed light on the molecular basis of the +7Ala variant pathogenicity in CCHS.

An expansion of poly-alanine up to +13 residues in the C-terminus of the transcription factor PHOX2B underlies the onset of congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS). Recent studies demonstrated that the alanine tract expansion influences PHOX2B folding and activity. Therefore, structural information on PHOX2B is an important target for obtaining clues to elucidate the insurgence of the alanine expansion-related syndrome and also for defining a viable therapy.

Isolate scapulothoracic dislocation: Radiological findings and management.

Scapulothoracic dislocation (STD) is a rare condition consisting in the loss of anatomical relations of the scapula with the posterior chest wall. This pathological condition commonly occurs after a scapular region trauma or an upper arm distractive injury. Here-in, we present a case of STD occurring in a young male patient, and we discuss the mechanism of injury, the radiological imaging features, and how it can guide and help the orthopedist in the management.

Aortic dissection: How to identify it during an abdominal ultrasound examination and achieve a potentially lifesaving diagnosis.

Aortic dissection (AD) is a rare and potentially fatal condition that may be diagnosed late. During an emergency or elective abdominal ultrasound (US) examination, when going to evaluate the abdominal aorta for other reasons, it may happen that we find ourselves suspecting an AD. It is therefore important to know the US characteristics of this pathology to avoid wrong or missed diagnoses.

Semaglutide in Cardiometabolic Diseases: SELECTing the Target Population.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the main cause of death and disability worldwide. Despite the tremendous improvement in pharmacological, minimally invasive and rehabilitative strategies, global deaths due to cardiovascular diseases are still increasing. Additional risk factors have been recently proposed, and thanks to scientific progress, novel drugs for the control of the main risk factors focusing on the cardiometabolic pathways have been identified.

Understanding CEAP Classification: Insights from an Italian Survey on Corona Phlebectatica and Recurrent Active Venous Ulcers by Vascular Specialists.

The clinical relevance of "corona phlebectatica" and the management of risk factors for recurrence of venous ulcers in patients with chronic venous disease may be variable based on vascular specialists in different geographical areas of Italy. The aim of the present survey is to evaluate the management of patients with chronic venous disease by vascular specialists in different areas of the national territory. In particular, this involves ascertaining the clinical/prognostic relevance attributed to the presence of the "corona phlebectatica" as well as to the management of risk factors related to recurrence of venous ulcers.

Damage Control Interventional Radiology in Liver Trauma: A Comprehensive Review.

The liver is the second most common solid organ injured in blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. Non-operative management (NOM) has become the standard of care for liver injuries in stable patients, where transarterial embolization (TAE) represents the main treatment, increasing success rates and avoiding invasive surgical procedures. In hemodynamically (HD) unstable patients, operative management (OM) is the standard of care.

3-Nitroatenolol: First Synthesis, Chiral Resolution and Enantiomers' Absolute Configuration.

4-Nitro and 7-nitro propranolol have been recently synthesized and characterized by us. (±)-4-NO-propranolol has been shown to act as a selective antagonist of 6-nitrodopamine (6-ND) receptors in the right atrium of rats. As part of our follow-up to this study, herein, we describe the first synthesis of (±)-3-nitroatenolol as a probe to evaluate the potential nitration of atenolol by endothelium.

Musculoskeletal disorders in padel: from biomechanics to sonography.

Padel is a racket sport, combining high-frequency and low-intensity athletic gestures, that has been gaining growing scientific interest in recent years. Musculoskeletal injuries are very common among padel players with an incidence rate of 3 per 1000 h of training and 8 per 1000 matches. To the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive collection describing the most common sonographic findings in padel players with musculoskeletal injuries is lacking in the pertinent literature.

Multi-omics staging of locally advanced rectal cancer predicts treatment response: a pilot study.

Treatment response assessment of rectal cancer patients is a critical component of personalized cancer care and it allows to identify suitable candidates for organ-preserving strategies. This pilot study employed a novel multi-omics approach combining MRI-based radiomic features and untargeted metabolomics to infer treatment response at staging. The metabolic signature highlighted how tumor cell viability is predictively down-regulated, while the response to oxidative stress was up-regulated in responder patients, showing significantly reduced oxoproline values at baseline compared to non-responder patients (p-value < 10).

Breast ultrasound: An opportunity to detect unsuspected pleural and pulmonary abnormalities.

Purpose: While scanning women for breast US, is possible to observe changes in the appearance of the pleural line or in the most superficial portion of the lung. The objective of this single-center, prospective study was to determine the prevalence of a variety of pleural and pulmonary US findings during routine breast US.

Methods: In this study, there were 200 women undergoing standard breast US examination.

Complications Subsequent to Urinary Tract Stent Placement: An Overview Focusing on the Imaging of Cancer Patients.

Ureteral involvement by a tumor is common, and both partial and complete obstructions can result in symptoms that are distressing and debilitating, especially in cancer patients for whom the resection of the primary tumor is not considered an option. Maintaining ureteric patency in these patients is a challenge. In addition, in cases where a patient has undergone nephroureterectomy due to primary transitional cell cancer, it becomes necessary to decompress the urinary tract to preserve the contralateral kidney from irreversible damage.

Noninfectious Granulomatous Lung Disease: Radiological Findings and Differential Diagnosis.

Granulomatous lung diseases (GLDs) are a heterogeneous group of pathological entities that can have different clinical presentations and outcomes. Granulomas are histologically defined as focal aggregations of activated macrophages, Langerhans cells, and lymphocytes, and may form in the lungs when the immune system cannot eliminate a foreign antigen and attempts to barricade it. The diagnosis includes clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, and radiological imaging, which especially consists of high-resolution computed tomography.