Assessment of early attention in an Italian cohort of preschooler preterm children using the Early Childhood Attention Battery.

Purpose: This cross-sectional monocentric study aims to utilize the Early Childhood Attention Battery to investigate early attention patterns in young preterm children and ascertain the extent to which their attentional abilities diverge from those of term peers.

Methods: Inclusion criteria encompassed gestational age < 34 weeks, with assessments conducted between 3 and 5 years 11 months. Exclusion criteria included major brain lesions, significant motor or behavioral disorders, and intellectual functioning with IQ < 70.

A Serum Multi-Parametric Analysis Identifies an Early Innate Immune Signature Associated to Increased Vaccine-Specific Antibody Production and Seroconversion in Simultaneous COVID-19 mRNA and Cell-Based Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccination.

In this pilot study, a multi-parametric analysis comparing immune responses in sera of adult healthy subjects (HS) or people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) undergoing the single or simultaneous administration of mRNA-based COVID-19 and cellular quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccines was conducted. While SARS-CoV-2 antibodies remains comparable, influenza antibody titers and seroconversion were significantly higher upon simultaneous vaccination. Magnitude of anti-influenza humoral response closely correlated with an early innate immune signature, previously described for the COVID-19 vaccine, composed of IL-15, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, CXCL-10 and here extended also to acute-phase protein Pentraxin 3.

Functional diversification of innate and inflammatory immune responses mediated by antibody fragment crystallizable activities against SARS-CoV-2.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein have been exploited for the treatment of severe COVID-19. In this study, we evaluated the immune-regulatory features of two neutralizing anti-S mAbs (nAbs), named J08 and F05, with wild-type (WT) conformation or silenced Fc functions. In the presence of D614G SARS-CoV-2, WT nAbs enhance intracellular viral uptake in immune cells and amplify antiviral type I Interferon and inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production without viral replication, promoting the differentiation of CD16 inflammatory monocytes and innate/adaptive PD-L1 and PD-L1CD80 plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells.

Neurological assessment tool for screening infants during the first year after birth: The Brief-Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination.

Aim: To develop a short version of the original Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) to be used as a screening tool (Brief-HINE) and to establish if the short examination maintains good accuracy and predictive power for detecting infants with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: Eleven items were selected from the original HINE ('visual response'; 'trunk posture'; 'movement quantity'; 'movement quality'; 'scarf sign'; 'hip adductor angles'; 'popliteal angle'; 'pull to sit'; 'lateral tilting'; 'forward parachute reaction'; 'tendon reflexes') identifying those items previously found to be more predictive of CP in both low- and high-risk infants. In order to establish the sensitivity of the new module, the selected items were applied to existing data, previously obtained using the full HINE at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, in 228 infants with typical development at 2 years and in 82 infants who developed CP.

Acute and post-acute multidisciplinary outcomes of newborns born from mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy or the perinatal period.

Introduction: We performed a single-center, prospective, observational study of newborns born from mothers with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy or at time of delivery to evaluate acute and mid-term multidisciplinary outcomes.

Methods: Infants were offered a multidisciplinary follow-up consisting of nasopharyngeal Polymerase Chain Reaction test at birth and at 48-72 h of life, auxological and ophthalmological assessments, and serologic testing.

Results: 791 women and their 791 children (52.

From Bacterial Toxin to Therapeutic Agent: The Unexpected Fate of Mycolactone.

"Recognizing a surprising fact is the first step towards discovery." This famous quote from Louis Pasteur is particularly appropriate to describe what led us to study mycolactone, a lipid toxin produced by the human pathogen . is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease manifesting as chronic, necrotic skin lesions with a "surprising" lack of inflammation and pain.

Increased activity of IRE1 improves the clinical presentation of EAE.

Activation of the ER stress sensor IRE1α contributes to neuronal development and is known to induce neuronal remodeling and . On the other hand, excessive IRE1 activity is often detrimental and may contribute to neurodegeneration. To determine the consequences of increased activation of IRE1α, we used a mouse model expressing a C148S variant of IRE1α with increased and sustained activation.

Visual Function in Children with GNAO1-Related Encephalopathy.

Background: GNAO1-related encephalopathies include a broad spectrum of developmental disorders caused by de novo heterozygous mutations in the GNAO1 gene, encoding the G (o) subunit α of G-proteins. These conditions are characterized by epilepsy, movement disorders and developmental impairment, in combination or as isolated features.

Objective: This study aimed at describing the profile of neurovisual competences in children with GNAO1 deficiency to better characterize the phenotype of the disease spectrum.

A specific anti-COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine-induced early innate immune signature positively correlates with the humoral protective response in healthy and multiple sclerosis vaccine recipients.

Objectives: The very rapidly approved mRNA-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, including Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2, are effective in protecting from severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in immunocompetent population. However, establishing the duration and identifying correlates of vaccine-induced protection will be crucial to optimise future immunisation strategies. Here, we studied in healthy vaccine recipients and people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), undergoing different therapies, the regulation of innate immune response by mRNA vaccination in order to correlate it with the magnitude of vaccine-induced protective humoral responses.

Novel evidence of Thymosin α1 immunomodulatory properties in SARS-CoV-2 infection: Effect on innate inflammatory response in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell-based in vitro model.

The peculiar property of Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) to act as master regulator of immune homeostasis has been successfully defined in different physiological and pathological contexts ranging from cancer to infection. Interestingly, recent papers also demonstrated its mitigating effect on the "cytokine storm" as well as on the T-cell exhaustion/activation in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. Nevertheless, in spite of the increasing knowledge on Tα1-induced effects on T cell response confirming the distinctive features of this multifaceted peptide, little is known on its effects on innate immunity during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Sec61 blockade therapy overrides resistance to proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs in multiple myeloma.

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable neoplasm of mature B cells and the second most prevalent hematological malignancy worldwide. While combinations of proteasome inhibitors like bortezomib (Bz) and immunomodulators (IMiDs) like lenalinomide (Len) are generally effective in newly diagnosed patients, some do not respond to this first-line therapy, and all others will eventually become drug resistant. We previously reported that inhibiting the Sec61 translocon with mycolactone synergizes with Bz to induce terminal unfolded protein response in MM cells, irrespective of their resistance to proteasome inhibition.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants Receiving a Multicomponent vs. a Soybean-Based Lipid Emulsion: 24 Month Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Few studies in the literature have analyzed the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of the administration of a multicomponent versus a soybean-based lipid emulsion (LE) in preterm infants receiving parenteral nutrition (PN). A recent randomized controlled trial conducted in our unit provided evidence of better growth in head circumference during the hospital stay in those who received a multicomponent LE.

Methods: This is a 24 month follow-up study of preterm infants, previously enrolled in a randomized trial, who received a multicomponent LE (SMOFlipid) or a standard soybean-based one (Intralipid).

ERp57 chaperon protein protects neuronal cells from Aβ-induced toxicity.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder whose main pathological hallmark is the accumulation of Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the form of senile plaques. Aβ can cause neurodegeneration and disrupt cognitive functions by several mechanisms, including oxidative stress. ERp57 is a protein disulfide isomerase involved in the cellular stress response and known to be present in the cerebrospinal fluid of normal individuals as a complex with Aβ peptides, suggesting that it may be a carrier protein which prevents aggregation of Aβ.

Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination in low-risk infants born very preterm: a longitudinal prospective study.

Aim: To describe the profile of global and single items of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) in a population of low-risk infants born very preterm during the first year of life.

Method: The HINE was performed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months' corrected age in a population of low-risk infants born preterm with a gestational age of fewer than 32 weeks and with normal or minimal changes on neuroimaging.

Results: A total of 174 infants born preterm (96 males, 78 females; mean gestational age = 27 weeks [SD = 1.

Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination in infants born at term: Predicting outcomes other than cerebral palsy.

Aim: We explored the ability of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) to identify cognitive performance delay at 2 years in a large cohort of infants born at term.

Method: We conducted a retrospective study of infants born at term at risk of neurodevelopmental impairments assessed using the HINE between 3 and 12 months post-term age and compared them with a cohort of typically developing infants born at term. All infants performed a neurodevelopmental assessment at 2 years of age using the Mental Development Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition; the presence of cerebral palsy (CP) was also reported.

Cortical Visual Impairment in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder.

Background: CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) is a developmental encephalopathy caused by pathogenic variants in the gene cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5. Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is frequent in patients with CDD. In addition to being recognized as a specific feature of the pathology, it has been suggested that visual impairment may correlate with neurodevelopmental outcome and epilepsy severity, but no systematic behavioral visual assessment has been performed.

Short- and mid-term multidisciplinary outcomes of newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in utero or during the perinatal period: preliminary findings.

Unlabelled: The long-term outcomes of newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection in utero or during the first hours of life are still unknown. We performed a single-center, prospective, observational study of newborns born from mothers with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy or at time of delivery. Infants were offered a multidisciplinary follow-up consisting of nasopharyngeal Polymerase Chain Reaction test at birth and at 48-72 h of life, auxological growth and neurological development, serologic testing, and audiological and ophthalmological assessments.

Differential plasmacytoid dendritic cell phenotype and type I Interferon response in asymptomatic and severe COVID-19 infection.

SARS-CoV-2 fine-tunes the interferon (IFN)-induced antiviral responses, which play a key role in preventing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) progression. Indeed, critically ill patients show an impaired type I IFN response accompanied by elevated inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels, responsible for cell and tissue damage and associated multi-organ failure. Here, the early interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and immune cells was investigated by interrogating an in vitro human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based experimental model.

The special unfolded protein response in plasma cells.

The high rate of antibody production places considerable metabolic and folding stress on plasma cells (PC). Not surprisingly, they rely on the unfolded protein response (UPR), a universal signaling, and transcriptional network that monitors the health of the secretory pathway and mounts cellular responses to stress. Typically, the UPR utilizes three distinct stress sensors in the ER membrane, each regulating a subset of targets to re-establish homeostasis.

Extra-uterine growth restriction in preterm infants: Neurodevelopmental outcomes according to different definitions.

Aim: Extra-uterine Growth Restriction (EUGR) is common among preterm infants. Two types of EUGR definitions are still now available: cross-sectional definitions and longitudinal ones. In a cohort of very preterm infants, we aimed to evaluate which definition could better predict neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of corrected age.

Innate Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: From Cells to Soluble Mediators.

The vulnerability of humankind to SARS-CoV-2 in the absence of a pre-existing immunity, the unpredictability of the infection outcome, and the high transmissibility, broad tissue tropism, and ability to exploit and subvert the immune response pose a major challenge and are likely perpetuating the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, this peculiar infectious scenario provides researchers with a unique opportunity for studying, with the latest immunological techniques and understandings, the immune response in SARS-CoV-2 naïve versus recovered subjects as well as in SARS-CoV-2 vaccinees. Interestingly, the current understanding of COVID-19 indicates that the combined action of innate immune cells, cytokines, and chemokines fine-tunes the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the related immunopathogenesis.