Clinical Evaluation of a Topical Formulation for the Management of Onychomycosis.

Onychomycosis is a diffused fungal-associated disease affecting the nails. It induces discoloration, dystrophy, and, in the most severe cases, nail detachment. No completely effective pharmacological cures are available for onychomycosis.

A Preliminary Clinical Evaluation of a Topical Product for Reducing Slight Rosacea Imperfections.

Introduction: Rosacea is a chronic multifactorial skin disorder mainly affecting facial skin with an estimated prevalence of about 5% worldwide. Its main symptoms, occurring early during pathology development, are skin dehydration, redness, erythema, and telangiectasia. Given the lack of a resolutive cure, therapeutic approaches able to relieve the main symptoms are needed.

Pharmacological characterisation of CR6086, a potent prostaglandin E receptor 4 antagonist, as a new potential disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug.

Background: Prostaglandin E (PGE) acts via its EP4 receptor as a cytokine amplifier (e.g., interleukin [IL]-6) and induces the differentiation and expansion of inflammatory T-helper (Th) lymphocytes.

Comparing the different response of PNS and CNS injured neurons to mesenchymal stem cell treatment.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult bone marrow-derived stem cells actually proposed indifferently for the therapy of neurological diseases of both the Central (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), as a panacea able to treat so many different diseases by their immunomodulatory ability and supportive action on neuronal survival. However, the identification of the exact mechanism of MSC action in the different diseases, although mandatory to define their real and concrete utility, is still lacking. Moreover, CNS and PNS neurons present many different biological properties, and it is still unclear if they respond in the same manner not only to MSC treatment, but also to injuries.

T-helper and T-regulatory cells modulation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most diffused cancer types, characterized by a high reoccurrence rate, mainly due to the inability of current therapeutic approaches to completely eradicate cancer cells. HNSCC patients often have defective immune functions, thus allowing cancer immune escape and cancer spreading. Particularly important in driving immune escape during HNSCC progression are T-helper and T-regulatory cells.

Histologic and metabolic assessment in a cohort of patients with genital prolapse: preoperative stage and recurrence investigations.

Background: Biological basis of prolapse development and recurrence are still unclear. Aim of this observational and prospective study is to correlate clinical stage of anterior vaginal wall prolapse and anatomical recurrence to histological and metabolic characteristics of vaginal tissue.

Methods: Patients undergoing surgery were divided into two groups according to anterior stage ≤II (group A) and ≥III (group B).

Antitumoral Effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa on Human Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Multiple Myeloma Cells.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite therapeutic improvements, some cancers are still untreatable. Recently there has been an increasing interest in the use of natural substances for cancer prevention and treatment.

Neurobasal medium toxicity on mature cortical neurons.

Neurobasal medium (NBM) is a widely used medium for neuronal cultures, originally formulated to support survival of rat hippocampal neurons, but then optimized for several other neuronal subtypes. In the present study, the toxic effect of NBM on long-term cortical neuron cultures has been reported and investigated. A significant neuronal cell loss was observed 24 h after the total medium change performed at days in vitro 10.

Flavonoids in oral cancer prevention and therapy.

Oral cancer, representing all the malignancies arising in the oral cavity, is the eighth most diffused neoplasm worldwide. Despite therapeutic improvements, its survival rate has not changed significantly over the past few decades, with a 5-year survival rate slightly above 50%. In this context, a search for new therapeutic strategies is mandatory.

Stem cell augmented mesh materials: an in vitro and in vivo study.

Introduction And Hypothesis: To test in vitro and in vivo the capability of mesh materials to act as scaffolds for rat-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) and to compare inflammatory response and collagen characteristics of implant materials, either seeded or not with rMSCs.

Methods: rMSCs isolated from rat bone marrow were seeded and cultured in vitro on four different implant materials. Implants showing the best rMSC proliferation rate were selected for the in vivo experiment.

Myricetin and naringenin inhibit human squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and migration in vitro.

In this study the potential anticancer effect of 2 flavonoids, myiricetin (MYR) and naringenin (NAR) has been evaluated on an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell line, SCC-25, and HaCaT cells. Both the flavonoids inhibited SCC-25 cell growth, although NAR selectively affected cancer cells without impairing HaCaT cell growth. The cell proliferation inhibition by MYR and NAR was not related to apoptosis induction, but on cell cycle impairment, because a G0/G1 and a G2/M blockage was highlighted following 24 h of treatment in SCC-25 and HaCaT cells, respectively.

Undifferentiated MSCs are able to myelinate DRG neuron processes through p75.

Over the last few years the therapeutic approach to demyelinating diseases has radically changed, strategies having been developed aimed at partnering the classic symptomatic treatments with the most advanced regenerative medicine tools. At first, the transplantation of myelinogenic cells, Schwann cells or oligodendrocytes was suggested, but the considerable technical difficulties, (poor availability, difficulties in harvesting and culturing, and the problem of rejection in the event of non-autologous sources), shifted attention towards more versatile cellular types, such as Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). Recent studies have already demonstrate both in vitro and in vivo that glially-primed MSCs (through exposure to chemical cocktails) have myelogenic abilities.

Apigenin impairs oral squamous cell carcinoma growth in vitro inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

In the present study, we investigated the effect of apigenin, a flavonoid widely present in fruits and vegetables, on a tongue oral cancer-derived cell line (SCC-25) and on a keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT), with the aim of unveiling its antiproliferative mechanisms. The effect of apigenin on cell growth was evaluated by MTT assay, while apoptosis was investigated by phosphatidyl serine membrane translocation and cell cycle distribution by propidium iodide DNA staining through flow cytometry. In addition the expression of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases was evaluated by western blotting.

Association between metalloproteinases 2 and 9 activity and ERK1/2 phosphorylation status in head and neck cancers: an ex vivo study.

Advances in clinical treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are hampered by its high infiltrative potential leading to distal metastasis. Since their ability to degrade the basal lamina and extracellular matrix, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) have a pivotal role in tumor invasion. The overexpression and the aberrant activity of MMPs especially of MMP2 and MMP9, during HNSCC development and progression have been reported.

Different effects of erythropoietin in cisplatin- and docetaxel-induced neurotoxicity: an in vitro study.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a side effect limiting cisplatin (CDDP) and docetaxel (DOCE) treatment. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hematopoietic growth factor also displaying neurotrophic properties. Evidence suggests that EPO's neuroprotective action may rely on PI3K/AKT pathway activation; however, data regarding the EPO neuroprotective mechanism are still limited.

Role of MAPKs in platinum-induced neuronal apoptosis.

An unsolved question is how platinum derivatives used for solid cancer therapy cause peripheral neuropathy in patients and apoptosis in "in vitro" models of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. DRG neurons from E15 rat embryos were treated with toxic doses of oxaliplatin or cisplatin. Here, the role of MAPKs in neuronal apoptosis was studied.

MAP kinase modulation in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents the sixth most diffused cancer in developed countries. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are proteins which transduce a vast array of extracellular signals into intracellular responses. The role of MAPK signalling pathway in cancer is not completely understood.

Selective reduction of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades transmit and amplify signals involved in cell proliferation as well as in cell death. In this study, the potential derangement of MAPK pathways has been evaluated in human squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the larynx. The expression and activity of the MAPK p38, ERK1/2p44/p42 and JNK/SAPKp46/p54 have been investigated by immunoblot analysis of tissue homogenates in 27 samples of primary laryngeal cancer and in 27 paired non-neoplastic laryngeal mucosa.