Adipose stem cell niche reprograms the colorectal cancer stem cell metastatic machinery.

Obesity is a strong risk factor for cancer progression, posing obesity-related cancer as one of the leading causes of death. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms that endow cancer cells with metastatic properties in patients affected by obesity remain unexplored.Here, we show that IL-6 and HGF, secreted by tumor neighboring visceral adipose stromal cells (V-ASCs), expand the metastatic colorectal (CR) cancer cell compartment (CD44v6 + ), which in turn secretes neurotrophins such as NGF and NT-3, and recruits adipose stem cells within tumor mass.

Telmisartan cardioprotects from the ischaemic/hypoxic damage through a miR-1-dependent pathway.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether telmisartan protects the heart from the ischaemia/reperfusion damage through a local microRNA-1 modulation. Studies on the myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury in vivo and on the cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation damage in vitro were done. In vivo, male Sprague-Dawley rats administered for 3 weeks with telmisartan 12 mg/kg/d by gastric gavage underwent ischaemia/reperfusion of the left descending coronary artery.

Skip metastases to lateral cervical lymph nodes in differentiated thyroid cancer: a systematic review.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is a slow-growing cancer with a generally good prognosis that sometimes have an aggressive behaviour. Metastases to neck lymph nodes is the first step of the diffusion. The central neck compartment is involved most commonly.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: preoperative data, surgical technique and clinical outcomes.

Background: laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the standard treatment for adrenal lesions. The better clinical outcoms of laparoscopic technique are valid for treatment of small benign masses (< 5-6 cm), instead there are still open questions in literature regarding the correct management of larger lesions (> 6 cm) or in case of potentially malignant adrenal tumors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of laparoscopic adrenalectomy in a referral surgical department for endocrine surgery.

Addition of the Aldose Reductase Inhibitor Benzofuroxane Derivative BF-5m to Prolonged and Moderate Exercise Training Enhanced Protection of the Rat Heart From Type-1 Diabetes.

Moderate exercise training may not be sufficient to exert beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system because of the long-term multifactorial etiology of diabetic complications. The addition of a proper pharmacological tool to the physical exercise should improve the outcomes of the diabetic damage. Here it is shown that 8 weeks exercise training of type 1 diabetic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats resulted in a significantly increased heart rate, a 14% increase in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased plasma insulin levels and a 13% decrease in plasma glucose with respect to sedentary animals.

Diagnostic techniques and multidisciplinary approach in idiopathic granulomatous mastitis: a revision of the literature.

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a chronic benign inflammatory disease of the breast that may mimic breast cancer. It is most common in parous young fertile women, although it can occur in nulliparous women and in men. IGM is an idiopathic disease due to the influence of some environmental factors in genetically predisposed subjects.

Cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in octogenarians: impact of advanced age on postoperative outcome.

Background: The number of surgical operations in elderly patients is increasing due to the aging demographics of western populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the peri-operative outcome of octogenarian patients undergoing cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis including all patients who underwent cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis from January 2013 to December 2017.

Neomyogenesis in 3D Dynamic Responsive Prosthesis for Inguinal Hernia Repair.

Despite undisputed improvements, prosthetics hernia repair continues to be affected by unacceptable rates of complications. Postoperative adverse events such as discomfort and chronic pain represent a subject of increasing concern among the surgical community. Poor quality biologic response, stiff scar plates, and mesh shrinkage, a typical effect of conventional static meshes and plugs, are all indicated as the main reasons for many of the complications related to inguinal hernia repair.

Laparoscopy is an available alternative to open surgery in the treatment of perforated peptic ulcers: a retrospective multicenter study.

Background: Perforated peptic ulcers (PPU) remain one of the most frequent causes of death. Their incidence are largely unchanged accounting for 2-4% of peptic ulcers and remain the second most frequent abdominal cause of perforation and of indication for gastric emergency surgery. The minimally invasive approach has been proposed to treat PPU however some concerns on the offered advantages remain.

Pulmonary Laser Metastasectomy by 1318-nm Neodymium-Doped Yttrium-Aluminum Garnet Laser: A Retrospective Study About Laser Metastasectomy of the Lung.

Background: The lungs are among the first organ affected by remote metastases from many primary tumors. The surgical resection of isolated pulmonary metastases represents an important and effective element of therapy. This is a retrospective study about our entire experience with pulmonary resection for metastatic cancer using 1318-nm neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum garnet laser.

Current Advances in γδ T Cell-Based Tumor Immunotherapy.

γδ T cells are a minor population (~5%) of CD3 T cells in the peripheral blood, but abound in other anatomic sites such as the intestine or the skin. There are two major subsets of γδ T cells: those that express Vδ1 gene, paired with different Vγ elements, abound in the intestine and the skin, and recognize the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-related molecules such as MHC class I-related molecule A, MHC class I-related molecule B, and UL16-binding protein expressed on many stressed and tumor cells. Conversely, γδ T cells expressing the Vδ2 gene paired with the Vγ9 chain are the predominant (50-90%) γδ T cell population in the peripheral blood and recognize phosphoantigens (PAgs) derived from the mevalonate pathway of mammalian cells, which is highly active upon infection or tumor transformation.

Arterial stiffness, endothelial and cognitive function in subjects with type 2 diabetes in accordance with absence or presence of diabetic foot syndrome.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is an early marker of cardiovascular disease so endothelial and arterial stiffness indexes are good indicators of vascular health. We aimed to assess whether the presence of diabetic foot is associated with arterial stiffness and endothelial function impairment.

Methods: We studied 50 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) compared to 50 diabetic subjects without diabetic foot, and 53 patients without diabetes mellitus, by means of the mini mental state examination (MMSE) administered to evaluate cognitive performance.

Immune-Inflammatory and Metabolic Effects of High Dose Furosemide plus Hypertonic Saline Solution (HSS) Treatment in Cirrhotic Subjects with Refractory Ascites.

Introduction: Patients with chronic liver diseases are usually thin as a result of hypermetabolism and malnutrition expressed by reduced levels of leptin and impairment of other adyponectins such as visfatin.

Aims: We evaluated the metabolic and inflammatory effects of intravenous high-dose furosemide plus hypertonic saline solutions (HSS) compared with repeated paracentesis and a standard oral diuretic schedule, in patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites.

Methods: 59 consecutive cirrhotic patients with refractory ascites unresponsive to outpatient treatment.

ΔNp63 drives metastasis in breast cancer cells via PI3K/CD44v6 axis.

P63 is a transcription factor belonging to the family of p53, essential for the development and differentiation of epithelia. In recent years, it has become clear that altered expression of the different isoforms of this gene can play an important role in carcinogenesis. The p63 gene encodes for two main isoforms known as TA and ΔN p63 with different functions.

Combined inguinal hernia in the elderly. Portraying the progression of hernia disease.

Introduction: Identification of a combined hernia is a common occurrence in the course of inguinal hernia repair. This type of protrusion disease seems to affect the elderly, in particular. Very few investigations have been carried out to ascertain the structural changes that occur in the groin affected by this clinical condition.

Conquests and perspectives of cardio-oncology in the field of tumor angiogenesis-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitor-based therapy.

Introduction: Angiogenesis is fundamental for tumor development and progression. Hence, anti-angiogenic drugs have been developed to target VEGF and its receptors (VEGFRs). Several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been developed over the years and others are still under investigation, each anti-VEGFR TKI showing a different cardiotoxic profile.

Analysis of germline gene copy number variants of patients with sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma reveals specific variations.

Objectives: The rapid fatality of pancreatic cancer is, in large part, the result of diagnosis at an advanced stage in the majority of patients. Identification of individuals at risk of developing pancreatic adenocarcinoma would be useful to improve the prognosis of this disease. There is presently no biological or genetic indicator allowing the detection of patients at risk.

miR-20b modulates VEGF expression by targeting HIF-1 alpha and STAT3 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of different genes, including genes involved in cancer progression. A functional link between hypoxia, a key feature of the tumor microenvironment, and miRNA expression has been documented. We investigated whether and how miR-20b can regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in MCF-7 breast cancer cells under normoxic and hypoxia-mimicking conditions (CoCl(2) exposure).

Aminobisphosphonates as new weapons for gammadelta T Cell-based immunotherapy of cancer.

Several observations in mice and in humans have collectively laid the foundation for examining the potential of gammadelta T cells to exert tumor immunotherapy. Human gammaDelta T cells can be activated in a non-MHC dependent fashion either by low molecular mass phosphoantigens, or by agents that provoke the accumulation of endogenous pyrophosphates such as isopentenylpyrophosphate. Among the latter, aminobisphosphonates are well-established in the clinic, and extensive data are available on the compounds' antiangiogenic, antiosteolytic and pro-apoptotic properties.

Is BRCA1-5083del19, identified in breast cancer patients of Sicilian origin, a Calabrian founder mutation?

Various studies have been published in Italy regarding the different BRCA1 mutations, but only the BRCA1-5083del19 mutation is recurrent and specific to individuals of Italian descent with a founder effect on the Calabrian population. In our previous study, BRCA1-5083del19 mutation carriers were found in four index cases of 106 Sicilian patients selected for familial and/or hereditary breast/ovarian cancers. The high frequency rate of this mutation identified in the Sicilian population led us to perform haplotype analysis in all family carriers.