Medication related osteonecrosis (MRONJ) in the management of CTIBL in breast and prostate cancer patients. Joint report by SIPMO AND SIOMMMS.

Background: Low-doses of bone modifying agents (LD-BMAs) compared to those used to treat bone metastases are used in breast or prostate cancer patients on adjuvant endocrine therapy to prevent Cancer Treatment Induced Bone Loss (CTIBL). Their use is associated with an increased risk of developing Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ). However, there is not clarity about strategies aimed to minimize the MRONJ risk in cancer patients at different conditions as low- vs high-doses of BMA.

Evaluation of a context-aware chatbot using retrieval-augmented generation for answering clinical questions on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

The potential of large language models (LLMs) in medical applications is significant, and Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) can address the weaknesses of these models in terms of data transparency and scientific accuracy by incorporating current scientific knowledge into responses. In this study, RAG and GPT-4 by OpenAI were applied to develop GuideGPT, a context aware chatbot integrated with a knowledge database from 449 scientific publications designed to provide answers on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). A comparison was made with a generic LLM ("PureGPT") across 30 MRONJ-related questions.

A Biomolecular Circuit for Automatic Gene Regulation in Mammalian Cells with CRISPR Technology.

We introduce a biomolecular circuit for precise control of gene expression in mammalian cells. The circuit leverages the stochiometric interaction between the artificial transcription factor VPR-dCas9 and the anti-CRISPR protein AcrIIA4, enhanced with synthetic coiled-coil domains to boost their interaction, to maintain the expression of a reporter protein constant across diverse experimental conditions, including fluctuations in protein degradation rates and plasmid concentrations, by automatically adjusting its mRNA level. This capability, known as robust perfect adaptation (RPA), is crucial for the stable functioning of biological systems and has wide-ranging implications for biotechnological applications.

A Novel Approach Based on Real-Time PCR with High-Resolution Melting Analysis for the Simultaneous Identification of and .

(.) is a pathogenic bacterium able to cause several diseases in humans and animals as well as foodborne intoxications. , being phenotypically and genotypically related to , is part of the so-called complex and recently recognized as an emerging pathogen able to cause, like , several diseases both in humans and animals, and foodborne poisoning outbreaks.

Guselkumab: A new etiological factor of medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ)? A case report.

Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) has traditionally been mostly attributed to the exposure to antiresorptive agents such as bisphosphonates and denosumab. Nevertheless, following the development of new medications in oncology, the spectrum of drugs associated with MRONJ widened, with, for example, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mTOR inhibitor, or monoclonal antibodies against VEGF. To date, MRONJ has not been assessed or reported in patients treated with guselkumab so far.

AXL receptor as an emerging molecular target in colorectal cancer.

AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) is a receptor tyrosine kinase whose aberrant expression has recently been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), contributing to tumor growth, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), increased invasiveness, metastatic spreading, and the development of drug resistance. In this review we summarize preclinical data, the majority of which are limited to recent years, convincingly linking the AXL receptor to CRC. These findings support the value of targeting AXL with molecules in drug discovery, offering novel and advanced therapeutic or diagnostic tools for CRC management.

Engineering a synthetic gene circuit for high-performance inducible expression in mammalian systems.

Inducible gene expression systems can be used to control the expression of a gene of interest by means of a small-molecule. One of the most common designs involves engineering a small-molecule responsive transcription factor (TF) and its cognate promoter, which often results in a compromise between minimal uninduced background expression (leakiness) and maximal induced expression. Here, we focus on an alternative strategy using quantitative synthetic biology to mitigate leakiness while maintaining high expression, without modifying neither the TF nor the promoter.

Management of cancer treatment-induced bone loss in patients with breast and hormone sensitive prostate cancer: AIOM survey.

Purpose: Cancer treatment-induced bone loss is a side effect of hormonal therapy that can severely affect patients' quality of life. The aim of this survey was to obtain an updated picture of management of bone health in patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant hormonal therapy and in patients with hormone sensitive prostate cancer according to Italian oncologists.

Methods: Our survey was made up of 21 multiple-choice questions: the first part dealt with the respondents' characteristics, while the second with management of bone health in the described setting.

Treatment of bone metastases from solid tumors with bone-modifying agents: a web survey of Italian oncologists investigating patterns of practice drug prescription and prevention of side effects.

Purpose: Optimal use of bone-modifying agents (BMAs) in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors is uncertain in some aspects: the drug choice; the planned treatment duration and long-term therapy; the prevention and management of possible side effects, including renal toxicity, hypocalcaemia, and medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).

Methods: Italian oncologists were invited to fulfil a 24-question web survey about prescription of BMAs for bone metastases of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other solid tumors. Prevention and management of side effects were also investigated.

Milk and Its Derivatives as Sources of Components and Microorganisms with Health-Promoting Properties: Probiotics and Bioactive Peptides.

Milk is a source of many valuable nutrients, including minerals, vitamins and proteins, with an important role in adult health. Milk and dairy products naturally containing or with added probiotics have healthy functional food properties. Indeed, probiotic microorganisms, which beneficially affect the host by improving the intestinal microbial balance, are recognized to affect the immune response and other important biological functions.

Italian position paper (SIPMO-SICMF) on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).

Objective: This paper aims to describe the 2023 update position paper on MRONJ developed by the Italian Societies of Oral Pathology and Medicine (SIPMO) and of Maxillofacial Surgery (SICMF).

Methods: This is the second update following the 2013 and 2020 Italian position papers by the Expert panel, which is a representation of the two scientific societies (SIPMO and SICMF). The paper is based on an extensive analysis of the available literature from January 2003 to February 2020, and the subsequent review of literature conducted between March 2020 and December 2022 to include all new relevant published papers to confirm or modify the previous set of recommendations.

Adequacy of Pain Management in Patients Referred for Radiation Therapy: A Subanalysis of the Multicenter ARISE-1 Study.

Background: Pain is a prevalent symptom among cancer patients, and its management is crucial for improving their quality of life. However, pain management in cancer patients referred to radiotherapy (RT) departments is often inadequate, and limited research has been conducted on this specific population. This study aimed to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of pain management when patients are referred for RT.

The and genera: up-to-date taxonomy, ecology, safety, biotechnological, and probiotic potential.

Bacteria belonging to the genera and are lactic acid bacteria, which emerged in the last decades for their probiotic and biotechnological potential. In 2015, an article reviewing the scientific literature till that date on the taxonomy, ecology, and biotechnological potential of the genus was published. Since then, the number of studies on this genus has increased enormously, several novel species have been discovered, the taxonomy of the genus underwent changes and new insights into the safety, and biotechnological and probiotic potential of weissellas and periweissellas could be gained.

Motility in Species: Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization and Update on Motility in .

The genus and the recently described genus , to which some previously named species have been reclassified as a result of a taxogenomic assessment, includes lactic acid bacteria species with high biotechnological and probiotic potential. Only one species, namely, (.) , whose type strain has been shown to possess probiotic features, has so far been described to be motile.

Recent and Advanced DNA-Based Technologies for the Authentication of Probiotic, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Fermented Foods and Beverages.

The authenticity of probiotic products and fermented foods and beverages that have the status of protected designation of origin (PDO) or geographical indication (PGI) can be assessed via numerous methods. DNA-based technologies have emerged in recent decades as valuable tools to achieve food authentication, and advanced DNA-based methods and platforms are being developed. The present review focuses on the recent and advanced DNA-based techniques for the authentication of probiotic, PDO and PGI fermented foods and beverages.

Immune Dysfunction in Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw.

The pathogenesis of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is multifactorial and there is a substantial consensus on the role of antiresorptive drugs (ARDs), including bisphosphonates (BPs) and denosumab (Dmab), as one of the main determinants. The time exposure, cumulative dose and administration intensity of these drugs are critical parameters to be considered in the treatment of patients, as cancer patients show the highest incidence of MRONJ. BPs and Dmab have distinct mechanisms of action on bone, but they also exert different effects on immune subsets which interact with bone cells, thus contributing to the onset of MRONJ.

Special Issue "Beneficial and Detrimental Microorganisms Occurring in Fermented Foods": Editorial.

Numerous and heterogeneous populations of beneficial microorganisms originating from raw materials, equipment, and production and processing environments can affect the fermentation process by their metabolic activities, allowing for the enhancement of the nutritional value, sensory characteristics, overall quality, safety, and shelf-life of final food products [...

Probiotic Potential and Safety Assessment of Type Strains of and Species.

Although numerous strains belonging to the genus have been described in the last decades for their probiotic and biotechnological potential, others are known to be opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. Here, we investigated the probiotic potential of two and four type strains belonging to the species Weissella diestrammenae, Weissella uvarum, Periweissella beninensis, Periweissella fabalis, Periweissella fabaria, and Periweissella ghanensis by genomic and phenotypic analyses, and performed a safety assessment of these strains. Based on the results of the survival to simulated gastrointestinal transit, autoaggregation and hydrophobicity characteristics, as well as adhesion to Caco-2 cells, we showed that the , , , , and type strains exhibited a high probiotic potential.