Polystyrene nanoparticles induce DNA damage and apoptosis in HeLa cells.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are plastic particles, typically less than 100 nm in size, that result from daily life products as well as the degradation of larger plastic debris. Due to their small size and chemical composition, they can interact with biological systems in ways that larger plastic particles cannot. Humans are continuously exposed to NPs and several studies showed the potentially toxic effects of these latter on health.

Blood neurofilament light chain and S100B as biomarkers of neurological involvement and functional prognosis in COVID-19: a multicenter study.

Background And Aim: COVID-19 is associated with neurological complications, termed neuro-COVID, affecting patient outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the association between serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) and S100B biomarkers with the presence of neurological manifestations and functional prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in three hospitals in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy, from March 2020 to April 2022.

Outcomes and prognostic indicators in daratumumab-refractory multiple myeloma: a multicenter real-world study of elotuzumab, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone in 247 patients.

Background: Daratumumab-refractory multiple myeloma (Dara-R MM) presents a significant treatment challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and survival outcomes of elotuzumab, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone (EloPd) in a large, real-world cohort of patients with Dara-R MM, with particular focus on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective analysis included 247 Dara-R MM patients treated with EloPd.

New insights into the management of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients treated with lomitapide: a single-center experience.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disease, usually with onset during childhood, characterized by elevated blood LDL cholesterol levels and potentially associated with severe cardiovascular complications. Concerning mutated genes in FH, such as , a small subset of FH patients presents a homozygous genotype, resulting in homozygous FH (HoFH) disease with a generally aggressive phenotype. Besides statins, ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors, lomitapide (an anti-ApoB therapy) was also approved in 2012-2013 as an adjunctive treatment for HoFH.

Preliminary Study to Investigate Possible Cyto-Genotoxic and Oxidative Effects of Few-Layer Graphene in Human Bronchial Cells.

Graphene and its various derivatives, known as graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs), hold tremendous potential across many fields due to their exceptional properties. As with any novel material, concerns about their safety have emerged alongside their widespread production and use. Several studies have shown that GBNs can have diverse effects on various cell lines and organisms under different exposure conditions.

The Unsung Heroes: The Profile of the Donor at a Southern Italian Milk Bank and Driving Factors in Human Milk Donation.

Background/objectives: One of the most effective strategies to mitigate morbidity associated with preterm birth is the use of human milk. The first choice is the mother's milk; if that is not available, human milk donated to milk banks is the second choice. The recruitment of milk donors is essential for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of donation.

Advances and Challenges in Quizartinib-Based FLT3 Inhibition for Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Mechanisms of Resistance and Prospective Combination Therapies.

FLT3 mutations are among the most common genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and are associated with poor prognosis. Significant advancements have been made in developing FLT3 inhibitors (FLT3Is), such as quizartinib, which have improved treatment outcomes in both newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory AML. Resistance to FLT3Is remains a major clinical challenge, driven by diverse mechanisms including FLT3 point mutations, cellular escape pathways, and the influence of the bone marrow microenvironment.

Inter-Fraction Motion and Dosimetric Analysis of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Craniospinal Irradiation in Adult Medulloblastoma Patients.

. Adult medulloblastoma (AMB) patients should receive postoperative craniospinal irradiation (CSI) as a standard treatment. Volumetric intensity-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a promising method for CSI.

Metabolic Complete Response of Metastatic Oncogene-Negative, PDL1-Negative Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Chemo-Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy: A Case Report.

A 71-year-old male ex-smoker presented in October 2021 to our department with a brain and bone metastatic adenocarcinoma NSCLC. PDL1, ROS, EGFR, and ALK were negative. He underwent stereotactic radiotherapy for brain metastases.

Immunoglobulin light chain mutational status refines IGHV prognostic value in identifying chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with early treatment requirement.

The mutational status of immunoglobulin (IG) light chain genes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and its clinical impact have not been extensively studied. To assess their prognostic significance, the IG light chain gene repertoire in CLL patients has been evaluated using a training-validation approach. In the training cohort (N = 573 CLL), 92.

Dynamic behavior and lineage plasticity of the pulmonary venous endothelium.

Repair of the pulmonary vascular bed and the origin of new vasculature remain underexplored despite the critical necessity to meet oxygen demands after injury. Given their critical role in angiogenesis in other settings, we investigated the role of venous endothelial cells in endothelial regeneration after adult lung injury. Here we identified Slc6a2 as a marker of pulmonary venous endothelial cells and generated a venous-specific, inducible Cre mouse line.

Melleatin, an antibiofilm multitasking protein with rRNA N-glycosylase and nuclease activity from Armillaria mellea fruiting bodies.

Several studies highlight the identification of some enzymes with additional abilities, especially those involved in metabolic pathways and/or host defence processes, classified as multitasking proteins. In this context, we report the characterization of melleatin (17.5-kDa), a multitasking enzyme isolated from Armillaria mellea fruiting bodies.

Clinical and genomic profiling of a patient with a de novo ring chromosome 18: a case report highlighting autoimmune and neurological implications.

Ring chromosome 18 (r(18)) is a rare chromosomal abnormality characterized by the circular rearrangement of chromosome 18, which presents significant challenges in genotype-phenotype correlations due to variability in deletions across the 18p and 18q arms. We report the case of a pediatric patient with a de novo ring chromosome 18, diagnosed by karyotype analysis and confirmed by high-resolution SNP arrays. The patient exhibited pathogenic copy number variants (CNVs) in the 18p11.

Talquetamab in Multiple Myeloma: Efficacy, Safety, and Future Directions.

Relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) remains a challenging condition despite advances in immunotherapies. Novel bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), including talquetamab, have shown promising efficacy in heavily pretreated patients, even those with triple- and penta-refractory disease. Talquetamab, recently approved by the FDA and EMA, is indicated for patients who have progressed after at least three or four prior lines of therapy (LOTs).

Empathy and cultural competence remains stable for medical students: do the humanities have an effect?

There is a paucity of rigorous longitudinal data regarding the relationship between humanities and their effect on multiple psychometrics. Using an observational art course, we assessed pre- and post-course metrics and longitudinal impacts with 120 preclinical medical students taking the "Art of Observation" between 2016 and 2019. Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and Jeffreys Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool (TSET) were assessed annually for four years.