Irisin: A Multifaceted Hormone Bridging Exercise and Disease Pathophysiology.

The fibronectin domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5), or irisin, is an adipo-myokine hormone produced during exercise, which shows therapeutic potential for conditions like metabolic disorders, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review explores its potential across various pathophysiological processes that are often considered independent. Elevated in healthy states but reduced in diseases, irisin improves muscle-adipose communication, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic balance by enhancing mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress.

A Single Center Exploratory Survey of Patients and Nurses on post-Surgical Oral Opioid Delivery Through Patient-Controlled Analgesia.

Background: The most common route of opioid delivery is nurse-administered pills. However, there are numerous challenges such as nursing burden, opioid diversion, medication delay, and patient dissatisfaction. In this study, we conducted two surveys, first to assess patients' and nurses' opinions on the current administration of opioids in pill form, followed by their attitudes towards an innovative concept of oral medication delivery based on a medical device currently undergoing research and development within the University, patient-controlled dispenser and deactivator (PCDD) that allows patients to self-administer liquid oral opioids on demand based on physician prescription.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at gamma frequency: an up-and-coming tool to modify the progression of Alzheimer's Disease.

The last decades have witnessed huge efforts devoted to deciphering the pathological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and to testing new drugs, with the recent FDA approval of two anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies for AD treatment. Beyond these drug-based experimentations, a number of pre-clinical and clinical trials are exploring the benefits of alternative treatments, such as non-invasive stimulation techniques on AD neuropathology and symptoms. Among the different non-invasive brain stimulation approaches, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is gaining particular attention due to its ability to externally control gamma oscillations.

Upregulation of Ca-binding proteins contributes to VTA dopamine neuron survival in the early phases of Alzheimer's disease in Tg2576 mice.

Background: Recent clinical and experimental studies have highlighted the involvement of Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons for the early pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). We have previously described a progressive and selective degeneration of these neurons in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD, long before amyloid-beta plaque formation. The degenerative process in DA neurons is associated with an autophagy flux impairment, whose rescue can prevent neuronal loss.