Mast cell heparanase promotes breast cancer stem-like features via MUC1/estrogen receptor axis.

Breast cancer is the most frequent type of tumor in women and is characterized by variable outcomes due to its heterogeneity and the presence of many cancer cell-autonomous and -non-autonomous factors. A major determinant of breast cancer aggressiveness is represented by immune infiltration, which can support tumor development. In our work, we studied the role of mast cells in breast cancer and identified a novel activity in promoting the tumor-initiating properties of cancer cells.

A new advanced cellular model of functional cholinergic-like neurons developed by reprogramming the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line.

Modeling human neuronal properties in physiological and pathological conditions is essential to identify novel potential drugs and to explore pathological mechanisms of neurological diseases. For this purpose, we generated a three-dimensional (3D) neuronal culture, by employing the readily available human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line, and a new differentiation protocol. The entire differentiation process occurred in a matrix and lasted 47 days, with 7 days of pre-differentiation phase and 40 days of differentiation, and allowed the development of a 3D culture in conditions consistent with the physiological environment.

A three-gene signature marks the time to locoregional recurrence in luminal-like breast cancer.

Background: Gene expression profiling (GEP)-based prognostic signatures are being rapidly integrated into clinical decision making for systemic management of breast cancer patients. However, GEP remains relatively underdeveloped for locoregional risk assessment. Yet, locoregional recurrence (LRR), especially early after surgery, is associated with poor survival.

3Rs Principle and Legislative Decrees to Achieve High Standard of Animal Research.

Animal experimentation is a vast ecosystem that tries to make different issues such as legislative, ethical and scientific coexist. Research in animal experimentation has made many strides thanks to the 3Rs principle and the attached legislative decrees, but for this very reason, it needs to be evenly implemented both among the countries that have adhered to the decrees and among the team members who design and execute the experimental practice. In this article, we emphasize the importance of the 3Rs principle's application, with a particular focus on the concept of Reduction and related key aspects that can best be handled with the contribution of experts from different fields.

Efficacy of mRNA anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and dynamics of humoral immune response in patients with solid tumors: results from the institutional registry of an Italian tertiary cancer center.

Background: Systemic immunosuppression characterizing cancer patients represents a concern regarding the efficacy of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination, and real-world evidence is needed to define the efficacy and the dynamics of humoral immune response to mRNA-based anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Methods: We conducted an observational study that included patients with solid tumors who were candidates for mRNA anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. The primary objective was to monitor the immunologic response to the mRNA anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in terms of anti-spike antibody levels.

Prussian Blue Nanoparticle-Mediated Scalable Thermal Stimulation for In Vitro Neuronal Differentiation.

Heating has recently been applied as an alternative to electrical stimulation to modulate excitability and to induce neuritogenesis and the expression of neuronal markers; however, a long-term functional differentiation has not been described so far. Here, we present the results obtained by a new approach for scalable thermal stimulation on the behavior of a model of dorsal root ganglion neurons, the F-11 cell line. Initially, we performed experiments of bulk stimulation in an incubator for different time intervals and temperatures, and significant differences in neurite elongation and in electrophysiological properties were observed in cultures exposed at 41.

COVID-19 Vaccination in Health Care Workers in Italy: A Literature Review and a Report from a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic still represents a global public health emergency, despite the availability of different types of vaccines that reduced the number of severe cases, the hospitalization rate and mortality. The Italian Vaccine Distribution Plan identified healthcare workers (HCWs) as the top-priority category to receive access to a vaccine and different studies on HCWs have been implemented to clarify the duration and kinetics of antibody response. The aim of this paper is to perform a literature review across a total of 44 studies of the serologic response to COVID-19 vaccines in HCWs in Italy and to report the results obtained in a prospective longitudinal study implemented at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori (INT) of Milan on 1565 HCWs.

Gene signatures of circulating breast cancer cell models are a source of novel molecular determinants of metastasis and improve circulating tumor cell detection in patients.

Background: Progression to stage IV disease remains the main cause of breast cancer-related deaths. Increasing knowledge on the hematogenous phase of metastasis is key for exploiting the entire window of opportunity to interfere with early dissemination and to achieve a more effective disease control. Recent evidence suggests that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) possess diverse adaptive mechanisms to survive in blood and eventually metastasize, encouraging research into CTC-directed therapies.

Circulating miRNAs as Novel Non-Invasive Biomarkers to Aid the Early Diagnosis of Suspicious Breast Lesions for Which Biopsy Is Recommended.

In population-based screens, tissue biopsy remains the standard practice for women with imaging that suggests breast cancer. We examined circulating microRNAs as minimally invasive diagnostic biomarkers to discriminate malignant from benign breast lesions. miRNAs were analyzed by OpenArray in a retrospective cohort of plasma samples including 100 patients with malignant (T), 89 benign disease (B), and 99 healthy donors (HD) divided into training and testing sets and a prospective cohort (BABE) of 289 women with suspicious imaging findings who underwent tissue biopsy.

The scientific publications of AIFM members in 2015-2019: A survey of the FutuRuS working group.

Purpose: Within the Italian Association of Medical Physics and Health Physics (AIFM) working group "FutuRuS" we carried out a survey regarding the number of the peer-reviewed articles by AIFM members.

Methods: We surveyed papers published in the years 2015-2019. Data extracted from Scopus included information regarding authors, title, journal, impact factor (IF), leading or standard authorship by AIFM members, keywords, type of collaboration (monocentric/multicentric/international), area of interest [radiation oncology (RO), radiology (RAD), nuclear medicine (NM), radioprotection (RP) and professional issue (PI)] and topics.

Palmitoylethanolamide Modulation of Microglia Activation: Characterization of Mechanisms of Action and Implication for Its Neuroprotective Effects.

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endogenous lipid produced on demand by neurons and glial cells that displays neuroprotective properties. It is well known that inflammation and neuronal damage are strictly related processes and that microglia play a pivotal role in their regulation. The aim of the present work was to assess whether PEA could exert its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects through the modulation of microglia reactive phenotypes.

Retrospective study of late radiation-induced damages after focal radiotherapy for childhood brain tumors.

Purpose: To study a robust and reproducible procedure to investigate a relation between focal brain radiotherapy (RT) low doses, neurocognitive impairment and late White Matter and Gray Matter alterations, as shown by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), in children.

Methods And Materials: Forty-five patients (23 males and 22 females, median age at RT 6.2 years, median age at evaluations 11.

A combination of extracellular matrix- and interferon-associated signatures identifies high-grade breast cancers with poor prognosis.

Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease in which the tumor microenvironment (TME) seems to impact the clinical outcome. Here, we investigated whether a combination of gene expression signatures relating to both the structural and immune TME aspects can help predict prognosis in women with high-grade BC (HGBC). Thus, we focused on a combined molecular biomarker variable that involved extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated gene expression (ECM3 signature) and interferon (IFN)-associated metagene (IFN metagene) expression.

Neoglycosylated Collagen: Effect on Neuroblastoma F-11 Cell Lines.

The regeneration of the nervous system is a challenging task. Currently, regenerative medicine approaches that exploit nature-inspired cues are being studied and hold great promise. The possibility to use protein-based matrices functionalized with small oligo- and monosaccharides is of interest since these can be finely tuned to better mimic the native environment.

Optimal Tc activity ratio in the single-day stress-rest myocardial perfusion imaging protocol: A multi-SPECT phantom study.

Background: This investigation used image data generated by an anthropomorphic phantom to determine the minimal Tc rest-stress activity concentration ratio (R) able to minimize the ghosting effect in the single-day stress-first myocardial perfusion imaging, using different positions of the perfusion defect (PD), scanners and reconstruction protocols.

Methods: A cardiac phantom with a simulated PD was imaged under different R using different gamma cameras and reconstruction algorithms. The residual activity from precedent stress administration was simulated by modeling effective half-times in each compartment of the phantom and assuming a delay of 3 hours between the stress and rest studies.

Sodium Channel Myotonia Due to Novel Mutations in Domain I of Na1.4.

Sodium channel myotonia is a form of muscle channelopathy due to mutations that affect the Na1.4 channel. We describe seven families with a series of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to clearly myotonic signs that have in common two novel mutations, p.

Serum-deprived differentiated neuroblastoma F-11 cells express functional dorsal root ganglion neuron properties.

The isolation and culture of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons cause adaptive changes in the expression and regulation of ion channels, with consequences on neuronal excitability. Considering that not all neurons survive the isolation and that DRG neurons are heterogeneous, it is difficult to find the cellular subtype of interest. For this reason, researchers opt for DRG-derived immortal cell lines to investigate endogenous properties.

Zeta potential of tear samples: A tool to explore the effects of wear of contact lenses.

Purpose: The aim was to develop a method to assess the electrostatic properties of human tear samples, and to evaluate their modifications induced by the wear of contact lenses (CLs).

Method: The barrier method was developed for the measurement of the isoelectric point (IEP) on relatively small quantities. The method was applied to compare three groups: tears (T) of non-wearers, tears (T) of regular wearers of etafilcon A CLs, and tears (T) of regular wearers of omafilcon A CLs.

Plasma miRNA-based signatures in CRC screening programs.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs help diagnose cancer precursors and early cancers and help reduce CRC mortality. However, currently recommended tests, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and colonoscopy, have low uptake. There is therefore a pressing need for screening strategies that are minimally invasive and consequently more acceptable to patients, most likely blood based, to increase early CRC identification.