Molecular mechanisms at the basis of the protective effect exerted by EPPS on neurodegeneration induced by prefibrillar amyloid oligomers.

It has been shown recently, without an explanation of the possible molecular mechanisms involved, that 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinepropanesulphonic (EPPS) acid effectively protects from the neurotoxicity induced by oligomers and plaques formed by the protein amyloid-β protein. Here we report the same protective effect, obtained in vitro (HT22-diff cell line) and ex vivo (hippocampal slices) models, against amyloid neurotoxicity induced by oligomers of salmon Calcitonin (sCT), which has been shown to be a good model for the study of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on biophysical studies focusing on the protein aggregation kinetic and the interaction of the aggregates with model membranes, we propose a possible molecular mechanism underlying the protective effects.

Breast Cancer Surgery in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Validation of a Preventive Program for Patients and Health Care Workers.

Background/aim: The perspective validation of a selective approach in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery was performed in order to assess whether patients as well as Health Care Workers (HCWs) were exposed to any undue risk of COVD-19 infection.

Patients And Methods: From March 9 to June 9 2020, 207 patients were phone-triaged by a dedicated Breast Care Nurse; a patient-tailored program was adopted with the aim of avoiding hospitalization of SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic patients, with a careful prioritization of surgical procedures according to specific disease features.

Results: Two hundred and three out of 207 patients underwent operation; seven patients were temporarily excluded because they tested positive at phone triage (n=3), or in-hospital triage (n=3); another asymptomatic patient with negative NP swab tested IgM Ab-positive so that surgery was re-scheduled two weeks later.

Calcitonin native prefibrillar oligomers but not monomers induce membrane damage that triggers NMDA-mediated Ca-influx, LTP impairment and neurotoxicity.

Amyloid protein misfolding results in a self-assembling aggregation process, characterized by the formation of typical aggregates. The attention is focused on pre-fibrillar oligomers (PFOs), formed in the early stages and supposed to be neurotoxic. PFOs structure may change due to their instability and different experimental protocols.