Tumor-derived G-CSF induces an immunosuppressive microenvironment in an osteosarcoma model, reducing response to CAR.GD2 T-cells.

Sarcomas are rare, mesenchymal tumors, representing about 10-15% of all childhood cancers. GD2 is a suitable target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy due to its overexpression in several solid tumors. In this preclinical study, we investigated the potential use of iCasp9.

ITC study on the interaction of some bile salts with tragacanth, Arabic, and guar gums with potential cholesterol-lowering ability.

Introduction: The urge of designing new safe and natural functional foods to control blood lipids and dispensable without the need of physician supervision, has increased especially after the coming into effect of the recent EU Commission regulation 2022/860, that regulates the consumption of "red yeast rice," made by fermentation of rice with , and perceived as a natural functional food, due to a health risk for frail consumers. The results of the present work are a part of the systematic study we are carrying out of the binding ability of some soluble dietary fibers (SDF) from different natural sources toward selected bile salts (BS).

Methods: Measurements were carried out by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) with the idea to shed light on the mechanism, if any, by which they show cholesterol-lowering activity.

Chemico-Physical Properties of Some 1,1'-Bis-alkyl-2,2'-hexane-1,6-diyl-bispyridinium Chlorides Hydrogenated and Partially Fluorinated for Gene Delivery.

The development of very efficient and safe non-viral vectors, constituted mainly by cationic lipids bearing multiple charges, is a landmark for in vivo gene-based medicine. To understand the effect of the hydrophobic chain's length, we here report the synthesis, and the chemico-physical and biological characterization, of a new term of the homologous series of hydrogenated bispyridinium surfactants, the 1,1'-bis-dodecyl-2,2'-hexane-1,6-diyl-bispyridinium chloride (GP12_6). Moreover, we have collected and compared the thermodynamic micellization parameters (cmc, changes in enthalpy, free energy, and entropy of micellization) obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments for hydrogenated surfactants GP12_6 and GP16_6, and for the partially fluorinated ones, FGP (where is the spacer length).

MicroRNA profiling of paediatric AML with or -rearrangements: Expression signatures and modulation of miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p with BRD4/HATs inhibitors.

Novel therapeutic strategies are needed for paediatric patients affected by Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), particularly for those at high-risk for relapse. MicroRNAs (miRs) have been extensively studied as biomarkers in cancer and haematological disorders, and their expression has been correlated to the presence of recurrent molecular abnormalities, expression of oncogenes, as well as to prognosis/clinical outcome. In the present study, expression signatures of different miRs related both to presence of myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukaemia 1 and Fms like tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplications rearrangements and to the clinical outcome of paediatric patients with AML were identified.

The psychophysical impact of COVID-19 lockdown on pediatric patients with rheumatological disease.

Background: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020 and unprecedented containment measures were taken to limit its spreading. These exceptional measures may have an impact on the mental health of the population.

Objectives: We hypothesize that children with the rheumatological chronic disease might be a population at higher risk of psychological distress.

On the mechanism of the cholesterol lowering ability of soluble dietary fibers: Interaction of some bile salts with pectin, alginate, and chitosan studied by isothermal titration calorimetry.

Reducing high blood cholesterol is an important strategy to decrease the chances of a cardiovascular disease occurrence, the main cause of mortality in western developed countries. Therefore, the search for an alternative therapeutic or preventive approach being natural, biocompatible, and not toxic is still more relevant than ever. This need is particularly felt in Pediatrics for treating childhood hypercholesterolemia, due to statins interference in the production of steroid hormones in prepuberal children.

Gene-Delivery Ability of New Hydrogenated and Partially Fluorinated Surfactants with Six Methylene Spacers.

The pandemic emergency determined by the spreading worldwide of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has focused the scientific and economic efforts of the pharmaceutical industry and governments on the possibility to fight the virus by genetic immunization. The genetic material must be delivered inside the cells by means of vectors. Due to the risk of adverse or immunogenic reaction or replication connected with the more efficient viral vectors, non-viral vectors are in many cases considered as a preferred strategy for gene delivery into eukaryotic cells.

How does decision complexity affect shared decision making? An analysis of patient-provider antiretroviral initiation dialogue.

Objectives: This study analyzed patient-provider dialogue regarding anti-retroviral therapy (ART) initiation, assessing the degree to which shared decision making (SDM) occurred.

Methods: We analyzed 24 audio-recorded dialogues between 14 HIV providers and their patients regarding ART initiation. We coded transcribed dialogues for seven SDM elements.

Motivational interviewing by HIV care providers is associated with patient intentions to reduce unsafe sexual behavior.

Objective: Motivational interviewing (MI) can promote behavior change, but HIV care providers rarely have training in MI. Little is known about the use of MI-consistent behavior among untrained providers. This study examines the prevalence of such behaviors and their association with patient intentions to reduce high-risk sexual behavior.

Effects of online genetics education on physician assistant interviewing skills.

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the impact of an Internet-based educational program on clinically relevant communication behaviors.

Methods: A randomized trial enrolled 50 physician assistants (PAs); 40 PAs completed the trial (18 in the intervention group and 22 in the control group). Participants conducted simulated visits that were coded for completeness of family history, referral for genetic services, and overall interviewing style using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS).

A video-intervention to improve clinician attitudes toward patients with sickle cell disease: the results of a randomized experiment.

Background: Clinician attitudes toward patients are associated with variability in the quality of health care. Attitudes are typically considered difficult to change, and few interventions have attempted to do so. Negative attitudes toward adults with sickle cell disease have been identified as an important barrier to the receipt of appropriate pain management for this patient population.