Publications by authors named "PELLEGRINO C"

To evaluate neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction (NBBD) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and acquired brain injury (ABI), a condition considered less frequent in those patients than in children with spinal cord injury (SCI), and to study the relationship between NBBD and disability grade in this population. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of all patients (aged 3-18 years old) admitted during a three-month observation in our neurorehabilitation department. Data collected were as follows: demographic parameters; disability status (Wee-FIM Scale, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and the Communication Function Classification System); and gastrointestinal and urological symptoms (diaries, Bristol scale, Pad Test and International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire).

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Transfusion guidelines worldwide include recommendations regarding the storage length, irradiation, or even donor cytomegalovirus serostatus of red blood cell (RBC) units for anemic neonates. Nevertheless, it is totally overlooked that RBCs of these patients fundamentally differ from those of older children and adults. These differences vary from size, shape, hemoglobin composition, and oxygen transport to membrane characteristics, cellular metabolism, and lifespan.

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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) derives from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). To date, no AML-exclusive, non-HSPC-expressed cell-surface target molecules for AML selective immunotherapy have been identified. Therefore, to still apply surface-directed immunotherapy in this disease setting, time-limited combined immune-targeting of AML cells and healthy HSPCs, followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), might be a viable therapeutic approach.

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Background: Rheumatological toxicity associated with immunotherapy, particularly Sjögren's syndrome (SjS), has been observed with variable incidence in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Although SjS is a well-known autoimmune disease, its occurrence as an immune-related adverse event (irAE) during cancer treatment is less well understood. Current literature documents a range of incidence rates and clinical manifestations of SjS in patients undergoing ICI therapy, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management.

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  • Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is becoming essential in critical care because it allows for rapid decision-making without needing to transfer patients out of the ICU, reducing risks and delays.* -
  • While CT scans are still standard for many conditions, POCUS enhances the safety of invasive procedures in the ICU, such as placing vascular catheters and draining fluid collections.* -
  • In nephrology, POCUS provides valuable diagnostic insights for acute kidney injury, helping to quickly rule out conditions like hydronephrosis and gather crucial hemodynamic information for personalized treatment.*
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  • Somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) is commonly found on certain tumors, including gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and breast cancer, making it a target for therapy.
  • Researchers developed a novel fluorescent-peptide antagonist, Octo-Fluo, that works with genetically engineered CAR T-cells to selectively trigger cell death in SSTR2-expressing cancer cells.
  • In laboratory and animal studies, Octo-Fluo enhanced the effectiveness of AdFITC(E2)-CAR T-cells against tumors, but high concentrations of Octo-Fluo could reduce its effectiveness by saturating both the CAR and SSTR2, highlighting the importance of dosage for treatment success.
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Introduction: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) occurs in 0.7-5.6% of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, especially from unrelated or haploidentical donor or after lympho-depleted transplant; the majority of cases are represented by warm AIHA, occurring in a full donor chimerism setting.

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Introduction: The current Infectious Disease Society of America and American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) guidelines recommend linezolid or vancomycin as an empiric treatment for methicillin-resistant (MRSA) pneumonia in hospitalized patients with specific risk factors,. A nasal PCR-assay for MRSA, with its high negative predictive value, can guide a rapid antibiotic de-escalation avoiding unnecessary anti-MRSA treatment. The indiscriminate use of these drugs has contributed to the emergence of resistant strains leading to adverse effects without any survival benefit, increasing hospital stays and associated costs.

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  • CAR T-cell therapies targeting specific antigens have been approved for treating B- and plasma-cell cancers, but their efficacy is limited by low antigen expression and safety issues due to the lack of control over their activity.
  • A new approach, called adaptor-CAR (AdFITC-CAR) T-cells, was developed to target a broader range of AML antigens and allow for modulation of T-cell activity, potentially avoiding damage to healthy cells.
  • Experiments showed that AdFITC-CAR T-cells, especially when combined with multiple adaptor proteins, significantly improved the killing of AML cells and demonstrated effective therapy in mouse models, suggesting a promising advance in treating AML.
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Antibodies that target the tumor microenvironment can be used to deliver pro-inflammatory payloads, such as cytokines. Cytokines are small proteins able to modulate the activity of the immune system, and antibody-cytokine fusion proteins have been tested in preclinical and clinical settings. In this study, we describe Tripokin, a novel multi-specific fusion protein that combines interleukin-2 and a single amino acid mutant of tumor necrosis factor.

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Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy with a challenging prognosis marked by a high rate of metastasis. The limited success of current treatments may be partially attributed to an incomplete understanding of osteosarcoma pathophysiology and to the absence of reliable in vitro models to select the best molecules for in vivo studies. Among the natural compounds relevant for osteosarcoma treatment, Licochalcone A (Lic-A) and chalcone derivatives are particularly interesting.

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  • Anti-PD-1 antibodies have transformed cancer treatment by achieving lasting remission in some patients, leading researchers to seek ways to enhance their effectiveness with new biomarkers and drugs.
  • This study introduces F8(scDb)-IL7, a novel fusion protein targeting EDA-FN, which is present in most tumors but rare in healthy tissue, potentially improving cancer therapy at the disease site.
  • F8(scDb)-IL7 was shown to boost T Cell Factor 1 expression in CD8+T cells and effectively eradicates sarcoma lesions when used alongside anti-PD-1 treatment, suggesting a promising combination for cancer patients.
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Background: Preterm infants are at high risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), with potential life-long visual impairment. Low fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels predict ROP. It is unknown if preventing the HbF decrease also reduces ROP.

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Onabotulinum Toxin-A (BTX-A) is a second-line treatment for neurogenic bladder (NB). It requires repeated injections over time, which is a possible limit for long-term adherence, especially in children, as general anesthesia is required. Almost 50% of adults discontinue therapy; few data on pediatric patients are present.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in meeting adolescent behavioral health needs, primary care providers (PCPs) were a locus for interventions to address adolescent mental health and substance use concerns. Strength-based approaches may support PCP promotion of positive behavioral health in adolescents, but competing priorities or other factors may inhibit their use. We analyzed health record review data from 31 primary care practices to assess utilization of strength-based approaches during the health supervision visit (HSV) for adolescents with and without behavioral health concerns.

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  • Daily postoperative anal dilations for infants who had endorectal pull-through for Hirschsprung disease were analyzed for risks and effectiveness against a new protocol without dilations.
  • Two groups were studied: 11 patients under the new protocol (Group A) and 22 matched patients with traditional dilations (Group B), focusing on outcomes like complications and enterocolitis.
  • The results showed no significant differences in complications, but Group A had lower rates of enterocolitis and constipation, suggesting that skipping dilations could be beneficial and warrants further research.
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Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), a new drug class initially designed and approved for treatment of diabetes mellitus, have been shown to exert pleiotropic metabolic and direct cardioprotective and nephroprotective effects that extend beyond their glucose-lowering action. These properties prompted their use in two frequently intertwined conditions, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Their unique mechanism of action makes SGLT2i an attractive option also to lower the rate of cardiac events and improve overall survival of oncological patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk and/or candidate to receive cardiotoxic therapies.

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  • The use of stem cell transplants is growing, and more people are needed to donate these cells.
  • A study looked at 455 potential adult donors over 5 years to see if they were healthy enough to donate, checking their medical histories and other health factors.
  • Out of the donors, 351 were eligible, and 233 actually donated; some had health issues but still qualified, showing that these issues didn’t greatly affect the success of the transplants.
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Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is increasing in the pediatric population and, as in adults, symptoms vary among patients. In children the first manifestations can sometimes overlap with acute neurological symptoms. Urological symptoms have not been much studied in childhood.

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Purpose: Megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS) is a well described clinical condition, but reports are focused on microcolon and intestinal hypoperistalsis, while data on bladder management are scant. Aim of the study is to present urological concerns in MMIHS.

Methods: Retrospective evaluation of clinical data on urological management of MMIHS patients treated in the last 10 years.

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Objective: To explore how changes in planned retirement age, practice setting, and physician productivity may impact the workforce shortage in urology.

Methods: We compared data between the 2015 and 2022 American Urological Association census, a specialty-wide annual survey which collects data on demographics, practice patterns, and procedures from a representative sample of U.S.

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Dust associated with various stellar sources in galaxies at all cosmic epochs remains a controversial topic, particularly whether supernovae play an important role in dust production. We report evidence of dust formation in the cold, dense shell behind the ejecta-circumstellar medium (CSM) interaction in the Type Ia-CSM supernova (SN) 2018evt three years after the explosion, characterized by a rise in mid-infrared emission accompanied by an accelerated decline in the optical radiation of the SN. Such a dust-formation picture is also corroborated by the concurrent evolution of the profiles of the Hα emission line.

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Background: Mental health (MH) is extremely relevant when referring to people living with a chronic disease, such as people living with HIV (PLWH). In fact - although life expectancy and quality have increased since the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) - PLWH carry a high incidence of mental disorders, and this burden has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this scenario, UNAIDS has set new objectives for 2025, such as the linkage of at least 90% of PLWH to people-centered, context-specific MH services.

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  • * The survey revealed a median knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) score of 14 out of 29 among 1,702 participants, with higher scores linked to attending classical High Schools, being sexually active, and having received the HPV vaccine.
  • * Notably, students who sought information from TikTok had better KAP scores, while being heterosexual was associated with lower scores, indicating a need for urgent school-based interventions to enhance sexual health education among this demographic.
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