Publications by authors named "Quaranta V"

Unlabelled: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a standard-of-care treatment for locally advanced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) before surgery. The early assessment of TNBC response to NAC would enable an oncologist to adapt the therapeutic plan of a non-responding patient, thereby improving treatment outcomes while preventing unnecessary toxicities. To this end, a promising approach consists of obtaining in silico personalized forecasts of tumor response to NAC via computer simulation of mechanistic models constrained with patient-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquired early during NAC.

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This study evaluated the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (C-PAP) therapy combined with a rigorous diet regimen on obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Sixty obese patients (BMI ≥ 30) diagnosed with severe OSAS were recruited in order to establish the evaluation of CPAP therapy with different extents of adherence to a rigorous diet regimen. After one year, significant improvements were observed.

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Patients with severe asthma (SA) and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (BE) without microbiological colonization represent a unique and understudied population. Type 2-targeted biologic therapies have emerged as a promising treatment for these patients. However, predictive factors for achieving clinical remission remain unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hip fracture is common in older adults, leading to higher mortality and healthcare costs; early rehabilitation in orthogeriatric units may enhance recovery.
  • A study examined 283 patients aged 65 and older post-hip fracture surgery, finding that 17.3% were non-compliant with rehabilitation, linked to poorer pre-fracture health and cognitive status.
  • Non-adherence correlated with higher risks of complications like delirium and infections, with lower admission blood pressure also being a significant factor affecting rehabilitation outcomes.
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This study investigates volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles in the exhaled breath of normal subjects under different oxygenation conditions-normoxia (FiO2 21%), hypoxia (FiO2 11%), and hyperoxia (FiO2 35%)-using an electronic nose (e-nose). We aim to identify significant differences in VOC profiles among the three conditions utilizing principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). Our results indicate distinct VOC patterns corresponding to each oxygenation state, demonstrating the potential of e-nose technology in detecting physiological changes in breath composition (cross-validated accuracy values: FiO2 21% vs.

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disorder characterized by repetitive upper airway obstructions during sleep, leading to intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation. Current treatments, particularly Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), face adherence challenges, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches. : This review explores the potential of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), commonly used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, in managing OSA.

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  • - Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is known for its resistance to therapy, making it essential to identify phenotypes that contribute to this resistance and immune evasion; previous studies have indicated that DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms may play a role in these issues across various cancers.
  • - A new method was developed to analyze DDR genes in SCLC clinical samples, revealing three distinct DDR phenotypes characterized by differences in DNA repair gene expression, replication stress, and G2/M cell cycle arrest, which correlate with how SCLC tumors respond to chemotherapy.
  • - The study concludes that understanding these DDR clusters can improve our knowledge of SCLC biology and treatment responses, suggesting that targeting specific DDR phenotypes may enhance patient outcomes in the
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Background: Biological therapies, such as mepolizumab, have transformed the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma. Although mepolizumab's short-term effectiveness is established, there is limited evidence on its ability to achieve long-term clinical remission.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of mepolizumab, explore its potential to induce clinical and sustained remission, and identify baseline factors associated with the likelihood of achieving remission over 24 months.

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WD40 Repeat Domain 5 (WDR5) is a highly conserved nuclear protein that recruits MYC oncoprotein transcription factors to chromatin to stimulate ribosomal protein gene expression. WDR5 is tethered to chromatin via an arginine-binding cavity known as the "WIN" site. Multiple pharmacological inhibitors of the WDR5-interaction site of WDR5 (WINi) have been described, including those with picomolar affinity and oral bioavailability in mice.

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Drug tolerance is a major cause of relapse after cancer treatment. Despite intensive efforts, its molecular basis remains poorly understood, hampering actionable intervention. We report a previously unrecognized signaling mechanism supporting drug tolerance in BRAF-mutant melanoma treated with BRAF inhibitors that could be of general relevance to other cancers.

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Introduction: Near-fatal asthma (NFA) is a severe condition that can lead to respiratory arrest or high carbon dioxide levels, often requiring mechanical ventilation. Biologics have revolutionized the management of severe asthma, significantly improving symptom severity, reducing the number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, and decreasing the need for oral corticosteroids. However, their effectiveness in acute settings, particularly for ICU patients experiencing severe respiratory failure, is not well-studied.

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Epithelial barrier damage plays a central role in the development and maintenance of allergic inflammation. Rises in the epithelial barrier permeability of airways alter tissue homeostasis and allow the penetration of allergens and other external agents. Different factors contribute to barrier impairment, such as eosinophilic infiltration and allergen protease action-eosinophilic cationic proteins' effects and allergens' proteolytic activity both contribute significantly to epithelial damage.

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Analyzing exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with an electronic nose (e-nose) is emerging in medical diagnostics as a non-invasive, quick, and sensitive method for disease detection and monitoring. This study investigates if activities like spirometry or physical exercise affect exhaled VOCs measurements in asthmatics and healthy individuals, a crucial step for e-nose technology's validation for clinical use. The study analyzed exhaled VOCs using an e-nose in 27 healthy individuals and 27 patients with stable asthma, before and after performing spirometry and climbing five flights of stairs.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Galectins are proteins that bind to sugars and are involved in immune responses, cell adhesion, and inflammation, with implications for respiratory diseases like asthma, lung cancer, and infections.
  • - Galectin-3, Galectin-9, and Galectin-10 are prominently studied in asthma, influencing inflammation types, mucus production, and airway changes.
  • - Elevated levels of Galectins correlate with asthma severity and response to treatments, suggesting they could serve as useful biomarkers for monitoring disease and therapy effectiveness.
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Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. Hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma are the most common types, and despite numerous advances, therapeutic options still remain poor for these cancer patients. Tumor development and progression strictly depend on a supportive tumor microenvironment (TME).

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly metastatic disease for which better therapies are urgently needed. Fibroblasts and macrophages are heterogeneous cell populations able to enhance metastasis, but the role of a macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk in regulating their pro-metastatic functions remains poorly understood. Here we deconvolve how macrophages regulate metastasis-associated fibroblast (MAF) heterogeneity in the liver.

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Several studies have demonstrated the positive clinical and functional impact of adding Long-Acting Muscarinic Antagonist (LAMA) to Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICS) and Long-Acting Beta-Agonists (LABA) therapy in the treatment of severe asthma. Aim and objectives: To demonstrate that treating Small Airways Disease (SAD) in severe asthma patients who are candidates for biologics can improve respiratory symptoms, lung function, and airways inflammation, potentially avoiding or delaying the use of biological therapy. Thirty-two severe asthma patients with SAD were transitioned from separate inhalers for ICS/LABA and LAMA to extrafine single-inhaler beclomethasone, formoterol, and glycopyrronium.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists are trying to find a reliable way to predict if someone will develop post-COVID syndrome after getting sick with COVID-19.
  • They studied 437 patients and looked at their blood to find a link between a protein called Galectin-3 and post-COVID syndrome.
  • The results showed that Galectin-3 could help predict post-COVID problems, especially when tested 60 to 120 days after the COVID infection.
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Background: Biologic agents are considered a new revolutionized therapy for severe and recurrent forms of CRSwNP which disease burden is not sufficiently controlled by conservative and/or surgical treatments. Recent Research has focused on evaluating their real-life efficacy in CRSwNP, as only limited reports on real-life data are available. However, in most studies, the response to treatment is evaluated in terms of improvement in Nasal Polyp Score (NPS) or in Sino-Nasal Outcome test (SNOT-22) scores.

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Biologics targeting IgE, IL-5, IL-4/IL-13, and TSLP are crucial in severe asthma treatment. Research, including randomized controlled trials and real-world studies, has been conducted to assess their efficacy and identify patient characteristics that may predict positive responses. The effectiveness of switching biologics, especially given overlaps in treatment eligibility, and the clinical outcomes post-cessation are critical areas of investigation.

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  • Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a serious type of cancer that spreads a lot, and certain immune cells called macrophages help it spread to the liver.
  • A process where macrophages clean up dead cells, called efferocytosis, is important for healing but also seems to help cancer spread in the liver.
  • The study found that blocking this clean-up process can help improve the immune system's response and may slow down liver metastasis from pancreatic cancer.
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Inhaled corticosteroids, along with beta2-agonists and anti-muscarinics, represent the cornerstone of asthma treatment. Although the advent of monoclonal antibodies has dramatically changed severe asthma management, there are still patients ineligible or with poor response to biologics. Moreover, high costs associated with monoclonal antibodies prescription are still an open issue, leading clinicians to carefully assess cost-benefit ratio before their administration.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Metastasis is the prime driver of CRC-related mortality, and the liver is the organ most frequently involved. Despite the overall success of current treatments, colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is associated with poor prognoses and a survival rate of only 14%.

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Drug tolerance is a major cause of relapse after cancer treatment. In spite of intensive efforts, its molecular basis remains poorly understood, hampering actionable intervention. We report a previously unrecognized signaling mechanism supporting drug tolerance in BRAF-mutant melanoma treated with BRAF inhibitors that could be of general relevance to other cancers.

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