Publications by authors named "Rambaldi I"

Neuroinflammation can positively influence axon regeneration following injury in the central nervous system. Inflammation promotes the release of neurotrophic molecules and stimulates intrinsic proregenerative molecular machinery in neurons, but the detailed mechanisms driving this effect are not fully understood. We evaluated how microRNAs are regulated in retinal neurons in response to intraocular inflammation to identify their potential role in axon regeneration.

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Background: this study aims to explore the prognostic and predictive role of volumetric parameters on [Ga]Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in neuroendocrine tumors (NET) patients treated with peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 39 NET patients (21 male, 18 female; mean age 60.7 y) within the FENET-2016 trial (CTiD:NCT04790708).

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Pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a strong prognostic factor in breast cancer (BC). The aim of this study was to investigate whether semiquantitative parameters derived from baseline [F]Fluorodeoxyglucose ([F]FDG) positron emission computed tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) could predict pCR after NAC and survival outcomes in patients affected by different molecular subtypes of BC. We retrospectively retrieved patients from the databases of two Italian hospitals (Centre A: University Hospital of Ferrara; Centre B: University of Padua) meeting the following inclusion criteria: (1) diagnosis of BC; (2) history of NAC; (3) baseline [F]FDG PET/CT performed before the first cycle of NAC; (4) available follow-up data (response after NAC and survival information).

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In the last 10 years, several literature reports supported radioligand therapy (RLT) in neoadjuvant settings for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs). Indeed, primary tumor shrinkage has been frequently reported following RLT in unresectable or borderline resectable PanNETs. Moreover, RLT-induced intratumoral modifications facilitate surgery, both on primary tumor and metastasis, having a great impact on progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QoL).

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Background: To assess the detection rate of 18F-choline PET/CT in non-metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (hsPCa) and non-metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPCa), based on the criteria proposed in the phase III SPARTAN trial and with high Gleason Score (GS).

Methods: Between October 2008 and September 2019, data from a retrospective multicenter study (N.=4 centers), involving patients undergoing F-choline PET/CT scans for a biochemical recurrence of PCa, were collected.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluated the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) compared to unenhanced CT (UECT) in staging and assessing treatment response for F-FDG-avid lymphomas using a 64-slice PET/CT scanner.
  • While CECT identified a few additional lesions and had some agreement with PET results, the overall added diagnostic value was below the clinically significant threshold, with no significant difference in accuracy between UECT and CECT.
  • The findings suggest that CECT may not be necessary for staging and treatment assessment of F-FDG-avid lymphomas, potentially reducing radiation exposure and risks associated with contrast use.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzes the effectiveness of F-choline PET/CT scans in diagnosing and monitoring prostate cancer over 10 years across 9 Italian centers, focusing on staging and restaging.
  • The cohort included 3,343 men with proven prostate cancer, and the scans showed a high positive result rate, especially in cases with higher Gleason scores and PSA levels.
  • The research identified optimal PSA cutoffs for interpreting PET/CT results, with varying thresholds for staging and restaging scenarios.
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In contrast to neurons in the CNS, damaged neurons from the peripheral nervous system (PNS) regenerate, but this process can be slow and imperfect. Successful regeneration is orchestrated by cytoskeletal reorganization at the tip of the proximal axon segment and cytoskeletal disassembly of the distal segment. Collapsin response mediator protein 4 (CRMP4) is a cytosolic phospho-protein that regulates the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton.

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Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative disease affecting the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Neuronal damage is triggered by various harmful factors that engage diverse signalling cascades in neurons; thus, therapeutic approaches to protect neurons will need to focus on agents that can target multiple biological processes. We have therefore focused our attention on microRNAs: small non-coding RNAs that primarily function as post-transcriptional regulators that target messenger RNAs and repress their translation into proteins.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess how well F-FDG PET/CT can predict survival outcomes for patients with bladder cancer (BC) and upper urinary tract carcinoma (UUTC).
  • Data was retrospectively analyzed from 286 patients treated over a span of eight years, revealing that patient management changed for 40% of those undergoing FDG PET/CT, especially benefiting BC patients.
  • The findings indicated that a positive PET/CT scan correlated with lower overall survival and higher recurrence rates, suggesting it could be a useful tool in predicting patient outcomes, but more studies are needed for definitive recommendations.
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Background: We performed a retrospective evaluation of histological and imaging results of patients submitted to computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy for vertebral fractures (VFs) of unknown etiology to evaluate the pathological causes of fractures and also to observe the diagnostic results of imaging studies available.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all the CT-guided vertebral biopsies performed in our institution in the last 2 years, selecting patients with VF of unknown etiology. We reviewed clinical records, imaging studies, and histological examination results.

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Background And Objective: Gallium-68 is a PET isotope available in each nuclear medicine departments, even those not equipped with a cyclotron, since it is easily obtained by eluting compact and transportable generator system. The preparation of Ga-68 DOTA-labeled compounds is performed by remotely controlled automated systems developed in order to ensure production efficiency, reproducibility of the results, fast reaction time, to facilitate the synthesis and minimize the radiation exposure. Many automatic synthesis systems are available on the radiopharmaceutical market, however, they requires some technical adaptations for routine use.

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Introduction: The present study investigated the utility of fluorine-18 (F) fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in assessing bone marrow involvement (BMI) compared with bone marrow biopsy (BMB) in newly diagnosed pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Patients And Methods: A total of 224 pediatric patients with HL underwent F-FDG PET/CT at staging. BMB or follow-up imaging was used as the standard of reference for the evaluation of BMI.

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Purpose: To determine the performance accuracy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) after primary tumor treatment for both bladder cancer (BC) and upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC). To compare the accuracy of FDG PET/CT with that of contrast-enhanced-ceCT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Data of patients with recurrent urothelial carcinomas (UC) after primary treatment were collected in a retrospective, international multicenter study.

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Cell-surface molecules are dynamically regulated at the synapse to assemble and disassemble adhesive contacts that are important for synaptogenesis and for tuning synaptic transmission. Metalloproteinases dynamically regulate cellular behaviors through the processing of cell surface molecules. In the present study, we evaluated the role of membrane-type metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs) in excitatory synaptogenesis.

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The small GTPase RhoA regulates the actin cytoskeleton to affect multiple cellular processes including endocytosis, migration and adhesion. RhoA activity is tightly regulated through several mechanisms including GDP/GTP cycling, phosphorylation, glycosylation and prenylation. Previous reports have also reported that cleavage of the carboxy-terminus inactivates RhoA.

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Identification of patient sub-groups with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) at high risk of progression to active disease (MM) is an important goal. 18F-FDG PET/CT (positron emission tomography (PET) integrated with computed tomography (PET/CT) using glucose labelled with the positron-emitting radionuclide (18)F) allows for assessing early skeletal involvement. Identification of osteolytic lesions by this technique has recently been incorporated into the updated International Myeloma Working Group criteria for MM diagnosis.

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Purpose: FDG PET/CT is able to detect active disease in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and can be helpful for staging and assessing therapy response, but no standard interpretation criteria have been proposed for the evaluation of FDG PET/CT in MM.

Methods: A group of Italian nuclear medicine physicians and haematologists met to propose new visual interpretation criteria to standardize FDG PET/CT evaluation in MM patients (Italian Myeloma criteria for PET USe; IMPeTUs) and the reproducibility of these criteria was tested. This Italian multicentre protocol was set up as a subprotocol of EMN02, an international prospective multicentre trial of the European Myeloma Network.

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Purpose: To evaluate the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in 282 symptomatic multiple myeloma patients treated up-front between 2002 and 2012.

Experimental Design: All patients were studied by PET/CT at baseline, during posttreatment follow-up, and at the time of relapse. Their median duration of follow-up was 67 months.

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This study was prompted by increasing concerns about ecological damage and human health threats derived by persistent contamination of water and soil with herbicides, and emerging of bio-sensing technology as powerful, fast and efficient tool for the identification of such hazards. This work is aimed at overcoming principal limitations negatively affecting the whole-cell-based biosensors performance due to inadequate stability and sensitivity of the bio-recognition element. The novel bio-sensing elements for the detection of herbicides were generated exploiting the power of molecular engineering in order to improve the performance of photosynthetic complexes.

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Axonal damage can occur in the central nervous system following trauma, during the course of autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease and during viral and bacterial infections. The degree of axonal damage and absence of spontaneous repair are major determinants of long-term clinical outcome. While inflammation is a common feature of these conditions, the impact of particular immune cell subsets and their products on injured axons is not fully known.

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The molecular mechanisms that underlie the axonal damage that accompanies CNS inflammation are largely unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of immune cells on neuronal viability and axonal growth and show that conditioned media from myeloid lineage cells inhibit neurite outgrowth without causing apoptosis. Treatment with monocyte conditioned medium enhances myosin light chain phosphorylation in neurons and the neurite outgrowth inhibitory effect of myeloid lineage cells can be attenuated with the myosin II inhibitor blebbistatin.

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The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been fully elucidated, however evidence supports an autoimmune disease model notable for the infiltration of pro-inflammatory immune cells into sites of active demyelination and axonal injury. Previous findings demonstrate that neutralization of Nogo, a protein originally identified as a myelin-associated inhibitor (MAI) of axon regeneration, ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a commonly used animal model of MS. More efficient axonal regeneration was suggested as a mechanism underlying the improved EAE outcome.

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The antero-posterior (AP) and dorso-ventral (DV) patterning of the neural tube is controlled in part by HOX and PAX transcription factors, respectively. We have reported on a neural enhancer of Hoxd4 that directs expression in the CNS with the correct anterior border in the hindbrain. Comparison to the orthologous enhancer of zebrafish revealed seven conserved footprints including an obligatory retinoic acid response element (RARE), and adjacent sites D, E and F.

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