Publications by authors named "Rocco S"

Isatuximab, a novel anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, is approved in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Isa-Kd) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients. Because of its recent introduction, real-world efficacy and safety are poorly reported. In this Italian multicenter real-life observational retrospective study, efficacy and safety of the Isa-Kd regimen were evaluated in a cohort of 103 RRMM patients.

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Breast cancer (BC) remains a significant global health concern, with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) offering preoperative benefits like tumor downstaging and treatment response assessment. However, identifying factors influencing post-NACT treatment response and survival outcomes is challenging. Metabolomic approaches offer promising insights into understanding these outcomes.

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  • - Propolis, a complex resin produced by bees, varies in composition based on the plants the bees visit, and red Brazilian propolis shows promising antimicrobial properties that need further investigation.
  • - This study aimed to refine a method to efficiently extract and isolate beneficial compounds from red propolis using counter-current chromatography and preparative HPLC, addressing issues like wax removal that can clog equipment.
  • - The researchers successfully isolated three key compounds linked to red propolis's therapeutic effects, identifying them as retusapurpurin A, 3()-7-O-methylvestitol, and xanthochymol/isoxanthochymol, which will aid in future biological testing and serve as standards in chromatography.
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Macrophage (Mφ) plasticity is critical for normal wound repair; however, in type 2 diabetic wounds, Mφs persist in a low-grade inflammatory state that prevents the resolution of wound inflammation. Increased NLRP3 inflammasome activity has been shown in diabetic wound Mφs; however, the molecular mechanisms regulating NLRP3 expression and activity are unclear. Here, we identified that diabetic wound keratinocytes induce Nlrp3 gene expression in wound Mφs through IL-1 receptor-mediated signaling, resulting in enhanced inflammasome activation in the presence of pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular patterns.

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Balloon venoplasty is a commonly used clinical technique to treat deep vein stenosis and occlusion as a consequence of trauma, congenital anatomic abnormalities, acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or stenting. Chronic deep venous obstruction is histopathologically characterized by thrombosis, fibrosis, or both. Currently, no direct treatment is available to target these pathological processes.

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  • Myeloma with extramedullary plasmacytomas (EMP) shows significantly worse outcomes compared to paraosseous plasmacytomas (PP), and existing treatments have been ineffective.
  • A study evaluated the effectiveness of daratumumab-based treatments in 102 myeloma patients, finding similar overall response rates for both groups at diagnosis, but lower rates at relapse.
  • Despite EMP patients having shorter median overall survival at diagnosis, there were no significant differences in treatment timelines or responses between EMP and PP patients during relapse, suggesting daratumumab may be beneficial even in difficult cases.
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Concerns over Bisphenol A (BPA) and its substitute, Bisphenol S (BPS), have led to innovative exploration due to potential adverse health effects. BPS, replacing BPA in some regions to avoid toxic impacts, remains insufficiently studied. Besides this, the organ-on-a-chip technology emerges as a transformative solution in drug discovery and chemiclas toxicity testing, minimizing costs and aligning with ethical standards by reducing reliance on animal models, by integrating diverse tissues and dynamic cell environments enhances precision in predicting organ function.

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  • Primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma is a rare and aggressive soft tissue tumor that can occur during pregnancy, posing significant management challenges.
  • The case report discusses a woman who experienced a metastatic recurrence of this tumor during her pregnancy, highlighting the complexity of decision-making and treatment processes.
  • The paper also reviews the limited existing literature on this topic to provide better insights into the diagnosis and management of the condition.
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To synthesize HER2 aptamer-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles with a coating of poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)-poly(2-methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine) block copolymer (IONPPPs). Characterization covered molecular structure, chemical composition, thermal stability, magnetic characteristics, aptamer interaction, crystalline nature and microscopic features. Subsequent investigations focused on IONPPPs for cancer cell identification.

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Background: Daratumumab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, is used for treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) and light chain amyloidosis at an intravenous dosage of 16 mg/kg or at a subcutaneous fixed dose of 1800 mg. However, the subcutaneous formulation has only recently been approved in Europe, and real-life data on its safety are still few.

Objective: In this multicenter retrospective real-life experience, we provided evidence for the safety of subcutaneous daratumumab in plasma cell disorders.

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Hypoxia is a critical condition that governs survival, self-renewal, quiescence, metabolic shift and refractoriness to leukemic stem cell (LSC) therapy. The present study aims to investigate the hypoxia-driven regulation of the mammalian Target of the Rapamycin-2 (mTORC2) complex to unravel it as a novel potential target in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) therapeutic strategies. After inducing hypoxia in a CML cell line model, we investigated the activities of mTORC1 and mTORC2.

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Metformin is the most prescribed drug for DM2, but its site and mechanism of action are still not well established. Here, we investigated the effects of metformin on basolateral intestinal glucose uptake (BIGU), and its consequences on hepatic glucose production (HGP). In diabetic patients and mice, the primary site of metformin action was the gut, increasing BIGU, evaluated through PET-CT.

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Background: Lung cancer represents a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, with the highest frequency and mortality in both sexes combined. In a clinical scenario characterized by the widespread of multidetector-row spiral CT, core-needle biopsy under tomographic guidance is one of the main and safest methods to obtain tissue specimens, even though there are relatively high rates of pneumothorax (0-60% incidence) and pulmonary hemorrhage (4-27% occurrence rates). The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided core-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of primary lung malignancies and to compare our results with evidence from the literature.

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The controversial theory of adaptive amplification states gene amplification mutations are induced by selective environments where they are enriched due to the stress caused by growth restriction on unadapted cells. We tested this theory with three independent assays using an Acinetobacter baylyi model system that exclusively selects for cat gene amplification mutants. Our results demonstrate all cat gene amplification mutant colonies arise through a multistep process.

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Belantamab-mafodotin is an innovative and selective treatment for multi-refractory/relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) patients; however, available real-life experiences on efficacy and safety are limited. In this real-world multicentric retrospective study, we enrolled 28 MM patients treated in four Hematology units of Campania region, Italy, who received a median of six treatment lines prior to belantamab-mafodotin. The overall response rate (ORR) was 40% (complete remission, CR, 11%; very good partial remission, VGPR, 11%; and partial remission, PR, 18%), with a median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 3 and 8 months, respectively.

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  • The nucleocapsid (N) protein of coronaviruses is crucial for genome transcription and packaging, making it a prime focus for antiviral development.
  • A novel fluorescence polarization assay identified small molecules, notably L-chicoric acid (CA), that inhibit the N protein's binding to viral RNA.
  • CA was confirmed as a high-affinity ligand for the N protein and demonstrated effectiveness in reducing SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell cultures, highlighting potential new antiviral strategies.
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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is offered to patients with operable or inoperable breast cancer (BC) to downstage the disease. Clinical responses to NACT may vary depending on a few known clinical and biological features, but the diversity of responses to NACT is not fully understood. In this study, 80 women had their metabolite profiles of pre-treatment sera analyzed for potential NACT response biomarker candidates in combination with immunohistochemical parameters using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for effective treatments, prompting research into new antiviral compounds.
  • A novel class of steroidal compounds, LNB167 and LNB169, shows promise against SARS-CoV-2, reducing viral replication in human cell lines.
  • However, while these compounds exhibit in vitro effectiveness, they failed to provide protection in live animal models, suggesting that their mechanism of action is complex and not directly translatable to all biological systems.
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The combination of elotuzumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (EloRd) enhanced the clinical benefit over Rd with a manageable toxicity profile in the ELOQUENT-2 trial, leading to its approval in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). The present study is a 3-year follow-up update of a previously published Italian real-life RRMM cohort of patients treated with EloRd. This revised analysis entered 319 RRMM patients accrued in 41 Italian centers.

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Objective: To report the pregnancy outcomes of women with prior endometrial cancer and endometrial hyperplasia managed with fertility-sparing treatments.

Methods: Medline and Embase databases were searched. Inclusion criteria were studies reporting the pregnancy outcomes of women who had undergone fertility-sparing treatments for endometrial hyperplasia or early endometrioid endometrial cancer.

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Roughly 400,000 people in the U.S. are living with bone metastases, the vast majority occurring in the spine.

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Ellipticine was synthesized in six steps and 20% global yield starting from the readily available 2,5-dimethoxy isoquinoline. Unprecedented regioselective control of the nucleophilic attack on the isoquinoline-5,8-dione is first described. Investigation of the possible pathways of this transformation through density functional theory calculations reveals unexpected -oxide assistance in cascade tautomerizations, which was crucial for directing the nucleophilic attack and hastening the overall process.

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Wound healing materials to prevent blood loss are crucial during emergency medical treatment because uncontrolled bleeding can lead to patient death. Herein, bioabsorbable fibrous architectures of thrombin-loaded poly(ethylene oxide)-PEO/thrombin-are conceptualized and accomplished electrospinning for faster wound clotting. Membranes with average fiber diameters ranging from 188 to 264 nm are achieved, where the active thrombin is entrapped within the nanofibers.

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Crop infections by fungi lead to severe losses in food production and pose risks for human health. The increasing resistance of pathogens to fungicides has led to the higher usage of these chemicals, which burdens the environment and highlights the need to find novel natural biocontrol agents. Members of the genus are known to produce a plethora of bioactive compounds.

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