Identification of putative volatile biomarkers of canine leishmaniasis in dog's breath and hair employing a novel algorithm for automated chromatographic peak detection and matching.

The analysis of the volatile compounds released by biological samples represents a promising approach for the non-invasive diagnosis of a disease. The present study, focused on a population of dogs infected with canine leishmaniasis, aimed to decipher the volatolomic profile associated with this disease in dogs, which represent the main animal reservoir for Leishmania pathogen transmission to humans. The volatiles emitted by the breath and hair of dogs were analysed employing the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique.

The Impact of HIV on Early Brain Aging-A Pathophysiological (Re)View.

: This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how HIV alters normal aging trajectories in the brain, presenting the HIV-related molecular mechanisms and pathophysiological pathways involved in brain aging. The review explores the roles of inflammation, oxidative stress, and viral persistence in the brain, highlighting how these factors contribute to neuronal damage and cognitive impairment and accelerate normal brain aging. Additionally, it also addresses the impact of antiretroviral therapy on brain aging and the biological markers associated with its occurrence.

The Role of Cytokines and Molecular Pathways in Lung Fibrosis Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Physiopathologic (Re)view.

SARS-CoV-2 infection is a significant health concern that needs to be addressed not only during the initial phase of infection but also after hospitalization. This is the consequence of the various pathologies associated with long COVID-19, which are still being studied and researched. Lung fibrosis is an important complication after COVID-19, found in up to 71% of patients after discharge.

Nudging Consumer Behavior with Social Marketing in Portugal: Can Perception Have an Influence over Trying Insect-Based Food?

Social marketing campaigns are widely used to inform, educate, communicate, and promote healthy behaviors that add benefits to the individual, but also to society and the environment. Considering the low cost and high quality of insect-based food, this research aims to identify the main factors which can be used by social marketing campaigns to help people to try new foods, such as insect-based food. Although it is considered an important alternative to protein, there are a few countries that have not experienced it.

Challenges during the realization of an international research project on leishmaniasis in Colombia.

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that belongs to the top 10 neglected tropical diseases. It mainly affects the poor population from tropical and subtropical areas of the World, which lacks sufficient resources and means to fight against this disease. With this in mind, the European Commission has funded an international collaborative research project in which are participating various institutions from South America, North Africa and Europe.

Putative volatile biomarkers of bovine tuberculosis infection in breath, skin and feces of cattle.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease with significant impact on animal health, public health and international trade. Standard bTB screening in live cattle consists in injecting tuberculin and measuring the swelling at the place of injection few days later. This procedure is expensive, time-consuming, logistically challenging, and is not conclusive before performing confirmatory tests and additional analysis.

Understanding the uptake of diagnostics for sustainable gastrointestinal nematode control by European dairy cattle farmers: a multi-country cross-sectional study.

To mitigate emerging anthelmintic resistance (AR) in cattle, sustainable gastrointestinal nematode control strategies should be adopted. A multi-centre study was set up to understand the factors affecting European dairy cattle farmers' adoption of diagnostics and to gauge for differences between regions. The data were collected through a multi-lingual survey by participating countries of the European Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) action COMbatting Anthelmintic Resistance in ruminants (COMBAR).

Long Noncoding RNAs as Therapeutic Targets.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of cellular functions including maintenance of cellular homeostasis as well as the onset and progression of disease. LncRNAs often exhibit cell-, tissue-, and disease-specific expression patterns, making them desirable therapeutic targets. LncRNAs are commonly targeted using oligonucleotide therapeutics, and advances in oligonucleotide chemistry including C2 ribose sugar modifications such as 2'-fluoro, 2'-O-methyl, and 2-O-methoxyethyl modifications; 2'4'-constrained nucleotides such as locked nucleic acids and constrained 2'-O-ethyl (cEt) nucleotides; and phosphorothioate bonds have dramatically improved efficacy of oligonucleotide therapies.

LentiRILES, a miRNA-ON sensor system for monitoring the functionality of miRNA in cancer biology and therapy.

A major unresolved challenge in miRNA biology is the capacity to monitor the spatiotemporal activity of miRNAs expressed in animal disease models. We recently reported that the miRNA-ON monitoring system called RILES (RNAi-inducible expression Luciferase system) implanted in lentivirus expression system (LentiRILES) offers unique opportunity to decipher the kinetics of miRNA activity , in relation with their intracellular trafficking in glioblastoma cells. In this study, we describe in detail the method for the production of LentiRILES stable cell lines and employed it in several applications in the field of miRNA biology and therapy.

A Smooth Muscle Cell-Enriched Long Noncoding RNA Regulates Cell Plasticity and Atherosclerosis by Interacting With Serum Response Factor.

Objective: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) plasticity plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as important regulators in the vessel wall and impact cellular function through diverse interactors. However, the role of lncRNAs in regulating VSMCs plasticity and atherosclerosis remains unclear.

A macrophage-specific lncRNA regulates apoptosis and atherosclerosis by tethering HuR in the nucleus.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging regulators of pathophysiological processes including atherosclerosis. Using RNA-seq profiling of the intima of lesions, here we identify a macrophage-specific lncRNA MAARS (Macrophage-Associated Atherosclerosis lncRNA Sequence). Aortic intima expression of MAARS increases by 270-fold with atherosclerotic progression and decreases with regression by 60%.

Computational Analysis of Targeting SARS-CoV-2, Viral Entry Proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2, and Interferon Genes by Host MicroRNAs.

Rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to a global pandemic, failures of local health care systems, and global economic recession. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as important regulators of viral pathogenesis, particularly among RNA viruses, but the impact of host miRNAs on SARS-CoV-2 infectivity remains unknown. In this study, we utilize the combination of powerful bioinformatic prediction algorithms and miRNA profiling to predict endogenous host miRNAs that may play important roles in regulating SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.

LncRNA-MAP3K4 regulates vascular inflammation through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and cis-modulation of MAP3K4.

Chronic vascular inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as essential inflammation regulators. We identify a novel lncRNA termed lncRNA-MAP3K4 that is enriched in the vessel wall and regulates vascular inflammation.

LncRNA VINAS regulates atherosclerosis by modulating NF-κB and MAPK signaling.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in regulating diverse cellular processes in the vessel wall, including atherosclerosis. RNA-Seq profiling of intimal lesions revealed a lncRNA, VINAS (Vascular INflammation and Atherosclerosis lncRNA Sequence), that is enriched in the aortic intima and regulates vascular inflammation. Aortic intimal expression of VINAS fell with atherosclerotic progression and rose with regression.

Long noncoding RNA integrates a DNA-PK-mediated DNA damage response and vascular senescence.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging regulators of biological processes in the vessel wall; however, their role in atherosclerosis remains poorly defined. We used RNA sequencing to profile lncRNAs derived specifically from the aortic intima of mice on a high-cholesterol diet during lesion progression and regression phases. We found that the evolutionarily conserved lncRNA small nucleolar host gene-12 () is highly expressed in the vascular endothelium and decreases during lesion progression.

Targeted Transfection Using PEGylated Cationic Liposomes Directed Towards P-Selectin Increases siRNA Delivery into Activated Endothelial Cells.

The progress in small-interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics depends on the development of suitable nanocarriers to perform specific and effective delivery to dysfunctional cells. In this paper, we questioned whether P-selectin, a cell adhesion molecule specifically expressed on the surface of activated endothelial cells (EC) could be employed as a target for nanotherapeutic intervention. To this purpose, we developed and characterized P-selectin targeted PEGylated cationic liposomes able to efficiently pack siRNA and to function as efficient vectors for siRNA delivery to tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) activated EC.

Long Non-Coding RNAs in Vascular Inflammation.

Less than 2% of the genome encodes for proteins. Accumulating studies have revealed a diverse set of RNAs derived from the non-coding genome. Among them, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have garnered widespread attention over recent years as emerging regulators of diverse biological processes including in cardiovascular disease (CVD).

LncRNAs in vascular biology and disease.

Accumulating studies indicate that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of diverse biological processes involved in homeostatic control of the vessel wall in health and disease. However, our knowledge of the mechanisms by which lncRNAs control gene expression and cell signaling pathways is still nascent. Furthermore, only a handful of lncRNAs has been functionally evaluated in response to pathophysiological stimuli or in vascular disease states.

Long noncoding RNAs in cardiovascular disease, diagnosis, and therapy.

Purpose Of Review: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as powerful regulators of nearly all biological processes. Their cell-type and tissue-specific expression in health and disease provides new avenues for diagnosis and therapy. This review highlights the role of lncRNAs that are involved in cardiovascular disease (CVD) with a special focus on cell types involved in cardiac injury and remodeling, vascular injury, angiogenesis, inflammation, and lipid metabolism.

Positive radionuclide imaging of miRNA expression using RILES and the human sodium iodide symporter as reporter gene is feasible and supports a protective role of miRNA-23a in response to muscular atrophy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key players in many biological processes and are considered as an emerging class of pharmacology drugs for diagnosis and therapy. However to fully exploit the therapeutic potential of miRNAs, it is becoming crucial to monitor their expression pattern using medical imaging modalities. Recently, we developed a method called RILES, for RNAi-Inducible Luciferase Expression System that relies on an engineered regulatable expression system to switch-ON the expression of the luciferase gene when a miRNA of interest is expressed in cells.

P-Selectin Targeted Dexamethasone-Loaded Lipid Nanoemulsions: A Novel Therapy to Reduce Vascular Inflammation.

Inflammation is a common process associated with numerous vascular pathologies. We hypothesized that targeting the inflamed endothelium by coupling a peptide with high affinity for P-selectin to the surface of dexamethasone-loaded lipid nanoemulsions will highly increase their specific binding to activated endothelial cells (EC) and reduce the cell activation. We developed and characterized dexamethasone-loaded lipid nanoemulsions directed towards P-selectin (PLN-Dex) and monitored their anti-inflammatory effects using cultured EC (EA.

Pharmacomodulation of microRNA Expression in Neurocognitive Diseases: Obstacles and Future Opportunities.

Given the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in modulating brain functions and their implications in neurocognitive disorders there are currently significant efforts devoted in the field of miRNA-based therapeutics to correct and/or to treat these brain diseases. The observation that miRNA 29a/b-1 cluster, miRNA 10b and miRNA 7, for instance, are frequently deregulated in the brains of patients with neurocognitive diseases and in animal models of Alzheimer, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases, suggest that correction of miRNA expression using agonist or antagonist miRNA oligonucleotides might be a promising approach to correct or even to cure such diseases. The encouraging results from recent clinical trials allow envisioning that pharmacological approaches based on miRNAs might, in a near future, reach the requirements for successful therapeutic outcomes and will improve the healthcare of patients with brain injuries or disorders.

MicroRNAs in Neurocognitive Dysfunctions: New Molecular Targets for Pharmacological Treatments?

Background: Neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders are multifactorial diseases (i.e., involving neurodevelopmental, genetic, age or environmental factors) characterized by an abnormal development that affects neuronal function and integrity.