Development of cationic solid lipid nanoparticles incorporating cholesteryl-9-carboxynonanoate (9CCN) for delivery of antagomiRs to macrophages.

Lipid-based nanoparticles are a useful tool for nucleic acids delivery and have been regarded as a promising approach for diverse diseases. However, off-targets effects are a matter of concern and some strategies to improve selectivity of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were reported. The goal of this study was to test formulations of SLNs incorporating lipid cholesteryl-9-carboxynonanoate (9CCN) as "eat-me" signal to target antagomiR oligonucleotides to macrophages.

Interferons are key cytokines acting on pancreatic islets in type 1 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: The proinflammatory cytokines IFN-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β and TNF-α may contribute to innate and adaptive immune responses during insulitis in type 1 diabetes and therefore represent attractive therapeutic targets to protect beta cells. However, the specific role of each of these cytokines individually on pancreatic beta cells remains unknown.

Methods: We used deep RNA-seq analysis, followed by extensive confirmation experiments based on reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blot, histology and use of siRNAs, to characterise the response of human pancreatic beta cells to each cytokine individually and compared the signatures obtained with those present in islets of individuals affected by type 1 diabetes.

Urban environment during pregnancy and childhood and white matter microstructure in preadolescence in two European birth cohorts.

Growing evidence suggests that urban environment may influence cognition and behavior in children, but the underlying pollutant and neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. We evaluated the association of built environment and urban natural space indicators during pregnancy and childhood with brain white matter microstructure in preadolescents, and examined the potential mediating role of air pollution and road-traffic noise. We used data of the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (n = 2725; 2002-2006) for the primary analyses.

Dietary intake of dicarbonyl compounds and changes in body weight over time in a large cohort of European adults.

Dicarbonyl compounds are highly reactive precursors of advanced glycation end products (AGE), produced endogenously, present in certain foods and formed during food processing. AGE contribute to the development of adverse metabolic outcomes, but health effects of dietary dicarbonyls are largely unexplored. We investigated associations between three dietary dicarbonyl compounds, methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), and body weight changes in European adults.

Processing speed mediates the relationship between DDR1 and psychosocial functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder presenting psychotic symptoms.

The DDR1 locus is associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and with processing speed in patients with schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis. Here, we investigated whether DDR1 variants are associated with bipolar disorder (BD) features. First, we performed a case‒control association study comparing DDR1 variants between patients with BD and healthy controls.

Circulating endogenous sex steroids and risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in men and women.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is substantially more common in women than in men, pointing to a possible role of sex steroid hormones. We investigated the association between circulating sex steroid hormones, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and the risk of differentiated TC in men and women within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) cohort. During follow-up, we identified 333 first primary incident cases of differentiated TC (152 in pre/peri-menopausal women, 111 in post-menopausal women, and 70 in men) and 706 cancer-free controls.

Economic impact of inflammatory bowel disease in Catalonia: a population-based analysis.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a major economic impact on healthcare costs.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current healthcare expenditure associated with IBD in a population-wide study in Catalonia.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Major cardiovascular events after COVID-19 in people with HIV.

Objectives: To assess the effect of COVID-19 on the postacute risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs) among people with HIV (PWH).

Methods: Population-based matched cohort, including all PWH ≥16 years in the Catalan PISCIS HIV cohort. We estimated the incidence rate of the first CVE after COVID-19, analysed it a composite outcome (2020-2022).

The T1-dark-rim: A novel imaging sign for detecting smoldering inflammation in multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs), usually identified in susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), are a promising prognostic biomarker of disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, SWI is not routinely performed in clinical practice. The objective of this study is to define a novel imaging sign, the T1-dark rim, identifiable in a standard 3DT1 gradient-echo inversion-recovery sequence, such as 3D T1 turbo field echo (3DT1FE) and explore its performance as a SWI surrogate to define PRLs.

TRPV4 Channels Promote Pathological, but Not Physiological, Cardiac Remodeling through the Activation of Calcineurin/NFAT and TRPC6.

TRPV4 channels, which respond to mechanical activation by permeating Ca into the cell, may play a pivotal role in cardiac remodeling during cardiac overload. Our study aimed to investigate TRPV4 involvement in pathological and physiological remodeling through Ca-dependent signaling. TRPV4 expression was assessed in heart failure (HF) models, induced by isoproterenol infusion or transverse aortic constriction, and in exercise-induced adaptive remodeling models.

Sex differences in clinical response to deep brain stimulation in resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective alternative to treat severe refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), although little is known on factors predicting response. The objective of this study was to explore potential sex differences in the pattern of response to DBS in OCD patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in 25 patients with severe resistant OCD.

Blocking IL-6 signaling prevents astrocyte-induced neurodegeneration in an iPSC-based model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with progressive death of midbrain dopamine (DAn) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Since it has been proposed that patients with PD exhibit an overall proinflammatory state, and since astrocytes are key mediators of the inflammation response in the brain, here we sought to address whether astrocyte-mediated inflammatory signaling could contribute to PD neuropathology. For this purpose, we generated astrocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) representing patients with PD and healthy controls.

White matter diffusion estimates in obsessive-compulsive disorder across 1653 individuals: machine learning findings from the ENIGMA OCD Working Group.

White matter pathways, typically studied with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), have been implicated in the neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, due to limited sample sizes and the predominance of single-site studies, the generalizability of OCD classification based on diffusion white matter estimates remains unclear. Here, we tested classification accuracy using the largest OCD DTI dataset to date, involving 1336 adult participants (690 OCD patients and 646 healthy controls) and 317 pediatric participants (175 OCD patients and 142 healthy controls) from 18 international sites within the ENIGMA OCD Working Group.

Exploring self-care and cervical cancer prevention attitudes and practices among Moroccan and Pakistani immigrant women in Catalonia, Spain: a comparative qualitative study.

Background: Self-care and preventive health strategies may trigger health inequities when individuals' cultural values and health beliefs are not fully understood and considered. In the case of cervical cancer (CC) screening programs immigrant women have shown lower attendance compared with native women, which increases the risk of late diagnosis and, consequently, a lower probability of survival. HPV self-sampling for CC screening has been recently added to the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of self-care interventions as a promising tool to reduce this disparity and improve screening coverage.

Experimental Model of Biliary Tract Cancers: Subcutaneous Xenograft of Human Cell Lines in Immunodeficient Nude Mice.

The ectopic xenograft mouse model of cancer is a commonly employed tool for in vivo investigations, particularly for studying cell tumorigenicity and testing the efficacy and tolerability of systemic or local anti-cancer therapies. The model displays advantageous features with an easy-access to visualize and monitor tumor growth in real-time with a caliper. Although the tumor development occurs in an ectopic location, the histology of the tumor resembles that of human cancer upon pathological examination.

Changes in environmental exposures over decades may influence the genetic architecture of severe spermatogenic failure.

Study Question: Do the genetic determinants of idiopathic severe spermatogenic failure (SPGF) differ between generations?

Summary Answer: Our data support that the genetic component of idiopathic SPGF is impacted by dynamic changes in environmental exposures over decades.

What Is Known Already: The idiopathic form of SPGF has a multifactorial etiology wherein an interaction between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors leads to the disease onset and progression. At the genetic level, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) allow the analysis of millions of genetic variants across the genome in a hypothesis-free manner, as a valuable tool for identifying susceptibility risk loci.

Endothelial TDP-43 controls sprouting angiogenesis and vascular barrier integrity, and its deletion triggers neuroinflammation.

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a DNA/RNA-binding protein that regulates gene expression, and its malfunction in neurons has been causally associated with multiple neurodegenerative disorders. Although progress has been made in understanding the functions of TDP-43 in neurons, little is known about its roles in endothelial cells (ECs), angiogenesis, and vascular function. Using inducible EC-specific TDP-43-KO mice, we showed that TDP-43 is required for sprouting angiogenesis, vascular barrier integrity, and blood vessel stability.

Probiotic and prebiotic interventions in eating disorders: A narrative review.

Aims: The review aimed to summarise and discuss findings focused on therapeutic probiotic and prebiotic interventions in eating disorders (ED).

Methods: Using PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science all published studies were retrieved until February 2023, following PRISMA guidelines. From the 111 initial studies, 5 met the inclusion criteria for this review.

Longitudinal trends in causes of death among adults with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Europe and North America from 1996 to 2020: a collaboration of cohort studies.

Background: Mortality rates among people with HIV have fallen since 1996 following the widespread availability of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Patterns of cause-specific mortality are evolving as the population with HIV ages. We aimed to investigate longitudinal trends in cause-specific mortality among people with HIV starting ART in Europe and North America.

The Impact of the Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle Intervention on Lipoprotein Subclass Profiles among Metabolic Syndrome Patients: Findings of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with alterations of lipoprotein structure and function that can be characterized with advanced lipoprotein testing (ADLT). The effect of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and weight loss on the lipoprotein subclass profile has been scarcely studied. Within the PREDIMED-Plus randomized controlled trial, a sub-study conducted at Bellvitge Hospital recruiting center evaluated the effects of a weight loss program based on an energy-reduced MedDiet (er-MedDiet) and physical activity (PA) promotion (intervention group) compared with energy-unrestricted MedDiet recommendations (control group) on ADLT-assessed lipoprotein subclasses.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adherence to Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer in Catalonia (Spain).

. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adherence to oral endocrine therapy in patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the public healthcare system in Catalonia (Spain). .

Plasma Concentration of 36 (Poly)phenols and Prospective Body Weight Change in Participants from the EPIC Cohort.

Introduction: Dietary intake of (poly)phenols has been linked to reduced adiposity and body weight (BW) in several epidemiological studies. However, epidemiological evidence on (poly)phenol biomarkers, particularly plasma concentrations, is scarce. We aimed to investigate the associations between plasma (poly)phenols and prospective BW change in participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.