Plasmid Gene Therapy for Monogenic Disorders: Challenges and Perspectives.

Monogenic disorders are a group of human diseases caused by mutations in single genes. While some disease-altering treatments offer relief and slow the progression of certain conditions, the majority of monogenic disorders still lack effective therapies. In recent years, gene therapy has appeared as a promising approach for addressing genetic disorders.

Azole Antifungal Consumption in Community Pharmacy Sales in Mainland Portugal: Trend Analysis from 2014 to 2023.

: Excessive or inadequate use of antimicrobial drugs may lead to the emergence of resistant strains. For this reason, it is important to monitor consumption indicators to assess drugs' utilization over time. This study aimed to analyze the consumption of medically prescribed azole antifungal drugs in mainland Portugal from 2014 to 2023, focusing on those directed to genital infections: fluconazole, isoconazole, itraconazole, and sertaconazole.

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) Classes in MASK-air Users.

Background And Objectives: The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines classify rhinitis as "intermittent" or "persistent" and "mild" or "moderate-severe". To assess ARIA classes in a real-world study in terms of phenotypic differences and their association with asthma.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional real-world study based on users of the MASK-air® app who reported data for at least 3 different months.

Effect of neutral electrolyzed water on biofilm formed by meat-related Listeria monocytogenes: Intraspecies variability and influence of the growth surface material.

Listeria monocytogenes raises major challenges for the food industry. Due to its capacity to form biofilms, this pathogen can persist in processing environments and contaminate the final products. Neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) may offer a promising and eco-friendly method for controlling L.

Intranasal administration of antiseizure drugs using new formulation trends: one step closer to reach clinical trials.

Introduction: Although there are numerous options for epilepsy treatment, its effective control continues unsatisfactory. Thus, search for alternative therapeutic options to improve the efficacy/safety binomial of drugs becomes very attractive to investigate. In this context, intranasal administration of antiseizure drugs formulated on state-of-the-art nanosystems can be a promising strategy.

I-motif formation in the promoter region of the B-MYB proto-oncogene.

Understanding the mechanisms of carcinogenesis is essential to combat cancer. The search for alternative targets for anticancer therapy has gained interest, particularly when focused on upstream pathways. This strategy is particularly relevant when the encoded target proteins are known - or believed - to be "undruggable", as has been reported for the B-MYB oncogene.

Type 2 inflammation: a Portuguese consensus using Web-Delphi and decision conferencing (INFLAT2-PT).

Objectives: Atopic/allergic diseases impose a growing burden on public health, affecting millions of patients worldwide. The main objective of this study was to develop a national expert consensus on relevant clinical questions related to type 2 inflammation.

Methods: We conducted: a comprehensive literature review with a qualitative analysis to identify the most repeated themes on the overlap of conditions; a modified 3-round Web-Delphi (or e-Delphi); and a final online decision conference.

The impact of extract on pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in rats.

Epilepsy patients are at a higher risk of developing overweight and obesity. Given the thermogenic properties of (Guarana), this study aimed to evaluate a potential pharmacokinetic interaction between extract and phenytoin in rats. Two pharmacokinetic studies were developed with and phenytoin: a coadministration and a pre-treatment study.

Downregulated Regucalcin Expression Induces a Cancer-like Phenotype in Non-Neoplastic Prostate Cells and Augments the Aggressiveness of Prostate Cancer Cells: Interplay with the G Protein-Coupled Oestrogen Receptor?

Background/objectives: Regucalcin (RGN) is a calcium-binding protein and an oestrogen target gene, which has been shown to play essential roles beyond calcium homeostasis. Decreased RGN expression was identified in several cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). However, it is unknown if the loss of RGN is a cause or a consequence of malignancy.

Design of Experiments to Tailor the Potential of BSA-Coated Peptide Nanocomplexes for Temozolomide/p53 Gene Co-Delivery.

Gene therapy can be viewed as a promising/valuable therapeutic approach directed to cancer treatment, including glioblastoma. Concretely, the combination of gene therapy with chemotherapy could increase its therapeutic index due to a synergistic effect. In this context, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated temozolomide (TMZ)-peptide (WRAP5)/p53 gene-based plasmid DNA complexes were developed to promote payload co-delivery.

Effect of Diosgenin in Suppressing Viability and Promoting Apoptosis of Human Prostate Cancer Cells: An Interplay with the G Protein-Coupled Oestrogen Receptor?

Diosgenin is a phytosteroid sapogenin with reported antitumoral activity. Despite the evidence indicating a lower incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) associated with a higher consumption of phytosteroids and the beneficial role of these compounds, only a few studies have investigated the effects of diosgenin in PCa, and its mechanisms of action remain to be disclosed. The present study investigated the effect of diosgenin in modulating PCa cell fate and glycolytic metabolism and explored its potential interplay with G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER).

Use of Extrinsic Motivators to Improve the Body Mass Index of Obese or Overweight Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in children and adolescents worldwide. Given the dimension of the problem, treatments of childhood obesity are recognized as of extreme importance. Current evidence indicates that behavioural and cognitive behavioural strategies combined with diet and physical activity approaches may assist in reducing adolescent obesity.

Probiotics and Prebiotics for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome-A Narrative Review.

Gastrointestinal functional disorders (GFDs), including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are imbalances in the gut-brain axis characterized by persistence of symptoms in the abdominal area. Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide benefits to the health of their hosts when administered in adequate amounts, while prebiotics are a substrate that is selectively used by host microorganisms. This narrative review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of prebiotics and probiotics mostly in irritable bowel syndrome, particularly on issues such as the interaction between these products and the gut microbiota, the duration of supplementation and long-term effects, the definition of ideal dosages, and the regulation and quality control of these products.

Synthesis of 1,10-Phenanthroline-2,9-bistriazoles: Evaluation as G-Quadruplex Binders and Anti-Tumor Activity.

Novel 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-bistriazoles derivatives have been synthesized by copper-catalyzed azide/alkyne cycloaddition reactions and assessed for their ability to bind and stabilize G-quadruplex (G4) structures. Ten novel compounds were evaluated using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) melting, circular dichroism (CD), and fluorescence spectroscopy on several G4 sequences. Biophysical characterization led to the identification of compounds 4 a, 4 b, and 5 b as good G4 ligands of KRAS G4 sequences.

Biophysical characterization of microRNA mixtures based on Molecular Beacons.

Diverse studies have shown a relationship between dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs), including miRNA-29b and miRNA-9, and several diseases. So, it is hypothesized that miRNAs can be studied as potential agents to be exploited in biomedical applications, due to their ability to take part in gene expression regulation at a post-transcriptional level. Considering the possibility of using miRNAs, it is important to characterize and validate this bioproduct, structurally and functionally.

TH1 Cell Frequency and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Hemodialysis: Potential Contributions to Patient Monitoring.

Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) often exhibit an impaired cellular immune response, which may contribute to an increased susceptibility to infections and other complications. Th1 cells, a subset of T-helper cells, play a crucial role in cellular immunity. However, the modulation of Th1 cells by HD treatment remains unclear.

Plant-Based Beverages: Consumption Habits, Perception and Knowledge on a Sample of Portuguese Citizens.

Plant-based beverages (PBB) consumption has increased significantly worldwide due to an interest in vegetarian/vegan diets, taste preferences, health and ethical and environmental issues. Therefore, this study intends to investigate consumption habits, consumer preferences and consumers' level of knowledge about PBB. In this study, a voluntary, anonymous questionnaire survey was applied to a sample of participants from Portugal.

Exploring flagellar contributions to motility and virulence in Arcobacter butzleri.

Flagella is a well-known bacterial structure crucial for motility, which also plays pivotal roles in pathogenesis. Arcobacter butzleri, an enteropathogen, possesses a distinctive polar flagellum whose functional aspects remain largely unexplored. Upon investigating the factors influencing A.

SGLT2i and GLP1RA effects in patients followed in a hospital diabetology consultation.

Background: We aimed to investigate the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in clinical practice.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 340 patients were included. Data on age, gender, antidiabetic medications, and bioanalytical parameters were collected at baseline and one year later.

Renewable Photo-Cross-Linkable Polyester-Based Biomaterials: Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytocompatibility Assessment.

The present work consist of the synthesis of photo-cross-linkable materials, based on unsaturated polyesters (UPs), synthesized from biobased monomers from renewable sources such as itaconic acid and 1,4-butanediol. The UPs were characterized to assess the influence of polycondensation reaction temperature and cross-linking time on their final properties. For this purpose, different UV irradiation exposure periods were tested.

Risks Associated with the Use of Intranasal Corticosteroids: An Analysis of Adverse Reactions Reported to EudraVigilance.

Intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) are used for several conditions, including allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. Consequently, their safety profile needs continuous monitoring. This study aimed to analyse the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of the INCS with market authorisation in Europe.

A new approach for extracellular RNA recovery from Rhodovulum sulfidophilum.

The development of RNA-based drugs is highly pursued due to the possibility of creating viable and effective therapies. However, their translation to clinical practice strongly depends on efficient technologies to produce substantial levels of these biomolecules, with high purity and high quality. RNAs are commonly produced by chemical or enzymatic methods, displaying these limitations.

A study on physicians' knowledge and practices of asthma management in Angola.

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic non-communicable disease in children and one of the most common in adults, and the majority of asthma-related deaths are attributed to middle- and low-income countries. Physicians' knowledge and practice have been recognized as fundamental elements in the approach to the asthmatic patient with an impact on the treatment and control of the disease. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of Angolan physicians in the management of asthma, as well as to identify the main gaps.