In Vitro Conditioning Determines the Capacity of Dental Pulp Stem Cells to Function as Pericyte-Like Cells.

Dental pulp has been revealed as an accessible and a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and its biological potential is currently under intense investigation. MSCs from dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have been indicated as a heterogeneous population oriented not only in repairing dentine but also in maintaining vascular and nervous homeostasis of the teeth. We sought to verify the phenotype of cells isolated from dental pulp of young donors and to investigate in vitro their role as pericyte-like cells.

Cancer Mortality Trend in Central Italy: Focus on A "Low Rate of Land Use" Area from 1982 to 2011.

The aim of the present study was to estimate total cancer mortality trends from 1982 to 2011 in a "low rate of land use" province of the Latium region (Rieti, central Italy) characterized by a low degree of urbanization, a high prevalence of elderly, and a low number of births. Mortality data of the studied period, provided by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, were used for calculating standardized cancer mortality rates. Trends in mortality were analyzed using Joinpoint regression analysis.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Mediated by recPrP Involved in the Neuronal Differentiation Process of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells (hDPSCs) represent a type of adult mesenchymal stem cells that have the ability to differentiate in vitro in several lineages such as odontoblasts, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes and neurons. In the current work, we used hDPSCs as the experimental model to study the role of recombinant prion protein 23⁻231 (recPrP) in the neuronal differentiation process, and in the signal pathway activation of ERK 1/2 and Akt. We demonstrated that recPrP was able to activate an intracellular signal pathway mediated by extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK 1/2) and protein kinase B (Akt).

Dual PI3 K/mTOR inhibition reduces prostate cancer bone engraftment altering tumor-induced bone remodeling.

Morbidity in advanced prostate cancer patients is largely associated with bone metastatic events. The development of novel therapeutic strategies is imperative in order to effectively treat this incurable stage of the malignancy. In this context, Akt signaling pathway represents a promising therapeutic target able to counteract biochemical recurrence and metastatic progression in prostate cancer.

Role of Prion protein-EGFR multimolecular complex during neuronal differentiation of human dental pulp-derived stem cells.

Cellular prion protein (PrP) is expressed in a wide variety of stem cells in which regulates their self-renewal as well as differentiation potential. In this study we investigated the presence of PrP in human dental pulp-derived stem cells (hDPSCs) and its role in neuronal differentiation process. We show that hDPSCs expresses early PrP at low concentration and its expression increases after two weeks of treatment with EGF/bFGF.