Thapsigargin and its prodrug derivatives: exploring novel approaches for targeted cancer therapy through calcium signaling disruption.

Thapsigargin, a sesquiterpene lactone derived from Thapsia garganica L., has demonstrated mixed potential as an anticancer agent due to its potent ability to disrupt calcium signaling and induce apoptosis. This review evaluates the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential of thapsigargin, focusing on its molecular mechanisms and toxicity.

Maternal factors increase risk of orofacial cleft: a meta-analysis.

Orofacial clefts are among the most prevalent birth defects, with severe medical and psychosocial consequences. Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) and cleft palate only (CPO) affect on average nearly 1/700 births worldwide. The cause of most non-syndromic cases is unknown.

The emergence of Sox and POU transcription factors predates the origins of animal stem cells.

Stem cells are a hallmark of animal multicellularity. Sox and POU transcription factors are associated with stemness and were believed to be animal innovations, reported absent in their unicellular relatives. Here we describe unicellular Sox and POU factors.

The journey of patients affected by metastatic hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer from CDK 4/6 inhibitors to second-line treatment: A real-world analysis of 701 patients enrolled in the GIM14/BIOMETA study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CDK 4/6 inhibitors (CDK 4-6i) according to HER2 status (low/zero), and endocrine resistance/sensitivity, as well as the efficacy of second-line treatments, in a large real-world cohort.

Methods: The GIM14/BIOMETA study (NCT02284581) is a retrospective/prospective study of the Gruppo Italiano Mammella evaluating treatment patterns and survival outcomes in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We retrieved data on patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative MBC receiving first-line CDK 4/6i.

A predicted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-associated mRNA/miRNA axis contributes to the progression of diabetic liver disease.

Despite public health measures, type 2 diabetes (T2D) is still a significant concern worldwide, given its associated complications, including hepatic alterations. The role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in liver fibrosis is well established. However, its effects on the progression of diabetic liver diseases are not well understood.

Nonimmune hydrops fetalis diagnosed at 35 weeks gestation - a case report.

Nonimmune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is a condition that can occur at any stage of pregnancy and is linked to a variety of disorders, resulting in severe perinatal complications and increased mortality risk. NIHF refers specifically to cases where maternal antibodies against red blood cell antigens are excluded. Early identification of the underlying causes is essential for managing pregnancy and deciding on treatment.

Postoperative multiple perforations of the small bowel in a patient with COVID-19 - case report.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presented quite a diverse symptomatology, in addition to respiratory symptoms, while other clinical signs such as thrombosis, postoperative hemorrhages, acute kidney or liver failure, digestive disorders (vomiting and diarrheal stools) were also reported. We present the case of a patient diagnosed with transverse colon neoplasm and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, who presented to the Emergency Room (ER) of the Emergency County Clinical Hospital, Craiova, Romania, with a clinical picture of low intestinal occlusion. Surgery was decided and a right hemicolectomy extended to the left, with terminal ileostomy performed.

Lymph node involvement in secondary breast angiosarcoma - a case presentation.

Angiosarcoma represents a group of rare tumors originating from vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, characterized by marked aggressiveness, rapid growth and poor clinical outcome. The incidence of breast angiosarcoma accounts for approximately 0.05% of all malignant breast tumors and less than 1% of all sarcomas.

Unusual role in occlusion and mastication of a horizontal positioned erupted mandibular third molar: a rare case.

Lower third molars are frequently extracted due to pathologies of the dental follicle, pericoronitis, advanced carious lesions, orthodontic reasons (risk of anterior tooth crowding) or causing periodontal or carious lesions in the distal area of the second molar. The case presented here is of a male patient that came to our Clinic experiencing pain in the distal area of one of his old bridges. The clinical examination revealed a malpositioned, but unusually functional third molar; it is a very rare situation for an initially impacted third molar to erupt in an almost horizontal position and not only to remain on the arch for a very long period of time, but also to contribute to mastication efficiency and occlusion, despite the fact that masticatory forces are distributed at a right angle on its long axis and that mastication takes place on the distal surface of the crown and root, and not on the usually occlusal cusped surface.

Odontogenic maxillary sinus disease: a cone-beam computed tomography surveillance.

The odontogenic maxillary sinus disease (endo-antral syndrome; EAS) is directly related to the spread of endodontic infections from upper premolars and molars with necrotic pulp. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images proved to be a reference diagnostic aid for detecting the etiological relationship between chronic apical periodontitis and maxillary sinusitis. There were retrospectively evaluated a total of 109 CBCT images (47 males and 62 females) from a pool of CBCT scans taken for routine diagnosis and treatment planning in consecutive 353 patients.

Evaluation of the lymphocyte population and placental inflammation in pregnant patients with moderate or severe COVID-19 forms - a secondary analysis.

Aim: In this secondary analysis, we aimed to characterize the lymphocytes population and placental inflammation in pregnant women with moderate and severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) forms.

Patients, Materials And Methods: In the analysis of this prospective evaluation, we included 26 pregnant women at term with moderate and severe COVID-19 forms that were evaluated in a tertiary maternity center in a one-year timeframe. Clinical data, along with blood immunophenotyping results and placental histopathological examinations were comparatively evaluated between two study groups depending on the COVID-19 severity: Group 1 (moderate COVID-19, n=14 patients) and Group 2 (severe COVID-19, n=12 patients).

Conservative management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 and prediction of its progression - a retrospective study.

Aim: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 (CIN2) evolution is controversial, and some of them regress spontaneously in a two-year follow-up. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the percentage of CIN2 progression or persistence during a 24-month follow-up, using clinical predictors such as human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype and cytology results.

Patients, Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective case-control study and included patients of reproductive age who had a new diagnosis of CIN2 who were monitored for lesion regression (Group 1, n=72 patients), and progression or persistence (Group 2, n=36 patients).

Are HPV oncogenic viruses involved in salivary glands tumorigenesis?

The association between different viruses and cancer is well acknowledged in human pathology. However, the precise understanding of how oncogenic viruses intervene in the development of cancer of salivary glands (SGs) remains incomplete. Our review aimed to explore the current literature regarding SGs cancer to evaluate the potential involvement of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in their development.

Senolysis potentiates endothelial progenitor cell adhesion to and integration into the brain vasculature.

Background: One of the most severe consequences of ageing is cognitive decline, which is associated with dysfunction of the brain microvasculature. Thus, repairing the brain vasculature could result in healthier brain function.

Methods: To better understand the potential beneficial effect of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vascular repair, we studied the adhesion and integration of EPCs using the early embryonic mouse aorta-gonad-mesonephros - MAgEC 10.

Numerical study on a facing electrode configuration dielectrophoresis microfluidic system for efficient biological cell separation.

Circulating tumor cell separation has been the focus of numerous studies owing to its importance in the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of cancer. This study reports a highly efficient microfluidic device that integrates a specialized dielectrophoresis configuration, namely the facing-electrode configuration dielectrophoresis (FEC-DEP) structure, to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from various blood components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The FEC-DEP design features a bottom-slanted electrode array positioned parallel to a basic rectangular top electrode.

DNA methylation classifier to diagnose pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma metastases from different anatomical sites.

Background: We have recently constructed a DNA methylation classifier that can discriminate between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PAAD) liver metastasis and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) with high accuracy (PAAD-iCCA-Classifier). PAAD is one of the leading causes of cancer of unknown primary and diagnosis is based on exclusion of other malignancies. Therefore, our focus was to investigate whether the PAAD-iCCA-Classifier can be used to diagnose PAAD metastases from other sites.

Ovarian Carcinoma - A Single Centre Case-Series Descriptive Analysis of Surgical Procedures.

Ovarian surface epithelial cancer (OSEC) are an entity in which, according to genomics and pathology data accumulated in the last couple of decades, several different nosological entities with distinct etiologies are aggregated. In ovarian cancer, surgery is the pivot of treatment, to which medical oncological treatment is added by recommendation in most cases. This is a single centre sample of 263 cases with OSEC operated from January 2014 until December 2021 with a 28-month period of follow-up, until 30th April 2024.

Honey Enriched with Additives Alleviates Behavioral, Oxidative Stress, and Brain Alterations Induced by Heavy Metals and Imidacloprid in Zebrafish.

Environmental concerns have consistently been a focal point for the scientific community. Pollution is a critical ecological issue that poses significant threats to human health and agricultural production. Contamination with heavy metals and pesticides is a considerable concern, a threat to the environment, and warrants special attention.

Enhancing Proton Radiosensitivity of Chondrosarcoma Using Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Approaches: A Comparative Study of High- and Low-Energy Protons.

To overcome chondrosarcoma's (CHS) high chemo- and radioresistance, we used polyethylene glycol-encapsulated iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) for the controlled delivery of the chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (IONP) to amplify the cytotoxicity of proton radiation therapy. Human 2D CHS SW1353 cells were treated with protons (linear energy transfer (LET): 1.6 and 12.

Interleukin-1β induces trained innate immunity in human hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro.

Innate immune cells can develop a long-lasting hyperresponsive phenotype, termed trained immunity, mediated by epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming. In mice, exposure to Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), β-glucan, or Western diet induces trained immunity by reprogramming hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), through interleukin-1β (IL-1β) signaling in the bone marrow (BM). We investigated whether IL-1β induces trained immunity in primary human BM-derived HPCs in vitro.

Trained immunity in the bone marrow: Hub of autoimmunity.

An inappropriate induction of trained immunity in the bone marrow progenitors of immune cells has been described to underlie chronic inflammatory processes. Mills and colleagues' recently published paper in Cell Stem Cell shows that maladaptive trained immunity drives inflammation in autoimmune processes, opening a new area of research in autoimmunity.

IL1RAP Blockade With a Monoclonal Antibody Reduces Cardiac Inflammation and Preserves Heart Function in Viral and Autoimmune Myocarditis.

Background: Currently, there are no therapies targeting specific pathogenic pathways in myocarditis. IL (interleukin)-1 blockade has shown promise in preclinical studies and case reports. We hypothesized that blockade of IL1RAP (IL-1 receptor accessory protein), a shared subunit of the IL-1, IL-33, and IL-36 receptors, could be more efficient than IL-1 blockade alone.