Haploidentical related donor compared to HLA-identical donor transplantation for chemosensitive Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

Background: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation from haploidentical donor using an unmanipulated graft and post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) is growing. Haploidentical transplantation with PT-Cy showed a major activity in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), reducing the relapse incidence. The most important predictive factor of survival and toxicity was disease status before transplantation, which was better in patients with well controlled disease.

Galectin-3 gene deletion results in defective adipose tissue maturation and impaired insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis.

Adiposopathy is a pathological adipose tissue (AT) response to overfeeding characterized by reduced AT expandability due to impaired adipogenesis, which favors inflammation, insulin resistance (IR), and abnormal glucose regulation. However, it is unclear whether defective adipogenesis causes metabolic derangement also independently of an increased demand for fat storage. As galectin-3 has been implicated in both adipocyte differentiation and glucose homeostasis, we tested this hypothesis in galectin-3 knockout (Lgal3) mice fed a standard chow.

Carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients: the real-life experience of Rete Ematologica Pugliese (REP).

Carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd) have been approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) based on ASPIRE clinical trial. However, its effectiveness and safety profile in real clinical practice should be further assessed. We retrospectively evaluated 130 consecutive RRMM patients treated with KRd between December 2015 and August 2018, in 9 Hematology Departments of Rete Ematologica Pugliese (REP).

New monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are characterized by an unfavorable outcome in the majority of adult cases. Several clinical trials have confirmed the usefulness of a pediatric-type therapy applied to adult patients. Adults present with higher risk features at diagnosis that predispose them to chemotherapy resistance and disease relapse after an initial achievement of complete remission.

Medicinal Cannabis and Synthetic Cannabinoid Use.

Cannabis products have been used for centuries by humans for recreational and medical purposes. Resent research, proposed the promising therapeutic potential of cannabis and related cannabinoids for a wide range of medical conditions, including psychiatric and neurological diseases. This Special Issue presents the latest updates on medicinal cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids pharmacology, toxicology and new analytical methods to identify and quantify these compounds in conventional and non-conventional biological matrices.

Focal Cortical Dysplasia IIIa in Hippocampal Sclerosis-Associated Epilepsy: Anatomo-Electro-Clinical Profile and Surgical Results From a Multicentric Retrospective Study.

Background: Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) may be associated with focal cortical dysplasia IIIa (FCD IIIa) in patients undergoing surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

Objective: To investigate whether the anatomo-electro-clinical profile and surgical outcome in patients with HS-related TLE are affected by coexisting FCD IIIa.

Methods: A total of 220 patients, operated in 5 centers, with at least 24 mo follow-up (FU), were retrospectively studied.

Author Correction: Human brown adipose tissue is phenocopied by classical brown adipose tissue in physiologically humanized mice.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Novel optimized biopolymer-based nanoparticles for nose-to-brain delivery in the treatment of depressive diseases.

A valid option to bypass the obstacle represented by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in brain delivery is the use of the unconventional intranasal route of administration. The treatment of depressive diseases, resulting from the depletion of a neurotransmitter in the inter-synaptic space, such as serotonin, is indirectly treated using molecules that can permeate the BBB unlike the latter. In the present article, a set of nanovectors were produced using a mucoadhesive biopolymer, alginate (Alg).

Human brown adipose tissue is phenocopied by classical brown adipose tissue in physiologically humanized mice.

Human and rodent brown adipose tissues (BAT) appear morphologically and molecularly different. Here we compare human BAT with both classical brown and brite/beige adipose tissues of 'physiologically humanized' mice: middle-aged mice living under conditions approaching human thermal and nutritional conditions, that is, prolonged exposure to thermoneutral temperature (approximately 30 °C) and to an energy-rich (high-fat, high-sugar) diet. We find that the morphological, cellular and molecular characteristics (both marker and adipose-selective gene expression) of classical brown fat, but not of brite/beige fat, of these physiologically humanized mice are notably similar to human BAT.

Herbal Preparations of Medical Cannabis: A Vademecum for Prescribing Doctors.

Cannabis has been used for centuries for therapeutic purposes. In the last century, the plant was demonized due to its high abuse liability and supposedly insufficient health benefits. However, recent decriminalization policies and new scientific evidence have increased the interest in cannabis therapeutic potential of cannabis and paved the way for the release of marketing authorizations for cannabis-based products.

Feasibility and Outcome of a Phase II Study of Intensive Induction Chemotherapy in 91 Elderly Patients with AML Evaluated Using a Simplified Multidimensional Geriatric Assessment.

Introduction: We prospectively tested in a phase II study high-dose aracytin and idarubicin plus amifostine as induction regimen in 149 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) aged ≥ 60 years, evaluated by a simplified multidimensional geriatric assessment (MGA).

Methods: Ninety-one fully or partially fit patients (61%) were allocated to intensive chemotherapy and 58 (39%) frail patients to best supportive care (BSC). Intensively treated patients, showing early death and complete response (CR) rate respectively of 5.

Soluble CD163 and mannose receptor as markers of liver disease severity and prognosis in patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

Introduction: In primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), macrophages are involved in liver inflammation and fibrosis. The macrophage activation markers, soluble (s)CD163 and mannose receptor (sMR) are associated with liver disease severity and prognosis in other chronic liver diseases. We aimed to investigate sCD163 and sMR in patients with PBC.

Status of Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) by Immunohistochemistry and Scoring Algorithms.

The detection of the Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein by immunohistochemistry is currently the only approved test predictive of response to drugs targeting the PD1/PDL1 axis. The role of this test is debated since several reagents have been used as companion diagnostics for different drugs on diverse immunostaining platforms. In addition, different scoring systems for PD-L1 immunohistochemistry have been applied in the registration studies regarding single drugs.

Trends in pediatric epilepsy surgery in Europe between 2008 and 2015: Country-, center-, and age-specific variation.

Objective: To profile European trends in pediatric epilepsy surgery (<16 years of age) between 2008 and 2015.

Methods: We collected information on volumes and types of surgery, pathology, and seizure outcome from 20 recognized epilepsy surgery reference centers in 10 European countries.

Results: We analyzed retrospective aggregate data on 1859 operations.

A large proportion of mediastinal and perirenal visceral fat of Siberian adult people is formed by UCP1 immunoreactive multilocular and paucilocular adipocytes.

Many deleterious consequences for health of excessive fat accumulation are due to visceral fat. Browning of visceral fat is mainly cold dependent and has been proposed as a possible tool for future therapies of obesity and related disorders. In this paper, we studied the composition of mediastinal and perirenal visceral fat, collected at necropsy, of human adults that lived in Siberia, one of the coldest regions of the earth.

No more only one mom? European Court of Human Rights and Italian jurisprudences' ongoing evolution.

The author has delved into the most significant Italian and European court rulings related to heterologous fertilization and surrogate motherhood between 2012 and 2019, with a close focus on same-sex couples seeking to have their donor-conceived children born abroad legally registered in their country of origin. Undeniably, surrogacy has brought about a crisis in the traditional family model, made up of a mother and a father. The paper draws upon European Court of Human Rights established jurisprudence that upholds the children's best interests.

De novo Absence Status Epilepticus in a pediatric cohort: Electroclinical pattern in a multicenter Italian patients cohort.

Purpose: Absence Status epilepticus (AS) is a form of Non Convulsive Status Epilepticus defined as a prolonged, generalized and non-convulsive seizure, with an altered content of consciousness. We aim to describe a group of healthy children, who presented recurrent and unprovoked de novo AS as the only manifestation of their epilepsy, with an excellent response to antiepileptic drugs.

Method: We retrospectively reviewed the electroclinical and genetic features of 13 pediatric patients, referring to our epilepsy centers from 2005 to 2019, on the following criteria: (1) regular psychomotor development, (2) one or more unprovoked AS as the only epileptic manifestation, (3) normal blood testing, (4) normal neuroimaging, (5) EEG recording, (6) available follow-up (1-14 years).

Melatonin Supplementation Decreases Hypertrophic Obesity and Inflammation Induced by High-Fat Diet in Mice.

Obesity results from critical periods of positive energy balance characterized by caloric intake greater than energy expenditure. This disbalance promotes adipose tissue dysfunction which is related to other comorbidities. Melatonin is a low-cost therapeutic agent and studies indicate that its use may improve obesity-related disorders.

Impact of fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux in the outcome of benign tracheal stenosis.

Objective: This study focuses on the impact of antireflux surgery in the outcome of tracheal stenosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study including patients with benign tracheal stenosis who underwent esophageal manometry and dual-probe 24-hour ambulatory esophageal pH study. Patients with an abnormal pH study were managed with laparoscopic modified Nissen fundoplication or medically (omeprazole 80 mg/d, orally).