Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Azza Dammak, Fernando Huete-Toral, Carlos Carpena-Torres, Alba Martin-Gil, Cristina Pastrana, Gonzalo Carracedo
Summary: The pathophysiology of posterior ocular diseases involving oxidative stress and inflammation is complex and interconnected. Biomarkers play an important role in diagnosis, while treatment strategies are based on long-term clinical studies.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Christopher R. Starr, Assylbek Zhylkibayev, James A. Mobley, Marina S. Gorbatyuk
Summary: Diabetes, a metabolic disease, can lead to various health complications. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) affects millions of people worldwide and has complex mechanisms involving both neural and vascular components in the retina. This study identified changes in protein levels and O-glycosylation in the retinas of diabetic mice, providing important insights into the impact of diabetes on protein function and localization.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Dong Lin, Ruijie Qin, Lixin Guo
Summary: DR is a common complication of diabetes, with high TSH levels being associated with an increased prevalence; TSH may regulate glucose-induced PCs loss through mitochondrial apoptosis involving TSHR.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Madania Amorim, Beatriz Martins, Rosa Fernandes
Summary: Diabetes is a global health issue with significant morbidity and mortality. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a well-known inflammatory, neurovascular complication of diabetes and a leading cause of preventable blindness in developed countries among working-age adults. However, the ocular surface components of diabetic eyes are also at risk of damage due to uncontrolled diabetes, which is often overlooked.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xudong Wang, Tianxi Wang, Enton Lam, David Alvarez, Ye Sun
Summary: The eye has immune privilege to protect retinal neural cells from immune provocation. However, breach of this privilege can lead to acute inflammatory responses and chronic inflammation, causing ocular diseases and vision loss. This review discusses the features of immune privilege in the retina, the inflammatory responses and factors involved when immune privilege fails, as well as recent advances in ocular immunity and ocular vascular diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jin-Sun Hwang, Young-Joo Shin
Summary: Choline is essential for maintaining the structure and function of cells in humans, particularly in eye health and disease. Choline deficiency is associated with eye diseases, while supplementation of choline may be effective in treating these conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Mariantonia Ferrara, Alessandra Loda, Giulia Coco, Piergiacomo Grassi, Silvia Cestaro, Sara Rezzola, Vito Romano, Francesco Semeraro
Summary: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of acquired blindness in the working-age population. Clinical biomarkers play a crucial role in the early diagnosis of DR and the detection of prognostic factors, as symptoms may be absent in the early stages. Imaging techniques are fundamental tools for various aspects of DR management.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fei Yu, Michael L. Ko, Gladys Y-P Ko
Summary: Diabetic retinopathy is a chronic complication associated with diabetes and about 60% of type 2 diabetes patients will develop this condition. Research indicates that decreased miR-150 and upregulated ELK1 in the retina contribute to photoreceptor apoptosis, with the translocation of pELK1(T417) appearing to be a crucial step in diabetic insult-induced photoreceptor apoptosis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jang-Hyuk Yun
Summary: This study focused on the effect of IL-1 beta on pericyte loss and endothelial permeability in diabetic retinopathy. It was found that IL-1 beta induced pericyte apoptosis via NFkB activation under high glucose conditions, leading to increased endothelial permeability. Blocking IL-1 beta/NF-kappa B signaling could be a promising therapeutic target to prevent pericyte loss in diabetic retinopathy.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Yoko Okunuki, Steven J. Tabor, May Y. Lee, Kip M. Connor
Summary: CD47 plays a significant role in the development of autoimmune uveitis by regulating SIRP alpha(+) DCs, which is essential for the induction of the disease.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Luis Mendes, Ines P. Marques, Jose Cunha-Vaz
Summary: Retinal vessel metrics, such as abnormal intercapillary spaces (AIS) and vessel density (VD) in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), perform well in identifying eyes with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and show a progressive increase in vessel closure (VC) with disease severity. This suggests the clinical value of these metrics in assessing the risk of disease progression.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Shuhong Kuang, Feng He, Guihua Liu, Xiangzhou Sun, Jian Dai, Ani Chi, Yali Tang, Zhuoran Li, Yong Gao, Chunhua Deng, Zhengmei Lin, Haipeng Xiao, Min Zhang
Summary: The study identifies that CCR2-engineered MSCs can accelerate diabetic wound healing by restoring immunological homeostasis through improved migration and immunoregulatory potentials. This offers a novel strategy for using genetically engineered MSCs to facilitate tissue repair in diabetic wounds.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Guihua Zhang, Jian-Wei Lin, Ji Wang, Jie Ji, Ling-Ping Cen, Weiqi Chen, Peiwen Xie, Yi Zheng, Yongqun Xiong, Hanfu Wu, Dongjie Li, Tsz Kin Ng, Chi Pui Pang, Mingzhi Zhang
Summary: This study developed and validated a deep learning system for referable diabetic retinopathy detection based on real-world scenarios and guidelines. The system showed high accuracy in multidimensional classifications and comparable performance to experts.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Huihui Wang, Jiao Sun, Jing Li, Hongyang Li, Yanling Wang, Zhenchang Wang
Summary: The ocular blood flow values measured by 3D-pcASL can effectively differentiate between nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in patients with diabetic retinopathy.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Santosh Gopi Krishna Gadde, Arpita Kshirsagar, Neha Anegondi, Thirumalesh B. Mochi, Stephane Heymans, Arkasubhra Ghosh, Abhijit Sinha Roy
Summary: The study showed that as the severity of diabetic retinopathy increases, the volume of macular edema also increases, with proliferative DR having the largest edema volume. For intravitreal injection treatment, recurrent eyes had the largest edema volume, while the treatment naive group had the smallest.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Rossella Salemi, Barbara Tomasello, Giuseppe Gattuso, Salvatore Santo Signorelli, Saverio Candido
Summary: Inflammation is a protective response of the body, and the relationship between inflammatory cell activity and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is not fully understood. This study found that IL6 signaling may play a direct role in leukocyte activation in DVT and may serve as a predictive biomarker for DVT development.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Giovanni Giurdanella, Anna Longo, Alfio Distefano, Melania Olivieri, Martina Cristaldi, Alessia Cosentino, Aleksandra Agafonova, Nunzia Caporarello, Gabriella Lupo, Carmelina Daniela Anfuso
Summary: This study evaluated the modulatory effect of the selective beta 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist metoprolol on the inflammatory response to hyperglycemic conditions. The results showed that metoprolol could reduce cell death and modulate the angiogenic potential, while decreasing the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and angiogenesis-related genes. Furthermore, metoprolol inhibited the activation of the inflammatory signaling pathway and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), while activating the anti-oxidative cellular response pathway.
Article
Oncology
Alessandro Lavoro, Aurora Scalisi, Saverio Candido, Guido Nicola Zanghi, Roberta Rizzo, Giuseppe Gattuso, Giuseppe Caruso, Massimo Libra, Luca Falzone
Summary: Breast and ovarian cancer are the two most common tumor types in females worldwide. Various factors such as age, reproductive factors, and genetic factors are associated with the onset and progression of these cancers. Mutations in the tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 can lead to increased cancer risk. Next-generation sequencing and droplet digital PCR are effective methods for assessing and detecting BRCA1/2 mutations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Saverio Candido, Rossella Salemi, Sara Piccinin, Luca Falzone, Massimo Libra
Summary: This study suggests that the crosstalk between the MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways is a major mechanism associated with melanoma development and progression, and the combination of MAPK and PI3K inhibitors may sensitize melanoma cells to therapy.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Tho X. Pham, Jisu Lee, Jiazhen Guan, Nunzia Caporarello, Jeffrey A. Meridew, Dakota L. Jones, Qi Tan, Steven K. Huang, Daniel J. Tschumperlin, Giovanni Ligresti
Summary: This study identified the gene programs driving persistent lung fibrosis in aging by analyzing the RNA of lung fibroblasts from young and aged mice. The findings suggested that PIM1 and NFATc1 may play a role in the sustained profibrotic gene expression in aged fibroblasts. Targeting this pathway could potentially be a therapeutic strategy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nunzia Caporarello, Jisu Lee, Tho X. Pham, Dakota L. Jones, Jiazhen Guan, Patrick A. Link, Jeffrey A. Meridew, Grace Marden, Takashi Yamashita, Collin A. Osborne, Aditya Bhagwate, Steven K. Huang, Roberto F. Nicosia, Daniel J. Tschumperlin, Maria Trojanowska, Giovanni Ligresti
Summary: Vascular dysfunction plays a significant role in aging and chronic diseases, but its involvement in lung repair and fibrosis remains unclear. In this study, the authors identified the endothelial transcription factor ERG as a mediator of vascular repair, whose function declines in aged lungs, resulting in sustained fibrosis. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction in lung fibrosis and provide potential targets for therapeutic interventions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Ashley Y. Gao, Ana M. Diaz Espinosa, Fiorenza Giani, Tho X. Pham, Chase M. Carver, Aja Aravamudhan, Colleen M. Bartman, Giovanni Ligresti, Nunzia Caporarello, Marissa J. Schafer, Andrew J. Haak
Summary: Cellular senescence is closely associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and Pim-1 kinase has been identified as a driver of NF-kappa B activity, enhancing the production of inflammatory cytokines in IPF fibroblasts. Inhibition of Pim-1 kinase can significantly reduce the expression of cytokines and chemokines in IPF fibroblasts. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of targeting Pim-1 kinase to reprogram the secretome of senescent fibroblasts and halt IPF progression.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LUNG CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Kalpana R. Betageri, Patrick A. Link, Andrew J. Haak, Giovanni Ligresti, Daniel J. Tschumperlin, Nunzia Caporarello
Summary: A protein called CCN3 plays a critical role in lung endothelial function and may be a promising therapeutic target to limit the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LUNG CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Luca Falzone, Saverio Candido, Anca Oana Docea, Daniela Calina
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nunzia Caporarello, Giovanni Ligresti
Summary: Lungs have the ability to regenerate in response to injury, but sustained injuries, aging, and genomic instability make them susceptible to disrepair and fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity, and the dysfunction of the pulmonary vasculature contributes to its progression. This review summarizes current findings related to lung vascular repair and provides insights into the development of persistent lung fibrosis.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Agata Zappala, Ivana Roberta Romano, Floriana D'Angeli, Giuseppe Musumeci, Debora Lo Furno, Rosario Giuffrida, Giuliana Mannino
Summary: Gap junctions (GJs) formed by connexins (Cxs) are important for intercellular communication in skeletal tissues. The most expressed connexin, Cx43, plays a role in the formation of GJs and hemichannels (HCs) in bone cells. Through GJs, osteocytes in deep lacunae can form a functional syncytium with neighboring osteocytes and bone cells at the bone surface, allowing coordinated cell activity through the propagation of signals. Cxs and GJs have a fundamental role in skeletal development and cartilage functions, and understanding their mechanisms may contribute to therapeutic approaches for skeletal disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Rosanna Salvia, Carlo Genovese, Floriana D'Angeli, Patrizia Falabella
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Gian Marco Leone, Saverio Candido, Alessandro Lavoro, Silvia Vivarelli, Giuseppe Gattuso, Daniela Calina, Massimo Libra, Luca Falzone
Summary: Lung cancer is the second most diagnosed tumor with the highest mortality rate. Recent progress in the treatment of lung cancer includes targeted therapies and immunotherapy, which have been approved in clinical practice. This review discusses the current and ongoing clinical studies on targeted therapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors for lung cancer, as well as the advantages and limitations of these new therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, the importance of human microbiota as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for lung cancer is analyzed. The future research milestones in personalized treatment for lung cancer are expected to consider the genetic landscape, immune background, and individual variables such as patient-specific gut microbial composition.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Naomi Osakabe, Sergio Modafferi, Maria Laura Ontario, Francesco Rampulla, Vincenzo Zimbone, Maria Rita Migliore, Tilman Fritsch, Ali S. Abdelhameed, Luigi Maiolino, Gabriella Lupo, Carmelina Daniela Anfuso, Elisabetta Genovese, Daniele Monzani, Uwe Wenzel, Edward J. Calabrese, R. Martin Vabulas, Vittorio Calabrese
Summary: There is significant interest in finding effective strategies to prevent and slow the onset of hearing loss. Research suggests that protective dietary supplements, such as polyphenols, can help protect cochlear neural stem cells from aging and noise-related damage. These studies also show that polyphenols exhibit a biphasic dose-response pattern, with low doses having beneficial effects and high doses potentially becoming ineffective or harmful. Furthermore, polyphenols targeting the Nrf2 pathway show promise in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, thus preventing degeneration of auditory hair cells and XIII cranial/auditory nerve cells.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carmelina Daniela Anfuso, Giovanni Giurdanella, Anna Longo, Alessia Cosentino, Aleksandra Agafonova, Dario Rusciano, Gabriella Lupo
Summary: C3G and Verb can efficiently protect retinal endothelial cells against high glucose damage, and their combined application has the best effect.
FRONTIERS IN BIOSCIENCE-LANDMARK
(2022)