Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Lehman, Wioleta Kowalska, Michal Zarobkiewicz, Marek Mazurek, Karolina Mrozowska, Agnieszka Bojarska-Junak, Radoslaw Rola
Summary: Monocyte subpopulations in glioma patients' peripheral blood were analyzed based on CD14, CD16, and SLAN expression. The study found different profiles of monocytes with varying cytokine expression. The presence of these different profiles might hinder the effectiveness of immunotherapies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Giacomo Della Camera, Mariusz Madej, Anna Maria Ferretti, Rita La Spina, Yang Li, Annunziata Corteggio, Tommaso Heinzl, Benjamin J. Swartzwelter, Gergo Sipos, Sabrina Gioria, Alessandro Ponti, Diana Boraschi, Paola Italiani
Summary: This study found that nanoparticles used for diagnostic imaging, such as gold and iron oxide nanoparticles, can induce or modulate innate memory in human primary monocytes. The effects on innate memory were found to be donor-dependent, suggesting personalized profiling would be needed to predict the impact of imaging nanoparticles on patients' innate immune reactivity.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Patricia Urban, Paola Italiani, Diana Boraschi, Sabrina Gioria
Summary: The study investigates the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with the human immune system, finding that monocytes pre-exposed to the N protein exhibit a milder response to subsequent viral or bacterial challenges, potentially leading to a mild response to new infections.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Alex I. Kanno, Diana Boraschi, Luciana C. C. Leite, Dunia Rodriguez
Summary: This study evaluated the ability of a recombinant BCG strain (rBCG-S1PT) to induce innate immune memory. It was found that pre-exposure of naïve murine macrophages to rBCG-S1PT increased their innate/inflammatory response to unrelated pathogens. Mice immunized with rBCG-S1PT also showed higher levels of IFN-gamma and better control of Candida albicans infection compared to mice immunized with wild-type BCG. These findings suggest the potential of recombinant BCG to enhance innate immune memory and non-specific protection.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Benjamin J. Swartzwelter, Alessandro Verde, Laura Rehak, Mariusz Madej, Victor. F. Puntes, Anna Chiara De Luca, Diana Boraschi, Paola Italiani
Summary: Understanding the interaction between human monocytes/macrophages and engineered nanoparticles is crucial for assessing particle safety and exploring their potential medical uses. The study compared traditional 2D cell cultures with 3D collagen matrix cultures to evaluate the effects of gold nanoparticles on monocyte activation and innate memory. The results showed that while there were similarities in the response to stimuli between 2D and 3D cultures, significant differences were observed in the memory response of cells primed with nanoparticles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Iason Thomas, Ioannis Panagoulias, Ioanna Aggeletopoulou, Anastasia Varvarigou, Bessie E. Spiliotis, Athanasia Mouzaki
Summary: In children with acute ITP, leptin levels were significantly increased and inversely correlated with platelet count. IVIg treatment maintained high leptin levels, while steroid treatment lowered leptin below control levels. Leptin acts as an active anti-inflammatory agent in childhood ITP by promoting IL-10 secretion by monocytes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Michael Z. Zulu, Suhas Sureshchandra, Amanda N. Pinski, Brianna Doratt, Weining Shen, Ilhem Messaoudi
Summary: Both age and obesity are major risk factors for severe COVID-19 cases, with most hospitalizations and deaths occurring in individuals over 55 years old. Research suggests that older individuals and obese patients exhibit more pronounced impacts on host responses to SARS-CoV-2, particularly in terms of immune cell subsets and inflammatory cytokine production.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anastasia Kariagina, Andrea I. Doseff
Summary: Flavones, natural phytochemicals found in our diet, possess anti-inflammatory properties that can effectively control the innate immune system and inflammation. They play a significant role in chronic inflammation, particularly in obesity and cancer, by influencing molecular mechanisms. Flavones restore immune landscape by impacting innate immune cell repertoire and reestablish immune homeostasis through NF-kappa B, STAT, COX-2, or NLRP3 inflammasome pathways. With no adverse side effects, flavones could be alternative opportunities for treating and preventing chronic inflammation associated with obesity and cancer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Benjamin J. Swartzwelter, Sara Michelini, Tobias Frauenlob, Francesco Barbero, Alessandro Verde, Anna Chiara De Luca, Victor Puntes, Albert Duschl, Jutta Horejs-Hoeck, Paola Italiani, Diana Boraschi
Summary: The study found that engineered gold nanoparticles can influence the memory response of human primary monocytes, but the impact is limited. Different combinations of microbial agents and AuNPs can lead to varied memory responses, indicating a significant dependency of innate immune memory on individual exposure histories.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tobias Frauenlob, Theresa Neuper, Christof Regl, Veronika Schaepertoens, Michael S. Unger, Anna-Lena Oswald, Hieu-Hoa Dang, Christian G. Huber, Fritz Aberger, Silja Wessler, Jutta Horejs-Hoeck
Summary: Helicobacter pylori infection increases the responsiveness of monocytes to subsequent bacterial stimulation and induces a unique proteomic signature compared to other inflammation-inducing stimuli. This effect is specific to H. pylori and independent of its virulence factors. The increased reactivity of infected monocytes may contribute to ineffective immune responses and disease progression.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Tobias Frauenlob, Theresa Neuper, Muamera Mehinagic, Hieu-Hoa Dang, Diana Boraschi, Jutta Horejs-Hoeck
Summary: Infection with H. pylori increases the sensitivity of human monocytes to bacterial stimuli, but this effect is only observed with viable H. pylori. This finding provides important insights into how H. pylori can induce chronic inflammation and contribute to the progression of gastric cancer.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Fiona Collier, Cerys Chau, Toby Mansell, Keshav Faye-Chauhan, Peter Vuillermin, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Richard Saffery, Mimi L. K. Tang, Martin O'Hely, John Carlin, Lawrence E. K. Gray, Siroon Bekkering, David Burgner
Summary: Early childhood is characterized by repeated infectious exposures that elicit inflammatory responses from the innate immune system, which may contribute to the link between childhood infection and adult non-communicable diseases. Boys have a higher inflammatory response than girls, and adiposity and winter season are associated with increased circulating inflammatory markers.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Valerio Chiurchiu, Lucia Scipioni, Beatrice Arosio, Daniela Mari, Sergio Oddi, Mauro Maccarrone
Summary: Growing evidence suggests that the immune system plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease, with targeting peripheral immune mechanisms showing promise as therapeutic strategies. Research has found that in AD patients, there is significantly reduced expression of CB1 and CB2 in B-lymphocytes, and decreased CB2 and increased FAAH in monocytes. Pharmacological inactivation of FAAH in monocytes from AD patients can modulate immune responses by altering cytokine production.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emilie Jalbert, Cuining Liu, Vidya Mave, Nancy Lang, Anju Kagal, Chhaya Valvi, Mandar Paradkar, Nikhil Gupte, Rahul Lokhande, Renu Bharadwaj, Vandana Kulkarni, Amita Gupta, Adriana Weinberg
Summary: There is a need for more effective vaccines against tuberculosis (TB) than the currently licensed BCG vaccine. This study aimed to identify new vaccine benchmarks by examining immune responses in individuals able to eradicate the infection (TB-resisters) and individuals with latent infection (LTBI-participants). Results showed that TB-resisters had higher frequencies of certain T cells and higher proportions of polyfunctional T cells expressing specific markers, while LTBI-participants had higher expression of activation markers and cytokines. The findings suggest that specific T cell responses may be desirable for new TB vaccines.
Article
Neurosciences
Katrin Richter, Roger L. Papke, Clare Stokes, Danika C. Roy, Eduardo S. Espinosa, Philipp M. K. Wolf, Andreas Hecker, Juliane Liese, Vijay K. Singh, Winfried Padberg, Klaus-Dieter Schluter, Marius Rohde, J. Michael McIntosh, Barbara J. Morley, Nicole A. Horenstein, Veronika Grau, Alain R. Simard
Summary: Activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can attenuate pro-inflammatory responses, and silent nAChR agonists are expected to be effective in preventing and treating various inflammatory diseases by down-modulating inflammation.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Simona Cataldi, Marianna Aprile, Daniela Melillo, Ines Mucel, Sophie Giorgetti-Peraldi, Mireille Cormont, Paola Italiani, Matthias Blueher, Jean-Francois Tanti, Alfredo Ciccodicola, Valerio Costa
Summary: In this study, it was found that inflammatory factors secreted by metabolically-activated macrophages can modulate the expression and splicing of PPARG, leading to impaired adipocyte differentiation and exacerbating the defective PPAR gamma activity in hypertrophic adipose tissue.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jacopo Cardellini, Costanza Montis, Francesco Barbero, Ilaria De Santis, Lucrezia Caselli, Debora Berti
Summary: In the past decades, the interactions between engineered nanoparticles (NPs) and biological interfaces have been extensively studied to understand their cytotoxicity and clinical applications. However, the interactions at highly curved biological interfaces, such as cubic membranes, are still not well explored. In this study, the interaction of model lipid cubic phase membranes with gold and silver nanoparticles was investigated. The results showed that the composition of the metal core of NPs modulated their adsorption and self-assembly at cubic interfaces, leading to different effects on the membrane morphology.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Camilla Maria Cova, Laura Conti, Francesco Barbero, Debora Berti, Giulia Ottavia Bianchetti
Summary: In this study, an analytical approach was used to investigate the desorption and transfer processes of dyes in aqueous environment. Standard laundry washes were simulated using different textiles as donors and acceptors. The results show that both processes are influenced by the presence of surfactants, with a stronger effect on disperse dyes. In addition, the presence of acceptor polyester significantly increased the bleeding of disperse dyes.
JOURNAL OF SURFACTANTS AND DETERGENTS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Maria Mangini, Rosa D'Angelo, Caterina Vinciguerra, Christine Payre, Gerard Lambeau, Barbara Balestrieri, Julia F. F. Charles, Stefania Mariggio
Summary: This study investigates the role of group IIA secreted phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)-IIA) in osteoclast bone-resorption activity and syncytium formation. The results suggest that sPLA(2)-IIA is involved in the regulation of osteoclast maturation and fusion through both catalytic-dependent and independent mechanisms.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Mangini, Maria Antonietta Ferrara, Gianluigi Zito, Stefano Manago, Alberto Luini, Anna Chiara De Luca, Giuseppe Coppola
Summary: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which retain tumor properties and heterogeneity, have high potential clinical values. However, the detection and characterization of CTCs face challenges due to their rarity and difficulty in distinguishing them from white blood cells. Efficient and rapid methods are needed to capture the broad spectrum of tumor cells circulating in the blood.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Anja F. R. M. Ramsperger, Enrico Bergamaschi, Marco Panizzolo, Ivana Fenoglio, Francesco Barbero, Ruud Peters, Anna Undas, Sebastian Purker, Bernd Giese, Carina R. Lalyer, Alba Tamargo, M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas, Hans-Peter Grossart, Dana Kuhnel, Jana Dietrich, Friedrich Paulsen, Anani K. Afanou, Shan Zienolddiny-Narui, Stine Eriksen Hammer, Torunn Kringlen Ervik, Pal Graff, Bendik C. Brinchmann, Karl-Christian Nordby, Hakan Wallin, Matteo Nassi, Federico Benetti, Michela Zanella, Julian Brehm, Holger Kress, Martin G. J. Loeder, Christian Laforsch
Summary: Research shows that nano-and microplastic particles (NMPs) are widely present in the environment and may have adverse effects on organisms, ecosystems, and human health. NMPs can enter the human body through the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and skin, and may be translocated from the exposed organs to other tissues. This review article combines current knowledge on NMPs exposure routes, translocation mechanisms, and fate within the human body, emphasizing the importance of critically reading and discussing the results of NMP detection in human tissue samples.
Article
Biology
Federica Scotto di Carlo, Sharon Russo, Francesc Muyas, Maria Mangini, Lorenza Garribba, Laura Pazzaglia, Rita Genesio, Flavia Biamonte, Anna Chiara De Luca, Stefano Santaguida, Katia Scotlandi, Isidro Cortes-Ciriano, Fernando Gianfrancesco
Summary: Profilin 1, encoded by PFN1, is a protein that plays a tumor suppressive role in various adenocarcinomas and pagetic osteosarcomas. However, its exact contribution to tumor development is not fully understood. This study shows that inactivation of Profilin 1 leads to multiple mitotic defects, resulting in chromosomal instability and genome rearrangements in pagetic osteosarcomas. Mechanistically, Profilin 1 is involved in regulating cell division and its deficiency impairs actin filament supply during cytokinesis.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Optics
Giovanni Volpe, Onofrio M. Marago, Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Giuseppe Pesce, Alexander B. Stilgoe, Giorgio Volpe, Georgiy Tkachenko, Viet Giang Truong, Sile Nic Chormaic, Fatemeh Kalantarifard, Parviz Elahi, Mikael Kall, Agnese Callegari, Manuel Marques, Antonio A. R. Neves, Wendel L. Moreira, Adriana Fontes, Carlos L. Cesar, Rosalba Saija, Abir Saidi, Paul Beck, Joerg S. Eismann, Peter Banzer, Thales F. D. Fernandes, Francesco Pedaci, Warwick P. Bowen, Rahul Vaippully, Muruga Lokesh, Basudev Roy, Gregor Thalhammer-Thurner, Monika Ritsch-Marte, Laura Perez Garcia, Alejandro Arzola, Isaac Perez Castillo, Aykut Argun, Till M. Muenker, Bart E. Vos, Timo Betz, Ilaria Cristiani, Paolo Minzioni, Peter J. Reece, Fan Wang, David McGloin, Justus C. Ndukaife, Romain Quidant, Reece P. Roberts, Cyril Laplane, Thomas Volz, Reuven Gordon, Dag Hanstorp, Javier Tello Marmolejo, Graham D. Bruce, Kishan Dholakia, Tongcang Li, Oto Brzobohaty, Stephen H. Simpson, Pavel Zemanek, Felix Ritort, Yael Roichman, Valeriia Bobkova, Raphael Wittkowski, Cornelia Denz, G. V. Pavan Kumar, Antonino Foti, Maria Grazia Donato, Pietro G. Gucciardi, Lucia Gardini, Giulio Bianchi, Anatolii Kashchuk, Marco Capitanio, Lynn Paterson, Philip H. Jones, Kirstine Berg-Sorensen, Younes F. Barooji, Lene B. Oddershede, Pegah Pouladian, Daryl Preece, Caroline Beck Adiels, Anna Chiara De Luca, Alessandro Magazzu, David Bronte Ciriza, Maria Antonia Iati, Grover A. Swartzlander
Summary: Optical tweezers are tools that use light to push, trap, and manipulate objects without physical contact. Since the 1970s, they have evolved into sophisticated instruments and have been widely used in various fields such as life sciences, physics, and engineering. Applications include precise force and torque measurement, micro-rheology of complex fluids, spectroscopy of single micro- and nano-particles, single-cell analysis, and statistical-physics experiments. This roadmap provides insights into the theoretical foundations, designs, and setups of optical forces and tweezers, and offers perspectives for applications in research fields ranging from biophysics to space exploration.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-PHOTONICS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
F. Bietto, R. Scardaci, M. Brovia, I. Kokalari, F. Barbero, I. Fenoglio, E. Pessione
Summary: Food-grade titanium dioxide (TiO2-FG) is a commonly used metal oxide in the food industry. A study was conducted to investigate its effect on Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Enterococcus faecium NCIMB10415 (Ent), including their growth, bile resistance, adhesion to Caco-2/TC7 monolayers, and antimicrobial activity. It was found that TiO2-FG negatively affected the growth and characteristics of both LGG and Ent, indicating potential harm to probiotics and supporting arguments against using TiO2-FG as a food additive.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
S. Spaziani, G. Quero, S. Manago, G. Zito, D. Terracciano, P. E. Macchia, F. Galeotti, M. Pisco, A. C. De Luca, A. Cusano
Summary: We developed an immunoassay platform for the detection of human Thyroglobulin (Tg) in thyroid cancer patients with lymph node metastases. The platform utilizes a self-assembled surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate and functionalized gold nanoparticles to enhance molecular specificity and signal amplification. The platform has a low detection limit of 7 pg/mL and has been successfully applied to washout fluids from fine needle aspiration biopsies in cancer patients, demonstrating its high specificity in complex biological matrices.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra C. Fux, Cristiane Casonato Melo, Sara Michelini, Benjamin J. Swartzwelter, Andreas Neusch, Paola Italiani, Martin Himly
Summary: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major component of Gram-negative bacteria's outer cell wall, elicits severe immune reactions and requires accurate detection in medical devices and injectable pharmaceuticals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Alessia Giovanna Santa Banche Niclot, Elena Marini, Ivana Ferrero, Francesco Barbero, Elena Rosso, Ivana Fenoglio, Alessandro Barge, Augusto Pessina, Valentina Cocce, Francesca Paino, Katia Mareschi, Franca Fagioli
Summary: This study demonstrated that the conditioned medium isolated from MSCs loaded with PTX exhibited strong cytotoxic effects on OS cell lines. Additionally, the presence of nanoparticles with a size similar to extracellular vesicles and minimal doses of PTX were detected in the secretome.
Review
Oncology
Francesco Barbero, Shagufta Gul, Guido Perrone, Ivana Fenoglio
Summary: The diagnosis and treatment of cancer are continuously evolving, and nanoparticles or physical stimuli-responsive substances have shown great potential in overcoming the limitations of conventional therapies. By combining these two approaches, using inorganic nanomaterials activated by light, ultrasounds, magnetic fields, or ionizing radiations, it is possible to achieve greater efficiency and safety. This literature review summarizes the advancements in this research field, analyzing the most promising materials and applications.
TECHNOLOGY IN CANCER RESEARCH & TREATMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giacomo Della Camera, Tinghao Liu, Wenjie Yang, Yang Li, Victor F. Puntes, Sabrina Gioria, Paola Italiani, Diana Boraschi
Summary: The study found that nanoparticles alone cannot generate memory, while LPS induces a tolerance memory response. Nanoparticles have no significant effect on LPS-induced tolerance memory, but may have donor-specific effects.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)