Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maolei Shen, Xin Li, Biao Qian, Qiang Wang, Shanan Lin, Wenhao Wu, Shuai Zhu, Rui Zhu, Shankun Zhao
Summary: MicroRNA-mediated autophagy plays a significant role in urologic malignancies, acting as either carcinogenic factors or suppressors. The complex network involving miRNAs, targeted genes, and signaling pathways regulates autophagy, affecting tumorigenesis, progression, and resistance to anticancer therapies. Targeting specific miRNAs for autophagy modulation may offer reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or promising therapeutic strategies for urologic oncologies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Meng-Lu Chen, Chun-Gu Hong, Tao Yue, Hong-Ming Li, Ran Duan, Wen-Bao Hu, Jia Cao, Zhen-Xing Wang, Chun-Yuan Chen, Xiong-Ke Hu, Ben Wu, Hao-Ming Liu, Yi-Juan Tan, Jiang-Hua Liu, Zhong-Wei Luo, Yan Zhang, Shan-Shan Rao, Ming-Jie Luo, Hao Yin, Yi-Yi Wang, Kun Xia, Si-Yuan Tang, Hui Xie, Zheng-Zhao Liu
Summary: The study found biphasic changes of miR-331-3p and miR-9-5p in AD progression, inhibiting these two microRNAs can promote autophagic clearance of A beta and prevent AD development. This was demonstrated in experiments and offers a potential new therapeutic strategy for AD patients.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xueting Ma, Yuxin Feng, Xiangyu Quan, Bingyu Geng, Guodong Li, Xueqi Fu, Linlin Zeng
Summary: This study reveals that CCT2 is significantly downregulated in Alzheimer's disease patients and is associated with autophagic clearance of beta-amyloid. It is also found that CCT2 is closely related to multiple pathways, such as protein folding, autophagy, and mRNA stability regulation. These findings suggest that CCT2 may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Haixia Lin, Kelly E. Mercer, Xiawei Ou, Kori Mansfield, Robert Buchmann, Elisabet Borsheim, Emir Tas
Summary: This study aimed to assess the relationship between serum miRNA profile in children with obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The results showed that several miRNAs were differentially expressed in children with IR and NAFLD, which may provide new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric NAFLD.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlotta Giorgi, Esmaa Bouhamida, Alberto Danese, Maurizio Previati, Paolo Pinton, Simone Patergnani
Summary: Autophagy and mitophagy play crucial roles in neurodegenerative diseases and may serve as potential biomarkers. Modulating these mechanisms could be an innovative strategy for overcoming neurodegenerative conditions. Understanding autophagic and mitophagic mechanisms could facilitate diagnosis, prognosis, and the development of therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Annamaria Pronio, Francesco Covotta, Lucia Pallotta, Rossella Palma, Danilo Badiali, Maria Carlotta Sacchi, Antonietta Lamazza, Carola Severi
Summary: The study aims to compare collagen deposition and cytokine expression involved in the fibrogenic response in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and celiac disease. The results show that the inflammatory pathway in EoE is different from celiac disease, and fibrosis mainly occurs in the distal esophagus.
Article
Neurosciences
Serena Petry, Remi Keraudren, Behnaz Nateghi, Andreanne Loiselle, Karolina Pircs, Johan Jakobsson, Chantelle Sephton, Melanie Langlois, Isabelle St-Amour, Sebastien S. Hebert
Summary: Mutant Huntingtin protein binds to Ago2 and disrupts mature miRNA levels. Ago2, Drosha, and Dicer were downregulated in early stages of Huntington's disease. Various types of maturation defects were observed in the HD brain, with the most prominent occurring at the pre-miRNA to mature miRNA step. These findings provide important clues into the underlying mechanisms behind miRNA alterations in HD-susceptible tissues.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Young Mi Oh, Seong Won Lee, Andrew S. Yoo
Summary: Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease that manifests in adulthood. The mechanism behind how aging triggers neurodegeneration in HD patients is still unknown. By modeling the disease progression of HD using medium spiny neurons (MSNs) generated from fibroblasts of HD patients at different stages, researchers found a decline in cellular functions such as autophagy/macroautophagy and onset of neurodegeneration with age. The study also identified that HD-MSNs have increased chromatin accessibility and upregulated MIR29B-3p, which represses STAT3 and leads to HD-MSN degeneration. The findings highlight the dysregulation of microRNA and autophagy associated with MSN degeneration in HD, and propose potential approaches for protecting MSNs by enhancing autophagy.
Article
Immunology
Shady Estfanous, Kylene P. Daily, Mostafa Eltobgy, Nicholas P. Deems, Midhun N. K. Anne, Kathrin Krause, Asmaa Badr, Kaitlin Hamilton, Cierra Carafice, Ahmad Hegazi, Arwa Abu Khweek, Hesham Kelani, Shahid Nimjee, Hamdy Awad, Xiaoli Zhang, Estelle Cormet-Boyaka, Hesham Haffez, Sameh Soror, Adel Mikhail, Gerard Nuovo, Ruth M. Barrientos, Mikhail A. Gavrilin, Amal O. Amer
Summary: The study revealed that autophagy function in microglia is impaired in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), with elevated levels of miR-17 potentially leading to decreased NBR1 expression and affecting A beta degradation. Inhibiting miR-17 can improve autophagy function in AD microglia, offering a potential mechanism for therapeutic interventions in AD patients.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wei Zhao, Yameng Cui, Lina Liu, Xiaoqian Qi, Jingwen Liu, Shiqing Ma, Xin Hu, Zheng Zhang, Yue Wang, Hongfa Li, Zuomin Wang, Zihao Liu, Jie Wu
Summary: After the online publication of this article, the authors identified errors in the images used for compiling Fig. 3c, 3g, and Supplementary Fig. 3g.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiankun Lv, Zhen Zhong, Binbin Hu, Si Yan, Yufang Yan, Junjun Zhang, Ting Shi, Lijuan Jiang, Wen Li, Wei Huang
Summary: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. The microRNA miR-3473b has been shown to regulate autophagy and inflammatory factor secretion in PD, indicating a potential therapeutic target for modulating inflammation in Parkinson's disease.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Shao-Hua Dai, Lu-Jie Chen, Wang-Hong Qi, Chun-Lin Ye, Guo-Wen Zou, Wei-Cheng Liu, Ben-Tong Yu, Jian Tang
Summary: The study demonstrates that miR-145 is upregulated in lung ischemia/reperfusion injury, enhancing autophagy processes and exacerbating the severity of lung damage.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Silvia Sposito, Agnese Secondo, Antonio Massimiliano Romanelli, Antonio Montefusco, Merlin Nanayakkara, Salvatore Auricchio, Maria Vittoria Barone, Ivana Caputo, Gaetana Paolella
Summary: In this study, the response of skin-derived fibroblasts from CD and control subjects to the ER stress inducer thapsigargin was investigated, revealing molecular features of the CD cellular phenotype. It was found that CD cells had lower cytosolic and ER Ca2+ levels compared to control cells, and showed slightly different responses in terms of ER stress activation and autophagic marker expression. Overall, this study identified further molecular features of CD cells and highlighted their reduced ability to adapt to stress conditions and respond in a physiological manner.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Diana Talipova, Aiganym Smagulova, Dimitri Poddighe
Summary: This review discusses the potential role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the immunopathogenesis of CD. Although evidence from basic research is limited, differences in TLR expression and activation have been observed between active CD patients and controls or treated CD patients in some clinical studies. Therefore, TLRs may be part of the non-HLA-related genetic factors implicated in CD pathogenesis, considering their potential role in the interaction between the host immune system and environmental factors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
M. Nasser, Muqaddas Masood, Salah Adlat, Deng Gang, Shuoji Zhu, Ge Li, Nanbo Li, Jimei Chen, Ping Zhu
Summary: This review discusses the molecular mechanisms of exosomes and internal microRNAs derived from mesenchymal stem cells in repairing cardiac ischemic injury. It highlights the potential advantages of exosomal miRNAs in disease diagnosis and predicting curative effects. Studies also show that mesenchymal stem cell-derived micro-exosomes can regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, and angiogenesis in ischemic tissue.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Ciro Esposito, Lorenzo Masieri, Marco Castagnetti, Gloria Pelizzo, Mario De Gennaro, Gabriele Lisi, Giovanni Cobellis, Piergiorgio Gamba, Vincenzo Di Benedetto, Maria Escolino
Summary: This study confirmed the limited diffusion of robotic-assisted pediatric surgery in Italy. Pediatric surgeons need to obtain a certificate after virtual and experimental training before starting robotic surgery. The main indication for robotic surgery in children is reconstructive urological procedures.
JOURNAL OF LAPAROENDOSCOPIC & ADVANCED SURGICAL TECHNIQUES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ugo Pastorino, Emanuela Palmerini, Luca Porcu, Roberto Luksch, Paolo Scanagatta, Cristina Meazza, Giovanni Leuzzi, Maura Massimino, Piero Picci
Summary: This study analyzed the clinical benefit and potential cure rate of repeated lung metastasectomy in a pediatric population. The results showed that repeated lung metastasectomy can achieve a permanent cure when offered to properly selected patients with metastases from osteosarcoma.
Article
Hematology
Daniele Zama, Francesco Baccelli, Antonella Colombini, Amalia Contino, Elisabetta Calore, Maria Grazia Petris, Linda Meneghello, Federico Mercolini, Andrea Lo Vecchio, Shana Montalto, Cristina Meazza, Angelica Barone, Francesca Compagno, Paola Muggeo, Elena Soncini, Letizia Brescia, Eugenia Giraldi, Nagua Giurici, Rosa Maria Mura, Monica Cellini, Katia Perruccio, Valeria Petroni, Milena La Spina, Ottavio Ziino, Roberta Burnelli, Raffaella De Santis, Maurizio Mascarin, Valentina Barretta, Gloria Tridello, Simone Cesaro
Summary: COVID-19 has a mild clinical course with low mortality rate in general pediatric population. However, children with cancer may have variable outcomes. Early infections, infections after stem cell transplantation, and patients on active chemotherapy may have moderate to critical disease. Regular chemotherapy continuation is suggested, especially in patients on maintenance therapy or infected late after diagnosis.
ANNALS OF HEMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Maura Massimino, Sabina Vennarini, Francesco Barretta, Francesca Colombo, Manila Antonelli, Bianca Pollo, Emanuele Pignoli, Emilia Pecori, Ombretta Alessandro, Elisabetta Schiavello, Luna Boschetti, Marta Podda, Nadia Puma, Giovanna Gattuso, Giovanna Sironi, Elena Barzano, Olga Nigro, Luca Bergamaschi, Stefano Chiaravalli, Roberto Luksch, Cristina Meazza, Filippo Spreafico, Monica Terenziani, Michela Casanova, Andrea Ferrari, Marco Chisari, Chiara Pellegrini, Carlo Alfredo Clerici, Piergiorgio Modena, Veronica Biassoni
Summary: This study is the largest series of re-RT in pediatric HGG to date. Results show that patients who did not experience disease progression after reRT and patients with longer intervals between initial RT and reRT had better survival outcomes.
JOURNAL OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Bianca Slivinschi, Federico Manai, Carolina Martinelli, Francesca Carriero, Camilla D'Amato, Martina Massarotti, Giorgia Bresciani, Claudio Casali, Gloria Milanesi, Laura Artal, Lisa Zanoletti, Federica Milella, Davide Arfini, Alberto Azzalin, Sara Demartis, Elisabetta Gavini, Sergio Comincini
Summary: The study developed a combined scheme to enhance the uptake of Rose bengal (RB) in astrocytoma cells and reduce its extracellular release, thereby improving the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT).
Article
Oncology
Luca Bergamaschi, Stefano Chiaravalli, Virginia Livellara, Giovanna Sironi, Nadia Puma, Olga Nigro, Giovanna Gattuso, Roberto Luksch, Monica Terenziani, Filippo Spreafico, Cristina Meazza, Marta Podda, Veronica Biassoni, Elisabetta Schiavello, Shushan Hovsepyan, Carlo Morosi, Sabina Vennarini, Maura Massimino, Michela Casanova, Andrea Ferrari
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed the treatment of relapsing rhabdomyosarcoma patients and found that the survival rate after the first relapse is poor. Several factors were found to influence survival rates, and these factors can be used in a risk-adapted model to guide decisions for second-line treatments.
PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Elisabetta Schiavello, Filippo Spreafico, Francesco Barretta, Giulia Meraviglia, Veronica Biassoni, Monica Terenziani, Luna Boschetti, Giovanna Gattuso, Stefano Chiaravalli, Luca Bergamaschi, Nadia Puma, Giovanna Sironi, Olga Nigro, Marta Podda, Cristina Meazza, Michela Casanova, Andrea Ferrari, Roberto Luksch, Maura Massimino
Summary: Low-intensity chemotherapy for 9 weeks without intrathecal prophylaxis is sufficient for curing children with early-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (ES-NHL), without jeopardizing the excellent survival rate of this disease.
Article
Oncology
Cristina Meazza, Sironi Giovanna, Olga Nigro, Giovanna Gattuso, Barretta Francesco, Marta Podda, Roberto Luksch, Veronica Biassoni, Elisabetta Schiavello, Andrea Ferrari, Filippo Spreafico, Michela Casanova, Stefano Chiaravalli, Nadia Puma, Luca Bergamaschi, Virginia Livellara, Morosi Carlo, Antonina Parafioriti, Primo Daolio, Stefano Bastoni, Sabina Vennarini, Emilia Pecori, Ombretta Alessandro, Paola Collini, Maura Massimino, Monica Terenziani
Summary: This study examines the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with secondary osteosarcoma (SOS). The results show that the survival rates after SOS are lower than in patients with primary osteosarcoma but not negligible. Therefore, the best choice of treatment for such patients should be discussed at a referral center in terms of their chances of cure and quality of life.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Michela Casanova, Luca Bergamaschi, Stefano Chiaravalli, Carlo Morosi, Virginia Livellara, Shushan Hovsepyan, Giovanna Sironi, Nadia Puma, Olga Nigro, Giovanna Gattuso, Roberto Luksch, Monica Terenziani, Filippo Spreafico, Cristina Meazza, Marta Podda, Veronica Biassoni, Elisabetta Schiavello, Patrizia Gasparini, Sabina Vennarini, Maura Massimino, Andrea Ferrari
Summary: This retrospective study examines the impact of routine surveillance imaging on recurrent tumors identification and post-relapse survival in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma. The findings suggest that surveillance imaging does not significantly improve the detection of relapse compared to clinical symptoms, but may have a positive effect on survival in patients with favorable prognostic scores.
PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Marta Giorgia Podda, Elisabetta Schiavello, Olga Nigro, Carlo Alfredo Clerici, Fabio Simonetti, Roberto Luksch, Monica Terenziani, Andrea Ferrari, Michela Casanova, Filippo Spreafico, Cristina Meazza, Stefano Chiaravalli, Veronica Biassoni, Giovanna Gattuso, Nadia Puma, Luca Bergamaschi, Givanna Sironi, Maura Massimino
Summary: Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of mortality in high-income countries, and palliative care for terminally ill children is crucial. This study retrospectively collected data on children treated for cancer who died at an Italian pediatric oncology unit from 2016 to 2020, focusing on the use of palliative sedation for refractory symptoms caused by solid tumors.
BMJ SUPPORTIVE & PALLIATIVE CARE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Federico Manai, Lisa Zanoletti, Davide Arfini, Simone Giorgio De Micco, Arolda Gjyzeli, Sergio Comincini, Marialaura Amadio
Summary: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is a well-studied molecule with immuno-modulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, currently approved for psoriasis and multiple sclerosis treatment. This review discusses the potential repurposing of DMF in chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestine, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease, based on its mechanisms of action and evidence of beneficial effects on the gut microbiota. The article highlights the new potential applications of DMF in inflammatory and immune-mediated intestinal diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Federico Manai, Lisa Zanoletti, Giulia Morra, Samman Mansoor, Francesca Carriero, Elena Bozzola, Stella Muscianisi, Sergio Comincini
Summary: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine. It is caused by the ingestion of gluten, a storage protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and related cereals. Gluten exorphins (GEs), a group of biologically active peptides, have been proposed to contribute to asymptomatic CD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Marta G. Podda, Cristina Meazza, Giovanna Gattuso, Giovanna Sironi, Olga Nigro, Luca Bergamaschi, Veronica Biassoni, Michela Casanova, Stefano Chiaravalli, Andrea Ferrari, Roberto Luksch, Nadia Puma, Elisabetta Schiavello, Filippo Spreafico, Paolo Grampa, Siranoush Manoukian, Sabina Vennarini, Paola Collini, Primo A. Daolio, Massimiliano Gennaro, Marco Guzzo, Carlo Morosi, Davide Biasoni, Maura Massimino, Monica Terenziani
Summary: Each year, around 35,000 children and adolescents in Europe are diagnosed with cancer. Survival rates have increased to 80% in most European countries, thanks to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. However, cancer survivors in childhood and adolescence face the risk of developing chronic health conditions and even second malignant neoplasms later in life. It is crucial to discuss potential problems early on and provide specialized care for these survivors.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sergio Comincini, Federico Manai, Milena Sorrenti, Sara Perteghella, Camilla D'Amato, Dalila Miele, Laura Catenacci, Maria Cristina Bonferoni
Summary: In this study, two hydrophobic salts of berberine (BBR) were encapsulated in PLGA-based nanoparticles (NPs) with chitosan oleate coating and further functionalized with folic acid for targeted delivery to glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells. The NPs efficiently internalized into GBM cells, and the presence of folic acid increased the internalization. BBR-S NPs without folic acid content showed the highest mitochondrial co-localization. PDT enhanced the cytotoxicity of BBR-S NPs in GBM cells, with a roughly 50% reduction in viability. These results highlight the efficacy of BBR-NPs-based strategy combined with photoactivation approaches for inducing favorable cytotoxic effects in GBM cells.
Article
Pediatrics
Olga Nigro, Cristina Meazza, Elisabetta Schiavello, Veronica Biassoni, Nadia Puma, Luca Bergamaschi, Giovanna Gattuso, Giovanna Sironi, Virginia Livellara, Gabriele Papagni, Maura Massimino
Summary: This study investigated the occurrence of acute kidney injury in patients with concurrent SARS-CoV-2 infection during high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) treatment. The results showed that all three patients who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 during HDMTX treatment developed acute kidney injury. Therefore, the researchers suggested that COVID-19 could be one of the causes of kidney failure in these patients.