Identification of Molecular Targets and Anti-Cancer Agents in GBM: New Perspectives for Cancer Therapy

: The authors of the present literature piece were invited to participate in the present Special Issue at the beginning of 2022, and we were all very enthusiastic at the prospect of assembling a series of articles on new molecular targets and anti-cancer agents in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) [...]

Biological significance of soluble IL-2 receptor

A NUMBER of receptors for growth factors and differentiation antigens have been found to be secreted or released by cells. Following mononuclear cell (MNC) activation and interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) expression, a soluble form of the Alpha;-chain of IL-2R (sIL-2R) is released. The sIL-2R has been shown to be present in the culture supernatants of activated MNCs as well as in normal sera and, in higher amounts, in sera from subjects affected by several diseases including neoplastic, infectious and autoimmune ones, and in sera from transplanted patients suffering allograft rejection. The blood sIL-2R levels depend on the number of producing cells and the number of molecules per cell, so that sIL-2R blood values may represent an index of the number and the functional state of producing cells, both normal and neoplastic. Thus, monitoring of the immune system, mostly T-cells and haematological malignancies might be targets for the measurement of sIL-2R. Since many conditions may influence sIL-2R production, little diagnostic use may result from these measurements. However, since blood sIL-2R levels may correlate with disease progression and/or response to therapy, their measurement may be a useful index of activity and extent of disease. The precise biological role of the soluble form of the IL-2R is still a matter of debate. However, we know that increased sIL-2R levels may be observed in association with several immunological abnormalities and that sIL-2R is able to bind IL-2. It is conceivable then that in these conditions the excess sIL-2R released in vivo by activated lymphoid cells or by neoplastic cells may somehow regulate IL-2-dependent processes. On the other hand, it cannot exclude that sIL-2R is a by-product without biological significance. Finally, it is puzzling that in many conditions in which an increase of blood sIL-2R values has been observed, MNCs display a decreased in vitro capacity to produce sIL-2R. These seemingly contrasting findings are discussed in the light of the data showing that sIL-2R production correlates with IL-2 production

The concept of original of a digital document in the interceptions in criminal trial

L'attuale regolamentazione italiana definisce con precisione il concetto di "copia" e "duplicazione" di un documento digitale, tuttavia non definisce chiaramente il concetto di "documento originale". Ciò causa problemi in tutti quei contesti nei quali è necessario esibire l'originale come prova, come nel caso delle intercettazioni nei processi penali. Un punto di partenza per gli studi iniziali potrebbe essere uno sguardo alle legislazioni su questo argomento in altri paesi.The current Italian regulation defines quite precisely the concept of “copy” and “duplicate” of a digital document however it does not clearly define the concept of “original document”. This causes problems in all those contexts in which it is necessary to exhibit the “original” as evidence as in the case of interceptions in criminal trials. A starting point for opening studies could be a look to the legislations on this subject in other countries

Dolphin Morbillivirus in Eurasian Otters, Italy

We report biomolecular evidence of dolphin morbillivirus in 4 wild Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from southern Italy; 2 animals showed simultaneous immunohistochemical reactivity against morbilliviral antigen. These cases add further concern and support to the progressively expanding host range of dolphin morbillivirus in the western Mediterranean Sea

Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxic activity on breast cancer cells of new half-titanocene derivatives

A series of novel titanocene-complexes has been prepared and evaluated for their growth regulatory effects in MCF7 and SkBr3 breast cancer cells. The capability of some of these compound to elicit relevant repressive effects on cancer cell growth could be taken into account towards novel pharmacological approaches in cancer therapy

Beauveria bassiana rewires molecular mechanisms related to growth and defense in tomato

Plant roots can exploit beneficial associations with soil-inhabiting microbes, promoting growth and expanding the immune capacity of the host plant. In this work, we aimed to provide new information on changes occurring in tomato interacting with the beneficial fungus Beauveria bassiana. The tomato leaf proteome revealed perturbed molecular pathways during the establishment of the plant–fungus relationship. In the early stages of colonization (5–7 d), proteins related to defense responses to the fungus were down-regulated and proteins related to calcium transport were up-regulated. At later time points (12–19 d after colonization), up-regulation of molecular pathways linked to protein/amino acid turnover and to biosynthesis of energy compounds suggests beneficial interaction enhancing plant growth and development. At the later stage, the profile of leaf hormones and related compounds was also investigated, highlighting up-regulation of those related to plant growth and defense. Finally, B. bassiana colonization was found to improve plant resistance to Botrytis cinerea, impacting plant oxidative damage. Overall, our findings further expand current knowledge on the possible mechanisms underlying the beneficial role of B. bassiana in tomato plants

T Lymphocytes Promote the Antiviral and Inflammatory Responses of Airway Epithelial Cells

T cells modulate the antiviral and inflammatory responses of airway epithelial cells to human rhinoviruses (HRV)

A roadmap to peace. Journey metaphors in political speeches on the Middle East peace process

Abstract – This paper investigates the metaphorical conceptualization of peace by former leaders George W. Bush, Ariel Sharon, and Mahmoud Abbas. Specifically, it examines how peace/the peace process is conceptualized via metaphors through the notion of JOURNEY and MOVEMENT. The corpus in this study comprises twenty speeches given by the three politicians over a four-year period (2002-2005). The corpus data is analyzed using a combination of different methods. The tools are mainly Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980), the MIPVU procedure (Steen et al. 2010), and Critical Metaphor Analysis (Charteris-Black 2004). Findings reveal that JOURNEY metaphors are a vital and common part of the three politicians’ political discourse. Overall, there are very few metaphors for peace unique to the individual politicians. The main differences observed lie not in which metaphors are used, but in what aspects of peace or the peace process they are used to highlight.Keywords: metaphor identification, conceptual metaphor, Critical Metaphor Analysis, political discourse, peace

A roadmap to peace. Journey metaphors in political speeches on the Middle East peace process

Abstract – This paper investigates the metaphorical conceptualization of peace by former leaders George W. Bush, Ariel Sharon, and Mahmoud Abbas. Specifically, it examines how peace/the peace process is conceptualized via metaphors through the notion of JOURNEY and MOVEMENT. The corpus in this study comprises twenty speeches given by the three politicians over a four-year period (2002-2005). The corpus data is analyzed using a combination of different methods. The tools are mainly Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980), the MIPVU procedure (Steen et al. 2010), and Critical Metaphor Analysis (Charteris-Black 2004). Findings reveal that JOURNEY metaphors are a vital and common part of the three politicians’ political discourse. Overall, there are very few metaphors for peace unique to the individual politicians. The main differences observed lie not in which metaphors are used, but in what aspects of peace or the peace process they are used to highlight.Keywords: metaphor identification, conceptual metaphor, Critical Metaphor Analysis, political discourse, peace

Postfazione - Afterword

Concluding remark