The Potential of Insect Farming to Increase Food Security

Insect protein production through ‘mini-livestock farming’ has enormous potential to reduce the level of undernutrition in critical areas across the world. Sustainable insect farming could contribute substantially to increased food security, most especially in areas susceptible to environmental stochasticity. Entomophagy has long been acknowledged as an underutilised strategy to address issues of food security. This chapter reviews and provides a synthesis of the literature surrounding the potential of insect farming to alleviate food security while promoting food sovereignty and integrating social acceptability. These are immediate and current problems of food security and nutrition that must be solved to meet the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals

First Report of Circulating MicroRNAs in Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS)

Tumor necrosis factor-receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) is a rare autosomal dominant autoinflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of long-lasting fever and inflammation in different regions of the body, such as the musculo-skeletal system, skin, gastrointestinal tract, serosal membranes and eye. Our aims were to evaluate circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) levels in patients with TRAPS, in comparison to controls without inflammatory diseases, and to correlate their levels with parameters of disease activity and/or disease severity. Expression levels of circulating miRNAs were measured by Agilent microarrays in 29 serum samples from 15 TRAPS patients carrying mutations known to be associated with high disease penetrance and from 8 controls without inflammatory diseases. Differentially expressed and clinically relevant miRNAs were detected using GeneSpring GX software. We identified a 6 miRNAs signature able to discriminate TRAPS from controls. Moreover, 4 miRNAs were differentially expressed between patients treated with the interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist, anakinra, and untreated patients. Of these, miR-92a-3p and miR-150-3p expression was found to be significantly reduced in untreated patients, while their expression levels were similar to controls in samples obtained during anakinra treatment. MiR-92b levels were inversely correlated with the number of fever attacks/year during the 1st year from the index attack of TRAPS, while miR-377-5p levels were positively correlated with serum amyloid A (SAA) circulating levels. Our data suggest that serum miRNA levels show a baseline pattern in TRAPS, and may serve as potential markers of response to therapeutic intervention

MiRNAs differentially expressed between treated and untreated TRAPS patients.

*<p>These microRNAs are downregulated in TRAPS patients vs. controls (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0073443#pone-0073443-t002" target="_blank">Table 2</a> and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0073443#pone.0073443.s003" target="_blank">Table S2</a>).</p

MicroRNAs correlating with clinical and laboratory features.

<p><b>A)</b> correlation of miR-92b with the number of fever attacks/year during the 1^st year from the index attack of TRAPS. The levels of miR-92b correlate negatively with the number of fever attacks/year during the 1^st year from the index attack of TRAPS (p 0.0045, r = −0.5589) <b>B)</b> the levels of miR-377-5p are increased in patients presenting increased serum amyloid A (SAA) levels (p 0.0004, r = 0.66).</p

Expression of miR-92-3p and miR-150-3p in controls and in treated and untreated TRAPS patients.

<p>The expression levels of miR-93-3p and miR-150-3p, derived from the microarray experiment, were plotted in this graph using scatter plot distribution. ** p-value <0.001 at t-test; * p-value <0.05 at t-test.</p

MiRNAs significantly modulated in TRAPS patients versus controls.

<p>MiRNAs significantly modulated in TRAPS patients versus controls.</p