MiR-205-5p inhibition by locked nucleic acids impairs metastatic potential of breast cancer cells

Mir-205 plays an important role in epithelial biogenesis and in mammary gland development but its role in cancer still remains controversial depending on the specific cellular context and target genes. We have previously reported that miR-205-5p is upregulated in breast cancer stem cells targeting ERBB pathway and leading to targeted therapy resistance. Here we show that miR-205-5p regulates tumorigenic properties of breast cancer cells, as well as epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Silencing this miRNA in breast cancer results in reduced tumor growth and metastatic spreading in mouse models. Moreover, we show that miR-205-5p knock-down can be obtained with the use of specific locked nucleic acids oligonucleotides in vivo suggesting a future potential use of this approach in therapy

Validity and Reliability of the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL)-8D Multi-Attribute Utility Instrument

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper was to report tests of the validity and reliability of a new instrument, the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL)-8D, which was constructed to improve the evaluation of health services that have an impact upon the psychosocial aspects of the quality of life. METHODS: Australian and US data from a large multi-instrument comparison survey were used to conduct tests of convergent, predictive and content validity using as comparators five other multi-attribute utility (MAU) instruments—the EQ-5D, SF-6D, Health Utilities Index (HUI) 3, 15D and the Quality of Well-Being (QWB)—as well as four non-utility instruments—the SF-36 and three measures of subjective well-being (SWB). A separate three part Australian survey was used to assess test–retest reliability. RESULTS: Results indicate that AQoL-8D correlates more highly with both the SWB instruments and the psychosocial dimensions of the SF-36, and that it is similar to the other MAU instruments in terms of its convergent and predictive validity. The second Australian survey demonstrated high test–retest reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the AQoL-8D is a reliable and valid instrument which offers an alternative to the MAU instruments presently used in economic evaluation studies, and one which is particularly suitable when psychosocial elements of health are of importance

Impacto de los residuos de ivermectina en los procesos tecnológicos de la leche y sus derivados

Se evaluó la estabilidad química de los residuos de ivermectina (IVM, fármaco antiparasitario) en leches bovina y ovina. La estabilidad del fármaco se midió mediante cromatografía liquida de alta performance analizando muestras de leche con residuos de IVM antes y después del tratamiento térmico. Además se evaluó, mediante la prueba del yogur y estudios microbiológicos de recuento de bacterias lácticas, el efecto de los residuos sobre la viabilidad de las bacterias ácido lácticas. Los residuos de IVM en leche demostraron ser estables a los tratamientos térmicos utilizados en la industria láctea de pasteurización: baja temperatura/largo tiempo (LTLT 65ºC, 30 min) y alta temperatura/corto tiempo (HTST 75ºC, 15 s). Los procesos de industrialización de la leche basados en la actividad de las bacterias lácticas tampoco fueron afectados por la presencia de residuos de IVM. Las concentraciones evaluadas no modificaron el incremento de la acidez en la prueba del yogur y no disminuyeron los recuentos de bacterias lácticas presentes en muestras de yogures elaborados con residuos del antiparasitario. El impacto de los residuos de fármacos antiparasitarios en los procesos tecnológicos de elaboración de alimentos y en la salud del consumidor a largo plazo debe ser cuidadosamente analizado.Chemical stability of ivermectin residues (IVM, antiparasitic drug) in cattle and sheep milk was evaluated. IVM residues were measured in milk samples before and after heat treatment by high performance liquid chromatography. Additionally, the effect of drug residues on the lactic acid fermentation was assessed by testing the viability and counts of lactic acid bacteria. IVM concentrations in milk were stable after standard procedures used in dairy industry LTLT pasteurization (65°C, 30 min) and HTST (75°C, 15 s). Industrial milk processing based on the activity of lactic acid bacteria was not affected by the presence of IVM residues. IVM concentrations did not affect the increment of acidity nor the number of lactic acid bacteria in yogurt samples. The impact of the residues of antiparasitic drugs in technological processes of food processing and consumer health must be carefully analyzed to avoid long-term consequences

Maxillary sinus augmentation with three different biomaterials: Histological, histomorphometric, clinical, and patient-reported outcomes from a randomized controlled trial

Background: Lateral maxillary sinus augmentation (MSA) is a predictable bone regeneration technique in case of atrophy of the posterior-upper maxilla. Aimed at obtaining quantity and quality of bone suitable for receiving osseointegrated implants, its success is largely due to the skill of the surgeon, but also to the characteristics of the biomaterial used. Methods: Twenty-four patients needing MSA were included in the study. The patients were randomly allocated to three different groups: anorganic bovine bone mineral as control, tricalcium phosphate with or without hyaluronic acid (HA) as test groups. Nine months after MSA, bone biopsies were harvested for the histomorphometric analysis. Secondary outcomes were mean bone gain, intraoperative and postoperative complications, implant insertion torque, implant failure, and patient-reported outcome measures. Results: Although the percentage of new bone was not statistically different between the three groups (P =.191), the percentages of residual biomaterial was significantly higher (P <.000) and nonmineralized tissue significantly lower (P <.000) in the control than in the test groups. Test groups did not differ significantly from each other for all histomorphometric parameters. The implant insertion torque was significantly higher in the control group (P <.0005). The rest of the secondary outcomes were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion: MSA is a safe and predictable procedure in terms of histological, clinical, and PROAMs, regardless of the biomaterial used. The addition of HA did not influence the outcomes

Congenital mirror movements in a new Italian family

Mirror movements (MMs) occur on the contralateral side of a limb being used intentionally. Because few families with congenital MMs and no other neurological signs have been reported, the underlying mechanisms of MMs are still not entirely clear. We report on the clinical, genetic, neurophysiological and neuroimaging findings of 10 of 26 living members of a novel four-generation family with congenital MMs. DCC and RAD51 were sequenced in affected members of the family. Five of the ten subjects with MMs underwent neurophysiological and neuroimaging evaluations. The neurophysiological evaluation consisted of electromyographic (EMG) mirror recordings, investigations of corticospinal excitability, and analysis of interhemispheric inhibition using transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques. The neuroimaging evaluation included functional MRI during finger movements. Eight (all females) of the ten members examined presented MMs of varying degrees at the clinical assessment. Transmission of MMs appears to have occurred according to an autosomal-dominant fashion with variable expression. No mutation in DCC or RAD51 was identified. EMG mirror activity was higher in MM subjects than in healthy controls. Short-latency interhemispheric inhibition was reduced in MM subjects. Ipsilateral motor-evoked potentials were detectable in the most severe case. The neuroimaging evaluation did not disclose any significant abnormalities in MM subjects. The variability of the clinical features of this family, and the lack of known genetic abnormalities, suggests that MMs are heterogeneous disorders. The pathophysiological mechanisms of MMs include abnormalities of transcallosal inhibition and corticospinal decussatio

Split crest technique for implant treatment of agenesis of the upper lateral incisors: results of a randomized pilot histological and clinical study at 24-month follow-up

Agenesis of lateral incisors, besides the functional issues, represents a great esthetic drawback. The selection of an appropriate treatment is a complex decision, which should consider the stability of the clinical outcomes over time. The aim of the present study was a histological and clinical comparison of two-stage split crest technique (SCT), with bone chips alone or mixed with porcine bone in patients affected by unilateral and bilateral agenesis of the upper lateral incisors. Eleven patients were enrolled, and randomly assigned to receive a treatment with autologous bone chips (group 1) or autologous bone chips mixed 1:1 to porcine-derived xenogenic bone (group 2). After a 2-month healing period, implants were placed and biopsies harvested for histomorphometrical evaluation. Clinical assessment, according to ICOI PISA health scale, and radiographic marginal bone loss evaluation at 12- and 24-month follow-ups were conducted. The histomorphometry showed significantly greater new bone formation (p > 0.0229) in group 2. At 12- and 24-month follow-ups, all the evaluated implants, regardless of the group they were allocated, could be categorized as "success" in the ICOI Pisa Health Scale for Dental Implants, and did not show significant difference in crestal bone loss. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first histological and clinical outcomes indicating that the use of bone chips mixed 1:1 to porcine bone in SCT could be a promising technique for the rehabilitation of patients with agenesis of the upper lateral incisors, although studies with a larger number of patients and implants, and a longer follow up are needed