Medium-term culture of normal human oral mucosa: a novel three-dimensional model to study the effectiveness of drugs administration.

Tissue-engineered oral mucosal equivalents have been developed for in vitro studies for a few years now. However, the usefulness of currently available models is still limited by many factors, mainly the lack of a physiological extracellular matrix (ECM) and the use of cell populations that do not reflect the properly differentiated cytotypes of the mucosa of the oral cavity. For this reason, we have developed a novel three-dimensional culture model reflecting the normal architecture of the human oral mucosa, with the main aim of creating a better in vitro model where to test cellular responses to drugs administration. This novel 3D cell culture model (3D outgrowth) was set up using an artificial extracellular matrix (MatrigelTM), allowing the interactions required for proper differentiation of the various citotypes which form the mucosal layer. Biopsies of human oral mucosa, in fragments of about 0.5 mm3, were placed onto 6.5mm Transwells, covered with MatrigelTM and grown in a specific culture medium. A gradual formation of an architectural structure similar to that of the in vivo oral mucosa was observed. Transmission electron and confocal microscopy were employed to characterize the newly developed model: the cell components (keratinocytes and fibroblasts) differentiated properly within the outgrowth and reconstituted, in vitro, the physiological structure of the human oral mucosa, including a stratified non-keratinized squamous layer composed of four different layers, a proper basal membrane and a lamina propria where fibroblasts produce ECM. Moreover, keratinocytes expressed CK5, CK13, CK19 and E-cadherin, whereas fibroblasts expressed collagen type I and IV, laminin and fibronectin. 3D outgrowths could be considered a valid alternative to animal models, and provide useful information for researchers interested in studying the responses of the human oral mucosa to locally delivered drugs or other exogenous treatments

Funzioni esecutive e riabilitazione residenziale. Studio preliminare su utenti in Strutture Residenziali Intermedie di Palermo

lo studio ha confrontato le funzioni esecutive di pazienti con disturbi psicotici coinvolti in programmi riabilitativi in Strutture Residenziali di Palermo. Metodi: sono stati reclutati 16 utenti di Comunit\ue0 Alloggio (CA) e 14 utenti di Comunit\ue0 Terapeutiche Assistite (CTA), tra 18 e 65 anni, valutati tramite somministrazione di Trail Making Test(TMT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Stroop Test, 4 subtest della WAIS-R e Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Risultati: i due campioni presentano caratteristiche sociodemografiche omogenee. Gli utenti delle CTA fanno rilevare maggiore uso di neurolettici (73,3% vs. 18.8% p 0,004) e un trend non significativo di minore espressivit\ue0 sintomatologica (BPRS: 2,39 vs. 2,58); essi, inoltre, sono maggiormente coinvolti in interventi riabilitativi avanzati con uso di tecniche cognitive (40,0% vs. 6,3% p 0,037) ed espressive (83,3% vs. 16,7% p 0,000) e presentavano migliori prestazioni cognitive al FAB(p 0,048), agli Errori Perseverativi del WCST(p 0,000) e allo Stroop Test(p 0,027). Conclusioni: l\u2019analisi dei risultati suggerisce che gli utenti delle CA presentano deficit in differenti domini cognitivi, maggiore difficolt\ue0 a distribuire l\u2019attenzione tra pi\uf9 compiti simultanei e scarsa flessibilit\ue0 cognitiva, riconducibile a storia clinica e durata di trattamento antipsicotico pi\uf9 datati. Pertanto, la maggiore partecipazione degli utenti delle CTA in training riabilitativi intensivi,cognitivi ed espressivi, potrebbe spiegare il pi\uf9 efficace recupero delle funzioni esecutive studiate. Bibliografia Addington J, Girard TA, Christensen BK, et al. Social cognition mediates illness-related and cognitive influences on social function in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2010;35:49-54. McGurk SR, Mueser KT. Cognitive functioning,symptoms, and work in supported employment: an review and heuristic model. Schizophr Res 2004;70:147-73. Krabbendam L, Aleman A. Cognitive rehabilitation in schizophrenia: a quantitative analysis of controlle

MEDICATION-RELATED OSTEONECROSIS OF JAWS (MRONJ) PREVENTION AND DIAGNOSIS: ITALIAN CONSENSUS UPDATE 2020.

The Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of Jaws (MRONJ) diagnosis process and its prevention play a role of great and rising importance, not only on the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients, but also on the decision-making process by the majority of dentists and oral surgeons involved in MRONJ prevention (primary and secondary). The present paper reports the update of the conclusions from the Consensus Conference\u2014held at the Symposium of the Italian Society of Oral Pathology and Medicine (SIPMO) (20 October 2018, Ancona, Italy)\u2014after the newest recommendations (2020) on MRONJ were published by two scientific societies (Italian Societies of Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology and Medicine, SICMF and SIPMO), written on the inputs of the experts of the Italian Allied Committee on ONJ (IAC-ONJ). The conference focused on the topic of MRONJ, and in particular on the common practices at risk of inappropriateness in MRONJ diagnosis and therapy, as well as on MRONJ prevention and the dental management of patients at risk of MRONJ. It is a matter of cancer and osteometabolic patients that are at risk since being exposed to several drugs with antiresorptive (i.e., bisphosphonates and denosumab) or, more recently, antiangiogenic activities. At the same time, the Conference traced for dentists and oral surgeons some easy applicable indications and procedures to reduce MRONJ onset risk and to diagnose it early. Continuous updating on these issues, so important for the patient community, is recommended