Microplastics in the Marine Environment and Deep-Sea Sediment Contamination: A Review

This review discusses what microplastics are and how they are continuously impacting the marine environment, and ultimately, human life. Plastic has been the number one used material for decades for industrial and recreational purposes. Its cost effectiveness, durability, and lightness are what manufacturers and consumers desire most, making plastic the most abundant pollutant in the world. Understanding how plastic pollution is broken down into microplastics and how these fragmented pieces of waste are classified can help researchers identify ways to prevent the additional input of microplastics in the marine environment. These microscopic particles of debris have been sampled from deep-sea sediment, meaning plastic pollution has been transported to great distances across various oceans. By using the knowledge of natural processes regarding the Earth’s rotation and the formation of transport currents throughout the water column, discussing how plastic pollution and microplastics reach these depths can be supported. Although the presence of microplastic in the ocean has become a major issue in terms of accumulation, marine life is being threatened due to the toxic elements within many plastic polymers. By conducting further research on microplastics and understanding how they impact the marine environment, manufacturers and consumers become educated on the dangers of plastic use, leading to goals of reducing the amount of plastic waste continuously accumulating all over the world

Cytokine Induced Killer Cells as Promising Immunotherapy for Solid Tumors

Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells are a heterogeneous subset of ex-vivo expanded T lymphocytes which present a mixed T-NK phenotype and are endowed with a MHC-unrestricted antitumor activity. The main functional properties of CIK cells may address some of the main limitations that are currently preventing the successful clinical translation of adoptive immunotherapy strategies. Clinically adequate quantities of immune effectors, sufficient for multiple adoptive infusions, may be obtained based on their relatively easy and inexpensive ex-vivo expansion starting from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The MHC-unrestricted tumor-killing is mainly based on the interaction between NKG2D molecules on CIK cells and MIC A/B or ULBPs molecules on tumor cells; it has been proved effective against several solid and hematological malignancies and does not require any HLA-restriction increasing the number of patients that might potentially benefit from such approach. Finally, CIK cells present a reduced alloreactivity across HLA-barriers with important clinical implications for their potential use as alternative to conventional Donor Lymphocyte Infusions after allogeneic hemopoietic cell transplant with a reduced risk of GVHD. In the present report we review the main functional characteristics of CIK cells discussing recent findings and future perspectives to improve their antitumor activity and potential clinical applications

Biological and Exploitable Crossroads for the Immune Response in Cancer and COVID-19

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exacted a disproportionate toll on cancer patients. The effects of anticancer treatments and cancer patients’ characteristics shared significant responsibilities for this dismal outcome; however, the underlying immunopathological mechanisms are far from being completely understood. Indeed, despite their different etiologies, SARS-CoV-2 infection and cancer unexpectedly share relevant immunobiological connections. In the pathogenesis and natural history of both conditions, there emerges the centrality of the immune response, orchestrating the timed appearance, functional and dysfunctional roles of multiple effectors in acute and chronic phases. A significant number (more than 600) of observational and interventional studies have explored the interconnections between COVID-19 and cancer, focusing on aspects as diverse as psychological implications and prognostic factors, with more than 4000 manuscripts published so far. In this review, we reported and discussed the dynamic behavior of the main cytokines and immune system signaling pathways involved in acute vs. early, and chronic vs. advanced stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection and cancer. We highlighted the biological similarities and active connections within these dynamic disease scenarios, exploring and speculating on possible therapeutic crossroads from one setting to the other