Fungal iron availability during deep seated candidiasis is defined by a complex interplay involving systemic and local events

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The ongoing pursuit of neuroprotective therapies in Parkinson disease

Many agents developed for neuroprotective treatment of Parkinson disease (PD) have shown great promise in the laboratory, but none have translated to positive results in patients with PD. Potential neuroprotective drugs, such as ubiquinone, creatine and PYM50028, have failed to show any clinical benefits in recent high-profile clinical trials. This 'failure to translate' is likely to be related primarily to our incomplete understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying PD, and excessive reliance on data from toxin-based animal models to judge which agents should be selected for clinical trials. Restricted resources inevitably mean that difficult compromises must be made in terms of trial design, and reliable estimation of efficacy is further hampered by the absence of validated biomarkers of disease progression. Drug development in PD dementia has been mostly unsuccessful; however, emerging biochemical, genetic and pathological evidence suggests a link between tau and amyloid-β deposition and cognitive decline in PD, potentially opening up new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. This Review discusses the most important 'druggable' disease mechanisms in PD, as well as the most-promising drugs that are being evaluated for their potential efficiency in treatment of motor and cognitive impairments in PD

A comprehensive overview of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

The concept of radioguided surgery, which was first developed some 60 years ago, involves the use of a radiation detection probe system for the intraoperative detection of radionuclides. The use of gamma detection probe technology in radioguided surgery has tremendously expanded and has evolved into what is now considered an established discipline within the practice of surgery, revolutionizing the surgical management of many malignancies, including breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer, as well as the surgical management of parathyroid disease. The impact of radioguided surgery on the surgical management of cancer patients includes providing vital and real-time information to the surgeon regarding the location and extent of disease, as well as regarding the assessment of surgical resection margins. Additionally, it has allowed the surgeon to minimize the surgical invasiveness of many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, while still maintaining maximum benefit to the cancer patient. In the current review, we have attempted to comprehensively evaluate the history, technical aspects, and clinical applications of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

Transcription factor 7-like 2 as type-2 diabetes mellitus diagnostic marker in ethnic Minangkabau

BACKGROUND\ud The prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been increasing rapidly in developed and developing countries. Many new loci associated with T2DM have been uncovered by genetic and genome-wide association studies, eg. the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene variant rs7895340 has been associated with type-2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this research was to find an association between polymorphisms of TCF7L2 gene variant rs7895340 with T2DM in ethnic Minangkabau.\ud \ud METHODS\ud This was a case-control study using a consecutive sampling technique among ethnic Minangkabau patients who came for treatment to the Metabolic Endocrinology Polyclinic at Dr. M. Jamil Hospital. Analysis was performed on 132 subjects (66 T2DM patients and 66 controls). DNA was isolated from venous blood samples and amplified using the amplification refractory mutation system - polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) method to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TCF7L2 gene variant rs7895340. To determine the significance of association of SNPs of rs7895340 with T2DM in ethnic Minangkabau, data analysis was performed using chi-square test.\ud \ud RESULTS\ud The ARMS - PCR for TCF7L2 gene variant rs7895340 found polymorphisms in 28 (42.42%) subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and in 15 (22.72%) non-diabetic subjects.There was a significant association between rs7895340 SNPs with the probability of T2DM in ethnic Minangkabau (OR=2.505, p=0.026). \ud \ud CONCLUSIONS\ud Single nucleotide polymorphism rs7895340 of TCF7L2 gene can be used as genetic marker of type-2 diabetes mellitus in ethnic Minangkabau

Ethical considerations in the research of human remains in Argentina

In this chapter we aim to analyse the ethical issues associated with working with human remains, and how this has affected the different areas of professional advancement in Argentinian physical anthropology. Firstly, we explore the ethical concerns related to research involving human remains of indigenous populations. Secondly, we comment on the development of forensic anthropology in Argentina. The analysis of skeletal remains for legal and humanitarian purposes is developed within the legal system, and usually in relation to educational and research institutions. Ethical issues arise in its contribution to the administration of justice. Finally, the legal framework concerned with, and the ethical issues derived from, working with contemporary collections of identified skeletons are analysed. In this context, institutions that have temporary or permanent custody of human remains must ensure the protection of the identity and physical integrity of the remains, and the personal or historical records associated with them. Human remains are a matter of dispute, as they are simultaneously the ancestors and heritage of indigenous communities, objects under State rule, and material of research interest for scientists. Due to the significance that human remains have to the understanding of the history of our species, it is important to analyse the ethical issues emerging from their study, conservation, and management.Fil: Garcia Mancuso, Rocio. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas. Cátedra de Citología y Embriología A; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Plischuk, Marcos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas. Cátedra de Citología y Embriología A; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Desántolo, Bárbara. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas. Cátedra de Citología y Embriología A; ArgentinaFil: Garizoain, Gonzalo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas. Cátedra de Citología y Embriología A; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Sardi, Marina Laura. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Área Antropológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

Second-look surgery for ependymoma: the Italian experience

Complete ependymoma resection ensures a better prognosis for children with this tumor, but the complete excision of infratentorial ependymomas involves serious risks. Second-look surgery for tumor remnants may be less harmful and enable complete removal. There is a potential, although still unclear, role for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in preparation for further surgery

Predictors of outcome in an AIEOP series of childhood ependymomas: a multifactorial analysis

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