Risk assessment of RNAi-based pesticides to non-target organisms : evaluating the effects of sequence similarity in the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi

RNA interference (RNAi)-based pesticides are promising novel pest management products that might reduce environmental impacts compared to other pesticides. Their sequence-guided mode of action facilitates a high speciesselectivity, preventing harm on non-target organisms. However, there is currently no consensus on the minimum needed sequence similarity for efficient RNAi in insects and studies have shown that adverse effects in non-targets cannot always be ruled out a priori. This study investigates the effects of exposing the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) which is lethal to its host, the Neotropical brown stink bug Euschistus heros. Feeding T. podisi with wasp-specific dsRNA targeting the vATPase A and actin-2 genes led to 76.4 +/- 9.9% and 76.7 +/- 8.8% mortality respectively, demonstrating that dietary RNAi is functional in T. podisi. When feeding T. podisi with E. heros-specific dsRNA targeting the same genes, no lethal or sublethal effects were observed. To link sequence similarity to potential gene silencing effects in the parasitoids, the expression of genes showing the highest degree of similarity (17-21 nucleotide matches) with these two target genes was monitored and was found unaffected by the E. heros-specific dsRNA. Our study confirms that RNAi was in this case highly specific and that for E. heros, RNAibased pesticides can be used complementary to biological control in an integrated pest management context

Strengths and Weaknesses of Cancer Pain Management in Italy: Findings from a Nationwide SIAARTI Survey

Objectives: Despite guidelines, a large percentage of cancer patients continue to suffer from ineffectively treated pain. The authors undertook this survey to assess the strengths and weaknesses of cancer pain management in Italy. Design: This was a prospectively administered survey. Participants: The participants were anesthesiologists of the Italian Society of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI). Intervention: A 58-item questionnaire covered the demographics and features of cancer pain management in the Italian context. Results: The authors received responses from 611 pain therapists of 279 centers. Only 22% of physicians are exclusively pain therapists. Seventy-five percent are specialists in anesthesiology, intensive care, and pain medicine. Most pain centers are hospital or university facilities (78%). The strengths of cancer pain management in Italy are the careful opioid prescriptions, the use of strategies for the treatment of neuropathic pain, patient/healthcare provider partnerships, and breakthrough cancer pain management. Weaknesses to be addressed include poor adherence to guidelines, inadequate attention toward the patient’s quality of life, insufficient use of minimally invasive techniques, lack of teamwork approaches, inappropriate timing of pain specialist engagement, and poor telemedicine use. Conclusions: Despite several strengths, further efforts are needed to improve the care of patients suffering from cancer pain in Italy

Risk assessment of RNAi-based pesticides to non-target organisms : evaluating the effects of sequence similarity in the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi

RNA interference (RNAi)-based pesticides are promising novel pest management products that might reduce environmental impacts compared to other pesticides. Their sequence-guided mode of action facilitates a high speciesselectivity, preventing harm on non-target organisms. However, there is currently no consensus on the minimum needed sequence similarity for efficient RNAi in insects and studies have shown that adverse effects in non-targets cannot always be ruled out a priori. This study investigates the effects of exposing the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) which is lethal to its host, the Neotropical brown stink bug Euschistus heros. Feeding T. podisi with wasp-specific dsRNA targeting the vATPase A and actin-2 genes led to 76.4 +/- 9.9% and 76.7 +/- 8.8% mortality respectively, demonstrating that dietary RNAi is functional in T. podisi. When feeding T. podisi with E. heros-specific dsRNA targeting the same genes, no lethal or sublethal effects were observed. To link sequence similarity to potential gene silencing effects in the parasitoids, the expression of genes showing the highest degree of similarity (17-21 nucleotide matches) with these two target genes was monitored and was found unaffected by the E. heros-specific dsRNA. Our study confirms that RNAi was in this case highly specific and that for E. heros, RNAibased pesticides can be used complementary to biological control in an integrated pest management context.RNA interference (RNAi)-based pesticides are promising novel pest management products that might reduce environmental impacts compared to other pesticides. Their sequence-guided mode of action facilitates a high speciesselectivity, preventing harm on non-target organisms. However, there is currently no consensus on the minimum needed sequence similarity for efficient RNAi in insects and studies have shown that adverse effects in non-targets cannot always be ruled out a priori. This study investigates the effects of exposing the parasitoid wasp Telenomus podisi to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) which is lethal to its host, the Neotropical brown stink bug Euschistus heros. Feeding T. podisi with wasp-specific dsRNA targeting the vATPase A and actin-2 genes led to 76.4 +/- 9.9% and 76.7 +/- 8.8% mortality respectively, demonstrating that dietary RNAi is functional in T. podisi. When feeding T. podisi with E. heros-specific dsRNA targeting the same genes, no lethal or sublethal effects were observed. To link sequence similarity to potential gene silencing effects in the parasitoids, the expression of genes showing the highest degree of similarity (17-21 nucleotide matches) with these two target genes was monitored and was found unaffected by the E. heros-specific dsRNA. Our study confirms that RNAi was in this case highly specific and that for E. heros, RNAibased pesticides can be used complementary to biological control in an integrated pest management context.A