In triple negative breast tumor cells, PLC-β2 promotes the conversion of CD133high to CD133low phenotype and reduces the CD133-related invasiveness

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CD133 in Breast Cancer Cells: More than a Stem Cell Marker

Initially correlated with hematopoietic precursors, the surface expression of CD133 was also found in epithelial and nonepithelial cells from adult tissues in which it has been associated with a number of biological events. CD133 is expressed in solid tumors as well, including breast cancer, in which most of the studies have been focused on its use as a surface marker for the detection of cells with stem-like properties (i.e., cancer stem cells (CSCs)). Differently with other solid tumors, very limited and in part controversial are the information about the significance of CD133 in breast cancer, the most common malignancy among women in industrialized countries. In this review, we summarize the latest findings about the implication of CD133 in breast tumors, highlighting its role in tumor cells with a triple negative phenotype in which it directly regulates the expression of proteins involved in metastasis and drug resistance. We provide updates about the prognostic role of CD133, underlining its value as an indicator of increased malignancy of both noninvasive and invasive breast tumor cells. The molecular mechanisms at the basis of the regulation of CD133 levels in breast tumors have also been reviewed, highlighting experimental strategies capable to restrain its level that could be taken into account to reduce malignancy and/or to prevent the progression of breast tumors.Initially correlated with hematopoietic precursors, the surface expression of CD133 was also found in epithelial and nonepithelial cells from adult tissues in which it has been associated with a number of biological events. CD133 is expressed in solid tumors as well, including breast cancer, in which most of the studies have been focused on its use as a surface marker for the detection of cells with stem-like properties (i.e., cancer stem cells (CSCs)). Differently with other solid tumors, very limited and in part controversial are the information about the significance of CD133 in breast cancer, the most common malignancy among women in industrialized countries. In this review, we summarize the latest findings about the implication of CD133 in breast tumors, highlighting its role in tumor cells with a triple negative phenotype in which it directly regulates the expression of proteins involved in metastasis and drug resistance. We provide updates about the prognostic role of CD133, underlining its value as an indicator of increased malignancy of both noninvasive and invasive breast tumor cells. The molecular mechanisms at the basis of the regulation of CD133 levels in breast tumors have also been reviewed, highlighting experimental strategies capable to restrain its level that could be taken into account to reduce malignancy and/or to prevent the progression of breast tumors

La citt\ue0 come modello bioclimatico ed ambientale nella valutazione del benessere psicofisico. Problematiche e proposte applicative

Soltanto lo 0,2 % della superficie terrestre e coperta da aree urbane ma il 47% della popolazione mondiale ed il 73% di quella europea vive in aree densamente popolate caratterizzate da quadri ambientali generalmente degradati (A. Matzarakis). Lo studio dei contesti urbani trova quindi ampia giustificazione nel quadro attuale e nella tendenza, ormai irreversibile, alla crescente concentrazione delle attivit\ue0 umane in ambiti ad alta densit\ue0 abitativa. La citt\ue0 costituisce quindi un modello di riferimento fondamentale per valutare l\u2019impatto che i disastri naturali possono esercitare su strutture, infrastrutture e sulla popolazione in generale. L\u2019Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanit\ue0 dedica crescente importanza ai disastri naturali con specifica attenzione per gli eventi meteoclimatici a carattere estremo ove si evidenziano precise connessioni con la salute pubblica, sia dirette, sia indirette in quanto espressione di code macro e microepidemiologiche al seguito degli eventi stessi. Su un piano sottostante si colloca il concetto di benessere psico-fisico, anch\u2019esso legato all\u2019estrinsecarsi di eventi meteoclimatici in generale ed estremi in particolare ma che, tuttavia, non esaurisce il molteplice insieme di fattori che concorrono a generarlo. La stessa OMS definisce cosa deve intendersi per salute: \u201clo stato di benessere fisico, mentale e sociale ottimale, e non soltanto l\u2019assenza di malattie o di infermit\ue0\u201d. Il well-being \ue8 quindi una espressione generale che coinvolge la sfera psicologica e quella fisica dell\u2019individuo che va a legarsi con un rilevante numero di profili ambientali, siano essi di derivazione naturale oppure indotti dall\u2019attivit\ue0 antropica, con i quali lo stesso individuo interagisce con diversi gradi di consapevolezza; il benessere \ue8, in ultima analisi, una definizione sufficientemente valida per valutare la concordanza euritmica tra l\u2019ambiente in cui l\u2019individuo vive ed il profilo psico-fisico che ne consegue. Trattasi di un modello che trova massima espressione se applicato alla citt\ue0, una metafora complessa che racchiude qualit\ue0 della vita, benessere e malessere psicofisico, patologia, cio\ue8 le diverse caratterizzazioni della salute umana. In questo contributo saranno messi in luce aspetti, problematiche e proposte applicative per un modello di citt\ue0 finalizzato all\u2019accrescimento del benessere psicofisico in generale

PON1 polymorphisms can predict generalized anxiety and depressed mood in patients with multiple chemical sensitivity

Background: Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic condition with somatic, cognitive and affective symptoms that follow contact with chemical agents at usually non toxic concentrations. We aimed to assess the role of genetic polymorphisms involved in oxidative stress on anxiety and depression in MCS. Materials & methods: Our study investigated the CAT rs1001179, MPO rs2333227, PON1 rs662 and PON1 rs705379 polymorphisms in MCS. Results: The AG genotype of the PON1 rs662 and the TT and CT genotypes of the PON1 rs705379 were involved in anxiety and depression. Discussion: These results are in line with existing evidence of PON1 involvement in MCS and suggest a further role of this gene in the exhibition of anxiety and depression in this disease

UC.183, UC.110, and UC.84 Ultra-Conserved RNAs Are Mutually Exclusive with miR-221 and Are Engaged in the Cell Cycle Circuitry in Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

In the human genome, there are about 600 ultra-conserved regions (UCRs), long DNA sequences extremely conserved in vertebrates. We performed a large-scale study to quantify transcribed UCR (T-UCR) and miRNA levels in over 6000 cancer and normal tissue samples to find possible correlation between these kinds of regulatory molecules. Our analysis evidenced several non-coding RNAs showing negative co-regulation with miRNAs; among them, we focused on miR-221 to investigate any relationship with its pivotal role in the cell cycle. We have chosen breast cancer as model, using two cell lines with different phenotypes to carry out in vitro treatments with siRNAs against T-UCRs. Our results demonstrate that the expression of uc.183, uc.110, and uc.84 T-UCRs is mutually exclusive with miR-221 and is engaged in the regulation of CDKN1B expression. In addition, tests with a set of anticancer drugs, including BYL719, AZD5363, AZD8055, AZD7762, and XL765, revealed the modulation of specific T-UCRs without alteration of miR-221 levels

Teaching precision farming and entrepreneurship for European students: Sparkle online course

Within the framework of the European project named ‘SPARKLE’, an online course was created after studying educational needs on precision agriculture (PA), state of the art of technologies and a prospective study of the commercial sector. Five educational and research institutions, high-tech farms and enterprises specializing in technology transfer created the syllabus of the course and the platform contents. The course was designed to provide 30 h of student dedication, via online presentations, documents and videos for each topic. A free pilot course started in April 2020 and 385 students from Italy, Portugal, Greece & Spain enrolled. To trace performance and acquisition of competences, questionnaires were completed by students for each topic and a final overall test. Students’ opinions about the course were also registered using anonymous polls, and results evaluated, to be able to enhance the Sparkle course for subsequent editions. Students also took part in a business model competition, to solve real challenges proposed by farms, related to the use of these technologies

Social cognition in people with schizophrenia: A cluster-analytic approach

Background The study aimed to subtype patients with schizophrenia on the basis of social cognition (SC), and to identify cut-offs that best discriminate among subtypes in 809 out-patients recruited in the context of the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses. Method A two-step cluster analysis of The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), the Facial Emotion Identification Test and Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test scores was performed. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify the cut-offs of variables that best discriminated among clusters. Results We identified three clusters, characterized by unimpaired (42%), impaired (50.4%) and very impaired (7.5%) SC. Three theory-of-mind domains were more important for the cluster definition as compared with emotion perception and emotional intelligence. Patients more able to understand simple sarcasm (14 for TASIT-SS) were very likely to belong to the unimpaired SC cluster. Compared with patients in the impaired SC cluster, those in the very impaired SC cluster performed significantly worse in lie scenes (TASIT-LI <10), but not in simple sarcasm. Moreover, functioning, neurocognition, disorganization and SC had a linear relationship across the three clusters, while positive symptoms were significantly lower in patients with unimpaired SC as compared with patients with impaired and very impaired SC. On the other hand, negative symptoms were highest in patients with impaired levels of SC. Conclusions If replicated, the identification of such subtypes in clinical practice may help in tailoring rehabilitation efforts to the person's strengths to gain more benefit to the person