2,111 research outputs found
In and out from senescence
No full textCellular senescence has been widely recognised for decades as a stable arrest of cell proliferation. A recent study identifies senescence establishment and maintenance as a dynamic and reversible process regulated by (in)activation of a predetermined enhancer landscape controlled by the pioneer transcription factor AP-1
Intercellular Calcium Signaling Induced by ATP Potentiates Macrophage Phagocytosis
No full textSummary: Extracellular ATP is a signaling molecule exploited by the immune cells for both autocrine regulation and paracrine communication. By performing live calcium imaging experiments, we show that triggered mouse macrophages are able to propagate calcium signals to resting bystander cells by releasing ATP. ATP-based intercellular communication is mediated by P2X4 and P2X7 receptors and is a feature of pro-inflammatory macrophages. In terms of functional significance, ATP signaling is required for efficient phagocytosis of pathogen-derived molecules and apoptotic cells and may represent a target for macrophage regulation by CD39-expressing cells. These results highlight a cell-to-cell communication mechanism tuning innate immunity. : Exchange of information is critical for an efficient immune response. Here, Zumerle et al. show that macrophages exploit ATP release as a paracrine communication mechanism to propagate calcium signals to neighboring cells. Signal propagation relies on P2X4 and P2X7 receptors and sustains macrophage phagocytosis. Keywords: macrophage, adenosine triphosphate, calcium, phagocytosis, P2X receptor
Genetic and hormonal influence on SARS-CoV-2-infection susceptibility: Re: The potential influence of human Y-chromosome haplogroup on COVID-19 prevalence and mortality
No full textThe bladder epicheck test as a non-invasive tool based on the identification of DNA methylation in bladder cancer cells in the urine: A review of published evidence
No full textRecently, there has been a great effort to develop tests based on non-invasive urinary biomarkers (NMIBCs). These tests are based on the fact that NMIBCs are heterogeneous at the molecular level and can be divided into different molecular groups useful to predict prognosis and response to treatment. The assessment of epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, represents a promising cancer biomarker. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that affects gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. Several studies have highlighted the presence of methylated loci in the context of bladder cancer, indicating its potential application as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. One of the novel assays based on a DNA methylation profile, the Bladder EpiCheck, analyzes DNA from spontaneous urine, detecting disease-specific DNA methylation patterns in bladder cancer patients. This test, due to its non-invasive nature and highly promising performance could, in future, become an invaluable tool in the follow-up of bladder cancer patients. Potential new applications could include diagnosis and surveillance of upper-tract disease, for the replacement of invasive testing and ureteroscopy
Reply to the Letter to the Editor “Androgen deprivation therapy may constitute a more effective prophylactic than therapeutic strategy in COVID-19 patients” by N. Bennani and I. M. Bennani-Baiti
No full textReliability Of Functional Connectivity Measures In Resting-State Test-Retest FMRI Data
No full textThe statistical link between spontaneous fluctuations occurring in different pans of the brain can provide insights into its functional organization. Here, we used high-quality resting-state IMRI (rs-fMRI) data acquired with a test-retest paradigm to assess the reliability of several functional connectivity (IC) metrics, some of which rarely used in the current literature. After applying time/frequency methods to generate EC matrices, we restricted our focus on individual edges through different statistical measures, including but not limited to the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). We found that full correlation and magnitude square coherence yielded more reproducible measurements than the other metrics, as revealed by ICC values. These results have important implications when choosing metrics for quantifying FC in rs-fMRI studies, adding novel information to the current panorama of information on the test-retest reliability topic
Androgen-deprivation therapies for prostate cancer and risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2: a population-based study (n=4532)
No full textCell entry of SARS-CoV-2 depends on binding of the viral spike (S) proteins to ACE2 and on S protein priming by TMPRSS2. Inhibition of TMPRSS2 may work to block or decrease the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Intriguingly, TMPRSS2 is an androgen-regulated gene that is upregulated in prostate cancer where it supports tumor progression and is involved in a frequent genetic translocation with the ERG gene. First- or second-generation androgen-deprivation therapies (ADTs) decrease the levels of TMPRSS2. Here we put forward the hypothesis that ADTs may protect patients affected by prostate cancer from SARS-CoV-2 infections
Securing the metal recycling chain for the steel industry by detecting orphan radioactive sources in scrap metal
No full textExperimental tests are reported for the detection of the heavy metal shielding of orphan sources hidden inside scrap metal by using a recently developed muon tomography system. Shielded sources do not trigger alarm in radiation portal commonly employed at the entrance of steel industry using scrap metal. Future systems integrating radiation portals with muon tomography inspection gates will substantially reduce the possibility of accidental melting of radioactive sources securing the use of recycled metal. © 2010 American Institute of Physics
Cultural heritage investigations using cosmic muons
No full textCosmic rays are a constant, free source of radiation that can be exploited in various ways to probe heavy and extended objects. Analyzed with proper detection systems, they can produce radiographic as well as tomographic images of bulky materials. Several applications have been proposed, in particular in the domain of security checks, and some are presently fielded for routine use. In this paper, cosmic muon technology is presented, and its possible use in the field of cultural heritage is described
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