Ricerc@Sapienza

In solid tumors and lymphomas, the neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio at diagnosis has been shown to be a prognostic factor. The aim of our study was to validate the originally reported N/L ratio cut-point of 3.5 in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) registered in an Italian real-life database. The prognostic role of the N/L ratio at diagnosis on event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed in 505 patients with DLBCL.

We applied digital spatial profiling for 87 immune and stromal genes to lymph node germinal center (GC) dark- and light-zone (DZ/LZ) regions of interest to obtain a differential signature of these two distinct microenvironments. The spatially resolved 53-genes signature, comprising key genes of the DZ mutational machinery and LZ immune and mesenchymal milieu, was applied to the transcriptomes of 543 GC-related diffuse large B cell lymphomas and double-hit (DH) lymphomas. According to the DZ/LZ signature, the GC-related lymphomas were sub-classified into two clusters.

In the last century, the diffusion of medical news to the public has been profoundly changed by the progressive spread of more pervasive, but at the same time often unreliable, means of communication. The misinterpretation of scientific evidence or fallacious presentation through social media could play as a great drawback to the success in the management of many diseases. This may become particularly alarming when concerning chronic diseases widely affecting the population.

The recent decrease in mortality related to cardiovascular diseases has largely been due to the more effective treatment of cardiovascular risk factors and secondary prevention therapies. More people than ever are now on long-term medications. Hypertension, which is one of the most common cardiovascular risk factors, requires life-long treatment. Recent evidence has focused attention on the risk of cancer that may be associated with the long-term use of antihypertensive therapy. This article summarises available evidence surrounding three recent events in this setting.

The issue of a potential danger of antihypertensive drugs
related to cancer susceptibility is currently generating a
major debate in the scientific community, concerns in the
public and emphasized interest from the media. The
present article is a thorough review of what is known on
the various classes of antihypertensive drugs concerning
the risk of developing different neoplasms and about the
suggested pathophysiological mechanisms, whenever
available. The main limitations of evidence derived from

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) belong to a heterogeneous class of organic compounds blacklisted by the Stockholm Convention in 2009 due to their harmful impact on human health. Among OCPs, β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) is one of the most widespread and, at the same time, poorly studied environmental contaminant. Due to its physicochemical properties, β-HCH is the most hazardous of all HCH isomers; therefore, clarifying the mechanisms underlying its molecular action could provide further elements to draw the biochemical profile of this OCP.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a main reason of chemotherapy failure in many patients and is often related to overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, including P-glycoprotein (P-gp/ABCB1). Agents that are capable of modulation of the activity of these transporters might be effective in overcoming MDR. In this study, a new set of 1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro 5-oxo quinoline-3-carboxamide derivatives bearing 4-methylthiazole moiety and their tetrahydroquinoline counterparts were synthesized.

The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) regulatory pathway plays an essential role in protecting cells and tissues from oxidative, electrophilic, and xenobiotic stress. By controlling the transactivation of over 500 cytoprotective genes, the NRF2 transcription factor has been implicated in the physiopathology of several human diseases, including cancer.

Nutrient utilization and reshaping of metabolism in cancer cells is a well-known driver of malignant transformation. Less clear is the influence of the local microenvironment on metastasis formation and choice of the final organ to invade. Here we show that the level of the amino acid serine in the cytosol affects the migratory properties of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells. Inhibition of serine or glycine uptake from the extracellular milieu, as well as knockdown of the cytosolic one-carbon metabolism enzyme serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT1), abolishes migration.

BACKGROUND: In this retrospective study, we analyze the role of endovascular repair (EVAR) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in patients with concomitant cancer of digestive and urinary system in terms of morbidity and mortality and beneficial outcomes in the management of malignancy. METHODS: Between January 1991 and December 2018, 87 patients with AAA >4 cm and concomitant abdominal cancer with life expectancy over two years, were treated.