Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) refer to a group of conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CVDs represent the leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in 20.6% of total deaths.
In the traditional model of diagnostic testing, the patient has to go to the hospital for sample collection, which is followed by sample processing, performing the test and then the doctor has to analyze the results and decide if the...
In eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms the excitatory interaction between light and pigments associated with photosystems I and II provides the driving energy for Linear Electron Flow (LEF) to occur, culminating in the production of reducing equivalents and in the generation of an electrochemical gradient across thylakoid membranes. To dynamically respond to environmental changes and metabolic requirements, photosynthetic organisms evolved several alternative electron flows like the Cyclic El...
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSPs) are a class of inherited neurodegenerative disorders that mainly damage motor neurons and may present various motor symptoms, such as spasticity, along with more peculiar features in complex HSP forms, such as epilepsy and dementia. Mutations in over 70 genes are associated with HSPs; among them, mutations in GBA2 gene result in a rare form of HSP with ataxia.
GBA2 catalyzes the hydrolysis of the lipid glucosylceramide (GlcCer), but also contributes to ...
Subcellular trafficking in Eukaryotes is finely regulated, with the SNARE proteins regulating membrane fusion. Among vesicular SNAREs, longins are characterized by an N-terminal longin domain (LD) preceding the R-SNARE motif.
Land plants genomes encode a conserved family of LD proteins, Phytolongins, with similarities to other longins and peculiar characteristics. These proteins share the N-terminal LD with all longins and the C-terminus with VAMP7-like ones. Nevertheless, in Phytolongins, th...
The employment of high-resolution transcriptomics is crucial to gain a more in-depth understanding of tumor biology, contributing to discovering new diagnostic and therapeutic insights in oncology.
In particular, this kind of data allows for the analysis of individual cells separately, providing a more detailed picture of cellular heterogeneity within the tumor. Additionally, high-resolution transcriptomics enables the identification of crucial cellular subtypes in understanding tumors, as ce...
Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that infects approximately 10-20 million persons worldwide. A small percentage of HTLV-1-infected persons develop an aggressive hematologic neoplasm termed adult T-cell leukemia (ATL).
Studies from our laboratory showed that HTLV-1-infected cells express increased levels of miR-34a-5p compared to normal T-cells and suggested that this microRNA may provide a survival advantage in the context of HTLV-1-infection. This proposed role con...
I disturbi dello spettro autistico (ASD) sono forme di disabilità dello sviluppo caratterizzate da eziologia eterogenea e diversi gradi di gravità. In particolare, un complesso background genetico apre la strada a diversi fenotipi che riflettono alterazioni nelle interazioni sociali, nell'elaborazione sensoriale, nella coordinazione motoria e nell'adattamento visuo-motorio. A causa di questa eterogeneità genetica, lo scenario non sindromico dell’ASD non è ancora pienamente compreso e, ad oggi...
Thanks to their non-pathogenic nature, broad tropism, and design versatility, Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have gained popularity among gene therapy vectors, with successful applications in FDA-approved treatment for two genetic diseases. However, limitations such as low gene capacity and transduction efficiency have prevented them from reaching their full potential. AAV genome nuclear transport is a critical step, strongly limiting transduction efficacy. Even though the process is believe...
Background: human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is classified as a beta-herpesvirus and it is known for its ability to induce severe congenital birth defects such as microcephaly, vision and hearing loss, and cognitive impairments. Congenital CMV (cCMV) is a major cause of neurodevelopmental abnormalities and can lead to CNS damage in the fetus. Several aspects of cCMV infection remain poorly characterized, including the primary factors driving neuropathogenesis in the developing brain during the in...
La tesi propone un progetto pilota di Journal Club nei Corsi di Laurea in Dietistica dei vari Atenei italiani quale metodica di implementazione dell’Evidence-based Practice con indagine sul gradimento da parte degli studenti che vi hanno preso parte.