Advanced maternal age impairs reproductive performance, influencing the quantity and the quality of oocytes. Mitochondria dysfunction seems to play a decisive role in conditioning the quality of the female gamete. Different in vitro and... more
Advanced maternal age impairs reproductive performance, influencing the quantity and the quality of oocytes. Mitochondria dysfunction seems to play a decisive role in conditioning the quality of the female gamete. Different in vitro and in vivo studies, demonstrated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Resveratrol and its ability to improve mitochondria function even if the exact mechanism of action has not yet been demonstrated in human oocytes. In this paper, by retrospective analysis, we evaluated follicular fluid (FF) miRNome modification in aged women with a poor ovarian reserve receiving a resveratrol-based supplement the three months before the in vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycle. We found 13 differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) in women treated with resveratrol and specifically miR-125b-5p, miR-132-3p, miR-19a-3p, miR-30a-5p and miR-660-5p, regulating mitochondrial proteins, are able to control metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis. MiRNA expression di...
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In the last few years, microRNA-mediated regulation has been shown to be important in viral infections. In fact, viral microRNAs can alter cell physiology and act on the immune system; moreover, cellular microRNAs can regulate the virus... more
In the last few years, microRNA-mediated regulation has been shown to be important in viral infections. In fact, viral microRNAs can alter cell physiology and act on the immune system; moreover, cellular microRNAs can regulate the virus cycle, influencing positively or negatively viral replication. Accordingly, microRNAs can represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of infectious processes and a promising approach for designing targeted therapies. In the past 18 months, the COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2 has engaged many researchers in the search for diagnostic and prognostic markers and the development of therapies. Although some research suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 genome can produce microRNAs and that host microRNAs may be involved in the cellular response to the virus, to date, not enough evidence has been provided. In this paper, using a focused bioinformatic approach exploring the SARS-CoV-2 genome, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 is able to produce microRNAs sharing a st...
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Maternal RNAs are synthesized by the oocyte during its growth; some of them are utilized for oocyte-specific processes and metabolism, others are stored and used during early development before embryonic genome activation. The appropriate... more
Maternal RNAs are synthesized by the oocyte during its growth; some of them are utilized for oocyte-specific processes and metabolism, others are stored and used during early development before embryonic genome activation. The appropriate expression of complex sets of genes is needed for oocyte maturation and early embryo development. In spite of the basic role of noncoding RNAs in the regulation of gene expression, few studies have analyzed their role in human oocytes. In this study, we identified the microRNAs (miRNAs) expressed in human metaphase II stage oocytes, and found that some of them are able to control pluripotency, chromatin remodeling, and early embryo development. We demonstrated that 12 miRNAs are differentially expressed in women of advanced reproductive age and, by bioinformatics analysis, we identified their mRNA targets, expressed in human oocytes and involved in the regulation of pathways altered in reproductive aging. Finally, we found the upregulation of miR-29a-3p, miR-203a-3p, and miR-494-3p, evolutionarily conserved miRNAs, also in aged mouse oocytes, and demonstrated that their overexpression is antithetically correlated with the downregulation of DNA methyltransferase 3A (Dnmt3a), DNA methyltransferase 3B (Dnmt3b), phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten), and mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam). We propose that oocyte miRNAs perform an important regulatory function in human female germ cells, and their altered regulation could explain the changes occurring in oocyte aging.
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Bacterial adhesion and colonization play a crucial function in the pathogenesis of peri-implant tissue infection, which is considered the main cause of fixture loss. The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences in bacterial... more
Bacterial adhesion and colonization play a crucial function in the pathogenesis of peri-implant tissue infection, which is considered the main cause of fixture loss. The aim of this study is to evaluate the differences in bacterial adhesion between a machined titanium surface, a double acid etched surface (Osseotite®) and an Osseotite surface with Nanometer-scale Discrete Crystalline Deposition (DCD™) of calcium phosphate (CaP)(Nanotite®). Surface roughness properties of each sample were determined by a laser profilometer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. Bacterial adhesion on machined, Osseotite®, and Nanotite® discs were performed using the following bacterial strains: Streptococcus mutans CCUG 35176, Streptococcus sanguis CCUG 17826, Streptococcus salivarius CCUG 11878, Actinobacillus actinomycetecomitans CCUG 37002, Porphyromonas gingivalis CCUG 2521. The assessment of bacterial adhesion was performed by comparing two methods: Total Viable Count (TVC) estimation and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopic (CSLM) studies. The surface roughness parameter increased as follows: machined<Nanotite®<Osseotite®. The attachment of all bacterial strains performed by both methods showed a significant reduction on Osseotite® and even higher on Nanotite® in comparison to machined surfaces (p<0.05). The reduction in bacterial attachment was more significant on Osseotite® and Nanotite® for A. actinomycetecomitans, S. mutans and S. sanguis than for P. gingivalis and S. salivarius strains. Nanotite® samples showed the lowest amount of bacterial contamination in comparison to the smoother machined and rougher Osseotite® surfaces.
Research Interests: Biomedical Engineering, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Titanium, Nanoparticles, Confocal Microscopy, and 9 moreDental Implants, Calcium Phosphates, Surface Properties, Streptococcus, prosthesis Design, Microbial Viability, Bacterial Adhesion, PORPHYROMONAS GINGIVALIS, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
Tissue engineering (by culturing cells on appropriate scaffolds, and using bioreactors to drive the correct bone structure formation) is an attractive alternative to bone grafting or implantation of bone substitutes. Osteogenesis is a... more
Tissue engineering (by culturing cells on appropriate scaffolds, and using bioreactors to drive the correct bone structure formation) is an attractive alternative to bone grafting or implantation of bone substitutes. Osteogenesis is a biological process that involves many molecular intracellular pathways organized to optimize bone modeling. The use of bioreactor systems and especially the perfusion bioreactor, provides both the technological means to reveal fundamental mechanisms of cell function in a 3D environment, and the potential to improve the quality of engineered tissues. In this mini-review all the characteristics for the production of an appropriate bone construct are analyzed: the stem cell source, scaffolds useful for the seeding of pre-osteoblastic cells and the effects of fluid flow on differentiation and proliferation of bone precursor cells. By automating and standardizing tissue manufacture in controlled closed systems, engineered tissues may reduce the gap between the process of bone formation in vitro and subsequent graft of bone substitutes in vivo.
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For two decades Vogelstein's model has been the paradigm for describing the sequence of molecular changes within protein-coding genes that would lead to overt colorectal cancer (CRC). This model is now too simplistic in the light of... more
For two decades Vogelstein's model has been the paradigm for describing the sequence of molecular changes within protein-coding genes that would lead to overt colorectal cancer (CRC). This model is now too simplistic in the light of recent studies, which have shown that our genome is pervasively transcribed in RNAs other than mRNAs, denominated non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). The discovery that mutations in genes encoding these RNAs [i.e. , microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs] are causally involved in cancer phenotypes has profoundly modified our vision of tumour molecular genetics and pathobiology. By exploiting a wide range of different mechanisms, ncRNAs control fundamental cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, angiogenesis and apoptosis: these data have also confirmed their role as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in cancer development and progression. The existence of a sophisticated RNA-based regulatory system, which dictates the correct functioning of protein-coding networks, has relevant biological and biomedical consequences. Different miRNAs involved in neoplastic and degenerative diseases exhibit potential predictive and prognostic properties. Furthermore, the key roles of ncRNAs make them very attractive targets for innovative therapeutic approaches. Several recent reports have shown that ncRNAs can be secreted by cells into the extracellular environment (i.e. , blood and other body fluids): this suggests the existence of extracellular signalling mechanisms, which may be exploited by cells in physiology and pathology. In this review, we will summarize the most relevant issues on the involvement of cellular and extracellular ncRNAs in disease. We will then specifically describe their involvement in CRC pathobiology and their translational applications to CRC diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. Core tip: For many decades the predominant view of molecular functioning of organisms stated that proteins represent the main regulators of genomes and their dysfunctions were the first cause of diseases. This protein-centred view was too simplistic to explain the complexity of cancer. In the last few years many studies have revealed that about 85% of our genome is pervasively transcribed, mainly as non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). The discovery of countless molecular alterations of ncRNAs related to cancer changed the paradigms of cancer biology. In this review, we report recent advances in the discovery of ncRNAs involved in Colorectal Cancer pathobiologies, and their potential applications in diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.