Topic Review
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain in humans arises as a consequence of injury or disease of somatosensory nervous system at peripheral or central level. Peripheral neuropathic pain is more common than central neuropathic pain, and is supposed to result from peripheral mechanisms, following nerve injury. The animal models of neuropathic pain show extensive functional and structural changes occurring in neuronal and non-neuronal cells in response to peripheral nerve injury. These pathological changes following damage lead to peripheral sensitization development, and subsequently to central sensitization initiation with spinal and supraspinal mechanism involved. The aim of this narrative review paper is to discuss the mechanisms engaged in peripheral neuropathic pain generation and maintenance, with special focus on the role of glial, immune, and epithelial cells in peripheral nociception. Based on the preclinical and clinical studies, interactions between neuronal and non-neuronal cells have been described, pointing out at the molecular/cellular underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain, which might be potentially targeted by topical treatments in clinical practice. The modulation of the complex neuro-immuno-cutaneous interactions in the periphery represents a strategy for the development of new topical analgesics and their utilization in clinical settings.
  • 978
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a micronutrient with pleiotropic effects in humans. Due to sedentary lifestyles and increasing time spent indoors, a growing body of research is revealing that vitamin D deficiency is a global problem. Despite the routine measurement of vitamin D in clinical laboratories and many years of efforts, methods of vitamin D analysis have yet to be standardized and are burdened with significant difficulties. 
  • 978
  • 07 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Autophagy in β-Thalassemic Erythropoiesis
β-Thalassemia is one of the most common genetically inherited disorders worldwide, and it is characterized by defective β-globin chain synthesis leading to reduced or absent β-globin chains. The excess α-globin chains are the key factor leading to the death of differentiating erythroblasts in a process termed ineffective erythropoiesis, leading to anemia and associated complications in patients. The mechanism of ineffective erythropoiesis in β-thalassemia is complex and not fully understood. Autophagy is primarily known as a cell recycling mechanism in which old or dysfunctional proteins and organelles are digested to allow recycling of constituent elements.
  • 978
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Anti-inflammatory potential of Sesquiterpene Lactones
Inflammation is a crucial and complex process that reestablishes the physiological state after a noxious stimulus. In pathological conditions the inflammatory state may persist, leading to chronic inflammation and causing tissue damage. Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are composed of a large and diverse group of highly bioactive plant secondary metabolites, characterized by a 15-carbon backbone structure. In recent years, the interest in SLs has risen due to their vast array of biological activities beneficial for human health. The anti-inflammatory potential of these compounds results from their ability to target and inhibit various key pro-inflammatory molecules enrolled in diverse inflammatory pathways, and prevent or reduce the inflammatory damage on tissues. Research on the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of SLs has thrived over the last years, and numerous compounds from diverse plants have been studied, using in silico, in vitro, and in vivo assays. Besides their anti-inflammatory potential, their cytotoxicity, structure–activity relationships, and pharmacokinetics have been investigated.
  • 978
  • 14 Jul 2021
Topic Review
COVID-19 Detection with Non-Contact Sensing
COVID-19 disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in a global pandemic recently. With no approved vaccination or treatment, governments around the world have issued guidance to their citizens to remain at home in efforts to control the spread of the disease. The goal of controlling the spread of the virus is to prevent strain on hospitals.  Non-invasive methods can be used to detect the COVID-19 and assist healthcare workers in caring for COVID-19 patients. Early detection of the COVID-19 virus can allow for early isolation to prevent further spread.
  • 977
  • 21 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Diagnostic Network Optimization
Diagnostics services are an essential component of healthcare systems, advancing universal health coverage and ensuring global health security, but are often unavailable or under-resourced in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries. Typically, diagnostics are delivered at various tiers of the laboratory network based on population needs, and resource and infrastructure constraints. A diagnostic network additionally incorporates screening and includes point-of-care testing that may occur outside of a laboratory in the community and clinic settings; it also emphasizes the importance of supportive network elements, including specimen referral systems, as being critical for the functioning of the diagnostic network. To date, design and planning of diagnostic networks in LMICs has largely been driven by infectious diseases such as TB and HIV, relying on manual methods and expert consensus, with a limited application of data analytics. Recently, there have been efforts to improve diagnostic network planning, including diagnostic network optimization (DNO). The DNO process involves the collection, mapping, and spatial analysis of baseline data; selection and development of scenarios to model and optimize; and lastly, implementing changes and measuring impact.
  • 977
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Techniques for Ventricular Tachycardia Functional Substrate Mapping
Conventional mapping techniques used to define the critical isthmus, such as activation mapping and entrainment, are limited by the non-inducibility of the clinical tachycardia or its poor hemodynamic tolerance. To overcome these limitations, a voltage mapping strategy based on bipolar electrograms peak to peak analysis was developed, but a low specificity (30%) for VT isthmus has been described with this approach. Functional mapping strategy relies on the analysis of the characteristics of the electrograms but also their propagation patterns and their response to extra-stimulus or alternative pacing wavefronts to define the targets for ablation.
  • 976
  • 19 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Association between Diet and Xerostomia
Xerostomia is defined as a subjective symptom of dry mouth, which may affect swallowing, chewing, taste perception and is the most important predictor in reduced oral health-related quality of life; also, xerostomia has been associated with nutritional changes. Xerostomia is a common condition of patients with autoimmune diseases; 50% or more patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis/dermatomyositis or systemic scleroderma reported xerostomia. Sjogren‘s syndrome is one of the three most prevalent systemic autoimmune diseases and 98% of patients reported to have xerostomia. Although xerostomia is often claimed to lead to an impaired nutrition, there is lacking knowledge of which specific food groups associate with this condition. Therefore, our study examines the association between xerostomia and 23 diet items.
  • 976
  • 02 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Marfan Cardiomyopathy and Arrhythmia
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a heritable systemic connective tissue disease with important cardiovascular involvement, including aortic root dilatation and mitral valve prolapse. Life expectancy in patients with MFS is mainly determined by cardiovascular complications, among which aortic dissection or rupture are most dreaded. In recent years, heart failure and ventricular arrhythmia have drawn attention as extra-aortic cardiovascular manifestations and as additional reported causes of death. Imaging studies have provided data supporting a primary myocardial impairment in the absence of valvular disease or cardiovascular surgery, while studies using ambulatory ECG have demonstrated an increased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmia.
  • 976
  • 22 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Cysteine Aminotransferase
The hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-generating enzymatic system composed of cysteine aminotransferase (CAT, EC 2.6.1.3, also known as aspartate aminotransferase, AST, or glutamate transaminase, GOT), and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MST, EC 2.8.1.2), is known to be implicated in the catabolism of cysteine [1].
  • 976
  • 27 Oct 2020
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