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Topic Review
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Topic Review
Video
Tissue Engineering in Liver Regenerative Medicine
Organ and tissue shortage are known as a crucially important public health problem as unfortunately a small percentage of patients receive transplants. Liver tissue engineering (TE) enables us to reproduce and restore liver functions, fully or partially, which could be used in the treatment of acute or chronic liver disorders and/or generate an appropriate functional organ which can be transplanted or employed as an extracorporeal device.
751
30 May 2022
Topic Review
Diet–Microbiota Interplay in Macrophage Plasticity and Intestinal Health
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract with an increasing prevalence worldwide. Macrophages, innate immune cells that exhibit high plasticity, perpetuate inflammatory signalling in IBD through excessive release of inflammatory mediators. In recent years, pioneering research has revealed the importance of the interplay between macrophages and gut microbiota in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Particular attention is focusing on microbiota-derived metabolites, believed to possess immunomodulatory properties capable of manipulating macrophage plasticity. Microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and indole compounds, along with dietary sourced omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), exert anti-inflammatory effects, attributable to interactions with macrophages.
372
27 May 2022
Topic Review
Tumor Stroma Ratio in Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death, and its incidence is rising in the younger patient population. In the past decade, research has unveiled several processes (underlying tumorigenesis, many of which involve interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding tissue or tumor microenvironment (TME). Interactions between components of the TME are mediated at a sub-microscopic level.
409
19 May 2022
Topic Review
Carbohydrate Maldigestion and Intolerance
When malabsorbed carbohydrates reach the colon, they are fermented by colonic bacteria, with the production of short-chain fatty acids and gas lowering colonic pH. The appearance of diarrhoea or symptoms of flatulence depends in part on the balance between the production and elimination of these fermentation products. Different studies have shown that there are no differences in the frequency of sugar malabsorption between patients with irritable bowel disease (IBS) and healthy controls; however, the severity of symptoms after a sugar challenge is higher in patients than in controls.
1.5K
19 May 2022
Topic Review
Inflammation and Infections in Anal Cancer
The anal canal is a short (3–4 cm) segment located distal to the rectum, commencing at the anorectal ring and extending to the anal verge. The World Health Organization classifies anal canal cancers as epithelial, mesenchymal and secondary tumors. Anal squamous cell cancer (SCC) occurs most frequently, accounting for approximately 80% to 85% of all anal canal cancers.
472
13 May 2022
Topic Review
Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy
The liver is one of the richest organs in mitochondria, serving as a hub for key metabolic pathways such as β-oxidation, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, ketogenesis, respiratory activity, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, all of which provide metabolic energy for the entire body. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to subcellular organelle dysfunction in liver diseases, particularly fatty liver disease. Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is a life-threatening liver disorder unique to pregnancy, which can result in serious maternal and fetal complications, including death. Pregnant mothers with this disease require early detection, prompt delivery, and supportive maternal care. AFLP was considered a mysterious illness and though its pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated, molecular research over the past two decades has linked AFLP to mitochondrial dysfunction and defects in fetal fatty-acid oxidation (FAO). Due to deficient placental and fetal FAO, harmful 3-hydroxy fatty acid metabolites accumulate in the maternal circulation, causing oxidative stress and microvesicular fatty infiltration of the liver, resulting in AFLP.
657
11 May 2022
Topic Review
Bile Acids in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a spectrum of diseases, the onset and progression of which are due to chronic alcohol use. ALD ranges, by increasing severity, from hepatic steatosis to alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and alcohol-associated cirrhosis (AC), and in some cases, can lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ALD continues to be a significant health burden and is now the main cause of liver transplantations in the United States. ALD leads to biological, microbial, physical, metabolic, and inflammatory changes in patients that vary depending on disease severity. ALD deaths have been increasing in recent years and are projected to continue to increase. Current treatment centers focus on abstinence and symptom management, with little in the way of resolving disease progression. Due to the metabolic disruption and gut dysbiosis in ALD, bile acid (BA) signaling and metabolism are also notably affected and play a prominent role in disease progression in ALD, as well as other liver disease states, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
540
11 May 2022
Topic Review
Hepatitis Delta Virus
Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) is the cause of hepatitis D, a relatively rare but aggressive form of viral hepatitis developing in patients co-infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). HDV infection is associated with HBV infection since the defective HDV needs HBV to infect and replicate in the liver. Even if not a frequent cause of chronic liver disease, HDV infection is responsible for an aggressive progression of hepatitis towards advanced liver disease.
744
10 May 2022
Topic Review
Interactions between Nanoparticles and Intestine
The use of nanoparticles (NPs) has surely grown in recent years due to their versatility, with a spectrum of applications that range from nanomedicine to the food industry. Recent research focuses on the development of NPs for the oral administration route rather than the intravenous one, placing the interactions between NPs and the intestine at the centre of the attention. This allows the NPs functionalization to exploit the different characteristics of the digestive tract, such as the different pH, the intestinal mucus layer, or the intestinal absorption capacity. On the other hand, these same characteristics can represent a problem for their complexity, also considering the potential interactions with the food matrix or the microbiota.
467
06 May 2022
Topic Review
Endoscopic and Surgical Management of Stricturing Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a systemic disease, primarily affecting the gastro-intestinal tract, of which the etiology has not been clarified. Genetic and environmental factors are indicated to contribute to CD development. CD may affect any part of the digestive tract, whereas disease behavior may change over time and progress to fibrostenotic and penetrating disease. It is estimated that approximately 40% of CD patients will develop naïve symptomatic strictures (e.g., intestinal obstruction), whereas it is not uncommon for the development of anastomotic strictures. Diagnosis <40 years of age, need for steroids at diagnosis, small bowel involvement, and smoking has been associated with stricturing CD. Symptoms of stricturing CD may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and abdominal flatulence, leading to decreased quality of life.
319
06 May 2022
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