Transplantation of Autologous Cultivated Conjunctival Epithelium for the Restoration of Defects in the Ocular Surface

Ocular surface disorders are often characterised by partial or complete loss of corneo-conjunctival epithelium, which causes dramatic functional and cosmetic problems. Depletion of stem cells and the scarcity of donor tissue available make large or bilateral defects challenging to reconstruct, and usually require the transplantation of heterotopic or allogeneic grafts. We investigated the feasibility of restoring severely damaged ocular surfaces with autologous cultivated conjunctival epithelium. Conjunctival cells were harvested from the healthy eyelid bed of four patients with oculopalpebral diseases. An epithelial sheet reproducing the original conjunctival epithelium was generated by serial cell culture. This was transplanted for the first time ever to our knowledge on to the ocular surface of the same patients. Take was excellent and the cultivated epithelium was stable, resulting in great improvement of patient's symptoms and cosmesis. Transplantation of cultivated conjunctival cells opens new perspectives in the treatment of severe ocular surface disorders.     

Cell-penetrating peptides with intracellular organelle targeting

Introduction: One of the major limiting steps in order to have an effective drug is the passage through one or more cell membranes to reach its site of action. To reach the action-site, the specific macromolecules are required to be delivered specifically to the cell compartment/organelle in their (pre)active form.

Areas covered: In this review, we will discuss cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) developed in the last decade to transport small RNA/DNA, plasmids, antibodies, and nanoparticles into specific sites of the cell. The article describes CPPs in complex with cargo molecules that target specific intracellular organelles and their potential for pharmacological or clinical use.

Expert opinion: Organelle targeting is the ultimate goal to ensure selective delivery to the site of action in the cells. CPP technologies represent an important strategy to address drug delivery to specific intracellular compartments by covalent conjugation to targeting sequences, potentially enabling strategies to combat genomic diseases as well as infections, cancer, neurodegenerative and hereditary diseases. They have proven to be successful in delivering various therapeutic agents into cells however, further in vivo experiments and clinical trials are required to demonstrate the efficacy of this technology.     

A night of sleep deprivation alters brain connectivity and affects specific executive functions

Neurological Sciences - Sleep is a fundamental physiological process necessary for efficient cognitive functioning especially in relation to memory consolidation and executive functions, such as...     

Brand new norms for a good old test: Northern Italy normative study of MiniMental State Examination

Neurological Sciences - Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is one of the most used tests for the screening of global cognition in patients with neurological and medical disorders. Norms for the...     

Lymphocyte subset patterns and cytokine production in Alzheimer's disease patients

To investigate the signs of inflammatory processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we examined peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 51 AD patients (29 with mild and 22 with moderately severe dementia) and 51 age-matched healthy controls (HC), using flow cytometry to analyse the absolute number and the percentage of T, B and NK cells. We also studied the surface expression of CD25, CD28, CD57, CD71, CD45RA and CD45RO markers on cells CD4+ and CD8+. In 30 AD patients and 20 HC the production of IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-10 and TNF-alpha by PBMC after stimulation with [25-35], [1-40] and [1-16] beta-amyloid (betaA) fragments was also evaluated. A significant decrease in circulating B and CD8+CD28- cells, as well as an increase in CD8+ cells expressing CD71+ and CD28+, was observed in AD patients. A significant decrease in IL-10 production was also found after stimulation of PMBC with betaA [1-40]. The decreased IL-10 production was not related to disease severity. The observed imbalance of immune peripheral cell subpopulations and decreased IL-10 production point to a reduction of suppressor cell function in AD patients.     

Navigator system guided endoscopic intraoral approach for remodelling of mandibular condyle in Garré syndrome

In recent years, surgical trends showed an interest for minimally invasive surgery.Endoscopically assisted techniques were developed and widely reported. Endoscopic approaches can sometimes represent an alternative to traditional surgery.Such approaches minimize unwanted sequelae such unaesthetic scars and iatrogenic damage of facial nerve. In the reported case, the endoscopic approach and the navigator guide allowed reshaping of mandibular ramus up to the medial condilar surface, where an osteophite was present.To solve the intraarticular, mechanical obstacle, medial surface of mandibular condyle was reshaped. Such surgery represents a valid conservative solution; for traditional surgery with transcutaneous approach, a condylectomy should have been planned.The navigator (Brain Lab, Feldkirchen, Germany) allowed the checking of anatomic landmarks, even in bone with anatomy subversion, and guided its reshaping. The technique is summarized with step-by-step explanations.Further studies are obviously required to standardize the technique, and even technical and technological advances are expected, but computer-aided endoscopic surgery could be introduced to allow surgery on temporomandibular joints.