Background: The nephrotoxicity of gadolinium [Gd (III)] has been reported, raising concerns about the safety of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA). Gd (III) exposure, in renal tubular cells (HK-2), causes apoptosis, and leads to upregulation of genes related to lipogenesis/lipolysis and to signaling pathways related to inflammation/hypoxia [1].Gadoteric acid (Gd-DOTA), a macrocyclic GBCA, appears to be one...
During the last few decades, life expectancy has increased worldwide along with the prevalence of several age-related diseases. Among aging pathways, cellular senescence and chronic inflammation (or “inflammaging”) appear to be connected to gut homeostasis and dysbiosis of the microbiome. Cellular senescence is a state of essentially irreversible cell cycle arrest that occurs in response to stress. Although sen...
Curcumin, a natural compound found in turmeric, has shown promise in treating brain-related diseases and conditions associated with aging. Curcumin has shown multiple anti-inflammatory and brain-protective effects, but its clinical use is limited by challenges like poor absorption, specificity and delivery to the right tissues. A range of contemporary approaches at the intersection with bioengineering and syste...
Background: The gut-brain axis has been increasingly recognized as a critical factor in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology. While its role in demyelination is well documented, gut-brain axis involvement during remyelination remains largely unexplored. Methods: Using the cuprizone (CPZ) model, which induces reversible demyelination and spontaneous remyelination upon toxin withdrawal, we investigated gut and...
The influence of gut microbiota in the onset and development of several metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, has gained attention over the last few years. Indeed, diet plays an essential role in gut microbiota modulation. Western diet (WD), characterized by high-sugar and high-fat consumption, alters gut microbiome composition, diversity index, microbial relative levels, and functional pathways. Se...
Blueberries, red fruits enriched in polyphenols and fibers, are envisaged as a promising nutraceutical intervention in a plethora of metabolic diseases. Prediabetes, an intermediate state between normal glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes, fuels the development of complications, including hepatic steatosis. In previous work, we have demonstrated that blueberry juice (BJ) supplementation benefits glycemic cont...
Vaccine adjuvants are important for enhancing vaccine efficacy, and although aluminium salts (Alum) are the most used, their limited ability to induce specific immune responses has spurred the search for new adjuvants. However, many adjuvants fail during product development due to manufacturability, supply, stability, or safety concerns. This work hypothesizes that protein-free yeast glucans can be used as vacc...
Background: Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) differ in their potential to release gadolinium [Gd (III)], known to be toxic. Gadoteric acid (Gd-DOTA) is a macrocyclic GBCA, with a more stable structure. After GBCA exposure, Gd (III) retention in red blood cells (RBC) and kidney has been reported [1,2]. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a severe condition found in renal disease patients exposed to GBCA, is as...
Background: There are currently concerns about the safety of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA), as they can release gadolinium [Gd (III)], known to be toxic. Free Gd (III) deposition at different organs, as kidney and liver, has been reported [1,2]. We found that Gd (III) promotes inflammation and fibrosis in proximal tubular cells [3]. GBCA with macrocyclic structure, as gadoteric acid (Gd-DOTA), are con...
Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) elicit an intestinal response characterized by vascular and cellular changes, alongside the release of cytokines linked to the activation of the nuclear factor-кB (NF-кB) pathway. Consequently, a search was conducted for a compound capable of counteracting the primary pro-inflammatory effects induced by these nanoparticles [1]. Given the reported anti-inflammatory propert...