1. Functional characterisation of surfactant protein A as a novel prophylactic means against oncogenic HPV infectionsSinead Carse, Tim Reid, Jens Madsen, Howard Clark, Artur Kirjakulov, Martina Bergant Marušič, Georgia Schäfer, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection poses a significant health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where limited healthcare access and awareness hinder vaccine accessibility. To identify alternative HPV targeting interventions, we previously reported on surfactant protein A (SP-A) as a novel molecule capable of recognising HPV16 pseudovirions (HPV16-PsVs) and reducing infection in a murine cervicovaginal HPV challenge model. Building on these findings, our current study aimed to assess SP-A’s suitability as a broad-spectrum HPV-targeting molecule and its impact on innate immune responses. We demonstrate SP-A’s ability to agglutinate and opsonise multiple oncogenic HPV-PsVs types, enhancing their uptake and clearance by RAW264.7 murine macrophages and THP-1 human-derived immune cells. The SP-A opsonisation of HPV not only led to increased lysosomal accumulation in macrophages and HaCaT keratinocytes but also resulted in a decreased infection of HaCaT cells, which was further decreased when co-cultured with innate immune cells. An analysis of human innate immune cell cytokine profiles revealed a significant inflammatory response upon SP-A exposure, potentially contributing to the overall inhibition of HPV infection. These results highlight the multi-layered impact of SP-A on HPV, innate immune cells and keratinocytes and lay the basis for the development of alternative prophylactic interventions against diverse HPV types. Ključne besede: surfactant protein A, SP-A, human papillomavirus, HPV, pseudovirus, cervical cancer, HPV prophylactic, low- and middle-income countries, LMIC Objavljeno v RUNG: 22.07.2024; Ogledov: 873; Prenosov: 9 Celotno besedilo (6,10 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
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3. Nitroreductase-sensitive fluorescent covalent organic framework for tumor hypoxia imaging in cellsTina Škorjanc, Dinesh Shetty, Sushil Kumar, Damjan Makuc, Gregor Mali, Janez Volavšek, Martina Bergant Marušič, Matjaž Valant, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Ključne besede: covalent organic frameworks, imaging, hypoxia, fluorescence, cancer cells Objavljeno v RUNG: 17.05.2023; Ogledov: 2014; Prenosov: 19 Celotno besedilo (1,55 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
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7. DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL PCR-BASED ASSAY FOR HIGH-RISK HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DETECTION AND GENOTYPING IN SELF COLLECTED CERVICOVAGINAL SAMPLES: A NEW POSSIBILITY FOR THE CERVICAL CANCER SCREENINGAlice Avian, 2020, doktorska disertacija Opis: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the causative agent for the invasive cervical cancer and its precancerous lesions, furthermore, there are growing evidences of HPV being a relevant factor in other anogenital cancers as well as head and neck cancers. Most sexually active women become infected with HPV at least once in their lifetime, but less than 10% of women becomes persistently infected, and it is precisely the persistent infection that contributes to the development of cervical cancer.
The preventive effect of cervical cancer screening largely depends in the high women participation and coverage; indeed, a large number of cervical cancers diagnoses normally arise among under-screened and unscreened women. Increase in the screening coverage is essential to improve the effectiveness of cervical screening programmes.
The main purpose of this PhD project was to solve some of the most relevant problems in the cervical cancer screening programmes, as the increase of cost-effectiveness and the amelioration of the screening coverage.
My work was focused on the development and validation of the first Ulisse BioMed S.p.A. product, the HPV Selfy™ test, an innovative PCR-based kit for the direct detection and genotyping of 12 high-risk HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58 and 59) and 2 possible/probable high-risk (66 and 68), specifically optimized for the analysis of self-collected vaginal specimens.
The core of this innovative test is based on high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis, a recently developed technique for fast, high-throughput post-PCR analysis of variance in nucleic acid sequences, that characterizes the amplicons by studying thermal denaturation of double-stranded DNA. Based on this approach and through the design of different HPV type-specific primer pairs and the development of a specific master mix, unique melting peaks in a single fluorescence channel were obtained, allowing the multiple detection and genotyping of 14 HPV types in a single PCR well.
Three different clinical studies have been carried out to validate the assay on the vaginal self-collected samples with truly amazing results regarding the assay’s performance, but also for self-sampling acceptability by women. Moreover, data collected in these studies suggest a future possible use of this test for the hard-to-reach women, as an alternative of the conventional clinician-collected sample, in order to increase the cervical cancer screening coverage. Ključne besede: Human Papillomavirus, HPV test, cervical cancer screening, prevention, diagnostic test, High resolution melting, HRM, genotyping, PCR, Self-sampling, clinical validation. Objavljeno v RUNG: 17.06.2020; Ogledov: 4602; Prenosov: 112 Celotno besedilo (37,88 MB) |
8. Identification of New DR5 Agonistic Nanobodies and Generation of Multivalent Nanobody Constructs for Cancer TreatmentGolnaz Sadeghnezhad, Ema Romao, Robert Alvin Bernedo-Navarro, Sam Massa, Khosro Khajeh, Serge Muyldermans, Sadegh Hassania, 2019, izvirni znanstveni članek Ključne besede: death receptor 5, nanobody, TRAIL, cancer therapy, apoptosis Objavljeno v RUNG: 01.10.2019; Ogledov: 3768; Prenosov: 0 Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
9. Connective tissue and diseases: from morphology to proteomics towards the development of new therapeutic appproachDaniela Quaglino, Federica Boraldi, Giulia Annovi, Deanna Guerra, Ivonne Pasquali Ronchetti, 2009, pregledni znanstveni članek Opis: Connective tissue consists of cells separated by the extracellular matrix, whose composition and amount vary according
to age, to functional requirements, and to the presence of pathologic conditions. Within this non-random
macromolecular assembly, collagens, elastin, proteoglycans and structural glycoproteins are mutually interdependent
and modifications of one component, by extrinsic (environmental) and/or intrinsic (systemic, genetic, age-related)
factors, may have consequences on the tissue as a whole. Since decades, different microscopical techniques have been
applied mainly for diagnostic purposes and for detailed descriptions of changes occurring in cells and in matrix
components. More recently, in order to dissect the molecular complexity of the matrix network, to analyse the
interactions between cells and matrix and to look for modulators of cell phenotype, histomorphologic investigations
have been implemented with proteomic studies that allow to identify possible diagnostic markers, and to better
understand patho-mechanisms enabling the design of novel therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the progressively
expanding, although incomplete, knowledge on connective tissue biology, sheds new light on the pathogenesis of
diseases affecting single molecules (i.e. collagenopathies, mucopolysaccharidoses, elastinopathies) and discloses the
importance of matrix components as fundamental regulators of cell phenotype, in relation, for instance, to the aging
process and/or to cancer development and progression. Few examples will be presented demonstrating the promises of
proteomics as a technique leading to the discovery of new therapies and possibly to the development of individualized
treatments for a better patient care. Ključne besede: pathology, proteomics, fibrosis, rheumatology, cancer Objavljeno v RUNG: 23.08.2019; Ogledov: 3665; Prenosov: 0 Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
10. Urinary Extracellular Vesicle Biomarkers in Urological Cancers: From Discovery Towards Clinical ImplementationBert Dhondt, Jan Van Deun, Silke Vermaerke, Ario De Marco, Nicolaas Lumen, Olivier De Wever, An Hendrix, 2018, pregledni znanstveni članek Ključne besede: Extracellular vesicles, cancer biomarkers, diagnostics Objavljeno v RUNG: 04.05.2018; Ogledov: 4804; Prenosov: 0 Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |