Functional Protein Network Activation Mapping Reveals New Potential Molecular Drug Targets for Poor Prognosis Pediatric BCP-ALL

Background: In spite of leukemia therapy improvements obtained over the last decades, therapy is not yet effective in all cases. Current approaches in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) research focus on identifying new molecular targets to improve outcome for patients with a dismal prognosis. In this light phosphoproteomics seems to hold great promise for the identification of proteins suitable for targeted therapy. Methodology/Principal Findings: We employed Reverse Phase Protein Microarrays to identify aberrantly activated proteins in 118 pediatric B-cell precursor (BCP)-ALL patients. Signal transduction pathways were assayed for activation/expression status of 92 key signalling proteins. We observed an increased activation/expression of several pathways involved in cell proliferation in poor clinical prognosis patients. MLL-rearranged tumours revealed BCL-2 hyperphosphorylation through AMPK activation, which indicates that AMPK could provide a functional role in inhibiting apoptosis in MLL-rearranged patients, and could be considered as a new potential therapeutic target. Second, in patients with poor clinical response to prednisone we observed the up-modulation of LCK activity with respect to patients with good response. This tyrosine-kinase can be down-modulated with clinically used inhibitors, thus modulating LCK activity could be considered for further studies as a new additional therapy for prednisone-resistant patients. Further we also found an association between high levels of CYCLIN E and relapse incidence. Moreover, CYCLIN E is more expressed in early relapsed patients, who usually show an unfavourable prognosis. Conclusions/Significance: We conclude that functional protein pathway activation mapping revealed specific deranged signalling networks in BCP-ALL that could be potentially modulated to produce a better clinical outcome for patients resistant to standard-of-care therapies

Repercussões fonoaudiológicas na Síndrome de Seckel: estudo de caso

Resumo: Síndrome de Seckel, trata-se de condição rara e de herança autossômica recessiva, hereditário, caracterizada por um severo retardo de crescimento intra-uterino, baixa estatura proporcional, microcefalia com queixo retraído e pequeno, nariz grande e curvo, em alguns casos retardo mental, várias anomalias congênitas em face, crânio e esqueleto, entre outras malformações. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as manifestações fonoaudiológicas encontradas nesta Síndrome, a partir do relato de um caso clínico, de um paciente do gênero masculino, de 09 anos de idade, encaminhado pela odontopediatria, com queixa de alteração no padrão respiratório. Foi realizada avaliação fonoaudiológica que abordou: descrição física, aspectos das funções estomatognáticas, da linguagem oral e escrita, da voz e audição e dos aspectos cognitivos. Para complementação do diagnóstico fonoaudiológico, foram realizadas avaliações ortodôntica, otorrinolaringológica e fisioterapêutica. Com relação às funções estomatognáticas, a criança apresentou respiração de modo oral, mastigação com preensão dos alimentos nos dentes laterais, mastigação unilateral, com lábios entreabertos e movimentos exagerados da musculatura perioral; deglutição com interposição de língua e participação da musculatura orofacial. Fala com articulação imprecisa e travada, devido à limitação de abertura de boca. No tocante à voz, o paciente apresentou tempo máximo de fonação reduzido, laringe em posição elevada, ressonância nasal, ataques vocais suaves e intensidade fraca. Não fora observada nenhuma alteração na linguagem oral e escrita. A escassez de estudos relatando manifestações fonoaudiológicas na Síndrome de Seckel, associada à raridade de ocorrência, justifica o interesse em realizar este estudo, para colaboração de maior conhecimento por parte dos fonoaudiólogos e profissionais de saúde

Osteoporosis and Fragility in Elderly Patients

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease affecting numerous people all over the world, causing fragility fractures, especially among the elderly. In order to reach a complete diagnosis before a fragility fracture occurs, it is necessary, according to the main international guidelines, to perform a dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD), an X-ray of the dorsal and lumbar spine to investigate the presence of asymptomatic vertebral fractures, laboratory tests to exclude secondary forms of osteoporosis, and draw up an accurate medical history, since several risk factors may be involved. The general management of this pathology includes prevention of further falls as well as the administration of calcium, vitamin D and protein supplements. Many drugs that permit a customised strategy—fundamental to improving treatment-adherence rates, frequently low in elderly patients—are available for the pharmacological treatment of this pathology

Aggressive dominance can decrease behavioral complexity on subordinates through synchronization of locomotor activities

Social environments are known to influence behavior. Moreover, within small social groups, dominant/subordinate relationships frequently emerge. Dominants can display aggressive behaviors towards subordinates and sustain priority access to resources. Herein, Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were used, given that they establish hierarchies through frequent aggressive interactions. We apply a combination of different mathematical tools to provide a precise quantification of the effect of social environments and the consequence of dominance at an individual level on the temporal dynamics of behavior. Main results show that subordinates performed locomotion dynamics with stronger long-range positive correlations in comparison to birds that receive few or no aggressions from conspecifics (more random dynamics). Dominant birds and their subordinates also showed a high level of synchronization in the locomotor pattern, likely emerging from the lack of environmental opportunities to engage in independent behavior. Findings suggest that dominance can potentially modulate behavioral dynamics through synchronization of locomotor activities.publishedVersionAlcala, Rocio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Caliva, Jorge Martín. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Caliva, Jorge Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentina.Flesia, Ana Georgina. Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación; Argentina.Flesia, Ana Georgina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigación y Estudios de Matemática; Argentina.Marin, Raúl Hector. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Marin, Raúl Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentina.Kembro, Jackelyn Melissa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Kembro, Jackelyn Melissa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentina