An Overview of Current Progress and Challenges in Brain Cancer Therapy Using Advanced Nanoparticles

Brain tumors pose significant challenges in terms of complete cure and early-stage prognosis. The complexity of brain tumors, including their location, infiltrative nature, and intricate tumor microenvironment (TME), contributes to the difficulties in achieving a complete cure. The primary objective of brain cancer therapy is to effectively treat brain tumors and improve the patient's quality of life. Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as promising tools in this regard. They can be designed to deliver therapeutic drugs to the brain tumor site while also incorporating imaging agents. The NPs with the 10-200 nm range can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB) and facilitate drug bioavailability. NPs can be designed by several methods to improve the pharmaceutical and pharmacological aspects of encapsulated therapeutic agents. NPs can be developed in various dosage forms to suit different administration routes in brain cancer therapy. The unique properties and versatility of NPs make them essential tools in the fight against brain tumors, offering new opportunities to improve patient outcomes and care. Having the ability to target brain tumors directly, overcome the BBB, and minimize systemic side effects makes NPs valuable tools in improving patient outcomes and care. The review highlights the challenges associated with brain tumor treatment and emphasizes the importance of early detection and diagnosis. The use of NPs for drug delivery and imaging in brain tumors is a promising approach to improving patient outcomes and quality of life. The versatility and unique properties of NPs make them valuable tools in the fight against brain tumors, and NPs have the potential to revolutionize healthcare.

Effect of Extraction Methods on the Antioxidant Potential and Cytotoxicity of the Combined Ethanolic Extracts of Daucus carota L., Beta vulgaris L., Phyllanthus emblica L. and Lycopersicon esculentum against Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cells

Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet may alleviate the risk of developing chronic diseases. Daucus carota L. (carrot), Beta vulgaris L. (beetroot) Phyllanthus emblica L. (amla), and Lycopersicon esculentum M (tomatoes) are traditionally consumed functional foods that contain a high concentration of antioxidants, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and numerous phytochemicals. This study assessed how three distinct preparation methods affect the phenolic, flavonoid, carotenoid, and ascorbic acid contents, antioxidant level, and cytotoxicity of the combined fruit extract. The fruit samples were taken in the ratio of carrot (6): beetroot (2): tomato (1.5): amla (0.5) and processed into a lyophilized slurry (LS) extract, lyophilized juice (LJ) extract, and hot-air oven-dried (HAO) extract samples. The sample extracts were assessed for their phytoconstituent concentrations and antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. The total phenolic content in LS, LJ, and HAO extracts was 171.20 ± 0.02, 120.73 ± 0.02, and 72.05 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g, respectively and the total flavonoid content was 23.635 ± 0.003, 20.754 ± 0.005, and 18.635 ± 0.005 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g, respectively. Similarly, total ascorbic acid content, carotenoids, and antioxidant potential were higher in the LS and LJ extracts than in HAO. Overall, the LS extract had a substantially higher concentration of phytochemicals and antioxidants, as well as higher cytotoxic potential, compared to the LJ and HAO extracts. The LS extract was tested in the MKN-45 human gastric cancer cell line to demonstrate its effective antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity. Hence, lyophilization (freezing) based techniques are more effective than heat-based techniques in preserving the phytoconstituents and their antioxidant and cytotoxic potential.

Atrial fibrillation and COVID-19 in older patients: a complex, dangerous, association. An analysis of the GeroCovid Registry

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

OnBehalf

the GeroCovid Investigators

Introduction. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia diagnosed in elderly patients. It often associates with disabling complications, such as stroke and systemic embolism. COVID-19 severely affects older subjects, who show a particularly high mortality, often related to relevant alterations in coagulation and inflammation cascade. 

Purpose. Aim of this study was to evaluate how the presence of a prevalent form of AF (at admission or in clinical history) influenced the clinical course of COVID-19 in an aged in-hospital population.

Methods. We studied the acute patients included in GeroCovid, a multicenter retrospective-prospective registry designed by the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and the Norwegian Geriatrics Society. GeroCovid, independently of the healthcare setting and without exclusion criteria, enrolled subjects aged >60 years to analyze risk factors, signs, symptoms and outcomes of COVID-19 in older people. For the purpose of this study, only the acute, in-hospital, cohort was evaluated.

Results. Between March 1st and June 6th 2020, 2474 patients were enrolled in GeroCovid. Of these, 806 (32.6%) were assisted in hospital, for an acute condition (age: 79 ± 9 years; men: 51.7%). The prevalence of AF was 21.8%. Patients with the arrhythmia were older (82 ± 8 vs. 77 ± 9 years; p < 0.001) and with a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score (4.1 ± 1.5 vs. 3.2 ± 1.5; p < 0.001). The prevalence of almost all comorbidities was higher in AF patients (in particular, hypertension, cardiac diseases, diabetes, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, chronic renal failure, COPD, stroke, obesity). At multivariable analysis, advanced age (p = 0.010), an increased number of white blood cells (p = 0.031), the presence of cardiac diseases (p < 0.001), peripheral artery disease (p = 0.030) and of signs or symptoms of heart failure (p = 0.003) characterized older patients with AF. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with the arrhythmia (36.9 vs. 27.5%; OR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.09-2.20; p = 0.015). A multivariable logistic regression model showed that AF was an independent predictor of mortality (p = 0.021), such as male gender (p = 0.014) and the presence of peripheral artery disease (p = 0.003). COPD, stroke, chronic renal failure, diabetes and obesity were deleted from the final model.

Conclusions. AF is frequently observed in older patients with COVID-19. Subjects with both conditions have a more complex clinical status and show a higher in-hospital mortality, thus requesting a particularly careful and intensive management.