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Capocci M. Human genetics in post-WWII Italy: blood, genes and platforms. Hist Philos Life Sci 2023; 45:1. [PMID: 36602640 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-022-00555-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Italian Life sciences in post-WWII faced important challenges: the reconstruction of a scientific panorama suffering heavily after two decades of Fascism and the damages of war. Modernization was not only a matter of recreating a favorable environment for research, by modernizing Italian biomedical institutions and connecting the Italian scientists with the new ideas coming from abroad. The introduction of new genetics required a new array of concepts and instruments, but also, the ability to connect to international networks and to become active members of a broader scientific community. Because of the several socio-cultural issues involved (eugenics, racism, religion, politics), human genetics is a good case study in order to analyze how Italian life sciences managed the transition towards a new research system, and the influences Italian human geneticists received. The paper focuses primarily on the development of the early career of Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, probably the most prominent scientist in post-WWII human genetics in Italy, and his friend and colleague Ruggero Ceppellini. In following their path, a healthy mix of local traditions and international stimuli emerges, allowing for the establishment-within and beyond national borders-of the discipline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Capocci
- Department of Civilizations and Forms of Knowledge, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Abstract
The advance of Dentistry must take into account national, European and global policies for sustainable development and green transition. This article illustrates possible scenarios in this context for the next decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ndokaj
- Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - R Iacono
- Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - D Pasqualotto
- Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - C Stamegna
- Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - M Capocci
- Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - F Guerra
- Department of Oral and Maxillo Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
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3
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Brauner E, Mezi S, Ciolfi A, Ciolfi C, Pucci R, Cassoni A, Battisti A, Piesco G, De Felice F, Pranno N, Armida M, De Angelis F, Romeo U, Capocci M, Tenore G, Tombolini V, Valentini V, Ottolenghi L, Polimeni A, Di Carlo S. A New Medical Record Proposal to the Prognostic Risk Assessment for MRONJ in Oncologic Patients: "Sapienza Head and Neck Unit" Proposal. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:ijerph18041851. [PMID: 33672876 PMCID: PMC7918934 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is an adverse event associated with antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs. The use of these drugs in the treatment of cancer patients with bone metastasis is necessary and standardized in the literature. A multidisciplinary approach for the patient’s management is strongly recommended. Therefore, it should be necessary to integrate the path of these subjects with a dedicated dental screening in order to first assess the individual risk of developing a MRONJ, and then to plan dental treatments and oral hygiene sessions, and finally to schedule a follow-up to intercept and treat early osteonecrosis. The aim of this manuscript is to propose a new simple medical report to evaluate patients affected by metastatic bone cancer in order to reduce the risk of developing MRONJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Brauner
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Silvia Mezi
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.M.); (G.P.); (F.D.F.); (V.T.)
| | - Alessandro Ciolfi
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-3397737410
| | - Chiara Ciolfi
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Resi Pucci
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Andrea Cassoni
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Andrea Battisti
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Gabriele Piesco
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.M.); (G.P.); (F.D.F.); (V.T.)
| | - Francesca De Felice
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.M.); (G.P.); (F.D.F.); (V.T.)
| | - Nicola Pranno
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Matteo Armida
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Francesca De Angelis
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Umberto Romeo
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Mauro Capocci
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Gianluca Tenore
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (S.M.); (G.P.); (F.D.F.); (V.T.)
| | - Valentino Valentini
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Livia Ottolenghi
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Antonella Polimeni
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
| | - Stefano Di Carlo
- Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Roma, Italy; (E.B.); (C.C.); (R.P.); (A.C.); (A.B.); (N.P.); (M.A.); (F.D.A.); (U.R.); (M.C.); (G.T.); (V.V.); (L.O.); (A.P.); (S.D.C.)
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Ndokaj A, Jedlinski M, Pasqualotto D, Stamegna C, Capocci M, Rinaldo F. Treatment of developmental defects of enamel. Clin Ter 2021; 171:e55-e56. [PMID: 33346328 DOI: 10.7417/ct.2021.2282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Developmental defects of enamel are encountered daily in our dental practice. The management of enamel hypomineralized lesions may be challenging, especially as esthetic concern around the young population is increasing. Resin infiltration, a new technique firstly proposed to halt caries progression in the posterior segment, showed a strong positive esthetic effect in the treatment of developmental defects with different etiologies. Future in-vivo studies are needed to evaluate the longterm color stability, in order to provide a strong clinical recommendation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ndokaj
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M Jedlinski
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy - Department of Interdisciplinary Dentistry, Pomerian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland
| | - D Pasqualotto
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - C Stamegna
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M Capocci
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - F Rinaldo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Frezza G, Capocci M. Thomas Hunt Morgan and the invisible gene: the right tool for the job. Hist Philos Life Sci 2018; 40:31. [PMID: 29691669 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-018-0196-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The paper analyzes the early theory building process of Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866-1945) from the 1910s to the 1930s and the introduction of the invisible gene as a main explanatory unit of heredity. Morgan's work marks the transition between two different styles of thought. In the early 1900s, he shifted from an embryological study of the development of the organism to a study of the mechanism of genetic inheritance and gene action. According to his contemporaries as well as to historiography, Morgan separated genetics from embryology, and the gene from the whole organism. Other scholars identified an underlying embryological focus in Morgan's work throughout his career. Our paper aims to clarify the debate by concentrating on Morgan's theory building-characterized by his confidence in the power of experimental methods, and carefully avoiding any ontological commitment towards the gene-and on the continuity of the questions to be addressed by both embryology and genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Frezza
- Unit of History of Medicine, Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Viale dell'Università 34/a, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Mauro Capocci
- Unit of History of Medicine, Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Viale dell'Università 34/a, 00185, Rome, Italy
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Nardi GM, Mazur M, Corridore D, Capocci M, Rinaldo FM, Maruotti A, Ottolenghi L, Guerra F. Clinical comparison between an opaque and a clear pit and fissures sealants: a 12-month split-mouth, randomized controlled study. Clin Ter 2018; 169:e5-e9. [PMID: 29446784 DOI: 10.7417/t.2018.2046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
TRIAL DESIGN We design a clinical splith-mouth, randomized controlled study, in which the retention of an opaque and clear pit and fissures sealants were evaluated and their effectiveness compared at 6 and 12 months of follow up. A secondary aim was to evaluate the possibility of using a fluorescence based intra-oral camera through the clear sealant to monitor enamel demineralization. METHODS Consecutive young adolescents with at least two molars with code 0, 1, 2 caries evidenced following the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II) were enrolled. A split-mouth randomized allocation was carried out. One skilled operator applied the sealant under 3.5 X magnification. A second operator evaluated clinical retention and performed the intra-oral camera assessments at 6 and 12 months follow up. RESULTS A total of 42 patients, (20 males and 22 females, mean age 14.25) with 176 dental lesions were enrolled. Nine patients dropped out accounting for 26 teeth lost during follow up. Overall, a total of 150 sealed teeth were evaluated in the study. In 77 cases the clear sealant was used, while in 73 the opaque sealant was utilized. The opaque sealant rated 100% complete retention at 6 months, and 97.3% at 12 months, while the clear selant 91.8% and 85.9% respectively. Demineralization under clear selant was registered when sealant partial detachment occurred. CONCLUSIONS The overall retention rate of an opaque sealant was higher than that of a clear sealant after 12 months of follow-up. This difference may partly be due to difficulty in clinical detection of clear sealants during follow-up. Fluorescence based intra-oral camera seems useful to monitor enamel demineralization in clear sealant.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Nardi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
| | - M Mazur
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
| | - D Corridore
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
| | - M Capocci
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
| | - F Md Rinaldo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
| | | | - L Ottolenghi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
| | - F Guerra
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
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7
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Capocci M, Romeo U, Guerra F, Mannocci A, Tenore G, Annibali S, Ottolenghi L. Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) and quality of life evaluation: a pilot study. Clin Ter 2017; 168:e253-e257. [PMID: 28703840 DOI: 10.7417/t.2017.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MRONJ (medication related osteonecrosis of the jaws) is a well-known side effect of certain drugs, which are used to influence bone metabolism for the cure of osteo-metabolic or cancer diseases. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of life (QOL) under a physical and mental point of view in patients affected by MRONJ compared with the general population. METHODS The study has been accomplished through the administration of the SF-12 questionnaire: 30 patients of the MRONJ group were evaluated. RESULTS Significant differences based on the level of education and age of the subjects, on the location and finally on the stage of necrosis of the jaw have been identified. In this pilot study the test sample shows how MRONJ can aggravate the conditions of patients, above all under a physical point of view. CONCLUSIONS Prevention of MRONJ and its symptoms as dysphagia, oral pain, immunological compromission and the need of frequent antibiotic therapies is a crucial part of modern oral pathology and dentistry, above all for oncologic patients who already have a general decrease of physical and mental activities, leading to a poor quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Capocci
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - U Romeo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - F Guerra
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - A Mannocci
- Department of Public Health and Infectious diseases, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - G Tenore
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - S Annibali
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
| | - L Ottolenghi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy
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Guerra F, De Martino F, Capocci M, Rinaldo F, Mannocci A, De Biase A, Ottolenghi L, La Torre G. [VAP and oral hygiene.A systematic review]. Clin Ter 2017; 167:198-205. [PMID: 28051826 DOI: 10.7417/ct.2016.1973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common nosocomial infection in intensive care units. International literature showed how the use of professional oral hygiene protocols provide an essential support in VAP prevention. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic and narrative updated review, to further demonstrate that a proper protocol of oral hygiene, in special needs patients, can reduce risk of developing VAP. In this study were analyzed 10 narrative and 3 systematic reviews. Systematic reviews were evaluated with AMSTAR checklist, INSA tool was used to analyze narrative reviews. The findings of this study suggest that the use of antimicrobials combined with tooth brushing can actively contribute to reducing the incidence of VAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Guerra
- Dipartimento di Scienze Odontostomatologiche e Maxillo-Facciali. Sapienza Università di Roma
| | - F De Martino
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie infettive, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italia
| | - M Capocci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Odontostomatologiche e Maxillo-Facciali. Sapienza Università di Roma
| | - F Rinaldo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Odontostomatologiche e Maxillo-Facciali. Sapienza Università di Roma
| | - A Mannocci
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie infettive, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italia
| | - A De Biase
- Dipartimento di Scienze Odontostomatologiche e Maxillo-Facciali. Sapienza Università di Roma
| | - L Ottolenghi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Odontostomatologiche e Maxillo-Facciali. Sapienza Università di Roma
| | - G La Torre
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie infettive, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italia
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Abstract
Ferruccio Ritossa wrote these lines only a few months before he died, as a preface to a book he wanted to write and that, unfortunately, we will never be able to read. It was to be the story of his life, an amazing story indeed. With this article, we want to take a picture of Ferruccio's life, a mosaic of events, facts, ideas, hopes, and memories linked in a way that they will not go away, even after "a stroll in our brain."
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Capocci
- />Unit of History of Medicine, Department of Medico-surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, La Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M. Gabriella Santoro
- />Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Lawrence E. Hightower
- />Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT USA
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Capocci M. Introduction. Drugs are at the centre of a complexly entangled web of science, politics, economics and culture. Med Secoli 2014; 26:395-397. [PMID: 26054207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
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Capocci M. Cold drugs. Circulation, production and intelligence of antibiotics in post-WWII years. Med Secoli 2014; 26:401-421. [PMID: 26054208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The paper details how the earliest antibiotics were subject to a strict control during the earliest phase of the Cold War. Because of antibiotics strategic and economic value, Anglo-American Governments restricted circulation of scientists, techno-scientific know-how and technology related to penicillin production, as well as closely controlling the circulation of the drugs in the Communist countries. These efforts are documented by archival documents, testifying how drugs were actual instruments of propaganda and political strategies, affecting pharmaceutical development both in the Western and the Eastern bloc.
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Capocci M. [The international network and Italian modernization. Ruggero Ceppellini, genetics, and HLA]. Med Secoli 2014; 26:871-904. [PMID: 26292523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The paper reconstructs the scientific career of Ruggero Ceppellini, focusing especially on his role in the discovery of the genetic system underlying the Human Leucocyte Antigen. From his earliest investigations in blood group genetics, Ceppellini quickly became an internationally acknowledged authority in the field of immunogenetics--the study of genetics by means of immunological tools--and participated to the endeavor that ultimately yelded a new meaning for the word: thanks to the pioneering research in the HLA field, immunogenetics became the study of the genetic control of immune system. The paper will also place Ceppellini's scientific work against the backdrop of the modernization of Italian genetics after WWII, resulting from the efforts of a handful of scientists to connect to international networks and adopting new methodologies in life sciences.
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Lerario F, Palaia G, Tenore G, Capocci M, Gaimari G, Del Vecchio A, Romeo U. Lesione ulcerativa del palato molle. Dental Cadmos 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/s0011-8524(13)70038-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Cozzoli D, Capocci M. Making biomedicine in twentieth-century Italy: Domenico Marotta (1886-1974) and the Italian Higher Institute of Health. Br J Hist Sci 2011; 44:549-574. [PMID: 22397079 DOI: 10.1017/s0007087411000604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
This paper focuses on the role played by Domenico Marotta, director of the ISS (Higher Institute of Health) for over twenty-five years, in the development of twentieth-century Italian biomedicine. We will show that Marotta aimed to create an integrated centre for research and production able to interact with private industry. To accomplish this, Marotta shifted the original mission of the ISS, from public health to scientific research. Yet Mussolini's policy turned most of the ISS resources towards controls and military tasks, opposing Marotta's aspiration. By contrast, in the post-war years Marotta was able to turn the ISS into the most important Italian biomedical research institution, where research and production fruitfully cohabited. Nobel laureates, such as Ernst Chain, and future Nobel laureates, such as Daniel Bovet, were hired. The ISS built up an integrated research and production centre for penicillin and antibiotics. In the 1960s, Marotta's vision was in accord with the new centre-left government. However, he pursued his goals by ruling the ISS autocratically and beyond any legal control. This eventually led to his downfall and prosecution. This also marked the decline of the ISS, intertwined with the weakness of the centre-left government, who failed to achieve structural reforms and couple the modernization of the country with the democratization of its scientific institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Cozzoli
- Pompeu Fabra University, Department of Humanities, 25/27 carrer Ramón Trias Fargas, 08005, Barcelona, Spain.
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Capocci M. "A Chain is gonna come". Building a penicillin production plant in post-war Italy. Dynamis 2011; 31:343-362. [PMID: 22332463 DOI: 10.4321/s0211-95362011000200005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In 1947, Ernst Chain moved from Oxford to Rome, hired as head of a new biochemistry department and of a penicillin production pilot plant in the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Higher Health Institute). Here, he managed to make Rome one of the most important centres in the international network of antibiotic science. However, the development of the state-operated centre was not easy. Political and economic pressures, exerted both from home and abroad, posed many obstacles to the plan devised by Domenico Marotta, the general director of the Institute. The paper reconstructs Chain's venture in Rome, which lasted until 1964, while framing the history of the penicillin production plant in the context of diplomatic negotiations, national politics, and science policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Capocci
- Section of History of Medicine, Sapienza--Università di Roma, Italy.
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Romeo U, Del Vecchio A, Capocci M, Maggiore C, Ripari M. The low level laser therapy in the management of neurological burning mouth syndrome. A pilot study. Ann Stomatol (Roma) 2010; 1:14-18. [PMID: 22238700 PMCID: PMC3254372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a common disease but still a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for clinicians. Despite many studies its nature remains obscure and controversial; nowadays there is no consensus about definition, diagnosis and classification. BMS is characterized clinically by burning sensations in the tongue or other oral sites, often without clinical and laboratory findings. According to the etiology, BMS cases should be subdivided into three subtypes: BMS by local factors (lfBMS), BMS by systemic factors (sfBMS) and neurological BMS (nBMS), the most frequent, in which the symptom is caused by central or peripheral neurological malfunctions affecting in particular the taste pathway. To establish the type of BMS, both anamnesis and clinical examination, including laboratory tests, are necessary; nBMS cases will be recognized by exclusion of any other type. In case of lfBMS or sfBMS, the treatment of the main pathology will be resolutive; in nBMS cases many Authors proposed different pharmacological trials without satisfactory results and the current opinion is that a multidisciplinary approach is required to keep the condition under control. This pilot study aimed to investigate whether the biostimulative effect of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) could enhance the symptoms of nBMS cases, improving patients' quality of life. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS Among 160 patients affected by oral burning sensation attending to the Oral Pathology Complex Operative Unit of the Department of Stomatological Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome, 77 resulted affected by nBMS. Twenty-five of these patients, 16 females and 9 males, were randomly selected for low level laser applications. All the patients were irradiated with a double diode laser (Lumix 2 Prodent, Italy) emitting contemporarily at 650 nm and 910 nm, with a fluence of 0.53 J/cm(2) for 15 minutes twice a week for 4 weeks. The areas of irradiation were the sides of the tongue on the path of taste fibers. A NRS (numerical rating scale) evaluation of maximum and minimum pain was registered before and after the treatment. In each case to the total value of NRS rates registered before the treatment was deducted the total NRS rate registered after the treatment. The difference was estimated effective if over two points. The Kruskall-Wallis test revealed the significance of the study (p<0.0001) and the Dunn's Multiple Comparison test, applied to compare NRS rates before and after the treatment, showed that there is not a statistically relevant difference between min NRS ratings before and after treatment, while there are statistically significant differences between max NRS ratings (p<0.05). RESULTS All the patients agreed the treatment confirming the general good compliance related to laser treatments. No side effects were registered and all the patients completed the therapy without interruption. Seventeen patients (68%) had relevant benefits from the treatment with valid reduction of NRS ratings. In 8 cases the differences of NRS rates were not relevant being under the limit of reliability established in study design. In no case there was a worsening of the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS According to the results of this pilot study it is reasonable to suppose that LLLT may play an important role in the management of nBMS cases, more investigations are needed to clarify, by a greater number of cases and a placebo control group, the real effectiveness of this innovative LLLT application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Romeo
- Corresponding author: Prof. Umberto Romeo, Department of Oral Science, Via Caserta, 6 - 00161 Rome, Italy, Ph. +39-06-4997, E-mail:
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Capocci M. [The historical roots of regeneration research]. Med Secoli 2010; 22:87-110. [PMID: 21563470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The paper reconstructs the historical roots of regeneration research, now a major subject in biomedicine, focusing on the development of concepts and practices from the epigenesis vs preformation debate in the late XVIII century to the experimental embryology in the first half of XX century. In this time span, regeneration attracted a good deal of attention because of its role as a natural experiment for testing developmental as well as physiological hypotheses. It is therefore a useful historical subject in order to understand the pathways of progress in life sciences and to shed some light on the epistemological debates of contemporary biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Capocci
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sezione di Storia della Medicina, Sapienza-Università di Roma, Italy.
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De Sio F, Capocci M. Southern genes. Genetics and its institutions in the Italian South, 1930s-1970s. Med Secoli 2008; 20:791-825. [PMID: 19848218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The paper examines the historical vicissitudes of Genetics and Medical Genetics in the "Mezzogiorno", focussing on the emergence of local traditions and their mingling with international trends. The development of these disciplines took place in a peculiar mix of politics and science that lead to a rapid growth in the '50s and the '60s, followed by an harsh crisis. Though important and enduring results were attained, Italian genetics community failed to maintain the status reached in the two preceding decades, and quickly moved to the periphery of international networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio De Sio
- History of Science Unit, Stazione Zoologica "A. Dohrn", Napoli, I
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Capocci M. [Biology and utopia. Adriano Buzzati Traverso and Italian science]. Med Secoli 2006; 18:167, 179-92. [PMID: 17526284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The paper aims at reconstructing the scientific career of Adriano Buzzati-Traverso, a prominent character in Italian biology after the Second World War. In the Fifties and the Sixties, he was able to introduce the new molecular approaches in life sciences. A great scientific manager, much ahead of his times (at least in Italy), he successfully organized the first postgraduate courses of genetics and molecular biology in Pavia, and later created the International Laboratory of Genetics and Biophysics in Naples. Between 1962 and 1969, this institution gained the greatest respect in the scientific community, but the political turmoil in 1969 abruptly ended this fascinating attempt to modernize Italian science. Buzzati-Traverso's personal archive allows us to reconstruct the detailed history of his scientific enterprises, focusing particularly on the hard struggle to modernize management and policies of Italian science.
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Walfridsson H, Aunes M, Capocci M, Edvardsson N. Sensing of atrial fibrillation by a dual chamber pacemaker: how should atrial sensing be programmed to ensure adequate mode shifting? Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2000; 23:1089-93. [PMID: 10914363 DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-8159.2000.tb00907.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Patients with atrial fibrillation and a DDDR pacemaker were studied to assess mode switching at different atrial sensitivity settings. Thirty-one patients were investigated 7 +/- 9 months after pacemaker implantation and 20 of those patients were reinvestigated 23 +/- 9 months after implant. Adequate mode switching was evaluated by stepwise programming the atrial sensitivity setting from maximal to minimal in the bipolar mode. Adequate mode switching was observed in all 31 patients during the first evaluation. The lowermost sensitivity average allowing for mode switching was 1.1 +/- 0.7 mV (range 0.3-4.0 mV). A total of 22 (71%) patients demonstrated intermittent mode shifting at sensitivity settings above the atrial sensing threshold. In six (19%) patients, the adequate sensitivity threshold ranged from 0.3 to 0.5 mV, which did not allow for a two-fold sensitivity safety margin. During the second evaluation, adequate mode switching was achieved in all 20 patients, the lowermost sensitivity average allowing for mode switching being 1.1 +/- 0.7 mV (range 0.3-2.0 mV). A total of 16 (80%) patients showed intermittent mode shifting at a sensitivity setting above the atrial sensing threshold. In five (25%) patients, the sensitivity threshold ranged from 0.3 to 0.5 mV, which did not allow for a two-fold sensitivity safety margin. Adequate mode switching was achieved in 31 of 31 patients in response to atrial fibrillation on one occasion and in all 20 patients on two occasions. It was necessary to program the atrial sensitivity to the highest possible level (0.3 mV) to ensured adequate mode switching in all cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Walfridsson
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
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