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Boric acid (BA) is the dominant form of boron in plasma, playing a role in different physiological mechanisms such as cell replication. Toxic effects have been reported, both for high doses of boron and its deficiency. Contrasting results were, however, reported about the cytotoxicity of pharmacological BA concentrations on cancer cells. The aim of this review is to briefly summarize the main findings in the field ranging from the proposed mechanisms of BA uptake and actions to its effects on cancer cells.

Background/Objectives: Mastoid obliteration (MO) after canal wall down (CWD) tympanoplasty for chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma (COMC) enables simultaneous surgical management of the pathology and shaping of a new external ear canal (EEC) that is similar to the natural one. The aim of the present work is to describe the results of a new MO technique that involves using homologous bone (HB) material and a Palva flap (“Cupeta technique”). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 12 patients undergoing MO for COMC, either during the same operation or in a second-time surgery after CWD. The surgical technique, patient demographics, audiometric data, the EEC volume, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: The MO technique resulted in good outcomes in terms of healing at three months after surgery. Fewer clinical complications were observed compared with similar MO methods described in the literature. HB reabsorption was observed in two patients and was defined as only partial. Measurements of the EEC volume were normal in all patients. The preoperative and postoperative hearing thresholds were similar. Conclusions: Performing MO with the Cupeta technique after CWD is a suitable surgical management method for COMC and demonstrates good clinical postoperative results. We plan to conduct further studies with a longer follow-up and a larger group of patients in order to confirm our findings.

The aim of this article is to report the results obtained by the use of HAM in surgical wound healing and the reduction of relapse in patients affected by Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).The study involved patients with the diagnosis of MRONJ, surgically treated between October 2016 and April 2019, in a case–control setting. Enrolled patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group will be treated with resective surgery and with the insertion of HAM patch (Group A), while the second group had been treated exclusively with resective surgery (Group B).The patients underwent MRONJ surgical treatment with the placement of amniotic membrane patches at the wound site. Data regarding the long-term complications/functions were evaluated at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Pain measurements were performed before the intervention (T0), 7(T1) and 30(T2) days after surgery. 49 patients were included in the study. 2 patients of GROUP A after 30 days since they were surgically treated showed persistent bone exposure. 5 patients of group B demonstrated a lack of healing of the surgical wound with the persistence of bone exposed to 30 days after surgery. Statistical analysis ruled out any difference in OUTCOME (relapse) between GROUP A and B (p = 0.23). However, the Fisher test highlighted a significant difference between the use of HAM and only surgical treatment in pain at rest (p = 0.032). The use of amniotic membrane implement the patient's quality of life and reduce pain perception. has a learning curve that is fast enough to justify its routine use.

The biological activity of a combined treatment of U251, U373 and T98G glioma cell lines with two anti-miR PNAs, directed against miR-221 and miR-222 and conjugated with an ocataarginine tail (R8-PNA-a221 and R8-PNA-a222) for efficient cellular delivery, was determined. Apoptosis was analyzed, and the effect of the combined treatment of glioma cells with either or both PNAs on the reversion of drug-resistance phenotype was assessed in the temozolomide-resistant T98G glioma cell line. Selectivity of PNA/miRNA interactions was studied by surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based Biacore analysis. Specificity of the PNA effects at the cellular level was analyzed by RT-qPCR. These experiments support the concept that the effects of R8-PNA-a221 and R8-PNA-a222 are specific. The studies on apoptosis confirmed that the R8-PNA-a221 induces apoptosis and demonstrated the pro-apoptotic effects of R8-PNA-a222. Remarkably, increased pro-apoptotic effects were obtained with the co-administration of both anti-miR-221 and anti-miR-222 PNAs. In addition, co-administration of R8-PNA-a221 and R8-PNA-a222 induced apoptosis of TMZ-treated T98G cells at a level higher than that obtained following singular administration of R8-PNA-a221 or R8-PNA-a222.

MicroRNAs are a family of small noncoding RNAs regulating gene expression by sequence-selective mRNA targeting, leading to a translational repression or mRNA degradation. The oncomiR miR-221 is highly expressed in human gliomas, as confirmed in this study in samples of low and high grade gliomas, as well in the cell lines U251, U373 and T98G. In order to alter the biological functions of miR-221, a peptide nucleic acid targeting miR-221 (R8-PNA-a221) was produced, bearing a oligoarginine peptide (R8) to facilitate uptake by glioma cells. The effects of R8-PNA-a221 were analyzed in U251, U373 and T98G glioma cells and found to strongly inhibit miR-221. In addition, the effects of R8-PNA-a221 on p27 Kip1 (a target of miR-221) were analyzed in U251 and T98G cells by RT-qPCR and by Western blotting. No change of p27 Kip1 mRNA content occurs in U251 cells in the presence of PNA-a221 (lacking the R8 peptide), whereas significant increase of p27 Kip1 mRNA was observed with the R8-PNA-a221. These data were confirmed by Western blot assay. A clear increment of p27 Kip1 protein expression in the samples treated with R8-PNA-a221 was detected. In addition, R8-PNA-a221 was found able to increase TIMP3 expression (another target of miR-221) in T98G cells. These results suggest that PNAs against oncomiRNA miR-221 might be proposed for experimental treatment of human gliomas.

Mastoid obliteration can be performed after canal wall down (CWD) mastoidectomy with various materials. Homologous bone tissue harvested from cadaver donor represents a feasible option with advantages. The purpose of the study is to describe the case of a patient diagnosed with middle ear cholesteatoma treated with mastoidectomy of the CWD and mastoid obliteration with homologous freeze‐dried corticocancellous bone particulate in the Cittadella Hospital Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) unit. The preoperative characteristics of the patients, the procurement and processing of bone allografts, the surgical technique, and postsurgical outcomes are described. No perioperative and postoperative complications were observed, and no rejection or foreign body reactions occurred. The patient then underwent a seriated follow‐up. Audiometric tests showed an improvement in hearing levels. The volume of the neoexternal ear canal was 2.01 cm 3 . The case demonstrated clinical stability, substantial hearing recovery, and no need for specialist cleaning of the reformed external ear canal (EEC). The freeze‐dried bone tissue allograft, in the technical way we used, appears to be a viable option in mastoid obliteration because homologous bone is not affected by material shortage, has fast assimilation, and ensures a useful radiological examination scan, at a low cost.

Background Facial palsy treatment comprises static and dynamic techniques. Among dynamic techniques, local temporalis transposition represents a reliable solution to achieve facial reanimation. The present study describes a modification of the temporalis tendon transfer using a cryopreserved fascia allograft. Case presentation Between March 2015 and September 2018, seven patients with facial palsy underwent facial reanimation with temporalis tendon transfer and fascia lata allograft. Patients with long-term palsy were considered, and both physical and social functions were evaluated. The mean follow-up time was 21.5 months. No immediate complications were observed. Patients reported improvement in facial symmetry both in static and dynamic. Improvement was noticed also in articulation, eating, drinking, and saliva control. The Facial Disability Index revealed an improvement both in physical function subscale and in the social/well-being function subscale. Conclusions This modified orthodromic technique allows to reduce the operative time and the risk of complications connected to the use of autologous tissues. The use of the cryopreserved fascia allografts from cadaveric donors seems to provide promising and long-standing results in the treatment of facial palsy.

Mucogingival surgery has the objective to obtain coverage of the recession, with a favorable long-term prognosis, but also to minimize postoperative problems and surgery-related risks. Human amniotic membrane is increasingly employed for periodontal tissue repair in order to promote epithelialization and to reduce pain and scar tissue formation. A 38-year-old female patient reports dental hypersensitivity resulting from gingival recession affecting tooth 4.1. A mucogingival surgical procedure was proposed and a partial-thickness flap of epithelial-connective tissue was harvested from the palate and grafted on to the receiving site. The amniotic membrane was positioned at the donor site to reduce postoperative morbidity and to encourage rapid palatal healing. One week after the application of HAM (human amniotic membrane), the wound was healed and 1 month after the donor site was completely re-epithelialized. The present case report suggests that in the surgical treatment of gingival recession with palatal epithelial-connective tissue graft, HAM promotes rapid epithelialization of the palatal donor site wound with a reduction in morbidity.

Gingival recessions are usually treated with surgical therapies which involve the use of connective tissue autograft in order to thicken the gingival tissue. This has an important biological repercussion on patients since they will have surgical wounds in two different oral cavity sites. In this case report, we offer an alternative technique for the treatment of a Miller class I gingival recession. A 40-year-old female patient has been treated with a combination of bilaminar and coronally advance flap techniques to cover a Miller class I gingival recession with addition of cryopreserved human amniotic membrane. The human amniotic membrane has been employed to thicken the keratinized tissue. The human amniotic membrane in combination with bilaminar and coronally advance flap techniques has produced aesthetically and functionally satisfying results, covering completely the gingival recession and restoring the natural colour and thickness of the gingiva. Bilaminar technique with coronally advanced flap and cryopreserved human amniotic membrane is a valid alternative in treating Miller class I and II gingival recessions and reduce the biological morbidity of a double intervention.

Adoptive immunotherapy with cytokine induced killer (CIK) cells has shown antitumor activity against several kinds of cancer in preclinical models and clinical trials. CIK cells are a subset of ex vivo expanded T lymphocytes with T-NK phenotype and MHC-unrestricted antitumor activity. The literature provides scant information on cytokines, chemokines and growth factors secreted by CIK cells. Therefore, we investigated the secretory profile of CIK cells generated from tumor patients. The secretome analysis was performed at specific time points (d 1, d 14 and d 21) of CIK cell expansion. Mature CIK cells (d 21) produce a great variety of interleukins and secreted proteins that can be divided into three groups based on their secretion quantity: high (interleukin [IL]-13, regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted [RANTES] chemokine, MIP-1α and 1β), medium (IL-1Ra, IL-5, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IP-10, INF-γ, vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF]) and low (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-12, IL-15, eotaxin, platelet-derived growth factor-bb, basic fibroblast growth factor, G-CSF and monocyte chemoattractant protein [MCP]-1). Moreover, comparing peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (d 1) and mature CIK cells (d 14 and 21) secretomes, we observed that IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, GM-CSF and VEGF were greatly upregulated, while IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-17, eotaxin, MCP-1 and RANTES were downregulated. We also performed a gene expression profile analysis of patient-derived CIK cells, showing that mRNA for the different cytokines and secreted proteins was modulated during PBMC-to-CIK differentiation. We highlight previously unknown secretory properties and provide, for the first time, a comprehensive molecular characterization of CIK cells. Our findings provide a rationale to explore the functional implications and possible therapeutic modulation of CIK secretome.