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Simple Summary: Oxidative stress is recognized as one of the pathogenetic mechanisms underpinning insulin resistance, the hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Although oxidative stress can be elicited by unhealthy dietary patterns rich in long-chain saturated fatty acids and sugars, it may be exacerbated in genetically predisposed individuals carrying single nucleotide polymorphisms which dampen the activity of proteins responsible for maintaining redox balance, that is, the balance between oxygen and nitrogen reactive species production and their detoxification. In light of this, this literature review aims at providing an overview of the potential role of microalgae as a source of nutraceuticals able to improve insulin sensitivity by tackling oxidative stress, particularly in the aforementioned individuals. Microalgae represent a source of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, vitamins, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which are able to counter oxidative stress, by either modulating intracellular pathways related to inflammation and oxidative stress or by acting as direct reactive oxygen species scavengers. Thus, microalgae represent a promising tool for precise nutritional interventions to tackle oxidative stress and improve insulin sensitivity. Nevertheless, further studies are warranted to confirm whether their supplementation in genetically predisposed individuals may be sufficient to restore redox balance and counter insulin resistance. Microalgae represent a growing innovative source of nutraceuticals such as carotenoids and phenolic compound which are naturally present within these single-celled organisms or can be induced in response to specific growth conditions. The presence of the unfavourable allelic variant in genes involved in the control of oxidative stress, due to one or more SNPs in gene encoding protein involved in the regulation of redox balance, can lead to pathological conditions such as insulin resistance, which, in turn, is directly involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this review we provide an overview of the main SNPs in antioxidant genes involved in the promotion of insulin resistance with a focus on the potential role of microalgae-derived antioxidant molecules as novel nutritional tools to mitigate oxidative stress and improve insulin sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Retinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common ocular paediatric malignancy and is caused by a mutation of the two alleles of the tumor suppressor gene, RB1. The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a complex system whose function is not yet well defined and where microvesicles, such as exosomes, play a key role in intercellular communication. Micro-RNAs (mRNAs) have emerged as important modifiers of biological mechanisms involved in cancer and been able to regulate tumor progression. Methods: Co-culture of monocytes with retinoblastoma cell lines, showed a significant growth decrease. Given the interaction between Rb cells and monocytes, we investigated the role of the supernatant in the cross-talk between cell lines, by taking the product of the co-culture and then using it as a culture medium for Rb cells. Results: miR-142-3p showed to be particularly over-expressed both in the Rb cell line and in the medium used for their culture, comparing to control cell line and the normal supernatant, respectively. Therefore, we provided evidence that miR-142-3p is released by monocytes in the co-culture medium's exosomes and that it is subsequently up-taken by Rb cells, causing the inhibition of proliferation of Rb cell line by affecting cell cycle progression. Conclusion: This study highlights the role of exosomic miR-142-3p in the TME of Rb and identifies new molecular targets, which are able to control tumor growth aiming the development of a forward-looking miR-based strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on investigating the effects of inhibitors targeting the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cell lines, revealing significant cytotoxicity with Gant-61 and synergistic effects.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumor in women worldwide, and the leading cause of cancer death in the female population. The percentage of patients experiencing poor prognosis along with the risk of developing metastasis remains high, also affecting the resistance to current main therapies. Cancer progression and metastatic development are no longer due entirely to their intrinsic characteristics, but also regulated by signals derived from cells of the tumor microenvironment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) packed with DNA, RNA, and proteins, are the most attractive targets for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and represent a decisive challenge as liquid biopsy-based markers. Here we performed a study based on a multiplexed phenotyping flow cytometric approach to characterize BC-derived EVs from BC patients and cell lines, through the detection of multiple antigens. Our data reveal the expression of EVs-related biomarkers derived from BC patient plasma and cell line supernatants, suggesting that EVs could be exploited for characterizing and monitoring disease progression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Bandini, Rossi, Scarpi, Gallerani, Vannini, Salvi, Azzali, Melloni, Salucci, Battistelli, Serra, Maltoni, Cho and Fabbri.)