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Alessia Furgiuele

Bio: Alessia Furgiuele is an academic researcher from University of Insubria. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cannabidiol & Internal medicine. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 4 publications receiving 11 citations.

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a systematic review of available evidence regarding the immune and disease-modifying effects of CBD in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and in MS is presented.
Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Efficacy of treatments for MS is associated with risk of adverse effects, and effective and well-tolerated drugs remain a major unmet need. Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L., fam. Cannabaceae) and cannabinoids are popular among MS patients to treat spasticity and pain. Cannabinoids are endowed with remarkable immunomodulating properties, and in particular the non-psychotropic cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly recognized as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive, nevertheless with excellent tolerability even at high doses. In this systematic review, we retrieved and critically evaluated available evidence regarding the immune and disease-modifying effects of CBD in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and in MS. Evidence in rodent models of EAE strongly supports CBD as effective, while clinical evidence is still limited and usually negative, due to paucity of studies and possibly to the use of suboptimal dosing regimens. Better characterization of targets acted upon by CBD in MS should be obtained in ex vivo/in vitro studies in human immune cells, and higher doses should be tested in well-designed clinical trials with clinically relevant efficacy endpoints. Graphical Abstract.

22 citations

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TL;DR: In this paper, the role of genetic polymorphisms in DR as possible determinants of PD development, progression, and treatment response is discussed, in light of the emerging role of the peripheral immune system in PD.
Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. PD is clinically characterized by a variety of motor and nonmotor symptoms, and treatment relies on dopaminergic replacement. Beyond a common pathological hallmark, PD patients may present differences in both clinical progression and response to drug therapy that are partly affected by genetic factors. Despite extensive knowledge on genetic variability of dopaminergic receptors (DR), few studies have addressed their relevance as possible influencers of clinical heterogeneity in PD patients. In this review, we summarized available evidence regarding the role of genetic polymorphisms in DR as possible determinants of PD development, progression and treatment response. Moreover, we examined the role of DR in the modulation of peripheral immunity, in light of the emerging role of the peripheral immune system in PD pathophysiology. A better understanding of all these aspects represents an important step towards the development of precise and personalized disease-modifying therapies for PD.

11 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jun 2021
TL;DR: This research presents a novel and scalable approach called “SmartPharmacy,” which combines real-time, 3D image analysis and 3D Watson’s post-mortem examination for the first time to characterize the response of the immune system to chemotherapy.
Abstract: #Equally contributed 1ImmunoPharmaLab, Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy 2Science of Health Department, School of Medicine, University Magna Grecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy 3Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy 4Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy 5Center for Research in Medical Pharmacology and Center for Research in Neuroscience, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy 6Division of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, IRCCS Mondino Foundation (member of the ERN EpiCARE), Pavia, Italy

5 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a study was conducted to map the perceptions and attitudes about research misconduct in a sample of young researchers attending a one-week intensive course on methodology, ethics and integrity in biomedical research, held at the University of Insubria (Italy).
Abstract: Research misconduct (RM) is an alarming concern worldwide, and especially in Italy, where there is no formal training of young researchers in responsible research practices. The main aim of this study was to map the perceptions and attitudes about RM in a sample of young researchers attending a one-week intensive course on methodology, ethics and integrity in biomedical research, held at the University of Insubria (Italy). To this end, we administered the Scientific Misconduct Questionnaire (SMQ-R) to all attendees at the beginning of the course. Thereafter, SMQ-R was re-administered at the end, to assess the impact of the course on the responsiveness of study participants, which is intended as the frequency of responses other than “don’t know”. Results show that respondents rate as high their own understanding about rules and procedures related to scientific misconduct (49.2% of respondents), as well as the effectiveness of their institution’s measures for reducing it (40%). Most of them (44.6%) perceive as low the chances of getting caught for RM. Some respondents believe that cases of misconduct occur in their workplace (20%–46.2%) and that the integrity of a research is not solely the responsibility of the principal investigator (73.8%). Among the main factors contributing to research misconduct, the need for publications, unclear definition of what constitutes misconduct and pressure for external funding do stand out. Respondents are concerned about the amount of misconduct and express a pressing need for training on research ethics. Remarkably, the responsiveness of participants tends to increase with course attendance. This finding may be useful to support education programmes devoted to research methodology, ethics and integrity among young researchers.

3 citations


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TL;DR: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited form of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, and patients can present with severe behavioural alterations, including hyperactivity, impulsivity and anxiety, in addition to poor language development and seizures as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited form of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, and patients can present with severe behavioural alterations, including hyperactivity, impulsivity and anxiety, in addition to poor language development and seizures. FXS is a trinucleotide repeat disorder, in which >200 repeats of the CGG motif in FMR1 leads to silencing of the gene and the consequent loss of its product, fragile X mental retardation 1 protein (FMRP). FMRP has a central role in gene expression and regulates the translation of potentially hundreds of mRNAs, many of which are involved in the development and maintenance of neuronal synaptic connections. Indeed, disturbances in neuroplasticity is a key finding in FXS animal models, and an imbalance in inhibitory and excitatory neuronal circuits is believed to underlie many of the clinical manifestations of this disorder. Our knowledge of the proteins that are regulated by FMRP is rapidly growing, and this has led to the identification of multiple targets for therapeutic intervention, some of which have already moved into clinical trials or clinical practice.

514 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential beneficial effects of CBD for Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and neurological cancers are discussed, together with the different mechanisms of action of CBD and recent progress in the use of this cannabis-derived constituent as a new therapeutic approach.
Abstract: As the major nonpsychotropic constituent of Cannabis sativa, cannabidiol (CBD) is regarded as one of the most promising therapeutic agents due to its proven effectiveness in clinical trials for many human diseases. Due to the urgent need for more efficient pharmacological treatments for several chronic diseases, in this review, we discuss the potential beneficial effects of CBD for Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and neurological cancers. Due to its wide range of pharmacological activities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties), CBD is considered a multimodal drug for the treatment of a range of neurodegenerative disorders, and various cancer types, including neoplasms of the neural system. The different mechanisms of action of CBD are here disclosed, together with recent progress in the use of this cannabis-derived constituent as a new therapeutic approach.

23 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest the endocannabinoid system is playing a crucial role in modulating sleep, in particular REM sleep, and Oleamide restores NREM and REM sleep in maternal care deprived rats.

22 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of the state-of-the-art of the immunomodulatory activity of natural products can be found in this paper , where the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Natural Products and Immunopharmacology Sections, with contributions from a number of world-leading researchers in the field of natural product drug discovery, provide a "position statement" on what natural products has to offer in the search for new immunological argents.
Abstract: Drug discovery from natural sources is going through a renaissance, having spent many decades in the shadow of synthetic molecule drug discovery, despite the fact that natural product-derived compounds occupy a much greater chemical space than those created through synthetic chemistry methods. With this new era comes new possibilities, not least the novel targets that have emerged in recent times and the development of state-of-the-art technologies that can be applied to drug discovery from natural sources. Although progress has been made with some immunomodulating drugs, there remains a pressing need for new agents that can be used to treat the wide variety of conditions that arise from disruption, or over-activation, of the immune system; natural products may therefore be key in filling this gap. Recognising that, at present, there is no authoritative article that details the current state-of-the-art of the immunomodulatory activity of natural products, this in-depth review has arisen from a joint effort between the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Natural Products and Immunopharmacology Sections, with contributions from a number of world-leading researchers in the field of natural product drug discovery, to provide a "position statement" on what natural products has to offer in the search for new immunomodulatory argents. To this end, we provide a historical look at previous discoveries of naturally occurring immunomodulators, present a picture of the current status of the field and provide insight into the future opportunities and challenges for the discovery of new drugs to treat immune-related diseases.

15 citations

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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the long-term effects induced by adolescent THC exposure as critical window of enhanced neurophysiological vulnerability, which could be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and related primary psychotic disorders.

14 citations