Medical Sciences 

About: Medical Sciences is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Cancer. It has an ISSN identifier of 2076-3271. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 503 publications have been published receiving 6818 citations.

Carbapenem Resistance: A Review

Abstract: Carbapenem resistance is a major and an on-going public health problem globally. It occurs mainly among Gram-negative pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, and may be intrinsic or mediated by transferable carbapenemase-encoding genes. This type of resistance genes are already widespread in certain parts of the world, particularly Europe, Asia and South America, while the situation in other places such as sub-Saharan Africa is not well documented. In this paper, we provide an in-depth review of carbapenem resistance providing up-to-date information on the subject.

Epidemiology of Bladder Cancer

Abstract: Based on the latest GLOBOCAN data, bladder cancer accounts for 3% of global cancer diagnoses and is especially prevalent in the developed world. In the United States, bladder cancer is the sixth most incident neoplasm. A total of 90% of bladder cancer diagnoses are made in those 55 years of age and older, and the disease is four times more common in men than women. While the average 5-year survival in the US is 77%, the 5-year survival for those with metastatic disease is a measly 5%. The strongest risk factor for bladder cancer is tobacco smoking, which accounts for 50-65% of all cases. Occupational or environmental toxins likewise greatly contribute to disease burden (accounting for an estimated 20% of all cases), though the precise proportion can be obscured by the fact bladder cancer develops decades after exposure, even if the exposure only lasted several years. Schistosomiasis infection is the common cause of bladder cancer in regions of Africa and the Middle East and is considered the second most onerous tropical pathogen after malaria. With 81% of cases attributable to known risk factors (and only 7% to heritable mutations), bladder cancer is a prime candidate for prevention strategies. Smoking cessation, workplace safety practices, weight loss, exercise and schistosomiasis prevention (via water disinfection and mass drug administration) have all been shown to significantly decrease the risk of bladder cancer, which poses a growing burden around the world.

Myeloperoxidase as an Active Disease Biomarker: Recent Biochemical and Pathological Perspectives

Abstract: Myeloperoxidase (MPO) belongs to the family of heme-containing peroxidases, produced mostly from polymorphonuclear neutrophils The active enzyme (150 kDa) is the product of the MPO gene located on long arm of chromosome 17 The primary gene product undergoes several modifications, such as the removal of introns and signal peptides, and leads to the formation of enzymatically inactive glycosylated apoproMPO which complexes with chaperons, producing inactive proMPO by the insertion of a heme moiety The active enzyme is a homodimer of heavy and light chain protomers This enzyme is released into the extracellular fluid after oxidative stress and different inflammatory responses Myeloperoxidase is the only type of peroxidase that uses H2O2 to oxidize several halides and pseudohalides to form different hypohalous acids So, the antibacterial activities of MPO involve the production of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species Controlled MPO release at the site of infection is of prime importance for its efficient activities Any uncontrolled degranulation exaggerates the inflammation and can also lead to tissue damage even in absence of inflammation Several types of tissue injuries and the pathogenesis of several other major chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, diabetes, and cancer have been reported to be linked with MPO-derived oxidants Thus, the enhanced level of MPO activity is one of the best diagnostic tools of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers among these commonly-occurring diseases

Colorectal cancer: genetic abnormalities, tumor progression, tumor heterogeneity, clonal evolution and tumor-initiating cells

Abstract: Colon cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Most colorectal cancer occurrences are sporadic, not related to genetic predisposition or family history; however, 20–30% of patients with colorectal cancer have a family history of colorectal cancer and 5% of these tumors arise in the setting of a Mendelian inheritance syndrome. In many patients, the development of a colorectal cancer is preceded by a benign neoplastic lesion: either an adenomatous polyp or a serrated polyp. Studies carried out in the last years have characterized the main molecular alterations occurring in colorectal cancers, showing that the tumor of each patient displays from two to eight driver mutations. The ensemble of molecular studies, including gene expression studies, has led to two proposed classifications of colorectal cancers, with the identification of four/five non-overlapping groups. The homeostasis of the rapidly renewing intestinal epithelium is ensured by few stem cells present at the level of the base of intestinal crypts. Various experimental evidence suggests that colorectal cancers may derive from the malignant transformation of intestinal stem cells or of intestinal cells that acquire stem cell properties following malignant transformation. Colon cancer stem cells seem to be involved in tumor chemoresistance, radioresistance and relapse.