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A multifunctional nanoplatform with four-in-one photoresponsive functionalities has been achieved through the co-encapsulation of two chromo-fluorogenic components within biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles. This engineered nanoconstruct efficiently delivers different photosensitizers in melanoma cells, which can be detected through their dual-color fluorescence, and induces amplified cell mortality due to the simultaneous photogeneration of singlet oxygen and nitric oxide.

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Skin aging is a complex biological process influenced by a combination of endogenous or intrinsic and exogenous or extrinsic factors due to environmental damage. The primary environmental factor that causes human skin aging is the ultraviolet irradiation from the sun. Recently, it was established that the long‐term exposure to light‐emitting‐diode‐generated blue light (LED‐BL) from electronic devices seems to have a relevant implication in the molecular mechanisms of premature photoaging. BL irradiation induces changes in the synthesis of various skin structures through DNA damage and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), matrix metalloproteinase‐1 and ‐12, which are responsible for the loss of the main components of the extracellular matrix of skin like collagen type I and elastin. In the current study, using human keratinocytes and fibroblasts exposed to specific LED‐BL radiation doses (45 and 15 J/cm 2), we produced an in vitro model of skin photoaging. We verified that, compared with untreated controls, the treatment with LED‐BL irradiation results in the alteration of metalloprotease‐1 (collagenase), metalloprotease‐12 (elastase), 8‐dihydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and collagen type I. Moreover, we showed that the photoaging prevention is possible via the use of hydroxytyrosol extracted from olive fruits, well known for antioxidant properties. Our results demonstrated that hydroxytyrosol protects keratinocytes and fibroblasts from LED‐BL‐induced damage. Thus, hydroxytyrosol might be proposed as an encouraging candidate for the prevention of BL‐induced premature photoaging.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans, whose invasiveness and proliferation are associated with poor prognosis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the related family of "a disintegrin and metalloproteinase" (ADAM) both contribute to increase cell invasion, and its substrate N-cadherin is involved in proliferation and metastatic capacities of tumor cells. However, these molecular determinants of aggressiveness have not been adequately characterized in GBM. In an attempt to better define these pathogenetic signatures, in the present study we evaluated the comparative expression of two main MMPs (MMP-2 and -9), as well as of ADAM-10 and N-cadherin in surgical samples from patients diagnosed with WHO grade IV GBM (n = 25) and in cortical tissue specimens obtained from untreatable epileptic patients (controls, n = 8) through a series of histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical tests. Our studies revealed that both MMP-2 and -9 immunoreactivities (IRs) were upregulated in 13 of 25 (52 %) and 19 of 25 (76 %) GBMs, respectively, and the extent of the increase was highly significant with respect to controls (p < 0.001). ADAM-10 IR was also found to be increased (p < 0.001) in 16 of 25 GBM specimens (64 %). Conversely, N-cadherin IR was remarkably decreased (p < 0.001) in almost the totality of tumor samples (22 of 25, 88 %). A similar trend was also obtained at the mRNA and protein level by qPCR and western blot analyses, respectively. Collectively, the current study provides a comprehensive molecular portrayal of some of the major pathological hallmarks of GBM aggressiveness, which could be exploitable as potential targets for a new therapeutic approach.

In the last years, several studies have recently evaluated the beneficial effects of red orange juice (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) and its active components in weight management and obesity. Moro orange is a cultivar of red orange, particularly rich in active compounds such as anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavone glycosides and ascorbic acid, which displays anti-obesity effects in in vitro and in vivo studies. In this clinical study, the effect of a Moro juice extract (Morosil(®), 400 mg/die) supplementation was evaluated in overweight healthy human volunteers for 12 weeks. Results showed that Moro juice extract intake was able to induce a significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) after 4 weeks of treatment (p < 0.05). Moreover, in subjects treated with Moro extract, body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference were significantly different from the placebo group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, it could be suggested that the active compounds contained in Moro juice have a synergistic effect on fat accumulation in humans and Moro juice extract can be used in weight management and in the prevention of human obesity.