Abstract. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding, endogenous, single-stranded RNAs.

Curcumin has been shown to have a wide variety of therapeutic effects, ranging from anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, anti-proliferative, and anti-metastatic. This review provides an overview of the recent research conducted to overcome the problems with the bioavailability of curcumin, and of the preclinical and clinical studies that have reported success in combinatorial strategies coupling curcumin with other treatments. Research on the signaling pathways that curcumin treatment targets shows that it potently acts on major intracellular components involved in key processes such as genomic modulations, cell invasion and cell death pathways. Curcumin is a promising molecule for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Common cancer theories hold that tumor is an uncontrolled somatic cell proliferation caused by the progressive addition of random mutations in critical genes that control cell growth. Nevertheless, various contradictions related to the mutation theory have been reported previously. These events may be elucidated by the persistence of residual tumor cells, called Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) responsible for tumorigenesis, tumor maintenance, tumor spread, and tumor relapse. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of CSCs, with a focus on the possibility to identify specific markers of CSCs, and discuss the clinical application of targeting CSCs for cancer treatment.

The role of angiogenesis for the progressive growth and metastatic process of tumours is well established. What is not clear, though, is the clinical prognostic signi®cance of the angiogenic factors in malignant haematological diseases. In this study, we have assessed the plasma and serum levels of two major angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic ®broblast growth factor (b-FGF) in 55 patients affected by chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMD). This series included 25 patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), 10 patients with chronic myelocytic leukaemia (CML), 14 patients with polycythemia vera (PV), and 6 patients with primary myelo®brosis (MF), and they were compared to 20 healthy control subjects. In all patients the plasma VEGF concentration was signi®cantly increased to the healthy control group (P < 0.004). The highest concentrations were found in the patients with ET (178.25 125.22 pg/ml). The VEGF levels were signi®cantly higher in CMD patients with vascular complications than those in CMD patients without complications (P < 0.01). The b-FGF serum levels also appeared to be signi®cantly higher in almost all the CMD patients compared to the control group (P < 0.07). A signi®cant correlation was found between the VEGF levels and the platelet count in the ET patients and the spleen index in the CML patients. VEGF level, in this study, is associated with increased risk of thrombotic complications. There is evidence of increased levels of soluble angiogenic factors in malignant haematological disorders, but their contribution to the progression of diseases is yet unclear. Am.

No abstract

MM is closely associated with oxidative stress and further investigation might provide an insight to understand a putative causal link between oxidative stress and MM disease onset and progression or MM complications.

Authors evaluated some markers of angiogenetic activity in patients with chronic myeloproliferative diseases (CMDs). In this study by using a cytofluorimetric analysis we evaluated circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in patients with chronic myeloproliferative disease. Moreover, in the same group of subjects, we evaluated serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2). In our patients, we have found an increase in the number of endothelial progenitor cells in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and polycythaemia vera (PV) patients, while an increase of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) was found in all patients with CMD. Moreover, we found higher serum levels of VEGF with respect to control subjects in every group of patients with CMD, and a not significant reduction of VEGFR2 levels in essential thrombocythaemia (ET) patients. A correlation was also found in PV patients between VEGF levels and erythrocyte number and in PMF subjects with the count of white cells. Our data suggest that some markers of angiogenesis are activated in CMD patients and angiogenesis may have a role in the pathophysiology of chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

In patients with essential hypertension, elevated soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) levels may indicate endothelial cell injury or activation. We therefore sought to ascertain whether arterial blood pressure increased by the cold pressor test can modify serum concentrations of sE-selectin and other soluble forms of adhesion molecules, such as soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), or the expression of any adhesion molecules in circulating monocytes and lymphocytes. Our findings show that levels of sE-selectin, sVCAM-1, and sICAM-1 are higher in patients with essential hypertension than in normotensive subjects (sICAM-1, 380±52 versus 262±96 ng/mL, P <.05; sVCAM-1, 720±52 versus 625±38 ng/mL, P <.05; and sE-selectin, 75±21 versus 61±22 ng/mL, P <.05). Furthermore, in normotensive and hypertensive patients, the cold pressor test caused an increase in serum concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin, but it did not cause changes in the expression of adhesion molecules in circulating monocytes and lymphocytes. High arterial blood pressure may therefore increase the production of serum adhesion molecules, probably through endothelial activation.