Recently, it was demonstrated that doxorubicin (Dox.HCl), a chemotherapeutic agent, could be photoactivated by Cerenkov radiation (CR). The objective of the present work was to develop a multimodal chemotherapy-radiotherapy-photodynamic therapeutic system based on reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) loaded with Dox.HCl and 177Lu-DOTA. 177Lu acts as a therapeutic radionuclide and CR source. The system can be visualized by nuclear imaging. Fluorescence microscopy showed that rHDL-Dox specifically recognized cancer cells (T47D) that are positive for SR-B1 receptors. Encapsulated Dox.HCl was released into the cells and produced reactive oxygen species when irradiated with a 450-nm laser (photodynamic effect). The same effect occurred when Dox.HCl was irradiated by 177Lu CR. Through in vitro experiments, it was confirmed that the addition of 177Lu-DOTA to the rHDL-Dox nanosystem did not affect the specific recognition of SR-B1 receptors expressed in cells, or the cellular internalization of 177Lu-DOTA. The toxicity induced by the rHDL-Dox/177Lu nanosystem in cell lines with high (T47D and PC3), poor (H9C2) and almost-zero (human fibroblasts (FB)) expression of SR-B1 was evaluated in vitro and confirmed the synergy of the combined chemotherapy-radiotherapy-photodynamic therapeutic effect; this induced toxicity was proportional to the expression of the SR-B1 receptor on the surface of the cells used. The HDL-Dox/177Lu nanosystem experienced uptake by tumor cells and the liver-both tissues with high expression of SR-B1 receptors-but not by the heart. 177Lu CR offered the possibility of imparting photodynamic therapy where laser light could not reach.

Obesity in non-pathological pregnancies alters the maternal serum progesterone and testosterone concentrations depending on fetal gender. These changes can be attributed to gender-related placental adaptations, as the expression of P450 aromatase is different in placentas from females compared to males.

The gut-microbiome-brain axis is now recognized as an essential part in the regulation of systemic metabolism and homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that dietary patterns can influence the development of metabolic alterations and inflammation through the effects of nutrients on a multitude of variables, including microbiome composition, release of microbial products, gastrointestinal signaling molecules, and neurotransmitters. These signaling molecules are, in turn, implicated in the regulation of the immune system, either promoting or inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the expansion of specific leukocyte subpopulations, such as Th17 and Treg cells, which are relevant in the development of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions. Metabolic diseases, like obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, are related to inadequate dietary patterns and promote variations in the aforementioned signaling pathways in patients with these conditions, which have been linked to alterations in neurological functions and mental health. Thus, maintenance of adequate dietary patterns should be an essential component of any strategy aiming to prevent neurological pathologies derived from systemic metabolic alterations. The present review summarizes current knowledge on the role of nutrition in the modulation of the immune system and its impact in the development of neuroinflammation and neurological disease.

Recent studies have shown that specific growth factors, such as IGF-I/II and BDNF, have an essential role in cognition, particularly in processes involving learning and memory, by the activation of intracellular-signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. It is known that nutritional deficiencies promote reductions in systemic and CNS concentrations of growth factors, and that altered expression of these molecules and their receptors in the CNS leads to psychomotor and developmental deficits. Iron deficiency may induce these deficits by decreasing the expression and function of IGF-I/II and BDNF in specific areas of the brain.

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