Gastric cancer (GC) is undoubtedly one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Since GC is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths with nearly one million new diagnoses reported every year, there is a need for the development of new, effective treatment strategies of GC. Gastric carcinogenesis is a complex process that is induced by numerous factors and further stimulated by many pro-oncogenic pathways. Angiogenesis is the process of the new blood vessels formation from the already existing ones and it significantly contributes to the progression of gastric tumorigenesis and the growth of the cancerous tissues. The newly formed vessels provide cancer cells with proper nutrition, growth factors, and oxygen supply that are crucial for tumor growth and progression. Tumor-associated vessels differ from the physiological ones both morphologically and functionally. They are usually inefficient and unevenly distributed due to structural transformations. Thus, the development of the angiogenesis inhibitors that possess therapeutic effects has been the main focus of recent studies. Angiogenesis inhibitors mostly affect the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway since it is a major factor that stimulates the pro-angiogenic pathways. The aim of this review was to describe and summarize other promising molecular pathways that might be crucial in further improvements in GC therapies. This article provides an overview of how a meaningful role in tumor progression the angiogenetic process has. Furthermore, this review includes a description of the most important angiogenic factors as well as pathways and their involvement in gastric carcinogenesis.

Optic neuropathies constitute a group of conditions with various etiologies and might be caused by different factors; we can distinguish the genetic and acquired causes of optic neuropathies. Even though the symptoms are not highly specific, this condition is primarily characterized by unilateral or bilateral vision loss with worsening color detection. The loss may be acute or gradual depending on the causation. In this article, we included a specification of toxic optic neuropathy (TON) mainly triggered by alcohol abuse and also the usage of other substances, including drugs or methanol, as well as intoxication by metals, organic solvents, or carbon dioxide. Nutritional deficiencies, vitamin absorption disorder, and anemia, which usually appear during excessive alcohol intake, and their effect on the etiology of the optic neuropathy have been likewise discussed.

Purpose Recent studies have suggested that molecular targets for the anti-angiogenic therapy might constitute a basis for additional therapy in gastric cancer treatment. A vast number of molecules, receptors, pathways, specific interactions, and thus strategies that target gastric cancer angiogenesis specifically have been reported in numerous research articles and clinical trials. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review of molecularly targeted treatment strategies in gastric cancer on the following databases—PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus—on September 20, 2020. Multiple articles and evaluations were searched for studies reporting newly found and promising molecular anti-angiogenic therapy pathways. Eventually, 39 articles regarding the anti-angiogenic therapy in gastric cancer were included in the final analysis. Results As a consequence of the release of the pro-angiogenic molecules from the tumour cells, gastric cancer presents high angiogenic capability. Therefore, potential schemes for future treatment strategies include the decrease of the process ligands as well as the expression of their receptors. Moreover, the increase in the angiogenic inhibitor levels and direct aim for the inner walls of the endothelial cells appear as a promising therapeutic strategy. Beyond that, angiogenesis process inhibition seems to indirectly exaggerate the effects of chemotherapy in the considered patients. Conclusions The anti-angiogenic treatment in gastric cancer patients evaluates its significance especially in the early stages of the malignancy. The studies conducted so far show that most of the meaningful angiogenic factors and receptors with the potential molecular pathways should be further evaluated since they could potentially play a substantial role in future therapies.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has become a worldwide threat resulting in a pandemic in 2020. SARS-CoV-2 infection manifests itself as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that is evidenced in a vast number of either specific or nonspecific symptoms. Except for typical (but nonspecific) symptoms such as fever, dry cough, or muscle weakness, the infected patients might also present atypical symptoms including neurological, dermatological, or ophthalmic manifestations. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the onset, progression, and types of ophthalmic symptoms induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection recognized amongst the infected patients.

Introduction:  Optic neuropathies are a broad group of diseases in which the dominant disturbance is damage to the optic nerve, often irreversible. Underlying causes of neuropathy are both genetic and environmental. Despite limited treatment options, much research is currently being done on substances that could improve optic nerve function and alleviate the clinical consequences of optic nerve damage. Purpose: This article describes current findings in both the optic nerve neuropathy pathophysiology and diagnosis of the disorder, as well as treatment options and future perspectives. State of knowledge: The pathogenetic cause of neuropathy is mainly demyelination within the neural sheath, often caused by inflammation. It is characterized by progressive loss of vision. The most common genetic cause of optic neuropathy is mitochondrially inherited Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and is characterized by mostly sudden and painless loss of visual acuity. Toxic neuropathies are a group of diseases caused by heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, methanol and carbon monoxide. Nutritional neuropathy is mainly related to vitamin B1, B9 and B12 deficiency, and is a rare example of neuropathy that can be curable at the early stage of the disease. Another group of neuropathies is caused by ischemia and can be divided according to the place of the optic nerve affected – AION (anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) and PION (posterior ischemic optic neuropathy). Conclusions: The therapeutic options in the treatment of optic neuropathy strictly depend on the causative factor. Nutritional deficiencies are treated with appropriate supplementation, so it is vital to truly determine the missing vitamins and elements.