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- Gaglione, R., et al.
(författare)
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Insights into the anticancer properties of the first antimicrobial peptide from Archaea
- 2017
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - General Subjects. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-8006 .- 0304-4165. ; 1861:9, s. 2155-2164
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The peptide VLL-28, identified in the sequence of an archaeal protein, the transcription factor Stf76 from Sulfolobus islandicus, was previously identified and characterized as an antimicrobial peptide, possessing a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Methods: Through a combined approach of NMR and Circular Dichroism spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, confocal microscopy and cell viability assays, the interaction of VLL-28 with the membranes of both parental and malignant cell lines has been characterized and peptide mechanism of action has been studied. Results: It is here demonstrated that VLL-28 selectively exerts cytotoxic activity against murine and human tumor cells. By means of structural methodologies, VLL-28 interaction with the membranes has been proven and the binding residues have been identified. Confocal microscopy data show that VLL-28 is internalized only into tumor cells. Finally, it is shown that cell death is mainly caused by a time-dependent activation of apoptotic pathways. Conclusions: VLL-28, deriving from the archaeal kingdom, is here found to be endowed with selective cytotoxic activity towards both murine and human cancer cells and consequently can be classified as an ACP.
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| 2. |
- Borrell, C, et al.
(författare)
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Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in 16 European cities
- 2014
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Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of public health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1651-1905 .- 1403-4948. ; 42:3, s. 245-254
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: To explore inequalities in total mortality between small areas of 16 European cities for men and women, as well as to analyse the relationship between these geographical inequalities and their socioeconomic indicators. Methods: A cross-sectional ecological design was used to analyse small areas in 16 European cities (26,229,104 inhabitants). Most cities had mortality data for a period between 2000 and 2008 and population size data for the same period. Socioeconomic indicators included an index of socioeconomic deprivation, unemployment, and educational level. We estimated standardised mortality ratios and controlled for their variability using Bayesian models. We estimated relative risk of mortality and excess number of deaths according to socioeconomic indicators. Results: We observed a consistent pattern of inequality in mortality in almost all cities, with mortality increasing in parallel with socioeconomic deprivation. Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality were more pronounced for men than women, and relative inequalities were greater in Eastern and Northern European cities, and lower in some Western (men) and Southern (women) European cities. The pattern of excess number of deaths was slightly different, with greater inequality in some Western and Northern European cities and also in Budapest, and lower among women in Madrid and Barcelona. Conclusions: In this study, we report a consistent pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in 16 European cities. Future studies should further explore specific causes of death, in order to determine whether the general pattern observed is consistent for each cause of death.
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| 3. |
- Costa, C, et al.
(författare)
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Population Health Inequalities Across and Within European Metropolitan Areas through the Lens of the EURO-HEALTHY Population Health Index
- 2019
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Ingår i: International journal of environmental research and public health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 16:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The different geographical contexts seen in European metropolitan areas are reflected in the uneven distribution of health risk factors for the population. Accumulating evidence on multiple health determinants point to the importance of individual, social, economic, physical and built environment features, which can be shaped by the local authorities. The complexity of measuring health, which at the same time underscores the level of intra-urban inequalities, calls for integrated and multidimensional approaches. The aim of this study is to analyse inequalities in health determinants and health outcomes across and within nine metropolitan areas: Athens, Barcelona, Berlin-Brandenburg, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Prague, Stockholm and Turin. We use the EURO-HEALTHY Population Health Index (PHI), a tool that measures health in two components: Health Determinants and Health Outcomes. The application of this tool revealed important inequalities between metropolitan areas: Better scores were found in Northern cities when compared with their Southern and Eastern counterparts in both components. The analysis of geographical patterns within metropolitan areas showed that there are intra-urban inequalities, and, in most cities, they appear to form spatial clusters. Identifying which urban areas are measurably worse off, in either Health Determinants or Health Outcomes, or both, provides a basis for redirecting local action and for ongoing comparisons with other metropolitan areas.
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