Redox Regulation of Nucleotide-Binding and Oligomerization Domain-Like Receptors Inflammasome

Role of microbiota in the GUT-SKIN AXIS responses to outdoor stressors

Beside the respiratory tract, the skin and the gut represent the first defensive lines of our body against the external insults displaying many important biochemical features able to maintain the epithelial barrier integrity and to regulate the tissue immune responses. The human microbiome is essential in maintaining the tissue homeostasis and its dysregulation may lead to tissue conditions including inflammatory pathologies. Among all external insults, air pollutants have been shown to cause oxidative stress damage within the target tissues via an OxInflammatory response. Dysregulation of the gut microbiome (dysbiosis) by outdoor stressors, including air pollutants, may promote the exacerbation of the skin tissue damage via the interplay between the gut-skin axis. The intent of this review is to highlight the ability of exogenous stressors to modulate the human gut-skin axis via a redox regulated mechanism affecting the microbiome and therefore contributing to the development and aggravation of gut and skin conditions.

Pyroptosis in lung cancer: The emerging role of non-coding RNAs

Lung cancer remains an intractable malignancy worldwide, prompting novel therapeutic modalities. Pyroptosis, a lethal form of programmed cell death featured by inflammation, has been involved in cancer progression and treatment response. Simultaneously, non-coding RNA has been shown to have important roles in coordinating pattern formation and oncogenic pathways, including long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs), microRNA (miRNAs), circular RNA (circRNAs), and small interfering RNA (siRNAs). Recent studies have revealed that ncRNAs can promote or inhibit pyroptosis by interacting with key molecular players such as NLRP3, GSDMD, and various transcription factors. This dual role of ncRNAs offers a unique therapeutic potential to manipulate pyroptosis pathways, providing opportunities for innovative cancer treatments. In this review, we integrate current research findings to propose novel strategies for leveraging ncRNA-mediated pyroptosis as a therapeutic intervention in lung cancer. We explore the potential of ncRNAs as biomarkers for predicting patient response to treatment and as targets for overcoming resistance to conventional therapies.

Combined exposure to UV and PM affect skin oxinflammatory responses and it is prevented by antioxidant mix topical application: Evidences from clinical study

BACKGROUND

Exposure to environmental stressors like particulate matter (PM) and ultraviolet radiation (UV) induces cutaneous oxidative stress and inflammation and leads to skin barrier dysfunction and premature aging. Metals like iron or copper are abundant in PM and are known to contribute to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.

AIMS

Although it has been suggested that topical antioxidants may be able to help in preventing and/or reducing outdoor skin damage, limited clinical evidence under real-life exposure conditions have been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of a topical serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol (CF Mix) to prevent oxinflammatory skin damage and premature aging induced by PM + UV in a human clinical trial.

METHODS

A 4-day single-blinded, clinical study was conducted on the back of 15 females (18-40 years old). During the 4 consecutive days, the back test zones were treated daily with or without the CF Mix, followed by with/without 2 h of PM and 5 min of UV daily exposure.

RESULTS

Application of the CF Mix prevented PM + UV-induced skin barrier perturbation (Involucrin and Loricrin), lipid peroxidation (4HNE), inflammatory markers (COX2, NLRP1, and AhR), and MMP9 activation. In addition, CF Mix was able to prevent Type I Collagen loss.

CONCLUSION

This is the first human study confirming multipollutant cutaneous damage and suggesting the utility of a daily antioxidant topical application to prevent pollution induced skin damage.

Redoxisome Update: TRX and TXNIP/TBP2-Dependent Regulation of NLRP-1/NLRP-3 Inflammasome

Recent studies have provided evidence for the direct binding of thioredoxin-1 (TRX1) to a component of inflammasome complex NLR family pyrin domain containing 1 (NLRP-1). This interaction suggests a potential role for TRX1 in the regulation of the NLRP-1 inflammasome. Furthermore, the NLRP-3 inflammasome is known to bind TRX1 and its inhibitor, TRX-binding protein-2/TRX-interacting protein/vitamin D3 upregulated protein-1 (TBP2/TXNIP/VDUP-1). This binding forms a redox-sensitive complex, termed the "Redoxisome," as described previously. However, the specific functions of NLRP-1 within the redoxisome complex remain undefined. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 40, 595-597.

Comparison of Pollutant Effects on Cutaneous Inflammasomes Activation

The skin is the outermost layer of the body and, therefore, is exposed to a variety of stressors, such as environmental pollutants, known to cause oxinflammatory reactions involved in the exacerbation of several skin conditions. Today, inflammasomes are recognized as important modulators of the cutaneous inflammatory status in response to air pollutants and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. In this study, human skin explants were exposed to the best-recognized air pollutants, such as microplastics (MP), cigarette smoke (CS), diesel engine exhaust (DEE), ozone (O3), and UV, for 1 or 4 days, to explore how each pollutant can differently modulate markers of cutaneous oxinflammation. Exposure to environmental pollutants caused an altered oxidative stress response, accompanied by increased DNA damage and signs of premature skin aging. The effect of specific pollutants being able to exert different inflammasomes pathways (NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRP6, and NLRC4) was also investigated in terms of scaffold formation and cell pyroptosis. Among all environmental pollutants, O3, MP, and UV represented the main pollutants affecting cutaneous redox homeostasis; of note, the NLRP1 and NLRP6 inflammasomes were the main ones modulated by these outdoor stressors, suggesting their role as possible molecular targets in preventing skin disorders and the inflammaging events associated with environmental pollutant exposure.

Bilosomes and Biloparticles for the Delivery of Lipophilic Drugs: A Preliminary Study

In this study, bile acid-based vesicles and nanoparticles (i.e., bilosomes and biloparticles) are studied to improve the water solubility of lipophilic drugs. Ursodeoxycholic acid, sodium cholate, sodium taurocholate and budesonide were used as bile acids and model drugs, respectively. Bilosomes and biloparticles were prepared following standard protocols with minor changes, after a preformulation study. The obtained systems showed good encapsulation efficiency and dimensional stability. Particularly, for biloparticles, the increase in encapsulation efficiency followed the order ursodeoxycholic acid < sodium cholate < sodium taurocholate. The in vitro release of budesonide from both bilosytems was performed by means of dialysis using either a nylon membrane or a portion of Wistar rat small intestine and two receiving solutions (i.e., simulated gastric and intestinal fluids). Both in gastric and intestinal fluid, budesonide was released from bilosystems more slowly than the reference solution, while biloparticles showed a significant improvement in the passage of budesonide into aqueous solution. Immunofluorescence experiments indicated that ursodeoxycholic acid bilosomes containing budesonide are effective in reducing the inflammatory response induced by glucose oxidase stimuli and counteract ox-inflammatory damage within intestinal cells.