Continuous improvements in morphological and histochemical analyses of Apis mellifera could improve our understanding of the anatomy and physiology of these insects at both the cellular and tissue level. In this work, two different approaches have been performed to add new data on the abdomen of worker bees: (i) Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT), which allows the identification of small-scale structures (micrometers) with adequate/optimal resolution and avoids sample damage and, (ii) histochemical multi-staining with Periodic Acid-Schiff-Alcian blue, Lactophenol-Saphranin O and pentachrome staining to precisely characterize the histological structures of the midgut and hindgut. Micro-CT allowed high-resolution imaging of anatomical structures of the honeybee abdomen with particular emphasis on the proventriculus and pyloric valves, as well as the connection of the sting apparatus with the terminal abdominal ganglia. Furthermore, the histochemical analyses have allowed for the first-time description of ventricular telocytes in honeybees, a cell type located underneath the midgut epithelium characterized by thin and long cytoplasmic projections called telopodes. Overall, the analysis of these images could help the detailed anatomical description of the cryptic structures of honeybees and also the characterization of changes due to abiotic or biotic stress conditions.

Collagen is one of the most common fibers in the extracellular matrix, where sulfated mucopolysaccharides are also located. In addition, sulfated mucopolysaccharides are present in some globet cells and secretory glands. The objective of this article is to develop a new staining method that detects these two macromolecules simultaneously in the same sample. The method described stains tissues in five fundamental colors: collagen in red; sulfated mucopolysaccharides in violet; red blood cells in yellow; muscle in orange; and nuclei in green. As a conclusion, it will be interesting in the future to evaluate whether this method could be used as a basic histological method, as a histology teaching tool, or even in histopathological and cytopathological studies.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is a very uncommon complication in lung cancer patients. We report the case of a 59-year-old, Stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (epidermoid) patient who was receiving concurrent chemotherapy scheme (cisplatin + vinorelbine) and radiotherapy and developed fever and dyspnea not controlled with classical antibiotics. The patient developed respiratory distress. A high-resolution computed tomography showed a crazy-paving pattern, and a bronchoalveolar lavage confirmed the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. The patient was successfully managed with intravenous trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and voriconazole. Few such cases have been reported in the literature, and in most cases, the infection has been found to be associated with aggressive oncological treatments. Therefore, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia should be considered in lung cancer patients with its presenting symptoms, especially if the patient is undergoing aggressive chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has one of the worst prognosis and higher mortality among most cancers. The diagnosis of PDA is frequently delayed due to a lack of specific biomarkers, and the efficacy of current chemotherapeutic drugs is limited. Moreover, chemotherapy is generally applied in advanced stages, where metastatic spread has already occurred. Nanotechnologybased systems are allowing to advance in the diagnosis and treatment of PDA. New nanoformulations have shown to improve the activity of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, such as gemcitabine, and new antitumor drugs, protecting them from degradation, improving their selectivity, solubility and bioavailability, and reducing their side effects. Moreover, the design of nanocarriers represents a new way to overcome drug resistance, which requires a comprehensive understanding of the tumor microenvironment of PDA. This article reviews the current perspectives, based on nanomedicine, to address the limitations of pancreatic cancer treatment, and the futures lines of research to progress in the control of this disease.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) represents approximately 15% of all lung cancer cases and is characterized by rapid proliferation and a high metastatic potential. In the search for new treatments, drug repurposing has gained increasing attention, particularly with FDA-approved agents such as palbociclib (PB). Other compounds with reported antitumor activity, including siramesine (SR) and β-Lapachone (LP), are also under investigation, although they remain unapproved for clinical use. In this study, we evaluated the antitumor activity and underlying mechanisms of SR, LP, and PB in the H69 cell line. Antiproliferative effects, apoptosis (via PARP1 and Bcl-2), autophagy (via LC3β and p62), and senescence (via p21) were analyzed. Antitumor activity was further investigated using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay in ovo. Additionally, in vivo therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in subcutaneous murine models bearing H69 tumors, both as monotherapy and as maintenance treatment. All three compounds reduced cell proliferation and colony formation. PB increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and induced cellular senescence. In the CAM assay, tumors appeared less dense and showed reduced expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67. Interestingly, SR, LP, and PB significantly reduced tumor volume when administered as monotherapies in murine models of SCLC. Furthermore, when they were used as maintenance therapy following chemotherapy, these drugs enhanced the antitumor response. Therefore, our findings highlight SR, LP, and PB as promising therapeutic candidates for the treatment of SCLC.