Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) present significant clinical challenges, often leading to severe motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction, with profound impacts on patient quality of life and considerable healthcare costs. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the therapeutic potential of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMF) and Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS) as non-invasive modalities for promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. We explore their cellular and molecular mechanisms of action, discuss optimal treatment parameters, and present evidence from preclinical and clinical studies, including their synergistic effects with other therapies and emerging applications beyond neurological repair. Clinical studies have shown that PEMF therapy can significantly reduce neuropathic pain and improve functions, whereas LIPUS demonstrates the ability to enhance nerve conduction.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the central nervous system, in which many factors can act together to influence disease susceptibility and progression. To date, the exact cause of MS is still unclear, but it is believed to result from an abnormal response of the immune system to one or more myelin antigens that develops in genetically susceptible individuals after their exposure to a, as yet undefined, causal agent. In our study, we assessed the effect of microRNAs on the expression level of neuroprotective proteins, including neurotrophins (BDNF and NT4/5), heat shock proteins (HSP70 and HSP27), and sirtuin (SIRT1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the development of multiple sclerosis. The analysis of dysregulation of miRNA levels and the resulting changes in target mRNA/protein expression levels could contribute to a better understanding of the etiology of multiple sclerosis, as well as new alternative methods of diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The aim of this study was to find a link between neurotrophins (BDNF and NT4), SIRT1, heat shock proteins (HSP27 and HSP27), and miRNAs that are involved in the development of multiple sclerosis. The analysis of the selected miRNAs showed a negative correlation of SIRT1 with miR-132 and miR-34a and of BDNF with 132-3p in PBMCs, which suggests that the miRNAs we selected may regulate the expression level of the studied genes.

Peripheral nerve regeneration remains a major challenge in neuroscience, despite advancements in understanding its mechanisms. Current treatments, including nerve transplantation and drug therapies, face limitations such as invasiveness and incomplete recovery of nerve function. Physical therapies, like pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) and low-intensity ultrasound (LIPUS), are gaining attention for their potential to enhance regeneration. This study analyzes the effects of PEMF and LIPUS on gene expression in human primary Schwann cells, which are crucial for nerve myelination and repair. Key genes involved in neurotrophin signaling (NGF, BDNF), inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, TGF-β), and regeneration (CRYAB, CSPG, Ki67) were assessed. The results of this study reveal that combined PEMF and LIPUS therapies promote Schwann cell proliferation, reduce inflammation, and improve the regenerative environment, offering potential for optimizing these therapies for clinical use in regenerative medicine.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), which leads to disturbances in the conduction of nerve impulses, cognitive impairment, sensory and motor disturbances, as well as depressive symptoms. MS remains an incurable disease with a difficult diagnosis and unclear etiology. The aim of the analysis was to identify SNPs that may potentially be associated with an increased risk of developing MS. Blood samples were obtained from patients with MS (194 subjects) and age-matched healthy controls (188 subjects). The polymorphic variant frequencies of rs197412 T>C in GEMIN3, rs7813 G>A in GEMIN4, rs1106042 G>A in HIWI, rs10719 A>C in DROSHA, rs3742330 A>G in DICER1, rs11077 T>G in XPO5, rs14035 C>T in RAN, rs636832 G>A in AGO1 were determined in DNA using real-time PCR TaqMan^® SNP Genotyping Assay. Our findings indicate that the GG AGO1 rs636832 and AA GEMIN4 rs7813 genotypes were associated with an increased risk of MS. Although our findings provide a clearer understanding of the pathogenesis of MS, further investigations are needed to better understand their potential for the evaluation of other miRNA processing genes believed to be associated with MS etiology.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disorder with an unclear etiology. A key role is thought to be played by Th17 cells and microRNAs associated with Th17, such as miR-155, miR-326 and miR-223. The present study compared the methylation and hydroxymethylation levels of CpG sites within promoters of these microRNA between MS patients and controls using PBMCs and analyzed their relationship with microRNA expression. Significant intergroup differences were found between the levels of 5-hmC within the CpG-1 miR-155 promoter and CpG within the miR-326 promoter; in addition, miR-155-5p and miR-223-3p expression was elevated in MS patients. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between the level of 5-hmC of CpG-2 in the miR-223 promoter and miR-223-3p level. As it is possible to pharmacologically modulate the level of epigenetic modifications, our findings cast light on the etiology of MS and support the development of more effective therapies.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles found in body fluids. They contain proteins and nucleic acids that reflect the condition of the parent cell. Because of this, they may be useful in colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnostics. In this study we compared three plasma isolation methods: ultracentrifugation (UC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and a commercial Exo-spin kit. The material obtained with each method was checked for protein content, purity, and vesicle integrity using protein measurements, Western blots, and scanning electron microscopy. From these results SEC was chosen for further use. Exosomes isolated with this method were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for four CRC-related proteins: HSP70, CK19, CA125, and TAG72. Patient samples showed higher levels of HSP70, CK19, and CA125 than controls. TAG72 levels did not differ. In addition, men had more HSP70 than women. These findings show that SEC can be applied for exosome isolation from plasma and that specific proteins detected in exosomes, including HSP70, CK19, and CA125, may serve as promising markers for non-invasive colorectal cancer diagnosis and monitoring.