Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a serious degenerative disease affecting the eyes, and is the main cause of severe vision loss among people >55 years of age in developed countries. Its onset and progression have been associated with several genetic and lifestyle factors, with diet appearing to play a pivotal role in the latter. In particular, dietary eating patterns rich in plant foods have been shown to lower the risk of developing the disease, and to decrease the odds of progressing to more advanced stages in individuals already burdened with early AMD. We systematically reviewed the literature to analyse the relationship between the adherence to a Mediterranean diet, a mainly plant-based dietary pattern, and the onset/progression of AMD. Eight human observational studies were analysed. Despite some differences, they consistently indicate that higher adherence to a Mediterranean eating pattern lowers the odds of developing AMD and decreases the risk of progression to more advanced stages of the disease, establishing the way for preventative measures emphasizing dietary patterns rich in plant-foods.

The 1-(2-Chlorophenyl-N-methylpropyl)-3-isoquinolinecarboxamide, PK11195, is a proven enhancer of apoptotic cell death in a variety of cellular models. Recently, we have shown that by targeting the...

Over the last two decades, substantial investments have been directed towards supporting fundamental and applied research in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), breast cancer (BC), and prostate cancer (PC), which continue to pose significant health challenges. Recently, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (EC) conducted a retrospective analysis to examine the major scientific advancements resulting from EU-funded research in these disease areas and their impact on society. Building upon this analysis, our subsequent investigation delves into the methodological approaches—both animal and non-animal models and methods—employed in AD, BC, and PC research funded under past EU framework programs (FP5, FP6, FP7, and H2020), and explored the notable research outputs associated with these approaches. Our findings indicate a prevalent use of animal-based methodologies in AD research, particularly evident in projects funded under H2020. Notably, projects focused on drug development, testing, or repurposing heavily relied on animal models. Conversely, research aimed at clinical trial design, patient stratification, diagnosis and diagnostic tool development, lifestyle interventions, and prevention—outputs with potential societal impact—more frequently utilised non-animal methods. Advanced investigations leveraging imaging, computational tools, biomarker discovery and organ/tissue chip technologies predominantly favoured non-animal strategies. These insights highlight a correlation between methodological choices and the translational potential of research outcomes, suggesting the need for a reconsideration of research strategy planning in future framework programs.

Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is a transmissible cancer that has circulated in the Tasmanian devil population for >25 years. Like other contagious cancers in dogs and devils, the way DFTD escapes the immune response of its host is a central question to understanding this disease. DFTD has a low major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression due to epigenetic modifications, preventing host immune recognition of mismatched MHC-I molecules by T cells. However, the total MHC-I loss should result in natural killer (NK) cell activation due to the ‘missing self’. Here, we have investigated the expression of the nonclassical MHC-I, Saha-UD as a potential regulatory or suppressive mechanism for DFTD. A monoclonal antibody was generated against the devil Saha-UD that binds recombinant Saha-UD by Western blot, with limited crossreactivity to the classical MHC-I, Saha-UC and nonclassical Saha-UK. Using this antibody, we confirmed the expression of Saha-UD in 13 DFTD tumours by immunohistochemistry (n = 15) and demonstrated that Saha-UD expression is heterogeneous, with 12 tumours showing intratumour heterogeneity. Immunohistochemical staining for the Saha-UD showed distinct patterns of expression when compared with classical MHC-I molecules. The nonclassical Saha-UD expression by DFTD tumours in vivo may be a mechanism for immunosuppression, and further work is ongoing to characterise its ligand on immune cells.