Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important inducers of angiogenesis, therefore blocking angiogenesis has led to great promise in the treatment of various cancers and inflammatory diseases. VEGF, expressed in response to soluble mediators such as cytokines and growth factors, is important in the physiological development of blood vessels as well as development of vessels in tumors. In cancer patients VEGF levels are increased, and the expression of VEGF is associated with poor prognosis in diseases. VEGF is a mediator of angiogenesis and inflammation which are closely integrated processes in a number of physiological and pathological conditions including obesity, psoriasis, autoimmune diseases and tumor. Mast cells can be activated by anti-IgE to release potent mediators of inflammation and can also respond to bacterial or viral antigens, cytokines, growth factors and hormones, leading to differential release of distinct mediators without degranulation. Substance P strongly induces VEGF in mast cells, and IL-33 contributes to the stimulation and release of VEGF in human mast cells in a dose-dependent manner and acts synergistically in combination with Substance P. Here we report a strong link between VEGF and mast cells and we depict their role in inflammation and immunity.

The COVID-19 pandemic literally stopped most human movement and activities as it initially spread, which included dental practices and dental education. This defined the need for significative changes in teaching and learning with the use of “e-learning” methods, also for traineeships. This study was designed to determine the undergraduate student perception of these new methods as part of their education. This involved 353 students attending the Dental School of the G. D’Annunzio University of Chieti–Pescara, from the first to the sixth years. A questionnaire in Italian and was set-up using “Google Forms” and sent by email to the students. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: the first part included questions for general information, including age, sex and year of course; the second part had multiple choice questions related to their evaluation of the e-learning teaching, using a scale of opinion in the replies to each question (e.g., “scarce”, “fair”, “satisfying”, “very good” and “excellent”); and the third part included two open questions to indicate the strengths and limitations of these new teaching and learning approaches. The categorical variables in the first and second parts of the questionnaire were evaluated using Chi squared tests, setting significance at p < 0.05, while the comments were evaluated qualitatively. The student feedback showed significant appreciation (p < 0.05) of the new methods and the efforts that the lecturers put in to provide lectures of as high a quality as possible. However, a lack of practical training was significantly perceived as an important problem in the structure of their new curriculum (p < 0.05). COVID-19 has been an epic tragedy that has hit the human population not only in terms of health and healthcare, but also quality of life. This includes the quality of dental education within universities. However, the pandemic can be seen to also represent motivation to invest in the necessary technological innovation to deliver the best possible education to our future dentists.

Platelets are a cellular subgroup of elements circulating in the bloodstream, responsible for the innate immunity and repairing processes. The diseases affecting this cellular population, depending on the degree, can vary from mild to severe conditions, which have to be taken into consideration in cases of minor dental procedures. Their secretion of growth factors made them useful in the regenerative intervention. The aim of this review is to examine the platelets from biological, examining the biogenesis of the platelets and the biological role in the inflammatory and reparative processes and clinical point of view, through the platelets’ pathology and their use as platelets concentrates in dental regenerative surgery.

When through the skin a foreign antigen enters it provokes an immune response and inflammatory reaction. Mast cells are located around small vessels that are involved in vasaldilation. They mature under the influence of local tissue to various cytokines. Human skin mast cells play an essential role in diverse physiological and pathological processes and mediate immediate hypersensitive reaction and allergic diseases. Injection of anti-IgE in the skin or other agents that directly activate mast cells may cause the decrease in vascular tone, leakage of plasma and may lead to a fall in blood pressure with fatal anaphylactic shock. Skin mast cells are also implicated as effector cells in response to multiple parasites such as Leishmania which is primarily characterized by its tissue cutaneous tropism. Activated macrophages by IFNγ, cytotoxic T cells, activated mast cells and several cytokines are involved in the elimination of the parasites and immunoprotection. IL-33 is one of the latest cytokines involved in IgE-induced anaphylaxis and in the pathogenesis of allergic skin disorders. IL-33 has been shown in epidermis of patients with psoriasis and its skin expression causes atopic dermatitis and it is crucial for the development of this disease. Here we review the impact of mast cells on the skin.