Maria Cristina Quattrini

Within the framework of a project financed by the Italian Ministry of Health, eggs of different brands and types (farming method, color, size), both irradiated (0.5–5 kGy) and non-irradiated, were examined by the laboratories of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) and the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata (IZSPB) using Photo-stimulated Luminescence (PSL) and Thermoluminescence (TL) techniques, which identify irradiated foods through the luminescence emitted from certain types of minerals present in the food matrix (biominerals) or in contaminating dust (silicates). The data obtained with both techniques indicate that the content of luminescent minerals in the shells is rather low, probably due to the cleaning of the eggs during production. The PSL technique applied to 144 irradiated samples results in 75% false negatives and 23% unclassifiable intermediates, with only 3 positive samples originating from eggs with markedly different characteristics (small and white). As for TL technique, the silicates extracted from 6 eggshells were generally sufficient for the analysis but provided rather weak TL signals. The ESR technique applied to eggshells produced excellent results for the identification of X-ray treatment. Furthermore, from the tenth day after irradiation onward, the ESR signal showed no time-dependent attenuation. The relationship between signal intensity and irradiation dose was not linear but exponential up to 1 kGy and logarithmic between 1 and 5 kGy.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need to better characterize immune and molecular responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. Beyond antibody and cellular immunity, COVID-19 involves oxidative stress and DNA damage, affecting repair mechanisms and metabolic adaptation linked to immune resilience. Here, we present a multidimensional analysis of 20 individuals who recovered from mild COVID-19, integrating clinical features with humoral and cellular immune responses, T cell and myeloid phenotypes, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and metabolomic and lipidomic profiles. Although most individual parameters fell within physiological ranges, network modeling revealed structured associations spanning multiple biological domains. A central finding was a coherent cluster organized around vaccine dose number, linking anti-Spike antibody titers, oxidative stress, bioenergetic signatures, and granulocyte activation. Higher vaccination was associated with stronger humoral responses, lower oxidative stress, and a more balanced myeloid–metabolic profile, suggesting a potential protective role extending beyond antibody induction. Additional associations linked symptom patterns to T cell differentiation states, anti-nucleocapsid responses to systemic inflammation, and anaerobic signatures to DNA damage markers, revealing interconnections between immunometabolism, clinical expression, and genomic stress. Despite the small sample size, these findings offer a preliminary systems-level perspective on mild COVID-19 recovery and illustrate the value of integrative exploratory frameworks in infectious disease research, laying the groundwork for validation in larger longitudinal cohorts.

This work was carried out by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) and the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) in the framework of the BioPhyMeTRE project funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. Low-value personal objects, which could be used as fortuitous dosimeters in case of a radiological/nuclear (R/N) accident involving a large number of civilians, were analysed by using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). We proposed a model of a portable reader which allows for rapid analyses at the accident site. Items tested in the project were salty snacks, cigarettes, paper, cosmetics, medicines, dietary supplements, and others that could be found in the bags/pockets of civilians. Two protocols were developed for dose evaluation: one based on the use of a calibration curve and the other based on the single aliquot regenerative (SAR) dose procedure. Intra- and inter-laboratory tests were performed in parallel by each laboratory on salty crackers and dietary supplements that showed the best dosimetric properties. The results obtained with the crackers have already been published. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the work carried out as part of the project.

Defective mitochondria and aberrant brain mitochondrial bioenergetics are consistent features in syndromic intellectual disability disorders, such as Rett syndrome (RTT), a rare neurologic disorder that severely affects mainly females carrying mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene. A pool of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), the primary receptor subtype of the endocannabinoid system in the brain, is located on brain mitochondrial membranes (mtCB1R), where it can locally regulate energy production, synaptic transmission and memory abilities through the inhibition of the intra-mitochondrial protein kinase A (mtPKA). In the present study, we asked whether an overactive mtCB1R-mtPKA signaling might underlie the brain mitochondrial alterations in RTT and whether its modulation by systemic administration of the CB1R inverse agonist rimonabant might improve bioenergetics and cognitive defects in mice modeling RTT. Rimonabant (0.3 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal injections) was administered daily to symptomatic female mice carrying a truncating mutation of the Mecp2 gene and its effects on brain mitochondria functionality, systemic oxidative status, and memory function were assessed. mtCB1R is overexpressed in the RTT mouse brain. Subchronic treatment with rimonabant normalizes mtCB1R expression in RTT mouse brains, boosts mtPKA signaling, and restores the defective brain mitochondrial bioenergetics, abnormal peripheral redox homeostasis, and impaired cognitive abilities in RTT mice. The lack of selectivity of the rimonabant treatment towards mtCB1R does not allow us to exclude that the beneficial effects exerted by the treatment in the RTT mouse model may be ascribed more broadly to the modulation of CB1R activity and distribution among intracellular compartments, rather than to a selective effect on mtCB1R-mediated signaling. The low sample size of few experiments is a further limitation that has been addressed replicating the main findings under different experimental conditions. The present data identify mtCB1R overexpression as a novel molecular alteration in the RTT mouse brain that may underlie defective brain mitochondrial bioenergetics and cognitive dysfunction.

This work reports the results of a study carried out to verify the applicability of the CEN EN 13751 method, based on the photo-stimulated luminescence (PSL) technique, for the identification of irradiated fruit. A total of 15 types of fresh and dried fruit not irradiated and irradiated (0.5 and 1 kGy) were tested. Preliminary tests were performed on samples of fresh kiwis, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papayas, pineapples and tangerines, dried dates, dried prunes and raisins. Successively, an inter-comparative test was organized, whereby four Italian official control laboratories analyzed eight matrices, namely, kiwi, orange, dried fig, raisin, hazelnut, peanut, pistachio and walnut. The results indicated considerable differences in the radiation PSL sensitivities of the different types of fruit as well as among the PSL responses obtained from different batches of the same fruit. The best results were obtained with some types of dried fruit, namely, pistachios, peanuts, dried figs and raisins. Irradiated fresh fruit generally gave non-positive results, mainly intermediate and even very close to the negative threshold. Tests performed on kiwi, mango and orange samples indicated that the parts of the fruit peel close to the stem, which are more wrinkled, provide better results.

Metformin is the first-line therapy for diabetes, even in children, and a promising attractive candidate for drug repurposing. Mitochondria are emerging as crucial targets of metformin action both in the periphery and in the brain. The present study evaluated whether treatment with metformin may rescue brain mitochondrial alterations and contrast the increased oxidative stress in a validated mouse model of Rett syndrome (RTT), a rare neurologic disorder of monogenic origin characterized by severe behavioral and physiological symptoms. No cure for RTT is available. In fully symptomatic RTT mice (12 months old MeCP2-308 heterozygous female mice), systemic treatment with metformin (100 mg/kg ip for 10 days) normalized the reduced mitochondrial ATP production and ATP levels in the whole-brain, reduced brain oxidative damage, and rescued the increased production of reactive oxidizing species in blood. A 10-day long treatment with metformin also boosted pathways related to mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant defense in the brain of metformin-treated RTT mice. This treatment regimen did not improve general health status and motor dysfunction in RTT mice at an advanced stage of the disease. Present results provide evidence that systemic treatment with metformin may represent a novel, repurposable therapeutic strategy for RTT.

The treatment with high doses of ionizing radiation is prescribed for the terminal sterilization of many healthcare products. In order to check the product irradiation, it may be useful to develop suitable detection methods. The aim of this work was to verify the suitability of the thermoluminescence (TL) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques to reveal illegal omission of radiation sterilization in glass used for blood test tubes. In particular, this work reports the results of the analysis performed on two batches of glass tubes provided by the same manufacturer. The results indicated that both TL and EPR techniques could reveal the damage induced by high doses of ionizing radiation in the glass allowing the identification of the tubes which were irradiated at the manufacture stage. The study provided also some information about the chemical composition of the two-batch glass.

Purpose: To identify and assess, among the participants in the RENEB (Realizing the European Network of Biodosimetry) project, the emergency preparedness, response capabilities and resources that can be deployed in the event of a radiological or nuclear accident/incident affecting a large number of individuals. These capabilities include available biodosimetry techniques, infrastructure, human resources (existing trained staff), financial and organizational resources (including the role of national contact points and their articulation with other stakeholders in emergency response) as well as robust quality control/assurance systems. Materials and methods: A survey was prepared and sent to the RENEB partners in order to acquire information about the existing, operational techniques and infrastructure in the laboratories of the different RENEB countries and to assess the capacity of response in the event of radiological or nuclear accident involving mass casualties. The survey focused on several main areas: laboratory’s general information, country and staff involved in biological and physical dosimetry; retrospective assays used, the number of assays available per laboratory and other information related to biodosimetry and emergency preparedness. Following technical intercomparisons amongst RENEB members, an update of the survey was performed one year later concerning the staff and the available assays. Conclusions: The analysis of RENEB questionnaires allowed a detailed assessment of existing capacity of the RENEB network to respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies. This highlighted the key importance of international cooperation in order to guarantee an effective and timely response in the event of radiological or nuclear accidents involving a considerable number of casualties. The deployment of the scientific and technical capabilities existing within the RENEB network members seems mandatory, to help other countries with less or no capacity for biological or physical dosimetry, or countries overwhelmed in case of a radiological or nuclear accident involving a large number of individuals.