Turk J Med Sci
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A fracture that does not unite in nine months is defined as nonunion. Nonunion is common in fragmented fractures and large bone defects where vascularization is impaired. The distal third of the tibia, the scaphoid bone or the talus fractures are furthermore prone to nonunion. ⋯ BMP family, as the biggest subfamily of TGFβ superfamily, is also reported to be the most effective growth factors in bone and development, which makes them one of the most popular cytokines used in bone regeneration. Complications depending on the excess use of growth factors, and pleiotropic functions of BMPs are however the main reasons of why they should be approached with care. In this review, the Smad dependent signaling pathways of TGFβ and BMP families and their relations and the applications in preclinical and clinical studies will be briefly summarized.
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In recent years, dry eye has become a hot topic within ophthalmology and optometry, especially in regards to new frontiers in treatment modalities which include novel devices, procedures, and medications. However, some of the more understudied areas in dry eye involve its impact on quality of life. Although ocular discomfort symptoms are well known to be associated with dry eye, its negative effects on visual function remain underrecognized. This paper reviews these topics within the currently published literature to heighten awareness among clinicians.
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Bladder cancer, one of the more common cancers, is a heterogeneous disease, both morphologically and clinically. Although histological classification and extent of the disease (staging) guide treatment options, the heterogeneity in responses to therapy highlights the need for better stratification of patients for the appropriate therapy in order to achieve better outcomes. Several molecular classifications of muscle-invasive bladder cancer have been proposed but currently their use in clinical practice is limited by the complexity of the methods used and diversity of the subtypes.
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Cancer gene therapy emerged as a promising treatment modality 3 decades ago. However, the failure of the first gene therapy trials in cancer treatment has decreased its popularity. Likewise, immunotherapy has followed a similar course. ⋯ Immunotherapy became one of the main options for cancer treatment with the successful use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinics approximately 10 years ago. The success of immunotherapy has increased even more with the introduction of cancer gene therapy methods in this area. With the identification of the oncolytic herpes simplex virus and Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, immune gene therapy has become an essential modality in cancer treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies.
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Behçet’s disease (BD) is a systemic and inflammatory disorder that is mainly present along the ancient Silk Road, from the Mediterranean Sea to East Asia. A wide range of prevalence figures (0.1–420/100,000) have been reported for BD, also among Turkish populations of similar genetic background living in different countries. ⋯ It was hypothesized that a decline in infectious diseases, especially dental/periodontal infections, associated with the improvement in oral health, could be a part of these changes in the disease expression. Further epidemiological studies in other populations might demonstrate whether there is a worldwide similar trend and may provide a better understanding of the triggering factors for the onset and course of BD.