MicroRNA-17(miR-17) is a prototypical oncogenic miRNA that plays a central driving role in the initiation and progression of various malignant tumours (MT), including lymphoma, lung cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC), and breast cancer (BC). It inhibits the activation of apoptosis pathways and promotes the G1/S phase transition by targeting tumor suppressor genes and cell cycle regulators, thereby driving the unlimited proliferation of tumor cells. Concurrently, it targets molecules associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), activating key signalling pathways, such as Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Protein Kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and Wnt/Beta-catenin(Wnt/β-catenin) to enhance the invasiveness and migration capabilities of tumour cells. Moreover, miR-17 participates in a cross-regulatory network of non- coding RNAs(ncRNAs), acting both as a molecular sponge to sequester long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs) and circular RNAs(circRNAs), and as a regulator of the stability or biogenesis of these ncRNAs.This further amplifies oncogenic effects, induces tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and ultimately synergistically promotes tumor angiogenesis, thereby remodeling the tumor microenvironment(TME). In clinical applications, miR-17 holds potential for early cancer diagnosis, particularly serving as a non-invasive biomarker in lung and Gastric cancers (GC). As a therapeutic target, restoring miR-17 expression via targeted interventions enhances. The efficacy of chemotherapy or targeted therapy thereby improves patient prognosis. Despite extensive research in this field, the precise mechanism of action for miR-17 remains incompletely understood. This review summarizes the current state of research concerning the relationship between miR-17 and its target genes in MT, as well as the underlying mechanisms involved.

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is an important respiratory pathogen in sheep, commonly implicated in chronic pneumonia. Although widely reported, data on its occurrence, strain diversity and the relationship between upper respiratory tract carriage and pulmonary infection remains limited. The study examined a conventional flock of 230 Merino x Berrichon du Cher ewes. Thirty-eight sheep underwent physical examination and nasal swabbing, including 15 animals with additional post-mortem lung sampling. Additionally, lungs from 15 further sheep were examined, yielding 30 lung samples for gross and histopathological assessment. Microbiological examination was performed using cultivation procedures and isolates were identified by applying MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. Genetic diversity of M. ovipneumoniae strains was assessed using a newly established core genome MLST scheme. Clinical findings were consistent with respiratory disease, and lung lesions were compatible with M. ovipneumoniae-associated pneumonia. M. ovipneumoniae was cultivated from all 38 nasal swabs (100%) and from 27 of 30 lung samples (90%). Cultivation of lung samples identified three principal pathogens: M. ovipneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, and Mannheimia haemolytica, with concurrent detection observed in a subset of cases. Core genome sequence-based typing indicated both high genetic diversity and the clonal spread of individual M. ovipneumoniae strains on the farm. This study documents M. ovipneumoniae infection in an Austrian sheep flock and highlights the frequent involvement of co-pathogens and the high genotypic diversity of circulating strains. These findings underscore the importance of targeted surveillance, molecular characterisation, and integrated control measures to mitigate respiratory disease. Further multi-farm and longitudinal studies are warranted to clarify transmission dynamics and the clinical significance of strain variation.

Ticks are ectoparasites that modulate host responses to sustain prolonged blood feeding, and in Ixodes ricinus, salivary microRNAs (miRNAs) represent promising candidates for manipulating host gene expression. Using phylogenetic footprinting combined with cooperative targeting analysis, we predicted deeply conserved miRNA-mRNA interactions that appear to contribute to tick lifecycle completion and tick's ability to parasitize diverse vertebrate hosts. Our analysis suggests that conserved tick miRNAs may mimic host miRNAs by exploiting shared target sites on host transcripts, potentially influencing regulatory circuits active during tick feeding and cross-kingdom communication. We identified 12 core tick salivary miRNAs-highly expressed and enriched in conserved target sites-predicted to cooperatively target 22 human genes, several of which are associated with processes relevant to parasitism establishment. These predicted cooperative interactions involve hub genes such as PDGFRA and NRG1, which are components of MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways that regulate immune defense, tissue repair, and sensory responses. Our results suggest that I. ricinus miRNAs could potentially influence host homeostasis through cooperative targeting mechanisms, and they introduce a broadly applicable framework that leverages evolutionary conservation to detect meaningful cross-species miRNA-mRNA interactions.

Cysteine cathepsins are papain-like proteases which play key roles in a large range of organisms, including apicomplexan parasites. These obligate endoparasites are responsible for many devastating diseases in human and/or animal hosts, for which available treatments are limited or face the emergence of resistance. This review presents the cysteine cathepsins expressed by five major Apicomplexa (Plasmodium falciparum, Cryptosporidium parvum, Toxoplasma gondii, Eimeria tenella and Babesia bovis), highlighting available data on their structures, specific or common features, and biological functions in the parasite biology and host-parasite interactions. Although they belong to the same phylum, apicomplexan parasites have very distinct life cycles and biology, which are well adapted to the hosts they infect and to the tissues within which they develop. Accordingly, apicomplexan cysteine cathepsins display a wide variety of functions, associated with shared (e.g., invasion of and egress from host cells) or unique (e.g., degradation of haemoglobin in P. falciparum) biological pathways. Through their crucial functions and involvement in multiple parasite stages, these parasitic proteases represent assumed therapeutic targets. The description of apicomplexan cysteine cathepsins also appears uneven within the phylum, and further exploration of their biology and role is needed to drive novel preventive or curative intervention strategies.

When outbreaks of emerging and reemerging zoonotic diseases are discussed, little attention is paid to differential gender impacts, or to gender involvement and roles in different settings during the outbreak. Gender roles shape how individuals' interactions with animals, wildlife, other people and the environment, which influences exposure to zoonotic pathogens. For example, in some rural communities, men may face risks of exposure to emerging pathogens during hunting whilst women who primarily take care of domestic animals may face prolonged exposure to other zoonotic diseases. In some settings, women (and men) lack access to health protection, education or communication with health officials (medical doctors or veterinarians). In some cultures, women are not allowed to speak directly with male service providers, further limiting their access to critical information and services. One Health is a holistic, inclusive approach which should be incorporating a gender lens when considering zoonoses. This includes thinking about the need to create appropriate gender sensitive policies that address disparities in surveillance, response, prevention, detection, and control of the disease (or health issue) being addressed. In this paper, we highlight these issues through several case studies that demonstrate the importance of including gender in zoonotic disease response and, ideally, when implementing prevention measures.

Löffler's syndrome is classically described as a transient pulmonary disorder associated with eosinophilic infiltration of the lungs, most commonly triggered by helminthic larval migration. While eosinophilia is considered a defining feature, rare cases lacking peripheral or pulmonary eosinophilia have been reported, complicating recognition and diagnosis. Disseminated helminthic infection with multiorgan involvement is an additional uncommon manifestation that may further obscure clinical identification. We describe a case of a 40-year-old woman with extensive environmental and animal exposure who developed pulmonary, neurologic, gastrointestinal, and cutaneous symptoms following suspected household zoonotic helminthic transmission. Despite elevated immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and characteristic clinical features suggestive of larval migration, peripheral eosinophilia was absent. Multiple household members developed similar symptoms, supporting a shared exposure. The patient improved following empiric antihelminthic therapy and coordinated treatment of household contacts and domestic animals. This case highlights a rare non-eosinophilic variant of a Löffler-like pulmonary syndrome associated with disseminated helminthic infection and underscores the importance of considering parasitic disease in patients with multisystem symptoms and environmental exposure, even in the absence of eosinophilia.

Parasitic infections affect approximately two billion people globally, most commonly in developing countries in the tropics and subtropical regions. However, they are being seen in developed countries with increasing frequency due to immigration and travel. Many parasitic infections present with nonspecific and overlapping clinical findings, and many present with chest involvement. Thoracic manifestations of parasitic infection can be subdivided into 2 major categories: those that result in nondestructive-type physiological response with patchy, migratory, and transient pulmonary opacities, and those that undergo a locally destructive-type manifestation with lung cysts or linear tracts, smooth muscle denervation, chronic and recurrent inflammation, or even osseous destruction. Considering a third nontraditional category of parasitic infections that rarely result in thoracic pathology can be a useful diagnostic tool to broaden the differential diagnosis and assist the radiologist in considering additional pathogen disease patterns. Recognizing the temporal, zonal, and other classic thoracic manifestations in conjunction with the common systemic imaging findings can assist in accurate and timely diagnosis.

The harbor porpoise populations of the North and Baltic Seas are highly impacted by human activities, including underwater-radiated noise, fisheries and pollution. These cumulative stressors can have various detrimental effects, such as reduced foraging success, altered behavior and an impaired immune system. Harbor porpoises especially suffer from diseases of the respiratory tract which are partly caused or exacerbated by high parasitic prevalence in the lungs that may ultimately affect diving ability and competitiveness due to insufficient oxygen uptake and supply to the locomotor musculature.