A novel approach to cancer screening using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans-based detection assays.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of cancer is essential for its effective treatment. Currently, established screening tests are cancer-specific and require screening for each type of cancer separately. The primary objective of cancer research is to develop methods that can detect multiple types of tumors from a single body fluid sample. Multicancer early detection tests aim to detect fragments of circulating tumor DNA, cell-free DNA, circulating microRNAs, or proteins released by cancer cells in the patient's body fluids. However, these tests are not suitable for routine cancer prevention due to their high cost. Therefore, in recent years, cancer screening tests have been developed to detect volatile organic compounds in urine using living organisms, such as nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans. Measuring only 1 mm in length, C. elegans has the potential to offer a new, efficient, cost-effective, quick, and painless method to detect the presence of tumor. PURPOSE: The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the literature on the development and validation of C. elegans-based cancer detection methods. The potential benefits of these assays are significant, as they could become a valuable tool for the early identification and diagnosis of cancer, even though this research is still in its initial stages of development.

The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among nursing home residents for the elderly in Slovakia.

The objective of our study was to examine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among residents of nursing homes for the elderly of selected institutions in two Slovak regions compared to non-institutionalized volunteers of the same age, as well as young volunteers (20-24 years old). Nasal swabs from all participants (n = 424) were processed using standard methods for the isolation and identification of S. aureus and MRSA. Statistically significant differences were found between nursing home residents and young volunteers (12% vs. 1.5%; OR 8.85; 95% CI 2.087-37.706; p = 0.0007), as well as between non-institutionalized seniors and young volunteers (11% vs. 1.5%; OR 8; 95% CI 1.888-33.901; p = 0.005) in the prevalence of MRSA. Our results suggest that nursing home residency and older age could be a risk factor for the occurrence of high-risk MRSA strains.

Applications of a powerful model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to study the neurotoxicity induced by heavy metals and pesticides.

The expansion of industry and the use of pesticides in agriculture represent one of the major causes of environmental contamination. Unfortunately, individuals and animals are exposed to these foreign and often toxic substances on a daily basis. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the impact of such chemicals on human health. Several in vitro studies have addressed this issue, but it is difficult to explore the impact of these compounds on living organisms. A nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a useful alternative to animal models mainly because of its transparent body, fast growth, short life cycle, and easy cultivation. Furthermore, at the molecular level, there are significant similarities between humans and C. elegans. These unique features make it an excellent model to complement mammalian models in toxicology research. Heavy metals and pesticides, which are considered environmental contaminants, are known to have affected the locomotion, feeding behavior, brood size, growth, life span, and cell death of C. elegans. Today, there are increasing numbers of research articles dedicated to this topic, of which we summarized the most recent findings dedicated to the effect of heavy metals, heavy metal mixtures, and pesticides on the well-characterized nervous system of this nematode.