The BIRC5 gene encodes a survivin protein belonging to class III of inhibitors of apoptosis, IAP. This protein serves a dual role. First, it regulates cell death, and second, it is an important regulator of mitosis progression, although its physiological regulatory function has not been fully understood. Many studies have shown and confirmed that survivin is practically absent in mature tissues in nature, while its overexpression has been reported in many cancerous tissues. There is little information about the significance of BIRC5 expression in normal adult human stem cells. This paper presents the study and analysis of survivin expression at the transcription level using qPCR method, in hematopoietic stem cells from peripheral blood mobilized with a granulocyte growth factor, adherent cells derived from the umbilical cord, and normal bone marrow stem cells. The expression of this gene was also examined in the blood of normal healthy individuals. The results of the analysis have shown that the more mature the cells are, the lower the expression of the BIRC5 gene is. The lowest expression has been found in peripheral blood cells, while the highest in normal bone marrow cells. The more the CD34+ and CD105 cells in the tested material are, the higher the BIRC5 expression is. Stem cells from cell culture show higher BIRC5 expression. The study confirms the involvement of BIRC5 from the IAP family in many physiological processes apart from apoptosis inhibition. The possible effect of BIRC5 on cell proliferation; involvement in cell cycle, cell differentiation, survival, and maintenance of stem cells; and the possible effect of IAP on the antineoplastic properties of mesenchymal stem cells have been demonstrated. Our research suggests that BIRC5 may be responsible for the condition of stem cell pluripotency and its high expression may also be responsible for the dedifferentiation of tumor cells.

Obesity is a global health problem needing urgent research. Synthetic anti-obesity drugs show side effects and variable effectiveness. Thus, there is a tendency to use natural compounds for the management of obesity. There is a considerable body of knowledge, supported by rigorous experimental data, that natural polyphenols, including curcumin, can be an effective and safer alternative for managing obesity. Curcumin is a is an important compound present in Curcuma longa L. rhizome. It is a lipophilic molecule that rapidly permeates cell membrane. Curcumin has been used as a pharmacological traditional medicinal agent in Ayurvedic medicine for ∼6000 years. This plant metabolite doubtless effectiveness has been reported through increasingly detailed in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials. Regarding its biological effects, multiple health-promoting, disease-preventing and even treatment attributes have been remarkably highlighted. This review documents the status of research on anti-obesity mechanisms and evaluates the effectiveness of curcumin for management of obesity. It summarizes different mechanisms of anti-obesity action, associated with the enzymes, energy expenditure, adipocyte differentiation, lipid metabolism, gut microbiota and anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin. However, there is still a need for systematic and targeted clinical studies before curcumin can be used as the mainstream therapy for managing obesity.

Meconium periorchitis is caused by the leakage of meconium from a bowel perforation into the peritoneal cavity via a patent processus vaginalis into the scrotal sac during fetal life or in the early postnatal period. Intrauterine meconium peritonitis causes sterile inflammatory response and calcification. Here, we describe a prenatally diagnosed case of meconium periorchitis. During the ultrasound scan at 29 weeks' gestation, enlargement of the scrotum with many small hyperechogenic masses and normal anatomy of testis was observed. Our case is the 11th prenatally diagnosed case presented in the worldwide literature and the first one described in Poland. This case confirms the latest tendency for the conservative management of meconium periorchitis and an asymptomatic postnatal course.

Cervical cancer is a significant health problem with increasing occurrence and mortality. This infection-associated tumour is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection is cleared by the immune system within 6–18 months in most patients; however, persistent high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infections can lead to the development of cervical cancer. Virus persistence is promoted by immunodeficiency, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, smoking, and age, as well as the imbalance of cervicovaginal microbiota and inflammation. The abundance of bacteria in the vagina favours the maintenance of a dynamic balance; their coexistence influences health or disease states. The eubiotic vaginal microbiota of reproductive-aged women is composed mostly of various Lactobacillus species (spp.), which exert protective effects via the production of lactic acid, bacteriocins, polysaccharides, peptidoglycans, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lowering pH, raising the viscosity of cervicovaginal mucus, and hampering both the adhesion of cells to epithelial tissue and the entry of HPV. The depletion of beneficial microorganisms could increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Emerging therapies involve mucosal, intranasal vaccines, which trigger systemic and mucosal immune responses, thus protecting against HPV-induced tumours. The use of probiotics has also been suggested to affect various biological processes associated with tumourigenesis (inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, proliferation, and metastasis).

The knowledge of factors affecting the viability as well as proliferation and therapeutic potential of perinatal stem cells is of great importance for the decisions concerning their collection, multiplication, and storing. The aim of this work is to evaluate the expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes at the level of transcription in mesenchymal stem cells derived from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly. The study examined the relationship between the expression level of the studied genes and selected biophysical parameters of umbilical blood: pH, pCO 2 , pO 2 , and cHCO 3 . Moreover, the relationship between the pregnant age, the type of delivery (natural delivery or cesarean section), and the level of expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes was assessed. The research was carried out on mesenchymal stem cells derived from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (WJSC) taken from 55 women immediately after delivery. Expression of the examined genes was assessed with the qPCR method using commercially available reagent kits. On the basis of the conducted research, it was demonstrated that WJSCs collected from younger women giving birth naturally, and in the acidic environment of the umbilical cord blood, are characterized by a higher expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes. It was shown that the expression of the BIRC2 and BIRC3 genes in Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells declines with the mother's age. Our research suggests that stem cells collected from younger women giving birth naturally can be more resistant to apoptosis and show a more stem cell-like character, which can increase their therapeutic potential and clinical utility, but this conclusion needs to be approved in the next studies.