{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T13:57:45Z","timestamp":1791899865591,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":91,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,24]],"date-time":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1608768000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The presence of calcium deposits in human lesions is largely used as imaging biomarkers of human diseases such as breast cancer. Indeed, the presence of micro- or macrocalcifications is frequently associated with the development of both benign and malignant lesions. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of these calcium deposits, as well as the prognostic significance of their presence in human tissues, have not been completely elucidated. Therefore, a better characterization of the biological process related to the formation of calcifications in different tissues and organs, as well as the understanding of the prognostic significance of the presence of these calcium deposits into human tissues could significantly improve the management of patients characterized by microcalcifications associated lesions. Starting from these considerations, this narrative review highlights the most recent histopathological and molecular data concerning the formation of calcifications in breast, thyroid, lung, and ovarian diseases. Evidence reported here could deeply change the current point of view concerning the role of ectopic calcifications in the progression of human diseases and also in the patients\u2019 management. In fact, the presence of calcifications can suggest an unfavorable prognosis due to dysregulation of normal tissues homeostasis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22010120","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,24]],"date-time":"2020-12-24T09:02:44Z","timestamp":1608800564000},"page":"120","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":26,"title":["Molecular Aspects and Prognostic Significance of Microcalcifications in Human Pathology: A Narrative Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Rita","family":"Bonfiglio","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Fondazione Umberto Veronesi (FUV), Piazza Velasca 5, 20122 Milano, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7852-1517","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annarita","family":"Granaglia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u2018Diagnostica Medica\u2019 &amp; \u2018Villa dei Platani\u2019, Neuromed Group, 83100 Avellino, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raffaella","family":"Giocondo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0585-1309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel","family":"Scimeca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"San Raffaele University, via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, via di Sant\u2019Alessandro, 8, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elena","family":"Bonanno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"\u2018Diagnostica Medica\u2019 &amp; \u2018Villa dei Platani\u2019, Neuromed Group, 83100 Avellino, Italy"},{"name":"Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, via di Sant\u2019Alessandro, 8, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"383M","article-title":"Breast calcification imaging","volume":"84","author":"Baldwin","year":"2013","journal-title":"Radiol. 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