201
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Weld ED, Bailey TC, Waitt C. Ethical issues in therapeutic use and research in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 88:7-21. [PMID: 33990968 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnant or potentially pregnant women have historically been excluded from clinical trials of new medications. However, it is increasingly recognised that it is imperative to generate evidence from the population in whom the drugs are likely to be used to inform safe, evidence-based shared clinical decision making. Reluctance by researchers and regulators to perform such studies often relates to concerns about risk, particularly to the foetus. However, this must be offset against the risk of untreated disease or using a drug in pregnancy where safety, efficacy and dosing information are not known. This review summarises the historical perspective, and the ethical and legal frameworks that inform the conduct of such research, then highlights examples of innovative practice that have enabled high quality, ethical research to proceed to inform the evidence-based use of medication in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethel D Weld
- Divisions of Clinical Pharmacology & Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Theodore C Bailey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Catriona Waitt
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
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202
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Moris N, Alev C, Pera M, Martinez Arias A. Biomedical and societal impacts of in vitro embryo models of mammalian development. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1021-1030. [PMID: 33979591 PMCID: PMC8185435 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a diverse array of in vitro cell-derived models of mammalian development have been described that hold immense potential for exploring fundamental questions in developmental biology, particularly in the case of the human embryo where ethical and technical limitations restrict research. These models open up new avenues toward biomedical advances in in vitro fertilization, clinical research, and drug screening with potential to impact wider society across many diverse fields. These technologies raise challenging questions with profound ethical, regulatory, and social implications that deserve due consideration. Here, we discuss the potential impacts of embryo-like models, and their biomedical potential and current limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Moris
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Cantas Alev
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8510, Japan.
| | - Martin Pera
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
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203
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Kozicka Z, Thomä NH. Haven't got a glue: Protein surface variation for the design of molecular glue degraders. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:1032-1047. [PMID: 33930325 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Molecular glue degraders are small, drug-like compounds that induce interactions between an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a target, which result in ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of the recruited protein. In recent years, serendipitous discoveries revealed that some preclinical and clinical compounds already work as molecular glue degraders, with many more postulated to destabilize their targets through indirect or yet unresolved mechanisms. Here we review strategies by which E3 ubiquitin ligases can be reprogrammed by monovalent degraders, with a focus on molecular glues hijacking cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases. We argue that such drugs exploit the intrinsic property of proteins to form higher-order assemblies, a phenomenon previously seen with disease-causing sequence variations. Modifications of the protein surface by a bound small molecule can change the interactome of the target protein. By inducing interactions between a ligase and a substrate, molecular glue degraders offer an exciting path for the development of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Kozicka
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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204
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Abstract
![]()
Following the advancements
and diversification in synthetic strategies
for porous covalent materials in the literature, the materials science
community started to investigate the performance of covalent organic
polymers (COPs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in applications
that require large surface areas for interaction with other molecules,
chemical stability, and insolubility. Sensorics is an area where COPs
and COFs have demonstrated immense potential and achieved high levels
of sensitivity and selectivity on account of their tunable structures.
In this review, we focus on those covalent polymeric systems that
use fluorescence spectroscopy as a method of detection. After briefly
reviewing the physical basis of fluorescence-based sensors, we delve
into various kinds of analytes that have been explored with COPs and
COFs, namely, heavy metal ions, explosives, biological molecules,
amines, pH, volatile organic compounds and solvents, iodine, enantiomers,
gases, and anions. Throughout this work, we discuss the mechanisms
involved in each sensing application and aim to quantify the potency
of the discussed sensors by providing limits of detection and quenching
constants when available. This review concludes with a summary of
the surveyed literature and raises a few concerns that should be addressed
in the future development of COP and COF fluorescence-based sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Skorjanc
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 11c, 5270 Ajdovscina, Slovenia
| | - Dinesh Shetty
- Department of Chemistry & Center for Catalysis and Separations (CeCaS), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Matjaz Valant
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 11c, 5270 Ajdovscina, Slovenia
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
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205
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Precilla DS, Kuduvalli SS, Purushothaman M, Marimuthu P, Ramachandran MA, Anitha TS. Wnt/β-catenin Antagonists: Exploring New Avenues to Trigger Old Drugs in Alleviating Glioblastoma Multiforme. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2021; 15:338-360. [PMID: 33881978 DOI: 10.2174/1874467214666210420115431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most heterogenous primary brain tumor with high mortality. Nevertheless, of the current therapeutic approaches, survival rate remains poor with 12 to 15 months following preliminary diagnosis, this warrants the need for effective treatment modality. Wnt/β-catenin pathway is presumably the most noteworthy pathway up-regulated in almost 80% GBM cases contributing to tumor-initiation, progression and survival. Therefore, therapeutic strategies targeting key components of Wnt/β-catenin cascade using established genotoxic agents like temozolomide and pharmacological inhibitors would be an effective approach to modulate Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Recently, drug repurposing by means of effective combination therapy has gained importance in various solid tumors including GBM, by targeting two or more proteins in a single pathway, thereby possessing the ability to overcome the hurdle implicated by chemo-resistance in GBM. OBJECTIVE In this context, by employing computational tools, an attempt has been carried out to speculate the novel combinations against Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. METHODS We have explored the binding interactions of three conventional drugs namely temozolomide, metformin, chloroquine along with three natural compounds viz., epigallocatechin gallate, naringenin and phloroglucinol on the major receptors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. RESULTS It was noted that all the experimental compounds possessed profound interaction with the two major receptors of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to characterize the combined interactions of the afore-mentioned drugs on Wnt/β-catenin signaling in silico and this will putatively open up new avenues for combination therapies in GBM treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy S Precilla
- Central Inter-Disciplinary Research Facility, School of Biological Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to-be University), Puducherry, India
| | - Shreyas S Kuduvalli
- Central Inter-Disciplinary Research Facility, School of Biological Sciences, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to-be University), Puducherry, India
| | | | - Parthiban Marimuthu
- Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory - Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku. Finland
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206
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Sanger TJ. Integrative developmental biology in the age of anthropogenic change. Evol Dev 2021; 23:320-332. [PMID: 33848387 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Humans are changing and challenging nature in many ways. Conservation Biology seeks to limit human impacts on nature and preserve biological diversity. Traditionally, Developmental Biology and Conservation Biology have had nonoverlapping objectives, operating in distinct spheres of biological science. However, this chasm can and should be filled to help combat the emerging challenges of the 21st century. The means by which to accomplish this goal were already established within the conceptual framework of evo- and eco-devo and can be further expanded to address the ways that anthropogenic disturbance affect embryonic development. Herein, I describe ways that these approaches can be used to advance the study of reptilian embryos. More specifically, I explore the ways that a developmental perspective can advance ongoing studies of embryonic physiology in the context of global warming and chemical pollution, both of which are known stressors of reptilian embryos. I emphasize ways that these developmental perspectives can inform conservation biologists trying to develop management practices that will address the complexity of challenges facing reptilian embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Sanger
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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207
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Ţarcă E, Roșu ST, Cojocaru E, Trandafir L, Luca AC, Rusu D, Ţarcă V. Socio-Epidemiological Factors with Negative Impact on Infant Morbidity, Mortality Rates, and the Occurrence of Birth Defects. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9040384. [PMID: 33915730 PMCID: PMC8065913 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9040384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last 30-40 years, developed countries in particular, but also developing ones, have seen an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in infant mortality and morbidity rates. These factors are due to an increase in living standards, a decrease in differences between social classes, the increased accessibility of education to women, and the implementation of some public health measures. When certain basic social and medical measures are implemented on a large scale, their benefits are first reflected in lower infant mortality rates, and only in the second stage are such benefits reflected in decreasing neonatal mortality rates and a smaller number of stillbirths. In this study, we review the literature on these factors. We extrapolate and compare this literature with data recorded in our country in the hopes of finding the reasons why Romania ranks first in the European Union in terms of infant mortality rates. We found that lowering the infant morbidity, mortality, and congenital malformation rates is an absolute priority in Romania, which requires the involvement of decision makers in taking effective measures regarding food supplementation or enhancement using folic acid, adequate counselling of couples, monitoring of all pregnancies, setting antenatal diagnosis, implementing optimal delivery management and therapeutic approaches to problematic pregnancies in other hospitals and by involving the population in health education, avoiding occupational or in-home exposure to toxic factors, avoiding drug use, and implementing disease and infection prevention measures for pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Ţarcă
- Department of Surgery II-Pediatric Surgery, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iaşi, Romania
- Correspondence: (E.Ţ.); (E.C.)
| | - Solange Tamara Roșu
- Department of Nursing, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iaşi, Romania;
| | - Elena Cojocaru
- Department of Morphofunctional Sciences I—Pathology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iaşi, Romania
- Correspondence: (E.Ţ.); (E.C.)
| | - Laura Trandafir
- Department of Mother and Child Medicine–Pediatrics, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iaşi, Romania; (L.T.); (A.C.L.)
| | - Alina Costina Luca
- Department of Mother and Child Medicine–Pediatrics, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iaşi, Romania; (L.T.); (A.C.L.)
| | - Daniela Rusu
- Department of Surgery, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iaşi, Romania;
| | - Viorel Ţarcă
- County Statistics Department, 700115 Iaşi, Romania;
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208
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Aghila Rani KG, Hamad MA, Zaher DM, Sieburth SM, Madani N, Al-Tel TH. Drug development post COVID-19 pandemic: toward a better system to meet current and future global health challenges. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:365-371. [PMID: 33356641 PMCID: PMC7784828 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1854221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Despite advances in drug research and development, our knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms of many diseases remains inadequate. This have led to limited effective medicines for several diseases. To address these challenges, efficient strategies, novel technologies, and policies are urgently needed. The main obstacles in drug discovery and development are the mounting cost, risk, and time frame needed to develop new medicines. Fair pricing and accessibility is another unmet global challenge.Areas covered: Here, the authors cover the pace, risks, cost, and challenges facing drug development processes. Additionally, they introduce disease-associated data which demand global attention and propose solutions to overcome these challenges.Expert opinion: The massive challenges encountered during drug development urgently call for a serious global rethinking of the way this process is done. A partial solution might be if many consortiums of multi-nations, academic institutions, clinicians, pharma companies, and funding agencies gather at different fronts to crowdsource resources, share knowledge and risks. Such an ecosystem can rapidly generate first-in-class molecules that are safe, effective, and affordable. We think that this article represents a wake-up call for the scientific community to immediately reassess the current drug discovery and development procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koippallil Gopalakrishnan Aghila Rani
- Post-doctoral Research Associate, Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamad A. Hamad
- Assistant Professor, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Dana M. Zaher
- Ph.D Scholar and Graduate Research Assistant, Sharjah Institute of Medical Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Scott McN Sieburth
- Professor, Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Navid Madani
- Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Taleb H. Al-Tel
- Director, Research Institute for Medical & Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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209
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Hsueh SC, Luo W, Tweedie D, Kim DS, Kim YK, Hwang I, Gil JE, Han BS, Chiang YH, Selman W, Hoffer BJ, Greig NH. N-Adamantyl Phthalimidine: A New Thalidomide-like Drug That Lacks Cereblon Binding and Mitigates Neuronal and Synaptic Loss, Neuroinflammation, and Behavioral Deficits in Traumatic Brain Injury and LPS Challenge. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:980-1000. [PMID: 33860215 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation contributes to delayed secondary cell death following traumatic brain injury (TBI), has the potential to chronically exacerbate the initial insult, and represents a therapeutic target that has largely failed to translate into human efficacy. Thalidomide-like drugs have effectively mitigated neuroinflammation across cellular and animal models of TBI and neurodegeneration but are complicated by adverse actions in humans. We hence developed N-adamantyl phthalimidine (NAP) as a new thalidomide-like drug to mitigate inflammation without binding to cereblon, a key target associated with the antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, and teratogenic actions seen in this drug class. We utilized a phenotypic drug discovery approach that employed multiple cellular and animal models and ultimately examined immunohistochemical, biochemical, and behavioral measures following controlled cortical impact (CCI) TBI in mice. NAP mitigated LPS-induced inflammation across cellular and rodent models and reduced oligomeric α-synuclein and amyloid-β mediated inflammation. Following CCI TBI, NAP mitigated neuronal and synaptic loss, neuroinflammation, and behavioral deficits, and is unencumbered by cereblon binding, a key protein underpinning the teratogenic and adverse actions of thalidomide-like drugs in humans. In summary, NAP represents a new class of thalidomide-like drugs with anti-inflammatory actions for promising efficacy in the treatment of TBI and potentially longer-term neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih Chang Hsueh
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Weiming Luo
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - David Tweedie
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
| | - Dong Seok Kim
- AevisBio, Inc., Gaithersburg Maryland 20878, United States.,Aevis Bio, Inc., Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Kyung Kim
- Aevis Bio, Inc., Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Inho Hwang
- Aevis Bio, Inc., Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Eun Gil
- Aevis Bio, Inc., Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Baek-Soo Han
- Research Center for Biodefence, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Yung-Hsiao Chiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan.,Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Warren Selman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Barry J Hoffer
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, United States
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, United States
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210
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Jung YJ, Tweedie D, Scerba MT, Kim DS, Palmas MF, Pisanu A, Carta AR, Greig NH. Repurposing Immunomodulatory Imide Drugs (IMiDs) in Neuropsychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:656921. [PMID: 33854417 PMCID: PMC8039148 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.656921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation represents a common trait in the pathology and progression of the major psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Neuropsychiatric disorders have emerged as a global crisis, affecting 1 in 4 people, while neurological disorders are the second leading cause of death in the elderly population worldwide (WHO, 2001; GBD 2016 Neurology Collaborators, 2019). However, there remains an immense deficit in availability of effective drug treatments for most neurological disorders. In fact, for disorders such as depression, placebos and behavioral therapies have equal effectiveness as antidepressants. For neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, drugs that can prevent, slow, or cure the disease have yet to be found. Several non-traditional avenues of drug target identification have emerged with ongoing neurological disease research to meet the need for novel and efficacious treatments. Of these novel avenues is that of neuroinflammation, which has been found to be involved in the progression and pathology of many of the leading neurological disorders. Neuroinflammation is characterized by glial inflammatory factors in certain stages of neurological disorders. Although the meta-analyses have provided evidence of genetic/proteomic upregulation of inflammatory factors in certain stages of neurological disorders. Although the mechanisms underpinning the connections between neuroinflammation and neurological disorders are unclear, and meta-analysis results have shown high sensitivity to factors such as disorder severity and sample type, there is significant evidence of neuroinflammation associations across neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the role of neuroinflammation in psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder, as well as in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, and introduce current research on the potential of immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) as a new treatment strategy for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoo Jin Jung
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Stanford Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - David Tweedie
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Michael T. Scerba
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Dong Seok Kim
- AevisBio, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, United States
- Aevis Bio, Inc., Daejeon, South Korea
| | | | - Augusta Pisanu
- National Research Council, Institute of Neuroscience, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Anna R. Carta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Nigel H. Greig
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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211
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Sychterz C, Galetin A, Taskar KS. When special populations intersect with drug-drug interactions: Application of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling in pregnant populations. Biopharm Drug Dispos 2021; 42:160-177. [PMID: 33759451 DOI: 10.1002/bdd.2272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy results in significant physiological changes that vary across trimesters and into the postpartum period, and may result in altered disposition of endogenous substances and drug pharmacokinetics. Pregnancy represents a unique special population where physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling (PBPK) is well suited to mechanistically explore pharmacokinetics and dosing paradigms without subjecting pregnant women or their fetuses to extensive clinical studies. A critical review of applications of pregnancy PBPK models (pPBPK) was conducted to understand its current status for prediction of drug exposure in pregnant populations and to identify areas of further expansion. Evaluation of existing pPBPK modeling efforts highlighted improved understanding of cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated changes during pregnancy and identified knowledge gaps for non-CYP enzymes and the physiological changes of the postpartum period. Examples of the application of pPBPK beyond simple dose regimen recommendations are limited, particularly for prediction of drug-drug interactions (DDI) or differences between genotypes for polymorphic drug metabolizing enzymes. A raltegravir pPBPK model implementing UGT1A1 induction during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy was developed in the current work and verified against clinical data. Subsequently, the model was used to explore UGT1A1-related DDI risk with atazanavir and rifampicin along with the effect of enzyme genotype on raltegravir apparent clearance. Simulations of pregnancy-related induction of UGT1A1 either exacerbated UGT1A1 induction by rifampicin or negated atazanavir UGT1A1 inhibition. This example illustrated the advantages of pPBPK modeling for mechanistic evaluation of complex interplays of pregnancy- and drug-related effects in support of model-informed approaches in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Sychterz
- Cellular Biomarkers, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Aleksandra Galetin
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Centre for Applied Pharmacokinetic Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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212
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Sato T, Ito T, Handa H. Cereblon-Based Small-Molecule Compounds to Control Neural Stem Cell Proliferation in Regenerative Medicine. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:629326. [PMID: 33777938 PMCID: PMC7990905 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.629326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Thalidomide, a sedative drug that was once excluded from the market owing to its teratogenic properties, was later found to be effective in treating multiple myeloma. We had previously demonstrated that cereblon (CRBN) is the target of thalidomide embryopathy and acts as a substrate receptor for the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, Cullin-Ring ligase 4 (CRL4CRBN) in zebrafish and chicks. CRBN was originally identified as a gene responsible for mild intellectual disability in humans. Fetuses exposed to thalidomide in early pregnancy were at risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, suggesting that CRBN is involved in prenatal brain development. Recently, we found that CRBN controls the proliferation of neural stem cells in the developing zebrafish brain, leading to changes in brain size. Our findings imply that CRBN is involved in neural stem cell growth in humans. Accumulating evidence shows that CRBN is essential not only for the teratogenic effects but also for the therapeutic effects of thalidomide. This review summarizes recent progress in thalidomide and CRBN research, focusing on the teratogenic and therapeutic effects. Investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of thalidomide and its derivatives, CRBN E3 ligase modulators (CELMoDs), reveals that these modulators provide CRBN the ability to recognize neosubstrates depending on their structure. Understanding the therapeutic effects leads to the development of a novel technology called CRBN-based proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for target protein knockdown. These studies raise the possibility that CRBN-based small-molecule compounds regulating the proliferation of neural stem cells may be developed for application in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Sato
- Department of Chemical Biology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takumi Ito
- Department of Chemical Biology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Handa
- Department of Chemical Biology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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213
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Taulaigo AV, Moschetti L, Ganhão S, Gerardi MC, Franceschini F, Tincani A, Andreoli L. Safety considerations when using drugs in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2021; 20:523-536. [PMID: 33599570 DOI: 10.1080/14740338.2021.1893298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mainly affects young females during childbearing age; therefore, reproductive issues are of major interest.Areas covered: Pregnancy planning is crucial to adjust the treatment toward drugs that are safe throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. The evidence about drug safety is limited to post-marketing surveillance, registries, case series, and case reports, as pregnant patients are excluded from randomized clinical trials. The aim of this review is to report the safety considerations when treating pregnant SLE patients. Regarding maternal side effects of drugs, we focused on metabolic, infectious, and hemorrhagic complications. Fetal safety was analyzed looking at drugs teratogenicity, their possible effects on immune system, and on the long-term neuropsychological development of children.Expert opinion: The management of pregnancy in SLE has changed when knowledge about the safety of drugs has become available. Keeping SLE disease activity under control before, during and after pregnancy is of fundamental importance to ensure the best possible outcomes for mother and child. All these issues must be discussed with the patient and her family during preconception counseling. International efforts in terms of pregnancy registries and reproductive health guidelines help physicians improve their communication with SLE patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Viola Taulaigo
- Unidade De Doenças Auto-imunes/Medicina 7.2, Hospital Curry Cabral, Centro Hospitalar Universitário De Lisboa Central, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Liala Moschetti
- Unit of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, ASST Spedali Civili; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Sara Ganhão
- Rheumatology Department, Centro Hospitalar E Universitário De São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria-Chiara Gerardi
- Unit of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, ASST Spedali Civili; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Franco Franceschini
- Unit of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, ASST Spedali Civili; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Angela Tincani
- Unit of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, ASST Spedali Civili; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Laura Andreoli
- Unit of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, ASST Spedali Civili; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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214
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Lauschke K, Treschow AF, Rasmussen MA, Davidsen N, Holst B, Emnéus J, Taxvig C, Vinggaard AM. Creating a human-induced pluripotent stem cell-based NKX2.5 reporter gene assay for developmental toxicity testing. Arch Toxicol 2021; 95:1659-1670. [PMID: 33660062 PMCID: PMC8113199 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-021-03018-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To test large numbers of chemicals for developmental toxicity, rapid in vitro tests with standardized readouts for automated data acquisition are needed. However, the most widely used assay, the embryonic stem cell test, relies on the counting of beating embryoid bodies by visual inspection, which is laborious and time consuming. We previously developed the PluriBeat assay based on differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) that we demonstrated to be predictive for known teratogens at relevant concentrations using the readout of beating cardiomyocytes. Here, we report the development of a novel assay, which we term the PluriLum assay, where we have introduced a luciferase reporter gene into the locus of NKX2.5 of our hiPSC line. This enabled us to measure luminescence intensities instead of counting beating cardiomyocytes, which is less labor intensive. We established two NKX2.5 reporter cell lines and validated their pluripotency and genetic stability. Moreover, we confirmed that the genetically engineered NKX2.5 reporter cell line differentiated into cardiomyocytes with the same efficiency as the original wild-type line. We then exposed the cells to valproic acid (25–300 μM) and thalidomide (0.1–36 µM) and compared the PluriBeat readout of the cardiomyocytes with the luminescence intensity of the PluriLum assay. The results showed that thalidomide decreased luminescence intensity significantly with a higher potency and efficacy compared to the beating readout. With this, we have developed a novel hiPSC-based assay with a standardized readout that may have the potential for higher throughput screening for developmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Lauschke
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 201, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Department for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Frederik Treschow
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 201, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Bioneer A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | - Nichlas Davidsen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 201, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Jenny Emnéus
- Department for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Camilla Taxvig
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 201, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anne Marie Vinggaard
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, Building 201, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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215
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Mathiesen L, Buerki-Thurnherr T, Pastuschek J, Aengenheister L, Knudsen LE. Fetal exposure to environmental chemicals; insights from placental perfusion studies. Placenta 2021; 106:58-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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216
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Danelius E, Halaby S, van der Donk WA, Gonen T. MicroED in natural product and small molecule research. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:423-431. [PMID: 32939523 PMCID: PMC7965795 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00035c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Covering: 2013 to 2020The electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) method Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED) allows the collection of high-resolution structural data from vanishingly small crystals that appear like amorphous powders or very fine needles. Since its debut in 2013, data collection and analysis schemes have been fine-tuned, and there are currently close to 100 structures determined by MicroED. Although originally developed to study proteins, MicroED is also very powerful for smaller systems, with some recent and very promising examples from the field of natural products. Herein, we review what has been achieved so far and provide examples of natural product structures, as well as demonstrate the expected future impact of MicroED to the field of natural product and small molecule research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Danelius
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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217
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Xu X, Wang B, Jiang Z, Chen Q, Mao K, Shi X, Yan C, Hu J, Zha Y, Ma C, Zhang J, Guo R, Wang L, Zhao S, Liu H, Zhang Q, Zhang YB. Novel risk factors for craniofacial microsomia and assessment of their utility in clinic diagnosis. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1045-1056. [PMID: 33615373 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Craniofacial microsomia (CFM, OMIM%164 210) is one of the most common congenital facial abnormalities worldwide, but it's genetic risk factors and environmental threats are poorly investigated, as well as their interaction, making the diagnosis and prenatal screening of CFM impossible. We perform a comprehensive association study on the largest CFM cohort of 6074 samples. We identify 15 significant (P < 5 × 10-8) associated genomic loci (including eight previously reported) and decipher 107 candidates based on multi-omics data. Gene Ontology term enrichment found that these candidates are mainly enriched in neural crest cell (NCC) development and hypoxic environment. Single-cell RNA-seq data of mouse embryo demonstrate that nine of them show dramatic expression change during early cranial NCC development whose dysplasia is involved in pathogeny of CFM. Furthermore, we construct a well-performed CFM risk-predicting model based on polygenic risk score (PRS) method and estimate seven environmental risk factors that interacting with PRS. Single-nucleotide polymorphism-based PRS is significantly associated with CFM [P = 7.22 × 10-58, odds ratio = 3.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.74-3.63], and the top fifth percentile has a 6.8-fold CFM risk comparing with the 10th percentile. Father's smoking increases CFM risk as evidenced by interaction parameter of -0.324 (95% CI -0.578 to -0.070, P = 0.011) with PRS. In conclusion, the newly identified risk loci will significantly improve our understandings of genetics contribution to CFM. The risk prediction model is promising for CFM prediction, and father's smoking is a key environmental risk factor for CFM through interacting with genetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Xu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.,Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Bingqing Wang
- Department of Ear Reconstruction, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100144, China
| | - Zhuoyuan Jiang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Ear Reconstruction, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100144, China
| | - Ke Mao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiaofeng Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Chun Yan
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jintian Hu
- Department of Ear Reconstruction, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100144, China
| | - Yan Zha
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Ear Reconstruction, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100144, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Department of Ear Reconstruction, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100144, China
| | - Liguo Wang
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Shouqin Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Huisheng Liu
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 510320, China
| | - Qingguo Zhang
- Department of Ear Reconstruction, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100144, China
| | - Yong-Biao Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.,Key Laboratory of Big Data-Based Precision Medicine (Beihang University), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Beijing 100191, China
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218
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Matthewson A, Bereznyakova O, Dewar B, Davis A, Fedyk M, Yogendrakumar V, Fergusson DA, Gocan S, Dowlatshahi D, Fahed R, Shamy M. Rationalisations for women-only randomised controlled trials in conditions that affect both sexes: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e043370. [PMID: 33593782 PMCID: PMC7888323 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Women have historically been under-represented in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), including many landmark RCTs that established standards of care. In light of this fact, some modern researchers are calling for replication of earlier landmark trials with women only. This approach is ethically concerning, in that it would require some enrolled women to be deprived of treatments that are currently considered standard of care. OBJECTIVE In an attempt to better understand the justification of a women-only approach to designing clinical trials, this study looks to systematically categorise the number of women-only RCTs for conditions that affect both men and women and the reasons given within the medical and philosophical literatures to perform them. METHODOLOGY This scoping review of the literature will search, screen and select articles based on predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, after which a grounded theory approach will be used to synthesise the data. It is expected that there will be a variety of reasons given for why a women-only trial may be justified. Electronic databases that will be searched include MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Clinical Trials Register, Web of Science Proceedings, ClinicalTrials.gov, Philosopher's Index, Phil Papers, JSTOR, Periodicals Archive Online, Project MUSE and the National Reference Centre for Bioethics. SIGNIFICANCE The scope of this study is to determine published rationales used to justify women-only randomised trials, both in the case of new trials and in the repetition of landmark trials. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Research ethics board approval is not required for this study as there is no participant involvement. Results will be published as a stand-alone manuscript and will inform a larger project related to the ethics of a women-only RCT of carotid intervention for women with symptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainsley Matthewson
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olena Bereznyakova
- Department of Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Brian Dewar
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexandra Davis
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Fedyk
- Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Vignan Yogendrakumar
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dean A Fergusson
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sophia Gocan
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dar Dowlatshahi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Fahed
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michel Shamy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital & Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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219
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Moore-Hepburn C, Rieder M. Paediatric pharmacotherapy and drug regulation: Moving past the therapeutic orphan. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 88:4250-4257. [PMID: 33576523 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of specific drug therapy for children was a paradigm-changing event that transformed paediatric medical practice. However, a series of tragedies involving drug treatment for children resulted in a gap developing between drug regulation and practice, with the majority of drugs used in child healthcare being used off-label, rendering children therapeutic orphans. Over the past two decades changes in drug regulation led by the US Food and Drug Administration and followed by the European Union's European Medicines Agency have led to substantial changes in how new drugs with potential use in children are studied and labelled. While these changes have substantially improved labelling for new drugs, there has been much less progress with older drugs. Although the unique challenges of conducting clinical research in children have been addressed by novel clinical trial designs, many of these innovations have not been translated into approaches accepted for the drug approval process. The regulations applying to the need for paediatric studies currently are only applicable in the United States and the European Union, and there is less impetus for paediatric labelling in other jurisdictions. This impacts on a number of issues beyond labelling, including the availability of child-friendly formulations. Finally, the impact of Brexit on paediatric drug studies in the UK remains unclear and is subject to ongoing negotiations between the UK government and the European Union.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Rieder
- Division of Paediatric Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Western Ontario, Canada
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220
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Bian Y, Xie XQ. Generative chemistry: drug discovery with deep learning generative models. J Mol Model 2021; 27:71. [PMID: 33543405 PMCID: PMC10984615 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-021-04674-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The de novo design of molecular structures using deep learning generative models introduces an encouraging solution to drug discovery in the face of the continuously increased cost of new drug development. From the generation of original texts, images, and videos, to the scratching of novel molecular structures the creativity of deep learning generative models exhibits the height machine intelligence can achieve. The purpose of this paper is to review the latest advances in generative chemistry which relies on generative modeling to expedite the drug discovery process. This review starts with a brief history of artificial intelligence in drug discovery to outline this emerging paradigm. Commonly used chemical databases, molecular representations, and tools in cheminformatics and machine learning are covered as the infrastructure for generative chemistry. The detailed discussions on utilizing cutting-edge generative architectures, including recurrent neural network, variational autoencoder, adversarial autoencoder, and generative adversarial network for compound generation are focused. Challenges and future perspectives follow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuemin Bian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
- NIH National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Xiang-Qun Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
- NIH National Center of Excellence for Computational Drug Abuse Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
- Drug Discovery Institute, University of Pittsburgh, 335 Sutherland Drive, 206 Salk Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
- Departments of Computational Biology and Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, Pittsburgh, USA.
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221
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Kimmeyer M, Lehmann LJ, Gerhardt C, Schmalzl J. Development and function of a natural reverse shoulder in a patient with thalidomide-induced dysmelia. JSES REVIEWS, REPORTS, AND TECHNIQUES 2021; 1:60-64. [PMID: 37588638 PMCID: PMC10426524 DOI: 10.1016/j.xrrt.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kimmeyer
- Department of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, St. Vincentius Clinic, ViDia Clinics, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Lars-Johannes Lehmann
- Department of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, St. Vincentius Clinic, ViDia Clinics, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Christian Gerhardt
- Department of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, St. Vincentius Clinic, ViDia Clinics, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmalzl
- Department of Traumatology and Hand Surgery, St. Vincentius Clinic, ViDia Clinics, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Department of Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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222
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Dunbar K, Macartney TJ, Sapkota GP. IMiDs induce FAM83F degradation via an interaction with CK1α to attenuate Wnt signalling. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:e202000804. [PMID: 33361334 PMCID: PMC7768194 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) bind CRBN, a substrate receptor of the Cul4A E3 ligase complex, enabling the recruitment of neo-substrates, such as CK1α, and their degradation via the ubiquitinproteasome system. Here, we report FAM83F as such a neo-substrate. The eight FAM83 proteins (A-H) interact with and regulate the subcellular distribution of CK1α. We demonstrate that IMiD-induced FAM83F degradation requires its association with CK1α. However, no other FAM83 protein is degraded by IMiDs. We have recently identified FAM83F as a mediator of the canonical Wnt signalling pathway. The IMiD-induced degradation of FAM83F attenuated Wnt signalling in colorectal cancer cells and removed CK1α from the plasma membrane, mirroring the phenotypes observed with genetic ablation of FAM83F. Intriguingly, the expression of FAM83G, which also binds to CK1α, appears to attenuate the IMiD-induced degradation of CK1α, suggesting a protective role for FAM83G on CK1α. Our findings reveal that the efficiency and extent of target protein degradation by IMiDs depends on the nature of inherent multiprotein complex in which the target protein is part of.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Dunbar
- Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Sir James Black Centre, Dundee, UK
| | - Thomas J Macartney
- Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Sir James Black Centre, Dundee, UK
| | - Gopal P Sapkota
- Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Sir James Black Centre, Dundee, UK
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223
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Farooq H, Niaz JS, Fakhar S, Naveed H. Leveraging digital media data for pharmacovigilance. AMIA ... ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS. AMIA SYMPOSIUM 2021; 2020:442-451. [PMID: 33936417 PMCID: PMC8075481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel drugs in response to changing clinical requirements is a complex and costly method with uncertain outcomes. Postmarket pharmacovigilance is essential as drugs often have under-reported side effects. This study intends to use the power of digital media to discover the under-reported side effects of marketed drugs. We have collected tweets for 11 different Drugs (Alprazolam, Adderall, Fluoxetine, Venlafaxine, Adalimumab, Lamotrigine, Quetiapine, Trazodone, Paroxetine, Metronidazole and Miconazole). We have compiled a vast adverse drug reactions (ADRs) lexicon that is used to filter health related data. We constructed machine learning models for automatically annotating the huge amount of publicly available Twitter data. Our results show that on average 43 known ADRs are shared between Twitter and FAERS datasets. Moreover, we were able to recover on average 7 known side effects from Twitter data that are not reported on FAERS. Our results on Twitter dataset show a high concordance with FAERS, Medeffect and Drugs.com. Moreover, we manually validated some of the under-reported side effect predicted by our model using literature search. Common known and under-reported side effects can be found at https://github.com/cbrl-nuces/Leveraging-digital-media-data-for-pharmacovigilance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hammad Farooq
- Computational Biology Research Lab, Department of Computer Science National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
| | - Junaid Suhail Niaz
- Computational Biology Research Lab, Department of Computer Science National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
| | - Saira Fakhar
- Computational Biology Research Lab, Department of Computer Science National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
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Chernobrovkin AL, Cázares-Körner C, Friman T, Caballero IM, Amadio D, Martinez Molina D. A Tale of Two Tails: Efficient Profiling of Protein Degraders by Specific Functional and Target Engagement Readouts. SLAS DISCOVERY 2021; 26:534-546. [PMID: 33445986 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220984372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation represents an area of great interest, potentially offering improvements with respect to dosing, side effects, drug resistance, and reaching "undruggable" proteins compared with traditional small-molecule therapeutics. A major challenge in the design and characterization of degraders acting as molecular glues is that binding of the molecule to the protein of interest (PoI) is not needed for efficient and selective protein degradation; instead, one needs to understand the interaction with the responsible ligase. Similarly, for proteasome targeting chimeras (PROTACs), understanding the binding characteristics of the PoI alone is not sufficient. Therefore, simultaneously assessing the binding to both PoI and the E3 ligase as well as the resulting degradation profile is of great value. The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) is an unbiased cell-based method, designed to investigate the interaction of compounds with their cellular protein targets by measuring compound-induced changes in protein thermal stability. In combination with mass spectrometry (MS), CETSA can simultaneously evaluate compound-induced changes in the stability of thousands of proteins. We have used CETSA MS to profile a number of protein degraders, including molecular glues (e.g., immunomodulatory drugs) and PROTACs, to understand mode of action and to deconvolute off-target effects in intact cells. Within the same experiment, we were able to monitor both target engagement by observing changes in protein thermal stability as well as efficacy by simultaneous assessment of protein abundances. This allowed us to correlate target engagement (i.e., binding to the PoI and ligases) and functional readout (i.e., degrader induced protein degradation).
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225
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Guo C, Sedgwick AC, Hirao T, Sessler JL. Supramolecular Fluorescent Sensors: An Historical Overview and Update. Coord Chem Rev 2021; 427:213560. [PMID: 34108734 PMCID: PMC8184024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2020.213560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Since as early as 1867, molecular sensors have been recognized as being intelligent "devices" capable of addressing a variety of issues related to our environment and health (e.g., the detection of toxic pollutants or disease-related biomarkers). In this review, we focus on fluorescence-based sensors that incorporate supramolecular chemistry to achieve a desired sensing outcome. The goal is to provide an illustrative overview, rather than a comprehensive listing of all that has been done in the field. We will thus summarize early work devoted to the development of supramolecular fluorescent sensors and provide an update on recent advances in the area (mostly from 2018 onward). A particular emphasis will be placed on design strategies that may be exploited for analyte sensing and corresponding molecular platforms. Supramolecular approaches considered include, inter alia, binding-based sensing (BBS) and indicator displacement assays (IDAs). Because it has traditionally received less treatment, many of the illustrative examples chosen will involve anion sensing. Finally, this review will also include our perspectives on the future directions of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxing Guo
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E. 24th Street, Stop A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Adam C. Sedgwick
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E. 24th Street, Stop A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Takehiro Hirao
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Jonathan L. Sessler
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E. 24th Street, Stop A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Rheumatology-led pregnancy clinic: men perspective. Clin Rheumatol 2021; 40:3067-3077. [PMID: 33449229 PMCID: PMC8289755 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-020-05551-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The birth of reproductive rheumatology as a subject of interest in rheumatology has led to improvement of clinical care for patients living with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and paved the way towards setting a specialized pregnancy service within the standard rheumatology practice. In contrast to women, where there has been wealth of literature regarding pregnancy, lactation, and birth outcomes, there is not as much focusing on male sexual health and outcomes among inflammatory arthritis patients. Challenges such as decrease ability to conceive, impaired fertility, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual problems have been raised by male patients living with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. This broad scope gives the reproductive health concept in men another expansion with views to include sexual health problems screening among men attending the standard outpatient rheumatology clinics. This article adds to the paucity of real-life experience and aims at discussing the sexual health from the men perspective and provides a practical approach towards screening, and assessment of men living with autoimmune diseases in standard day to day practice.
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227
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Wheeler ML, Oyen ML. Bioengineering Approaches for Placental Research. Ann Biomed Eng 2021; 49:1805-1818. [PMID: 33420547 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-020-02714-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Research into the human placenta's complex functioning is complicated by a lack of suitable physiological in vivo models. Two complementary approaches have emerged recently to address these gaps in understanding, computational in silico techniques, including multi-scale modeling of placental blood flow and oxygen transport, and cellular in vitro approaches, including organoids, tissue engineering, and organ-on-a-chip models. Following a brief introduction to the placenta's structure and function and its influence on the substantial clinical problem of preterm birth, these different bioengineering approaches are reviewed. The cellular techniques allow for investigation of early first-trimester implantation and placental development, including critical biological processes such as trophoblast invasion and trophoblast fusion, that are otherwise very difficult to study. Similarly, computational models of the placenta and the pregnant pelvis at later-term gestation allow for investigations relevant to complications that occur when the placenta has fully developed. To fully understand clinical conditions associated with the placenta, including those with roots in early processes but that only manifest clinically at full-term, a holistic approach to the study of this fascinating, temporary but critical organ is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Wheeler
- Department of Engineering, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA
| | - Michelle L Oyen
- Department of Engineering, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA.
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228
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Evans AC, Petit AS, Guillen SG, Neukirch AJ, Hoffmann SV, Jones NC. Chiroptical characterization tools for asymmetric small molecules - experimental and computational approaches for electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and anisotropy spectroscopy. RSC Adv 2021; 11:1635-1643. [PMID: 35424126 PMCID: PMC8693638 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra06832b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synchrotron radiation electronic circular dichroism (SRECD) and anisotropy spectroscopy for both enantiomers of a group of small non-planar chiral molecules are reported here. The experimental SRECD spectra are compared to computational ECD spectra generated using time-dependent density functional theory and a thermal averaging over relevant molecular configurations. The combination of these experimental and computational characterization methodologies for such molecules enables the prediction and understanding of the spectral behavior of other small molecules, in addition to chiroptically characterizing members of the mandelic acid family substructure. Enantiomeric purity of samples can be evaluated in comparison with these spectra and the extent of photolytic enantioinduction can also be predicted using these experimental/calculated SRECD and anisotropy spectra. Experimental and computational electronic circular dichroism spectra are used in conjunction with anisotropy spectra to chiroptically characterize mandelic acid and its derivatives into the vacuum UV.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Evans
- Biosciences/Theoretical Divisions, Los Alamos National Laboratory P.O. Box 1663, Mailstop E529 Los Alamos NM 87544 USA
| | - Andrew S Petit
- Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University Fullerton 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton CA 92831 USA
| | - Steven G Guillen
- Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University Fullerton 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton CA 92831 USA
| | - Amanda J Neukirch
- Biosciences/Theoretical Divisions, Los Alamos National Laboratory P.O. Box 1663, Mailstop E529 Los Alamos NM 87544 USA
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University Ny Munkegade 120 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University Ny Munkegade 120 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
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229
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Elkalmi R, Elnaem M, Sapar N, Blebil A. Retrospective assessment of the reporting of adverse drug reactions in a Malaysian clinical training center: A short communication. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2021; 13:325-330. [PMID: 35017889 PMCID: PMC8698078 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_577_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the completeness and quality of adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports that were submitted to the Pharmacovigilance Unit (PVU) in clinical training center (CTC), Faculty of Medicine, UiTM Sungai Buloh Campus. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using all ADR reports that were submitted to the PVU in CTC from December 31, 2000, to December 31, 2018. The completeness was assessed by reviewing all the required elements to be filled in the ADR reports. The quality was assessed by investigating the required information in the ADR reporting form. Descriptive statistics have been used to present the findings. Key Findings: In a total of 31 reports that were submitted to the PVU in CTC, 98.9% of patient's information and 100% of ADR descriptions were completed. Suspected drug information and the reporter's details were completed by 52.2% and 79.6%, respectively. Of 58.0% of the information about seriousness recorded, 38.9% (n = 7) is mild, 44.4% (n = 8) is moderate, and 16.7% (n = 3) is severe. Among all the suspected medicines, drug class of antibiotics (32.4%, n = 12) is the most reported suspected drugs that caused ADR, followed by opioid analgesic (8.1%, n = 3) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (8.1%, n = 3). Conclusion: Further efforts and relevant interventions should be considered to increase the reporting frequency and to enhance the completeness and the quality of the ADR reports in the study setting.
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230
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Hossain MS, Hami I, Sawrav MSS, Rabbi MF, Saha O, Bahadur NM, Rahaman MM. Drug Repurposing for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: A Clinical Landscape. Discoveries (Craiova) 2020; 8:e121. [PMID: 33403227 PMCID: PMC7758544 DOI: 10.15190/d.2020.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus strain responsible for the current pandemic of COVID-19, has rendered the entire humanity suffering. Several months have passed since the pandemic has struck. However, the world is still looking for an effective treatment plan to battle the viral infection. The first vaccine just received emergency approval in December 2020 for use in USA and UK. These are excellent news, however, the worldwide distribution of such vaccine, the possibility of virus mutation and the lack of data regarding the long-term effects of such vaccines are a significant concern. In addition, although remdesivir was recently approved by the FDA to be used as a clinical drug against COVID-19, it hasn't stood out yet as a proven form of therapeutics. Such inability to produce a novel therapy has caused enough inconveniences for the affected people worldwide. Repurposing the already available drugs to fight against the virus seems to be a reasonable option amidst such uncertainty. Given the vast collection of potential treatment candidates to be explored against COVID-19, there is a decent chance that a success in this regard will serve the intermediary purpose of clinically treating the infection until a COVID-19 vaccine is widely distributed worldwide and will be able to treat COVID-19 patients that do not adequately respond to vaccines. Such treatments may prove very useful in future coronavirus outbreaks too. Proper research into these repurposing treatments may yield a certain insight into the field of novel treatment production as well. This review study accumulates a relevant set of information about drugs and vaccines against COVID-19, in terms of their repurposing properties and the specific phases of clinical trials they are undergoing across the world. A potential timeline is also suggested to estimate when an effective result can be expected from the ongoing clinical trials for a better anticipation of the drug landscape. This study will hopefully help accelerate investment of resources into development and discovery of drugs and vaccines against the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Shahadat Hossain
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Ithmam Hami
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Sad Salabi Sawrav
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Fazley Rabbi
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
| | - Otun Saha
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
| | - Newaz Mohammed Bahadur
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
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231
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Travessa AM, Dias P, Santos A, Custódio S, Sousa A, Sousa AB. Upper limb phocomelia: A prenatal case of thrombocytopenia-absent radius (TAR) syndrome illustrating the importance of chromosomal microarray in limb reduction defects. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2020; 59:318-322. [PMID: 32127157 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2020.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the ultrasonographic, pathologic and molecular findings in a fetus with TAR syndrome, and to illustrate the contribution of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) to the etiological investigation of fetal upper limb reduction defects. CASE REPORT A 35-year-old woman was referred for Genetic Counseling after pregnancy termination for severe upper limb bilateral phocomelia detected in the second trimester. Fetal autopsy showed severe shortening of the arms and forearms. The fetal skeletal survey confirmed the absence of the radii, ulnae and humeri. CMA revealed an interstitial deletion in 1q21 including the RBM8A gene. Subsequent Sanger sequencing of this gene identified a hypomorphic mutant allele, c.-21G > A, confirming the diagnosis of TAR syndrome. CONCLUSION The differential diagnosis of upper limb defects is broad. Identification of their cause is essential for adequate genetic counseling including prognosis and recurrence risk estimation. CMA should be considered in fetuses with upper limb reduction defects, especially when the thumbs are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- André M Travessa
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Santa Maria, North Lisbon Hospital Center, Lisbon, Portugal; Institute of Histology and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Patrícia Dias
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Santa Maria, North Lisbon Hospital Center, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Antónia Santos
- Center for Prenatal Diagnosis, Department of Obstetrics, Garcia de Orta Hospital, Almada, Portugal
| | - Sónia Custódio
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Santa Maria, North Lisbon Hospital Center, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Sousa
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Santa Maria, North Lisbon Hospital Center, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Berta Sousa
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Santa Maria, North Lisbon Hospital Center, Lisbon, Portugal; Laboratory of Basic Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
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232
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Kumar TP, Ambica V, Chandrasekhar S, Mainkar PS. Rediscovering the discovered: the new paradigm in repurposing drugs. Chem Ind 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00194506.2020.1831409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Togapur Pavan Kumar
- Department of R&D Planning, CSIR-Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Ambica V
- Department of Organic Synthesis & Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Srivari Chandrasekhar
- Department of Organic Synthesis & Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Prathama S. Mainkar
- Department of Organic Synthesis & Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
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233
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Pritchard N, Kaitu'u-Lino T, Harris L, Tong S, Hannan N. Nanoparticles in pregnancy: the next frontier in reproductive therapeutics. Hum Reprod Update 2020; 27:280-304. [PMID: 33279994 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmaa049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nanotechnology involves the engineering of structures on a molecular level. Nanomedicine and nano-delivery systems have been designed to deliver therapeutic agents to a target site or organ in a controlled manner, maximizing efficacy while minimizing off-target effects of the therapeutic agent administered. In both reproductive medicine and obstetrics, developing innovative therapeutics is often tempered by fears of damage to the gamete, embryo or developing foetus or of negatively impacting a woman's reproductive potential. Thus, nanomedicine delivery systems may provide alternative targeted intervention strategies, treating the source of the disease and minimizing long-term consequences for the mother and/or her foetus. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review summarizes the current state of nanomedicine technology in reproductive medicine and obstetrics, including safety, potential applications, future directions and the hurdles for translation. SEARCH METHODS A comprehensive electronic literature search of PubMed and Web of Science databases was performed to identify studies published in English up until February 2020. Relevant keywords were used to obtain information regarding use of nanoparticle technology in fertility and gene therapy, early pregnancy complications (ectopic pregnancy and gestational trophoblastic disease) and obstetric complications (preeclampsia, foetal growth restriction, preterm birth and gestational diabetes) and for selective treatment of the mother or foetus. Safety of specific nanoparticles to the gamete, embryo and foetus was also investigated. OUTCOMES Pre-clinical research in the development of nanoparticle therapeutic delivery is being undertaken in many fields of reproductive medicine. Non-hormonal-targeted nanoparticle therapy for fibroids and endometriosis may provide fertility-sparing medical management. Delivery of interventions via nanotechnology provides opportunities for gene manipulation and delivery in mammalian gametes. Targeting cytotoxic treatments to early pregnancy tissue provides an alternative approach to manage ectopic pregnancies and gestational trophoblastic disease. In pregnancy, nanotherapeutic delivery offers options to stably deliver silencing RNA and microRNA inhibitors to the placenta to regulate gene expression, opening doors to novel genetic treatments for preeclampsia and foetal growth restriction. Restricting delivery of teratogenic drugs to the maternal compartment (such as warfarin) may reduce risks to the foetus. Alternatively, targeted delivery of drugs to the foetus (such as those to treat foetal arrythmias) may minimize side effects for the mother. WIDER IMPLICATIONS We expect that further development of targeted therapies using nanoparticles in a reproductive setting has promise to eventually allow safe and directed treatments for conditions impacting the health and reproductive capacity of women and for the management of pregnancy and serious pregnancy complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Pritchard
- Translational Obstetrics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Mercy Perinatal, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tu'uhevaha Kaitu'u-Lino
- Translational Obstetrics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Mercy Perinatal, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Diagnostics Discovery and Reverse Translation, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lynda Harris
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, UK
| | - Stephen Tong
- Translational Obstetrics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Mercy Perinatal, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natalie Hannan
- Translational Obstetrics Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mercy Hospital for Women, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Mercy Perinatal, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- Therapeutics Discovery and Vascular Function Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
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234
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Yaghoubi A, Amel Jamehdar S, Movaqar A, Milani N, Soleimanpour S. An effective drug against COVID-19: reality or dream? Expert Rev Respir Med 2020; 15:505-518. [PMID: 33215942 DOI: 10.1080/17476348.2021.1854092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is well known as a novel member of the coronavirus family which caused a sudden outbreak of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in China that quickly developed into a global pandemic. No effective approaches are found as yet for the therapy and epidemiological control of this new virus. We searched the literature in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Google Scholar, and MeSH, for articles and abstracts describing SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, pneumonia, clinical trials, drug, treatment, and medicine.Areas covered: The present study aimed to comprehensively overview the current literature on effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.Expert opinion: Since the beginning of this pandemic disease, many studies have been conducted to find effective drugs to prevent COVID-19, because there are no specific drugs for the treatment of this disease. Most of these drugs with the antiviral potential effect toward COVID-19 are already used as the treatment of other infectious diseases. Some drugs that show the promising therapeutic potential in the initial clinical studies include remdesivir as an inhibitor of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and favipiravir as an inhibitor of virus replication. Currently, remdesivir received the FDA authorizes to use as an experimental drug for emergency use in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atieh Yaghoubi
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Saeid Amel Jamehdar
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Aref Movaqar
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Nasrin Milani
- Internal Medicine Specialist, Department of Internal Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Saman Soleimanpour
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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235
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Abstract
Almost 2 billion adults in the world are overweight, and more than half of them are classified as obese, while nearly one-third of children globally experience poor growth and development. Given the vast amount of knowledge that has been gleaned from decades of research on growth and development, a number of questions remain as to why the world is now in the midst of a global epidemic of obesity accompanied by the "double burden of malnutrition," where overweight coexists with underweight and micronutrient deficiencies. This challenge to the human condition can be attributed to nutritional and environmental exposures during pregnancy that may program a fetus to have a higher risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. To explore this concept, frequently called the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), this review considers a host of factors and physiological mechanisms that drive a fetus or child toward a higher risk of obesity, fatty liver disease, hypertension, and/or type 2 diabetes (T2D). To that end, this review explores the epidemiology of DOHaD with discussions focused on adaptations to human energetics, placental development, dysmetabolism, and key environmental exposures that act to promote chronic diseases in adulthood. These areas are complementary and additive in understanding how providing the best conditions for optimal growth can create the best possible conditions for lifelong health. Moreover, understanding both physiological as well as epigenetic and molecular mechanisms for DOHaD is vital to most fully address the global issues of obesity and other chronic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Hoffman
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Program in International Nutrition, and Center for Childhood Nutrition Research, New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Theresa L Powell
- Department of Pediatrics and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Division of Exposure Science and Epidemiology, Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Daniel B Hardy
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Division of Exposure Science and Epidemiology, Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey
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236
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Leissing TM, Luh LM, Cromm PM. Structure driven compound optimization in targeted protein degradation. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2020; 37:73-82. [PMID: 34895657 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Small molecule induced protein degradation has created tremendous excitement in drug discovery within recent years. Not being confined to target inhibition and being able to remove disease-causing protein targets via engagement and subsequent ubiquitination has provided scientists with a powerful tool to expand the druggable space. At the center of this approach sits the ternary complex formed between an E3 ubiquitin ligase, the small molecule degrader, and the target protein. A productive ternary complex is pivotal for a ubiquitin to be transferred to a surface lysine of the target protein resulting in poly-ubiquitination which enables recognition and finally degradation by the proteasome. As understanding the ternary complex means understanding the degradation process, many efforts are put into obtaining structural information of the ternary complex and getting a snapshot of the underlying conformations and molecular contacts. Locking this transient trimeric intermediate in a crystalline state has proven to be very demanding but the obtained results have tremendously improved our understanding of small molecule degraders. This review discusses target protein degradation from a structural perspective and highlights the evolution of certain degraders based on the obtained structural insights.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura M Luh
- Research and Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp M Cromm
- Research and Development, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer AG, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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237
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Singer LT, Chambers C, Coles C, Kable J. Fifty Years of Research on Prenatal Substances: Lessons Learned for the Opioid Epidemic. ADVERSITY AND RESILIENCE SCIENCE 2020; 1:223-234. [PMID: 34316723 PMCID: PMC8312986 DOI: 10.1007/s42844-020-00021-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Current efforts to design research on developmental effects of prenatal opioid exposure can benefit from knowledge gained from 50 years of studies of fetal alcohol and prenatal drug exposures such as cocaine. Scientific advances in neurobiology, developmental psychopathology, infant assessments, genetics, and imaging support the principles of developmental neurotoxicology that guide research in prenatal exposures. Important to research design is accurate assessment of amount, frequency, and timing of exposure which benefits from accurate self-report and biomarkers of exposure. Identifying and control of pre- and postnatal factors that impact development are difficult and dependent on appropriate research design and selection of comparison groups and measurement of confounding, mediating, and moderating variables. Polysubstance exposure has increased due to the number of prescribed and nonprescribed substances used by pregnant women and varying combinations of drugs may have differential effects on the outcome. Multiple experimental and clinical assessments of infant behavior have been developed but predicting outcome before 18-24 months of age remains difficult. With some exceptions, prenatal substance exposure effect sizes have been small, and cognitive and behavioral effects tend to be specific rather than global. Studies require large sample sizes, adequate retention, and support for social services in at-risk samples. The ethical and legal contexts and stigma associated with drug/alcohol use disorder should be considered in order to prevent harm to families in research programs. Recognition of the pervasive use of addictive substances in this nation should lead to broad scientific efforts to understand how substances affect child outcomes and to initiate prevention and intervention where needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn T. Singer
- School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, WG49, Cleveland, OH 44106-7001, USA
| | - Christina Chambers
- Health Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Claire Coles
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Julie Kable
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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238
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Mfarej MG, Skibbens RV. An ever-changing landscape in Roberts syndrome biology: Implications for macromolecular damage. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009219. [PMID: 33382686 PMCID: PMC7774850 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Roberts syndrome (RBS) is a rare developmental disorder that can include craniofacial abnormalities, limb malformations, missing digits, intellectual disabilities, stillbirth, and early mortality. The genetic basis for RBS is linked to autosomal recessive loss-of-function mutation of the establishment of cohesion (ESCO) 2 acetyltransferase. ESCO2 is an essential gene that targets the DNA-binding cohesin complex. ESCO2 acetylates alternate subunits of cohesin to orchestrate vital cellular processes that include sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome condensation, transcription, and DNA repair. Although significant advances were made over the last 20 years in our understanding of ESCO2 and cohesin biology, the molecular etiology of RBS remains ambiguous. In this review, we highlight current models of RBS and reflect on data that suggests a novel role for macromolecular damage in the molecular etiology of RBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Mfarej
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Robert V. Skibbens
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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239
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Amare GG, Meharie BG, Belayneh YM. A drug repositioning success: The repositioned therapeutic applications and mechanisms of action of thalidomide. J Oncol Pharm Pract 2020; 27:673-678. [PMID: 33249990 DOI: 10.1177/1078155220975825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thalidomide is the most teratogenic human medicine ever marketed and was associated with birth defects in approximately 10,000 children in the 1960s. The pharmacological effects of thalidomide are attributed to its anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and modulatory effect on cytokines principally tumor necrosis factor-α, while the teratogenic effects are linked to two molecular targets, namely cereblon and tubulin. Teratogenicity is the gravest adverse effect of thalidomide depending on the dose and time of exposure. Nonetheless, with System for Thalidomide Education and Prescribing Safety program, the possibility of teratogenicity can be completely avoided. The sensitive period during pregnancy for thalidomide teratogenicity in humans is approximately 20-34 days after fertilization. METHODS Relevant articles were identified from Google scholar and PubMed (MEDLINE) using different search strategies. CONCLUSION Clinical trials showed that thalidomide has been found effective in the treatment of advanced renal cancer, esophageal cancer, chemotherapy refractory endometrial cancer and pancreatic cancer, which can suggest its future therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. Thalidomide is also used in the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders and has shown promising effect in the treatment of autoimmune disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. Despite thalidomide being a renowned teratogen and neurotoxin, it has been successfully repositioned and FDA approved for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum and multiple myeloma under strict control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gedefaw Getnet Amare
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 256197Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Birhanu Geta Meharie
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 256197Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Yaschilal Muche Belayneh
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 256197Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
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Zduniak K, Gdesz-Birula K, Woźniak M, Duś-Szachniewicz K, Ziółkowski P. The Assessment of the Combined Treatment of 5-ALA Mediated Photodynamic Therapy and Thalidomide on 4T1 Breast Carcinoma and 2H11 Endothelial Cell Line. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25215184. [PMID: 33171718 PMCID: PMC7664331 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a low-invasive method of treatment of various diseases, mainly neoplastic conditions. PDT has been experimentally combined with multiple treatment methods. In this study, we tested a combination of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) mediated PDT with thalidomide (TMD), which is a drug presently used in the treatment of plasma cell myeloma. TMD and PDT share similar modes of action in neoplastic conditions. Using 4T1 murine breast carcinoma and 2H11 murine endothelial cells lines as an experimental tumor model, we tested 5-ALA-PDT and TMD combination in terms of cytotoxicity, apoptosis, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) expression, and, in 2H11 cells, migration capabilities by wound healing assay. We have found an enhancement of cytotoxicity in 4T1 cells, whereas, in normal 2H11 cells, this effect was not statistically significant. The addition of TMD decreased the production of VEGF after PDT in 2H11 cell line. Our results reveal enhanced effectiveness of 5-ALA-PDT with TMD treatment compared to 5-ALA-PDT or TMD treatment alone. The addition of TMD may be a promising proceeding of the anti-tumor effect of PDT by decreasing the VEGF concentration in the culture medium. Further studies, including testing on different cell lines, are needed to confirm this assumption.
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241
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Li T, Qiu Y, Li X, Zhuang X, Huang S, Li M, Feng R, Chen B, He Y, Zeng Z, Chen M, Zhang S. Thalidomide Combined With Azathioprine as Induction and Maintenance Therapy for Azathioprine-Refractory Crohn's Disease Patients. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 7:557986. [PMID: 33240902 PMCID: PMC7677527 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.557986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination therapy of thalidomide and azathioprine (AZA) offers an alternative in clinical practice for Crohn's disease (CD) patients experiencing a loss of response to AZA monotherapy. However, little is known about the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy for patients with CD. This was a retrospective study of 122 consecutive CD patients who lost response to AZA therapy and had switched to a combination therapy of thalidomide and AZA. The primary outcomes were clinical response and clinical remission rates at week 24. Patients who had an initial response to combination therapy were continued on the treatment for remission maintenance. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of clinical relapse throughout maintenance. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate cumulative rates, and Cox regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis. During induction, 80.3% (98/122) patients achieved clinical response within a median duration of 6.5 weeks, (interquartile range, 4.3–8.1 weeks). The rate of clinical remission at 24 weeks was 70.5%. During follow-up, 22.4% (22/98) of the patients that were maintained on combination therapy experienced clinical relapse. The proportions of patients in remission status at 12, 24, and 36 months were 85.1, 78.3, and 70.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed C-reactive protein >10 mg/L at disease relapse on AZA monotherapy [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 4.72; 95% CI, 1.19–18.75, P = 0.027] and 6-thioguanine nucleotides level ≥235 pmol/8 × 108 erythrocytes at AZA monotherapy (adjusted HR, 5.32; 95% CI, 1.40–20.14, P = 0.014) were associated with disease relapse on combination therapy. The endoscopic remission rate was 63.6%. Mucosal healing was achieved in 23.6% of the patients. Both Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (13.4 ± 4.92 vs. 6.12 ± 5.24, P < 0.001) and Rutgeerts scores (3.23 ± 0.73 vs. 1.77 ± 1.59, P = 0.003) were significantly decreased with the use of combination therapy. Adverse events occurred in 62 (50.8%) patients, but only 13 (10.7%) necessitated therapy discontinuation. Thalidomide combined with AZA was effective in inducing clinical remission and sustaining long-term steroid-free remission in CD patients who lost response to AZA monotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun Qiu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaozhi Li
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhuang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanshan Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Manying Li
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Feng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baili Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao He
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhirong Zeng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minhu Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shenghong Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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242
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Gusarov S, Stoyanov SR. COSMO-RS-Based Descriptors for the Machine Learning-Enabled Screening of Nucleotide Analogue Drugs against SARS-CoV-2. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:9408-9414. [PMID: 33104327 PMCID: PMC7605243 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Chemical similarity-based approaches employed to repurpose or develop new treatments for emerging diseases, such as COVID-19, correlates molecular structure-based descriptors of drugs with those of a physiological counterpart or clinical phenotype. We propose novel descriptors based on a COSMO-RS (short for conductor-like screening model for real solvents) σ-profiles for enhanced drug screening enabled by machine learning (ML). The descriptors' performance is hereby illustrated for nucleotide analogue drugs that inhibit the ribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase, key to viral transcription and genome replication. The COSMO-RS-based descriptors account for both chemical reactivity and structure, and are more effective for ML-based screening than fingerprints based on molecular structure and simple physical/chemical properties. The descriptors are evaluated using principal component analysis, an unsupervised ML technique. Our results correlate with the active monophosphate forms of the leading drug remdesivir and the prospective drug EIDD-2801 with nucleotides, followed by other promising drugs, and are superior to those from molecular structure-based descriptors and molecular docking. The COSMO-RS-based descriptors could help accelerate drug discovery for the treatment of emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Gusarov
- National
Research Council, Nanotechnology Research Centre, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Stanislav R. Stoyanov
- Natural
Resources Canada, CanmetENERGY Devon, 1 Oil Patch Drive, Devon, Alberta T9G 1A8, Canada
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243
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Kowalczyk A, Lipiński PFJ, Karoń K, Rode JE, Lyczko K, Dobrowolski JC, Donten M, Kaczorek D, Poszytek J, Kawęcki R, Łapkowski M, Malkowska A, Grudzinski IP, Nowicka AM. Enantioselective sensing of (S)-Thalidomide in blood plasma with a chiral naphthalene diimide derivative. Biosens Bioelectron 2020; 167:112446. [PMID: 32818748 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Fast, simple in use and highly effective voltammetric enantiosensor dedicated for determination of thalidomide (TD) enantiomers (especially towards the toxic (S)-enantiomer) in blood plasma is still desirable. Here we have proven that newly synthesized chiral naphthalene diimide (NDI) derivatives are excellent electroactive materials for TD enantiosensors. The recognition process relies on the specific interaction between the chiral NDI receptor and the thalidomide enantiomer of the opposite configuration. This unique specific interaction between (S)-thalidomide and (R)-NDI derivative counterparts, evident in the DPV voltammograms, was confirmed by molecular modeling. The demonstrated voltammetric enantiosensors are characterized by the low detection limit at the level of μg·L-1, wide analytical range from 5·10-4 - 10 mg·L-1, high selectivity and long lifetime. The results of the recovery rates showed a very good degree of accuracy towards the determination of (S)-thalidomide in the blood samples, so it can be successfully used in the analysis of clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Kowalczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1 Str., PL-02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr F J Lipiński
- Department of Neuropeptides, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5 Str., PL-02-106, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Karoń
- Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9 Str., PL-44-100, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Joanna E Rode
- Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16 Str., PL-03-195, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Lyczko
- Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16 Str., PL-03-195, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jan Cz Dobrowolski
- Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16 Str., PL-03-195, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Mikołaj Donten
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1 Str., PL-02-093, Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101 Str., PL-02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Kaczorek
- Siedlce University, Faculty of Science, 3 Maja 54 Str., PL-08-110, Siedlce, Poland
| | - Joanna Poszytek
- Siedlce University, Faculty of Science, 3 Maja 54 Str., PL-08-110, Siedlce, Poland
| | - Robert Kawęcki
- Siedlce University, Faculty of Science, 3 Maja 54 Str., PL-08-110, Siedlce, Poland.
| | - Mieczysław Łapkowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9 Str., PL-44-100, Gliwice, Poland; Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Science, Curie Sklodowska 34 Str., PL-41-800, Zabrze, Poland
| | - Anna Malkowska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1 Str., PL-02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ireneusz P Grudzinski
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1 Str., PL-02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna M Nowicka
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1 Str., PL-02-093, Warsaw, Poland.
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244
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El-Zahabi MA, Sakr H, El-Adl K, Zayed M, Abdelraheem AS, Eissa SI, Elkady H, Eissa IH. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of new challenging thalidomide analogs as potential anticancer immunomodulatory agents. Bioorg Chem 2020; 104:104218. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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245
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Hegerius A, Caduff-Janosa P, Savage R, Ellenius J. E-Learning in Pharmacovigilance: An Evaluation of Microlearning-Based Modules Developed by Uppsala Monitoring Centre. Drug Saf 2020; 43:1171-1180. [PMID: 32789821 PMCID: PMC7424242 DOI: 10.1007/s40264-020-00981-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION An increasing global need for pharmacovigilance training cannot be met with classroom courses alone. Several e-learning modules have been developed by Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC). With distance learners and technological challenges such as poor internet bandwidth to be considered, UMC opted for the microlearning approach based on small learning units connected to specific learning objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate how this e-learning course was received. METHODS The course was evaluated through usage data and the results of two user surveys, one for modules 1-4, signal detection and causality assessment, and the other for module 5, statistical reasoning and algorithms in pharmacovigilance. The evaluation model used was based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A questionnaire was developed, divided into demographic profile, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, educational compatibility and behavioural intention. The two surveys were disseminated to 2067 learners for modules 1-4 and 1685 learners for module 5. RESULTS Learners from 137 countries participated, predominantly from industry (36.6%), national pharmacovigilance centres (22.6%) and academia (16.3%). The overall satisfaction level was very high for all modules, with over 90% of the learners rating it as either 'excellent' or 'good'. The majority were satisfied with the learning platform, the course content and the lesson duration. Most learners thought they would be able to apply the knowledge in practice. Almost 100% of the learners would recommend the modules to others and would also study future modules. Suggested improvements were an interactive forum, more practical examples in the lessons and practical exercises. CONCLUSION This e-learning course in pharmacovigilance based on microlearning was well received with a global coverage among relevant professional disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ruth Savage
- Uppsala Monitoring Centre, Uppsala, Sweden
- New Zealand Pharmacovigilance Centre, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of General Practice, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
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246
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Salminen AV, Schandra N, Schormair B, Oexle K, Winkelmann J. Therapeutic effectiveness of thalidomide in a patient with treatment-resistant restless legs syndrome. J Clin Sleep Med 2020; 16:1815-1817. [PMID: 32729462 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.8696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
None Recent developments in the genetics of restless legs syndrome (RLS) revealed associations of disease risk with genetic loci containing the genes coding cereblon, the protein bound by thalidomide, and its endogenous substrate MEIS2, whose degradation is inhibited by the thalidomide-cereblon interaction. Therefore it was hypothesized that thalidomide may be a potential treatment option for RLS. Here we report on the therapeutic effect of thalidomide in a patient with otherwise treatment-resistant RLS who received 100 mg thalidomide off-label for 3 weeks. The female patient, severely affected by RLS before treatment, experienced significant amelioration of the symptoms, increased self-reported sleep quality, and better daytime functioning during thalidomide treatment. This therapeutic success warrants larger studies investigating the efficacy of drugs of the thalidomide class in RLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaro V Salminen
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nathalie Schandra
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Schormair
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Konrad Oexle
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Juliane Winkelmann
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Chair of Neurogenetics, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
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247
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Nadeem O, Tai YT, Anderson KC. Immunotherapeutic and Targeted Approaches in Multiple Myeloma. Immunotargets Ther 2020; 9:201-215. [PMID: 33117743 PMCID: PMC7569026 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s240886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The multiple myeloma (MM) therapeutic landscape has evolved significantly with the approval of numerous novel agents, including next generation proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory agents (IMIDs), and monoclonal antibodies (MoABs) targeting CD38 and SLAMF7. While these discoveries have led to an unprecedented improval in patient outcomes, the disease still remains incurable. Immunotherapeutic approaches have shown substantial promise in recent studies of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy, bispecific antibodies, and antibody drug conjugates targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). This review will highlight these novel and targeted therapies in MM, with particular focus on PIs, IMIDs, MoAb and BCMA-directed immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Nadeem
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yu-Tzu Tai
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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248
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Park G, Choi YS, Yun HS, Yoon DK. Fabrication of Bilayer Dichroic Films Using Liquid Crystal Materials for Multiplex Applications. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:45315-45321. [PMID: 32893616 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A bilayer dichroic-doped liquid crystal (BDLC) film is fabricated via the uniaxial alignment method and a photopolymerization process. It is found to be useful in dichroic color filters, dual-mode circular polarizers, and chirality detectors. Two kinds of dichroic films with different absorbing wavelengths are cross-stacked to show various colors and contrasts depending on the polarization direction of the incident linearly polarized light, which is comparable with the conventional single-layer dichroic dye-doped (SDLC) film that only shows the contrast difference. This platform can be used in many other applications beyond the applications presented in this study, such as multicolor holograms, optical signal encryption, and electrically tunable devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geonhyeong Park
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Seok Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Seong Yun
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for Nanocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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249
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Aikawa N. A novel screening test to predict the developmental toxicity of drugs using human induced pluripotent stem cells. J Toxicol Sci 2020; 45:187-199. [PMID: 32238694 DOI: 10.2131/jts.45.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
In vitro human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells testing (iPST) to assess developmental toxicity, e.g., the induction of malformation or dysfunction, was developed by modifying a mouse embryonic stem cell test (EST), a promising animal-free approach. The iPST evaluates the potential risks and types of drugs-induced developmental toxicity in humans by assessing three endpoints: the inhibitory effects of the drug on the cardiac differentiation of iPS cells and on the proliferation/survival of iPS cells and human fibroblasts. In the present study, the potential developmental toxicity of drugs was divided into three classes (1: non-developmentally toxic, 2: weakly developmentally toxic and 3: strongly developmentally toxic) according to the EST criteria. In addition, the type of developmental toxicity of drugs was grouped into three types (1: non-effective, 2: embryotoxic [inducing growth retardation/dysfunction]/deadly or 3: teratogenic [inducing malformation]/deadly) by comparing the three endpoints. The present study was intended to validate the clinical predictability of the iPST. The traditionally developmentally toxic drugs of aminopterin, methotrexate, all-trans-retinoic acid, thalidomide, tetracycline, lithium, phenytoin, 5-fluorouracil, warfarin and valproate were designated as class 2 or 3 according to the EST criteria, and their developmental toxicity was type 3. The non-developmentally toxic drugs of ascorbic acid, saccharin, isoniazid and penicillin G were designated as class 1, and ascorbic acid, saccharin and isoniazid were grouped as type 1 while penicillin G was type 2 but not teratogenic. These results suggest that the iPST is useful for predicting the human developmental toxicity of drug candidates in a preclinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Aikawa
- Translational Research Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd
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250
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Mohammadi E, Benfeitas R, Turkez H, Boren J, Nielsen J, Uhlen M, Mardinoglu A. Applications of Genome-Wide Screening and Systems Biology Approaches in Drug Repositioning. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2694. [PMID: 32967266 PMCID: PMC7563533 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern drug discovery through de novo drug discovery entails high financial costs, low success rates, and lengthy trial periods. Drug repositioning presents a suitable approach for overcoming these issues by re-evaluating biological targets and modes of action of approved drugs. Coupling high-throughput technologies with genome-wide essentiality screens, network analysis, genome-scale metabolic modeling, and machine learning techniques enables the proposal of new drug-target signatures and uncovers unanticipated modes of action for available drugs. Here, we discuss the current issues associated with drug repositioning in light of curated high-throughput multi-omic databases, genome-wide screening technologies, and their application in systems biology/medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyas Mohammadi
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH–Royal Institute of Technology, SE-17121 Stockholm, Sweden; (E.M.); (M.U.)
- Department of Animal Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
| | - Rui Benfeitas
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Hasan Turkez
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Atatürk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey;
| | - Jan Boren
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Gothenburg, The Wallenberg Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-41345 Gothenburg, Sweden;
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden;
- BioInnovation Institute, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Mathias Uhlen
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH–Royal Institute of Technology, SE-17121 Stockholm, Sweden; (E.M.); (M.U.)
| | - Adil Mardinoglu
- Science for Life Laboratory, KTH–Royal Institute of Technology, SE-17121 Stockholm, Sweden; (E.M.); (M.U.)
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
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