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Yuan J, Nian Y, Wang X, Shi Q, Shui S, Cai H, Lin Y, Zhang X, Wang F, Chen J, Qiu M, Liu J. Actein ameliorates diet-induced obesity through the activation of AMPK-mediated white fat browning. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 134:156009. [PMID: 39260136 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.156009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Targeting white adipose tissue (WAT) browning to increase systemic energy expenditure is a promising therapeutic strategy to combat obesity. Actein from Actaea cimicifuga L. has recently been reported to ameliorate high fat-induced hepatic steatosis. However, the effect of actein on diet-induced obesity merits more and further investigation. PURPOSE We aimed to examine the anti-obesity potential of actein and unravel its actions on WAT browning. METHODS The effect of actein on diet-induced obesity was evaluated using a high-fat diet model in C57BL/6 mice. Systemic energy expenditure of mice was measured with a combined indirect calorimetry system. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses were performed to investigate the mRNA levels of genes involved in thermogenesis, browning, and lipolysis. The protein levels were assessed by Western blot. Moreover, WAT explants and a transwell co-culture system consisting of SVFs and adipocytes were constructed to study the mechanisms of actein on promoting WAT browning and lipolysis. RESULTS At a dosage of 5 mg/kg/d, actein not only protected mice against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, but also reversed pre-established obesity and glucose intolerance in mice. Meanwhile, actein facilitated systemic energy expenditure by activating WAT lipolysis and browning. Further, mechanistic studies revealed that actein indirectly induced epididymal adipocyte lipolysis and directly promoted a white-to-beige conversion of subcutaneous adipocytes by activating the AMPK signaling. CONCLUSION Actein ameliorated diet-induced obesity and was discovered as a natural lead compound directly targeting white-to-beige conversion of subcutaneous adipocytes, suggesting the potential of developing new therapies for obesity and associated metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Yuan
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China; Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Yin Nian
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Qiangqiang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Shanshan Shui
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Hao Cai
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Yan Lin
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Fangbin Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Juan Chen
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
| | - Minghua Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
| | - Jian Liu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China; Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.
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2
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Chen D. Untoward immune effects of modern medication. J Biomed Res 2023; 38:17-23. [PMID: 38105750 PMCID: PMC10818179 DOI: 10.7555/jbr.37.20230071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) represent an increasingly concerning challenge in the assessment of biopharmaceutical products. In contrast to historically rare allergic reactions associated with small chemical drugs, contemporary biotherapeutics exhibit a significantly higher morbidity of irAEs, because of their complex structure and comprehensive mechanisms of action. While the immunogenicity of protein-based compounds is associated with the induction of anti-drug antibodies, the pathogenesis of irAEs in advanced biologics, such as cell and gene therapy, remains to be further delineated. In the current study, I present an updated profile regarding the untoward immune effects of medications, covering various material categories systematically, with the underlying mechanisms to inspire risk mitigation in biopharmaceutical development and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohong Chen
- Research Institute, Changshan Biochemical Pharmaceutical, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050800, China
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3
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Garjani A, Liu BJY, Allen CM, Gunzler DD, Gerry SW, Planchon SM, das Nair R, Chataway J, Tallantyre EC, Ontaneda D, Evangelou N. Decentralised clinical trials in multiple sclerosis research. Mult Scler 2023; 29:317-325. [PMID: 35735014 PMCID: PMC9972228 DOI: 10.1177/13524585221100401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) play an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS) research, ensuring that new interventions are safe and efficacious before their introduction into clinical practice. Trials have been evolving to improve the robustness of their designs and the efficiency of their conduct. Advances in digital and mobile technologies in recent years have facilitated this process and the first RCTs with decentralised elements became possible. Decentralised clinical trials (DCTs) are conducted remotely, enabling participation of a more heterogeneous population who can participate in research activities from different locations and at their convenience. DCTs also rely on digital and mobile technologies which allows for more flexible and frequent assessments. While hospitals quickly adapted to e-health and telehealth assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic, the conduct of conventional RCTs was profoundly disrupted. In this paper, we review the existing evidence and gaps in knowledge in the design and conduct of DCTs in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afagh Garjani
- Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences
Academic Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham,
UK/Academic Neurology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust,
Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Christopher Martin Allen
- Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences
Academic Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham,
UK/Academic Neurology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust,
Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Stephen William Gerry
- Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield
Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences,
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Roshan das Nair
- Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences
Academic Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham,
UK/Institute of Mental Health, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation
Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Jeremy Chataway
- Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre,
Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology,
Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK/National
Institute for Health Research, University College London Hospitals
Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK/MRC CTU at UCL, Institute of Clinical
Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emma C Tallantyre
- Helen Durham Neuro-Inflammatory Unit,
University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK/Division of Psychological Medicine
and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Daniel Ontaneda
- Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis,
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nikos Evangelou
- N Evangelou Academic Neurology, Nottingham
University Hospitals NHS Trust, C Floor, South Block, Queen’s Medical Centre,
Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. ;
@nikosevangelou3
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Appraisal of treatment outcomes in integrative medicine using metabonomics: Taking non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with spleen deficiency syndrome as an example. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 20:524-533. [PMID: 36031542 DOI: 10.1016/j.joim.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Appraisal of treatment outcomes in integrative medicine is a challenge due to a gap between the concepts of Western medicine (WM) disease and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome. This study presents an approach for the appraisal of integrative medicine that is based on targeted metabolomics. We use non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with spleen deficiency syndrome as a test case. METHODS A patient-reported outcome (PRO) scale was developed based on literature review, Delphi consensus survey, and reliability and validity test, to quantitatively evaluate spleen deficiency syndrome. Then, a metabonomic foundation for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with spleen deficiency syndrome was identified via a longitudinal interventional trial and targeted metabolomics. Finally, an integrated appraisal model was established by identifying metabolites that responded in the treatment of WM disease and TCM syndrome as positive outcomes and using other aspects of the metabonomic foundation as independent variables. RESULTS Ten symptoms and signs were included in the spleen deficiency PRO scale. The internal reliability, content validity, discriminative validity and structural validity of the scale were all qualified. Based on treatment responses to treatments for WM disease (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance) or TCM syndrome (spleen deficiency PRO scale score) from a previous randomized controlled trial, two cohorts comprised of 30 participants each were established for targeted metabolomics detection. Twenty-five metabolites were found to be involved in successful treatment outcomes to both WM and TCM, following quantitative comparison and multivariate analysis. Finally, the model of the integrated appraisal system was exploratively established using binary logistic regression; it included 9 core metabolites and had the prediction probability of 83.3%. CONCLUSION This study presented a new and comprehensive research route for integrative appraisal of treatment outcomes for WM disease and TCM syndrome. Critical research techniques used in this research included the development of a TCM syndrome assessment tool, a longitudinal interventional trial with verified TCM treatment, identification of homogeneous metabolites, and statistical modeling.
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Abstract
Even though randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) have been accepted as the gold standard for official assessment of novel interventions, there is a substantial gap between the efficacy observed in RCTs and the impact on clinical practice and in terms of patient benefit. While real-world studies (RWS) are emerging to confer valuable complementing evidence in this regard and beyond, the evolving role of RWS is yet to be agreed. This article delineates an updated profile of RWS covering effectiveness verification, rare adverse effects discovery, indication repurposing, to name a few. RWS tends not only to improve the efficiency of clinical investigations for regulatory approval, but also optimizes the whole-life cycle evaluation of biomedical/pharmaceutical products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohong Chen
- Research Institute, Changshan Biochemical Pharmaceutical, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050800, China
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Zhang C, Mei W, Zeng C. Oncogenic Neuregulin 1 gene (NRG1) fusions in cancer: A potential new therapeutic opportunities. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188707. [PMID: 35247506 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
It is widely established that chromosomal rearrangements induce oncogenesis in solid tumors. However, discovering chromosomal rearrangements that are targetable and actionable remains a difficulty. Targeting gene fusion or chromosomal rearrangement seems to be a powerful strategy to address malignancies characterized by gene rearrangement. Oncogenic NRG1 fusions are relatively rare drivers that infrequently occur across most tumor types. NRG1 fusions exhibit unique biological properties and are difficult to identify owing to their large intronic regions. NRG1 fusions can be detected using a variety of techniques, including fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, or next-generation sequencing (NGS), with NGS-based RNA sequencing being the most sensitive. Previous studies have shown that NRG1 fusion protein induces tumorigenesis, and numerous therapies targeting the ErbB signaling pathway, such as ErbB kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, have initially demonstrated encouraging anticancer efficacy in malignant tumors carrying NRG1 fusions. In this review, we present the characteristics and prevalence of NRG1 fusions in solid tumors. Additionally, we discuss the laboratory approaches for diagnosing NRG1 gene fusions. More importantly, we outline promising strategies for treating malignancies with NRG1 fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congwang Zhang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen 518110, China
| | - Wuxuan Mei
- Clinical Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei 437100, China
| | - Changchun Zeng
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Shenzhen Longhua District Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen 518110, China.
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Garcia DR, Souza FR, Guimarães AP, Valis M, Pavelek Z, Kuca K, Ramalho TC, França TCC. In Silico Studies of Potential Selective Inhibitors of Thymidylate Kinase from Variola virus. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14101027. [PMID: 34681251 PMCID: PMC8537287 DOI: 10.3390/ph14101027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Continuing the work developed by our research group, in the present manuscript, we performed a theoretical study of 10 new structures derived from the antivirals cidofovir and ribavirin, as inhibitor prototypes for the enzyme thymidylate kinase from Variola virus (VarTMPK). The proposed structures were subjected to docking calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and free energy calculations, using the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) method, inside the active sites of VarTMPK and human TMPK (HssTMPK). The docking and molecular dynamic studies pointed to structures 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 as more selective towards VarTMPK. In addition, the free energy data calculated through the MM-PBSA method, corroborated these results. This suggests that these compounds are potential selective inhibitors of VarTMPK and, thus, can be considered as template molecules to be synthesized and experimentally evaluated against smallpox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle R. Garcia
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Applied to Chemical and Biological Defense, Military Institute of Engineering, Praça General Tiburcio 80, Urca, Rio de Janeiro 22290-270, Brazil;
| | - Felipe R. Souza
- Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22541-041, Brazil;
| | - Ana P. Guimarães
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Viçosa, Avenida P. H. Rolfs, s/n, Centro, Viçosa 36570-000, MG, Brazil;
| | - Martin Valis
- Department of Neurology of the Medical Faculty of Charles University and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 50005 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (Z.P.)
| | - Zbyšek Pavelek
- Department of Neurology of the Medical Faculty of Charles University and University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 50005 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (Z.P.)
| | - Kamil Kuca
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic;
- Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 50005 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (T.C.C.F.)
| | - Teodorico C. Ramalho
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic;
- Laboratory of Computational Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, UFLA, Lavras 37200-000, MG, Brazil
| | - Tanos C. C. França
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Applied to Chemical and Biological Defense, Military Institute of Engineering, Praça General Tiburcio 80, Urca, Rio de Janeiro 22290-270, Brazil;
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic;
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (T.C.C.F.)
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Chen D. Heparin beyond anti-coagulation. Curr Res Transl Med 2021; 69:103300. [PMID: 34237474 PMCID: PMC8257468 DOI: 10.1016/j.retram.2021.103300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Heparin has served as a mainstream anticoagulant for over eight decades. Clinically heparin-derived compounds significantly contribute to prevention and treatment of thrombotic events complicated in numerous medical conditions such as venous thromboembolism, coronary artery disease and extracorporeal circulation processes. Moreover in recent years, various off-labeled efficacious potentials of heparin beyond anti-coagulation are dramatically emerging, and increasingly investigated in clinical studies. Herein this article presents a comprehensive update on the expanded applications of heparin agents, covering the pregnant clinic, respiratory inflammation, renal disease, sepsis, pancreatitis, among others. It aims to maximize the beneficial profile of a pharmaceutical product through medical re-purposing development, exemplified by heparin, to address the unmet clinical needs of severe illness including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohong Chen
- Research Institute, Changshan Biochemical Pharmaceutical, North Head of Yinchuan Street, Zhengding New District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050800, China.
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Ovics P, Regev D, Baskin P, Davidor M, Shemer Y, Neeman S, Ben-Haim Y, Binah O. Drug Development and the Use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes for Disease Modeling and Drug Toxicity Screening. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7320. [PMID: 33023024 PMCID: PMC7582587 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
: Over the years, numerous groups have employed human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) as a superb human-compatible model for investigating the function and dysfunction of cardiomyocytes, drug screening and toxicity, disease modeling and for the development of novel drugs for heart diseases. In this review, we discuss the broad use of iPSC-CMs for drug development and disease modeling, in two related themes. In the first theme-drug development, adverse drug reactions, mechanisms of cardiotoxicity and the need for efficient drug screening protocols-we discuss the critical need to screen old and new drugs, the process of drug development, marketing and Adverse Drug reactions (ADRs), drug-induced cardiotoxicity, safety screening during drug development, drug development and patient-specific effect and different mechanisms of ADRs. In the second theme-using iPSC-CMs for disease modeling and developing novel drugs for heart diseases-we discuss the rationale for using iPSC-CMs and modeling acquired and inherited heart diseases with iPSC-CMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paz Ovics
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, The Rappaport Institute, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel; (P.O.); (D.R.); (P.B.); (M.D.); (Y.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Danielle Regev
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, The Rappaport Institute, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel; (P.O.); (D.R.); (P.B.); (M.D.); (Y.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Polina Baskin
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, The Rappaport Institute, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel; (P.O.); (D.R.); (P.B.); (M.D.); (Y.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Mor Davidor
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, The Rappaport Institute, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel; (P.O.); (D.R.); (P.B.); (M.D.); (Y.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Yuval Shemer
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, The Rappaport Institute, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel; (P.O.); (D.R.); (P.B.); (M.D.); (Y.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Shunit Neeman
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, The Rappaport Institute, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel; (P.O.); (D.R.); (P.B.); (M.D.); (Y.S.); (S.N.)
| | - Yael Ben-Haim
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Sciences, St. George’s University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK;
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Ofer Binah
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, The Rappaport Institute, Ruth & Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel; (P.O.); (D.R.); (P.B.); (M.D.); (Y.S.); (S.N.)
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