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Yu Cai Lim M, Kiat Ho H. Pharmacological modulation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) as a therapeutic strategy for hypercholesterolemia. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 220:115985. [PMID: 38154545 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of many therapeutic options, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia remains high. There exists a significant unmet medical need for novel drugs and/or treatment combinations to effectively combat hypercholesterolemia while minimizing adverse reactions. The modulation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) expression via perturbation of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) - dependent pathways, primarily FXR/small heterodimer partner (SHP) and FXR/ fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-19/ fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-4 pathways, presents as a potential option to lower cholesterol levels. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the important role that CYP7A1 plays in cholesterol homeostasis and how its expression can be exploited to assert differential control of bile acid synthesis and cholesterol metabolism. Additionally, the paper also summarizes the current therapeutic options for hypercholesterolemia, and positions modulators of CYP7A1 expression, namely FGFR4 inhibitors and FXR antagonists, as emerging and distinct pharmacological agents to complement and diversify the treatment regime. Their mechanistic and clinical considerations are also extensively described to interrogate the benefits and risks associated with using FXR-mediating agents, either singularly or in combination with recognised agents such as statins to target hypercholesterolemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Yu Cai Lim
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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2
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Ng DQ, Cheng I, Wang C, Tan CJ, Toh YL, Koh YQ, Ke Y, Foo KM, Chan RJ, Ho HK, Chew L, Bin Harunal Rashid MF, Chan A. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a biomarker in cancer-related cognitive impairment among adolescent and young adult cancer patients. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16298. [PMID: 37770565 PMCID: PMC10539508 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43581-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) improves cognitive function by stimulating neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. We hypothesize that higher plasma BDNF levels are protective against cognitive toxicity among adolescent and young adult cancer patients (15-39 years old). In a prospective, longitudinal study, we recruited 74 newly diagnosed cancer and 118 age-matched non-cancer controls who completed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function questionnaire (FACT-Cog) and blood draws. Plasma BDNF was quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Genomic DNA from buffy coat was genotyped for BDNF Val66Met. Most cancer participants were diagnosed with breast (24%) and head/neck (22%) cancers. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables (age, gender, race, marital status, education years), cancer participants had lower BDNF levels (ng/mL) at baseline (median: 10.7 vs 21.6, p < 0.001) and 6-months post-baseline (median: 8.2 vs 15.3, p = 0.001) compared to non-cancer controls. Through linear mixed modelling adjusted for sociodemographic variables, baseline cognition, fatigue, psychological distress, and time, we observed that among cancer participants, lower baseline BDNF levels were associated with worse attention (p = 0.029), memory (p = 0.018) and self-perceived cognitive abilities (p = 0.020) during cancer treatment. Met/Met was associated with enhanced executive function compared to Val/Val (p = 0.012). Plasma BDNF may serve as a predictive biomarker of cancer-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding Quan Ng
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California Irvine, 802 W Peltason Dr, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA
| | - Ivy Cheng
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Claire Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chia Jie Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yong Qin Koh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yu Ke
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koon Mian Foo
- Department of Pharmacy, KK Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Raymond J Chan
- Caring Futures Institutes, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lita Chew
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California Irvine, 802 W Peltason Dr, Irvine, CA, 92697-4625, USA.
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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3
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Setyawati MI, Wang Q, Ni N, Tee JK, Ariga K, Ke PC, Ho HK, Wang Y, Leong DT. Engineering tumoral vascular leakiness with gold nanoparticles. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4269. [PMID: 37460554 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40015-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Delivering cancer therapeutics to tumors necessitates their escape from the surrounding blood vessels. Tumor vasculatures are not always sufficiently leaky. Herein, we engineer therapeutically competent leakage of therapeutics from tumor vasculature with gold nanoparticles capable of inducing endothelial leakiness (NanoEL). These NanoEL gold nanoparticles activated the loss of endothelial adherens junctions without any perceivable toxicity to the endothelial cells. Microscopically, through real time live animal intravital imaging, we show that NanoEL particles induced leakiness in the tumor vessels walls and improved infiltration into the interstitial space within the tumor. In both primary tumor and secondary micrometastases animal models, we show that pretreatment of tumor vasculature with NanoEL particles before therapeutics administration could completely regress the cancer. Engineering tumoral vasculature leakiness represents a new paradigm in our approach towards increasing tumoral accessibility of anti-cancer therapeutics instead of further increasing their anti-cancer lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati
- National University of Singapore, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Materials Science and Engineering, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Nengyi Ni
- National University of Singapore, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore
| | - Jie Kai Tee
- National University of Singapore, Department of Pharmacy, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Katsuhiko Ariga
- WPI Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Pu Chun Ke
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- National University of Singapore, Department of Pharmacy, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yucai Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
| | - David Tai Leong
- National University of Singapore, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
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Lim MYC, Tee JR, Yau WP, Ho HK. A meta-analysis of the pooled impact of CYP7A1 single nucleotide polymorphisms on serum lipid responses to statins. Front Genet 2023; 14:1199549. [PMID: 37377593 PMCID: PMC10292746 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1199549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims: Various publications suggested that there is an association between CYP7A1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and a reduced response to statin therapy, but the results were inconsistent. This study aimed to collectively review these publications to appraise the effect of statins on cholesterol control in carriers of CYP7A1 variant alleles. Methods: PUBMED, Cochrane and EMBASE were searched systematically to identify reported studies on the lipid responses to statin treatment between carriers of the variant allele versus the non-variant allele of CYP7A1 SNPs. The change from baseline in lipid responses for all included studies were calculated using weighted mean differences (WMD) (with 95% confidence interval (CI)). A meta-analysis was conducted to pool results using either the random-effects model or the fixed effects model. Results: A total of 6 publications comprising of 1,686 subjects for the assessment of total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C and 1,156 subjects for the assessment of triglycerides were included in the meta-analyses. Subjects who were non-carriers of a CYP7A1 SNP (-204 A/C (rs3808607), -278 A/C (rs3808607) and rs8192875) had a greater reduction in total cholesterol (overall WMD -0.17, 95% CI -0.29, -0.06) and LDL-C levels (overall WMD -0.16, 95% CI -0.26, -0.05) as compared with subjects who borne the variant allele of CYP7A1 SNPs when administered a statin. Conclusion: The presence of variant allele of CYP7A1 SNPs may result in suboptimal control of total cholesterol and LDL-C levels as compared with individuals who do not carry the variant allele, when administered an equivalent dose of statin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Yu Cai Lim
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Rong Tee
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wai-Ping Yau
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Ravikumar S, Amali AA, Capinpin SM, Ho HK, Chai LYA. Functional STAT3 Deficiency from Co-Localization with SMAD2/3 Can Account for Infective Predisposition and Hyper IgE-like Manifestation in Loeys-Dietz Syndrome. J Clin Immunol 2023; 43:327-330. [PMID: 36350438 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-022-01383-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sharada Ravikumar
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, NUHS Tower Block, 1E Kent Ridge Road, 119228, Singapore
| | - Aseervatham Anusha Amali
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, NUHS Tower Block, 1E Kent Ridge Road, 119228, Singapore
| | - Sharah Mae Capinpin
- Molecular Diagnostic Centre, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Louis Yi Ann Chai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, NUHS Tower Block, 1E Kent Ridge Road, 119228, Singapore.
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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6
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Chan A, Cheng I, Wang C, Tan CJ, Toh YL, Ng DQ, Koh YQ, Zhou H, Foo KM, Chan RJ, Ho HK, Chew L, Farid M, Tannock I. Cognitive impairment in adolescent and young adult cancer patients: Pre-treatment findings of a longitudinal study. Cancer Med 2023; 12:4821-4831. [PMID: 36221816 PMCID: PMC9972136 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is little information about cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in adolescent and young adults (AYA, 15-39 years old) due to its rare incidence. Here, we present the pre-treatment (before chemotherapy or radiotherapy) evaluation of cognitive function and ability of AYA with cancer (AYAC) in a multicentered cohort study. METHODS Newly diagnosed AYAC and age-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited between 2018 and 2021. The primary outcome was the comparison of pre-treatment cognitive impairment defined as 2 standard deviations (SDs) below the HC on ≥1 cognitive test, or >1.5 SDs below on ≥2 tests using CANTAB® between AYAC and HC. Secondary outcomes included self-perceived cognitive ability assessed by FACT-Cog v3 and biomarkers (inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF]). RESULTS We recruited 74 AYAC (median age = 34) and 118 HC (median age = 32). On objective cognitive testing, we observed three times more AYAC patients performed poorly on at least 2 cognitive tests compared to HC (40.5% vs. 13.6%, p < 0.001). AYAC self-perceived less degree of cognitive impairment than HC (p < 0.001). However, AYAC perceived a greater impact of cognitive changes on their quality of life compared to HC (p = 0.039). Elevated baseline inflammatory markers (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IFN-γ) were observed among AYAC compared to HC, and baseline BDNF was lower in AYAC compared to HC. Interaction effects between cancer diagnosis and biomarkers were observed in predicting cognitive function. CONCLUSION With the pre-existence of CRCI and risk factors of neuroinflammation even prior to systemic therapy, AYAC should receive early rehabilitation to prevent further deterioration of cognitive function after initiation of systemic therapies. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03476070).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Chan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.,Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ivy Cheng
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Claire Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chia Jie Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ding Quan Ng
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Yong Qin Koh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hanzhang Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koon Mian Foo
- Department of Pharmacy, KK Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Raymond Javan Chan
- Caring Futures Institutes, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lita Chew
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mohamad Farid
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ian Tannock
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Koh YQ, Sin YAD, Rong HJ, Chua THS, Ho SHS, Ho HK. Evaluation of anthoxanthins and their actions on digestive enzyme inhibition when used independently and in combination. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10131. [PMID: 35991985 PMCID: PMC9389255 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbohydrate digestibility is a key determinant for elevated postprandial hyperglycemia (PPHG). Apart from dietary restrictions, one of the strategies to reduce PPHG is to limit the activity of carbohydrate digestive enzymes within the gastrointestinal tract in order to reduce monosaccharide absorption rates. The present work aimed to assess the inhibitory capabilities of digestive enzymes (e.g., α-glucosidase and α-amylase) by anthoxanthins when used independently, in combination with acarbose, or with a different anthoxanthin. Our results showed that quercetin, myricetin, and luteolin presented lower IC50 values than acarbose and inhibited α-glucosidase through mixed-type inhibition. On the other hand, acarbose when compared with these anthoxanthins, remained the most potent inhibitor of α-amylase. Combinatorial treatment (i) acarbose-quercetin and (ii) myricetin-luteolin showed synergistic activity (CI value less than 0.9) in α-glucosidase inhibition. An additive effect (CI value between 0.9 and 1.1) in α-glucosidase inhibition was observed when acarbose-myricetin, acarbose-luteolin or when a combination of two different anthoxanthins (quercetin-myricetin and quercetin-luteolin) was used. This study suggests the potential use of anthoxanthins as functional food ingredients to mitigate PPHG towards the management of T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Qin Koh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yu Ang Desmond Sin
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hengyang Justin Rong
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Teng Hui Sean Chua
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Koh YQ, Ng DQ, Ng CC, Boey A, Wei M, Sze SK, Ho HK, Acharya M, Limoli CL, Chan A. Extracellular Vesicle Proteome of Breast Cancer Patients with and Without Cognitive Impairment Following Anthracycline-based Chemotherapy: An Exploratory Study. Biomark Insights 2021; 16:11772719211018204. [PMID: 34103887 PMCID: PMC8150437 DOI: 10.1177/11772719211018204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairment due to cancer and its therapy is a major concern among cancer patients and survivors. Extracellular vesicle (EVs) composition altered by cancer and chemotherapy may affect neurological processes such as neuroplasticity, potentially impacting the cognitive abilities of cancer patients and survivors. We investigated the EV proteome of breast cancer patients with and without cognitive impairment following anthracycline-based chemotherapy from longitudinally collected plasma. EVs were cup-shaped and positive for Flotillin-1 and TSG-101. We identified 517 differentially expressed EV proteins between the cognitive impaired and non-impaired groups during and post-chemotherapy. The observed decreased expression of p2X purinoceptor, cofilin-1, ADAM 10, and dynamin-1 in the plasma EVs of the cognitive impaired group may suggest alterations in the mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. The reduced expression of tight junction proteins among cognitive-impaired patients may imply weakening of the blood-brain barrier. These EV protein signatures may serve as a fingerprint that underscores the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in cancer patients and survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Qin Koh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ding Quan Ng
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Chiu Chin Ng
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Adrian Boey
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Meng Wei
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Siu Kwan Sze
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Munjal Acharya
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Charles L Limoli
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Oncology Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
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Ho HK, Chng HT. Stirring deep thinking and learning through student-designed assessment problems. Curr Pharm Teach Learn 2021; 13:536-543. [PMID: 33795107 DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Deep thinking is a desirable trait for higher education especially at a time where knowledge application, rather than knowledge acquisition, is premium. As assessment plays a critical role in shaping learning behaviors, this study attempted to evaluate the benefits of administering a 'student-designed assessment problems' (SDAP) assignment as a tool to instill deeper learning among students. The supposition was that when tasked to design assessment problems, students are challenged to higher cognitive levels of thinking on the Bloom's revised taxonomy scale. EDUCATIONAL SETTING AND ACTIVITY This study was conducted on a group of third year pharmacy students taking an elective module on pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics. Students were shown an example of a finished product and were given three weeks to complete the take-home assignment. The questions that students designed were characterized according to the revised Bloom's taxonomy category by two independent reviewers. Feedback on students' experience was also evaluated. FINDINGS All 18 students reading the module submitted their SDAP with questions that demonstrated all levels of thinking, with application-based questions being most significant, followed by analytical questions. Feedback from the students was positive, with clear indications of self-directed and peer learning. SUMMARY This exercise offered a surprising insight into students' way of thinking, by externalizing their inquiring minds and translating their thoughts into written questions. This positive outcome informed that it has stirred deep thinking and learning among the students who participated. Evidently, SDAP is impactful as an assessment for and of learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Hui Ting Chng
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, Level 3, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore.
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Yap NY, Loo WS, Zheng HF, Tan QM, Tan TK, Quek LYP, Tan CJ, Toh YL, Ng CC, Ang SK, Tan VKM, Ho HK, Chew L, Loh KWJ, Tan TJY, Chan A. A study protocol for HEalth-Related quality of life-intervention in survivors of Breast and other cancers experiencing cancer-related fatigue using TraditionAL Chinese Medicine: the HERBAL trial. Trials 2020; 21:909. [PMID: 33187543 PMCID: PMC7664081 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04810-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a debilitating condition which commonly affects cancer survivors. The management of CRF remains a challenge due to the lack of effective pharmacological interventions. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) could be a potential therapeutic option for CRF. The modified Xiang Bei Yang Rong Tang (XBYRT) is a TCM herbal decoction, formulated to improve fatigue symptoms in cancer survivors. This clinical trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XBYRT in improving CRF and quality of life (QOL) of cancer survivors. METHODS This is a single centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial. Eighty cancer survivors will be recruited and randomized to receive the XBYRT or placebo decoction, in a ratio of 1:1. Participants will consume the XBYRT/placebo decoction daily for 8 weeks and undergo assessments at baseline and 4, 8 and 10 weeks after baseline. The participants will be assessed for patient-reported outcomes (PRO), blood biomarkers and adverse events at each time point. The primary outcome is the overall health and QOL status, at 8 weeks follow-up. The secondary outcomes are the effects of XBYRT on fatigue levels, cancer-related cognitive impairment and QOL, as assessed by PRO. The incidence of adverse events and the effects of the XBYRT decoction on blood biomarkers associated with CRF will also be evaluated. DISCUSSION Efficacy and safety outcomes from this trial will provide important clinical data to guide future large-scale randomized controlled trials, and the evaluation of the objective blood biomarkers can help to delineate the biological mechanisms of CRF. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04104113 . Registered on 26 September 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Yi Yap
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Sheng Loo
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Quan Ming Tan
- Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tze Kiat Tan
- Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Chia Jie Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chiu Chin Ng
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seng Kok Ang
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Veronique Kiak Mien Tan
- Division of Surgery & Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lita Chew
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiley Wei-Jen Loh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tira Jing Ying Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, USA.
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11
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Tan YL, Tey SM, Ho HK. Moderate Hypothermia Effectively Alleviates Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury With Prolonged Action Beyond Cooling. Dose Response 2020; 18:1559325820970846. [PMID: 33239997 PMCID: PMC7675884 DOI: 10.1177/1559325820970846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose accounts for the highest incidence of acute liver failure, despite the availability of an antidote i.e. N-acetylcysteine. This calls for alternative strategies to manage APAP-induced liver injury (AILI). Therapeutic hypothermia has been explored in past studies for hepatoprotection, but these phenomenal reports lack clarification of its optimal window for application, and mechanistic effects in specific AILI. Hence, we conducted an in vitro study with transforming growth factor-α transgenic mouse hepatocytes cell line, TAMH, and human liver hepatocytes cell line, L-02, where cells were conditioned with deep (25°C) or moderate (32°C) hypothermia before, during or after APAP toxicity. Cell viability was evaluated as a hallmark of cytoprotection, along with cell death. Simultaneously, cold shock proteins (CSPs) and heat shock proteins expressions were monitored; key liver functions including drug-metabolizing ability and hepatic clearance were also investigated. Herein, we demonstrated significant hepatoprotection with 24-hour moderate hypothermic conditioning during AILI and this effect sustained for at least 24 hours of rewarming. Such liver preservation was associated with a CSP—RNA-binding motif protein 3 (RBM3) as its knockdown promptly abolished the cytoprotective effects of hypothermia. With mild and reversible liver perturbations, hypothermic therapy appears promising and its RBM3 involvement deserves future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeong Lan Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Siew Min Tey
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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12
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Tan YL, Ho HK. Hypothermia Advocates Functional Mitochondria and Alleviates Oxidative Stress to Combat Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity. Cells 2020; 9:cells9112354. [PMID: 33114500 PMCID: PMC7693152 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
For years, moderate hypothermia (32 °C) has been proposed as an unorthodox therapy for liver injuries, with proven hepatoprotective potential. Yet, limited mechanistic understanding has largely denied its acceptance over conventional pharmaceuticals for hepatoprotection. Today, facing a high prevalence of acetaminophen-induced liver injury (AILI) which accounts for the highest incidence of acute liver failure, hypothermia was evaluated as a potential therapy to combat AILI. For which, transforming growth factor-α transgenic mouse hepatocytes (TAMH) were subjected to concomitant 5 mM acetaminophen toxicity and moderate hypothermic conditioning for 24 h. Thereafter, its impact on mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, glutathione homeostasis and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways were investigated. In the presence of AILI, hypothermia displayed simultaneous mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis to conserve functional mitochondria. Furthermore, antioxidant response was apparent with higher glutathione recycling and repressed JNK activation. These effects were, however, unremarkable with hypothermia alone without liver injury. This may suggest an adaptive response of hypothermia only to the injured sites, rendering it favorable as a potential targeted therapy. In fact, its cytoprotective effects were displayed in other DILI of similar pathology as acetaminophen i.e., valproate- and diclofenac-induced liver injury and this further corroborates the mechanistic findings of hypothermic actions on AILI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeong Lan Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore;
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore;
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
- Correspondence:
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13
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Toh YL, Pang YY, Shwe M, Kanesvaran R, Toh CK, Chan A, Ho HK. HPLC-MS/MS coupled with equilibrium dialysis method for quantification of free drug concentration of pazopanib in plasma. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03813. [PMID: 32373731 PMCID: PMC7191207 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The selective occurrence of hepatotoxicity observed with use of pazopanib may be attributed to its high level of plasma protein binding and low hepatic extraction ratio. The primary objective was to investigate changes in free drug concentration amongst patients with varying albumin concentrations. Methods A HPLC-MS/MS method using C18 column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 μm) with ESI source in positive mode had been developed and validated for the quantitative determination of free pazaopanib concentration in human plasma. Prior to sample preparation, patient samples were subjected to 6-hour equilibrium dialysis with molecular weight cut-off set at 8000 Da. Results The calibration curves were linear over the range of 5–1000 ng/mL, with a lower limit of quantification of 5 ng/mL. The intra-day and inter-day precisions and accuracies were all within ± 15 %, at 3 different quality controls. Higher median fraction unbound of pazopanib were observed in patients (n = 17) with lower than normal albumin concentrations. Conclusion With the developed assay, monitoring of plasma free concentrations may be evaluated as an indicator of pazopanib exposure in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yi Yun Pang
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Oncology Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Chee Keong Toh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Oncology Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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14
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Boey A, Ho HK. All Roads Lead to the Liver: Metal Nanoparticles and Their Implications for Liver Health. Small 2020; 16:e2000153. [PMID: 32163668 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202000153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Metal nanoparticles (NPs) are frequently encountered in daily life, and concerns have been raised about their toxicity and safety. Among which, they naturally accumulate in the liver after introduction into the body, independent of the route of administration. Some NPs exhibit intrinsic pharmaceutical effects that are related to their physical parameters, and their inadvertent accumulation in the liver can exert strong effects on liver function and structure. Even as such physiological consequences are often categorically dismissed as toxic and deleterious, there are cell type-specific and NP-specific biological responses that elicit distinctive pharmacological consequences that can be harnessed for good. By limiting the scope of discussion to metallic NPs, this work attempts to provide a balanced perspective on their safety in the liver, and discusses both possible therapeutic benefits and potential accidental liver damage arising from their interaction with specific parenchymal and nonparenchymal cell types in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Boey
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117559, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117559, Singapore
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15
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Koh YQ, Tan CJ, Toh YL, Sze SK, Ho HK, Limoli CL, Chan A. Role of Exosomes in Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082755. [PMID: 32326653 PMCID: PMC7215650 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A decline in cognitive function following cancer treatment is one of the most commonly reported post-treatment symptoms among patients with cancer and those in remission, and include memory, processing speed, and executive function. A clear understanding of cognitive impairment as a result of cancer and its therapy can be obtained by delineating structural and functional changes using brain imaging studies and neurocognitive assessments. There is also a need to determine the underlying mechanisms and pathways that impact the brain and affect cognitive functioning in cancer survivors. Exosomes are small cell-derived vesicles formed by the inward budding of multivesicular bodies, and are released into the extracellular environment via an exocytic pathway. Growing evidence suggests that exosomes contribute to various physiological and pathological conditions, including neurological processes such as synaptic plasticity, neuronal stress response, cell-to-cell communication, and neurogenesis. In this review, we summarize the relationship between exosomes and cancer-related cognitive impairment. Unraveling exosomes’ actions and effects on the microenvironment of the brain, which impacts cognitive functioning, is critical for the development of exosome-based therapeutics for cancer-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Qin Koh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Chia Jie Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Siu Kwan Sze
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Charles L. Limoli
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2695, USA
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-949-824-8896
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Toh YL, Wang C, Ho HK, Chan A. Distinct cytokine profiles across trajectories of self-perceived cognitive impairment among early-stage breast cancer survivors. J Neuroimmunol 2020; 342:577196. [PMID: 32146169 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2020.577196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the current study is to identify distinct cytokine profiles in relation to self-perceived cognitive trajectories. In our study cohort (n = 128), early-stage breast cancer patients were categorized into no impairment reported, acute, delayed, persistent and intermittent cognitive decline respectively. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were elevated compared to baseline; with TNF-α implicated in the acute cognitive trajectory while IL-6 and IL-8 were involved in the persistent cognitive trajectory. Our findings help to further our understanding of cytokine profiles implicated in cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) and support the use of cytokine levels as biomarkers of cognitive decline over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Claire Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine, USA.
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17
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Tee JK, Yip LX, Tan ES, Santitewagun S, Prasath A, Ke PC, Ho HK, Leong DT. Nanoparticles' interactions with vasculature in diseases. Chem Soc Rev 2019; 48:5381-5407. [PMID: 31495856 DOI: 10.1039/c9cs00309f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The ever-growing use of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) in biomedicine provides an exciting approach to develop novel imaging and drug delivery systems, owing to the ease with which these NPs can be functionalized to cater to various applications. In cancer therapeutics, nanomedicine generally relies on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect observed in tumour vasculature to deliver anti-cancer drugs across the endothelium. However, such a phenomenon is dependent on the tumour microenvironment and is not consistently observed in all tumour types, thereby limiting drug transport to the tumour site. On the other hand, there is a rise in utilizing inorganic NPs to intentionally induce endothelial leakiness, creating a window of opportunity to control drug delivery across the endothelium. While this active targeting approach creates a similar phenomenon compared to the EPR effect arising from tumour tissues, its drug delivery applications extend beyond cancer therapeutics and into other vascular-related diseases. In this review, we summarize the current findings of the EPR effect and assess its limitations in the context of anti-cancer drug delivery systems. While the EPR effect offers a possible route for drug passage, we further explore alternative uses of NPs to create controllable endothelial leakiness within short exposures, a phenomenon we coined as nanomaterial-induced endothelial leakiness (NanoEL). Furthermore, we discuss the main mechanistic features of the NanoEL effect that make it unique from conventionally established endothelial leakiness in homeostatic and pathologic conditions, as well as examine its potential applicability in vascular-related diseases, particularly cancer. Therefore, this new paradigm changes the way inorganic NPs are currently being used for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kai Tee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore.
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18
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Tan DSY, Aw JWX, Winther M, Goh LL, Ong HY, Wee E, Liu J, Ho HK. CYP2C19 phenotype in South-East Asian Acute Coronary Syndrome patients and impact on major adverse cardiovascular events. J Clin Pharm Ther 2019; 45:52-58. [PMID: 31670842 DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.13062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE Several Caucasian cohort studies have associated at least one loss-of-function CYP2C19 on Clopidogrel (LoF-Clopidogrel) with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and only a couple have used Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC® ) phenotype grouping to study the associations. We primarily aimed to study the impact of use of platelet reactivity testing to escalate antiplatelet therapy and secondarily to study the association of CPIC phenotype with MACE outcomes in South-East Asian Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) subjects. METHOD A retrospective genotype study was performed on 238 percutaneous coronary intervention subjects, originally planned for escalation of antiplatelets using platelet reactivity testing. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION There was no difference in MACE between the switched and unswitched groups; however, 'all bleeds' and 'clinically significant bleeds' (CSB) were statistically higher in the patients who were switched to prasugrel. The subgroup of patients who remained on clopidogrel (n = 199) were analysed using phenotype categories and MACE. Eleven percent (11.4%) of CYP2C19 poor metabolizers (PM) suffered MACE, compared with 1.3% of extensive metabolizers (EM). LoF-Clopidogrel patients are significantly more likely to experience MACE compared with non-LoF subjects (8.0% vs 5.4%, P: .041). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION In our multivariate analysis, LoF-Clopidogrel, malay ethnicity, diabetics and use of proton pump inhibitors were independent predictors of MACE. There were numerically more bleeds in LoF subjects who were on prasugrel compared with Clopidogrel (23.5% vs 11%, P = .082). Our data corroborate with current findings on platelet reactivity testing, suggesting that the assay would not be sensitive enough to pick up sufficient 'at-risk' subjects as compared to the use of CYP2C19 genotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hean Yee Ong
- Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Eric Wee
- Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
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19
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Toh YL, Tan CJ, Yeo AHL, Shwe M, Ho HK, Gan YX, Foo KM, Chu P, Olson K, Chan A. Association of plasma leptin, pro-inflammatory adipokines and cancer-related fatigue in early-stage breast cancer patients: A prospective cohort study. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:4281-4289. [PMID: 31016867 PMCID: PMC6533466 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer‐related fatigue (CRF) is subjective and has wide inter‐individual variability. Given that leptin is commonly associated with fatigue syndrome, its use as a potential biomarker for CRF is being investigated. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association between leptin and CRF in early‐stage breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. In a prospective cohort study, patients completed assessments at baseline (T1), during chemotherapy (T2) and after chemotherapy (T3). Levels of plasma leptin and adipokines were measured using a Luminex bead‐immunoassay and CRF was measured using the Multi‐Dimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory‐Short Form (MFSI‐SF). Data were analysed longitudinally using a generalised estimating equation incorporating clinically relevant parameters and pro‐inflammatory adipokines. The analysis included 136 patients (mean age ± SD = 51.5 ± 8.8 years; 69.1% receiving anthracycline‐based chemotherapy). More patients experienced CRF at T3 (23.8%) than at T2 (13.8%) compared to baseline. An increase was observed in the median plasma leptin level at T2, followed by a decrease at T3 (T1: 4.07 ng/mL, T2: 4.95 ng/mL and T3: 3.96 ng/mL). In the multivariate model, the change in leptin levels over time was significantly associated with the total MFSI‐SF score (β = −0.15, P = 0.003) after adjusting for the tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) level, anxiety, depression, insomnia, age, menopausal status and type of chemotherapy. This is the first study to report leptin as a biomarker that predicts the onset of CRF over time. Future studies are required to validate the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chia Jie Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Xiang Gan
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koon Mian Foo
- Department of Pharmacy, KK's Women and Children Hospital, Singapore
| | - Pat Chu
- Singapore Cord Blood Bank, Singapore
| | - Karin Olson
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
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20
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Peng F, Setyawati MI, Tee JK, Ding X, Wang J, Nga ME, Ho HK, Leong DT. Nanoparticles promote in vivo breast cancer cell intravasation and extravasation by inducing endothelial leakiness. Nat Nanotechnol 2019; 14:279-286. [PMID: 30692675 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-018-0356-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 285] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
While most cancer nanomedicine is designed to eliminate cancer, the nanomaterial per se can lead to the formation of micrometre-sized gaps in the blood vessel endothelial walls. Nanomaterials-induced endothelial leakiness (NanoEL) might favour intravasation of surviving cancer cells into the surrounding vasculature and subsequently extravasation, accelerating metastasis. Here, we show that nanoparticles induce endothelial leakiness through disruption of the VE-cadherin-VE-cadherin homophilic interactions at the adherens junction. We show that intravenously injected titanium dioxide, silica and gold nanoparticles significantly accelerate both intravasation and extravasation of breast cancer cells in animal models, increasing the extent of existing metastasis and promoting the appearance of new metastatic sites. Our results add to the understanding of the behaviour of nanoparticles in complex biological systems. The potential for NanoEL needs to be taken into consideration when designing future nanomedicines, especially nanomedicine to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Peng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jie Kai Tee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xianguang Ding
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jinping Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Min En Nga
- Department of Pathology, National University Hospital and National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - David Tai Leong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Singapore, Singapore.
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Tee JK, Setyawati MI, Peng F, Leong DT, Ho HK. Angiopoietin-1 accelerates restoration of endothelial cell barrier integrity from nanoparticle-induced leakiness. Nanotoxicology 2019; 13:682-700. [PMID: 30776942 DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2019.1571646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used in biomedical field for therapeutic treatments, drug carriers, and bio-imaging agent. Recent studies have highlighted the possibility of utilizing inorganic NPs in inducing endothelial leakiness through endothelial remodeling to promote drug transport across the barrier. However, an uncontrolled and persistent leakiness could lead to promiscuous transport of molecules and cells across the barrier, highlighting the pressing need to control the timely recovery from endothelial cell leakiness. Herein, we show that angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) could promote recovery of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) from titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO2 NPs)-induced endothelial leakiness. Ang1 is known as an anti-permeability growth factor which forms complexes with its receptor Tie2 at the cell-to-cell junctions. We find that the introduction of Ang1 not only accelerates the recovery of NP-induced endothelial leakiness (NanoEL) but also promotes cell rigidity by increasing tubulin acetylation, thereby remodels the endothelial cells to further mitigate the effects of NP exposure through the activation of the Akt pathway. Using in vitro metastasis model, we further show that HMVECs treated with TiO2 NPs followed by Ang1 could reduce migration of human skin cancer A431 cells across the endothelial barrier. In summary, Ang1 plays important roles in promoting the recovery of endothelial cell leakiness and endothelial stability through a mechano-transduction pathway and shows great potential as key modulator that allows material scientist to regulate endothelial leakiness induced by NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kai Tee
- a NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore.,b Department of Pharmacy , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore
| | - Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati
- c Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore
| | - Fei Peng
- b Department of Pharmacy , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore.,c Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore
| | - David Tai Leong
- a NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore.,c Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- a NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore.,b Department of Pharmacy , National University of Singapore , Singapore , Singapore
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Tee JK, Ng LY, Koh HY, Leong DT, Ho HK. Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Enhance Leakiness and Drug Permeability in Primary Human Hepatic Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:E35. [PMID: 30577655 PMCID: PMC6337147 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) represent the permeable interface that segregates the blood compartment from the hepatic cells, regulating hepatic vascular tone and portal pressure amidst changes in the blood flow. In the presence of pathological conditions, phenotypic changes in LSECs contribute to the progression of chronic liver diseases, including the loss of endothelial permeability. Therefore, modulating LSECs offers a possible way to restore sinusoidal permeability and thereby improve hepatic recovery. Herein, we showed that titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) could induce transient leakiness in primary human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HHSECs). Interestingly, HHSECs exposed to these NPs exhibited reduced protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation, an important protein kinase which regulates cell attachment. Using a 3D co-culture system, we demonstrated that TiO₂ NPs diminished the attachment of HHSECs onto normal human hepatic cell LO2. To further illustrate the significance of leakiness in liver sinusoids, we showed that NP-induced leakiness promoted Sunitinib transport across the HHSEC layer, resulting in increased drug uptake and efficacy. Hence, TiO₂ NPs have the potential to modulate endothelial permeability within the specialized sinusoidal endothelium, especially during events of fibrosis and occlusion. This study highlighted the possible use of inorganic NPs as a novel strategy to promote drug delivery targeting the diseased liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kai Tee
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore.
| | - Li Yang Ng
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
| | - Hannah Yun Koh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
| | - David Tai Leong
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore.
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore.
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Tee JK, Peng F, Ho HK. Effects of inorganic nanoparticles on liver fibrosis: Optimizing a double-edged sword for therapeutics. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 160:24-33. [PMID: 30529191 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a condition of sustained wound healing in response to chronic liver injury caused by various factors such as viral, cholestatic and inflammatory diseases. Despite significant advances in the understanding of the mechanistic details of fibrosis, therapeutic intervention with the use of anti-fibrotic drugs achieved only marginal efficacy. Among which, pharmacokinetics profile of agents leading to off-targeting and suboptimal distribution are the principal limiting factors. Concurrently, inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have gained significant recognition in biomedicine, owning to their unique physicochemical properties. Since NPs are known to accumulate in well vascularised organs, the intuitive therapeutic targeting of the liver using engineered NPs seems to be a plausible approach in treating liver fibrosis. However, the application of inorganic NPs also raised concerns of its potential long-term impact to humans. Current literatures have reported both negative risks as well as surprising benefits, thus sparking off a needful discussion about the feasibility of using inorganic NPs in treating liver fibrosis. Inorganic NPs entrapped in the liver may pose health risks, particularly due to their non-biodegradability and potential toxicity when accumulated in undesirable concentrations. This highlighted the need to assess the health risk of using inorganic NPs, and also to establish a framework to evaluate the conditions when the beneficial effects of these NPs would outweigh potential risks. Hence, this review takes a balanced approach on assessing the mechanistic details behind inorganic NP-induced biochemical perturbations, which could either alleviate or worsen liver fibrosis. Consequently, it attempts to chart out possibilities for future directions through optimizing therapeutic outcomes by design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kai Tee
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fei Peng
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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24
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Lee TH, Wu YY, Chan JK, Ho HK, Li PH, Rosa Duque JS. Immunoglobulin G testing in the diagnosis of food allergy and intolerance. Hong Kong Med J 2018; 23:419-20. [PMID: 28775227 DOI: 10.12809/hkmj176310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T H Lee
- Allergy Centre, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
| | - Y Y Wu
- Centre for Allergy and Asthma Care, Central, Hong Kong
| | - J Kc Chan
- Allergy Centre, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
| | - H K Ho
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - P H Li
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - J Sd Rosa Duque
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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25
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Tan CJ, Lim SWT, Toh YL, Ng T, Yeo A, Shwe M, Foo KM, Chu P, Jain A, Koo SL, Dent RA, Ng RCH, Yap YS, Lim EH, Loh KWJ, Chay WY, Lee GE, Tan TJY, Beh SY, Wong M, Chan JJ, Khor CC, Ho HK, Chan A. Replication and Meta-analysis of the Association between BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Cognitive Impairment in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:4741-4750. [PMID: 30382534 PMCID: PMC6647505 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1410-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) adversely affects cancer patients. We had previously demonstrated that the BDNF Val66Met genetic polymorphism is associated with lower odds of subjective CRCI in the multitasking and verbal ability domains among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. To further assess our previous findings, we evaluated the association of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism with subjective and objective CRCI in a temporally separate cohort of patients and pooled findings from both the original (n = 145) and current (n = 193) cohorts in a meta-analysis. Subjective CRCI was assessed using FACT-Cog. Objective CRCI was evaluated using computerized neuropsychological tests. Genotyping was carried out using Sanger sequencing. The association of BDNF Val66Met genotypes and CRCI was examined with logistic regression. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was conducted using the inverse variance method. In the meta-analysis (n = 338), significantly lower odds of CRCI were associated with Met allele carriers based on the global FACT-Cog score (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.29–0.94). Furthermore, Met allele carriers were at lower odds of developing impairment in the domains of memory (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17–0.70), multitasking (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18–0.59), and verbal ability (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24–0.88). Consistent with the previous study, lower odds of subjective CRCI among patients with the BDNF Met allele was observed after adjusting for potential confounders in the multitasking (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.14–0.67) domain. In conclusion, carriers of the BDNF Met allele were protected against global subjective CRCI, particularly in the domains of memory, multitasking, and verbal ability. Our findings further contribute to the understanding of CRCI pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia Jie Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Sheree Wan Ting Lim
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yi Long Toh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Terence Ng
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Angie Yeo
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Koon Mian Foo
- Department of Pharmacy, K.K. Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pat Chu
- Singapore Cord Blood Bank, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amit Jain
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Si-Lin Koo
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rebecca A Dent
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yoon Sim Yap
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Elaine H Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiley Wei-Jen Loh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wen Yee Chay
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guek Eng Lee
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tira Jing Ying Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sok Yuen Beh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mabel Wong
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jack Junjie Chan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chiea Chuen Khor
- Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Glaucoma Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore. .,Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore. .,Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
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26
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Tan JJY, Tee JK, Chou KO, Yong SYA, Pan J, Ho HK, Ho PCL, Kang L. Impact of substrate stiffness on dermal papilla aggregates in microgels. Biomater Sci 2018; 6:1347-1357. [PMID: 29687797 DOI: 10.1039/c8bm00248g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Interaction between cells and the extracellular environment plays a vital role in cellular development. The mechanical property of a 3-dimensional (3D) culture can be modified to mimic in vivo conditions. Dermal papilla (DP) cells are shown to gradually lose their inductivity in hair cycle development in a 2-dimensional culture. They are shown to partially restore their inductivity when transferred into a 3D microenvironment. In this study, a microarray fabricated from three different concentrations of poly-ethylene-glycol-diacrylate 3500, namely 5%, 10% and 15% w/v, yielded increasing substrate stiffness. The impact of varying substrate stiffness was tested for DP cell viability, attachment, and selected hair inductive markers. DP aggregates were shown to be viable and exhibited greater spreading with increasing substrate stiffness. Moreover, DP aggregates cultured on a softer substrate showed a greater fold change of gene and protein expressions than those cultured on a harder substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Y Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore (NUS), Lower Kent Ridge Road, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
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Peng F, Tee JK, Setyawati MI, Ding X, Yeo HLA, Tan YL, Leong DT, Ho HK. Inorganic Nanomaterials as Highly Efficient Inhibitors of Cellular Hepatic Fibrosis. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:31938-31946. [PMID: 30156820 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b10527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Chronic liver dysfunction usually begins with hepatic fibrosis. To date, no effective anti-fibrotic drugs have been approved for clinical use in humans. In the current work, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) NPs are used as active inhibitors with intrinsic chemico-physico properties to block fibrosis and the associated phenotypes through acting on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs, the liver machinery for depositing scar tissues seen in fibrosis). Using LX-2 cells as the HSC model, internalized nanomaterials are found to suppress classical outcomes of cellular fibrosis, for example, inhibiting the expression of collagen I (Col-I) and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), initiated by transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-activated HSCs in both a concentration-dependent and a time-dependent manner. Biochemically, these nanomaterials could also facilitate the proteolytic breakdown of collagen by up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and down-regulation of tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs). Furthermore, through regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes [e.g., E-cadherin (E-Cad) and N-cadherin (N-Cad)], the adhesion and migration profiles of TGF-β-activated LX-2 cells treated with nanomaterials were further inhibited, reverting them to a more quiescent state. Thus, the collective results pave the new way that nanomaterials can be used as potential therapeutic inhibitors for the treatment of in vivo fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Peng
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science , National University of Singapore , 18 Science Drive 4 , Singapore 117543 , Singapore
| | - Jie Kai Tee
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science , National University of Singapore , 18 Science Drive 4 , Singapore 117543 , Singapore
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering , Centre for Life Sciences , 28 Medical Drive , Singapore 117456 , Singapore
| | - Magdiel Inggrid Setyawati
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , National University of Singapore , 4 Engineering Drive 4 , Singapore 117585 , Singapore
| | - Xianguang Ding
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , National University of Singapore , 4 Engineering Drive 4 , Singapore 117585 , Singapore
| | - Hui Ling Angie Yeo
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science , National University of Singapore , 18 Science Drive 4 , Singapore 117543 , Singapore
| | - Yeong Lan Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science , National University of Singapore , 18 Science Drive 4 , Singapore 117543 , Singapore
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering , Centre for Life Sciences , 28 Medical Drive , Singapore 117456 , Singapore
| | - David Tai Leong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , National University of Singapore , 4 Engineering Drive 4 , Singapore 117585 , Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science , National University of Singapore , 18 Science Drive 4 , Singapore 117543 , Singapore
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28
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Tee JK, Peng F, Tan YL, Yu B, Ho HK. Magnesium Isoglycyrrhizinate Ameliorates Fibrosis and Disrupts TGF-β-Mediated SMAD Pathway in Activated Hepatic Stellate Cell Line LX2. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1018. [PMID: 30319402 PMCID: PMC6167412 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a histological change often attributed to the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the excessive formation of scar tissues in the liver. Advanced stages of the disease frequently lead to cirrhosis. Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate (MgIG) has been accepted as a hepatoprotective drug with the potential of alleviating inflammatory conditions and thus promote liver recovery from viral- or drug-induced injury. While MgIG has been empirically integrated into the clinics to treat some liver diseases, its anti-fibrotic effect and the associated mechanisms remain poorly characterized. Herein, we demonstrated that 1 mg/ml MgIG attenuated the production of αSMA and collagen-1 in activated HSCs using TGF-β1-induced human HSCs LX2 as the fibrotic cell model. We found that MgIG exerts an inhibitory effect on the TGF-β-SMAD signaling pathway by arresting the binding of downstream transcription factors SMAD2/3 and SMAD4. Furthermore, MgIG was shown to suppress proliferation and induce senescence of activated LX2 cells. Protein expression of p27 and enzymatic activity of senescence-associated β-galactosidase were elevated upon exposure to MgIG. In addition, we observed that exposure of activated LX2 cells to MgIG reduces TGF-β-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, a lower toxicity profile was observed when human fetal hepatocytes LO2 were exposed to the same concentration and duration of the drug, suggesting the specificity of MgIG effect toward activated HSCs. Overall, hepatoprotective concentrations of MgIG is shown to exert a direct effect on liver fibrosis through inhibiting TGF-β-signaling, in which SMAD2/3 pathway could be one of the mechanisms responsible for the fibrotic response, thereby restoring the surviving cells toward a more quiescent phenotype. This provides critical mechanistic insights to support an otherwise empirical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kai Tee
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fei Peng
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yeong Lan Tan
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bo Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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29
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Zhao C, Lin JS, Choolani M, Dan YY, Pastorin G, Ho HK. Enhanced hepatic differentiation of human amniotic epithelial cells on polyethylene glycol-linked multiwalled carbon nanotube-coated hydrogels. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2018; 12:1556-1566. [PMID: 29700978 DOI: 10.1002/term.2672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylene glycol-linked multiwalled carbon nanotube-coated poly-acrylamide hydrogel (CNT-PA) was customized to mimic human liver stiffness and nanostructured surface in liver cells for modulating differentiation of human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) into functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) in vitro. This composite of CNT-PA matrix enhanced the hepatic differentiation of hAECs into HLCs with suppression of pluripotent markers and up-regulation of hepatic markers at both transcript and protein levels. Furthermore, the HLCs on CNT-PA demonstrated hepatocytic functions in terms of albumin secretion, higher uptake of indocyanine green, and comparable CYP3A4 enzymatic function and inducibility when matched against HepG2 cells. Taken together, CNT-PA provides an efficient and scalable platform for the expansion of HLCs from hAECs and could be explored further for downstream development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,NanoCore, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jamie Siqi Lin
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahesh Choolani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yock Young Dan
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medicine Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Giorgia Pastorin
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,NanoCore, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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30
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Baek JS, Tee JK, Pang YY, Tan EY, Lim KL, Ho HK, Loo SCJ. Improved Bioavailability of Levodopa Using Floatable Spray-Coated Microcapsules for the Management of Parkinson's Disease. Neuromolecular Med 2018; 20:262-270. [PMID: 29696585 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-018-8491-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Oral administration of levodopa (LD) is the gold standard in managing Parkinson's disease (PD). Although LD is the most effective drug in treating PD, chronic administration of LD induces levodopa-induced dyskinesia. A continuous and sustained provision of LD to the brain could, therefore, reduce peak-dose dyskinesia. In commercial oral formulations, LD is co-administrated with an AADC inhibitor (carbidopa) and a COMT inhibitor (entacapone) to enhance its bioavailability. Nevertheless, patients are known to take up to five tablets a day because of poor sustained-releasing capabilities that lead to fluctuations in plasma concentrations. To achieve a prolonged release of LD with the aim of improving its bioavailability, floatable spray-coated microcapsules containing all three PD drugs were developed. This gastro-retentive delivery system showed sustained release of all PD drugs, at similar release kinetics. Pharmacokinetics study was conducted and this newly developed formulation showed a more plateaued delivery of LD that is void of the plasma concentration fluctuations observed for the control (commercial formulation). At the same time, measurements of LD and dopamine of mice administered with this formulation showed enhanced bioavailability of LD. This study highlights a floatable, sustained-releasing delivery system in achieving improved pharmacokinetics data compared to a commercial formulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Suep Baek
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Jie Kai Tee
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yi Yun Pang
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Ern Yu Tan
- General Surgery Clinic, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - Kah Leong Lim
- National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Say Chye Joachim Loo
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore. .,Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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Ng T, Phey XY, Yeo HL, Shwe M, Gan YX, Ng R, Ho HK, Chan A. Impact of Adjuvant Anthracycline-Based and Taxane-Based Chemotherapy on Plasma VEGF Levels and Cognitive Function in Breast Cancer Patients: A Longitudinal Study. Clin Breast Cancer 2018; 18:e927-e937. [PMID: 29705024 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2018.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to induce neurogenesis in the brain and yield neuroprotective effects. It is hypothesized that chemotherapy reduces circulating VEGF levels and leads to cognitive decline among patients. This multicenter longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy on VEGF levels and the association between VEGF levels and cognitive function. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 145 early-stage breast cancer patients were recruited and assessed before chemotherapy (T1), during chemotherapy (T2), and at the end of chemotherapy (T3). At each time point, plasma VEGF levels were assessed using a multiplex immunoassay. Cognitive function was assessed using both Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function, Version 3 (FACT-Cog), and Headminder (a computerized, web-based neuropsychologic battery). RESULTS Generally, we observed higher-than-baseline plasma VEGF levels after the start of chemotherapy (P < .001). Among patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy, the median plasma VEGF levels were significantly higher at T2 (T2: 37.3 pg/mL vs. T1: 21.3 pg/mL; P < .001) and T3 (T3: 35.5 pg/mL vs. T1: 21.3 pg/mL; P < .001) than at baseline. Plasma VEGF levels were not associated with chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION Breast cancer patients experience an increasing trend in plasma VEGF levels during chemotherapy, and the regimen types may have a differential effect on circulating VEGF levels. Furthermore, changes in plasma VEGF levels during chemotherapy were not associated with cognitive impairment. VEGF may play a minor role in mediating the occurrence of chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence Ng
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiang Yun Phey
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Ling Yeo
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Xiang Gan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Raymond Ng
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Oncology Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore.
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32
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Chae JW, Chua PS, Ng T, Yeo AHL, Shwe M, Gan YX, Dorajoo S, Foo KM, Loh KWJ, Koo SL, Chay WY, Tan TJY, Beh SY, Lim EH, Lee GE, Dent R, Yap YS, Ng R, Ho HK, Chan A. Association of mitochondrial DNA content in peripheral blood with cancer-related fatigue and chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in early-stage breast cancer patients: a prospective cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2018; 168:713-721. [DOI: 10.1007/s10549-017-4640-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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33
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Ng T, Lee YY, Chae JW, Yeo AHL, Shwe M, Gan YX, Ng RCH, Chu PPY, Khor CC, Ho HK, Chan A. Evaluation of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and self-perceived cognitive impairment post-chemotherapy: a longitudinal study. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:867. [PMID: 29258453 PMCID: PMC5735945 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3861-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Preliminary evidence suggests that changes in plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels may contribute to the occurrence of chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment (CACI), and a previous study suggested that carriers of the BDNF Met homozygous genotype are protected from CACI. Methods This multicenter, prospective cohort study involved chemotherapy-receiving early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) patients. Self-perceived cognitive function was longitudinally assessed using the validated FACT-Cog (ver. 3) across three time points: Prior to chemotherapy (T1), during chemotherapy (T2), and at the end of chemotherapy (T3). Plasma BDNF levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Genotyping was performed using Sanger Sequencing. Results A total of 51 chemotherapy-receiving ESBC patients (mean age: 52.6 ± 9.5 years) were recruited, and 11 patients (21.6%) reported subjective cognitive impairment post-chemotherapy. Overall, there was a reduction in median plasma BDNF levels over time (T1: 5423.0 pg/ml; T2: 5313.6 pg/ml; T3: 4050.3 pg/ml; p < 0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, longitudinal analysis revealed that BDNF levels were associated with self-reported concentration deficit (p = 0.032). Carriers of Val/Val (p = 0.011) and Val/Met (p = 0.003) BDNF genotypes demonstrated a significant reduction in plasma BDNF levels over time; however, plasma BDNF levels were similar across all time points among Met homozygous carriers (p = 0.107). Conclusion There was a statistically significant change in BDNF levels post-chemotherapy in ESBC patients, and plasma BDNF levels were associated with self-perceived concentration deficit in patients receiving chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence Ng
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, 18 Science Drive 4, Level 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ying Yun Lee
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, 18 Science Drive 4, Level 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Jung-Woo Chae
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, 18 Science Drive 4, Level 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.,Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Angie Hui Ling Yeo
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, 18 Science Drive 4, Level 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, 18 Science Drive 4, Level 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yan Xiang Gan
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Raymond C H Ng
- Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pat Pak Yan Chu
- Singapore Cord Blood Bank, K.K. Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, 18 Science Drive 4, Level 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Block S4A, 18 Science Drive 4, Level 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore. .,Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Wee XT, Ho LM, Ho HK, Lee JYC, Yap CW, William H, Chan LCE, Tay HC, Goh CEM, Tan DSY. Incidence of thromboembolic and bleeding events in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: An Asian multicenter retrospective cohort study in Singapore. Clin Cardiol 2017; 40:1218-1226. [PMID: 29251769 DOI: 10.1002/clc.22811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Real-world effectiveness and safety of antithrombotics in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients in Singapore has not been thoroughly studied. HYPOTHESIS Users of various antithrombotics experience a significantly different risk of stroke and major bleed compared with warfarin users. METHODS This multicenter retrospective cohort study included patients age ≥ 21 years newly diagnosed with NVAF between July 2012 and September 2015. Using electronic medical records, data on patients' demographics, antithrombotics prescribed, and CHA2 DS2 -VASc and HAS-BLED risk factors were collected. Patients were followed for 1 year from diagnosis for the primary effectiveness and safety endpoints of incident stroke or systemic embolism and major bleed, respectively. The secondary safety endpoint was overall bleed. Hazard ratios (HR) were determined from Cox regression. RESULTS Of 743 patients included, 224 were on warfarin, 156 on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), 277 on single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT), 28 on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), and 58 on no therapy. Mean age (±SD) was 68.7 ± 13.0 years. Compared with warfarin users, SAPT (adjusted [adj.] HR: 3.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-11.3) and DAPT users (adj. HR: 10.1, 95% CI: 1.51-67.2) were more likely to develop thromboembolic outcomes. Also, DOAC users (adj. HR: 0.304, 95% CI: 0.158-0.585), SAPT users (adj. HR: 0.142, 95% CI: 0.0680-0.295), and DAPT users (adj. HR: 0.112, 95% CI: 0.0146-0.857) were less likely to experience any bleed compared with warfarin users. CONCLUSIONS SAPT and DAPT are less effective than warfarin in NVAF patients. DOACs may be considered in view of lower risk of overall bleed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Ting Wee
- Department of Pharmacy, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore
| | - Lih Maan Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore
| | | | - Chun Wei Yap
- Health Services and Outcomes Research, National Healthcare Group, Singapore
| | - Henry William
- Department of Pharmacy, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore
| | | | - Hooi Ching Tay
- Department of Pharmacy, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore
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Lee TH, Ho HK, Leung TF. Can Hong Kong take advantage of recent advances in allergy prevention? Hong Kong Med J 2017; 23:539-40. [DOI: 10.12809/hkmj175069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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36
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Pang YY, Tan YL, Ho HK. Investigation of the effect of plasma albumin levels on regorafenib-induced hepatotoxicity using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2017; 1061-1062:220-224. [PMID: 28750235 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2017.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yun Pang
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Yeong Lan Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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Chae JW, Chua PS, NG T, Yeo HLA, Shwe M, Gan YX, Dorajoo SR, Foo KM, Loh KWJ, Koo SL, Chay WY, Tan TJY, Beh SY, Lim HE, Lee GE, Dent RA, Yap YS, Ng RC, Ho HK, Chan A. Mitochondrial DNA content in peripheral blood as a biomarker for cancer-related fatigue in early-stage breast cancer patients: A prospective cohort study. J Clin Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.10018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
10018 Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is reported to be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Hence, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content, a biomarker of mitochondrial dysfunction, is hypothesized to correlate with the onset of CRF. This study aimed to evaluate the association between peripheral blood mtDNA content and CRF in patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Early-stage breast cancer patients (Stages I to III) receiving anthracycline or taxane-based chemotherapy were recruited. CRF was assessed using the validated Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) at two time points: baseline (T1; prior to treatment) and 6 weeks after initiation of treatment (T2). Worsening of CRF was defined as ≥10% increase in the overall MFSI-SF score at T2. Peripheral blood mtDNA content was measured at both time points using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Multiple logistic regression was utilized to evaluate the association between mtDNA reduction and worsening of CRF, adjusting for age, anxiety, insomnia and other clinically important covariates. Results: A total of 91 patients [mean age (±SD): 51.3 (9.2) years; 81.3% Chinese; 63.3% receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy] were recruited. Proportions of patients with worsening of CRF increased from the lower to the upper quartiles of mtDNA reduction (26.1%, 30.4%, 52.2%, and 59.1% in quartiles 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, P = 0.010 for trend). Reduction of mtDNA content was significantly greater among those with worsening of CRF compared to those without CRF [mean reduction (±SD): 16.3 (23.5) vs 6.0 (17.3), P = 0.018]. After adjusting for covariates, every 1-unit reduction of the mtDNA content was associated with a 4% increase risk for worsening of CRF (95% CI, 1%-8%; P = 0.016). Conclusions: This is the first study to show that reduction of mtDNA content in peripheral blood is associated with onset of CRF in patients receiving chemotherapy. Further validation studies are required to confirm the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Woo Chae
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peh Siang Chua
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Terence NG
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Ling Angie Yeo
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Xiang Gan
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Koon Mian Foo
- Department of Pharmacy, K.K. Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiley Wei Jen Loh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Si-Lin Koo
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wen Yee Chay
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tira Jing Ying Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sok Yuen Beh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hsuen Elaine Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guek Eng Lee
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yoon Sim Yap
- National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Raymond C.H. Ng
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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NG T, Yeo HLA, Shwe M, Gan YX, Foo KM, Loh WJK, Koo SL, Chay WY, Tan TJY, Beh SY, Lim HE, Lee GE, Dent RA, Yap YS, Ng RC, Chu PYP, Khor CC, Ho HK, Chan A. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment (CACI) in Asian early-stage breast cancer patients (ESBC). J Clin Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.10096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
10096 Background: Genetic variations among genes regulating neuronal function, neurotransmission and plasticity may contribute to varying risk of CACI. In order to fully elucidate the complex genetic structure underlying CACI, a GWAS meta-analysis was performed to identify genetic variants associated with CACI among ESBC patients. Methods: A GWAS meta-analysis of two independent cohorts totaling 266 chemotherapy-receiving ESBC patients (mean age: 51.0 ± 9.2 years; 80.8% Chinese) was performed. Patients’ self-perceived cognitive function was assessed using the validated FACT-Cog (v.3). Genome-wide genotyping was performed using the Illumina HumanOmniExpress-24 version 1.1 BeadChips kits. Each beadchip contains over 700,000 genetic markers. Covariates included in the meta-analysis were the first two dimensions of the multi-dimensional scaling. Results: After applying stringent quality control measures and removing four population outliers, data from 546,399 SNPs were available for 84 cases and 170 controls. In the meta-analysis, two SNPs (rs6443264 and rs4686371) exceeded the suggestive threshold of P < 1×10-5 (Table). Following adjustment for the first two MDS dimensions in the meta-analysis, both SNPs remained as top two SNPs with P < 1×10-4. Both rs6443264 and rs4686371 are located in chromosome 3p25 and lie in the intronic regions encoding OGG1 and ARPC4 genes, respectively. Alteration of the OGG1 gene could compromise the functions of downstream neuronal genes, and modification of the ARPC4 gene could affect the formation of the actin-related protein 2/3 complex and impair memory formation. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first GWAS meta-analysis to identify two loci, namely rs6443264 and rs4686371 that are suggestive of genome-wide association with CACI among Asian ESBC patients. [Table: see text]
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence NG
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Ling Angie Yeo
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Xiang Gan
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koon Mian Foo
- Department of Pharmacy, K.K. Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Si-Lin Koo
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wen Yee Chay
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tira Jing Ying Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sok Yuen Beh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hsuen Elaine Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guek Eng Lee
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yoon Sim Yap
- National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Raymond C.H. Ng
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Abstract
2015 marked the 25th anniversary of the commercial use and availability of genetically modified crops. The area of planted biotech crops cultivated globally occupies a cumulative two billion hectares, equivalent to twice the land size of China or the United States. Foods derived from genetically modified plants are widely consumed in many countries and genetically modified soybean protein is extensively used in processed foods throughout the industrialised countries. Genetically modified food technology offers a possible solution to meet current and future challenges in food and medicine. Yet there is a strong undercurrent of anxiety that genetically modified foods are unsafe for human consumption, sometimes fuelled by criticisms based on little or no firm evidence. This has resulted in some countries turning away food destined for famine relief because of the perceived health risks of genetically modified foods. The major concerns include their possible allergenicity and toxicity despite the vigorous testing of genetically modified foods prior to marketing approval. It is imperative that scientists engage the public in a constructive evidence-based dialogue to address these concerns. At the same time, improved validated ways to test the safety of new foods should be developed. A post-launch strategy should be established routinely to allay concerns. Mandatory labelling of genetically modified ingredients should be adopted for the sake of transparency. Such ingredient listing and information facilitate tracing and recall if required.
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Affiliation(s)
- T H Lee
- Allergy Centre, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
| | - H K Ho
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - T F Leung
- Department of Paediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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Yap SQ, Chin CF, Hong Thng AH, Pang YY, Ho HK, Ang WH. Finely Tuned Asymmetric Platinum(IV) Anticancer Complexes: Structure-Activity Relationship and Application as Orally Available Prodrugs. ChemMedChem 2017; 12:300-311. [PMID: 28028938 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201600577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Platinum(IV) bis-carboxylates are highly versatile prodrug scaffolds with different axial ligands that can be functionalized while keeping the platinum(II) pharmacophore intact. Using a sequential acylation strategy, we developed a class of PtIV prodrugs of cisplatin with contrasting lipophilic and hydrophilic ligands. We investigated their stability, reduction rates, lipophilicity, aqueous solubility, and antiproliferative efficacies, and assessed for correlations among the parameters that could be useful in drug design. We showed that compounds with high lipophilicity result in better antiproliferative effects in vitro and in vivo, with one of the three compounds tested showing better efficacy than satraplatin against an animal model of colorectal cancer, owing to its higher solubility and lower reduction rates. Our asymmetric PtIV prodrugs may pave the way for a highly predictable, fine-tuned class of orally available PtIV prodrugs for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siew Qi Yap
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Chee Fei Chin
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Agnes Hwee Hong Thng
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yi Yun Pang
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.,NUS Graduate School of Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Wee Han Ang
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.,NUS Graduate School of Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
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Chae JW, Ng T, Yeo HL, Shwe M, Gan YX, Ho HK, Chan A. Impact of TNF-α (rs1800629) and IL-6 (rs1800795) Polymorphisms on Cognitive Impairment in Asian Breast Cancer Patients. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164204. [PMID: 27701469 PMCID: PMC5049844 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines is influenced by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter regions of the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, and cytokines are associated with the occurrence of post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between two common pro-inflammatory cytokine gene polymorphisms namely, IL6-174 (rs1800795 G>C) and TNF-308 (rs1800629 G>A), and chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment (CACI) among Asian early-stage breast cancer patients. In addition, the differential effect of these SNPs on plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and the associations of plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels with CACI were also assessed. Methods Asian early-stage breast cancer patients (Stage I to III) receiving chemotherapy were prospectively recruited from two cancer centers in Singapore. Patients' cognitive function was longitudinally assessed using the validated FACT-Cog (ver. 3) and an objective computerized battery, Headminder™ at three-time points. Plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels were analyzed using the multiplex immunoassay, and genotyping was performed using Sanger sequencing. Regression analyses and generalized estimating equation were utilized for statistical analysis. Results A total of 125 patients were included (mean age: 50.3; Chinese: 80.8%; post-menopausal: 48.0%; 68.0% received anthracycline-based chemotherapy). 36.8% patients experienced self-perceived cognitive impairment, detected in memory (32.8%) and attention (34.2%) domains. Patients with higher levels of anxiety (p<0.001) and insomnia (p = 0.003) also reported more self-perceived cognitive impairment. Higher plasma concentrations of IL-6 were associated with greater severity of self-perceived cognitive impairment (p = 0.001). Polymorphisms of cytokine genes were not associated with expression of plasma cytokines. Conclusion Present findings further contribute to the growing evidence that supports the role of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the occurrence of cognitive impairment post-chemotherapy. However, genetic polymorphism of these cytokines did not play a major role to the cytokine fluctuations as well as cognitive impairment in this cohort. With an increasing evidence to support the cytokine hypothesis, future studies should investigate the role of anti-inflammatory agents in mitigating the cognitive impairment associated with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-woo Chae
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Terence Ng
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Ling Yeo
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maung Shwe
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Xiang Gan
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in transducing the effects of angiogenic factors. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS). We used a murine model of hindlimb ischemia to investigate whether genetic or metabolic changes in ADMA levels could impair angiogenic response in vivo. Hindlimb ischemia was surgically induced in C57BL/6J mice, apo E-deficient mice, or transgenic mice overexpressing dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH). Some animals were also treated with the NOS antagonist L-nitro-arginine, or the NO precursor L-arginine. Angiogenesis was quantified in the hindlimb skeletal muscle by capillary/myocyte ratio. Plasma or tissue ADMA levels were measured by HPLC. In normal mice, hindlimb ischemia increased tissue ADMA twofold, and reduced DDAH and NOS expression. This was associated with a reduced NOS activity (by over 80%) three days following surgery. On day seven, a threefold increase in DDAH expression and a fall in tissue ADMA levels were associated with a sevenfold increase in NOS activity, whereas NOS expression did not increase above baseline. In DDAH transgenic mice, the elevation of ADMA and decrement in NOS activity was blunted during hindlimb ischemia. Plasma ADMA levels were increased in apo E-mice (1.79 ± 0.45 versus 1.07 ± 0.08 μmol/l; p = 0.008). Capillary index was significantly reduced in apo E-mice up to seven weeks after surgery (0.25 ± 0.05 versus 0.62 ± 0.08; p < 0.001). The effect of hypercholesterolemia on capillary index was reversed by L-arginine, and (in wild-type mice) mimicked by administration of the NOS antagonist L-nitro-arginine. In conclusion, metabolic or genetic changes in plasma and tissue ADMA levels affect tissue NO production and angiogenic response to ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Achan
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5246, USA
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Chae JW, Teo YL, Ho HK, Lee J, Back HM, Yun HY, Karlsson MO, Kwon KI, Chan A. BSA and ABCB1 polymorphism affect the pharmacokinetics of sunitinib and its active metabolite in Asian mRCC patients receiving an attenuated sunitinib dosing regimen. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2016; 78:623-32. [PMID: 27485537 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-016-3104-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE An attenuated dosing (AD) sunitinib regimen of 37.5 mg daily has been suggested to reduce the toxicity reported with the standard dosing regimen to metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients. The aim of this study was to characterize the population pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of sunitinib and SU12662, the active metabolite, in patients receiving the AD regimen and to ascertain significant covariates influencing PK parameters. METHODS Thirty-one mRCC patients receiving AD sunitinib regimen were included. Plasma samples were collected on day 29 of each treatment cycle after the start of the therapy. Nonlinear mixed-effects modeling was applied to estimate the population PK properties of sunitinib and SU12662 as well as the effect of covariates on PK parameters. Monte Carlo simulation was also performed to predict the total trough level (TTL) of sunitinib and SU12662. RESULTS Sunitinib population means for CL/F and V d /F central were 13.8 L/h and 1720 L, respectively. SU12662 population means for CL/F and V d /F were 42.1 L/h and 1410 L, respectively. Body surface area (BSA) and ABCB1 polymorphism significantly influenced the CL/F variability of sunitinib: CL/F parent = 13.8 × exp((BSA - 1.75) × 2.08 + (ABCB1 genotype - 0.67) × 0.61), ABCB1-0: wild genotype, 1: mutant genotype. The effect size of ABCB1 mutant genotype and BSA greater than 1.75 m(2) in relation to sunitinib clearance was 31.14 % (p = 0.006) and 22.11 % (p = 0.011), respectively, relative to the reference group. CONCLUSIONS Adjusting doses of sunitinib according to BSA and ABCB1 polymorphism in Asian mRCC patients may be recommended for sufficient attainment of a target TTL of sunitinib and its metabolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Woo Chae
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea.,Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Block S4A, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Yi Ling Teo
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Block S4A, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Block S4A, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Jaeyeon Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea
| | - Hyun-Moon Back
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea
| | - Hwi-Yeol Yun
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea
| | - Mats O Karlsson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kwang-Il Kwon
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea.
| | - Alexandre Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Block S4A, Singapore, 117543, Singapore. .,Oncology Pharmacy, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169610, Singapore.
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Pang YY, Tan YM, Chan ECY, Ho HK. Phase I Metabolic Stability and Electrophilic Reactivity of 2-Phenylaminophenylacetic Acid Derived Compounds. Chem Res Toxicol 2016; 29:1118-31. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yun Pang
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543 Singapore
| | - Yee Min Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543 Singapore
| | - Eric Chun Yong Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543 Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, 117543 Singapore
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NG T, Chian MT, Yeo HLA, Shwe M, Gan YX, Loh WJK, Koo SL, Jain A, Lee GE, Dent RA, Yap YS, Ng RC, Cham MT, Lee JA, Chu PYP, Khor CC, Ho HK, Chan A. DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) polymorphism and chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment in early-stage breast cancer patients (ESBC): A prospective, longitudinal study. J Clin Oncol 2016. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2016.34.15_suppl.10014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Terence NG
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Maung Shwe
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Xiang Gan
- National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Si-Lin Koo
- National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amit Jain
- National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guek Eng Lee
- National Cancer Center Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yoon Sim Yap
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Mooi Tai Cham
- K.K. Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jung Ah Lee
- K.K. Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pak Yan Pa Chu
- Singapore Cord Blood Bank, K.K. Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Han Kiat Ho
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Chia HY, Yau WP, Ho HK. Establishing population distribution of drug-metabolizing enzyme activities for the use of salivary caffeine as a dynamic liver function marker in a Singaporean Chinese population. Biopharm Drug Dispos 2016; 37:168-81. [DOI: 10.1002/bdd.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hazel Yiting Chia
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543
| | - Wai-Ping Yau
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543
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Ngai MH, So CL, Sullivan MB, Ho HK, Chai CLL. Back Cover: Photoinduced Isomerization and Hepatoxicities of Semaxanib, Sunitinib and Related 3-Substituted Indolin-2-ones (ChemMedChem 1/2016). ChemMedChem 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mun Hong Ngai
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Choon Leng So
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Michael B. Sullivan
- Institute of High-Performance Computing; Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore; 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis Singapore 138632 Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Christina L. L. Chai
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
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Ngai MH, So CL, Sullivan MB, Ho HK, Chai CLL. Photoinduced Isomerization and Hepatoxicities of Semaxanib, Sunitinib and Related 3-Substituted Indolin-2-ones. ChemMedChem 2015; 11:72-80. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mun Hong Ngai
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Choon Leng So
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Michael B. Sullivan
- Institute of High-Performance Computing; Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore; 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis Singapore 138632 Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Christina L. L. Chai
- Department of Pharmacy; National University of Singapore; 18 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117543 Singapore
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49
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Zhao C, Andersen H, Ozyilmaz B, Ramaprabhu S, Pastorin G, Ho HK. Spontaneous and specific myogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells on polyethylene glycol-linked multi-walled carbon nanotube films for skeletal muscle engineering. Nanoscale 2015; 7:18239-18249. [PMID: 26486984 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04303d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study explored the influence of polyethylene glycol-linked multi-walled carbon nanotube (PEG-CNT) films on skeletal myogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). PEG-CNT films were prepared with nanoscale surface roughness, orderly arrangement of PEG-CNTs, high hydrophilicity and high mechanical strength. Notably, PEG-CNT films alone could direct the skeletal myogenic differentiation of hMSCs in the absence of myogenic induction factors. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that the non-induced hMSCs plated on the PEG-CNT films, compared to the negative control, presented significant up-regulation of general myogenic markers including early commitment markers of myoblast differentiation protein-1 (MyoD) and desmin, as well as a late phase marker of myosin heavy chain-2 (MHC). Corresponding protein analysis by immunoblot assays corroborated these results. Skeletal muscle-specific markers, fast skeletal troponin-C (TnC) and ryanodine receptor-1 (Ryr) were also significantly increased in the non-induced hMSCs on PEG-CNT films by RT-PCR. For these cells, the commitment to specific skeletal myoblasts was further proved by the absence of enhanced adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic markers. This study elucidated that PEG-CNT films supported a dedicated differentiation of hMSCs into a skeletal myogenic lineage and can work as a promising material towards skeletal muscle injury repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543. and NanoCore, Engineering Block A, EA, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576
| | - Henrik Andersen
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 and Graphene Research Center, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546
| | - Barbaros Ozyilmaz
- Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 and Graphene Research Center, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546
| | - Sundara Ramaprabhu
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Giorgia Pastorin
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543. and NanoCore, Engineering Block A, EA, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543.
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Duan Y, Wong W, Chua SC, Wee HL, Lim SG, Chua BT, Ho HK. Overexpression of Tyro3 and its implications on hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Int J Oncol 2015; 48:358-66. [PMID: 26573872 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2015.3244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
While various tyrosine kinases have been associated with the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the identification of a dominant therapeutic target among them remains a challenge. Here, we investigated the role of Tyro3, a relatively uncharacterized member of the TAM (Tyro3, Axl and Mer) receptor family. The present study aimed to profile and identify potential association between Tyro3 expression in HCC and cancer phenotypes. RNAs obtained from 55 HCC patients were quantified for Tyro3 expression in both cancerous tissue and the adjacent normal tissue. Expression profile was correlated with clinical data. These observations were further substantiated with in vitro HCC cell culture investigations.Tyro3 was strongly upregulated (>2-fold elevation) in the tumor tissue of ~42% of the patients. It was shown that higher expression level of Tyro3 was associated with the key tumor marker AFP, and the tumor diameter and liver injury marker ALT. Subsequent cell culture models indicated high expression in various HCC cell lines, in particular Hep3B. Gene silencing of Tyro3 in Hep3B effectively reduced cell proliferation, ERK phosphorylation and cyclin D1 expression, indicating a key in maintaining the proliferative state of these cells. Notably, silencing also suppressed the transcriptional and translational expression of HCC tumor marker AFP. Overall, these data suggest that Tyro3 contributes significantly to tumor growth, aggressiveness and liver dysfunction. Inhibition of Tyro3 and its aberrant signaling in tumors with high expression could present new opportunities for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Duan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Winnie Wong
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Sonja Courtney Chua
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Hwee Lin Wee
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Seng Gee Lim
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Republic of Singapore
| | - Boon Tin Chua
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Han Kiat Ho
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
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