Veliparib for the treatment of solid malignancies

OBJECTIVE

Veliparib is a poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase (PARP) -1 and -2 inhibitor with chemo-sensitizing and anticancer activities that has shown promising results in early-phase trials. The aim of this comprehensive review is to summarise the profile of veliparib and to provide an overview of its early clinical investigations.

DATA SOURCES

Details of all the completed trials evaluating the profile of veliparib were identified from ClinicalTrials.gov with the relevant keywords. Furthermore, databases such as Google Scholar and PubMed were searched using the National Clinical Trial (NCT) number to retrieve publications of results not listed in the trial registry.

DATA SUMMARY

A total of 25 completed clinical trials indicating the use of veliparib in solid malignancies were identified. The results showed that veliparib is well tolerated, both as a single agent and in combination with standard chemotherapy doses. Being a broad-spectrum potentiator of DNA-damaging agents and radiation, it has shown to improve the clinical outcomes, particularly in solid tumors like ovarian cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from clinical trials indicate that veliparib can be an excellent therapeutic strategy for BRCA mutation associated cancers and tumors bearing deficiencies in the HR pathway as well. Further studies establishing the dosing, sequence of therapy, extended use and compatibility with various anti-cancer drugs are warranted to define its exact role in cancer therapy.

Pre and Post-Operative Alterations of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome Following Bariatric Surgery

Obesity in the United States is increasing at a startling rate, with more individuals turning towards bariatric surgery as treatment. A noteworthy aspect of obesity pathology is its interplay with the gastrointestinal microbiome. The gastrointestinal microbiome comprising trillions of microorganisms affects the dynamics of digestion, energy expenditure, and neurologic mechanisms that affect dietary preference. This literature review used PubMed to search for articles about obesity, gastrointestinal microbiome, and bariatric surgery. The researchers used Medical Subject Heading keywords, and then the relevant literature was selected and filtered using inclusion and exclusion criteria. This study aims to review the temporal relationship of gastrointestinal microbiome changes after bariatric surgery in association with the success and failure of treatment along with the factors that may have altered the gastrointestinal microbiome other than the anatomical aspect of bariatric surgery.

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in rural Southern Indians

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of intestinal protozoal and helminthic infection in a rural population.

METHOD

Seventy-eight members of 15 families from a village were studied. Stool samples from all subjects were examined on alternate days for one month.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence rate of various parasitic infections was 97.4%, with only 2 of 78 subjects not excreting parasites in any of their 15 samples. Eighteen (23.1%) persons had only one type of parasite, while 58 (74.3%) excreted multiple parasites. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were the commonest protozoan infections, affecting 42/78 (53.8%) and 31/78 (39.7%), respectively. Hookworm infestations were the commonest helminthic infections, seen in 48/78 (61.5%). Based on excretion patterns, the asymptomatic individuals could be divided into 2 groups of infrequent and frequent excretors, indicating that the host response may determine the level of parasite replication in the gut.