Integrating network pharmacology: The next-generation approach in ocular drug discovery

With the spread of the "omics" sciences, the approaches of systems biology can be considered as new paradigms of pharmacological research for discovery of novel targets and/or treatments for complex multifactorial diseases. Data from omics sciences can be used for the design of biologic networks, that in turn can be quantitatively analyzed to identify new pharmacological targets. In this review, we will introduce the concept of network pharmacology, particularly the application of this innovative approach in the field of ocular pharmacology, with a focus on retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma.

[Innovative genetic, clinical and endocrinologic aspects in young females affected by premature ovarian insufficiency]

AIM

Heterogeneity premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is one of the reasons why there are different causes that contribute in determining this type of hormonal disorder. Although the causes have already been established for many types of premature ovarian failure, are still uncertain causes in most cases of idiopathic forms, despite the description of several candidate genes, including BMP-15 gene. The gene under study is precisely the BMP-15, which is part of the superfamily of Transforming Growth Factors-beta or the TGF-β, which also belong to the growth differentiation factors (GDFs).

METHODS

This study examined a sample of Sicilian women suffering from POI, carefully selected according to their age, since in these cases, the genetic factor probably has a greater impact.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Identify a mutant gene that causes ovarian failure may be important to make a diagnosis that can predict the possible future development of the disease. The outcome of the studies, however, has not found the gene in question, but it is hypothesized that this may be a direct consequence of the limited amount of women that was done the study, a case which may be rebutted by increasing the number of patients.

Molecular epidemiology of enterococci with high-level resistance to aminoglycosides

DNA-based methodologies are considerably more powerful than other phenotype-based typing systems, providing a finer level of epidemiological discrimination, differentiating both closely and distantly related independent isolates that otherwise may appear as identical. In this study, plasmid analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were used to compare 28 isolates of Enterococci (respectively 13 strains of Enterococcus faecalis and 15 strains of Enterococcus faecium) with high-level resistance to aminoglycosides, isolated in Catania (Italy). Plasmid profile analysis resolved 20 different patterns among 24 plasmid harboring strains; many isolates showed one or two plasmids of the same size, but different plasmid content. Analysis of the PFGE-based RFLP patterns after SmaI digestion of genomic DNA resolved 26 different clones from 28 isolates: particularly, it resolved two different clones from three isolates showing identical plasmid profiles, and it identified as a single clone two isolates exhibiting different plasmid profiles. Thus, on the basis of our PFGE-based RFLP analysis data, we concluded that all the strains included in the study were genetically unrelated with two exceptions.