Redeployment-based drug screening identifies the anti-helminthic niclosamide as anti-myeloma therapy that also reduces free light chain production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khanim, F L; Merrick, B A M E; Giles, H V; Jankute, M; Jackson, J B; Giles, L J; Birtwistle, J; Bunce, C M; Drayson, M T

2011-01-01

Despite recent therapeutic advancements, multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable and new therapies are needed, especially for the treatment of elderly and relapsed/refractory patients. We have screened a panel of 100 off-patent licensed oral drugs for anti-myeloma activity and identified niclosamide, an anti-helminthic. Niclosamide, at clinically achievable non-toxic concentrations, killed MM cell lines and primary MM cells as efficiently as or better than standard chemotherapy and existing anti-myeloma drugs individually or in combinations, with little impact on normal donor cells. Cell death was associated with markers of both apoptosis and autophagy. Importantly, niclosamide rapidly reduced free light chain (FLC) production by MM cell lines and primary MM. FLCs are a major cause of renal impairment in MM patients and light chain amyloid and FLC reduction is associated with reversal of tissue damage. Our data indicate that niclosamides anti-MM activity was mediated through the mitochondria with rapid loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation and production of mitochondrial superoxide. Niclosamide also modulated the nuclear factor-κB and STAT3 pathways in MM cells. In conclusion, our data indicate that MM cells can be selectively targeted using niclosamide while also reducing FLC secretion. Importantly, niclosamide is widely used at these concentrations with minimal toxicity

Systemic Effects of Anti-Angiogenic Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starlinger, P.

2011-01-01

Anti-angiogenic cancer therapy has gained importance within the past decades. In this context, Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody neutralizing vascular endothelial growth factor, has been approved for clinical use. The combination of chemotherapy with Bevacizumab has shown a remarkable benefit in several neoplastic entities. However, a notable number of patients do not respond to this therapy. Furthermore, response to therapy seems to be short-lived. The primary topic of this PhD thesis was to characterize systemic effects of anti-angiogenic therapy to possibly identify mechanisms that could explain this heterogeneity in therapy response. To this end, a carefully selected subset of angiogenesis factors were monitored in detail in the course of a clinical study of pancreatic cancer receiving gemcitabine based anti-angiogenic therapy with Bevacizumab. To enable the reliable monitoring of angiogenesis parameters, we initially defined an optimized procedure to evaluate angiogenesis factors in blood. During these investigations a remarkable association of circulating angiogenic growth factors with platelet counts and activation was observed. Strikingly, we were able to confirm this association in the clinical setting. In particular, the anti-angiogenic factor thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) correlated with platelet counts. We further showed that the highly myelosuppressive chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine resulted in a decrease of platelet counts and circulating TSP-1 levels. As a result, we hypothesized that the choice of chemotherapy might affect the angiogenic balance and counteract the therapeutic effect of bevacizumab. This notion was further supported by a careful evaluation of other studies reporting on the combination of Bevacizumab with thrombocytopenic chemotherapies which were generally of minor therapeutic benefit for cancer patients. To further focus on TSP-1 as an essential modulator of neovascularization and anti-angiogenic therapy we investigated TSP-1

Amyloid plaque imaging in vivo: current achievement and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordberg, Agneta

2008-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a very complex neurodegenerative disorder, the exact cause of which is still not known. The major histopathological features, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, already described by Alois Alzheimer, have been the focus in research for decades. Despite a probable whole cascade of events in the brain leading to impairment of cognition, amyloid is still the target for diagnosis and treatment. The rapid development of molecular imaging techniques now allows imaging of amyloid plaques in vivo in Alzheimer patients by PET amyloid ligands such as Pittsburgh compound B (PIB). Studies so far have revealed high 11 C-PIB retention in brain at prodromal stages of AD and a possibility to discriminate AD from other dementia disorders by 11 C-PIB. Ongoing studies are focussing to understand the relationship between brain and CSF amyloid processes and cognitive processes. In vivo imaging of amyloid will be important for early diagnosis and evaluation of new anti-amyloid therapies in AD. (orig.)

Effectiveness and Safety of Immunomodulators With Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy in Crohn's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Osterman, Mark T; Haynes, Kevin; Delzell, Elizabeth; Zhang, Jie; Bewtra, Meenakshi; Brensinger, Colleen M; Chen, Lang; Xie, Fenglong; Curtis, Jeffrey R; Lewis, James D

2015-07-01

The benefit of continuing immunomodulators when "stepping up" to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy for Crohn's disease (CD) is uncertain. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of immunomodulators with anti-TNF therapy in CD. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of new users of anti-TNF therapy for CD in Medicare. Users of anti-TNF combination therapy with immunomodulators were matched to up to 3 users of anti-TNF monotherapy via propensity score and compared by using 3 metrics of effectiveness-surgery, hospitalization, and discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy or surgery-and 2 metrics of safety-serious infection and non-Candida opportunistic infection. Cox regression was used for all analyses. Among new users of infliximab, we matched 381 users of combination therapy to 912 users of monotherapy; among new users of adalimumab, we matched 196 users of combination therapy to 505 users of monotherapy. Combination therapy occurred predominantly as "step up" after thiopurine therapy. The rates of surgery (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-1.96), hospitalization (HR, 0.82; 0.57-1.19), discontinuation of anti-TNF therapy or surgery (HR, 1.09; 0.88-1.34), and serious infection (HR, 0.93; 0.88-1.34) did not differ between users of anti-TNF combination therapy and monotherapy. However, the risks of opportunistic infection (HR, 2.64; 1.21-5.73) and herpes zoster (HR, 3.16; 1.25-7.97) were increased with combination therapy. We found that continuation of immunomodulators after "stepping up" to anti-TNF therapy did not improve outcomes but was associated with an increased risk of opportunistic infection. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term TNF-alpha blockade in patients with amyloid A amyloidosis complicating rheumatic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Nebro, Antonio; Olivé, Alejandro; Castro, María Carmen; Varela, Angela Herranz; Riera, Elena; Irigoyen, Maria V; García de Yébenes, María Jesús; García-Vicuña, Rosario

2010-05-01

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in patients with amyloid A amyloidosis. Multicenter, controlled, dynamic prospective cohort study of 36 patients with amyloid A amyloidosis (94% kidney involvement) treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents (drug exposure of 102.97 patient-years). As an external control group, 35 propensity score-matched non-amyloid patients were chosen from the Base de Datos de Productos Biológicos de la Sociedad Española de Reumatología registry. The end points were kidney response and progression, anti-tumor necrosis factor continuation rate, patient survival, and adverse events. At the end of follow-up, a kidney response was observed in 12 of 22 patients (54.5%) and a kidney progression was observed in 6 of 36 patients (17%). The kidney amyloidosis remained stable in 16 of 36 patients (44%). The level of acute phase reactants diminished but did not reach the normal level. The continuation rates of anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs among patients with amyloid A amyloidosis after 1, 2, 3, and 4 or more years were 80%, 80%, 61%, and 52%, respectively, comparable to controls. The 5-year cumulative survival of amyloid A amyloidosis cases was 90.6%, and the 10-year survival was 78.5%. In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, the duration of amyloidosis and the level of proteinuria at the onset of anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment were independent predictors of treatment failure, whereas the level of proteinuria was the only factor that predicts mortality. Most adverse events were similar in both groups, although the number of infections was 3 times higher in amyloid A amyloidosis cases. Anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs are effective in treating amyloid A amyloidosis, although they might increase the risk of infection. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anti-tumor effects of Egr-IFN γ gene therapy combined with 125I-UdR radionuclide therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Jingguo; Ni Yanjun; Song Xiangfu; Li Yanyi; Yang Wei; Sun Ting; Ma Qingjie; Gao Fengtong

2008-01-01

Objective: To explore the anti-tumor effects of Egr-IFNγ gene therapy combined with 125 I-UdR radionuclide therapy in mice bearing H22 hepatocarcinoma and its mechanism. Methods: The recombinant plasmid pcDNAEgr-IFNγ mixed with liposome was injected into tumor. 48 h later, 370 kBq 125 I-UdR was injected into tumor. The tumor growth rates at different times were observed. After 3 d gene-radionuclide therapy, the concentration of IFNγ in cytoplasm of H22 cells and cytotoxic activities of splenic CTL of the mice in different groups were examined. Results: The tumor growth rates of pcDNAEgr-IFNγ + 125 I-UdR group were obviously lower than those of control group, 125 I-UdR group and pcDNAEgr-1 + 125 I-UdR group 6-15 d after gene-radionuclide therapy. IFNγ protein was found in cytoplasm of H22 cells in pcDNAEgr-IFNγ + 125 I-UdR group after 3 d gene-radionuclide therapy. Cytotoxic activity of splenic CTL in pcDNAEgr-IFNγ + 125 I-UdR group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P 125 I-UdR radionuclide therapy are better than those of 125 I-UdR therapy. (authors)

MR Microimaging of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wengenack, Thomas M.; Poduslo, Joseph F.; Jack, Clifford R.; Garwood, Michael

2008-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurological condition affecting industrialized nations and will rapidly become a healthcare crisis as the population ages. Currently, the post-mortem histological observation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles is the only definitive diagnosis available for AD. A pre-mortem biological or physiological marker specific for AD used in conjunction with current neurological and memory testing could add a great deal of confidence to the diagnosis of AD and potentially allow therapeutic intervention much earlier in the disease process. Our group has developed MRI techniques to detect individual amyloid plaques in AD transgenic mouse brain in vivo. We are also developing contrast-enhancing agents to increase the specificity of detection of amyloid plaques. Such in vivo imaging of amyloid plaques will also allow the evaluation of anti-amyloid therapies being developed by the pharmaceutical industry in pre-clinical trials of AD transgenic mice. This short review briefly discusses our progress in these areas. (orig.)

Rapid resolution of cellulitis in patients managed with combination antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dall, Lawrence; Peterson, Sandford; Simmons, Tom; Dall, Amy

2005-03-01

There is some evidence to suggest that host inflammatory response has some effect on the clinical manifestations of cellulitis. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate whether the addition of oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAI) therapy to antibiotic treatment hastens resolution of cellulitis-related inflammation. Patients presenting in the emergency department with signs and symptoms of class II cellulitis were assigned to receive treatment with either antibiotic therapy alone (intravenous, supplemented with oral cephalexin or an equivalent) for 10 days (n = 33) or antibiotic therapy for 10 days plus an oral anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen 400 mg every 6 hours) for 5 days (n = 31). Patients were discharged as soon as possible to complete their therapy on an outpatient basis. The addition of an oral anti-inflammatory agent significantly (P < .05) shortened the time to regression of inflammation and complete resolution of cellulitis. Twenty-four of 29 evaluable patients (82.8%) who received supplemental anti-inflammatory treatment showed regression of inflammation within 1 to 2 days compared with only 3 of 33 patients (9.1%) treated without an anti-inflammatory in the same time frame. All patients receiving adjunctive anti-inflammatory treatment experienced complete resolution of cellulitis in 4 to 5 days or less, while 24.2% (8/33) of patients treated with antibiotic alone required 6 to 7 days, and 6.1% (2/33) required 7 days or more (P < .05). This small preliminary study provides some promising data, suggesting that the supplemental use of anti-inflammatory therapy may hasten the time to regression of inflammation and complete resolution of cellulitis.

Interactions between ibrutinib and anti-CD20 antibodies; competing effects on the outcome of combination therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Skarzynski, Martin; Niemann, Carsten U; Lee, Yuh Shan; Martyr, Sabrina; Maric, Irina; Salem, Dalia; Stetler-Stevenson, Maryalice; Marti, Gerald E; Calvo, Katherine R; Yuan, Constance; Valdez, Janet; Soto, Susan; Farooqui, Mohammed Z.H.; Herman, Sarah E.M.; Wiestner, Adrian

2015-01-01

Purpose Clinical trials of ibrutinib combined with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) report encouraging results. Paradoxically, in pre-clinical studies in vitro ibrutinib was reported to decrease CD20 expression and inhibits cellular effector mechanisms. We therefore set out to investigate effects of in vivo ibrutinib treatment that could explain this paradox. Experimental Design Patients received single agent ibrutinib (420mg daily) on an investigator-initiated phase 2 trial. Serial blood samples were collected pre-treatment and during treatment for ex vivo functional assays to examine the effects on CLL cell susceptibility to anti-CD20 mAbs. Results We demonstrate that CD20 expression on ibrutinib was rapidly and persistently down-regulated (median reduction 74%, day 28, Pibrutinib were less susceptible to anti-CD20 mAb-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity than pre-treatment cells (median reduction 75%, Pibrutinib, providing a likely mechanism for the preserved C3d opsonization. Additionally, ibrutinib significantly inhibited trogocytosis, a major contributor to antigen loss and tumor escape during mAb therapy. Conclusions Our data indicate that ibrutinib promotes both positive and negative interactions with anti-CD20 mAbs, suggesting that successfully harnessing maximal anti-tumor effects of such combinations requires further investigation. PMID:26283682

Targeted Therapy of Cancer Using Photodynamic Therapy in Combination with Multi-faceted Anti-Tumor Modalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malini Olivo

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Photodynamic therapy (PDT has emerged as one of the important therapeutic options in the management of cancer and other diseases. PDT involves a tumor-localized photosensitizer (PS, which when appropriately illuminated by visible light converts oxygen into cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS, that attack key structural entities within the targeted cells, ultimately resulting in necrosis or apoptosis. Though PDT is a selective modality, it can be further enhanced by combining other targeted therapeutic strategies that include the use of synthetic peptides and nanoparticles for selective delivery of photosensitizers. Another potentially promising strategy is the application of targeted therapeutics that exploit a myriad of critical pathways involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Vascular disrupting agents that eradicate tumor vasculature during PDT and anti-angiogenic agents that targets specific molecular pathways and prevent the formation of new blood vessels are novel therapeutic approaches that have been shown to improve treatment outcome. In addition to the well-documented mechanisms of direct cell killing and damage to the tumor vasculature, PDT can also activate the body’s immune response against tumors. Numerous pre-clinical studies and clinical observations have demonstrated the immuno-stimulatory capability of PDT. Herein, we aim to integrate the most important findings with regard to the combination of PDT and other novel targeted therapy approaches, detailing its potential in cancer photomedicine.

A combination therapy of selective intraarterial anti-cancer drug infusion and radiation therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuno, Yumiko; Zaitsu, Masayoshi; Mikami, Koji; Takeuchi, Takumi; Matsuda, Izuru; Arahira, Satoko

2017-01-01

The gold standard for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer Without metastasis is radical cystectomy. However, there increase patients very elderly and with serious complications. They are not good candidates for invasive surgical operation. Intraarterial infusion of 70 mg/m"2 of cisplatin and 30 mg/m"2 of pirarubicin into bilateral bladder arteries was conducted for 5 patients diagnosed with muscle invasive bladder cancers without distant metastasis. Right and left distribution of anti-cancer drugs was determined based on the location of bladder tumor(s). External beam radiation therapy was commenced immediately following intraarterial infusion. The patients were followed up with clinical and radiographic investigations and bladderbiopsy was performed as needed. Patients were all males who are smoking or with smoking history ranging from 73 to 85 years of age (median 82). The duration between transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TUR-Bt) and intraarterial infusion of anti-cancer drugs was 47.4 days (range 26-68), the median follow-up period after intraarterial infusion was 21.5 months (range 87-547) without death. Total radiation dose was 59.2 ±3.0 Gy. Complete remission was accomplished in all cases. One patient showed intravesical recurrence of non muscle-invasive tumors 45.8 months following intraarterial infusion and underwent TUR-Bt. Two cases underwent bladder biopsies showing no tumors. All patients but one case with bladder recurrence were free of tumor recurrence with radiographic investigation. For adverse events, acute renal failure was in one case and leukocytopenia was in all 5 cases, Grade 2 for one and Grade 3 for 4 cases. Follow-up periods are not long enough, but early results of a combination therapy of selective intraarterial anti-cancer drug infusion and radiation therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer were good. (author)

A subcutaneous cellular implant for passive immunization against amyloid-β reduces brain amyloid and tau pathologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lathuilière, Aurélien; Laversenne, Vanessa; Astolfo, Alberto; Kopetzki, Erhard; Jacobsen, Helmut; Stampanoni, Marco; Bohrmann, Bernd; Schneider, Bernard L; Aebischer, Patrick

2016-05-01

Passive immunization against misfolded toxic proteins is a promising approach to treat neurodegenerative disorders. For effective immunotherapy against Alzheimer's disease, recent clinical data indicate that monoclonal antibodies directed against the amyloid-β peptide should be administered before the onset of symptoms associated with irreversible brain damage. It is therefore critical to develop technologies for continuous antibody delivery applicable to disease prevention. Here, we addressed this question using a bioactive cellular implant to deliver recombinant anti-amyloid-β antibodies in the subcutaneous tissue. An encapsulating device permeable to macromolecules supports the long-term survival of myogenic cells over more than 10 months in immunocompetent allogeneic recipients. The encapsulated cells are genetically engineered to secrete high levels of anti-amyloid-β antibodies. Peripheral implantation leads to continuous antibody delivery to reach plasma levels that exceed 50 µg/ml. In a proof-of-concept study, we show that the recombinant antibodies produced by this system penetrate the brain and bind amyloid plaques in two mouse models of the Alzheimer's pathology. When encapsulated cells are implanted before the onset of amyloid plaque deposition in TauPS2APP mice, chronic exposure to anti-amyloid-β antibodies dramatically reduces amyloid-β40 and amyloid-β42 levels in the brain, decreases amyloid plaque burden, and most notably, prevents phospho-tau pathology in the hippocampus. These results support the use of encapsulated cell implants for passive immunotherapy against the misfolded proteins, which accumulate in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evidence-Based Design of Fixed-Dose Combinations: Principles and Application to Pediatric Anti-Tuberculosis Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, Elin M; Yngman, Gunnar; Denti, Paolo; McIlleron, Helen; Kjellsson, Maria C; Karlsson, Mats O

2018-05-01

Fixed-dose combination formulations where several drugs are included in one tablet are important for the implementation of many long-term multidrug therapies. The selection of optimal dose ratios and tablet content of a fixed-dose combination and the design of individualized dosing regimens is a complex task, requiring multiple simultaneous considerations. In this work, a methodology for the rational design of a fixed-dose combination was developed and applied to the case of a three-drug pediatric anti-tuberculosis formulation individualized on body weight. The optimization methodology synthesizes information about the intended use population, the pharmacokinetic properties of the drugs, therapeutic targets, and practical constraints. A utility function is included to penalize deviations from the targets; a sequential estimation procedure was developed for stable estimation of break-points for individualized dosing. The suggested optimized pediatric anti-tuberculosis fixed-dose combination was compared with the recently launched World Health Organization-endorsed formulation. The optimized fixed-dose combination included 15, 36, and 16% higher amounts of rifampicin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide, respectively. The optimized fixed-dose combination is expected to result in overall less deviation from the therapeutic targets based on adult exposure and substantially fewer children with underexposure (below half the target). The development of this design tool can aid the implementation of evidence-based formulations, integrating available knowledge and practical considerations, to optimize drug exposures and thereby treatment outcomes.

Interactions between Ibrutinib and Anti-CD20 Antibodies: Competing Effects on the Outcome of Combination Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Skarzynski, Martin; Niemann, Carsten U; Lee, Yuh Shan; Martyr, Sabrina; Maric, Irina; Salem, Dalia; Stetler-Stevenson, Maryalice; Marti, Gerald E; Calvo, Katherine R; Yuan, Constance; Valdez, Janet; Soto, Susan; Farooqui, Mohammed Z H; Herman, Sarah E M; Wiestner, Adrian

2016-01-01

Clinical trials of ibrutinib combined with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) report encouraging results. Paradoxically, in preclinical studies, in vitro ibrutinib was reported to decrease CD20 expression and inhibit cellular effector mechanisms. We therefore set out to investigate effects of in vivo ibrutinib treatment that could explain this paradox. Patients received single-agent ibrutinib (420 mg daily) on an investigator-initiated phase II trial. Serial blood samples were collected pretreatment and during treatment for ex vivo functional assays to examine the effects on CLL cell susceptibility to anti-CD20 mAbs. We demonstrate that CD20 expression on ibrutinib was rapidly and persistently downregulated (median reduction 74%, day 28, P ibrutinib were less susceptible to anti-CD20 mAb-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity than pretreatment cells (median reduction 75%, P ibrutinib, providing a likely mechanism for the preserved C3d opsonization. In addition, ibrutinib significantly inhibited trogocytosis, a major contributor to antigen loss and tumor escape during mAb therapy. Our data indicate that ibrutinib promotes both positive and negative interactions with anti-CD20 mAbs, suggesting that successfully harnessing maximal antitumor effects of such combinations requires further investigation. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Towards Alzheimer's beta-amyloid vaccination.

Science.gov (United States)

Frenkel, D; Solomon, B

2001-01-01

Beta-amyloid pathology, the main hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been linked to its conformational status and aggregation. We recently showed that site-directed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) towards the N-terminal region of the human beta-amyloid peptide bind to preformed beta-amyloid fibrils (Abeta), leading to disaggregation and inhibition of their neurotoxic effect. Here we report the development of a novel immunization procedure to raise effective anti-aggregating amyloid beta-protein (AbetaP) antibodies, using as antigen filamentous phages displaying the only EFRH peptide found to be the epitope of these antibodies. Due to the high antigenicity of the phage no adjuvant is required to obtain high affinity anti-aggregating IgG antibodies in animals model, that exhibit identity to human AbetaP. Such antibodies are able to sequester peripheral AbetaP, thus avoiding passage through the blood brain barrier (BBB) and, as recently shown in a transgenic mouse model, to cross the BBB and dissolve already formed beta-amyloid plaques. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to use as a vaccine a self-anti-aggregating epitope displayed on a phage, and this may pave the way to treat abnormal accumulation-peptide diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or other amyloidogenic diseases. Copyright 2001 The International Association for Biologicals.

MR Microimaging of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wengenack, Thomas M.; Poduslo, Joseph F. [Mayo Clinic, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology, Rochester, MN (United States); Jack, Clifford R. [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, Rochester, MN (United States); Garwood, Michael [University of Minnesota Medical School, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Minneapolis, MN (United States); University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Radiology, Minneapolis, MN (United States)

2008-03-15

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurological condition affecting industrialized nations and will rapidly become a healthcare crisis as the population ages. Currently, the post-mortem histological observation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles is the only definitive diagnosis available for AD. A pre-mortem biological or physiological marker specific for AD used in conjunction with current neurological and memory testing could add a great deal of confidence to the diagnosis of AD and potentially allow therapeutic intervention much earlier in the disease process. Our group has developed MRI techniques to detect individual amyloid plaques in AD transgenic mouse brain in vivo. We are also developing contrast-enhancing agents to increase the specificity of detection of amyloid plaques. Such in vivo imaging of amyloid plaques will also allow the evaluation of anti-amyloid therapies being developed by the pharmaceutical industry in pre-clinical trials of AD transgenic mice. This short review briefly discusses our progress in these areas. (orig.)

Electronic medication monitoring-informed counseling to improve adherence to combination anti-retroviral therapy and virologic treatment outcomes: a meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Langebeek, Nienke; Nieuwkerk, Pythia

2015-01-01

Adherence to combination anti-retroviral therapy for HIV infection is a primary determinant of treatment success, but is often suboptimal. Previous studies have suggested that electronic medication monitoring-informed counseling is among the most effective adherence intervention components. Our

Betamethasone augments the antifungal effect of menadione--towards a novel anti-Candida albicans combination therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakab, Ágnes; Emri, Tamás; Sipos, Lilla; Kiss, Ágnes; Kovács, Renátó; Dombrádi, Viktor; Kemény-Beke, Ádám; Balla, József; Majoros, László; Pócsi, István

2015-08-01

The fluorinated glucocorticoid betamethasone stimulated both the extracellular phospholipase production and hypha formation of the opportunistic human pathogen Candida albicans and also decreased the efficiency of the polyene antimycotics amphotericin B and nystatin against C. albicans in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, betamethasone increased synergistically the anti-Candida activity of the oxidative stress generating agent menadione, which may be exploited in future combination therapies to prevent or cure C. albicans infections, in the field of dermatology. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate rapidly remodels PAP85-120, SEM1(45-107, and SEM2(49-107 seminal amyloid fibrils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura M. Castellano

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Semen harbors amyloid fibrils formed by proteolytic fragments of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP248-286 and PAP85-120 and semenogelins (SEM1 and SEM2 that potently enhance HIV infectivity. Amyloid but not soluble forms of these peptides enhance HIV infection. Thus, agents that remodel these amyloid fibrils could prevent HIV transmission. Here, we confirm that the green tea polyphenol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, slowly remodels fibrils formed by PAP248-286 termed SEVI (semen derived enhancer of viral infection and also exerts a direct anti-viral effect. We elucidate for the first time that EGCG remodels PAP85-120, SEM1(45-107, and SEM2(49-107 fibrils more rapidly than SEVI fibrils. We establish EGCG as the first small molecule that can remodel all four classes of seminal amyloid. The combined anti-amyloid and anti-viral properties of EGCG could have utility in preventing HIV transmission.

Combinational Therapy Enhances the Effects of Anti-IGF-1R mAb Figitumumab to Target Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongxin Cao

Full Text Available Small cell lung cancer (SCLC is a recalcitrant malignancy with distinct biologic properties. Antibody targeting therapy has been actively investigated as a new drug modality.We tested the expression of IGF-1R and calculated the survival in 61 SCLC patients. We also evaluated the anti-tumor effects of anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibody Figitumumab (CP on SCLC, and tried two drug combinations to improve CP therapy.Our clinical data suggested that high IGF-1R expression was correlated with low SCLC patient survival. We then demonstrated the effect of CP was likely through IGF-1R blockage and down-regulation without IGF-1R auto-phosphorylation and PI3K/AKT activation. However, we observed elevated MEK/ERK activation upon CP treatment in SCLC cells, and this MEK/ERK activation was enhanced by ß-arrestin1 knockdown while attenuated by ß-arrestin2 knockdown. We found both MEK/ERK inhibitor and metformin could enhance CP treatment in SCLC cells. We further illustrated the additive effect of metformin was likely through promoting further IGF-1R down-regulation.Our results highlighted the potential of anti-IGF-1R therapy and the adjuvant therapy strategy with either MEK/ERK inhibitor or metformin to target SCLC, warranting further studies.

Melanosomal formation of PMEL core amyloid is driven by aromatic residues.

Science.gov (United States)

Hee, Jia Shee; Mitchell, Susan M; Liu, Xinran; Leonhardt, Ralf M

2017-03-08

PMEL is a pigment cell protein that forms physiological amyloid in melanosomes. Many amyloids and/or their oligomeric precursors are toxic, causing or contributing to severe, incurable diseases including Alzheimer's and prion diseases. Striking similarities in intracellular formation pathways between PMEL and various pathological amyloids including Aβ and PrP Sc suggest PMEL is an excellent model system to study endocytic amyloid. Learning how PMEL fibrils assemble without apparent toxicity may help developing novel therapies for amyloid diseases. Here we identify the critical PMEL domain that forms the melanosomal amyloid core (CAF). An unbiased alanine-scanning screen covering the entire region combined with quantitative electron microscopy analysis of the full set of mutants uncovers numerous essential residues. Many of these rely on aromaticity for function suggesting a role for π-stacking in melanosomal amyloid assembly. Various mutants are defective in amyloid nucleation. This extensive data set informs the first structural model of the CAF and provides insights into how the melanosomal amyloid core forms.

Anti-Amyloid-?-Mediated Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Brains

OpenAIRE

McLean, Daniel; Cooke, Michael J.; Wang, Yuanfei; Green, David; Fraser, Paul E.; George-Hyslop, Peter St; Shoichet, Molly S.

2012-01-01

Antibody-mediated imaging of amyloid β (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) offers a promising strategy to detect and monitor specific Aβ species, such as oligomers, that have important pathological and therapeutic relevance. The major current limitation of antibodies as a diagnostic and imaging device is poor blood-brain-barrier permeability. A classical anti-Aβ antibody, 6E10, is modified with 10 kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a positron emitting isotope, Copper-64 (t(½) = 12.7 h), and intra...

Strategies for combinational cancer therapies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khleif, Samir

2014-01-01

The countless pre-clinical studies and many clinical trials that have applied tumor antigen-based therapies for the cancer treatment, and although the necessary tumor-specific immune response may be elicited in tumor-bearing hosts, this was not sufficient for the positive therapeutic outcome since there are multiple mechanisms that tumors develop to escape immune surveillance. The tumor-mediated inhibitory mechanisms involve co-inhibitory receptor-ligand interactions, such as PD-1/ PD-L1, secretion of inhibitory molecules, such as TGFb, and recruitment of suppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells (Treg), myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), etc. Therefore, we hypothesized that successful cancer immunotherapy requires not only induction and enhancement of effector immune response but also simultaneous targeting of suppressor arm of immune system, thus in addition to enhancing antigen-specific immunity using vaccines or radiation therapy, one should also target tumor-mediated immune suppression to improve the overall efficacy of therapy. We developed multiple strategies to target various tumor-mediated immune inhibitory mechanisms that can enhance anti-tumor immunity and restructure tumor microenvironment to allow effector cells generated due to vaccination or radiation therapy to function potently. We evaluated the immune and therapeutic efficacy of multiple combinational therapies, including blocking and agonist antibodies to co-inhibitory/co-stimulatory molecules, such as PD-1, PD-L1, OX40, CTLA-4, GITR, inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies to inhibitory cytokines/molecules, such as IL-10, TGFb, IDO, and small molecules for selective inhibition of Tregs. In addition to evaluation of anti-tumor efficacy we are also investigated cellular and molecular mechanisms of action for these agents when combined with vaccine or radiation therapy and exploring the interactions between compounds within combinational therapies in animal tumor models. We are

Vitamin k3 inhibits protein aggregation: Implication in the treatment of amyloid diseases

OpenAIRE

Parvez Alam; Sumit Kumar Chaturvedi; Mohammad Khursheed Siddiqi; Ravi Kant Rajpoot; Mohd Rehan Ajmal; Masihuz Zaman; Rizwan Hasan Khan

2016-01-01

Protein misfolding and aggregation have been associated with several human diseases such as Alzheimer?s, Parkinson?s and familial amyloid polyneuropathy etc. In this study, anti-fibrillation activity of vitamin k3 and its effect on the kinetics of amyloid formation of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) and A?-42 peptide were investigated. Here, in combination with Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay, circular dichroism (CD), transmission electron microscopy and cell cytotoxicity assay, we demons...

Nuclear imaging of amyloid deposits based upon thioflavins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yanming; Wu Chunying; Wei Jinjun

2005-01-01

and efficacy evaluation of anti-amyloid therapies currently under development.

Establishing and validating the fluorescent amyloid ligand h-FTAA (heptamer formyl thiophene acetic acid) to identify transthyretin amyloid deposits in carpal tunnel syndrome.

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Hahn, Katharina; Nilsson, K Peter R; Hammarström, Per; Urban, Peter; Meliss, Rolf Rüdiger; Behrens, Hans-Michael; Krüger, Sandra; Röcken, Christoph

2017-06-01

Transthyretin-derived (ATTR) amyloidosis is a frequent finding in carpal tunnel syndrome. We tested the following hypotheses: the novel fluorescent amyloid ligand heptameric formic thiophene acetic acid (h-FTAA) has a superior sensitivity for the detection of amyloid compared with Congo red-staining; Amyloid load correlates with patient gender and/or patient age. We retrieved 208 resection specimens obtained from 184 patients with ATTR amyloid in the carpal tunnel. Serial sections were stained with Congo red, h-FTAA and an antibody directed against transthyretin (TTR). Stained sections were digitalized and forwarded to computational analyses. The amount of amyloid was correlated with patient demographics. Amyloid stained intensely with h-FTAA and an anti-TTR-antibody. Congo red-staining combined with fluorescence microscopy was significantly less sensitive than h-FTAA-fluorescence and TTR-immunostaining: the highest percentage area was found in TTR-immunostained sections, followed by h-FTAA and Congo red. The Pearson correlation coefficient was .8 (Congo red vs. h-FTAA) and .9 (TTR vs. h-FTAA). Amyloid load correlated with patient gender, anatomical site and patient age. h-FTAA is a highly sensitive method to detect even small amounts of ATTR amyloid in the carpal tunnel. The staining protocol is easy and h-FTAA may be a much more sensitive procedure to detect amyloid at an earlier stage.

Combination Therapy with NHS-muIL12 and Avelumab (anti-PD-L1) Enhances Antitumor Efficacy in Preclinical Cancer Models.

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Xu, Chunxiao; Zhang, Yanping; Rolfe, P Alexander; Hernández, Vivian M; Guzman, Wilson; Kradjian, Giorgio; Marelli, Bo; Qin, Guozhong; Qi, Jin; Wang, Hong; Yu, Huakui; Tighe, Robert; Lo, Kin-Ming; English, Jessie M; Radvanyi, Laszlo; Lan, Yan

2017-10-01

Purpose: To determine whether combination therapy with NHS-muIL12 and the anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody avelumab can enhance antitumor efficacy in preclinical models relative to monotherapies. Experimental Design: BALB/c mice bearing orthotopic EMT-6 mammary tumors and μMt - mice bearing subcutaneous MC38 tumors were treated with NHS-muIL12, avelumab, or combination therapy; tumor growth and survival were assessed. Tumor recurrence following remission and rechallenge was evaluated in EMT-6 tumor-bearing mice. Immune cell populations within spleen and tumors were evaluated by FACS and IHC. Immune gene expression in tumor tissue was profiled by NanoString® assay and plasma cytokine levels were determined by multiplex cytokine assay. The frequency of tumor antigen-reactive IFNγ-producing CD8 + T cells was evaluated by ELISpot assay. Results: NHS-muIL12 and avelumab combination therapy enhanced antitumor efficacy relative to either monotherapy in both tumor models. Most EMT-6 tumor-bearing mice treated with combination therapy had complete tumor regression. Combination therapy also induced the generation of tumor-specific immune memory, as demonstrated by protection against tumor rechallenge and induction of effector and memory T cells. Combination therapy enhanced cytotoxic NK and CD8 + T-cell proliferation and T-bet expression, whereas NHS-muIL12 monotherapy induced CD8 + T-cell infiltration into the tumor. Combination therapy also enhanced plasma cytokine levels and stimulated expression of a greater number of innate and adaptive immune genes compared with either monotherapy. Conclusions: These data indicate that combination therapy with NHS-muIL12 and avelumab increased antitumor efficacy in preclinical models, and suggest that combining NHS-IL12 and avelumab may be a promising approach to treating patients with solid tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 23(19); 5869-80. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Lack of evidence for protein AA reactivity in amyloid deposits of lattice corneal dystrophy and amyloid corneal degeneration.

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Gorevic, P D; Rodrigues, M M; Krachmer, J H; Green, C; Fujihara, S; Glenner, G G

1984-08-15

Amyloid fibrils occurring in primary and myeloma-associated (AL), secondary (AA), and certain neuropathic hereditary forms of systemic amyloidosis can be distinguished biochemically or immunohistologically as being composed of immunoglobulin light chain, protein AA, or prealbumin respectively. All types of systemic and several localized forms of amyloidosis contain amyloid P component (protein AP). We studied formalin-fixed tissue from eight cases of lattice corneal dystrophy by the immunoperoxidase method using antisera to proteins AA and AP, to normal serum prealbumin and prealbumin isolated from a case of hereditary amyloidosis, and to light-chain determinants; additional cases were examined by indirect immunofluorescence of fresh-frozen material. We found weak (1:10 dilution) staining with anti-AP, but no reactivity with other antisera. Congo red staining was resistant to pretreatment of sections with potassium permanganate, a characteristic of non-AA amyloid. Two-dimensional gels of solubilized proteins from frozen tissue from two cases of lattice corneal dystrophy resembled those obtained from normal human cornea. Western blots of two cases of polymorphous amyloid degeneration and solubilized protein from normal cornea did not react with radioactive iodine-labeled anti-AA or anti-AP with purified protein AP and unfixed protein AA amyloid tissue as controls. We were unable to corroborate the presence of protein AA in the amyloid deposits of lattice corneal dystrophy. Although staining with antiserum to protein AP was demonstrable, the molecular configuration of this protein in stromal deposits remains to be defined.

Development and characterization of a TAPIR-like mouse monoclonal antibody to amyloid-beta.

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Wang, Jun; Hara, Hideo; Makifuchi, Takao; Tabira, Takeshi

2008-06-01

Tissue amyloid plaque immuno-reactive (TAPIR) antibody was better related to the effect of immunotherapy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) than ELISA antibody. Here we used a hybridoma technique to develop a TAPIR-like anti-human amyloid-beta (Abeta) mouse monoclonal antibody. The obtained monoclonal antibody, 3.4A10, was an IgG2b isotype and recognized N-terminal portion of Abeta1-42 without binding denatured or native amyloid-beta protein precursor. It had higher affinity to Abeta1-42 than to Abeta1-40 by Biacore affinity analysis and stained preferably the peripheral part of senile plaques and recognized the plaque core less than 4G8. It inhibited the Abeta1-42 fibril formation as well as degraded pre-aggregated Abeta1-42 peptide in a thioflavin T fluorescence spectrophotometry assay. The in vivo studies showed that 3.4A10 treatment decreased amyloid burden compared to the control group and significantly reduced Abeta42 levels rather than Abeta40 levels in brain lysates as well as the Abeta*56 oligomer (12mer) in TBS fraction of the brain lysates. 3.4A10 entered brain and decorated some plaques, which is surrounded by more Iba1-positive microglia. 3.4A10 therapy did not induce lymphocytic infiltration and obvious increase in microhemorrhage. We conclude that 3.4A10 is a TAPIR-like anti-human amyloid monoclonal antibody, and has a potential of therapeutic application for AD.

Towards a Pharmacophore for Amyloid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landau, Meytal; Sawaya, Michael R.; Faull, Kym F.; Laganowsky, Arthur; Jiang, Lin; Sievers, Stuart A.; Liu, Jie; Barrio, Jorge R.; Eisenberg, David (UCLA)

2011-09-16

Diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's and other diseases associated with amyloid fibers remains a great challenge despite intensive research. To aid in this effort, we present atomic structures of fiber-forming segments of proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease in complex with small molecule binders, determined by X-ray microcrystallography. The fiber-like complexes consist of pairs of {beta}-sheets, with small molecules binding between the sheets, roughly parallel to the fiber axis. The structures suggest that apolar molecules drift along the fiber, consistent with the observation of nonspecific binding to a variety of amyloid proteins. In contrast, negatively charged orange-G binds specifically to lysine side chains of adjacent sheets. These structures provide molecular frameworks for the design of diagnostics and drugs for protein aggregation diseases. The devastating and incurable dementia known as Alzheimer's disease affects the thinking, memory, and behavior of dozens of millions of people worldwide. Although amyloid fibers and oligomers of two proteins, tau and amyloid-{beta}, have been identified in association with this disease, the development of diagnostics and therapeutics has proceeded to date in a near vacuum of information about their structures. Here we report the first atomic structures of small molecules bound to amyloid. These are of the dye orange-G, the natural compound curcumin, and the Alzheimer's diagnostic compound DDNP bound to amyloid-like segments of tau and amyloid-{beta}. The structures reveal the molecular framework of small-molecule binding, within cylindrical cavities running along the {beta}-spines of the fibers. Negatively charged orange-G wedges into a specific binding site between two sheets of the fiber, combining apolar binding with electrostatic interactions, whereas uncharged compounds slide along the cavity. We observed that different amyloid polymorphs bind different small molecules, revealing that a

Dual combination therapy targeting DR5 and EMMPRIN in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

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Kim, Hyunki; Zhai, Guihua; Samuel, Sharon L; Rigell, Christopher J; Umphrey, Heidi R; Rana, Samir; Stockard, Cecil R; Fineberg, Naomi S; Zinn, Kurt R

2012-02-01

The goal of the study was to assess the efficacy of combined extracellular matrix metalloprotease inducer (EMMPRIN)- and death receptor 5 (DR5)-targeted therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma in orthotopic mouse models with multimodal imaging. Cytotoxicity of anti-EMMPRIN antibody and anti-DR5 antibody (TRA-8) in MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cell lines was measured by ATPlite assay in vitro. The distributions of Cy5.5-labeled TRA-8 and Cy3-labeled anti-EMMPRIN antibody in the 2 cell lines were analyzed by fluorescence imaging in vitro. Groups 1 to 12 of severe combined immunodeficient mice bearing orthotopic MIA PaCa-2 (groups 1-8) or PANC-1 (groups 9-12) tumors were used for in vivo studies. Dynamic contrast-enhanced-MRI was applied in group 1 (untreated) or group 2 (anti-EMMPRIN antibody). The tumor uptake of Tc-99m-labeled TRA-8 was measured in group 3 (untreated) and group 4 (anti-EMMPRIN antibody). Positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging with (18)F-FDG was applied in groups 5 to 12. Groups 5 to 8 (or groups 9 to 12) were untreated or treated with anti-EMMPRIN antibody, TRA-8, and combination, respectively. TRA-8 showed high killing efficacy for both MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells in vitro, but additional anti-EMMPRIN treatment did not improve the cytotoxicity. Cy5.5-TRA-8 formed cellular caps in both the cell lines, whereas the maximum signal intensity was correlated with TRA-8 cytotoxicity. Anti-EMMPRIN therapy significantly enhanced the tumor delivery of the MR contrast agent, but not Tc-99m-TRA-8. Tumor growth was significantly suppressed by the combination therapy, and the additive effect of the combination was shown in both MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 tumor models.

Vascular alterations in PDAPP mice after anti-Aβ immunotherapy: Implications for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities.

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Zago, Wagner; Schroeter, Sally; Guido, Teresa; Khan, Karen; Seubert, Peter; Yednock, Ted; Schenk, Dale; Gregg, Keith M; Games, Dora; Bard, Frédérique; Kinney, Gene G

2013-10-01

Clinical studies of β-amyloid (Aβ) immunotherapy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have demonstrated reduction of central Aβ plaque by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and the appearance of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). To better understand the relationship between ARIA and the pathophysiology of AD, we undertook a series of studies in PDAPP mice evaluating vascular alterations in the context of central Aβ pathology and after anti-Aβ immunotherapy. We analyzed PDAPP mice treated with either 3 mg/kg/week of 3D6, the murine form of bapineuzumab, or isotype control antibodies for periods ranging from 1 to 36 weeks and evaluated the vascular alterations in the context of Aβ pathology and after anti-Aβ immunotherapy. The number of mice in each treatment group ranged from 26 to 39 and a total of 345 animals were analyzed. The central vasculature displayed morphological abnormalities associated with vascular Aβ deposits. Treatment with 3D6 antibody induced clearance of vascular Aβ that was spatially and temporally associated with a transient increase in microhemorrhage and in capillary Aβ deposition. Microhemorrhage resolved over a time period that was associated with a recovery of vascular morphology and a decrease in capillary Aβ accumulation. These data suggest that vascular leakage events, such as microhemorrhage, may be related to the removal of vascular Aβ. With continued treatment, this initial susceptibility period is followed by restoration of vascular morphology and reduced vulnerability to further vascular leakage events. The data collectively suggested a vascular amyloid clearance model of ARIA, which accounts for the currently known risk factors for the incidence of ARIA in clinical studies. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Drainage alone or combined with anti-tumor therapy for treatment of obstructive jaundice caused by recurrence and metastasis after primary tumor resection.

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Xu, Chuan; Huang, Xin-En; Wang, Shu-Xiang; Lv, Peng-Hua; Sun, Ling; Wang, Fu-An; Wang, Li-Fu

2014-01-01

To compare drainage alone or combined with anti-tumor therapy for treatment of obstructive jaundice caused by recurrence and metastasis after primary tumor resection. We collect 42 patients with obstructive jaundice caused by recurrence and metastasis after tumor resection from January 2008 - August 2012, for which percutaneous transhepatic catheter drainage (pTCD)/ percutaneous transhepatic biliary stenting (pTBS) were performed. In 25 patients drainage was combined with anti-tumor treatment, antineoplastic therapy including intra/postprodure local treatment and postoperative systemic chemotherapy, the other 17 undergoing drainage only. We assessed the two kinds of treatment with regard to patient prognosis. Both treatments demonstrated good effects in reducing bilirubin levels in the short term and promoting liver function. The time to reobstruction was 125 days in the combined group and 89 days in the drainage only group; the mean survival times were 185 and 128 days, the differences being significant. Interventional drainage in the treatment of the obstructive jaundice caused by recurrence and metastasis after tumor resection can decrease bilirubin level quickly in a short term and promote the liver function recovery. Combined treatment prolongs the survival time and period before reobstruction as compared to drainage only.

Structure-activity relationships for flavone interactions with amyloid β reveal a novel anti-aggregatory and neuroprotective effect of 2',3',4'-trihydroxyflavone (2-D08).

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Marsh, Dylan T; Das, Sukanya; Ridell, Jessica; Smid, Scott D

2017-07-15

Naturally-occurring flavonoids have well documented anti-aggregatory and neuroprotective properties against the hallmark toxic protein in Alzheimer's disease, amyloid β (Aβ). However the extensive diversity of flavonoids has limited the insight into the precise structure-activity relationships that confer such bioactive properties against the Aβ protein. In the present study we have characterised the Aβ binding properties, anti-aggregatory and neuroprotective effects of a discreet set of flavones, including the recently described novel protein sumoylation inhibitor 2',3',4'-trihydroxyflavone (2-D08). Quercetin, transilitin, jaceosidin, nobiletin and 2-D08 were incubated with human Aβ 1-42 for 48h in vitro and effects on Aβ fibrillisation kinetics and morphology measured using Thioflavin T (ThT) and electron microscopy respectively, in addition to effects on neuronal PC12 cell viability. Of the flavones studied, only quercetin, transilitin and 2-D08 significantly inhibited Aβ 1-42 aggregation and toxicity in PC12 cells. Of those, 2-D08 was the most effective inhibitor. The strong anti-amyloid activity of 2-D08 indicates that extensive hydroxylation in the B ring is the most important determinant of activity against β amyloid within the flavone scaffold. The lack of efficacy of jaceosidin and nobiletin indicate that extension of B ring hydroxylation with methoxyl groups result in an incremental loss of anti-fibrillar and neuroprotective activity, highlighting the constraint to vicinal hydroxyl groups in the B ring for effective inhibition of aggregation. These findings reveal further structural insights into anti-amyloid bioactivity of flavonoids in addition to a novel and efficacious anti-aggregatory and neuroprotective effect of the semi-synthetic flavone and sumoylation inhibitor 2',3',4'-trihydroxyflavone (2-D08). Such modified flavones may facilitate drug development targeting multiple pathways in neurodegenerative disease. Crown Copyright © 2017

Tokishakuyakusan ameliorates spatial memory deficits induced by ovariectomy combined with β-amyloid in rats

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Nobuaki Egashira

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Previously, we reported that ovariectomy (OVX combined with β-amyloid peptide (Aβ impaired spatial memory by decreasing extracellular acetylcholine (ACh levels in the dorsal hippocampus. Here, we investigated the effect of tokishakuyakusan (TSS, a Kampo medicine, on the impairment of spatial memory induced by OVX combined with Aβ in rats. Repeated administration of TSS (300 mg/kg, p.o. significantly decreased the number of errors in the eight-arm radial maze test. Though TSS had no effect on extracellular ACh levels at baseline, TSS significantly increased extracellular ACh levels in the dorsal hippocampus. These results suggest that TSS improves the impairment of spatial memory induced by OVX combined with Aβ by (at least in part increasing extracellular ACh levels in the dorsal hippocampus. Keywords: Tokishakuyakusan, Ovariectomy, β-Amyloid, Memory, Acetylcholine

Benefits of combined radioimmunotherapy and anti-angiogenic therapy in a liver metastasis model of human colon cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiao-Feng; Kinuya, Seigo; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Michigishi, Takatoshi; Tonami, Norihisa; Koshida, Kiyoshi; Mori, Hirofumi; Shiba, Kazuhiro; Watanabe, Naoto; Shuke, Noriyuki

2002-01-01

The combined use of anti-angiogenic therapy (AT) and radioimmunotherapy (RIT) may improve the therapeutic outcome in patients with cancer lesions. This hypothesis is based on the ability of AT to suppress tumour endothelial compartments and the direct action of RIT against tumour cells. We previously confirmed this hypothesis in an established subcutaneous xenograft model of colon cancer. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine the benefit of this combination within a liver metastasis model, which mimics treatment of minimal disease in an adjuvant setting. Liver metastases were established in nude mice by intrasplenic inoculation of LS180 colon cancer cells; following such inoculation, metastases of 131 I-A7, an IgG1 anti-colorectal monoclonal antibody, was conducted at 2 weeks. RIT employing an irrelevant IgG1, 131 I-HPMS-1, was implemented for comparison. The weight of liver metastases was measured 4 weeks after cell inoculation. The effect of AT on 131 I-A7 accumulation in metastases was also observed. Toxicity of treatment was monitored by blood cell counts. Monotherapy with 2-ME AT or 131 I-A7 RIT significantly suppressed metastasis growth (P 131 I-A7 RIT. Combination of AT and 131 I-A7 RIT more effectively suppressed the growth to 0.28±0.32 g (P 131 I-HPMS-1 RIT, which suppressed metastasis growth to 2.25±0.88 g, was significant in comparison with the control (P 131 I-HPMS-1 RIT (which suppressed growth to 1.41±0.68 g) was far less effective than the combination of AT and 131 I-A7 RIT. AT did not decrease 131 I-A7 accumulation in metastases. AT did not affect RIT myelotoxicity. The results of this study demonstrating the combined effects of AT and 131 I-A7 RIT in a small metastasis model indicate that such combination therapy may be suitable for the treatment of minimal disease. (orig.)

Atorvastatin/trimetazidine combination therapy in patients with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To explore the outcomes and safety of atorvastatin/trimetazidine combination therapy in patients with chronic cardiac failure. Methods: A total of 144 patients with chronic cardiac failure were divided into test group (n = 72) and control group (n = 72). In addition to conventional anti-heart failure treatment, all patients ...

Structure activity relationship study of curcumin analogues toward the amyloid-beta aggregation inhibitor.

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Endo, Hitoshi; Nikaido, Yuri; Nakadate, Mamiko; Ise, Satomi; Konno, Hiroyuki

2014-12-15

Inhibition of the amyloid β aggregation process could possibly prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. In this article, we report a structure-activity relationship study of curcumin analogues for anti amyloid β aggregation activity. Compound 7, the ideal amyloid β aggregation inhibitor in vitro among synthesized curcumin analogues, has not only potent anti amyloid β aggregation effects, but also water solubility more than 160 times that of curcumin. In addition, new approaches to improve water solubility of curcumin-type compounds are proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation of soluble amyloid oligomers and amyloid fibrils by the multifunctional protein vitronectin

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Langen Ralf

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The multifunctional protein vitronectin is present within the deposits associated with Alzheimer disease (AD, age-related macular degeneration (AMD, atherosclerosis, systemic amyloidoses, and glomerulonephritis. The extent to which vitronectin contributes to amyloid formation within these plaques, which contain misfolded, amyloidogenic proteins, and the role of vitronectin in the pathophysiology of the aforementioned diseases is currently unknown. The investigation of vitronectin aggregation is significant since the formation of oligomeric and fibrillar structures are common features of amyloid proteins. Results We observed vitronectin immunoreactivity in senile plaques of AD brain, which exhibited overlap with the amyloid fibril-specific OC antibody, suggesting that vitronectin is deposited at sites of amyloid formation. Of particular interest is the growing body of evidence indicating that soluble nonfibrillar oligomers may be responsible for the development and progression of amyloid diseases. In this study we demonstrate that both plasma-purified and recombinant human vitronectin readily form spherical oligomers and typical amyloid fibrils. Vitronectin oligomers are toxic to cultured neuroblastoma and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE cells, possibly via a membrane-dependent mechanism, as they cause leakage of synthetic vesicles. Oligomer toxicity was attenuated in RPE cells by the anti-oligomer A11 antibody. Vitronectin fibrils contain a C-terminal protease-resistant fragment, which may approximate the core region of residues essential to amyloid formation. Conclusion These data reveal the propensity of vitronectin to behave as an amyloid protein and put forth the possibilities that accumulation of misfolded vitronectin may contribute to aggregate formation seen in age-related amyloid diseases.

AL amyloid imaging and therapy with a monoclonal antibody to a cryptic epitope on amyloid fibrils.

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Jonathan S Wall

Full Text Available The monoclonal antibody 2A4 binds an epitope derived from a cleavage site of serum amyloid protein A (sAA containing a -Glu-Asp- amino acid pairing. In addition to its reactivity with sAA amyloid deposits, the antibody was also found to bind amyloid fibrils composed of immunoglobulin light chains. The antibody binds to synthetic fibrils and human light chain (AL amyloid extracts with high affinity even in the presence of soluble light chain proteins. Immunohistochemistry with biotinylated 2A4 demonstrated positive reaction with ALκ and ALλ human amyloid deposits in various organs. Surface plasmon resonance analyses using synthetic AL fibrils as a substrate revealed that 2A4 bound with a K(D of ∼10 nM. Binding was inhibited in the presence of the -Glu-Asp- containing immunogen peptide. Radiolabeled 2A4 specifically localized with human AL amyloid extracts implanted in mice (amyloidomas as evidenced by single photon emission (SPECT imaging. Furthermore, co-localization of the radiolabeled mAb with amyloid was shown in biodistribution and micro-autoradiography studies. Treatment with 2A4 expedited regression of ALκ amyloidomas in mice, likely mediated by the action of macrophages and neutrophils, relative to animals that received a control antibody. These data indicate that the 2A4 mAb might be of interest for potential imaging and immunotherapy in patients with AL amyloidosis.

Photodynamic therapy combined with antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment for recalcitrant chronic central serous chorioretinopathy

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Asahi MG

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Masumi G Asahi,1 Andrew T Chon,1 Esmeralda Gallemore,1 Ron P Gallemore1,2 1Clinical Research Department, Retina Macula Institute, Torrance, CA, USA; 2Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Purpose: To determine whether combination photodynamic therapy (PDT and antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF therapy is effective in the management of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC recalcitrant to conventional therapy. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of eight patients with chronic CSC unresponsive to topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, focal photocoagulation, anti-VEGF alone, or PDT alone. All patients were evaluated with a full ophthalmic examination, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT, fluorescein angiography (FA, and most with indocyanine green angiography (ICGA followed by treatment with half-fluence PDT and intravitreal anti-VEGF injection (seven bevacizumab, one aflibercept. Patients were seen in follow-up 1 month after treatment. Results: All eight patients achieved complete resolution in subretinal fluid following combination treatment. Average duration of CSC prior to initiation of combination therapy was 7.5 months. Mean central macular thickness on OCT decreased significantly from 401.2±52.7 µm to 297.9±18.2 µm (p=0.0010 by 4 months after treatment (1.63±1.18 months. Seven of eight patients were followed up for an average of 13 months with no recurrence during that time. One case recurred at 8 months and was treated with repeat combination at that time. Frank choroidal neovascularization (CNV was not identified in these cases on FA or ICGA studies. Eight of eight patients showed significant improvement in vision from a logMAR of 0.1125±0.099 to 0.0125±0.064 (p=0.019. Conclusion: Combination PDT and anti-VEGF is effective for chronic CSC which has failed conventional therapy. Associated CNV and/or inflammation may be reasons for greater success in

Weight Gain and Hair Loss during Anti-TNF Therapy

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Abdo Lutf

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To investigate the incidence of weight gain and hair loss as adverse effects of anti-TNF therapy in rheumatic diseases. Methods. Patients using anti-TNF therapy, who are followed in rheumatology clinic, were interviewed using a questionnaire to investigate the side effects of anti-TNF therapy. Patients who complained of hair loss and weight gain were asked additional questions concerning the relationship of these adverse effects to anti-TNF use, whether therapy was stopped because of these adverse effects and if the adverse effects reversed after stopping therapy. The files were reviewed to follow the weight change before, during, and after discontinuation of anti-TNF. Results. One hundred fifty consecutive patients (82 RA, 34 ankylosing spondylitis, 32 psoriatic arthritis, and 4 for other indications were interviewed .Weight gain was observed in 20 patients (13.3% with average gain of 5.5 Kg. Anti-TNF was stopped in five patients because of this adverse effect. Hair loss during anti-TNf therapy was reported in five females (3.3% and anti-TNF therapy was stopped in all of them. Conclusion. Weight gain and hair loss appear to be associated with anti-TNF therapy and may be one reason for discontinuing the therapy.

Tamsulosin Monotherapy versus Combination Therapy with Antibiotics or Anti-Inflammatory Agents in the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

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Tae Hyo Kim

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS is treated by use of various protocols. We compared tamsulosin monotherapy with tamsulosin in combination with antibiotics or anti-inflammatory agents and evaluated the efficacy of these treatments in patients with CPPS. Methods Patients (n=107 who were younger than 55 years and diagnosed with CPPS were randomly assigned to treatment with tamsulosin at 0.2 mg (group A, tamsulosin at 0.2 mg plus anti-inflammatory drugs (group B or tamsulosin at 0.2 mg plus antibiotics (group C daily. We applied the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS to evaluate 100 patients who were treated for 12 weeks (7 withdrew. Scores of the three groups were compared by analysis of variance and we also evaluated subscores, which included pain, voiding and quality of life (QoL. Results All three groups showed statistically significant decreases in NIH-CPSI score, IPSS and subscore scores (P<0.05. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups except for the QoL domain of the IPSS (group A vs. C; P<0.01. Conclusions Tamsulosin monotherapy for 12 weeks was effective for treating patients with CPPS, compared with combination therapy with antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs.

Radiation and Anti-Cancer Vaccines: A Winning Combination.

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Cadena, Alexandra; Cushman, Taylor R; Anderson, Clark; Barsoumian, Hampartsoum B; Welsh, James W; Cortez, Maria Angelica

2018-01-30

The emerging combination of radiation therapy with vaccines is a promising new treatment plan in the fight against cancer. While many cancer vaccines such as MUC1, p53 CpG oligodeoxynucleotide, and SOX2 may be great candidates for antitumor vaccination, there still remain many investigations to be done into possible vaccine combinations. One fruitful partnership that has emerged are anti-tumor vaccines in combination with radiation. Radiation therapy was previously thought to be only a tool for directly or indirectly damaging DNA and therefore causing cancer cell death. Now, with much preclinical and clinical data, radiation has taken on the role of an in situ vaccine. With both cancer vaccines and radiation at our disposal, more and more studies are looking to combining vaccine types such as toll-like receptors, viral components, dendritic-cell-based, and subunit vaccines with radiation. While the outcomes of these combinatory efforts are promising, there is still much work to be covered. This review sheds light on the current state of affairs in cancer vaccines and how radiation will bring its story into the future.

Survival benefit of anti-HER2 therapy after whole-brain radiotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis.

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Zhang, Qian; Chen, Jian; Yu, Xiaoli; Cai, Gang; Yang, Zhaozhi; Cao, Lu; Hu, Chaosu; Guo, Xiaomao; Sun, Jing; Chen, Jiayi

2016-09-01

We aimed to assess the survival benefit of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis (BM) after whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in combination with systemic treatments, especially anti-HER2 therapy. This retrospective study analyzed the overall survival (OS) of 60 HER2-positive breast cancer patients with BM after WBRT in combination with systemic treatments. Among them, 42 patients received chemotherapy while 18 patients did not receive after WBRT. With regard to anti-HER2 therapy, after WBRT, 17 patients received anti-HER2 treatment without prior adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy, 7 patients received anti-HER2 treatment with prior adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy, and 36 patients did not receive further anti-HER2 treatment. All patients were followed up regularly until January 23, 2013. The median OS of patients with BM was 12 months. Patients who received anti-HER2 therapy and chemotherapy after WBRT had significantly better survival compared with patients who did not receive further treatment. Patients who received anti-HER2 treatment after WBRT but did not receive adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy for early breast cancer had better OS, followed by patients who received anti-HER2 agent both in adjuvant treatment and after WBRT and patients who did not receive anti-HER2 treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that Karnofsky Performance Status, control of extracranial metastases, chemotherapy after WBRT, and anti-HER2 therapy combined with WBRT were all independent predictors for OS. Both chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy after WBRT could improve OS. Moreover, patients without prior exposure to adjuvant anti-HER2 treatment may have survival benefit superior to those of patients with prior exposure.

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin and anti-PD-L1 combination therapy boosts immune response against bladder cancer

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Wang Y

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Yonghua Wang,1 Jing Liu,2 Xuecheng Yang,1 Yanan Liu,1 Yong Liu,1 Yanjiang Li,1 Lijiang Sun,1 Xiaokun Yang,1 Haitao Niu1 1Department of Urology, 2Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, People’s Republic of China Background: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1 is a critical immune checkpoint molecule which promotes immunosuppression by binding to PD-1 on T-cells in tumor immunity. We have previously identified that activation of toll like receptor 4 (TLR-4, which serves an important role in the induction of antitumor immune response during Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG immunotherapy, could upregulate PD-L1 expression in bladder cancer (BCa cells through the classical mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK pathway and subsequently weaken the cytotoxicity of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL. It is, therefore, necessary to investigate the possible potential relationship between PD-L1 expression and BCG immunotherapy. Materials and methods: In this study we investigated the effects of BCG treatment on PD-L1 expression in BCa cells and also evaluated the efficacy of BCG and anti-PD-L1 combination therapy in immunocompetent orthotopic rat BCa models. Results: We found that PD-L1 expression was obviously upregulated in BCa cells in response to BCG treatment both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, BCG and anti-PD-L1 combination treatment activated a potent antitumor immune response with the increase in the number and activity of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, as well as the reduction in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs, and eventually elicits prominent tumor growth inhibition and prolonged survival, and was found to be much more effective than either agent alone. Conclusion: These findings highlight the adaptive dynamic regulation of PD-L1 in response to BCG immunotherapy and suggest that combination of BCG immunotherapy with PD-L1 blockade may be an effective antitumor strategy for improving treatment

Efficacy of combination therapy of anti-TNF-α antibody infliximab and methotrexate in refractory entero-Behçet's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwata, Shigeru; Saito, Kazuyoshi; Yamaoka, Kunihiro; Tsujimura, Shizuyo; Nawata, Masao; Hanami, Kentaro; Tanaka, Yoshiya

2011-04-01

It is often difficult to manage refractory gastrointestinal tract complications of Behçet's disease (entero-BD) by conventional therapy. In this study, we assessed the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of the combination therapy of infliximab, an anti-tumor-necrosis-factor (TNF)-α antibody, and methotrexate in ten patients with refractory entero-BD refractory to conventional therapies. The short- (weeks) and long-term (by 2 years) effects of infliximab at 3-5 mg/kg body weight every 8 weeks on the clinical course and intestinal manifestations were assessed by abdominal computed tomography (CT) and colonoscopy. The primary endpoint was the rate of disappearance of ileocecal ulceration at 12 months of therapy. All patients showed improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms and disease-associated complications within 4 weeks. Furthermore, the rate of disappearance of ileocecal ulcerations was 50% (5/10 patients) at 6 months and 90% (9/10 patients) at 12 months, and, therefore 90% of patients were satisfied with the primary endpoint. Furthermore, corticosteroid dose was significantly reduced from 22.0 to 1.8 mg/day at 24 months. No severe adverse effects were observed during the 24 months of follow-up. We provide evidence for the rapid and excellent efficacy of infliximab in patients with refractory entero-BD and that the combination of infliximab and methotrexate brings about long-term alleviation of entero-BD and excellent tolerability.

Systems modeling of anti-apoptotic pathways in prostate cancer: psychological stress triggers a synergism pattern switch in drug combination therapy.

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Xiaoqiang Sun

Full Text Available Prostate cancer patients often have increased levels of psychological stress or anxiety, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between psychological stress and prostate cancer as well as therapy resistance have been rarely studied and remain poorly understood. Recent reports show that stress inhibits apoptosis in prostate cancer cells via epinephrine/beta2 adrenergic receptor/PKA/BAD pathway. In this study, we used experimental data on the signaling pathways that control BAD phosphorylation to build a dynamic network model of apoptosis regulation in prostate cancer cells. We then compared the predictive power of two different models with or without the role of Mcl-1, which justified the role of Mcl-1 stabilization in anti-apoptotic effects of emotional stress. Based on the selected model, we examined and quantitatively evaluated the induction of apoptosis by drug combination therapies. We predicted that the combination of PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and inhibition of BAD phosphorylation at S112 would produce the best synergistic effect among 8 interventions examined. Experimental validation confirmed the effectiveness of our predictive model. Moreover, we found that epinephrine signaling changes the synergism pattern and decreases efficacy of combination therapy. The molecular mechanisms responsible for therapeutic resistance and the switch in synergism were explored by analyzing a network model of signaling pathways affected by psychological stress. These results provide insights into the mechanisms of psychological stress signaling in therapy-resistant cancer, and indicate the potential benefit of reducing psychological stress in designing more effective therapies for prostate cancer patients.

Anti-inflammatory therapy for urinary tract infection in children

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A. A. Vyalkova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: to substantiate the importance of an etiological approach to diagnosing urinary tract infection in children in terms of the species and biological properties of an infectious agent and to evaluate the efficiency of anti-inflammatory therapy. The study included 116 patients aged 3-15 years with chronic pyelonephritis (Group 1 and isolated bacteriuria (Group 2. After 10-14-day antibiotic therapy, Group 1 patients were allocated to two subgroups: Subgroup la («=30 took furamag 5 mg/kg/day; Subgroup lb («=30 received furamag at the same dose in combination with canephron. The treatment cycle lasted 10-14 days. Subgroup 2a («=26 children had furamag 5 mgДg/day and Subgroup 2b (« =30 took furamag in combination with canephron. The duration of treatment was 14 days. The investigators established the high efficiency of therapy with furamag for renal infection in the children with the active and decrement phases and that of the drug of choice for its monotherapy of isolated highly virulent bacteriuria. Therapeutic efficiency was proven to be related to the species and biological characteristics of an infectious agent. Anti-inflammatory therapy for pyelonephritis in terms of the species of pathogenic bacteria was ascertained to improve the efficiency of treatment. A rationale was provided for the individual choice of antibiotics, followed by the use of furamag, eubiotics, and drugs aimed at inhibiting virulence factors and persistence of the pathogen to sanitize the primary focus of infection.

The study of combination therapy for arterial infusion chemotherapy and radiation therapy in unresectable gallbladder cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Takuma; Saito, Hiroya; Yanagawa, Nobuyuki; Fujinaga, Akihiro; Saito, Yoshinori

2013-01-01

In this study, we investigated an effective strategy of treatment for unresectable gallbladder cancer (GBC) by the retrospective analysis of prognostic factors and anti-tumor therapies, especially combination therapy of arterial infusion chemotherapy and radiation therapy (AI+PT). Forty-three patients with unresectable GBC were enrolled, and prognostic factors were investigated by multivariate analysis using a proportional hazard model. In addition, we examined the indication and after-therapy by analyzing the each factor cumulative survival rates and anti-tumor effect about the AI + RT group (n=24). AI + RT and the responders to the first-line therapy were significant prognostic factors. In AI + RT group, median survival time, progression-free survival and the 1-year survival rate, the response and disease control rates was 15.5 months, 7.1 months, 62.5%. 54.2% and 95.8%, respectively; which suggested prolonged survival and high anti-tumor effect. Cumulative survival rate was significantly shorter in cases with distant metastasis except liver metastases, and has been tendency to extend in the group who underwent systemic chemotherapy as after-therapy. The treatment strategy, using the Al + RT as first-line with the systemic chemotherapy as after-therapy, suggested contribute to the prolonged survival in locally advanced and liver metastases cases of GBC. (author)

Combination antiretroviral therapy and cancer risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borges, Álvaro H

2017-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the newest research about the effects of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) on cancer risk. RECENT FINDINGS: HIV+ persons are at increased risk of cancer. As this risk is higher for malignancies driven by viral and bacterial coinfections, classifying malignanci......ART initiation in reducing cancer risk, understand the relationship between long-term cART exposure and cancer incidence and assess whether adjuvant anti-inflammatory therapies can reduce cancer risk during treated HIV infection.......PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the newest research about the effects of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) on cancer risk. RECENT FINDINGS: HIV+ persons are at increased risk of cancer. As this risk is higher for malignancies driven by viral and bacterial coinfections, classifying malignancies...... into infection-related and infection-unrelated has been an emerging trend. Cohorts have detected major reductions in the incidence of Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) following cART initiation among immunosuppressed HIV+ persons. However, recent randomized data indicate that cART reduces risk...

Access to artemisinin-combination therapy (ACT) and other anti-malarials: national policy and markets in Sierra Leone.

Science.gov (United States)

Amuasi, John H; Diap, Graciela; Nguah, Samuel Blay; Karikari, Patrick; Boakye, Isaac; Jambai, Amara; Lahai, Wani Kumba; Louie, Karly S; Kiechel, Jean-Rene

2012-01-01

Malaria remains the leading burden of disease in post-conflict Sierra Leone. To overcome the challenge of anti-malarial drug resistance and improve effective treatment, Sierra Leone adopted artemisinin-combination therapy artesunate-amodiaquine (AS+AQ) as first-line treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Other national policy anti-malarials include artemether-lumefantrine (AL) as an alternative to AS+AQ, quinine and artemether for treatment of complicated malaria; and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp). This study was conducted to evaluate access to national policy recommended anti-malarials. A cross-sectional survey of 127 medicine outlets (public, private and NGO) was conducted in urban and rural areas. The availability on the day of the survey, median prices, and affordability policy and available non-policy anti-malarials were calculated. Anti-malarials were stocked in 79% of all outlets surveyed. AS+AQ was widely available in public medicine outlets; AL was only available in the private and NGO sectors. Quinine was available in nearly two-thirds of public and NGO outlets and over one-third of private outlets. SP was widely available in all outlets. Non-policy anti-malarials were predominantly available in the private outlets. AS+AQ in the public sector was widely offered for free. Among the anti-malarials sold at a cost, the same median price of a course of AS+AQ (US$1.56), quinine tablets (US$0.63), were found in both the public and private sectors. Quinine injection had a median cost of US$0.31 in the public sector and US$0.47 in the private sector, while SP had a median cost of US$0.31 in the public sector compared to US$ 0.63 in the private sector. Non-policy anti-malarials were more affordable than first-line AS+AQ in all sectors. A course of AS+AQ was affordable at nearly two days' worth of wages in both the public and private sectors.

Combination therapies for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer: current and future prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandão, Mariana; Pondé, Noam F; Poggio, Francesca; Kotecki, Nuria; Salis, Mauren; Lambertini, Matteo; de Azambuja, Evandro

2018-05-24

HER2-positive disease is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that has been revolutionized by anti-HER2 directed therapies. Multiple drugs have been developed and are currently in clinical use, including trastuzumab, lapatinib, pertuzumab, T-DM1, and neratinib, alone or combined in 'dual HER2-blockade' regimens. Areas covered: A comprehensive literature review was performed regarding the current state and the future of combination regimens containing anti-HER2 agents, focusing on their efficacy, toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. Expert commentary: The combination of trastuzumab/pertuzumab is approved in all disease settings, while trastuzumab/neratinib is approved in the adjuvant setting and trastuzumab/lapatinib in metastatic disease. Meanwhile, as breast cancer biology and resistance mechanisms become clearer, combinations with drugs like PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors, CDK4/6 inhibitors, anti-PD(L)1 antibodies, endocrine therapy, and new anti-HER2 agents (panHER and HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors, bispecific antibodies, anti-HER3 antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates) are being extensively tested in clinical trials. More specific strategies for the 'triple-positive' (estrogen receptor-positive/HER2-positive) disease are also being explored. However, there is an urgent need for the development of predictive biomarkers for a better tailoring of anti-HER2 directed therapy. This is the only way to further improve clinical outcomes and quality of life and to decrease costs and toxicities of unnecessary treatments.

Advances toward multifunctional cholinesterase and β-amyloid aggregation inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Panek, Dawid; Wichur, Tomasz; Godyń, Justyna; Pasieka, Anna; Malawska, Barbara

2017-10-01

The emergence of a multitarget design approach in the development of new potential anti-Alzheimer's disease agents has resulted in the discovery of many multifunctional compounds focusing on various targets. Among them the largest group comprises inhibitors of both cholinesterases, with additional anti-β-amyloid aggregation activity. This review describes recent advances in this research area and presents the most interesting compounds reported over a 2-year span (2015-2016). The majority of hybrids possess heterodimeric structures obtained by linking structurally active fragments interacting with different targets. Multipotent cholinesterase inhibitors with β-amyloid antiaggregating activity may additionally possess antioxidative, neuroprotective or metal-chelating properties or less common features such as anti-β-secretase or τ-antiaggregation activity.

Amyloid-degrading ability of nattokinase from Bacillus subtilis natto.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Ruei-Lin; Lee, Kung-Ta; Wang, Jung-Hao; Lee, Lily Y-L; Chen, Rita P-Y

2009-01-28

More than 20 unrelated proteins can form amyloid fibrils in vivo which are related to various diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, prion disease, and systematic amyloidosis. Amyloid fibrils are an ordered protein aggregate with a lamellar cross-beta structure. Enhancing amyloid clearance is one of the targets of the therapy of these amyloid-related diseases. Although there is debate on whether the toxicity is due to amyloids or their precursors, research on the degradation of amyloids may help prevent or alleviate these diseases. In this study, we explored the amyloid-degrading ability of nattokinase, a fibrinolytic subtilisin-like serine protease, and determined the optimal conditions for amyloid hydrolysis. This ability is shared by proteinase K and subtilisin Carlsberg, but not by trypsin or plasmin.

Combined modality therapy for exsudative form of age-related macular degeneration

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М. V. Budzinskaya

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Treatment outcomes in patients with age-related vascular degeneration due to formation of subretinal neovascular membrane (SNM of two groups: photodynamic therapy (PDT with Photosens alone (18 patients and in combination with anti-VEGF therapy with Lucentis (20 patients. For both groups Photosens was administrated i.v. in single dose of 0.05 mg/kg. The irradiation was performed on the 3rd day (the wave length 675 nm, light dose 120 J/cm2, total light dose did not exceed 500 J/cm2. The number of sessions accounted for 3 to 5 per week according to clinical manifestation of SNM. Patients with multimodality treatment had intravitreal administration of Lucensis in dose 0.05 ml (0.5 mg. The study showed that combination of PDT and anti-VEGF therapy improved vision better and with more stable effect then PDT alone. Thus vision improvement and decrease of SNM activity occurred in 50% of patients with PDT alone and in 60% of patients with multimodality treatment. For 2-year follow-up in the group of PDT alone the vision gradient gradually decreased compared with baseline vision (from 0.11 to 0.06, in the group of multimodality treatment gradual increase of vision gradient was noticed (from 0.03 to 0.155. The superior efficiency of PDT combined with anti-VEGF therapy compared with PDT alone in patients with age-related vascular degeneration was confirmed by study of vision, fundus angiography and average thickness of retina in foveola in both groups.

In vivo detection of amyloid plaques by gadolinium-stained MRI can be used to demonstrate the efficacy of an anti-amyloid immunotherapy

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Mathieu D. Santin

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Extracellular deposition of β amyloid plaques is an early event associated to Alzheimer's disease. Here we have used in vivo gadolinium-stained high resolution (29*29*117µm3 MRI to follow-up in a longitudinal way individual amyloid plaques in APP/PS1 mice and evaluate the efficacy of a new immunotherapy (SAR255952 directed against protofibrillar and fibrillary forms of Aβ. APP/PS1 mice were treated for 5 months between the age of 3.5 and 8.5 months. SAR255952 reduced amyloid load in 8.5-month-old animals, but not in 5.5-month animals compared to mice treated with a control antibody (DM4. Histological evaluation confirmed the reduction of amyloid load and revealed a lower density of amyloid plaques in 8.5-month SAR255952-treated animals. The longitudinal follow-up of individual amyloid plaques by MRI revealed that plaques that were visible at 5.5 months were still visible at 8.5 months in both SAR255952 and DM4-treated mice. This suggests that the amyloid load reduction induced by SAR255952 is related to a slowing down in the formation of new plaques rather than to the clearance of already formed plaques.

Decreasing trends in hospitalizations during anti-TNF therapy are associated with time to anti-TNF therapy: Results from two referral centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandel, Michael D; Balint, Anita; Golovics, Petra A; Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Mohas, Anna; Szilagyi, Blanka; Szabo, Agnes; Kurti, Zsuzsanna; Kiss, Lajos S; Lovasz, Barbara D; Gecse, Krisztina B; Farkas, Klaudia; Molnar, Tamas; Lakatos, Peter L

2014-11-01

Hospitalization is an important outcome measure and a major driver of costs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We analysed medical and surgical hospitalization rates and predictors of hospitalization before and during anti-TNF therapy. Data from 194 consecutive patients were analysed retrospectively (males, 45.4%, median age at diagnosis, 24.0 years, infliximab/adalimumab: 144/50) in whom anti-TNF therapy was started after January 1, 2008. Total follow-up was 1874 patient-years and 474 patient-years with anti-TNF exposure. Hospitalization rates hospitalization decreased only in Crohn's disease (odds ratio: 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.51-0.70, median 2-years' anti-TNF exposure) with a same trend for surgical interventions (p=0.07), but not in ulcerative colitis. Need for hospitalization decreased in Crohn's disease with early (within 3-years from diagnosis, p=0.016 by McNemar test), but not late anti-TNF exposure. At logistic regression analysis complicated disease behaviour (p=0.03), concomitant azathioprine (p=0.02) use, but not anti-TNF type, gender, perianal disease or previous surgeries were associated with the risk of hospitalization during anti-TNF therapy. Hospitalization rate decreased significantly in patients with Crohn's disease but not ulcerative colitis after the introduction of anti-TNF therapy and was associated with time to therapy. Complicated disease phenotype and concomitant azathioprine use were additional factors defining the risk of hospitalization. Copyright © 2014 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fatal infections in older patients with inflammatory bowel disease on anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy

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Way-Seah Lee

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF is highly effective in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; however, it is associated with an increased risk of infections, particularly in older adults. We reviewed 349 patients with IBD, who were observed over a 12-month period, 74 of whom had received anti-TNF therapy (71 patients were aged <60 years and 3 were aged ≥60 years. All the 3 older patients developed serious infectious complications after receiving anti-TNFs, although all of them were also on concomitant immunosuppressive therapy. One patient developed disseminated tuberculosis, another patient developed cholera diarrhea followed by nosocomial pneumonia, while the third patient developed multiple opportunistic infections (Pneumocystis pneumonia, cryptococcal septicemia and meningitis, Klebsiella septicemia. All 3 patients died within 1 year from the onset of the infection(s. We recommend that anti-TNF, especially when combined with other immunosuppressive therapy, should be used with extreme caution in older adult patients with IBD.

Selected anti-tumor vaccines merit a place in multimodal tumor therapies

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Weiss, Eva-Maria; Wunderlich, Roland [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen (Germany); Ebel, Nina [Department of Process Technology and Machinery, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen (Germany); Rubner, Yvonne [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen (Germany); Schlücker, Eberhard [Department of Process Technology and Machinery, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen (Germany); Meyer-Pittroff, Roland [Competence Pool Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Freising (Germany); Ott, Oliver J.; Fietkau, Rainer; Gaipl, Udo S.; Frey, Benjamin, E-mail: benjamin.frey@uk-erlangen.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen (Germany)

2012-10-09

Multimodal approaches are nowadays successfully applied in cancer therapy. Primary locally acting therapies such as radiotherapy (RT) and surgery are combined with systemic administration of chemotherapeutics. Nevertheless, the therapy of cancer is still a big challenge in medicine. The treatments often fail to induce long-lasting anti-tumor responses. Tumor recurrences and metastases result. Immunotherapies are therefore ideal adjuncts to standard tumor therapies since they aim to activate the patient's immune system against malignant cells even outside the primary treatment areas (abscopal effects). Especially cancer vaccines may have the potential both to train the immune system against cancer cells and to generate an immunological memory, resulting in long-lasting anti-tumor effects. However, despite promising results in phase I and II studies, most of the concepts finally failed. There are some critical aspects in development and application of cancer vaccines that may decide on their efficiency. The time point and frequency of medication, usage of an adequate immune adjuvant, the vaccine's immunogenic potential, and the tumor burden of the patient are crucial. Whole tumor cell vaccines have advantages compared to peptide-based ones since a variety of tumor antigens (TAs) are present. The master requirements of cell-based, therapeutic tumor vaccines are the complete inactivation of the tumor cells and the increase of their immunogenicity. Since the latter is highly connected with the cell death modality, the inactivation procedure of the tumor cell material may significantly influence the vaccine's efficiency. We therefore also introduce high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) as an innovative inactivation technology for tumor cell-based vaccines and outline that HHP efficiently inactivates tumor cells by enhancing their immunogenicity. Finally studies are presented proving that anti-tumor immune responses can be triggered by combining RT with selected

Anti-angiogenic treatment (Bevacizumab) improves the responsiveness of photodynamic therapy in colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Cheng-Liang; Lin, Hua-Ching; Chiang, Wei-Lun; Shih, Ying-Hsia; Chiang, Ping-Fang; Luo, Tsai-Yueh; Cheng, Chun-Chia; Shieh, Ming-Jium

2018-06-09

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new treatment utilizing the combined action of photosensitizers and light for the treatment of various cancers. The mechanisms for tumor destruction after PDT include direct tumor cell kill by singlet oxygen species (OS), indirect cell kill via vascular damage, and an elicited immune response. However, it has been reported that many cellular activators, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), are produced by tumor cells after PDT. In this study, we demonstrate that meta-tetra(hydroxyphenyl) chlorin (mTHPC)-based photodynamic therapy combined with bevacizumab (Avastin™), an anti-VEGF neutralizing monoclonal antibody that blocks the binding of VEGF to its receptor, can enhance the effectiveness of each treatment modality. We evaluated the efficacy of bevacizumab-based anti-angiogenesis in combination with PDT as well as the resulting VEGF levels in a mouse model of human colon cancer. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to assess VEGF concentrations in the various treatment groups, and confocal imaging and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses were used to measure the distribution and concentration of mTHPC in tumors. Our results demonstrate that combination of PDT followed by bevacizumab significantly elicits a greater tumor response whereas bevacizumab treatment prior to PDT led to a reduced tumor response. Immunostaining and ELISA analyses revealed a lower expression of VEGF in tumors treated with combination therapy of PDT followed by bevacizumab. However, bevacizumab treatment decreased the accumulation of mTHPC in tumors 24 h after administration, which complemented the results of decreased anti-tumor efficacy of bevacizumab followed by PDT. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Efficacy and safety of combining intra-articular methylprednisolone and anti-TNF agent to achieve prolonged remission in patients with recurrent inflammatory monoarthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Haroon, Muhammad

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: To control local inflammation, the role of intra-articular corticosteroid is well established; similarly, with time there are more reports on the experience of intra-articular anti-TNF agent for localized joint inflammation. The aim of this study was to assess the safety, local tolerability and clinical response after combining intra-articular administration of corticosteroids and anti-TNF agents for recurrent inflammatory monoarthritis. METHODS: Patients with recurrent monoarthritis of the knee were recruited from our inflammatory arthritis clinics. These patients required intra-articular corticosteroids every 8-12 weeks, with good short-term results. Five such consecutive patients were invited to partake in this study. Patients were maintained on their baseline immunosuppressive therapy. After aspiration of knee joint, the involved joint was injected with 80mg of methylprednisolone mixed with 5ml of lignocaine 1%; this was followed by the injection of an anti-TNF agent. RESULTS: In majority of our patients (three out of five), combining anti-TNF agent and methylprednisolone led to prolonged anti-inflammatory response, and these patients remain in remission to date (mean follow-up of 12 months). These responders were noted to be naive to anti-TNF therapy. Conversely, the remaining two patients were found to be on baseline systemic anti-TNF therapy, and both of them failed to respond either partly or completely. CONCLUSION: Combining intra-articular corticosteroid and anti-TNF agent has proved to be safe in our cohort of patients. We conclude that in particular subset of patients who suffer from recurrent inflammatory monoarthritis or oligoarthritis, combination therapy of intra-articular corticosteroids and anti-TNF agents appears attractive and promising.

Improvement of bioavailability and anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin in combination with emu oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeengar, Manish Kumar; Shrivastava, Shweta; Nair, Kala; Singareddy, Sreenivasa Reddy; Putcha, Uday Kumar; Talluri, M V N Kumar; Naidu, V G M; Sistla, Ramakrishna

2014-12-01

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of emu oil on bioavailability of curcumin when co-administered and to evaluate the property that enhances the anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin. Oral bioavailability of curcumin in combination with emu oil was determined by measuring the plasma concentration of curcumin by HPLC. The anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated in carrageenan-induced paw edema model (acute model) and in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritis model (chronic model) in male SD rats. The anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin in combination with emu oil has been significantly increased in both acute and chronic inflammatory models as evident from inhibition of increase in paw volume, arthritic score, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The increased anti-inflammatory activity in combination therapy is due to enhanced bioavailability (5.2-fold compared to aqueous suspension) of curcumin by emu oil. Finally, it is concluded that the combination of emu oil with curcumin will be a promising approach for the treatment of arthritis.

The molecular mass of dextran used to modify magnetite nanoparticles affects insulin amyloid aggregation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siposova, Katarina; Pospiskova, Kristyna; Bednarikova, Zuzana; Safarik, Ivo; Safarikova, Mirka; Kubovcikova, Martina; Kopcansky, Peter; Gazova, Zuzana

2017-01-01

Protein transformation from its soluble state into amyloid aggregates is associated with amyloid-related diseases. Amyloid deposits of insulin fibrils have been found in the sites of subcutaneous insulin application in patients with prolonged diabetes. Using atomic force microscopy and ThT fluorescence assay we have investigated the interference of insulin amyloid aggregation with superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 -based nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated with dextran (DEX); molecular mass of dextran was equal to 15–20, 40 or 70 kDa. The obtained data indicate that all three types of dextran coated nanoparticles (NP-FeDEXs) are able to inhibit insulin fibrillization and to destroy amyloid fibrils. The extent of anti-amyloid activities depends on the properties of NP-FeDEXs, mainly on the size of nanoparticles which is determined by molecular mass of dextran molecules. The most effective inhibiting activity was observed for the smallest nanoparticles coated with 15–20 kDa dextran. Contrary, the highest destroying activity was observed for the largest NP-FeDEX (70 kDa dextran). - Highlights: • Interference of dextran- magnetite nanoparticles with insulin amyloid aggregation. • Nanoparticles inhibited insulin fibrillization and depolymerized insulin amyloid fibrils. • Size of nanoparticles significantly influences their anti-amyloid activities. • The most effective inhibition of insulin amyloid fibrillization was detected for the smallest nanoparticles. • Contrary, DC 50 values decreased with increasing size of nanoparticles.

Development of (F-18)-Labeled Amyloid Imaging Agents for PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathis, C.A.

2007-01-01

The applicant proposes to design and synthesize a series of fluorine-18-labeled radiopharmaceuticals to be used as amyloid imaging agents for positron emission tomography (PET). The investigators will conduct comprehensive iterative in vitro and in vivo studies based upon well defined acceptance criteria in order to identify lead agents suitable for human studies. The long term goals are to apply the selected radiotracers as potential diagnostic agents of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as surrogate markers of amyloid in the brain to determine the efficacy of anti-amyloid therapeutic drugs, and as tools to help address basic scientific questions regarding the progression of the neuropathology of AD, such as testing the 'amyloid cascade hypothesis' which holds that amyloid accumulation is the primary cause of AD.

Vitamin k3 inhibits protein aggregation: Implication in the treatment of amyloid diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Parvez; Chaturvedi, Sumit Kumar; Siddiqi, Mohammad Khursheed; Rajpoot, Ravi Kant; Ajmal, Mohd Rehan; Zaman, Masihuz; Khan, Rizwan Hasan

2016-05-27

Protein misfolding and aggregation have been associated with several human diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and familial amyloid polyneuropathy etc. In this study, anti-fibrillation activity of vitamin k3 and its effect on the kinetics of amyloid formation of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) and Aβ-42 peptide were investigated. Here, in combination with Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay, circular dichroism (CD), transmission electron microscopy and cell cytotoxicity assay, we demonstrated that vitamin k3 significantly inhibits fibril formation as well as the inhibitory effect is dose dependent manner. Our experimental studies inferred that vitamin k3 exert its neuro protective effect against amyloid induced cytotoxicity through concerted pathway, modifying the aggregation formation towards formation of nontoxic aggregates. Molecular docking demonstrated that vitamin k3 mediated inhibition of HEWL and Aβ-42 fibrillogenesis may be initiated by interacting with proteolytic resistant and aggregation prone regions respectively. This work would provide an insight into the mechanism of protein aggregation inhibition by vitamin k3; pave the way for discovery of other small molecules that may exert similar effect against amyloid formation and its associated neurodegenerative diseases.

Research advances in traditional Chinese medicine combined with interventional therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIU Yang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Interventional therapy has become the first choice of non-surgical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC due to its advantages such as little trauma and marked local effect. However, the clinical efficiency is less than expected. One of the possibilities is the resistance of cancer cells to anti-cancer drugs. Increasing attention has been paid to the combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM and interventional therapy in HCC treatment. This paper reviews the progress in TCM combined with interventional therapy for HCC at animal experiment and clinical study levels in recent ten years. It is pointed out that the combination therapy with TCM and intervention for HCC has a unique advantage.

Impact of amyloid imaging on drug development in Alzheimer's disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathis, Chester A. [Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)], E-mail: mathisca@upmc.edu; Lopresti, Brian J. [Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Klunk, William E. [Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

2007-10-15

Imaging agents capable of assessing amyloid-beta (A{beta}) content in vivo in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects likely will be important as diagnostic agents to detect A{beta} plaques in the brain as well as to help test the amyloid cascade hypothesis of AD and as an aid to assess the efficacy of anti-amyloid therapeutics currently under development and in clinical trials. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies of amyloid deposition in human subjects with several A{beta} imaging agents are currently underway. We reported the first PET studies of the carbon 11-labeled thioflavin-T derivative Pittsburgh Compound B in 2004, and this work has subsequently been extended to include a variety of subject groups, including AD patients, mild cognitive impairment patients and healthy controls. The ability to quantify regional A{beta} plaque load in the brains of living human subjects has provided a means to begin to apply this technology as a diagnostic agent to detect regional concentrations of A{beta} plaques and as a surrogate marker of therapeutic efficacy in anti-amyloid drug trials.

Induction of potent NK cell-dependent anti-myeloma cytotoxic T cells in response to combined mapatumumab and bortezomib.

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Neeson, Paul J; Hsu, Andy K; Chen, Yin R; Halse, Heloise M; Loh, Joanna; Cordy, Reece; Fielding, Kate; Davis, Joanne; Noske, Josh; Davenport, Alex J; Lindqvist-Gigg, Camilla A; Humphreys, Robin; Tai, Tsin; Prince, H Miles; Trapani, Joseph A; Smyth, Mark J; Ritchie, David S

2015-09-01

There is increasing evidence that some cancer therapies can promote tumor immunogenicity to boost the endogenous antitumor immune response. In this study, we used the novel combination of agonistic anti-TRAIL-R1 antibody (mapatumumab, Mapa) with low dose bortezomib (LDB) for this purpose. The combination induced profound myeloma cell apoptosis, greatly enhanced the uptake of myeloma cell apoptotic bodies by dendritic cell (DC) and induced anti-myeloma cytotoxicity by both CD8 + T cells and NK cells. Cytotoxic lymphocyte expansion was detected within 24 h of commencing therapy and was maximized when myeloma-pulsed DC were co-treated with low dose bortezomib and mapatumumab (LDB+Mapa) in the presence of NK cells. This study shows that Mapa has two distinct but connected modes of action against multiple myeloma (MM). First, when combined with LDB, Mapa produced powerful myeloma cell apoptosis; secondly, it promoted DC priming and an NK cell-mediated expansion of anti-myeloma cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL). Overall, this study indicates that Mapa can be used to drive potent anti-MM immune responses.

How useful is determination of anti-factor Xa activity to guide bridging therapy with enoxaparin? A pilot study.

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Hammerstingl, Christoph; Omran, Heyder; Tripp, Christian; Poetzsch, Bernd

2009-02-01

Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) are commonly used as peri-procedural bridging anticoagulants. The usefulness of measurement of anti-factor Xa activity (anti-Xa) to guide bridging therapy with LMWH is unknown. It was the objective of this study to determine levels of anti-Xa during standard bridging therapy with enoxaparin, and to examine predictors for residual anti-Xa. Consecutive patients receiving enoxaparin at a dosage of 1 mg/kg body weight/12 hours for temporary interruption of phenprocoumon were prospectively enrolled to the study. Blood-samples were obtained 14 hours after LMWH-application immediately pre- procedurally. Procedural details, clinical and demographic data were collected and subsequently analyzed. Seventy patients were included (age 75.2 +/- 10.8 years, Cr Cl 55.7 +/- 21.7ml/min, body mass index [BMI] 27.1 +/- 4.9). LMWH- therapy was for a mean of 4.2 +/- 1.6 days; overall anti-Xa was 0.58 +/- 0.32 U/ml. In 37 (52.8%) of patients anti-Xa was > or U/ml, including 10 (14.3%) patients with anti-Xa > 1U/ml. Linear regression analysis of single variables and logistic multivariable regression analysis failed to prove a correlation between anti-Xa and single or combined factors. No major bleeding, no thromboembolism and four (5.7%) minor haemorrhages were observed. When bridging OAC with therapeutic doses of enoxaparin a high percentage of patients undergo interventions with high residual anti-Xa. The levels of anti-Xa vary largely and are independent of single or combined clinical variables. Since the anti-Xa-related outcome of patients receiving bridging therapy with LMWH is not investigated, no firm recommendation on the usefulness of monitoring of anti-Xa can be given at this stage.

Combining Oncolytic Virotherapy with p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene Therapy

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Christian Bressy

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Oncolytic virus (OV therapy utilizes replication-competent viruses to kill cancer cells, leaving non-malignant cells unharmed. With the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved OV, dozens of clinical trials ongoing, and an abundance of translational research in the field, OV therapy is poised to be one of the leading treatments for cancer. A number of recombinant OVs expressing a transgene for p53 (TP53 or another p53 family member (TP63 or TP73 were engineered with the goal of generating more potent OVs that function synergistically with host immunity and/or other therapies to reduce or eliminate tumor burden. Such transgenes have proven effective at improving OV therapies, and basic research has shown mechanisms of p53-mediated enhancement of OV therapy, provided optimized p53 transgenes, explored drug-OV combinational treatments, and challenged canonical roles for p53 in virus-host interactions and tumor suppression. This review summarizes studies combining p53 gene therapy with replication-competent OV therapy, reviews preclinical and clinical studies with replication-deficient gene therapy vectors expressing p53 transgene, examines how wild-type p53 and p53 modifications affect OV replication and anti-tumor effects of OV therapy, and explores future directions for rational design of OV therapy combined with p53 gene therapy.

Enhancing Photodynamyc Therapy Efficacy by Combination Therapy: Dated, Current and Oncoming Strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Postiglione, Ilaria; Chiaviello, Angela; Palumbo, Giuseppe

2011-01-01

Combination therapy is a common practice in many medical disciplines. It is defined as the use of more than one drug to treat the same disease. Sometimes this expression describes the simultaneous use of therapeutic approaches that target different cellular/molecular pathways, increasing the chances of killing the diseased cell. This short review is concerned with therapeutic combinations in which PDT (Photodynamyc Therapy) is the core therapeutic partner. Besides the description of the principal methods used to assess the efficacy attained by combinations in respect to monotherapy, this review describes experimental results in which PDT was combined with conventional drugs in different experimental conditions. This inventory is far from exhaustive, as the number of photosensitizers used in combination with different drugs is very large. Reports cited in this work have been selected because considered representative. The combinations we have reviewed include the association of PDT with anti-oxidants, chemotherapeutics, drugs targeting topoisomerases I and II, antimetabolites and others. Some paragraphs are dedicated to PDT and immuno-modulation, others to associations of PDT with angiogenesis inhibitors, receptor inhibitors, radiotherapy and more. Finally, a look is dedicated to combinations involving the use of natural compounds and, as new entries, drugs that act as proteasome inhibitors

The molecular mass of dextran used to modify magnetite nanoparticles affects insulin amyloid aggregation

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Siposova, Katarina [Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice (Slovakia); Pospiskova, Kristyna [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacky University, Olomouc (Czech Republic); Bednarikova, Zuzana [Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice (Slovakia); Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Safarik University, Kosice (Slovakia); Safarik, Ivo [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacky University, Olomouc (Czech Republic); Department of Nanobiotechnology, Biology Centre, ISB, CAS, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic); Safarikova, Mirka [Department of Nanobiotechnology, Biology Centre, ISB, CAS, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic); Kubovcikova, Martina; Kopcansky, Peter [Department of Magnetism, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice (Slovakia); Gazova, Zuzana, E-mail: gazova@saske.sk [Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice (Slovakia)

2017-04-01

Protein transformation from its soluble state into amyloid aggregates is associated with amyloid-related diseases. Amyloid deposits of insulin fibrils have been found in the sites of subcutaneous insulin application in patients with prolonged diabetes. Using atomic force microscopy and ThT fluorescence assay we have investigated the interference of insulin amyloid aggregation with superparamagnetic Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-based nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated with dextran (DEX); molecular mass of dextran was equal to 15–20, 40 or 70 kDa. The obtained data indicate that all three types of dextran coated nanoparticles (NP-FeDEXs) are able to inhibit insulin fibrillization and to destroy amyloid fibrils. The extent of anti-amyloid activities depends on the properties of NP-FeDEXs, mainly on the size of nanoparticles which is determined by molecular mass of dextran molecules. The most effective inhibiting activity was observed for the smallest nanoparticles coated with 15–20 kDa dextran. Contrary, the highest destroying activity was observed for the largest NP-FeDEX (70 kDa dextran). - Highlights: • Interference of dextran- magnetite nanoparticles with insulin amyloid aggregation. • Nanoparticles inhibited insulin fibrillization and depolymerized insulin amyloid fibrils. • Size of nanoparticles significantly influences their anti-amyloid activities. • The most effective inhibition of insulin amyloid fibrillization was detected for the smallest nanoparticles. • Contrary, DC{sub 50} values decreased with increasing size of nanoparticles.

Antagonizing beta-amyloid peptide neurotoxicity of the anti-aging fungus Ganoderma lucidum.

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Lai, Cora Sau-Wan; Yu, Man-Shan; Yuen, Wai-Hung; So, Kwok-Fai; Zee, Sze-Yong; Chang, Raymond Chuen-Chung

2008-01-23

Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst. (Lingzhi) is a medicinal fungus used clinically in many Asian countries to promote health and longevity. Synaptic degeneration is another key mode of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies have shown the loss of synaptic density proteins in each individual neuron during the progression of AD. It was recently reported that beta-amyloid (Abeta) could cause synaptic dysfunction and contribute to AD pathology. In this study, we reported that aqueous extract of G. lucidum significantly attenuated Abeta-induced synaptotoxicity by preserving the synaptic density protein, synaptophysin. In addition, G. lucidum aqueous extract antagonized Abeta-triggered DEVD cleavage activities in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies elucidated that phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, c-Jun, and p38 MAP kinase was attenuated by G. lucidum in Abeta-stressed neurons. Taken together, the results prove a hypothesis that anti-aging G. lucidum can prevent harmful effects of the exterminating toxin Abeta in AD.

The optimal management of anti-thrombotic therapy after valve replacement: certainties and uncertainties.

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Iung, Bernard; Rodés-Cabau, Josep

2014-11-07

Anti-thrombotic therapy after valve replacement encompasses a number of different situations. Long-term anticoagulation of mechanical prostheses uses vitamin K antagonists with a target international normalized ratio adapted to the characteristics of the prosthesis and the patient. The association of low-dose aspirin is systematic in the American guidelines and more restrictive in the European guidelines. Early heparin therapy is frequently used early after mechanical valve replacement, although there are no precise recommendations regarding timing, type, and dose of drug. Direct oral anticoagulants are presently contraindicated in patients with mechanical prosthesis. The main advantage of bioprostheses is the absence of long-term anticoagulant therapy. Early anticoagulation is indicated after valve replacement for mitral bioprostheses, whereas aspirin is now favoured early after bioprosthetic valve replacement in the aortic position. Early dual antiplatelet therapy is indicated after transcatheter aortic valve implantation, followed by single antiplatelet therapy. However, this relies on low levels of evidence and optimization of anti-thrombotic therapy is warranted in these high-risk patients. Although guidelines are consistent in most instances, discrepancies and the low-level of evidence of certain recommendations highlight the need for further controlled trials, in particular with regard to the combination of antiplatelet therapy with oral anticoagulant and the early post-operative anti-thrombotic therapy following the procedure. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Anti-retroviral therapy induced diabetes in a Nigerian | Bakari ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

African Health Sciences ... Background:Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) using Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART) has led to ... HIV infected individuals on one hand, and side effects of chronic administration of these drugs on the other.

Novel agents for anti-platelet therapy

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Ji Xuebin

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Anti-platelet therapy plays an important role in the treatment of patients with thrombotic diseases. The most commonly used anti-platelet drugs, namely, aspirin, ticlopidine, and clopidogrel, are effective in the prevention and treatment of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists (e.g., abciximab, eptifibatide and tirofiban have demonstrated good clinical benefits and safety profiles in decreasing ischemic events in acute coronary syndrome. However, adverse events related to thrombosis or bleeding have been reported in cases of therapy with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists. Cilostazol is an anti-platelet agent used in the treatment of patients with peripheral ischemia, such as intermittent claudication. Presently, platelet adenosine diphosphate P2Y(12 receptor antagonists (e.g., clopidogrel, prasugrel, cangrelor, and ticagrelor are being used in clinical settings for their pronounced protective effects. The new protease-activated receptor antagonists, vorapaxar and atopaxar, potentially decrease the risk of ischemic events without significantly increasing the rate of bleeding. Some other new anti-platelet drugs undergoing clinical trials have also been introduced. Indeed, the number of new anti-platelet drugs is increasing. Consequently, the efficacy of these anti-platelet agents in actual patients warrants scrutiny, especially in terms of the hemorrhagic risks. Hopefully, new selective platelet inhibitors with high anti-thrombotic efficiencies and low hemorrhagic side effects can be developed.

EFFECTS OF COMBINATION THERAPY ON PLATELET COUNT IN PATIENTS OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

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Sadaf Ahmed

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Aspirin and clopidogrel are usually used individually to prevent adverse cardiovascular events and stroke. They are used in stabilizing the blood pressure in patients of myocardial infarction while combination therapy of aspirin and Clopidogrel (dual anti-platelet therapy is used for preventing adverse cardiovascular events in myocardial infarction patients. A cross-sectional observational study is conducted through a structured questionnaire from 110 patients of K.I.H.D (Karachi Institute of Heart Disease hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Indoor/admitted patients with diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTE-MI, ST elevation myocardial infarction (STE-MI, supra ventricular tachycardia (SVT were included along with those with previous or current onset of angina pectoris or heart attack. Information from the test reports of these patients was included in the data. Patients without proper test reports were excluded from the study. Combination therapy duration is considered as key tool for evaluation. Out of 100 patients (after exclusion criteria applied almost 18% patients were using the combination therapy for 10 to 25 years while 52% of patients were using the combination therapy for 1 to 10 years. Platelet count of 88% patients was found to be in between 1,50,000–3,50,000/µl. Remaining patients had less than 1,50,000 µl to more than 3,50,000 to 4,50,000 µl. Most frequently reported side effects were chest pain, respiratory issues, headache and depression. On the basis of our data analysis it is concluded that long duration dual anti-platelet therapy will not harm platelet count in human blood but it can create drug dependency in patients. Hypertension is not completely cured with this therapy but can help in stabilizing blood pressure.

Curcumin Decreases Amyloid-β Peptide Levels by Attenuating the Maturation of Amyloid-β Precursor Protein*

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Zhang, Can; Browne, Andrew; Child, Daniel; Tanzi, Rudolph E.

2010-01-01

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with no cure. The pathogenesis of AD is believed to be driven primarily by amyloid-β (Aβ), the principal component of senile plaques. Aβ is an ∼4-kDa peptide generated via cleavage of the amyloid-β precursor protein (APP). Curcumin is a compound in the widely used culinary spice, turmeric, which possesses potent and broad biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, chemopreventative effects, and effects on protein trafficking. Recent in vivo studies indicate that curcumin is able to reduce Aβ-related pathology in transgenic AD mouse models via unknown molecular mechanisms. Here, we investigated the effects of curcumin on Aβ levels and APP processing in various cell lines and mouse primary cortical neurons. We show for the first time that curcumin potently lowers Aβ levels by attenuating the maturation of APP in the secretory pathway. These data provide a mechanism of action for the ability of curcumin to attenuate amyloid-β pathology. PMID:20622013

Curcumin decreases amyloid-beta peptide levels by attenuating the maturation of amyloid-beta precursor protein.

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Zhang, Can; Browne, Andrew; Child, Daniel; Tanzi, Rudolph E

2010-09-10

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with no cure. The pathogenesis of AD is believed to be driven primarily by amyloid-beta (Abeta), the principal component of senile plaques. Abeta is an approximately 4-kDa peptide generated via cleavage of the amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP). Curcumin is a compound in the widely used culinary spice, turmeric, which possesses potent and broad biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, chemopreventative effects, and effects on protein trafficking. Recent in vivo studies indicate that curcumin is able to reduce Abeta-related pathology in transgenic AD mouse models via unknown molecular mechanisms. Here, we investigated the effects of curcumin on Abeta levels and APP processing in various cell lines and mouse primary cortical neurons. We show for the first time that curcumin potently lowers Abeta levels by attenuating the maturation of APP in the secretory pathway. These data provide a mechanism of action for the ability of curcumin to attenuate amyloid-beta pathology.

Advancements in anti-inflammatory therapy for dry eye syndrome.

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McCabe, Erin; Narayanan, Srihari

2009-10-01

The goal of this literature review is to discuss recent discoveries in the pathophysiology of dry eye and the subsequent evolution of diagnostic and management techniques. The mechanisms of various anti-inflammatory treatments are reviewed, and the efficacy of common pharmacologic agents is assessed. Anti-inflammatory therapy is evaluated in terms of its primary indications, target population, and utility within a clinical setting. The Medline PubMed database and the World Wide Web were searched for current information regarding dry eye prevalence, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. After an analysis of the literature, major concepts were integrated to generate an updated portrayal of the status of dry eye syndrome. Inflammation appears to play a key role in perpetuating and sustaining dry eye. Discoveries of inflammatory markers found within the corneal and conjunctival epithelium of dry eye patients have triggered recent advancements in therapy. Pharmacologic anti-inflammatory therapy for dry eye includes 2 major categories: corticosteroids and immunomodulatory agents. Fatty acid and androgen supplementation and oral antibiotics have also shown promise in dry eye therapy because of their anti-inflammatory effects. Anti-inflammatory pharmacologic agents have shown great success in patients with moderate to severe dry eye when compared with alternative treatment modalities. A deeper understanding of the link between inflammation and dry eye validates the utilization of anti-inflammatory therapy in everyday optometric practice.

Combined Therapy at Persistent Herpes Virus Infection in Sickly Children

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F. S. Kharlamova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We examined 40 sickly children with recurrent croup (RC — 28 and bronchial obstruction (ROB — 8, (RC + ROB — 4 aged from 18 months till 14 years. We found that high frequency of persistent herpes viruses usually occurs as associations with CMV, EBV and human herpes virus 6 type. We substantiated anti viral and immune corrective therapy in two schemes compared in efficacy: the 1st group was administered monotherapy with Viferon, and the 2nd group received combined therapy Viferon + Arbidol in doses according to the age during three months. We received a more expressed clinical immunologic effect from the therapy with decreased antigenic load and frequency of recurrence of RC and ROB with Viferon application in suppositories in combination with Arbidol per orally in the intermittent scheme during three months. 

Cromolyn Reduces Levels of the Alzheimer's Disease-Associated Amyloid β-Protein by Promoting Microglial Phagocytosis.

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Zhang, Can; Griciuc, Ana; Hudry, Eloise; Wan, Yu; Quinti, Luisa; Ward, Joseph; Forte, Angela M; Shen, Xunuo; Ran, ChongZhao; Elmaleh, David R; Tanzi, Rudolph E

2018-01-18

Amyloid-beta protein (Aβ) deposition is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ deposition triggers both pro-neuroinflammatory microglial activation and neurofibrillary tangle formation. Cromolyn sodium is an asthma therapeutic agent previously shown to reduce Aβ levels in transgenic AD mouse brains after one-week of treatment. Here, we further explored these effects as well as the mechanism of action of cromolyn, alone, and in combination with ibuprofen in APP Swedish -expressing Tg2576 mice. Mice were treated for 3 months starting at 5 months of age, when the earliest stages of β-amyloid deposition begin. Cromolyn, alone, or in combination with ibuprofen, almost completely abolished longer insoluble Aβ species, i.e. Aβ40 and Aβ42, but increased insoluble Aβ38 levels. In addition to its anti-aggregation effects on Aβ, cromolyn, alone, or plus ibuprofen, but not ibuprofen alone, increased microglial recruitment to, and phagocytosis of β-amyloid deposits in AD mice. Cromolyn also promoted Aβ42 uptake in microglial cell-based assays. Collectively, our data reveal robust effects of cromolyn, alone, or in combination with ibuprofen, in reducing aggregation-prone Aβ levels and inducing a neuroprotective microglial activation state favoring Aβ phagocytosis versus a pro-neuroinflammatory state. These findings support the use of cromolyn, alone, or with ibuprofen, as a potential AD therapeutic.

Compounding artefacts with uncertainty, and an amyloid cascade hypothesis that is 'too big to fail'.

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Castellani, Rudy J; Smith, Mark A

2011-06-01

With each failure of anti-amyloid-β therapy in clinical trials, new trials are initiated with no hint of slowing down. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the amyloid cascade hypothesis has been so modified over time that it is now impossible to confirm or deny. The hypothesis now states, in effect, that invisible molecules target invisible structures. Still relevant, however, are multiple factors that surely cast some doubt but have either been rationalized or overlooked. Among these are the poor correlation between amyloid-β deposits and disease, the substantial differences between familial and sporadic disease, pathological assessment that indicates the secondary nature of lesions/proteins/cascades, the fact that soluble species are poorly reproducible laboratory phenomena, and the irrelevance of synaptic assessment to pathological interpretation. Although not yet dogma, the premature addition of mild cognitive impairment as the implied in vivo homologue to the soluble toxin-synapse interaction is also problematic. In either case, the amyloid cascade hypothesis continues to dominate the Alzheimer's disease literature and grant applications. The more the neuroscience community perseverates along these lines in the face of accumulating outcome data to the contrary, the more one is left to wonder whether the hypothesis is too big to fail. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy-induced glioma invasion is associated with accumulation of Tie2-expressing monocytes

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Hossain, Mohammad B.; Conrad, Charles A.; Aldape, Kenneth D.; Fuller, Gregory N.; Marini, Frank C.; Alonso, Marta M.; Idoate, Miguel Angel; Gilbert, Mark R.; Fueyo, Juan; Gomez-Manzano, Candelaria

2014-01-01

The addition of anti-angiogenic therapy to the few treatments available to patients with malignant gliomas was based on the fact that these tumors are highly vascularized and on encouraging results from preclinical and clinical studies. However, tumors that initially respond to this therapy invariably recur with the acquisition of a highly aggressive and invasive phenotype. Although several myeloid populations have been associated to this pattern of recurrence, a specific targetable population has not been yet identified. Here, we present evidence for the accumulation of Tie2-expressing monocytes/macrophages (TEMs) at the tumor/normal brain interface of mice treated with anti-VEGF therapies in regions with heightened tumoral invasion. Furthermore, we describe the presence of TEMs in malignant glioma surgical specimens that recurred after bevacizumab treatment. Our studies showed that TEMs enhanced the invasive properties of glioma cells and secreted high levels of gelatinase enzymatic proteins. Accordingly, Tie2+MMP9+ monocytic cells were consistently detected in the invasive tumor edge upon anti-VEGF therapies. Our results suggest the presence of a specific myeloid/monocytic subpopulation that plays a pivotal role in the mechanism of escape of malignant gliomas from anti-VEGF therapies and therefore constitutes a new cellular target for combination therapies in patients selected for anti-angiogenesis treatment. PMID:24809734

Bio markers and Anti-EGFR therapies for Krads wild-type tumors in metastatic colorectal cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Rubio Garcia, E.

2009-01-01

The natural history of metastasis colorectal cancer has being clearly modified in terms of response rate, time to progression and overall survival, once the antiEGFR monoclonal antibodies (cetuximab and panitumumab) have emerged in combination with the standard cytotoxic chemotherapy (FOLFOX and FOLFIRI). However, the benefit from cetuximab and panitumumab is only confined to KRAS-wild type (KRAS-wt) colorectal tumors, while KRAS mutated tumors do not respond to these drugs. The 65 % of colorectal tumors are KRAS-wt tumors, but efficacy of antiEGFR therapies is detected only in 60-70 % of these KRAS-wt tumors. Other biomarkers and molecular pathways must be involved in the response of the antiEGFR therapies for the KRAS-wt colorectal tumors, such as the EGFR ligands, the EGFR-phosphorilated levels, the number of EGFR copies, the status of the KRAS effected B-RAF and the alternative intracellular signaling pathways PIK3CA/PTEN/AKT and JAK/STAT. A battery of these biomarkers is needed to select the most sensitive patients to the antiEGFR therapies. This pattern may represent a novel favorable cost-effectiveness tool to develop tailored treatments. A review of these biomarkers and molecular pathways, involved in the antiEGFR therapies response, is performed. (Author) 68 refs.

Potential benefits of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine gene therapy and irradiation for prostate cancer. Experimental study

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Kato, Hiroaki; Koshida, Kiyoshi; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Mizokami, Atsushi; Namiki, Mikio [Kanazawa Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

2002-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) gene therapy and radiation therapy (either external beam radiation or radioimmunotherapy [RIT]), for the treatment of prostate cancer. Tumor xenografts of CD-transduced LNCaP cells grown in the testes of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were used to evaluate antitumor effect. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with 500 mg/kg of 5-FC, or with 5, 15 or 30 mg/kg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), for 9 days. The tumors were treated with fractionated radiation at a dose of 1 or 3 Gy/day for 3 days, or I-131 labelled anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) monoclonal antibody (mAb) administration at a subtherapeutic dose of 20 or 80 {mu}Ci. Intratumoral and serum concentrations of 5-FU were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Mice treated with CD/5-FC gene therapy presented a significant tumor growth inhibition comparable to that obtained with 15 mg/kg, 5-FU systemic administration without marked weight loss. Treatment with CD/5-FC gene therapy resulted in higher tumor but lower serum concentrations of 5-FU than treatment with systemic 5-FU chemotherapy. An additive antitumor effect was obtained when CD/5-FC therapy was combined with 1 Gy irradiation, which by itself did not produce a significant antitumor effect. However, the efficacy of CD/5-FC therapy was not enhanced when combined with RIT, probably due to poor accumulation of the mAb as the tumor/blood ratio never exceeded 1. These findings indicate that CD/5-FC gene therapy for prostate cancer may function with enhanced antitumor effect when combined with external beam radiation. However, combining CD/5-FC gene therapy and RIT using an anti-PSA mAb may not be effective because of insufficient accumulation of the mAb at the target tumors. (author)

Potential benefits of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine gene therapy and irradiation for prostate cancer. Experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Hiroaki; Koshida, Kiyoshi; Yokoyama, Kunihiko; Mizokami, Atsushi; Namiki, Mikio

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of combining cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (CD/5-FC) gene therapy and radiation therapy (either external beam radiation or radioimmunotherapy [RIT]), for the treatment of prostate cancer. Tumor xenografts of CD-transduced LNCaP cells grown in the testes of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were used to evaluate antitumor effect. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with 500 mg/kg of 5-FC, or with 5, 15 or 30 mg/kg of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), for 9 days. The tumors were treated with fractionated radiation at a dose of 1 or 3 Gy/day for 3 days, or I-131 labelled anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) monoclonal antibody (mAb) administration at a subtherapeutic dose of 20 or 80 μCi. Intratumoral and serum concentrations of 5-FU were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Mice treated with CD/5-FC gene therapy presented a significant tumor growth inhibition comparable to that obtained with 15 mg/kg, 5-FU systemic administration without marked weight loss. Treatment with CD/5-FC gene therapy resulted in higher tumor but lower serum concentrations of 5-FU than treatment with systemic 5-FU chemotherapy. An additive antitumor effect was obtained when CD/5-FC therapy was combined with 1 Gy irradiation, which by itself did not produce a significant antitumor effect. However, the efficacy of CD/5-FC therapy was not enhanced when combined with RIT, probably due to poor accumulation of the mAb as the tumor/blood ratio never exceeded 1. These findings indicate that CD/5-FC gene therapy for prostate cancer may function with enhanced antitumor effect when combined with external beam radiation. However, combining CD/5-FC gene therapy and RIT using an anti-PSA mAb may not be effective because of insufficient accumulation of the mAb at the target tumors. (author)

Anti-amyloid-β-mediated positron emission tomography imaging in Alzheimer's disease mouse brains.

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Daniel McLean

Full Text Available Antibody-mediated imaging of amyloid β (Aβ in Alzheimer's disease (AD offers a promising strategy to detect and monitor specific Aβ species, such as oligomers, that have important pathological and therapeutic relevance. The major current limitation of antibodies as a diagnostic and imaging device is poor blood-brain-barrier permeability. A classical anti-Aβ antibody, 6E10, is modified with 10 kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG and a positron emitting isotope, Copper-64 (t(½ = 12.7 h, and intravenously delivered to the TgCRND8 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Modification of 6E10 with PEG (6E10-PEG increases accumulation of 6E10 in brain tissue in both TgCRND8 and wild type control animals. 6E10-PEG differentiates TgCRND8 animals from wild type controls using positron emission tomography (PET and provides a framework for using antibodies to detect pathology using non-invasive medical imaging techniques.

Bifunctional Anti-Non-Amyloid Component α-Synuclein Nanobodies Are Protective In Situ.

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David C Butler

Full Text Available Misfolding, abnormal accumulation, and secretion of α-Synuclein (α-Syn are closely associated with synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD. VH14 is a human single domain intrabody selected against the non-amyloid component (NAC hydrophobic interaction region of α-Syn, which is critical for initial aggregation. Using neuronal cell lines, we show that as a bifunctional nanobody fused to a proteasome targeting signal, VH14PEST can counteract heterologous proteostatic effects of mutant α-Syn on mutant huntingtin Exon1 and protect against α-Syn toxicity using propidium iodide or Annexin V readouts. We compared this anti-NAC candidate to NbSyn87, which binds to the C-terminus of α-Syn. NbSyn87PEST degrades α-Syn as well or better than VH14PEST. However, while both candidates reduced toxicity, VH14PEST appears more effective in both proteostatic stress and toxicity assays. These results show that the approach of reducing intracellular monomeric targets with novel antibody engineering technology should allow in vivo modulation of proteostatic pathologies.

The peri-operative management of anti-platelet therapy in elective, non-cardiac surgery.

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Alcock, Richard F; Naoum, Chris; Aliprandi-Costa, Bernadette; Hillis, Graham S; Brieger, David B

2013-07-31

Cardiovascular complications are important causes of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery, with adverse cardiac outcomes estimated to occur in approximately 4% of all patients. Anti-platelet therapy withdrawal may precede up to 10% of acute cardiovascular syndromes, with withdrawal in the peri-operative setting incompletely appraised. The aims of our study were to determine the proportion of patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery currently prescribed anti-platelet therapy, and identify current practice in peri-operative management. In addition, the relationship between management of anti-platelet therapy and peri-operative cardiac risk was assessed. We evaluated consecutive patients attending elective non-cardiac surgery at a major tertiary referral centre. Clinical and biochemical data were collected and analysed on patients currently prescribed anti-platelet therapy. Peri-operative management of anti-platelet therapy was compared with estimated peri-operative cardiac risk. Included were 2950 consecutive patients, with 516 (17%) prescribed anti-platelet therapy, primarily for ischaemic heart disease. Two hundred and eighty nine (56%) patients had all anti-platelet therapy ceased in the peri-operative period, including 49% of patients with ischaemic heart disease and 46% of patients with previous coronary stenting. Peri-operative cardiac risk score did not influence anti-platelet therapy management. Approximately 17% of patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery are prescribed anti-platelet therapy, the predominant indication being for ischaemic heart disease. Almost half of all patients with previous coronary stenting had no anti-platelet therapy during the peri-operative period. The decision to cease anti-platelet therapy, which occurred commonly, did not appear to be guided by peri-operative cardiac risk stratification. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The presence of non-organ-specific autoantibodies is associated with a negative response to combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C

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Matern Siegfried

2004-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-organ-specific autoantibodies are found in a considerable number of anti-HCV positive patients. Previous studies investigated the clinical relevance of these antibodies in patients treated with interferon monotherapy, but not combination therapies. Methods Anti-nuclear, anti-smooth muscle, anti-mitochondrial, anti-neutrophil-cytoplasmatic and anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibodies were determined in 78 consecutive anti-HCV positive patients by indirect immunofluorescence. The presence of these antibodies was related to demographic variables and to the outcome of antiviral combination therapy with interferon-α and ribavirin in 65 patients. Results In our study, positivity for autoantibodies was associated with higher alanine aminotransferase levels and higher mean values for HCV-RNA (p Conclusions The absence of non-organ-specific autoantibodies might indicate a significantly higher chance for viral clearance in response to combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection. Therefore, despite of an overall higher treatment response, the addition of the immunomodulatory drug ribavirin could accentuate immunological differences that affect treatment outcome and might have been less obvious in earlier studies analysing interferon monotherapy.

Progress in research on combination treatment of cancer with radiation therapy and immunotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hao; Jia Rui; Yan Jinqi; Yu Jiyun

2007-01-01

Radiation therapy (RT) is an important local treatment for tumors, and immunotherapy is a systematic treatment. Combination of RT with immunotherapy may bring about an obvious synergistic anti-tumor effort. Here the research progress in this aspect is reviewed. (authors)

Quantitative combination of natural anti-oxidants prevents metabolic syndrome by reducing oxidative stress.

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Gao, Mingjing; Zhao, Zhen; Lv, Pengyu; Li, YuFang; Gao, Juntao; Zhang, Michael; Zhao, Baolu

2015-12-01

Insulin resistance and abdominal obesity are present in the majority of people with the metabolic syndrome. Antioxidant therapy might be a useful strategy for type 2 diabetes and other insulin-resistant states. The combination of vitamin C (Vc) and vitamin E has synthetic scavenging effect on free radicals and inhibition effect on lipid peroxidation. However, there are few studies about how to define the best combination of more than three anti-oxidants as it is difficult or impossible to test the anti-oxidant effect of the combination of every concentration of each ingredient experimentally. Here we present a math model, which is based on the classical Hill equation to determine the best combination, called Fixed Dose Combination (FDC), of several natural anti-oxidants, including Vc, green tea polyphenols (GTP) and grape seed extract proanthocyanidin (GSEP). Then we investigated the effects of FDC on oxidative stress, blood glucose and serum lipid levels in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, high fat diet (HFD)-fed rats which serve as obesity model, and KK-ay mice as diabetic model. The level of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) in the treated rats was studied and Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining or Oil red slices of liver and adipose tissue in the rats were examined as well. FDC shows excellent antioxidant and anti-glycation activity by attenuating lipid peroxidation. FDC determined in this investigation can become a potential solution to reduce obesity, to improve insulin sensitivity and be beneficial for the treatment of fat and diabetic patients. It is the first time to use the math model to determine the best ratio of three anti-oxidants, which can save much more time and chemical materials than traditional experimental method. This quantitative method represents a potentially new and useful strategy to screen all possible combinations of many natural anti-oxidants, therefore may help develop novel therapeutics with the potential to ameliorate the worldwide metabolic

Direct anti-atherosclerotic therapy; development of natural anti-atherosclerotic drugs preventing cellular cholesterol retention.

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Orekhov, Alexander N

2013-01-01

The results of numerous clinical trials with statins and other drugs have demonstrated the principal possibility of the prevention and regression of atherosclerosis by pharmacotherapy. This review describes the use of cultured human arterial cells for the mass screening of anti-atherosclerotic substances, the investigation of the mechanisms responsible for their atherosclerosis-related effects, and the optimization of anti-atherosclerotic and anti-atherogenic drug and dietary therapies. Natural products can be considered promising drugs for anti-atherosclerotic therapy. Our basic studies have shown that cellular lipidosis is the principal event in the genesis of atherosclerotic lesions. Using cellular models and natural products, we have developed an approach to prevent lipid accumulation in arterial cells. Based on our knowledge of atherosclerosis, we developed drugs that possess direct anti-atherosclerotic activity. Two-year treatment with allicor (garlic powder) has a direct anti-atherosclerotic effect on carotid atherosclerosis in asymptomatic men. Inflaminat (calendula, elder, and violet), which possesses anti-cytokine activity, has been shown to cause the regression of carotid atherosclerosis following the treatment of asymptomatic men for one year. The phytoestrogen-rich drug karinat (garlic powder, extract of grape seeds, green tea leaves, hop cones, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid) prevents the development of carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. Thus, our basic findings were successfully translated into clinical practice. Because of this translation, a novel approach to antiatherosclerotic therapy was developed. Our clinical trial confirmed the efficacy of both the novel approach and the novel drugs.

Peripheral Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) Modulates Amyloid Pathology by Regulating Blood-Derived Immune Cells and Glial Response in the Brain of AD/TNF Transgenic Mice.

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Paouri, Evi; Tzara, Ourania; Kartalou, Georgia-Ioanna; Zenelak, Sofia; Georgopoulos, Spiros

2017-05-17

Increasing evidence has suggested that systemic inflammation along with local brain inflammation can play a significant role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Identifying key molecules that regulate the crosstalk between the immune and the CNS can provide potential therapeutic targets. TNF-α is a proinflammatory cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and AD. Recent studies have reported that anti-TNF-α therapy or RA itself can modulate AD pathology, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. To investigate the role of peripheral TNF-α as a mediator of RA in the pathogenesis of AD, we generated double-transgenic 5XFAD/Tg197 AD/TNF mice that develop amyloid deposits and inflammatory arthritis induced by human TNF-α (huTNF-α) expression. We found that 5XFAD/Tg197 mice display decreased amyloid deposition, compromised neuronal integrity, and robust brain inflammation characterized by extensive gliosis and elevated blood-derived immune cell populations, including phagocytic macrophages and microglia. To evaluate the contribution of peripheral huTNF-α in the observed brain phenotype, we treated 5XFAD/Tg197 mice systemically with infliximab, an anti-huTNF-α antibody that does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier and prevents arthritis. Peripheral inhibition of huTNF-α increases amyloid deposition, rescues neuronal impairment, and suppresses gliosis and recruitment of blood-derived immune cells, without affecting brain huTNF-α levels. Our data report, for the first time, a distinctive role for peripheral TNF-α in the modulation of the amyloid phenotype in mice by regulating blood-derived and local brain inflammatory cell populations involved in β-amyloid clearance. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mounting evidence supports the active involvement of systemic inflammation, in addition to local brain inflammation, in Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. TNF-α is a

Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor combination therapy has antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects in mdx mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

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Nio, Yasunori; Tanaka, Masayuki; Hirozane, Yoshihiko; Muraki, Yo; Okawara, Mitsugi; Hazama, Masatoshi; Matsuo, Takanori

2017-12-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common inherited muscular dystrophy. Patients experience DMD in their 20s from cardiac or respiratory failure related to progressive muscle wasting. Currently, the only treatments for the symptoms of DMD are available. Muscle fibrosis, a DMD feature, leads to reduced muscle function and muscle mass, and hampers pharmaceutical therapeutic efficacy. Although antifibrotic agents may be useful, none is currently approved. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors have exhibited antifibrotic effects in human and animal models. In this study, we showed beneficial effects of the PDE4 inhibitor piclamilast in the DMD mdx mouse. Piclamilast reduced the mRNA level of profibrotic genes, including collagen 1A1, in the gastrocnemius and diaphragm, in the mdx mouse, and significantly reduced the Sirius red staining area. The PDE5 inhibitors sildenafil and tadalafil ameliorated functional muscle ischemia in boys with DMD, and sildenafil reversed cardiac dysfunction in the mdx mouse. Single-treatment piclamilast or sildenafil showed similar antifibrotic effects on the gastrocnemius; combination therapy showed a potent antifibrotic effect, and piclamilast and combination therapy increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α mRNA in mouse gastrocnemius. In summary, we confirmed that piclamilast has significant antifibrotic effects in mdx mouse muscle and is a potential treatment for muscle fibrosis in DMD.-Nio, Y., Tanaka, M., Hirozane, Y., Muraki, Y., Okawara, M., Hazama, M., Matsuo, T. Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor combination therapy has antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects in mdx mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. © FASEB.

[Amyloid goiter].

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Hrívó, A; Péter, I; Bánkúti, B; Péley, G; Baska, F; Besznyák, I

1999-03-21

Amyloid goitre is at an extremely rare occurrence. Authors review the origin of disease and its symptoms, diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The disease may be due to either primary or secondary systemic or local amyloidosis. Diagnosis may be made even before surgery on anamnestic data, on very rapid growth of thyroid glands, on diffuse appearance, on other symptoms of systemic amyloidosis, on findings of iconographic procedures and on detection of amyloid in aspirates. Final diagnosis is based on histology. Surgical therapy is aiming at avoidance of the existing and the threatening consequences of expanding mass. The outcome is independent from thyroid surgery, it is related to other manifestations of amyloidosis. Concerning with the present case the chronic superior vena cava syndrome and chylous pleural effusion as first described symptoms and asymptomatic hyperthyroxinaemia is emphasised. Neither other organ involvement, nor primary amyloidogenous molecula was found during the 18 months follow up, so patient has secondary and localised amyloidosis.

Anti-EGFR therapy radiosensitizes human lung adenocarcinoma xenograft in nude mouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hui; Li Tianran; Tian Jiahe; Qu Baolin; Zhu Hui

2008-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effect of Gefitinib on radiosensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma xenograft in nude mouse. Methods: Human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 was used to establish nude mouse xenograft tumor model. The mice were derided into 4 groups: control, irradiation alone, Gefinitib alone and radiation combined with Genifitib. Radiation schedule was 3 fractions of 5 Gy, once daily. Gefitinib was daily administered by gavage at 100 mg/(kg·day -1 ) for 14 days. In the combination group, radiotherapy was performed 2 hours after Gefitinib administration. Tumor diameter was measured every other day. Percentage of tumor growth inhibition, growth delay time and regrowth delay time were evaluated. Results: For A549 xenografts in radiation alone, gefitinib alone and combination therapy groups, the percentage of tumor growth inhibition was 22.7%, 12.4% and 38.2%, respectively (F=25.75, P=0.000). Tumor growth delay time was 6.0, 7.8 and 21.6 days, respectively (F=70.49, P=0.000). Tumor regrowth delay time in combination therapy and irradiation alone groups was 23.4 and 10.2 days. (F=174.24, P= 0.000). Sensitizing enhancement ratio of combination group was 1.5 in growth and 1.7 in regrowth. Conclusions: Anti-EGFR therapy enhances the radiosensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma xenograft in nude mouse. (authors)

Imaging β-amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's disease: a critical analysis through simulation of amyloid fibril polymerization

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Shoghi-Jadid, Kooresh; Barrio, Jorge R.; Kepe, Vladimir; Wu, H.-M.; Small, Gary W.; Phelps, Michael E.; Huang, S.-C.

2005-01-01

The polymerization of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides into fibrillary plaques is implicated, in part, in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Aβ molecular imaging probes (Aβ-MIPs) have been introduced in an effort to quantify amyloid burden or load, in subjects afflicted with AD by invoking the classic PET receptor model for the quantitation of neuronal receptor density. In this communication, we explore conceptual differences between imaging the density of amyloid fibril polymers and neuronal receptors. We formulate a mathematical model for the polymerization of Aβ with parameters that are mapped to biological modulators of fibrillogenesis and introduce a universal measure for amyloid load to accommodate various interactions of Aβ-MIPs with fibrils. Subsequently, we hypothesize four Aβ-MIPs and utilize the fibrillogenesis model to simulate PET tissue time activity curves (TACs). Given the unique nature of polymer growth and resulting PET TAC, the four probes report differing amyloid burdens for a given brain pathology, thus complicating the interpretation of PET images. In addition, we introduce the notion of an MIP's resolution, apparent maximal binding site concentration, optimal kinetic topology and its resolving power in characterizing the pathological progression of AD and the effectiveness of drug therapy. The concepts introduced in this work call for a new paradigm that goes beyond the classic parameters B max and K D to include binding characteristics to polymeric peptide aggregates such as amyloid fibrils, neurofibrillary tangles and prions

Fish β-parvalbumin acquires allergenic properties by amyloid assembly.

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Martínez, Javier; Sánchez, Rosa; Castellanos, Milagros; Fernández-Escamilla, Ana M; Vázquez-Cortés, Sonia; Fernández-Rivas, Montserrat; Gasset, María

2015-01-01

Amyloids are highly cross-β-sheet-rich aggregated states that confer protease resistance, membrane activity and multivalence properties to proteins, all essential features for the undesired preservation of food proteins transiting the gastrointestinal tract and causing type I allergy. Amyloid propensity of β-parvalbumin, the major fish allergen, was theoretically analysed and assayed under gastrointestinal-relevant conditions using the binding of thioflavin T, the formation of sodium dodecyl sulphate- (SDS-) resistant aggregates, circular dichroism spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy fibril imaging. Impact of amyloid aggregates on allergenicity was assessed with dot blot. Sequences of β-parvalbumin from species with commercial value contain several adhesive hexapeptides capable of driving amyloid formation. Using Atlantic cod β-parvalbumin (rGad m 1) displaying high IgE cross-reactivity, we found that formation of amyloid fibres under simulated gastrointestinal conditions accounts for the resistance to acid and neutral proteases, for the presence of membrane active species under gastrointestinal relevant conditions and for the IgE-recognition in the sera of allergic patients. Incorporation of the anti-amyloid compound epigallocatechin gallate prevents rGad m 1 fibrillation, facilitates its protease digestion and impairs its recognition by IgE. the formation of amyloid by rGad m 1 explains its degradation resistance, its facilitated passage across the intestinal epithelial barrier and its epitope architecture as allergen.

Efficacy of combination treatment with anti-IgE plus specific immunotherapy in polysensitized children and adolescents with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

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Kuehr, Joachim; Brauburger, Jens; Zielen, Stefan; Schauer, Uwe; Kamin, Wolfgang; Von Berg, Andrea; Leupold, Wolfgang; Bergmann, Karl-Christian; Rolinck-Werninghaus, Claudia; Gräve, Michael; Hultsch, Thomas; Wahn, Ulrich

2002-02-01

Specific immunotherapy (SIT) and treatment with monoclonal anti-IgE antibody have complementary modes of action. The purpose of this study was to determine whether combined therapy could provide better efficacy than either treatment alone. We conducted a randomized, double-blinded trial to assess the efficacy and safety of subcutaneously administered anti-IgE (omalizumab) or placebo in children and adolescents with seasonal allergic rhinitis in both a birch pollen season and a grass pollen season (sequential seasons together lasting an average of 84 days). There were 4 treatment arms. Each subject was started on SIT-birch or SIT-grass, and anti-IgE or placebo was started before and maintained during the anticipated pollen seasons (a total of 24 weeks). The primary efficacy variable was symptom load, the sum of daily symptom severity score plus rescue medication use. A total of 221 subjects (intent-to-treat population) aged 6 to 17 years were analyzed for efficacy. Combination therapy reduced symptom load over the 2 pollen seasons by 48% (P <.001) over SIT alone. When analyzed separately by season, the 2 groups receiving unrelated SIT were considered placebo controls. In the grass season, symptom loads were as follows: unrelated (birch) SIT + placebo, 0.89 (reference value); unrelated (birch) SIT + anti-IgE, 0.49 (-45%); SIT-grass + placebo, 0.61 (-32%); SIT-grass + anti-IgE, 0.26 (-71%). Anti-IgE therapy conferred a protective effect independent of the type of allergen. Additional clinical benefit was demonstrated in both pollen seasons, whether there was coverage by SIT or not. This combination might prove useful for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, particularly for polysensitized patients.

Islet Amyloid Polypeptide: Structure, Function, and Pathophysiology

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Rehana Akter

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The hormone islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP, or amylin plays a role in glucose homeostasis but aggregates to form islet amyloid in type-2 diabetes. Islet amyloid formation contributes to β-cell dysfunction and death in the disease and to the failure of islet transplants. Recent work suggests a role for IAPP aggregation in cardiovascular complications of type-2 diabetes and hints at a possible role in type-1 diabetes. The mechanisms of IAPP amyloid formation in vivo or in vitro are not understood and the mechanisms of IAPP induced β-cell death are not fully defined. Activation of the inflammasome, defects in autophagy, ER stress, generation of reactive oxygen species, membrane disruption, and receptor mediated mechanisms have all been proposed to play a role. Open questions in the field include the relative importance of the various mechanisms of β-cell death, the relevance of reductionist biophysical studies to the situation in vivo, the molecular mechanism of amyloid formation in vitro and in vivo, the factors which trigger amyloid formation in type-2 diabetes, the potential role of IAPP in type-1 diabetes, the development of clinically relevant inhibitors of islet amyloidosis toxicity, and the design of soluble, bioactive variants of IAPP for use as adjuncts to insulin therapy.

PUVA combination therapy.

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Morison, W L

1985-08-01

Various adjunctive treatments are now frequently used in combination with PUVA therapy with the aims of limiting adverse effects, improving efficacy and decreasing the cost of treatment. In the management of psoriasis, PUVA plus retinoids, PUVA plus methotrexate and PUVA plus UVB phototherapy are the most frequently used combinations. PUVA plus topical corticosteroids and PUVA plus anthralin are also efficacious but adverse effects and poor acceptance by patients are limiting factors. Combinations of PUVA plus nitrogen mustard and ionizing radiation are used in mycosis fungoides to treat tumors and residual disease in secluded sites. In the management of photodermatoses with PUVA therapy, prednisone is often required to prevent exacerbation of disease. A combination of prednisone and PUVA therapy can also be useful in lichen planus and atopic eczema. The selection of a suitable combination treatment, will depend upon the preferences of the clinician, the disease being treated, and the characteristics of the patient.

Application of Feedback System Control Optimization Technique in Combined Use of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy and Herbal Medicines

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Wang Liu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Aim: Combined use of herbal medicines in patients underwent dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT might cause bleeding or thrombosis because herbal medicines with anti-platelet activities may exhibit interactions with DAPT. In this study, we tried to use a feedback system control (FSC optimization technique to optimize dose strategy and clarify possible interactions in combined use of DAPT and herbal medicines.Methods: Herbal medicines with reported anti-platelet activities were selected by searching related references in Pubmed. Experimental anti-platelet activities of representative compounds originated from these herbal medicines were investigated using in vitro assay, namely ADP-induced aggregation of rat platelet-rich-plasma. FSC scheme hybridized artificial intelligence calculation and bench experiments to iteratively optimize 4-drug combination and 2-drug combination from these drug candidates.Results: Totally 68 herbal medicines were reported to have anti-platelet activities. In the present study, 7 representative compounds from these herbal medicines were selected to study combinatorial drug optimization together with DAPT, i.e., aspirin and ticagrelor. FSC technique first down-selected 9 drug candidates to the most significant 5 drugs. Then, FSC further secured 4 drugs in the optimal combination, including aspirin, ticagrelor, ferulic acid from DangGui, and forskolin from MaoHouQiaoRuiHua. Finally, FSC quantitatively estimated the possible interactions between aspirin:ticagrelor, aspirin:ferulic acid, ticagrelor:forskolin, and ferulic acid:forskolin. The estimation was further verified by experimentally determined Combination Index (CI values.Conclusion: Results of the present study suggested that FSC optimization technique could be used in optimization of anti-platelet drug combinations and might be helpful in designing personal anti-platelet therapy strategy. Furthermore, FSC analysis could also identify interactions between different

The efficacy of tramadol/acetaminophen combination tablets (Ultracet®) as add-on and maintenance therapy in knee osteoarthritis pain inadequately controlled by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

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Park, Kyung-Su; Choi, Jin-Jung; Kim, Wan-Uk; Min, June-Ki; Park, Sung-Hwan; Cho, Chul-Soo

2012-02-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of tramadol 37.5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg combination tablets (tramadol/APAP) with that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as maintenance therapy following tramadol/APAP and NSAID combination therapy in knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain which was inadequately controlled by NSAIDs. Subjects with knee OA for over 1 year and moderate pain (numerical rating scale [NRS] ≥5) despite at least 4 weeks' NSAID therapy (meloxicam 7.5 mg or 15 mg qd or aceclofenac 100 mg bid) received tramadol/APAP add-on (combination with NSAID) for 4 weeks. Thereafter, subjects with significant pain improvement (NRS pain intensity (NRS), pain relief score, and subjects' and investigators' overall medication assessments. Of 143 subjects enrolled, 112 completed the 4-week tramadol/APAP and NSAID combination phase and 97 (67.8%) experienced significant pain improvement. Of the 97 subjects randomized, 36 in tramadol/APAP group and 47 in NSAID group completed the 8-week comparator study. On days 29 and 57, WOMAC scores and pain intensities did not increase in both groups compared to measurements immediately after the combination therapy. At these two time points, there were no significant differences in WOMAC scores, pain intensities, and other secondary measures between the two groups. Overall adverse event rates were similar in both groups. Tramadol/APAP add-on significantly improved knee OA pain which had been inadequately controlled by NSAIDs. In those subjects who showed favorable response to tramadol/APAP and NSAID combination therapy, both tramadol/APAP and NSAIDs were effective at maintaining the pain-reduced state and there was no significant difference in efficacy between tramadol/APAP and NSAIDs.

Theranostic GO-based nanohybrid for tumor induced imaging and potential combinational tumor therapy.

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Qin, Si-Yong; Feng, Jun; Rong, Lei; Jia, Hui-Zhen; Chen, Si; Liu, Xiang-Ji; Luo, Guo-Feng; Zhuo, Ren-Xi; Zhang, Xian-Zheng

2014-02-12

Graphene oxide (GO)-based theranostic nanohybrid is designed for tumor induced imaging and potential combinational tumor therapy. The anti-tumor drug, Doxorubicin (DOX) is chemically conjugated to the poly(ethylenimine)-co-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEI-PEG) grafted GO via a MMP2-cleavable PLGLAG peptide linkage. The therapeutic efficacy of DOX is chemically locked and its intrinsic fluorescence is quenched by GO under normal physiological condition. Once stimulated by the MMP2 enzyme over-expressed in tumor tissues, the resulting peptide cleavage permits the unloading of DOX for tumor therapy and concurrent fluorescence recovery of DOX for in situ tumor cell imaging. Attractively, this PEI-bearing nanohybrid can mediate efficient DNA transfection and shows great potential for combinational drug/gene therapy. This tumor induced imaging and potential combinational therapy will open a window for tumor treatment by offering a unique theranostic approach through merging the diagnostic capability and pathology-responsive therapeutic function. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Amyloid positron emission tomography in sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy: A systematic critical update

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Karim Farid

2017-01-01

. A total of six small-scale studies have addressed (or reported data useful to address the diagnostic utility of late-phase amyloid PET imaging in CAA, and one additional study dealt with early PiB images as a proxy of brain perfusion. Across these studies, amyloid PET imaging has definite diagnostic utility (currently tested only in probable CAA: it helps rule out CAA if negative, whether compared to healthy controls or to hypertensive deep ICH controls. If positive, however, differentiation from underlying incipient Alzheimer's disease (AD can be challenging and so far, no approach (regional values, ratios, visual assessment seems sufficient and specific enough, although early PiB data seem to hold promise. Based on the available evidence reviewed, we suggest a tentative diagnostic flow algorithm for amyloid-PET use in the clinical setting of suspected CAA, combining early- and late-phase PiB-PET images. We also identified ten mechanistic amyloid-PET studies providing early but promising proof-of-concept data on CAA pathophysiology and its various manifestations including key MRI lesions, cognitive impairment and large scale brain alterations. Key open questions that should be addressed in future studies of amyloid-PET imaging in CAA are identified and highlighted.

AtriplaR/anti-TB combination in TB/HIV patients. Drug in focus

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Semvua Hadija H

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Co-administration of anti-tuberculosis and antiretroviral therapy is often inevitable in high-burden countries where tuberculosis is the most common opportunistic infection associated with HIV/AIDS. Concurrent use of rifampicin and several antiretroviral drugs is complicated by pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction. Method Pubmed and Google search following the key words tuberculosis, HIV, emtricitabine, tenofovir efavirenz, interaction were used to find relevant information on each drug of the fixed dose combination AtriplaR Results Information on generic name, trade name, pharmacokinetic parameter, metabolism and the pharmacokinetic interaction with Anti-TB drugs of emtricitabine, tenofovir, and efavirenz was obtained. Conclusion Fixed dose combination of emtricitabine/tenofovir/efavirenz (ATRIPLAR which has been approved by Food and Drug Administration shows promising results as far as safety and efficacy is concerned in TB/HIV co-infection patients, hence can be considered effective and safe antiretroviral drug in TB/HIV management for adult and children above 3 years of age.

Prospects for Foamy Viral Vector Anti-HIV Gene Therapy

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Arun K. Nalla

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Stem cell gene therapy approaches for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV infection have been explored in clinical trials and several anti-HIV genes delivered by retroviral vectors were shown to block HIV replication. However, gammaretroviral and lentiviral based retroviral vectors have limitations for delivery of anti-HIV genes into hematopoietic stem cells (HSC. Foamy virus vectors have several advantages including efficient delivery of transgenes into HSC in large animal models, and a potentially safer integration profile. This review focuses on novel anti-HIV transgenes and the potential of foamy virus vectors for HSC gene therapy of HIV.

Diabetes Drug Discovery: hIAPP1-37 Polymorphic Amyloid Structures as Novel Therapeutic Targets.

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Fernández-Gómez, Isaac; Sablón-Carrazana, Marquiza; Bencomo-Martínez, Alberto; Domínguez, Guadalupe; Lara-Martínez, Reyna; Altamirano-Bustamante, Nelly F; Jiménez-García, Luis Felipe; Pasten-Hidalgo, Karina; Castillo-Rodríguez, Rosa Angélica; Altamirano, Perla; Marrero, Suchitil Rivera; Revilla-Monsalve, Cristina; Valdés-Sosa, Peter; Salamanca-Gómez, Fabio; Garrido-Magaña, Eulalia; Rodríguez-Tanty, Chryslaine; Altamirano-Bustamante, Myriam M

2018-03-19

Human islet amyloid peptide (hIAPP 1-37 ) aggregation is an early step in Diabetes Mellitus. We aimed to evaluate a family of pharmaco-chaperones to act as modulators that provide dynamic interventions and the multi-target capacity (native state, cytotoxic oligomers, protofilaments and fibrils of hIAPP 1-37 ) required to meet the treatment challenges of diabetes. We used a cross-functional approach that combines in silico and in vitro biochemical and biophysical methods to study the hIAPP 1-37 aggregation-oligomerization process as to reveal novel potential anti-diabetic drugs. The family of pharmaco-chaperones are modulators of the oligomerization and fibre formation of hIAPP 1-37 . When they interact with the amino acid in the amyloid-like steric zipper zone, they inhibit and/or delay the aggregation-oligomerization pathway by binding and stabilizing several amyloid structures of hIAPP 1-37 . Moreover, they can protect cerebellar granule cells (CGC) from the cytotoxicity produced by the hIAPP 1-37 oligomers. The modulation of proteostasis by the family of pharmaco-chaperones A - F is a promising potential approach to limit the onset and progression of diabetes and its comorbidities.

Effects of Hormone Deprivation, 2-Methoxyestradiol Combination Therapy on Hormone-Dependent Prostate Cancer In Vivo

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Fuminori Sato

2005-09-01

Full Text Available 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME has potent anti proliferative effects on cancer cells. Its utility alone or in combination with other therapies for treating prostate cancer, however, has not been fully explored. Androgendependent, independent human prostate cancer cells were examined in vivo for their response to combination therapy. Efficacy was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay, measuring microvessel density (MVD in excised tumors. Animals harboring hormonedependent tumors treated with 2-ME alone, androgen deprivation therapy alone, or the combination of the two had a 3.1-fold, 5.3-fold, 10.1-fold increase in apoptosis, respectively. For hormone-independent tumors, treatment with 2-ME resulted in a 2.43-fold increase in apoptosis, a 73% decrease in MVD. 2-ME was most effective against hormone-dependent tumors in vivo, combination therapy resulted in a significant increase in efficacy compared to no treatment controls, trended toward greater efficacy than either 2-ME or androgen deprivation alone. Combination therapy should be investigated further as an additional therapeutic option for early prostate cancer.

Chiral recognition in amyloid fiber growth.

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Torbeev, Vladimir; Grogg, Marcel; Ruiz, Jérémy; Boehringer, Régis; Schirer, Alicia; Hellwig, Petra; Jeschke, Gunnar; Hilvert, Donald

2016-05-01

Insoluble amyloid fibers represent a pathological signature of many human diseases. To treat such diseases, inhibition of amyloid formation has been proposed as a possible therapeutic strategy. d-Peptides, which possess high proteolytic stability and lessened immunogenicity, are attractive candidates in this context. However, a molecular understanding of chiral recognition phenomena for d-peptides and l-amyloids is currently incomplete. Here we report experiments on amyloid growth of individual enantiomers and their mixtures for two distinct polypeptide systems of different length and structural organization: a 44-residue covalently-linked dimer derived from a peptide corresponding to the [20-41]-fragment of human β2-microglobulin (β2m) and the 99-residue full-length protein. For the dimeric [20-41]β2m construct, a combination of electron paramagnetic resonance of nitroxide-labeled constructs and (13) C-isotope edited FT-IR spectroscopy of (13) C-labeled preparations was used to show that racemic mixtures precipitate as intact homochiral fibers, i.e. undergo spontaneous Pasteur-like resolution into a mixture of left- and right-handed amyloids. In the case of full-length β2m, the presence of the mirror-image d-protein affords morphologically distinct amyloids that are composed largely of enantiopure domains. Removal of the l-component from hybrid amyloids by proteolytic digestion results in their rapid transformation into characteristic long straight d-β2m amyloids. Furthermore, the full-length d-enantiomer of β2m was found to be an efficient inhibitor of l-β2m amyloid growth. This observation highlights the potential of longer d-polypeptides for future development into inhibitors of amyloid propagation. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Amyloid PET in neurodegenerative diseases with dementia.

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Camacho, V; Gómez-Grande, A; Sopena, P; García-Solís, D; Gómez Río, M; Lorenzo, C; Rubí, S; Arbizu, J

2018-05-15

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory loss, and is the most common form of dementia. Amyloid plaques with neurofibrillary tangles are a neuropathological hallmark of AD that produces synaptic dysfunction and culminates later in neuronal loss. Amyloid PET is a useful, available and non-invasive technique that provides in vivo information about the cortical amyloid burden. In the latest revised criteria for the diagnosis of AD biomarkers were defined and integrated: pathological and diagnostic biomarkers (increased retention on fibrillar amyloid PET or decreased Aβ 1-42 and increased T-Tau or P-Tau in CSF) and neurodegeneration or topographical biomarkers (temporoparietal hypometabolism on 18 F-FDG PET and temporal atrophy on MRI). Recently specific recommendations have been created as a consensus statement on the appropriate use of the imaging biomarkers, including amyloid PET: early-onset cognitive impairment/dementia, atypical forms of AD, mild cognitive impairment with early age of onset, and to differentiate between AD and other neurodegenerative diseases that occur with dementia. Amyloid PET is also contributing to the development of new therapies for AD, as well as in research studies for the study of other neurodegenerative diseases that occur with dementia where the deposition of Aβ amyloid is involved in its pathogenesis. In this paper, we review some general concepts and study the use of amyloid PET in depth and its relationship with neurodegenerative diseases and other diagnostic techniques. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Medicina Nuclear e Imagen Molecular. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Carnosic acid and fisetin combination therapy enhances inhibition of lung cancer through apoptosis induction.

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Shi, Bin; Wang, Li-Fang; Meng, Wen-Shu; Chen, Liang; Meng, Zi-Li

2017-06-01

Carnosic acid is a phenolic diterpene with anti-inflammation, anticancer, anti-bacterial, anti-diabetic, as well as neuroprotective properties, which is generated by many species from Lamiaceae family. Fisetin (3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone), a naturally flavonoid is abundantly produced in different vegetables and fruits. Fisetin has been reported to have various positive biological effects, including anti-proliferative, anticancer, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective effects. Lung cancer is reported as the most common neoplasm in human world-wide. In the present study, the possible benefits of carnosic acid combined with fisetin on lung cancer in vitro and in vivo was explored. Carnosic acid and fisetin combination led to apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Caspase-3 signaling pathway was promoted in carnosic acid and fisetin co-treatment, which was accompanied by anti-apoptotic proteins of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl decreasing and pro-apoptotic signals of Bax and Bad increasing. The death receptor (DR) of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) was enhanced in carnosic acid and fisetin combined treatment. Furthermore, the mouse xenograft model in vivo suggested that carnosic acid and fisetin combined treatment inhibited lung cancer growth in comparison to the carnosic acid or fisetin monotherapy. This study supplies a novel therapy to induce apoptosis to inhibit lung cancer through caspase-3 activation.

Diffuse Non-toxic Goitre Therapy with Iodine Alone or with Combination of Iodine and Levothyroxine

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N Galkina

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: to assess the efficacy and tolerability of low-dose iodine therapy compared with the combination of iodine and levothyroxine in endemic goitre patients. Methods: 12-month prospective study was performed, in which 81 patients were randomized on two groups: Group 1 (n = 40 - KI (200 micrograms/day and Group 2 (n = 41 - KI (100 mcg/day + L-T4 (1.0 mcg/kg. Thyroid volume, TSH and Anti-TPO-Ab levels were evaluated at baseline, at 8 month of the treatment and at 12 month (4 month after the cessation of the therapy. Results: the significant decreasing of thyroid volumes was found in group 1 at 8 month compared with baseline (20.5 ml at baseline and 16,4 ml at 8 month р < 0.001. After the therapy cessation the further benefit of a sustained effect was demonstrated (16.4 ml at 8 month and 16.1 ml at 12 month, р = 0.31. Iodine-induced hypo- and hyperthyroidism were not observed. High Anti-TPO-Ab level was found in one of 31 patients (3%. In group 2 significant difference between thyroid volumes was found at 8 month compared with baseline (20,5 ml at baseline and 16.2 ml at 8 month р < 0.001. The sustained effect was revealed at least 4 month after the therapy cessation (16.2 ml at 8 month and 16.1 ml at 12 month, р = 0.77. One man had iodine-induced subclinical hyperthyroidism. Anti-TPO-Ab was not detected in this group. No significant difference between thyroid volume decreasing, TSH and Anti-TPO-Ab levels in two comparable groups was observed. Conclusion: KI alone (200 mcg/day or the combination of L-T4 (1.0 mcg/kg and KI (100 mcg/day are equally effective and tolerable for endemic goitre therapy.

Modern aspects of external anti'inflammatory therapy of atopic dermatitis in children

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Okhotnikova O.M.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combined use of creams Prednicarbum and synthetic tannin (phenol-methanal-of urea-polycondensate in the treatment of exacerbation of atopic dermatitis in children. Material and methods: 50 children, 1 to 12 years, with atopic dermatitis with the exacerbation of the skin process different degrees of severity. Results: In children with mild localized form of atopic dermatitis after the monotherapy whith cream synthetic tannin, noted a marked clinical improvement up to 7 days of treatment. The noted expressive positive dynamics of the skin process and reduction of objective symptoms during the first days after of combination treatment with Prednicarbatet cream and synthetic tannin, also after combination therapy Prednicarbate and moisturizing cream in mode of step therapy. Conclusions: The combined application of Prednicarbate cream and phenol-methanal-of urea-polycondensate increases the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory treatment of atopic dermatitis, which can reduce the duration of use of topical corticosteroids and reduce the risk of adverse reactions in children with moderate and severe course skin process.

Soluble Tie2 overrides the heightened invasion induced by anti-angiogenesis therapies in gliomas.

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Cortes-Santiago, Nahir; Hossain, Mohammad B; Gabrusiewicz, Konrad; Fan, Xuejun; Gumin, Joy; Marini, Frank C; Alonso, Marta M; Lang, Frederick; Yung, W K; Fueyo, Juan; Gomez-Manzano, Candelaria

2016-03-29

Glioblastoma recurrence after treatment with the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent bevacizumab is characterized by a highly infiltrative and malignant behavior that renders surgical excision and chemotherapy ineffective. Our group has previously reported that Tie2-expressing monocytes (TEMs) are aberrantly present at the tumor/normal brain interface after anti-VEGF therapies and their significant role in the invasive outgrowth of these tumors. Here, we aimed to further understand the mechanisms leading to this pro-invasive tumor microenvironment. Examination of a U87MG xenogeneic glioma model and a GL261 murine syngeneic model showed increased tumor expression of angiopoietin 2 (Ang2), a natural ligand of Tie2, after anti-angiogenesis therapies targeting VEGF or VEGF receptor (VEGFR), as assessed by immunohistochemical analysis, immunofluorescence analysis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of tumor lysates. Migration and gelatinolytic assays showed that Ang2 acts as both a chemoattractant of TEMs and an enhancing signal for their tumor-remodeling properties. Accordingly, in vivo transduction of Ang2 into intracranial gliomas increased recruitment of TEMs into the tumor. To reduce invasive tumor outgrowth after anti-angiogenesis therapy, we targeted the Ang-Tie2 axis using a Tie2 decoy receptor. Using syngeneic models, we observed that overexpression of soluble Tie2 within the tumor prevented the recruitment of TEMs to the tumor and the development of invasion after anti-angiogenesis treatment. Taken together, these data indicate an active role for the Ang2-Tie2 pathway in invasive glioma recurrence after anti-angiogenesis treatment and provide a rationale for testing the combined targeting of VEGF and Ang-Tie2 pathways in patients with glioblastoma.

Targeting Metabolic Symbiosis to Overcome Resistance to Anti-angiogenic Therapy

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Laura Pisarsky

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Despite the approval of several anti-angiogenic therapies, clinical results remain unsatisfactory, and transient benefits are followed by rapid tumor recurrence. Here, we demonstrate potent anti-angiogenic efficacy of the multi-kinase inhibitors nintedanib and sunitinib in a mouse model of breast cancer. However, after an initial regression, tumors resume growth in the absence of active tumor angiogenesis. Gene expression profiling of tumor cells reveals metabolic reprogramming toward anaerobic glycolysis. Indeed, combinatorial treatment with a glycolysis inhibitor (3PO efficiently inhibits tumor growth. Moreover, tumors establish metabolic symbiosis, illustrated by the differential expression of MCT1 and MCT4, monocarboxylate transporters active in lactate exchange in glycolytic tumors. Accordingly, genetic ablation of MCT4 expression overcomes adaptive resistance against anti-angiogenic therapy. Hence, targeting metabolic symbiosis may be an attractive avenue to avoid resistance development to anti-angiogenic therapy in patients.

Current possibilities of anti-inflammatory therapy in children with acute respiratory diseases

OpenAIRE

E. E. Lokshina; O. V. Zaytseva

2017-01-01

The paper gives an update on the pathogenesis of acute respiratory diseases, the basis for which is inflammation of the airway mucosal lining. It reflects the results of a comparative clinical trial of the efficacy and safety of the anti-inflammatory drug fenspiride used in the combination therapy for respiratory diseases in children. The findings allow one to recommend the use of fenspiride to treat this condition in children.

Current possibilities of anti-inflammatory therapy in children with acute respiratory diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. E. Lokshina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper gives an update on the pathogenesis of acute respiratory diseases, the basis for which is inflammation of the airway mucosal lining. It reflects the results of a comparative clinical trial of the efficacy and safety of the anti-inflammatory drug fenspiride used in the combination therapy for respiratory diseases in children. The findings allow one to recommend the use of fenspiride to treat this condition in children.

Developing injectable immunoglobulins to treat cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease.

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Steinitz, Michael

2008-05-01

Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disorder, clinically characterized by a comprehensive cognitive decline. The novel strategy of anti-amyloid-beta immunotherapy has been suggested following encouraging results obtained in murine models of Alzheimer's disease, in non-human primates, and in small-scale clinical trials. To examine the choice between active or passive anti-amyloid-beta immunization and the choice of the molecule to which the immune machinery should be targeted, which are central issues in future immune therapy of Alzheimer's disease. Research into the new area of Alzheimer's disease immune therapy is primarily based on in vivo and in vitro studies of murine models of Alzheimer's disease. The studies are hence limited to defined genetic deficiencies. In humans, infusion of anti-amyloid-beta antibodies is considered a safer approach than active anti-amyloid-beta vaccination. Alzheimer's-disease-protective anti-amyloid-beta monoclonal antibodies should target specific epitopes within the amyloid beta(1 42) peptide, avoiding possibly harmful binding to the ubiquitous normal amyloid precursor protein. Since Alzheimer's disease immunotherapy requires repeated infusion of antibodies over a prolonged period of time, Alzheimer's disease patients will tolerate such antibodies provided the latter are exclusively of human origin. Human monoclonal antibodies that correspond to ubiquitous anti-amyloid-beta, present in all healthy humans, might bear important protective characteristics.

99mTc-HYNIC-Annexin A5 in Oncology: Evaluating Efficacy of Anti-Cancer Therapies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaper, Frédéric L.W.V.J.; Reutelingsperger, Chris P.

2013-01-01

Evaluation of efficacy of anti-cancer therapy is currently performed by anatomical imaging (e.g., MRI, CT). Structural changes, if present, become apparent 1–2 months after start of therapy. Cancer patients thus bear the risk to receive an ineffective treatment, whilst clinical trials take a long time to prove therapy response. Both patient and pharmaceutical industry could therefore profit from an early assessment of efficacy of therapy. Diagnostic methods providing information on a functional level, rather than a structural, could present the solution. Recent technological advances in molecular imaging enable in vivo imaging of biological processes. Since most anti-cancer therapies combat tumors by inducing apoptosis, imaging of apoptosis could offer an early assessment of efficacy of therapy. This review focuses on principles of and clinical experience with molecular imaging of apoptosis using Annexin A5, a widely accepted marker for apoptosis detection in vitro and in vivo in animal models. 99m Tc-HYNIC-Annexin A5 in combination with SPECT has been probed in clinical studies to assess efficacy of chemo- and radiotherapy within 1–4 days after start of therapy. Annexin A5-based functional imaging of apoptosis shows promise to offer a personalized medicine approach, now primarily used in genome-based medicine, applicable to all cancer patients

Lowering beta-amyloid levels rescues learning and memory in a Down syndrome mouse model.

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William J Netzer

Full Text Available beta-amyloid levels are elevated in Down syndrome (DS patients throughout life and are believed to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD in adult members of this population. However, it is not known if beta-amyloid contributes to intellectual disability in younger individuals. We used a gamma-secretase inhibitor to lower beta-amyloid levels in young mice that model DS. This treatment corrected learning deficits characteristic of these mice, suggesting that beta-amyloid-lowering therapies might improve cognitive function in young DS patients.

Smart activatable and traceable dual-prodrug for image-guided combination photodynamic and chemo-therapy.

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Hu, Fang; Yuan, Youyong; Mao, Duo; Wu, Wenbo; Liu, Bin

2017-11-01

Activatable photosensitizers (PSs) and chemo-prodrugs are highly desirable for anti-cancer therapy to reduce systemic toxicity. However, it is difficult to integrate both together into a molecular probe for combination therapy due to the complexity of introducing PS, singlet oxygen quencher, chemo-drug, chemo-drug inhibitor and active linker at the same time. To realize activatable PS and chemo-prodrug combination therapy, we develop a smart therapeutic platform in which the chemo-prodrug serves as the singlet oxygen quencher for the PS. Specifically, the photosensitizing activity and fluorescence of the PS (TPEPY-SH) are blocked by the chemo-prodrug (Mitomycin C, MMC) in the probe. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity of MMC is also inhibited by the electron-withdrawing acyl at the nitrogen position next to the linker. Upon glutathione activation, TPEPY-S-MMC can simultaneously release active PS and MMC for combination therapy. The restored fluorescence of TPEPY-SH is also used to report the activation for both PS and MMC as well as to guide the photodynamic therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of choroidal neovascular membrane in a case of macular hole after anti-VEGF therapy for age-related macular degeneration.

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Hirata, Akira; Hayashi, Ken; Murata, Kazuhisa; Nakamura, Kei-Ichiro

2018-03-01

The formation of macular hole after receiving anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy is rare. We report a case of macular hole that occurred after intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a patient, who underwent vitrectomy combined with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) removal. A 64-year-old female with AMD affecting her right eye received an intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent. After treatment, we identified a full thickness macular hole (MH) that was associated with the rapid resolution of the macular edema and contraction of the CNV. After performing vitrectomy combined with CNV removal, the MH closed and her visual acuity improved. Examination of the removed CNV revealed a network of microvessels devoid of pericytes. and Importance: The present findings suggest that rapid resolution of macular edema and contraction of the CNV and/or mild increase in the vitreous traction after anti-VEGF therapy could potentially cause MH. CNV removal via the MH may be an acceptable procedure, if the MH remains open, the CNV is of the classic type, and it spares a central portion of the fovea.

Detection of AA-type amyloid protein in labial salivary glands.

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Sacsaquispe, Sonia-Julia; Antúnez-de Mayolo, Eleazar-Antonio; Vicetti, Rodolfo; Delgado, Wilson-Alejandro

2011-03-01

Among the diverse forms of amyloidosis, secondary type is the most frequent one. Diagnosis of amyloid deposition is based on the identification of the fibrillary protein amyloid by means of Congo Red (CR) or crystal violet (CV) stains, but these techniques do not differentiate between the different types of amyloid fibrils. The aim of this study was to identify by immunofluorescence (IF) AA amyloid a pathological fibrillar low-molecular-weight protein formed by cleavage of serum amyloid A (SAA) protein in labial salivary gland (LSG) biopsies from patients with secondary amyloidosis. 98 LSG were studied, 65 were from patients with secondary amyloidosis and 33 from subjects with chronic inflammatory diseases without evidence of this anomaly. All sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H &E), CV, CR and IF using anti-AA antibodies. Positive and negative controls were used for all techniques. CV and CR demonstrated that the amyloid substance was found mainly distributed periductally (93.8%), followed by periacinar and perivascular locations (p <0.001); however, the IF demonstrated that amyloid AA substance predominates in the periacinar area (73.8%), followed by periductal and perivascular locations (p <0.001). IF has a sensitivity of 83%, 100% of specificity, 100% of predictive positive value and 75% of predictive negative value. The results of this study confirm the efficacy of the LSG biopsy as a highly reliable method for diagnosis of secondary amyloidosis.

Monitoring Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity Following Amyloid-β Immunotherapy Using Gadolinium-Enhanced MRI in a PDAPP Mouse Model.

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Blockx, Ines; Einstein, Steve; Guns, Pieter-Jan; Van Audekerke, Johan; Guglielmetti, Caroline; Zago, Wagner; Roose, Dimitri; Verhoye, Marleen; Van der Linden, Annemie; Bard, Frederique

2016-09-06

Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) have been reported with some anti-amyloid-β (Aβ) immunotherapy trials. They are detected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and thought to represent transient accumulation of fluid/edema (ARIA-E) or microhemorrhages (ARIA-H). Although the clinical significance and pathophysiology are unknown, it has been proposed that anti-Aβimmunotherapy may affect blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. To examine vascular integrity in aged (12-16 months) PDAPP and wild type mice (WT), we performed a series of longitudinal in vivo MRI studies. Mice were treated on a weekly basis using anti-Aβimmunotherapy (3D6) and follow up was done longitudinally from 1-12 weeks after treatment. BBB-integrity was assessed using both visual assessment of T1-weighted scans and repeated T1 mapping in combination with gadolinium (Gd-DOTA). A subset of 3D6 treated PDAPP mice displayed numerous BBB disruptions, whereas WT and saline-treated PDAPP mice showed intact BBB integrity under the conditions tested. In addition, the contrast induced decrease in T1 value was observed in the meningeal and midline area. BBB disruption events occurred early during treatment (between 1 and 5 weeks), were transient, and resolved quickly. Finally, BBB-leakages associated with microhemorrhages were confirmed by Perls'Prussian blue histopathological analysis. Our preclinical findings support the hypothesis that 3D6 leads to transient leakage from amyloid-positive vessels. The current study has provided valuable insights on the time course of vascular alterations during immunization treatment and supports further research in relation to the nature of ARIA and the utility of in vivo repeated T1 MRI as a translational tool.

Near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging of amyloid beta species and monitoring therapy in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease

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Zhang, Xueli; Tian, Yanli; Zhang, Can; Tian, Xiaoyu; Ross, Alana W.; Moir, Robert D.; Sun, Hongbin; Tanzi, Rudolph E.; Moore, Anna; Ran, Chongzhao

2015-01-01

Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) molecular imaging has been widely applied to monitoring therapy of cancer and other diseases in preclinical studies; however, this technology has not been applied successfully to monitoring therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although several NIRF probes for detecting amyloid beta (Aβ) species of AD have been reported, none of these probes has been used to monitor changes of Aβs during therapy. In this article, we demonstrated that CRANAD-3, a curcumin analog, is capable of detecting both soluble and insoluble Aβ species. In vivo imaging showed that the NIRF signal of CRANAD-3 from 4-mo-old transgenic AD (APP/PS1) mice was 2.29-fold higher than that from age-matched wild-type mice, indicating that CRANAD-3 is capable of detecting early molecular pathology. To verify the feasibility of CRANAD-3 for monitoring therapy, we first used the fast Aβ-lowering drug LY2811376, a well-characterized beta-amyloid cleaving enzyme-1 inhibitor, to treat APP/PS1 mice. Imaging data suggested that CRANAD-3 could monitor the decrease in Aβs after drug treatment. To validate the imaging capacity of CRANAD-3 further, we used it to monitor the therapeutic effect of CRANAD-17, a curcumin analog for inhibition of Aβ cross-linking. The imaging data indicated that the fluorescence signal in the CRANAD-17–treated group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the result correlated with ELISA analysis of brain extraction and Aβ plaque counting. It was the first time, to our knowledge, that NIRF was used to monitor AD therapy, and we believe that our imaging technology has the potential to have a high impact on AD drug development. PMID:26199414

Cross-interactions between the Alzheimer Disease Amyloid-β Peptide and Other Amyloid Proteins: A Further Aspect of the Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis.

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Luo, Jinghui; Wärmländer, Sebastian K T S; Gräslund, Astrid; Abrahams, Jan Pieter

2016-08-05

Many protein folding diseases are intimately associated with accumulation of amyloid aggregates. The amyloid materials formed by different proteins/peptides share many structural similarities, despite sometimes large amino acid sequence differences. Some amyloid diseases constitute risk factors for others, and the progression of one amyloid disease may affect the progression of another. These connections are arguably related to amyloid aggregates of one protein being able to directly nucleate amyloid formation of another, different protein: the amyloid cross-interaction. Here, we discuss such cross-interactions between the Alzheimer disease amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and other amyloid proteins in the context of what is known from in vitro and in vivo experiments, and of what might be learned from clinical studies. The aim is to clarify potential molecular associations between different amyloid diseases. We argue that the amyloid cascade hypothesis in Alzheimer disease should be expanded to include cross-interactions between Aβ and other amyloid proteins. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Blockade of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha: A Role for Adalimumab in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Refractory to Anti-Angiogenesis Therapy

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Beatriz Fernández-Vega

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Aims: To report a case of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet-AMD refractory to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF therapy in a patient who showed visual and anatomical improvement and stabilization after starting a subcutaneous treatment course with adalimumab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α drug, for concomitant Crohn's disease. Methods: Observational case report of a female patient. Ophthalmological evaluation was performed by slit lamp and ophthalmoscopy (posterior pole and anterior segment. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA was determined, and imaging was performed by fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT. Intravitreal therapies used and treatment with anti-TNF-α were recorded. Results: A 64-year-old woman with wet-AMD was treated with fourteen intravitreal injections of ranibizumab (0.5 mg for a period of 40 months with intervals of 1-6 months. She initially showed a good visual and anatomical response to periodic anti-VEGF treatment but during check visits, anatomical and functional responses deteriorated. At the 40-month follow-up, the patient had developed Crohn's disease, and her rheumatologist started treatment with adalimumab (40 mg subcutaneously every 2 weeks. During the 25 months of treatment with adalimumab, the patient did not require any additional intravitreal anti-VEGF treatments because her BCVA, clinical, and OCT findings improved and remained stable. Conclusions: We described a case of a patient with wet-AMD refractory to anti-VEGF therapy, which clinically benefited from subcutaneous adalimumab therapy. Treatment with subcutaneous anti-TNF-α in combination with anti-VEGF therapy avoids the high cost and risks related to multiple intravitreal anti-VEGF injections with good functional and anatomic outcomes.

Antibiotic and Anti-Inflammatory Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis

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Chmiel, James F.; Konstan, Michael W.; Elborn, J. Stuart

2013-01-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease is characterized by chronic bacterial infection and an unremitting inflammatory response, which are responsible for most of CF morbidity and mortality. The median expected survival has increased from 38 yr now. This dramatic improvement, although not great enough, is due to the development of therapies directed at secondary disease pathologies, especially antibiotics. The importance of developing treatments directed against the vigorous inflammatory response was realized in the 1990s. New therapies directed toward the basic defect are now visible on the horizon. However, the impact of these drugs on downstream pathological consequences is unknown. It is likely that antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs will remain an important part of the maintenance regimen for CF in the foreseeable future. Current and future antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapies for CF are reviewed. PMID:23880054

Therapeutic genes for anti-HIV/AIDS gene therapy.

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Bovolenta, Chiara; Porcellini, Simona; Alberici, Luca

2013-01-01

The multiple therapeutic approaches developed so far to cope HIV-1 infection, such as anti-retroviral drugs, germicides and several attempts of therapeutic vaccination have provided significant amelioration in terms of life-quality and survival rate of AIDS patients. Nevertheless, no approach has demonstrated efficacy in eradicating this lethal, if untreated, infection. The curative power of gene therapy has been proven for the treatment of monogenic immunodeficiensies, where permanent gene modification of host cells is sufficient to correct the defect for life-time. No doubt, a similar concept is not applicable for gene therapy of infectious immunodeficiensies as AIDS, where there is not a single gene to be corrected; rather engineered cells must gain immunotherapeutic or antiviral features to grant either short- or long-term efficacy mostly by acquisition of antiviral genes or payloads. Anti-HIV/AIDS gene therapy is one of the most promising strategy, although challenging, to eradicate HIV-1 infection. In fact, genetic modification of hematopoietic stem cells with one or multiple therapeutic genes is expected to originate blood cell progenies resistant to viral infection and thereby able to prevail on infected unprotected cells. Ultimately, protected cells will re-establish a functional immune system able to control HIV-1 replication. More than hundred gene therapy clinical trials against AIDS employing different viral vectors and transgenes have been approved or are currently ongoing worldwide. This review will overview anti-HIV-1 infection gene therapy field evaluating strength and weakness of the transgenes and payloads used in the past and of those potentially exploitable in the future.

Effective immunotherapy of weakly immunogenic solid tumours using a combined immunogene therapy and regulatory T-cell inactivation.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Whelan, M C

2012-01-31

Obstacles to effective immunotherapeutic anti-cancer approaches include poor immunogenicity of the tumour cells and the presence of tolerogenic mechanisms in the tumour microenvironment. We report an effective immune-based treatment of weakly immunogenic, growing solid tumours using a locally delivered immunogene therapy to promote development of immune effector responses in the tumour microenvironment and a systemic based T regulatory cell (Treg) inactivation strategy to potentiate these responses by elimination of tolerogenic or immune suppressor influences. As the JBS fibrosarcoma is weakly immunogenic and accumulates Treg in its microenvironment with progressive growth, we used this tumour model to test our combined immunotherapies. Plasmids encoding GM-CSF and B7-1 were electrically delivered into 100 mm(3) tumours; Treg inactivation was accomplished by systemic administration of anti-CD25 antibody (Ab). Using this approach, we found that complete elimination of tumours was achieved at a level of 60% by immunogene therapy, 25% for Treg inactivation and 90% for combined therapies. Moreover, we found that these responses were immune transferable, systemic, tumour specific and durable. Combined gene-based immune effector therapy and Treg inactivation represents an effective treatment for weakly antigenic solid growing tumours and that could be considered for clinical development.

Ibrutinib interferes with the cell-mediated anti-tumor activities of therapeutic CD20 antibodies: implications for combination therapy

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Roit, Fabio Da; Engelberts, Patrick J.; Taylor, Ronald P.; Breij, Esther C.W.; Gritti, Giuseppe; Rambaldi, Alessandro; Introna, Martino; Parren, Paul W.H.I.; Beurskens, Frank J.; Golay, Josée

2015-01-01

The novel Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib and phosphatidyl-4-5-biphosphate 3-kinase-δ inhibitor idelalisib are promising drugs for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, either alone or in combination with anti-CD20 antibodies. We investigated the possible positive or negative impact of these drugs on all known mechanisms of action of both type I and type II anti-CD20 antibodies. Pretreatment with ibrutinib for 1 hour did not increase direct cell death of cell lines or chronic lymphocytic leukemia samples mediated by anti-CD20 antibodies. Pre-treatment with ibrutinib did not inhibit complement activation or complement-mediated lysis. In contrast, ibrutinib strongly inhibited all cell-mediated mechanisms induced by anti-CD20 antibodies rituximab, ofatumumab or obinutuzumab, either in purified systems or whole blood assays. Activation of natural killer cells, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity by these cells, as well as phagocytosis by macrophages or neutrophils were inhibited by ibrutinib with a half maximal effective concentration of 0.3–3 μM. Analysis of anti-CD20 mediated activation of natural killer cells isolated from patients on continued oral ibrutinib treatment suggested that repeated drug dosing inhibits these cells in vivo. Finally we show that the phosphatidyl-4-5-biphosphate 3-kinase-δ inhibitor idelalisib similarly inhibited the immune cell-mediated mechanisms induced by anti-CD20 antibodies, although the effects of this drug at 10 μM were weaker than those observed with ibrutinib at the same concentration. We conclude that the design of combined treatment schedules of anti-CD20 antibodies with these kinase inhibitors should consider the multiple negative interactions between these two classes of drugs. PMID:25344523

Simple and efficient generation of virus-specific T cells for adoptive therapy using anti-4-1BB antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Imahashi, Nobuhiko; Nishida, Tetsuya; Goto, Tatsunori; Terakura, Seitaro; Watanabe, Keisuke; Hanajiri, Ryo; Sakemura, Reona; Imai, Misa; Kiyoi, Hitoshi; Naoe, Tomoki; Murata, Makoto

2015-01-01

Although recent studies of virus-specific T-cell (VST) therapy for viral infections after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have shown promising results, simple and less time-intensive and labor-intensive methods are required to generate VSTs for the wider application of VST therapy. We investigated the efficacy of anti-CD28 and anti-4-1BB antibodies, which can provide T cells with costimulatory signals similar in strength to those of antigen-presenting cells, in generating VSTs. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with viral peptides together with isotype control, anti-CD28, or anti-4-1BB antibodies, anti-4-1BB antibodies yielded the highest numbers of VSTs, which were on an average 7.9 times higher than those generated with isotype control antibody. The combination of anti-CD28 and anti-4-1BB antibodies did not result in increased numbers of VSTs compared with anti-4-1BB antibody alone. Importantly, the positive effect of anti-4-1BB antibody was observed regardless of the epitopes of the VSTs. In contrast, the capacity of dendritic cells (DCs) to generate VSTs differed considerably depending on the epitopes of the VSTs. Furthermore, the numbers of VSTs generated with DCs were at most similar to those generated with the anti-4-1BB antibody. Generation of VSTs with anti-4-1BB antibody did not result in excessive differentiation or deteriorated function of the generated VSTs compared with those generated with control antibody or DCs. In conclusion, VSTs can be generated rapidly and efficiently by simply stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with viral peptide and anti-4-1BB antibody without using antigen-presenting cells. We propose using anti-4-1BB antibody as a novel strategy to generate VSTs for adoptive therapy.

Combined antiretroviral and anti- tuberculosis drug resistance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

these epidemics, many challenges remain.[3] Antiretroviral and anti-TB drug resistance pose considerable threats to the control of these epidemics.[4,5]. The breakdown in HIV/TB control within prisons is another emerging threat.[6,7] We describe one of the first reports of combined antiretroviral and anti-TB drug resistance ...

α-Lipoic acid exhibits anti-amyloidogenicity for β-amyloid fibrils in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Kenjiro; Hirohata, Mie; Yamada, Masahito

2006-01-01

Inhibition of the formation of β-amyloid fibrils (fAβ), as well as the destabilization of preformed fAβ in the CNS would be attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using fluorescence spectroscopic analysis with thioflavin T and electron microscopic studies, we examined the effects of α-lipoic acid (LA) and the metabolic product of LA, dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), on the formation, extension, and destabilization of fAβ at pH 7.5 at 37 o C in vitro. LA and DHLA dose-dependently inhibited fAβ formation from amyloid β-protein, as well as their extension. Moreover, they destabilized preformed fAβs. LA and DHLA could be key molecules for the development of therapeutics for AD

Anti-cancer vaccine therapy for hematologic malignancies: An evolving era.

Science.gov (United States)

Nahas, Myrna R; Rosenblatt, Jacalyn; Lazarus, Hillard M; Avigan, David

2018-02-15

The potential promise of therapeutic vaccination as effective therapy for hematologic malignancies is supported by the observation that allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is curative for a subset of patients due to the graft-versus-tumor effect mediated by alloreactive lymphocytes. Tumor vaccines are being explored as a therapeutic strategy to re-educate host immunity to recognize and target malignant cells through the activation and expansion of effector cell populations. Via several mechanisms, tumor cells induce T cell dysfunction and senescence, amplifying and maintaining tumor cell immunosuppressive effects, resulting in failure of clinical trials of tumor vaccines and adoptive T cell therapies. The fundamental premise of successful vaccine design involves the introduction of tumor-associated antigens in the context of effective antigen presentation so that tolerance can be reversed and a productive response can be generated. With the increasing understanding of the role of both the tumor and tumor microenvironment in fostering immune tolerance, vaccine therapy is being explored in the context of immunomodulatory therapies. The most effective strategy may be to use combination therapies such as anti-cancer vaccines with checkpoint blockade to target critical aspects of this environment in an effort to prevent the re-establishment of tumor tolerance while limiting toxicity associated with autoimmunity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

99mTc-HYNIC-Annexin A5 in Oncology: Evaluating Efficacy of Anti-Cancer Therapies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris P. Reutelingsperger

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Evaluation of efficacy of anti-cancer therapy is currently performed by anatomical imaging (e.g., MRI, CT. Structural changes, if present, become apparent 1–2 months after start of therapy. Cancer patients thus bear the risk to receive an ineffective treatment, whilst clinical trials take a long time to prove therapy response. Both patient and pharmaceutical industry could therefore profit from an early assessment of efficacy of therapy. Diagnostic methods providing information on a functional level, rather than a structural, could present the solution. Recent technological advances in molecular imaging enable in vivo imaging of biological processes. Since most anti-cancer therapies combat tumors by inducing apoptosis, imaging of apoptosis could offer an early assessment of efficacy of therapy. This review focuses on principles of and clinical experience with molecular imaging of apoptosis using Annexin A5, a widely accepted marker for apoptosis detection in vitro and in vivo in animal models. 99mTc-HYNIC-Annexin A5 in combination with SPECT has been probed in clinical studies to assess efficacy of chemo- and radiotherapy within 1–4 days after start of therapy. Annexin A5-based functional imaging of apoptosis shows promise to offer a personalized medicine approach, now primarily used in genome-based medicine, applicable to all cancer patients.

EFFICACY OF COMBINATION TREATMENT WITH ANTI_IGE PLUS SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH ATOPIC DISEASES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.I. Il'ina

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Allergen specific immunotherapy (ASIT is a very effective technique in treatment of many allergic diseases. It greatly improves the quality of life. There's a risk of adverse system reactions at the time of ASIT. Treatment with anti Ige antibodies (omalizumab, xolair allows decreasing the circulating Ige level and lessening an expression of high affinity fc_r1 receptors on the surface of basophiles and mast cells, inhibition of early and late phase of allergic inflammatory response. Combination of antibige therapy and ASIT can lead to decrease of risk of adverse system reactions.Key words: omalizumab, anti Ige antibodies, allergen specific immunotherapy.

Effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha and anti-intercellular adhesion molecule-1 antibodies on ischemia/reperfusion lung injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Chi-Huei

2006-10-31

Inhibition of neutrophil activation and adherence to endothelium by antibodies to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1), respectively, might attenuate ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R). I/R was conducted in an isolated rat lung model. Anti-TNF-alpha antibody and/or anti-ICAM-1 antibody were added before ischemia or after reperfusion. Hemodynamic changes, lung weight gain (LWG), capillary filtration coefficients (Kfc), and pathologic changes were assessed to evaluate the severity of I/R. The LWG, Kfc, pathological changes and lung injury score of treatment groups with anti-TNF-alpha antibody treatment, either pre-ischemia or during reperfusion, were less than those observed in control groups. Similar findings were found in group treated with anti-ICAM-1 antibody or combination therapy during reperfusion. In contrast, pre-I/R treatment with anti-ICAM-1 antibody induced severe lung edema and failure to complete the experimental procedure. No additional therapeutic effect was found in combination therapy. We conclude that TNF-alpha and ICAM-1 play important roles in I/R. Anti-TNF-alpha antibody has therapeutic and preventive effects on I/R. However, combined therapy with anti-TNF-alpha antibody and anti-ICAM-1 antibody may have no additive effect and need further investigation.

A systematic review of anti-thrombotic therapy in epistaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Musgrave, K M; Powell, J

2016-12-01

There is limited guidance available to clinicians regarding the management of antithrombotic therapy during epistaxis, whilst there has been an increase in the use of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy. In addition, the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), such as dabigatran and rivaroxaban, over the last decade has significantly increased the complexity of managing the anticoagulated epistaxis patient. We undertook a systemic literature review investigating potential management strategies for each class of anti-thrombotic therapy during epistaxis. A PubMED and Cochrane Library search was performed on 10/03/16 using, but not limited to, the search terms epistaxis, nosebleed, nose bleeding, nasal haemorrhage, nasal bleeding AND each of the following search terms: antithrombotic, anticoagulant, antiplatelet, aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and tranexamic acid. This yielded 3815 results, of which 29 were considered relevant. Other sources such as national and international guidelines related to the management of anti-thrombotics were also utilised. We present the findings related to the management of each class of anti-thrombotic therapy during epistaxis. Overall we found a lack of evidence regarding this topic and further high quality research is needed. This is an area growing in complexity and the support of colleagues in Haematology and Cardiology is increasingly important.

The molecular mass of dextran used to modify magnetite nanoparticles affects insulin amyloid aggregation

Science.gov (United States)

Siposova, Katarina; Pospiskova, Kristyna; Bednarikova, Zuzana; Safarik, Ivo; Safarikova, Mirka; Kubovcikova, Martina; Kopcansky, Peter; Gazova, Zuzana

2017-04-01

Protein transformation from its soluble state into amyloid aggregates is associated with amyloid-related diseases. Amyloid deposits of insulin fibrils have been found in the sites of subcutaneous insulin application in patients with prolonged diabetes. Using atomic force microscopy and ThT fluorescence assay we have investigated the interference of insulin amyloid aggregation with superparamagnetic Fe3O4-based nanoparticles (SPIONs) coated with dextran (DEX); molecular mass of dextran was equal to 15-20, 40 or 70 kDa. The obtained data indicate that all three types of dextran coated nanoparticles (NP-FeDEXs) are able to inhibit insulin fibrillization and to destroy amyloid fibrils. The extent of anti-amyloid activities depends on the properties of NP-FeDEXs, mainly on the size of nanoparticles which is determined by molecular mass of dextran molecules. The most effective inhibiting activity was observed for the smallest nanoparticles coated with 15-20 kDa dextran. Contrary, the highest destroying activity was observed for the largest NP-FeDEX (70 kDa dextran).

Anti-VEGF therapy in symptomatic peripheral exudative hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy (PEHCR) involving the macula.

Science.gov (United States)

Seibel, Ira; Hager, Annette; Duncker, Tobias; Riechardt, Aline I; Nürnberg, Daniela; Klein, Julian P; Rehak, Matus; Joussen, Antonia M

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the anatomical and functional outcome of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor (anti-VEGF) treatment in symptomatic peripheral exudative hemorrhagic chorioretinopathy (PEHCR) involving the macula. Clinical records from patients seen between 2012 and 2013 at a single academic center were reviewed to identify PEHCR patients receiving anti-VEGF therapy due to disease-associated changes involving the macula. Affected eyes were either treated with consecutive intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF or vitrectomy combined with anti-VEGF followed by pro re nata injections. The mean age of the patients was 76 years (range 70-89 years). In all nine eyes, visual acuity was reduced due to central subretinal fluid. On average, three anti-VEGF injections (range 2-5 injections) were required initially to achieve complete resolution of macular subretinal fluid. In three eyes, subretinal fluid reappeared after an average of 10 months (range 5-16 months), and an average of 2.5 anti-VEGF injections (range 2-3 injections) were necessary to attain complete resolution of macular subretinal fluid a second time. Median visual acuity at the visit before the first injection was 1.0 logMAR (range 2.1-0.4 logMAR) and increased to 0.8 logMAR (range 2-0.1 logMAR) at the last visit. Results of this study show that for cases in which PEHCR becomes symptomatic due to macular involvement, anti-VEGF treatment may have drying potential. Although vision was improved in some patients, it remained limited in cases with long-term macular involvement, precluding any definitive functional conclusion. However, we believe that the use of anti-VEGF agents should be recommended in PEHCR that threatens the macula. Due to its often self-limiting course, peripheral lesions should be closely observed. Larger studies are needed in order to provide clear evidence of the efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy in PEHCR.

Bio markers and Anti-EGFR therapies for Krads wild-type tumors in metastatic colorectal cancer patients; Biomarcadores y terapeutica ANTI-EGFR en el cancer colorrectal metastasico en pacientes con K-Ras no mutado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz Rubio Garcia, E

2009-07-01

The natural history of metastasis colorectal cancer has being clearly modified in terms of response rate, time to progression and overall survival, once the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (cetuximab and panitumumab) have emerged in combination with the standard cytotoxic chemotherapy (FOLFOX and FOLFIRI). However, the benefit from cetuximab and panitumumab is only confined to KRAS-wild type (KRAS-wt) colorectal tumors, while KRAS mutated tumors do not respond to these drugs. The 65 % of colorectal tumors are KRAS-wt tumors, but efficacy of antiEGFR therapies is detected only in 60-70 % of these KRAS-wt tumors. Other biomarkers and molecular pathways must be involved in the response of the antiEGFR therapies for the KRAS-wt colorectal tumors, such as the EGFR ligands, the EGFR-phosphorilated levels, the number of EGFR copies, the status of the KRAS effected B-RAF and the alternative intracellular signaling pathways PIK3CA/PTEN/AKT and JAK/STAT. A battery of these biomarkers is needed to select the most sensitive patients to the antiEGFR therapies. This pattern may represent a novel favorable cost-effectiveness tool to develop tailored treatments. A review of these biomarkers and molecular pathways, involved in the antiEGFR therapies response, is performed. (Author) 68 refs.

Diabetes Drug Discovery: hIAPP1–37 Polymorphic Amyloid Structures as Novel Therapeutic Targets

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Isaac Fernández-Gómez

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Human islet amyloid peptide (hIAPP1–37 aggregation is an early step in Diabetes Mellitus. We aimed to evaluate a family of pharmaco-chaperones to act as modulators that provide dynamic interventions and the multi-target capacity (native state, cytotoxic oligomers, protofilaments and fibrils of hIAPP1–37 required to meet the treatment challenges of diabetes. We used a cross-functional approach that combines in silico and in vitro biochemical and biophysical methods to study the hIAPP1–37 aggregation-oligomerization process as to reveal novel potential anti-diabetic drugs. The family of pharmaco-chaperones are modulators of the oligomerization and fibre formation of hIAPP1–37. When they interact with the amino acid in the amyloid-like steric zipper zone, they inhibit and/or delay the aggregation-oligomerization pathway by binding and stabilizing several amyloid structures of hIAPP1–37. Moreover, they can protect cerebellar granule cells (CGC from the cytotoxicity produced by the hIAPP1–37 oligomers. The modulation of proteostasis by the family of pharmaco-chaperones A–F is a promising potential approach to limit the onset and progression of diabetes and its comorbidities.

Amyloid and immune homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying-Hui; Zhang, Yu-Gen

2018-03-01

Extracellular amyloid deposition defines a range of amyloidosis and amyloid-related disease. Addition to primary and secondary amyloidosis, amyloid-related disease can be observed in different tissue/organ that sharing the common pathogenesis based on the formation of amyloid deposition. Currently, both Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed with certainly only based on the autopsy results, by which amyloidosis of the associative tissue/organ is observed. Intriguingly, since it demonstrated that amyloid deposits trigger inflammatory reaction through the activation of cascaded immune response, wherein several lines of evidence implies a protective role of amyloid in preventing autoimmunity. Furthermore, attempts for preventing amyloid formation and/or removing amyloid deposits from the brain have caused meningoencephalitis and consequent deaths among the subjects. Hence, it is important to note that amyloid positively participates in maintaining immune homeostasis and contributes to irreversible inflammatory response. In this review, we will focus on the interactive relationship between amyloid and the immune system, discussing the potential functional roles of amyloid in immune tolerance and homeostasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Is anti-platelet therapy interruption a real clinical issue? Its implications in dentistry and particularly in periodontics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar A

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The use of anti-platelet therapy has reduced the mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular disease remarkably. A considerable number of patients presenting before a dentist or periodontist give a history of anti-platelet therapy. A clinical dilemma whether to discontinue the anti-platelet therapy or continue the same always confronts the practitioner. Diverse opinions exist regarding the management of such patients. While one group of researchers advise continuation of anti-platelet therapy rather than invite remote, but possible, thromboembolic events, another group encourages discontinuation for variable periods. This study aims at reviewing the current rationale of anti-platelet therapy and the various options available to a clinician, with regard to the management of a patient under anti-platelet therapy. Current recommendations and consensus favour no discontinuation of anti-platelet therapy. This recommendation, however, comes with a rider to use caution and consider other mitigating factors as well. With a large number of patients giving a history of anti-platelet therapy, the topic is of interest and helps a clinician to arrive at a decision.

Ibrutinib interferes with the cell-mediated anti-tumor activities of therapeutic CD20 antibodies: implications for combination therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Da Roit, F.; Engelberts, P. J.; Taylor, R. P.

2015-01-01

The novel Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib and phosphatidyl-4-5-biphosphate 3-kinase-delta inhibitor idelalisib are promising drugs for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, either alone or in combination with anti-CD20 antibodies. We investigated...... the possible positive or negative impact of these drugs on all known mechanisms of action of both type I and type II anti-CD20 antibodies. Pretreatment with ibrutinib for 1 hour did not increase direct cell death of cell lines or chronic lymphocytic leukemia samples mediated by anti-CD20 antibodies. Pre......-treatment with ibrutinib did not inhibit complement activation or complement-mediated lysis. In contrast, ibrutinib strongly inhibited all cell-mediated mechanisms induced by anti-CD20 antibodies rituximab, ofatumumab or obinutuzumab, either in purified systems or whole blood assays. Activation of natural killer cells...

Adiponectin is protective against oxidative stress induced cytotoxicity in amyloid-beta neurotoxicity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koon-Ho Chan

Full Text Available Beta-amyloid (Aβ neurotoxicity is important in Alzheimer's disease (AD pathogenesis. Aβ neurotoxicity causes oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial damage resulting in neuronal degeneration and death. Oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial failure are also pathophysiological mechanisms of type 2 diabetes (T(2DM which is characterized by insulin resistance. Interestingly, T(2DM increases risk to develop AD which is associated with reduced neuronal insulin sensitivity (central insulin resistance. We studied the potential protective effect of adiponectin (an adipokine with insulin-sensitizing, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties against Aβ neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y transfected with the Swedish amyloid precursor protein (Sw-APP mutant, which overproduced Aβ with abnormal intracellular Aβ accumulation. Cytotoxicity was measured by assay for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH released upon cell death and lysis. Our results revealed that Sw-APP transfected SH-SY5Y cells expressed both adiponectin receptor 1 and 2, and had increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK activation and enhanced nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB activation compared to control empty-vector transfected SH-SY5Y cells. Importantly, adiponectin at physiological concentration of 10 µg/ml protected Sw-APP transfected SH-SY5Y cells against cytotoxicity under oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide. This neuroprotective action of adiponectin against Aβ neurotoxicity-induced cytotoxicity under oxidative stress involved 1 AMPK activation mediated via the endosomal adaptor protein APPL1 (adaptor protein with phosphotyrosine binding, pleckstrin homology domains and leucine zipper motif and possibly 2 suppression of NF-κB activation. This raises the possibility of novel therapies for AD such as adiponectin receptor agonists.

High sensitive C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A are inversely related to serum bilirubin : effect-modification by metabolic syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deetman, Petronella E.; Bakker, Stephan J. L.; Dullaart, Robin P. F.

2013-01-01

Background: Bilirubin has been implicated in cardiovascular protection by virtue of its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. The metabolic syndrome is featured by enhanced low-grade systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Serum amyloid A (SAA) impairs anti-oxidative properties of

Effects of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia on amyloid ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2012-10-27

Oct 27, 2012 ... A central hypothesis in the study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the accumulation and aggregation of β-amyloid ... protein (APP) and estrogen has been implicated in the pre- .... inant in HCL in the intensity of the expression was lower ..... estrogen replacement therapy of the Women's Health Initiative.

Mutation of the Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor domain in the amyloid β-protein precursor abolishes its anti-thrombotic properties in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Feng; Davis, Judianne; Hoos, Michael; Van Nostrand, William E

2017-07-01

Kunitz proteinase inhibitor (KPI) domain-containing forms of the amyloid β-protein precursor (AβPP) inhibit cerebral thrombosis. KPI domain-lacking forms of AβPP are abundant in brain. Regions of AβPP other than the KPI domain may also be involved with regulating cerebral thrombosis. To determine the contribution of the KPI domain to the overall function of AβPP in regulating cerebral thrombosis we generated a reactive center mutant that was devoid of anti-thrombotic activity and studied its anti-thrombotic function in vitro and in vivo. To determine the extent of KPI function of AβPP in regulating cerebral thrombosis we generated a recombinant reactive center KPI R13I mutant devoid of anti-thrombotic activity. The anti-proteolytic and anti-coagulant properties of wild-type and R13I mutant KPI were investigated in vitro. Cerebral thrombosis of wild-type, AβPP knock out and AβPP/KPI R13I mutant mice was evaluated in experimental models of carotid artery thrombosis and intracerebral hemorrhage. Recombinant mutant KPI R13I domain was ineffective in the inhibition of pro-thrombotic proteinases and did not inhibit the clotting of plasma in vitro. AβPP/KPI R13I mutant mice were similarly deficient as AβPP knock out mice in regulating cerebral thrombosis in experimental models of carotid artery thrombosis and intracerebral hemorrhage. We demonstrate that the anti-thrombotic function of AβPP primarily resides in the KPI activity of the protein. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ischemic colitis after mesotherapy combined with anti-obesity medications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jong Bin; Moon, Won; Park, Seun Ja; Park, Moo In; Kim, Kyu-Jong; Lee, Jae Nam; Kang, Seong Joo; Jang, Lee La; Chang, Hee Kyung

2010-03-28

Mesotherapy and anti-obesity medications are gradually gaining worldwide popularity for purposes of body contouring and weight loss. Their adverse effects are various, but there is a tendency to disregard them. Ischemic colitis is one of the most common diseases associated with non-obstructive blood vessel disorders. However, there have been no case reports about the adverse effects resulting from mesotherapy only or in combination with anti-obesity medications. We report on an interesting case of ischemic colitis after mesotherapy combined with anti-obesity medications in a 39-year-old female who had no risk factors.

[Advantages of combined therapies in cosmetic medicine for the treatment of face aging: botulinum toxin, fillers and mesotherapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Braccini, F; Dohan Ehrenfest, D M

2010-01-01

Non surgical cosmetic medicine procedures for the face are developing considerably, as they deliver good results using simple, non invasive, atraumatic and reproducible techniques. Aesthetic mesotherapy, also known as anti-aging mesotherapy, uses intra-dermal injections of a nutritive and moisturizing solution to improve brightness, skin hydration and tonus, and also smooth out superficial wrinkles. Subcutaneous filler injections enable to fill wrinkles and folds; by using high density products it is also able to provide genuine facial volumetric reconstruction. Finally, botulinum toxin acts by reducing certain muscle contractions to smooth out expression lines and folds induced by facial dynamics. In this article, we explore the concept of combined therapy and describe our experience associating anti-aging mesotherapy (NCTF-135HA, Filorga, Paris, France), hyaluronic acid based fillers (X-HA3 and X-HA-Volume, Filorga, Paris, France) and botulinum toxin (Vistabel, Allergan, Irvine CA, USA). A therapy combining anti-aging mesotherapy, botulinum toxin and filler injections, offers full treatment of the 3 biological levels of the covering tissues. This non-invasive therapeutic strategy brings patient satisfaction through a global approach to facial aging.

New Insights in the Amyloid-Beta Interaction with Mitochondria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Spuch

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Biochemical and morphological alterations of mitochondria may play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD. Particularly, mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of amyloid-beta-induced neuronal toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease. The recent emphasis on the intracellular biology of amyloid-beta and its precursor protein (APP has led researchers to consider the possibility that mitochondria-associated and mitochondrial amyloid-beta may directly cause neurotoxicity. Both proteins are known to localize to mitochondrial membranes, block the transport of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins to mitochondria, interact with mitochondrial proteins, disrupt the electron transport chain, increase reactive oxygen species production, cause mitochondrial damage, and prevent neurons from functioning normally. In this paper, we will outline current knowledge of the intracellular localization of amyloid-beta. Moreover, we summarize evidence from AD postmortem brain as well as animal AD models showing that amyloid-beta triggers mitochondrial dysfunction through a number of pathways such as impairment of oxidative phosphorylation, elevation of reactive oxygen species production, alteration of mitochondrial dynamics, and interaction with mitochondrial proteins. Thus, this paper supports the Alzheimer cascade mitochondrial hypothesis such as the most important early events in this disease, and probably one of the future strategies on the therapy of this neurodegenerative disease.

Efficacy of supplemental anti-inflammatory therapy with fenspiride in chronic obstructive and nonobstructive bronchitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Volkova, L I; Budkova, A A; Filonova, N N; Khristolyubova, E I; Kutuzova, E B; Koroleva, N V; Radzivil, T T; Aminova, Z R; Chuchalin, A G

2005-01-01

The objective of this randomised, nonblind study was to assess the efficacy of fenspiride as complementary anti-inflammatory therapy in combination with ipratropium bromide in patients with chronic bronchitis (CB). A comparison was made with ipratropium bromide alone, the generally accepted standard therapy for CB. The study population comprised 20 patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis (COB) and 60 patients without signs of obstruction. Fifty-one males (64%) and 29 females (36%) aged from 25 to 65 years were studied over a 6-month treatment period. Combined therapy with fenspiride (160 mg/day) and ipratropium bromide (160 mug/day) was prescribed to 39 patients (28 with CB and 11 with COB) for 6 months, and monotherapy with ipratropium bromide (160 microg/day) was prescribed for 41 patients (32 with CB and nine with COB). The combined therapy group had a reduced intensity of dyspnoea, improvements in sputum nature and quantity of exudation, and a reduced intensity of coughing. The monotherapy group showed reductions in sputum exudation and cough intensity. Improvements in lung respiratory function were observed in both groups, but were greater in the combined therapy group of patients. Reduced cytosis, percentage and absolute content of neutrophils, and absolute content of lymphocytes and eosinophils in induced sputum were observed with CB patients in the combined therapy group. A reduced content of lymphocytes and an increase in macrophages were observed with CB patients in the monotherapy group. A significant decline in tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha content in sputum was observed with both therapeutic regimens, although a statistically significant decline in serum TNFalpha (10.85 ng/L to 5.58 ng/L; p = 0.03) and reduced interleukin-8 in sputum (311.94 ng/L to 122.02 ng/L; p = 0.027) were observed with patients given combined therapy. The study showed greater efficacy of long-term treatment with fenspiride and ipratropium bromide compared with

Acidic pH reduces VEGF-mediated endothelial cell responses by downregulation of VEGFR-2; relevance for anti-angiogenic therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Faes, Seraina; Uldry, Emilie; Planche, Anne; Santoro, Tania; Pythoud, Catherine; Demartines, Nicolas; Dormond, Olivier

2016-12-27

Anti-angiogenic treatments targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor or its receptors have shown clinical benefits. However, impact on long-term survival remains limited. Solid tumors display an acidic microenvironment that profoundly influences their biology. Consequences of acidity on endothelial cells and anti-angiogenic therapies remain poorly characterized and hence are the focus of this study. We found that exposing endothelial cells to acidic extracellular pH resulted in reduced cell proliferation and migration. Also, whereas VEGF increased endothelial cell proliferation and survival at pH 7.4, it had no effect at pH 6.4. Furthermore, in acidic conditions, stimulation of endothelial cells with VEGF did not result in activation of downstream signaling pathways such as AKT. At a molecular level, acidity significantly decreased the expression of VEGFR-2 by endothelial cells. Consequently, anti-angiogenic therapies that target VEGFR-2 such as sunitinib and sorafenib failed to block endothelial cell proliferation in acidic conditions. In vivo, neutralizing tumor acidity with sodium bicarbonate increased the percentage of endothelial cells expressing VEGFR-2 in tumor xenografts. Furthermore, combining sodium bicarbonate with sunitinib provided stronger anti-cancer activity than either treatment alone. Histological analysis showed that sunitinib had a stronger anti-angiogenic effect when combined with sodium bicarbonate. Overall, our results show that endothelial cells prosper independently of VEGF in acidic conditions partly as a consequence of decreased VEGFR-2 expression. They further suggest that strategies aiming to raise intratumoral pH can improve the efficacy of anti-VEGF treatments.

Saleability of anti-malarials in private drug shops in Muheza, Tanzania: a baseline study in an era of assumed artemisinin combination therapy (ACT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ringsted Frank M

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Artemether-lumefantrine (ALu replaced sulphadoxine-pymimethamine (SP as the official first-line anti-malarial in Tanzania in November 2006. So far, artemisinin combination therapy (ACT is contra-indicated during pregnancy by the national malaria treatment guidelines, and pregnant women depend on SP for Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPTp during pregnancy. SP is still being dispensed by private drug stores, but it is unknown to which extent. If significant, it may undermine its official use for IPTp through induction of resistance. The main study objective was to perform a baseline study of the private market for anti-malarials in Muheza town, an area with widespread anti-malarial drug resistance, prior to the implementation of a provider training and accreditation programme that will allow accredited drug shops to sell subsidized ALu. Methods All drug shops selling prescription-only anti-malarials, in Muheza town, Tanga Region voluntarily participated from July to December 2009. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with owners or shopkeepers on saleability of anti-malarials, and structured questionnaires provided quantitative data on drugs sales volume. Results All surveyed drug shops illicitly sold SP and quinine (QN, and legally amodiaquine (AQ. Calculated monthly sale was 4,041 doses, in a town with a population of 15,000 people. Local brands of SP accounted for 74% of sales volume, compared to AQ (13%, QN (11% and ACT (2%. Conclusions In community practice, the saleability of ACT was negligible. SP was best-selling, and use was not reserved for IPTp, as stipulated in the national anti-malarial policy. It is a major reason for concern that such drug-pressure in the community equals de facto intermittent presumptive treatment. In an area where SP drug resistance remains high, unregulated SP dispensing to people other than pregnant women runs the risk of eventually jeopardizing the effectiveness of the IPTp

The St. Gallen Prize Lecture 2011: evolution of long-term adjuvant anti-hormone therapy: consequences and opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, V Craig; Obiorah, Ifeyinwa; Fan, Ping; Kim, Helen R; Ariazi, Eric; Cunliffe, Heather; Brauch, Hiltrud

2011-10-01

described not only the unique mechanism of selective ER modulator (SERM)-stimulated breast cancer growth, but also a new apoptotic biology of oestradiol action in breast cancer, following 5 years of anti-hormonal treatment. Oestradiol-induced apoptotic therapy is currently shown to be successful for the short-term treatment of metastatic ER positive breast cancer following exhaustive treatment with anti-hormones. The "oestrogen purge" concept is now being integrated into trials of long-term adjuvant anti-hormone therapy. The Study of Letrazole Extension (SOLE) trial employs "anti-hormonal drug holidays" so that a woman's own oestrogen may periodically purge and kill the nascent sensitized breast cancer cells that are developing. This is the translation of an idea first proposed at the 1992 St. Gallen Conference. Although tamoxifen is the first successful targeted therapy in cancer, the pioneering medicine is more than that. A study of the pharmacology of tamoxifen opened the door for a pioneering application in cancer chemoprevention and created a new drug group: the SERMs, with group members (raloxifene and lasofoxifene) approved for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis with a simultaneous reduction of breast cancer risk. Thus, the combined strategies of long-term anti-hormone adjuvant therapy, targeted to the breast tumour ER, coupled with the expanding use of SERMs to prevent osteoporosis and prevent breast cancer as a beneficial side effect, have advanced patient survivorship significantly and promise to reduce breast cancer incidence. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Amyloid β-sheet mimics that antagonize protein aggregation and reduce amyloid toxicity

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Pin-Nan; Liu, Cong; Zhao, Minglei; Eisenberg, David; Nowick, James S.

2012-11-01

The amyloid protein aggregation associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and type II diabetes (among many others) features a bewildering variety of β-sheet-rich structures in transition from native proteins to ordered oligomers and fibres. The variation in the amino-acid sequences of the β-structures presents a challenge to developing a model system of β-sheets for the study of various amyloid aggregates. Here, we introduce a family of robust β-sheet macrocycles that can serve as a platform to display a variety of heptapeptide sequences from different amyloid proteins. We have tailored these amyloid β-sheet mimics (ABSMs) to antagonize the aggregation of various amyloid proteins, thereby reducing the toxicity of amyloid aggregates. We describe the structures and inhibitory properties of ABSMs containing amyloidogenic peptides from the amyloid-β peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease, β2-microglobulin associated with dialysis-related amyloidosis, α-synuclein associated with Parkinson's disease, islet amyloid polypeptide associated with type II diabetes, human and yeast prion proteins, and Tau, which forms neurofibrillary tangles.

Anti-retroviral therapy-induced status epilepticus in "pseudo-HIV serodeconversion".

Science.gov (United States)

Etgen, Thorleif; Eberl, Bernhard; Freudenberger, Thomas

2010-01-01

Diligence in the interpretation of results is essential as information gained from the psychiatric patient's history might often be restricted. Nonobservance of established guidelines may lead to a wrong diagnosis, induce a false therapy and result in life-threatening situations. Communication errors between hospitals and doctors and uncritical acceptance of prior diagnoses add substantially to this problem. We present a patient with alcohol-related dementia who received anti-retroviral therapy that promoted a non-convulsive status epilepticus. HIV serodeconversion was considered after our laboratory result yielded a HIV-negative status. Critical review of previous diagnostic investigations revealed several errors in the diagnosis of HIV infection leading to a "pseudo-serodeconversion." Finally, anti-retroviral therapy could be discontinued. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL MEDICATIONS FOR ANTI-TUMOR GENE THERAPY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. R. Nemtsova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This is a review of modern literature data of official medications for anti-tumor gene therapy as well as of medications that finished clinical trials.The article discusses the concept of gene therapy, the statistical analysis results of initiated clinical trials of gene products, the most actively developing directions of anticancer gene therapy, and the characteristics of anti-tumor gene medications.Various delivery systems for gene material are being examined, including viruses that are defective in  replication (Gendicine™ and Advexin and oncolytic (tumor specific conditionally replicating viruses (Oncorine™, ONYX-015, Imlygic®.By now three preparations for intra-tumor injection have been introduced into oncology clinical practice: two of them – Gendicine™ and Oncorine™ have been registered in China, and one of them – Imlygic® has been registered in the USA. Gendicine™ and Oncorine™ are based on the wild type p53 gene and are designed for treatment of patients with head and neck malignancies. Replicating adenovirus is the delivery system in Gendicine™, whereas oncolytic adenovirus is the vector for gene material in Oncorine™. Imlygic® is based on the  recombinant replicating HSV1 virus with an introduced GM–CSF gene and is designed for treatment of  melanoma patients. These medications are well tolerated and do not cause any serious adverse events. Gendicine™ and Oncorine™ are not effective in monotherapy but demonstrate pronounced synergism with chemoand radiation therapy. Imlygic® has just started the post marketing trials.

Functional Amyloids in Reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewetson, Aveline; Do, Hoa Quynh; Myers, Caitlyn; Muthusubramanian, Archana; Sutton, Roger Bryan; Wylie, Benjamin J; Cornwall, Gail A

2017-06-29

Amyloids are traditionally considered pathological protein aggregates that play causative roles in neurodegenerative disease, diabetes and prionopathies. However, increasing evidence indicates that in many biological systems nonpathological amyloids are formed for functional purposes. In this review, we will specifically describe amyloids that carry out biological roles in sexual reproduction including the processes of gametogenesis, germline specification, sperm maturation and fertilization. Several of these functional amyloids are evolutionarily conserved across several taxa, including human, emphasizing the critical role amyloids perform in reproduction. Evidence will also be presented suggesting that, if altered, some functional amyloids may become pathological.

Functional amyloids in bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Diego; Kolter, Roberto

2014-06-01

The term amyloidosis is used to refer to a family of pathologies altering the homeostasis of human organs. Despite having a name that alludes to starch content, the amyloid accumulations are made up of proteins that polymerize as long and rigid fibers. Amyloid proteins vary widely with respect to their amino acid sequences but they share similarities in their quaternary structure; the amyloid fibers are enriched in β-sheets arranged perpendicular to the axis of the fiber. This structural feature provides great robustness, remarkable stability, and insolubility. In addition, amyloid proteins specifically stain with certain dyes such as Congo red and thioflavin-T. The aggregation into amyloid fibers, however, it is not restricted to pathogenic processes, rather it seems to be widely distributed among proteins and polypeptides. Amyloid fibers are present in insects, fungi and bacteria, and they are important in maintaining the homeostasis of the organism. Such findings have motivated the use of the term "functional amyloid" to differentiate these amyloid proteins from their toxic siblings. This review focuses on systems that have evolved in bacteria that control the expression and assembly of amyloid proteins on cell surfaces, such that the robustness of amyloid proteins are used towards a beneficial end. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

New Cyclolignans from Origanumglandulosum Active Against b -amyloid Aggregation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelkader Basli

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Origanum glandulosum Desf is an endemic flavoring herb widely distributed in North Africa that is commonly used in traditional medicine. This oregano species is rich in essential oils but little is known about its phenolic composition. In the present study, a crude extract of O. glandulosum was prepared in order to isolate and investigate its neuroprotective potential to inhibit β-amyloid peptide (Aβ aggregation. The three major compounds of the extract were isolated: rosmarinic acid and two cyclolignans in Origanum genus, globoidnan A and a new derivative named globoidnan B. Rosmarinic acid and globoidnan A showed significant anti-aggregative activity against β amyloid aggregation (IC50 7.0 and 12.0 µM, respectively. In contrast, globoidnan B was found to be less active.

Chemotherapy and molecular target therapy combined with radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akimoto, Tetsuo

2012-01-01

Combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy has been established as standard treatment approach for locally advanced head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer and so on through randomized clinical trials. However, radiation-related morbidity such as acute toxicity also increased as treatment intensity has increased. In underlining mechanism for enhancement of normal tissue reaction in chemo-radiation therapy, chemotherapy enhanced radiosensitivity of normal tissues in addition to cancer cells. Molecular target-based drugs combined with radiation therapy have been expected as promising approach that makes it possible to achieve cancer-specific enhancement of radiosensitivity, and clinical trials using combined modalities have been performed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of this approach. In order to obtain maximum radiotherapeutic gain, a detailed understanding of the mechanism underlying the interaction between radiation and Molecular target-based drugs is indispensable. Among molecular target-based drugs, inhibitors targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its signal transduction pathways have been vigorously investigated, and mechanisms regarding the radiosensitizing effect have been getting clear. In addition, the results of randomized clinical trials demonstrated that radiation therapy combined with cetuximab resulted in improvement of overall and disease-specific survival rate compared with radiation therapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer. In this review, clinical usefulness of chemo-radiation therapy and potential molecular targets for potentiation of radiation-induced cell killing are summarized. (author)

Does combined therapy of curcumin and epigallocatechin gallate have a synergistic neuroprotective effect against spinal cord injury?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiri Ruzicka

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Systematic inflammatory response after spinal cord injury (SCI is one of the factors leading to lesion development and a profound degree of functional loss. Anti-inflammatory compounds, such as curcumin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG are known for their neuroprotective effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of combined therapy of curcumin and EGCG in a rat model of acute SCI induced by balloon compression. Immediately after SCI, rats received curcumin, EGCG, curcumin + EGCG or saline [daily intraperitoneal doses (curcumin, 6 mg/kg; EGCG 17 mg/kg] and weekly intramuscular doses (curcumin, 60 mg/kg; EGCG 17 mg/kg] for 28 days. Rats were evaluated using behavioral tests (the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB open-field locomotor test, flat beam test. Spinal cord tissue was analyzed using histological methods (Luxol Blue-cresyl violet staining and immunohistochemistry (anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein, anti-growth associated protein 43. Cytokine levels (interleukin-1β, interleukin-4, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha, and RANTES were measured using Luminex assay. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the relative expression of genes (Sort1, Fgf2, Irf5, Mrc1, Olig2, Casp3, Gap43, Gfap, Vegf, NfκB, Cntf related to regenerative processes in injured spinal cord. We found that all treatments displayed significant behavioral recovery, with no obvious synergistic effect after combined therapy of curcumin and ECGC. Curcumin and EGCG alone or in combination increased axonal sprouting, decreased glial scar formation, and altered the levels of macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-4 and interleukin-6 cytokines. These results imply that although the expected synergistic response of this combined therapy was less obvious, aspects of tissue regeneration and immune responses in severe SCI were evident.

Does combined therapy of curcumin and epigallocatechin gallate have a synergistic neuroprotective effect against spinal cord injury?

Science.gov (United States)

Ruzicka, Jiri; Urdzikova, Lucia Machova; Svobodova, Barbora; Amin, Anubhav G; Karova, Kristyna; Dubisova, Jana; Zaviskova, Kristyna; Kubinova, Sarka; Schmidt, Meic; Jhanwar-Uniyal, Meena; Jendelova, Pavla

2018-01-01

Systematic inflammatory response after spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the factors leading to lesion development and a profound degree of functional loss. Anti-inflammatory compounds, such as curcumin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) are known for their neuroprotective effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of combined therapy of curcumin and EGCG in a rat model of acute SCI induced by balloon compression. Immediately after SCI, rats received curcumin, EGCG, curcumin + EGCG or saline [daily intraperitoneal doses (curcumin, 6 mg/kg; EGCG 17 mg/kg)] and weekly intramuscular doses (curcumin, 60 mg/kg; EGCG 17 mg/kg)] for 28 days. Rats were evaluated using behavioral tests (the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) open-field locomotor test, flat beam test). Spinal cord tissue was analyzed using histological methods (Luxol Blue-cresyl violet staining) and immunohistochemistry (anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein, anti-growth associated protein 43). Cytokine levels (interleukin-1β, interleukin-4, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha, and RANTES) were measured using Luminex assay. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the relative expression of genes (Sort1, Fgf2, Irf5, Mrc1, Olig2, Casp3, Gap43, Gfap, Vegf, NfκB, Cntf) related to regenerative processes in injured spinal cord. We found that all treatments displayed significant behavioral recovery, with no obvious synergistic effect after combined therapy of curcumin and ECGC. Curcumin and EGCG alone or in combination increased axonal sprouting, decreased glial scar formation, and altered the levels of macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-4 and interleukin-6 cytokines. These results imply that although the expected synergistic response of this combined therapy was less obvious, aspects of tissue regeneration and immune responses in severe SCI were evident.

Elasticity in Physically Cross-Linked Amyloid Fibril Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yiping; Bolisetty, Sreenath; Adamcik, Jozef; Mezzenga, Raffaele

2018-04-01

We provide a constitutive model of semiflexible and rigid amyloid fibril networks by combining the affine thermal model of network elasticity with the Derjaguin-Landau-Vervey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory of electrostatically charged colloids. When compared to rheological experiments on β -lactoglobulin and lysozyme amyloid networks, this approach provides the correct scaling of elasticity versus both concentration (G ˜c2.2 and G ˜c2.5 for semiflexible and rigid fibrils, respectively) and ionic strength (G ˜I4.4 and G ˜I3.8 for β -lactoglobulin and lysozyme, independent from fibril flexibility). The pivotal role played by the screening salt is to reduce the electrostatic barrier among amyloid fibrils, converting labile physical entanglements into long-lived cross-links. This gives a power-law behavior of G with I having exponents significantly larger than in other semiflexible polymer networks (e.g., actin) and carrying DLVO traits specific to the individual amyloid fibrils.

Combination of Vorinostat and caspase-8 inhibition exhibits high anti-tumoral activity on endometrial cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergadà, Laura; Sorolla, Annabel; Yeramian, Andree; Eritja, Nuria; Mirantes, Cristina; Matias-Guiu, Xavier; Dolcet, Xavier

2013-08-01

Histone deacetylase inhibitors such as Vorinostat display anti-neoplastic activity against a variety of solid tumors. Here, we have investigated the anti-tumoral activity of Vorinostat on endometrial cancer cells. We have found that Vorinostat caused cell growth arrest, loss of clonogenic growth and apoptosis of endometrial cancer cells. Vorinostat-induced the activation of caspase-8 and -9, the initiators caspases of the extrinsic and the intrinsic apoptotic pathways, respectively. Next, we investigated the role of the extrinsic pathway in apoptosis triggered by Vorinostat. We found that Vorinostat caused a dramatic decrease of FLIP mRNA and protein levels. However, overexpression of the long from of FLIP did not block Vorinostat-induced apoptosis. To further investigate the role of extrinsic apoptotic pathway in Vorinostat-induced apoptosis, we performed an shRNA-mediated knock-down of caspase-8. Surprisingly, downregulation of caspase-8 alone caused a marked decrease in clonogenic ability and reduced the growth of endometrial cancer xenografts in vivo, revealing that targeting caspase-8 may be an attractive target for anticancer therapy on endometrial tumors. Furthermore, combination of caspase-8 inhibition and Vorinostat treatment caused an enhancement of apoptotic cell death and a further decrease of clonogenic growth of endometrial cancer cells. More importantly, combination of Vorinostat and caspase-8 inhibition caused a nearly complete inhibition of tumor xenograft growth. Finally, we demonstrate that cell death triggered by Vorinostat alone or in combination with caspase-8 shRNAs was inhibited by the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL. Our results suggest that combinatory therapies using Vorinostat treatment and caspase-8 inhibition can be an effective treatment for endometrial carcinomas. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Potentiation of anti-ischemic and anti-anginal action of nitrates by hydrogen sulfide balneotherapy in patients with angina of effort].

Science.gov (United States)

Zunnunov, Z R

2010-01-01

The objective of this comparative study was to evaluate effects of nitrosorbid (NS) and hydrogen sulfide-based balneotherapy (HSB) applied alone or in combination for the treatment of patients presenting with angina of effort. It was shown that long-term HSB therapy enhances the anti-anginal and anti-ischemic action of NS in such patients. The authors argue that prolonged HSB-based maintenance therapy in combination with nitrates prevents habituation to these preparations and potentiates their beneficial therapeutic effect.

Identification of a Common Binding Mode for Imaging Agents to Amyloid Fibrils from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skeby, Katrine Kirkeby; Sørensen, Jesper; Schiøtt, Birgit

2013-01-01

experimentally due to the insoluble nature of amyloid fibrils. This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interactions between 13 aromatic amyloid imaging agents, entailing 4 different organic scaffolds, and a model of an amyloid fibril. Clustering analysis combined with free energy...

Anti-TNFα therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases is associated with Epstein-Barr virus lytic activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapsia, Sameer; Koganti, Siva; Spadaro, Salvatore; Rajapakse, Ramona; Chawla, Anupama; Bhaduri-McIntosh, Sumita

2016-02-01

Anti-TNFα therapy, known to suppress T-cell immunity, is increasingly gaining popularity for treatment of autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). T-cell suppression increases the risk of B-cell EBV-lymphoproliferative diseases and lymphomas. Since EBV-lytic activation is essential for development of EBV-lymphomas and there have been reports of EBV-lymphomas in patients treated with anti-TNFα therapy, we investigated if patients treated with anti-TNFα antibodies demonstrate greater EBV-lytic activity in blood. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 10 IBD patients solely on anti-TNFα therapy compared to 3 control groups (10 IBD patients not on immunosuppressive therapy, 10 patients with abdominal pain but without IBD, and 10 healthy subjects) were examined for the percentage of T-cells, EBV load and EBV-lytic transcripts. Patients on anti-TNFα therapy had significantly fewer T-cells, greater EBV load, and increased levels of transcripts from EBV-lytic genes of all kinetic classes compared to controls. Furthermore, exposure of EBV-infected B-cell lines to anti-TNFα antibodies resulted in increased levels of BZLF1 mRNA; BZLF1 encodes for ZEBRA, the viral latency-to-lytic cycle switch. Thus, IBD patients treated with anti-TNFα antibodies have greater EBV loads likely due to enhanced EBV-lytic gene expression and anti-TNFα antibodies may be sufficient to activate the EBV lytic cycle. Findings from this pilot study lay the groundwork for additional scientific and clinical investigation into the effects of anti-TNFα therapy on the life cycle of EBV, a ubiquitous oncovirus that causes lymphomas in the setting of immunocompromise. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Recent insights in nanotechnology-based drugs and formulations designed for effective anti-cancer therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Piktel, Ewelina; Niemirowicz, Katarzyna; Wątek, Marzena; Wollny, Tomasz; Deptuła, Piotr; Bucki, Robert

2016-05-26

The rapid development of nanotechnology provides alternative approaches to overcome several limitations of conventional anti-cancer therapy. Drug targeting using functionalized nanoparticles to advance their transport to the dedicated site, became a new standard in novel anti-cancer methods. In effect, the employment of nanoparticles during design of antineoplastic drugs helps to improve pharmacokinetic properties, with subsequent development of high specific, non-toxic and biocompatible anti-cancer agents. However, the physicochemical and biological diversity of nanomaterials and a broad spectrum of unique features influencing their biological action requires continuous research to assess their activity. Among numerous nanosystems designed to eradicate cancer cells, only a limited number of them entered the clinical trials. It is anticipated that progress in development of nanotechnology-based anti-cancer materials will provide modern, individualized anti-cancer therapies assuring decrease in morbidity and mortality from cancer diseases. In this review we discussed the implication of nanomaterials in design of new drugs for effective antineoplastic therapy and describe a variety of mechanisms and challenges for selective tumor targeting. We emphasized the recent advantages in the field of nanotechnology-based strategies to fight cancer and discussed their part in effective anti-cancer therapy and successful drug delivery.

α-Iso-cubebene exerts neuroprotective effects in amyloid beta stimulated microglia activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sun Young; Park, Se Jin; Park, Nan Jeong; Joo, Woo Hong; Lee, Sang-Joon; Choi, Young-Whan

2013-10-25

Schisandra chinensis is commonly used for food and as a traditional remedy for the treatment of neuronal disorders. However, it is unclear which component of S. chinensis is responsible for its neuropharmacological effects. To answer this question, we isolated α-iso-cubebene, a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignin, from S. chinensis and determined if it has any anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective properties against amyloid β-induced neuroinflammation in microglia. Microglia that are stimulated by amyloid β increased their production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). We found this was all inhibited by α-iso-cubebene. Consistent with these results, α-iso-cubebene inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and MMP-9 in amyloid β-stimulated microglia. Subsequent mechanistic studies revealed that α-iso-cubebene inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α, the phosphorylation and transactivity of NF-κB, and the phosphorylation of MAPK in amyloid β-stimulated microglia. These results suggest that α-iso-cubebene impairs the amyloid β-induced neuroinflammatory response of microglia by inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Importantly, α-iso-cubebene can provide critical neuroprotection for primary cortical neurons against amyloid β-stimulated microglia-mediated neurotoxicity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that α-iso-cubebene can provide neuroprotection against, and influence neuroinflammation triggered by, amyloid β activation of microglia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of acid-suppressive therapy before anti-reflux surgery in 2922 patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lødrup, A; Pottegård, A; Hallas, J

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend that patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease are adequately treated with acid-suppressive therapy before undergoing anti-reflux surgery. Little is known of the use of acid-suppressive drugs before anti-reflux surgery. AIM: To determine the use of proton pump...... inhibitors and H2 -receptor antagonists in the year before anti-reflux surgery. METHODS: A nationwide retrospective study of all patients aged ≥18 undergoing first-time anti-reflux surgery in Denmark during 2000-2012 using data from three different sources: the Danish National Register of Patients......, the Danish National Prescription Register, and the Danish Person Register. RESULTS: The study population thus included 2922 patients (median age: 48 years, 55.7% male). The annual proportion of patients redeeming ≥180 DDD of acid-suppressive therapy increased from 17.0% 5 years before anti-reflux surgery...

Anti-B cell antibody therapies for inflammatory rheumatic diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faurschou, Mikkel; Jayne, David R W

2014-01-01

Several monoclonal antibodies targeting B cells have been tested as therapeutics for inflammatory rheumatic diseases. We review important observations from randomized clinical trials regarding the efficacy and safety of anti-B cell antibody-based therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus...... and functions in rheumatic disorders. Future studies should also evaluate how to maintain disease control by means of conventional and/or biologic immunosuppressants after remission-induction with anti-B cell antibodies....

Immunovirotherapy with measles virus strains in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody blockade enhances antitumor activity in glioblastoma treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardcastle, Jayson; Mills, Lisa; Malo, Courtney S; Jin, Fang; Kurokawa, Cheyne; Geekiyanage, Hirosha; Schroeder, Mark; Sarkaria, Jann; Johnson, Aaron J; Galanis, Evanthia

2017-04-01

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor and has a dismal prognosis. Measles virus (MV) therapy of GBM is a promising strategy due to preclinical efficacy, excellent clinical safety, and its ability to evoke antitumor pro-inflammatory responses. We hypothesized that combining anti- programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) blockade and MV therapy can overcome immunosuppression and enhance immune effector cell responses against GBM, thus improving therapeutic outcome. In vitro assays of MV infection of glioma cells and infected glioma cells with mouse microglia ± aPD-1 blockade were established to assess damage associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecule production, migration, and pro-inflammatory effects. C57BL/6 or athymic mice bearing syngeneic orthotopic GL261 gliomas were treated with MV, aPD-1, and combination treatment. T2* weighted immune cell-specific MRI and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of treated mouse brains was used to examine adaptive immune responses following therapy. In vitro, MV infection induced human GBM cell secretion of DAMP (high-mobility group protein 1, heat shock protein 90) and upregulated programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). MV infection of GL261 murine glioma cells resulted in a pro-inflammatory response and increased migration of BV2 microglia. In vivo, MV+aPD-1 therapy synergistically enhanced survival of C57BL/6 mice bearing syngeneic orthotopic GL261 gliomas. MRI showed increased inflammatory cell influx into the brains of mice treated with MV+aPD-1; FACS analysis confirmed increased T-cell influx predominantly consisting of activated CD8+ T cells. This report demonstrates that oncolytic measles virotherapy in combination with aPD-1 blockade significantly improves survival outcome in a syngeneic GBM model and supports the potential of clinical/translational strategies combining MV with αPD-1 therapy in GBM treatment. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press

Synovial deposition of wild-type transthyretin-derived amyloid in knee joint osteoarthritis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Takanashi, Tetsuo; Matsuda, Masayuki; Yazaki, Masahide; Yamazaki, Hideshi; Nawata, Masashi; Katagiri, Yoshiki; Ikeda, Shu-Ichi

2013-09-01

To investigate histological features of deposited amyloid in the synovial tissue and its clinical significance in knee joint osteoarthritis (OA) patients. We prospectively enrolled 232 consecutive patients who underwent arthroplasty or total replacement of the knee joint for treatment of OA. Congo red staining and immunohistochemistry were performed in the synovial tissue obtained at surgery. When transthyretin (TTR)-derived amyloid was positive, we analyzed all 4 exons of the TTR gene using the direct DNA sequencing method in order to detect mutations. We analyzed 322 specimens in this study. Twenty-six specimens (8.1%) obtained from 21 patients (5 men and 16 women; mean, 79.0 ± 4.6 years) showed deposition of amyloid, which was positively stained with the anti-TTR antibody. Eighteen patients showed inhomogeneous accumulations of amyloid in the loose connective tissue under the synovial epithelia sometimes with nodule formation, while in the remaining three, small vessels in the adipose tissue were involved. Medical records of these patients revealed nothing remarkable in the clinical course, laboratory data or macroscopic intraarticular findings at surgery. No mutations were detectable in the TTR gene analysis. Wild-type TTR-derived amyloid may affect the synovial tissue as a result of long-term mechanical stress or as a part of senile systemic amyloidosis in approximately 8% of knee joint OA patients. No obvious clinical significance was found in synovial deposition of amyloid.

Immunological, anti-angiogenic and clinical effects of intratumoral interleukin 12 electrogene therapy combined with metronomic cyclophosphamide in dogs with spontaneous cancer: A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cicchelero, Laetitia; Denies, Sofie; Vanderperren, Katrien; Stock, Emmelie; Van Brantegem, Leen; de Rooster, Hilde; Sanders, Niek N

2017-08-01

The immunological, anti-angiogenic and clinical effects of metronomic cyclophosphamide and 3 consecutive intratumoral interleukin (IL)-12 gene therapy (electrogene therapy (EGT)) treatments were evaluated in 6 dogs with spontaneous cancer. In all dogs, a decrease in peripheral leukocytes 2 days after IL-12 EGT coincided with erythema and swelling of the tumor. In the tumor, a transient increase in IL-12 levels was measured, whereas a continuous increase in interferon γ (IFNγ) and thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) were determined in contrast to a continuous decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In the serum, a transient increase in IL-12 and IL-10 levels were noted in contrast to a transient decrease in VEGF and TSP-1. The treatment resulted in a significant anti-angiogenic effect. Although all primary tumors continued to progress in time, this progression was slower than before treatment according to the contrast-enhanced ultrasound data. Besides the encouraging immunostimulatory and anti-angiogenic effects observed in all dogs we also noticed in 4 out of 6 dogs clinically relevant improvements in quality of life and weight. These results hold great promise for combinatorial strategies of IL-12 EGT and metronomic chemotherapy with conventional antitumor (immuno)therapies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combination therapy of ifenprodil with piroxicam may be an effective therapeutic intervention in cerebral stroke: a hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Pallab; Pandey, Anand Kumar; Paul, Sudip; Patnaik, Ranjana

2012-10-01

Owing to the intricate and multifaceted pathology of cerebral stroke, multiple drug therapy had long been suggested for effective stroke treatment. Therefore, the development of a potential new combination of drug is necessitated which can bring about desirable improved neuroprotection targeting different pathways against ischemic stroke. In this context, we hypothesize the combination effect of Piroxicam, a Non steroidal anti inflammatory drug with Ifenprodil, a NR2b selective NMDAR antagonist in animal model of cerebral ischemia. A few past studies have enumerated the neuroprotective roles of Piroxicam and Ifenprodil administered in singlet against cerebral ischemia in animal model, hence we hypothesized that by using Piroxicam and Ifenprodil in combination would provide additive neuroprotection than either of the agents used alone. In this article, we discuss our hypothesis regarding the possibility of Piroxicam and Ifenprodil as a potent combination which may have a positive therapeutic role in treatment of cerebral ischemia through its anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative characteristics of Piroxicam with Ifenprodil which has been proved to have neuroprotective, anticonvulsant and antinociceptive effects and has potentials for the treatment of several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson's disease alcoholism and drug addiction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of anti-cancer therapies and chemoresistance

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Martinková, Jiřina; Hrabáková, Rita; Skalníková, Helena; Novák, Petr; Džubák, P.; Hajdúch, M.; Gadher, S. J.; Kovářová, Hana

2009-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 1 (2009), s. 63-63 ISSN 1109-6535. [International Conference of the Hellenic Proteomic Society /3./. 30.03.2009-01.04.2009, Nafplio] R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC07017 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515; CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : anti-cancer therapies Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry

Enhanced antitumor effects by combining an IL-12/anti-DNA fusion protein with avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallon, Jonathan K; Vandeveer, Amanda J; Schlom, Jeffrey; Greiner, John W

2017-03-28

The combined therapeutic potential of an immunocytokine designed to deliver IL-12 to the necrotic regions of solid tumors with an anti-PD-L1 antibody that disrupts the immunosuppressive PD-1/PD-L1 axis yielded a combinatorial benefit in multiple murine tumor models. The murine version of the immunocytokine, NHS-muIL12, consists of an antibody (NHS76) recognizing DNA/DNA-histone complexes, fused with two molecules of murine IL-12 (NHS-muIL12). By its recognition of exposed DNA, NHS-muIL12 targets IL-12 to the necrotic portions of tumors; it has a longer plasma half-life and better antitumor efficacy against murine tumors than recombinant murine IL-12. It is shown here that NHS-muIL12, in an IFN-γ‒dependent mechanism, upregulates mPD-L1 expression on mouse tumors, which could be construed as an immunosuppressive action. Yet concurrent therapy with NHS-muIL12 and an anti-PD-L1 antibody resulted in additive/synergistic antitumor effects in PD-L1‒expressing subcutaneously transplanted tumors (MC38, MB49) and in an intravesical bladder tumor model (MB49). Antitumor efficacy correlated with (a) with a higher frequency of tumor antigen-specific splenic CD8+ T cells and (b) enhanced T cell activation over a wide range of NHS-muIL12 concentrations. These findings suggest that combining NHS-muIL12 and an anti-PD-L1 antibody enhances T cell activation and T cell effector functions within the tumor microenvironment, significantly improving overall tumor regression. These results should provide the rationale to examine the combination of these agents in clinical studies.

Anti-leukemic therapies induce cytogenetic changes of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Su-Peng; Lo, Wen-Jyi; Lin, Chiao-Lin; Liao, Yu-Min; Lin, Chen-Yuan; Bai, Li-Yuan; Liang, Ji-An; Chiu, Chang-Fang

2012-02-01

Both bone marrow hematopoietic cells (BM-HCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) may have cytogenetic aberrations in leukemic patients, and anti-leukemic therapy may induce cytogenetic remission of BM-HCs. The impact of anti-leukemic therapy on BM-MSCs remains unknown. Cytogenetic studies of BM-MSCs from 15 leukemic patients with documented cytogenetic abnormalities of BM-HCs were investigated. To see the influence of anti-leukemic therapy on BM-MSCs, cytogenetic studies were carried out in seven of them after the completion of anti-leukemic therapy, including anthracycline/Ara-C-based chemotherapy in two patients, high-dose busulfan/cyclophosphamide-based allogeneic transplantation in two patients, and total body irradiation (TBI)-based allogeneic transplantation in three patients. To simulate the effect of TBI in vitro, three BM-MSCs from one leukemic patient and two normal adults were irradiated using the same dosage and dosing schedule of TBI and cytogenetics were re-examined after irradiation. At the diagnosis of leukemia, two BM-MSCs had cytogenetic aberration, which were completely different to their BM-HCs counterpart. After the completion of anti-leukemic therapy, cytogenetic aberration was no longer detectable in one patient. Unexpectedly, BM-MSCs from three patients receiving TBI-based allogeneic transplantation acquired new, clonal cytogenetic abnormalities after transplantation. Similarly, complex cytogenetic abnormalities were found in all the three BM-MSCs exposed to in vitro irradiation. In conclusion, anti-leukemic treatments induce not only "cytogenetic remission" but also new cytogenetic abnormalities of BM-MSCs. TBI especially exerts detrimental effect on the chromosomal integrity of BM-MSCs and highlights the equal importance of investigating long-term adverse effect of anti-leukemic therapy on BM-MSCs as opposed to beneficial effect on BM-HCs.

Synthetic Curcumin Analogs as Inhibitors of β -Amyloid Peptide Aggregation: Potential Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents for Alzheimer's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Bukhari, Syed Nasir Abbas; Jantan, Ibrahim

2015-01-01

There is a crucial need to develop new effective drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the currently available AD treatments provide only momentary and incomplete symptomatic relief. Amongst natural products, curcumin, a major constituent of turmeric, has been intensively investigated for its neuroprotective effect against β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced toxicity in cultured neuronal cells. The ability of curcumin to attach to Aβ peptide and prevent its accumulation is attributed to its three structural characteristics such as the presence of two aromatic end groups and their co-planarity, the length and rigidity of the linker region and the substitution conformation of these aromatics. However, curcumin failed to reach adequate brain levels after oral absorption in AD clinical trials due to its low water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. A number of new curcumin analogs that mimic the active site of the compound along with analogs that mimic the curcumin anti-amyloid effect combined with anticholinesterase effect have been developed to enhance the bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, water solubility, stability at physiological conditions and delivery of curcumin. In this article, we have summarized all reported synthetic analogs of curcumin showing effects on β-amyloid and discussed their potential as therapeutic and diagnostic agents for AD.

Anti-TNF-alpha therapy for sight threatening uveitis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.W. Lindstedt (Eric); G.S. Baarsma (Seerp); R.W.A.M. Kuijpers (Robert); P.M. van Hagen (Martin)

2005-01-01

textabstractAIM: To describe the effect of additional treatment with anti-TNF-alpha therapy in a case series of 13 patients with serious sight threatening uveitis. METHODS: 13 patients with serious sight threatening uveitis were included, of whom six had Behcet's disease, five had idiopathic

A short history of anti-rheumatic therapy. II. Aspirin

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P. Marson

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The discovery of aspirin, an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug, undoubtedly represents a milestone in the history of medical therapy. Since ancient times the derivatives of willow (Salix alba were used to treat a variety of fevers and pain syndromes, although the first report dates back to 1763 when the English Reverend Edward Stone described the effect of an extract of the bark willow in treating malaria. In the XIX century many apothecaries and chemists, including the Italian Raffaele Piria and Cesare Bertagnini, developed the biological processes of extraction and chemical synthesis of salicylates, and then analyzed their therapeutic properties and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics. In 1899 the Bayer Company, where Felix Hoffmann, Heinrich Dreser and Arthur Eichengrün worked, recorded acetyl-salicylic acid under the name “Aspirin”. In the XX century, besides the definition of the correct applications of aspirin in the anti-rheumatic therapy being defined, Lawrence L. Crawen identified the property of this drug as an anti-platelet agent, thus opening the way for more widespread uses in cardiovascular diseases.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, blood-brain barrier disruption and amyloid accumulation in SAMP8 mice.

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del Valle, Jaume; Duran-Vilaregut, Joaquim; Manich, Gemma; Pallàs, Mercè; Camins, Antoni; Vilaplana, Jordi; Pelegrí, Carme

2011-01-01

Cerebrovascular dysfunction and β-amyloid peptide deposition on the walls of cerebral blood vessels might be an early event in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Here we studied the time course of amyloid deposition in blood vessels and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in the CA1 subzone of the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice and the association between these two variables. We also studied the association between the amyloid deposition in blood vessels and the recently described amyloid clusters in the parenchyma, as well as the association of these clusters with vessels in which the BBB is disrupted. SAMP8 mice showed greater amyloid deposition in blood vessels than age-matched ICR-CD1 control mice. Moreover, at 12 months of age the number of vessels with a disrupted BBB had increased in both strains, especially SAMP8 animals. At this age, all the vessels with amyloid deposition showed BBB disruption, but several capillaries with an altered BBB showed no amyloid on their walls. Moreover, amyloid clusters showed no spatial association with vessels with amyloid deposition, nor with vessels in which the BBB had been disrupted. Finally, we can conclude that vascular amyloid deposition seems to induce BBB alterations, but BBB disruption may also be due to other factors. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Effect of anti-inflammatory therapy on the treatment of dry eye syndrome].

Science.gov (United States)

Mrukwa-Kominek, Ewa; Rogowska-Godela, Anna; Gierek-Ciaciura, Stanisława

2007-01-01

Dry eye syndrome is a common chronic disease; agents and strategies for its effective management are still lacking. The syndrome tends to be accompanied by ocular surface inflammation; therefore, the use of anti-inflammatory agents might prove beneficial. The authors present up-to-date guidelines, strategies, and efficacy of dry eye syndrome management, including anti-inflammatory treatment. As no diagnostic tests are now available to assess ocular surface inflammation severity, the right timing to launch an anti-inflammatory agent is difficult to determine. Patients with mild intermittent bouts of symptoms which can be alleviated with ophthalmic lubricants do not typically require anti-inflammatory therapy. The latter should be considered in those who do not respond to lubricating drops, obtain poor results on clinical tests, and show symptoms of ocular surface irritation (eg. conjunctivae redness). Anti-inflammatory treatment of dry eye syndrome may include short-term corticosteroids, cyclosporine A emulsion, oral tetracycline therapy, oral omega-3 fatty acid supplements, and autologous serum eye drops. Anti-inflammatory treatment should be safe and effective; potential benefits should be evaluated for each individual patient. The authors have reviewed the advantages of anti-inflammatory treatment in dry eye syndrome, presented in literature.

[A review for recent advances in AA amyloid research and therapeutic approach to AA amyloidosis complicating rheumatoid arthritis].

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Tamura, Hiroaki; Hasegawa, Kiminori

2009-02-01

AA amyloidosis is a life threatening clinical complication of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. It has been demonstrated biochemically that amyloidosis resulted from abnormal folding of proteins, which are deposited as insoluble fibrils in extracellular tissue, leading to the disruption of their normal function. In this regard, amyloidosis has been recognized as a conformation disorder. Interestingly, genetic polymorphisms of amyloid precursor protein (SAA) have been reported to associate with increased risk for AA amyloidosis. Also recent biochemical research revealed that SAA is synthesized under the influence of the proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1. Additionally, it was suggested that amyloid deposits in extracellular tissue could reflect to the serum level of SAA in the reversible fashion, leading to the hypothesis that the control of the SAA synthesis could be beneficial to the treatment of amyloidosis. In this context, anti-cytokine therapies may be most effective. Especially the inhibition of IL-6 is critical to suppression of SAA production, so treatment with a humanized monoclonal antibody against human IL-6 receptor may not only ameliorate RA disease activity but also pave the way for the treatment of AA amyloidosis.

Detection of AA76, a Common Form of Amyloid A Protein, as a Way of Diagnosing AA Amyloidosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Junji; Okuda, Yasuaki; Kuroda, Takeshi; Yamada, Toshiyuki

2016-01-01

Reactive amyloid deposits consist of amyloid A (AA) proteins, the degradation products of serum amyloid A (SAA). Since the most common species of AA is the amino terminal portion produced by cleavage between residues 76 and 77 of SAA (AA76), the presence of AA76 in tissues could be a consequence of AA amyloid deposition. This study assessed the diagnostic significance of the detection of AA76 for AA amyloidosis using two different approaches. Biopsy specimens (n=130 from 54 subjects) from gastroduodenal mucosa or abdominal fat (n=9 from 9 subjects) of patients who had already been diagnosed with or were suspected of having AA amyloidosis were used. Fixed mucosal sections were subjected to immunohistochemistry using a newly developed antibody recognizing the carboxyl terminal end of AA76 (anti-AA76). The non-fixed materials from gastroduodenal mucosa or abdominal fat were subjected to immunoblotting for detection of the size of AA76. Among the gastroduodenal specimens (n=115) from already diagnosed patients, the positive rates of Congo red staining, immunohistochemistry using anti-AA76, and immunoblotting were 68.4%, 73.0%, and 92.2%, respectively. The anti-AA76 did not stain the supposed SAA in the blood or leakage, which was stained by anti-SAA antibody. AA76 was not detected either by immunohistochemistry or by immunoblot in the materials from patients in whom AA amyloidosis had been ruled out. In the abdominal fat, the immunoblot detected AA76 in 8 materials from 8 already diagnosed patients and did not in 1 patient whose gastroduodenal mucosa was negative. In conclusion, the detection of AA76 may alter the ability to diagnose AA amyloidosis. In immunohistochemistry for fixed specimens, the new anti-AA76 antibody can improve the specificity. Immunoblot for non-fixed materials, which can considerably improve the sensitivity, should be beneficial for small materials like abdominal fat. © 2016 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.

Anti-TNFα therapy for chronic inflammatory disease in kidney transplant recipients: Clinical outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Garrouste, Cyril; Anglicheau, Dany; Kamar, Nassim; Bachelier, Claire; Rivalan, Joseph; Pereira, Bruno; Caillard, Sophie; Aniort, Julien; Gatault, Philippe; Soubrier, Martin; Sayegh, Johnny; Colosio, Charlotte; Buisson, Anthony; Thervet, Eric; Bouvier, Nicolas; Heng, Anne Elisabeth

2016-10-01

Anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) therapy has improved the prognosis of many chronic inflammatory diseases. It appears to be well-tolerated by liver-transplant patients. However, their use and their safety in kidney-transplant patients have yet to be determined.In this retrospective study, we identified 16 adult kidney-transplant patients aged 46.5 years (34-51.8) who received anti-TNFα therapy from 7 kidney transplantation centers. The indications for this treatment included: chronic inflammatory bowel disease (n = 8), inflammatory arthritis (n = 5), AA amyloidosis (n = 1), psoriasis (n = 1), and microscopic polyangiitis (n = 1).Anti-TNFα therapies resulted in a clinical response in 13/16 patients (81%). Estimated glomerular filtration rates (MDRD-4) were similar on day 0 and at 24 months (M24) after anti-TNFα treatment had been initiated (41 [12-55] and 40 [21-53] mL/min/1.73 m, respectively). Two allograft losses were observed. The 1st case was due to antibody-mediated rejection (M18), while the 2nd was the result of AA amyloidosis recurrence (M20). There were several complications: 8 patients (50%) developed 23 serious infections (18 bacterial, 4 viral, and 1 fungal) and 4 developed cancer. Five patients died (infection n = 2, cardiac AA amyloidosis n = 1, intraalveolar hemorrhage following microscopic polyangiitis n = 1, and acute respiratory distress syndrome n = 1). On univariate analysis, recipient age associated with death (P = 0.009) and infection development (P = 0.06).Using anti-TNFα therapies, remission can be achieved in chronic inflammatory diseases in kidney-transplant patients. However, concommitant anti-TNFα and immunosuppresive therapies must be used with caution due to the high risk of infection, particularly after the age of 50.

Optimization of combination of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and temozolomide therapy using SPECT/CT and MRI in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bison, S.M.; Haeck, J.C.; Bemsen, M.R.; Jong, M. de; Koelewijn, S.J.; Groen, H.C.; Bemdsen, S.; Melis, M.

2015-01-01

Full text of publication follows. Aim: successful treatment of patients with somatostatin receptor over-expressing neuroendocrine tumours (NET) with Lutetium-177-labelled octreotate, (PRRT) or temozolomide (TMZ) as single treatments has been described. Their combination might result in additive response, so we studied tumour characteristics and therapeutic responses after different administration schemes in mice to obtain the optimal strategy to combine PRRT and TMZ. Materials and methods: Initially we performed imaging studies of nu/nu mice, (n=5-8) bearing somatostatin receptor-expressing human H69 small cell lung carcinoma xenografts, after single administration of 177 Lu-octreotate (30 MBq/μg) or TMZ therapy (50 mg/kg/day (d) 5 x/ week for 2 weeks). Weekly tumour perfusion was measured by DCE-MRI and tumour 111 In-uptake 24 hours after administration of 30 MBq 111 In-octreotide was quantified using SPECT/CT. Based on the imaging results, seven groups were included in a combination therapy study in H69 tumour-bearing mice (n=8-9): 1: control (saline), 2: TMZ, 3: PRRT, 4: PRRT + TMZ both d1, 5: PRRT d1, TMZ from d15, 6: TMZ from d1, PRRT d15, 7: PRRT d1 and d15. Study endpoint was tumour volume >1800-2000 mm 3 . Results: single treatment with 177 Lu-octreotate or TMZ therapy resulted in reduction of tumour size, which led to changes in MRI characteristics such as intrinsic T2, T2* and perfusion values. Moreover, TMZ treatment not only showed tumour size reduction 9 days after start of treatment and an increase in MRI perfusion parameters but uptake of 111 In-octreotide peaked at day 15 followed by a decrease afterwards. In the combination therapy study no complete cure was found in control, single TMZ and single and double PRRT groups, while in the TMZ/PRRT combination groups resp. 44%, 38% and 55% of mice (groups 4, 5 and 6) showed cure without recurrence of tumour growth during follow-up. This was also reflected in an extended median survival time (MST), resp

Surface Mediated Self-Assembly of Amyloid Peptides

Science.gov (United States)

Fakhraai, Zahra

2015-03-01

Amyloid fibrils have been considered as causative agents in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, type II diabetes and amyloidosis. Amyloid fibrils form when proteins or peptides misfold into one dimensional crystals of stacked beta-sheets. In solution, amyloid fibrils form through a nucleation and growth mechanism. The rate limiting nucleation step requires a critical concentration much larger than those measured in physiological conditions. As such the exact origins of the seeds or oligomers that result in the formation of fully mature fibrils in the body remain topic intense studies. It has been suggested that surfaces and interfaces can enhance the fibrillization rate. However, studies of the mechanism and kinetics of the surface-mediated fibrillization are technologically challenging due to the small size of the oligomer and protofibril species. Using smart sample preparation technique to dry the samples after various incubation times we are able to study the kinetics of fibril formation both in solution and in the vicinity of various surfaces using high-resolution atomic force microscopy. These studies elucidate the role of surfaces in catalyzing amyloid peptide formation through a nucleation-free process. The nucleation free self-assembly is rapid and requires much smaller concentrations of peptides or proteins. We show that this process resembles diffusion limited aggregation and is governed by the peptide adhesion rate, two -dimensional diffusion of the peptides on the surface, and preferential interactions between the peptides. These studies suggest an alternative pathway for amyloid formation may exist, which could lead to new criteria for disease prevention and alternative therapies. Research was partially supported by a seed grant from the National Institute of Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number P30AG010124 (PI: John Trojanowski) and the University of Pennsylvania.

Diagnostic radionuclide imaging of amyloid: biological targeting by circulating human serum amyloid P component

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawkins, P.N.; Lavender, J.P.; Myers, M.J.; Pepys, M.B.

1988-06-25

The specific molecular affinity of the normal plasma protein, serum amyloid P component (SAP), for all known types of amyloid fibrils was used to develop a new general diagnostic method for in-vivo radionuclide imaging of amyloid deposits. After intravenous injection of /sup 123/I-labelled purified human SAP there was specific uptake into amyloid deposits in all affected patients, 7 with systematic AL amyloid, 5 with AA amyloid, and 2 with ..beta../sub 2/M amyloid, in contrast to the complete absence of any tissue localisation in 5 control subjects. Distinctive high-resolution scintigraphic images, even of minor deposits in the carpal regions, bone marrow, or adrenals, were obtained. This procedure should yield much information on the natural history and the management of amyloidosis, the presence of which has hitherto been confirmed only by biopsy. Clearance and metabolic studies indicated that, in the presence of extensive amyloidosis, the rate of synthesis of SAP was greatly increased despite maintenance of normal plasma levels. Futhermore, once localised to amyloid deposits the /sup 123/I-SAP persisted for long periods and was apparently protected from its normal rapid degradation. These findings shed new light on the pathophysiology of amyloid and may have implications for therapeutic strategies based upon specific molecular targeting with SAP.

Combined EGFR and VEGFR versus single EGFR signaling pathways inhibition therapy for NSCLC: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinji Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is a heterogeneous disease with multiple signaling pathways influencing tumor cell survival and proliferation, and it is likely that blocking only one of these pathways allows others to act as salvage or escape mechanisms for cancer cells. Whether combined inhibition therapy has greater anti-tumor activity than single inhibition therapy is a matter of debate. Hence, a meta-analysis comparing therapy inhibiting both VEGFR and EGFR signaling pathways with that inhibiting EGFR signaling pathway alone was performed. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE database and the proceedings of major conferences for relevant clinical trials. Outcomes analyzed were objective tumor response rate (ORR, progression-free survival (PFS, overall survival (OS and toxicity. Besides, subgroup analyses were performed to investigate whether the combined inhibition therapy is best performed using combination of selective agents or a single agent with multiple targets. Six trials recruiting 3,302 patients were included in the analysis. Combined inhibition therapy was associated with a 3% improvement in OS as compared with single-targeted therapy, but this difference was not statistically significant (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.89-1.05; P=0.472. Patients receiving combined inhibition therapy had significant longer PFS than the group with single-targeted therapy (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.95; P=0.011. There was no difference in the ORR between the groups (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 0.95-2.18; P=0.085. Subgroup analysis revealed that combined inhibition therapy using combination regimens was associated with statistically significant improvement in both ORR and PFS. Toxicity was greater in combined inhibition therapy. CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence to support the use of combined inhibition therapy in unselected patients with advanced NSCLC. However, given the significant advantage in ORR and PFS, combined inhibition therapy using combination

Fibrillar dimer formation of islet amyloid polypeptides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, Chi-cheng [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); de Pablo, Juan J. [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-05-08

Amyloid deposits of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), a 37-residue hormone co-produced with insulin, have been implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes. Residues 20 – 29 of hIAPP have been proposed to constitute the amyloidogenic core for the aggregation process, yet the segment is mostly unstructured in the mature fibril, according to solid-state NMR data. Here we use molecular simulations combined with bias-exchange metadynamics to characterize the conformational free energies of hIAPP fibrillar dimer and its derivative, pramlintide. We show that residues 20 – 29 are involved in an intermediate that exhibits transient β-sheets, consistent with recent experimental and simulation results. By comparing the aggregation of hIAPP and pramlintide, we illustrate the effects of proline residues on inhibition of the dimerization of IAPP. The mechanistic insights presented here could be useful for development of therapeutic inhibitors of hIAPP amyloid formation.

Fibrillar dimer formation of islet amyloid polypeptides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-cheng Chiu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Amyloid deposits of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP, a 37-residue hormone co-produced with insulin, have been implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes. Residues 20 – 29 of hIAPP have been proposed to constitute the amyloidogenic core for the aggregation process, yet the segment is mostly unstructured in the mature fibril, according to solid-state NMR data. Here we use molecular simulations combined with bias-exchange metadynamics to characterize the conformational free energies of hIAPP fibrillar dimer and its derivative, pramlintide. We show that residues 20 – 29 are involved in an intermediate that exhibits transient β-sheets, consistent with recent experimental and simulation results. By comparing the aggregation of hIAPP and pramlintide, we illustrate the effects of proline residues on inhibition of the dimerization of IAPP. The mechanistic insights presented here could be useful for development of therapeutic inhibitors of hIAPP amyloid formation.

Evaluation of Polyphenol Anthocyanin-Enriched Extracts of Blackberry, Black Raspberry, Blueberry, Cranberry, Red Raspberry, and Strawberry for Free Radical Scavenging, Reactive Carbonyl Species Trapping, Anti-Glycation, Anti-β-Amyloid Aggregation, and Microglial Neuroprotective Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hang Ma

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Glycation is associated with several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD, where it potentiates the aggregation and toxicity of proteins such as β-amyloid (Aβ. Published studies support the anti-glycation and neuroprotective effects of several polyphenol-rich fruits, including berries, which are rich in anthocyanins. Herein, blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry, and strawberry extracts were evaluated for: (1 total phenolic and anthocyanins contents, (2 free radical (DPPH scavenging and reactive carbonyl species (methylglyoxal; MGO trapping, (3 anti-glycation (using BSA-fructose and BSA-MGO models, (4 anti-Aβ aggregation (using thermal- and MGO-induced fibrillation models, and, (5 murine microglia (BV-2 neuroprotective properties. Berry crude extracts (CE were fractionated to yield anthocyanins-free (ACF and anthocyanins-enriched (ACE extracts. The berry ACEs (at 100 μg/mL showed superior free radical scavenging, reactive carbonyl species trapping, and anti-glycation effects compared to their respective ACFs. The berry ACEs (at 100 μg/mL inhibited both thermal- and MGO-induced Aβ fibrillation. In addition, the berry ACEs (at 20 μg/mL reduced H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species production, and lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide species in BV-2 microglia as well as decreased H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and caspase-3/7 activity in BV-2 microglia. The free radical scavenging, reactive carbonyl trapping, anti-glycation, anti-Aβ fibrillation, and microglial neuroprotective effects of these berry extracts warrant further in vivo studies to evaluate their potential neuroprotective effects against AD.

Statin Therapy and the Development of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy—A Rodent in Vivo Approach

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Björn Reuter

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA is characterized by vascular deposition of amyloid β (Aβ with a higher incidence of cerebral microbleeds (cMBs and spontaneous hemorrhage. Since statins are known for their benefit in vascular disease we tested for the effect on CAA. Methods: APP23-transgenic mice received atorvastatin-supplemented food starting at the age of eight months (n = 13, 12 months (n = 7, and 16 months (n = 6, respectively. Controls (n = 16 received standard food only. At 24 months of age cMBs were determined with T2*-weighted 9.4T magnetic resonance imaging and graded by size. Results: Control mice displayed an average of 35 ± 18.5 cMBs (mean ± standard deviation, compared to 29.3 ± 9.8 in mice with eight months (p = 0.49, 24.9 ± 21.3 with 12 months (p = 0.26, and 27.8 ± 15.4 with 16 months of atorvastatin treatment (p = 0.27. In combined analysis treated mice showed lower absolute numbers (27.4 ± 15.6, p = 0.16 compared to controls and also after adjustment for cMB size (p = 0.13. Conclusion: Despite to a non-significant trend towards fewer cMBs our results failed to provide evidence for beneficial effects of long-term atorvastatin treatment in the APP23-transgenic mouse model of CAA. A higher risk for bleeding complications was not observed.

Randomised controlled trial examining the effect of exercise in people with rheumatoid arthritis taking anti-TNFα therapy medication.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Reid, Angela

2011-01-01

Substantial progress has been made in the medical management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over the past decade with the introduction of biologic therapies, including anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) therapy medications. However, individuals with RA taking anti-TNFα medication continue to experience physical, psychological and functional consequences, which could potentially benefit from rehabilitation. There is evidence that therapeutic exercise should be included as an intervention for people with RA, but to date there is little evidence of the benefits of therapeutic exercise for people with RA on anti-TNFα therapy medication. A protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled three-armed study which aims to examine the effect of dynamic group exercise therapy on land or in water for people with RA taking anti-TNFα therapy medication is described.

Methyl Salicylate Lactoside Protects Neurons Ameliorating Cognitive Disorder Through Inhibiting Amyloid Beta-Induced Neuroinflammatory Response in Alzheimer's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinze; Ma, Xiaowei; Wang, Yu; Chen, Chengjuan; Hu, Min; Wang, Linlin; Fu, Junmin; Shi, Gaona; Zhang, Dongming; Zhang, Tiantai

2018-01-01

Neuroinflammatory reactions mediated by microglia and astrocytes have been shown to play a key role in early progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased evidences have demonstrated that neurons exacerbate local inflammatory reactions by producing inflammatory mediators and act as an important participant in the pathogenesis of AD. Methyl salicylate lactoside (MSL) is an isolated natural product that is part of a class of novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). In our previous studies, we demonstrated that MSL exhibited therapeutic effects on arthritis-induced mice and suppressed the activation of glial cells. In the current study, we investigated the effects of MSL on cognitive function and neuronal protection induced by amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) and explored potential underlying mechanisms involved. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) double transgenic mice were used to evaluate the effects of MSL through behavioral testing and neuronal degenerative changes. In addition, copper-injured APP Swedish mutation overexpressing SH-SY5Y cells were used to determine the transduction of cyclooxygenase (COX) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Our results indicated that at an early stage, MSL treatment ameliorated cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, in an in vitro AD model, MSL treatment protected injured cells by increasing cell viability, improving mitochondrial dysfunction, and decreasing oxidative damage. In addition, MSL inhibited the phosphorylated level of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK, and suppressed the expression of COX-1/2. As a novel NSAIDs and used for the treatment in early stage of AD, MSL clearly demonstrated cognitive preservation by protecting neurons via a pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effect in the context of AD-associated deficits. Therefore, early treatment of anti-inflammatory therapy may be an effective strategy for treating AD.

Circulating anti-retinal antibodies in response to anti-angiogenic therapy in exudative age-related macular degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubicka-Trząska, Agnieszka; Wilańska, Joanna; Romanowska-Dixon, Bożena; Sanak, Marek

2014-12-01

To determine changes in anti-retinal antibodies (ARAs) during anti-VEGF therapy in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to assess the correlations between ARAs and disease activity. The study comprised 98 patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. The ophthalmic examination included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit lamp biomicroscopy, fundoscopy, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Serum ARAs levels were assessed by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on normal monkey retina substrate. These studies were repeated at 4 week intervals within 8 months of a follow-up. The sera of 50 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects were used as controls. At baseline examination, 94 (95.5%) of the 98 patients were positive for ARAs. The ARAs titres were significantly higher (p = 0.0000) than in controls. A positive correlation was found between titres of ARAs and the diameter of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) as measured by FA (p = 0.0000), and central retinal thickness (CRT) assessed by OCT (p = 0.0000). A positive correlation was also found between the diameter of CNV, CRT and the complexity of circulating ARAs. Following treatment all patients demonstrated significant decrease in ARAs levels as well as improvement of BCVA, reduction of subretinal fluid on OCT and decreased leakage on FA. Changes in serum ARAs levels occurred in parallel with clinical outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy. Treatment reduced serum levels of ARAs, with the greatest reduction occurring during the 'loading' phase. This study demonstrated that ARAs may act as a serum biomarker of the efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy. © 2014 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hyperforin prevents beta-amyloid neurotoxicity and spatial memory impairments by disaggregation of Alzheimer's amyloid-beta-deposits.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinamarca, M C; Cerpa, W; Garrido, J; Hancke, J L; Inestrosa, N C

2006-11-01

The major protein constituent of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta). In the present work, we have determined the effect of hyperforin an acylphloroglucinol compound isolated from Hypericum perforatum (St John's Wort), on Abeta-induced spatial memory impairments and on Abeta neurotoxicity. We report here that hyperforin: (1) decreases amyloid deposit formation in rats injected with amyloid fibrils in the hippocampus; (2) decreases the neuropathological changes and behavioral impairments in a rat model of amyloidosis; (3) prevents Abeta-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal neurons both from amyloid fibrils and Abeta oligomers, avoiding the increase in reactive oxidative species associated with amyloid toxicity. Both effects could be explained by the capacity of hyperforin to disaggregate amyloid deposits in a dose and time-dependent manner and to decrease Abeta aggregation and amyloid formation. Altogether these evidences suggest that hyperforin may be useful to decrease amyloid burden and toxicity in AD patients, and may be a putative therapeutic agent to fight the disease.

Nurses' perceptions about Botswana patients' anti-retroviral therapy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Anti-retroviral drugs(ARVs) are supplied free of charge in Botswana. Lifelong adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is vital to improve the patient's state of well-being and to prevent the development of strains of the human immunodefi ciency virus (HIV) that are resistant to ART. Persons with ART-resistant strains of HIV ...

The combination of aricept with a traditional Chinese medicine formula, smart soup, may be a novel way to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Wang, Ying; Sui, Yi; Yu, Hongshuang; Shen, Xiaoheng; Chen, Shengdi; Pei, Gang; Zhao, Jian; Ding, Jianqing

2015-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease affecting cognitive function in the elderly, which is characterized by the presence of extracellular deposits of insoluble amyloid-β plaques and neuronal loss. Modern pharmacology and drug development usually follow a single-target principle, which might contribute to the failure of most compounds in clinical trials against AD. Considering AD is a multifactorial disease, a combination therapeutic strategy that applies drugs with different mechanisms would be an alternative way. Smart Soup (SS), a Traditional Chinese Medicine formula, is composed of three herbaceous plants and has been applied in the treatment of amnesia in China for hundreds of years. In this work, we studied the clinical potency of the combination of SS and Aricept in AD therapy. In the in vivo model, both longevity and locomotive activity of AD transgenic Drosophila were improved remarkably in the combined medicine treated group. We also observed less amyloid-β deposition and retarded neuronal loss following the combined drug treatment. In the retrospective cohort study, we found the combination therapy exerted better therapeutic effect on AD patients. Our study revealed that combination therapy with multiple drug targets did have a better therapeutic outcome. It provides a new strategy to develop an optimum pharmaceutical approach against AD.

Variation of amino acid sequences of serum amyloid a (SAA) and immunohistochemical analysis of amyloid a (AA) in Japanese domestic cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tei, Meina; Uchida, Kazuyuki; Chambers, James K; Watanabe, Ken-Ichi; Tamamoto, Takashi; Ohno, Koichi; Nakayama, Hiroyuki

2018-02-02

Amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, a fatal systemic amyloid disease, occurs secondary to chronic inflammatory conditions in humans. Although persistently elevated serum amyloid A (SAA) levels are required for its pathogenesis, not all individuals with chronic inflammation necessarily develop AA amyloidosis. Furthermore, many diseases in cats are associated with the elevated production of SAA, whereas only a small number actually develop AA amyloidosis. We hypothesized that a genetic mutation in the SAA gene may strongly contribute to the pathogenesis of feline AA amyloidosis. In the present study, genomic DNA from four Japanese domestic cats (JDCs) with AA amyloidosis and from five without amyloidosis was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and direct sequencing. We identified the novel variation combination of 45R-51A in the deduced amino acid sequences of four JDCs with amyloidosis and five without. However, there was no relationship between amino acid variations and the distribution of AA amyloid deposits, indicating that differences in SAA sequences do not contribute to the pathogenesis of AA amyloidosis. Immunohistochemical analysis using antisera against the three different parts of the feline SAA protein-i.e., the N-terminal, central, and C-terminal regions-revealed that feline AA contained the C-terminus, unlike human AA. These results indicate that the cleavage and degradation of the C-terminus are not essential for amyloid fibril formation in JDCs.

Administration of perioperative penicillin reduces postoperative serum amyloid A response in horses being castrated standing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Busk, Peter; Jacobsen, Stine; Martinussen, Torben

2010-01-01

Objectives: To compare postoperative inflammatory responses in horses administered perioperative procaine penicillin and those not administered penicillin using acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) as a marker of inflammation. Study Design: Randomized clinical trial. Animals: Stallions (n = 50......) castrated under field conditions. Methods: SAA concentrations were determined on days 0, 3, and 8. Six horses were subsequently excluded because of elevated SAA concentrations on day 0. Of the remaining 50 horses, 26 were administered nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy and 24 were...... administered NSAID and 25,000 U/kg procaine penicillin on day 0, 1, and 2. Results: SAA concentrations increased significantly from preoperative levels in both groups, and on day 8 concentrations were significantly (P o .02) higher in horses administered only NSAID than in those administered procaine penicillin...

Amyloid cascade hypothesis: Pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies in Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Barage, Sagar H; Sonawane, Kailas D

2015-08-01

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Various therapeutic approaches are being used to improve the cholinergic neurotransmission, but their role in AD pathogenesis is still unknown. Although, an increase in tau protein concentration in CSF has been described in AD, but several issues remains unclear. Extensive and accurate analysis of CSF could be helpful to define presence of tau proteins in physiological conditions, or released during the progression of neurodegenerative disease. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that the neurodegeneration in AD caused by abnormal accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in various areas of the brain. The amyloid hypothesis has continued to gain support over the last two decades, particularly from genetic studies. Therefore, current research progress in several areas of therapies shall provide an effective treatment to cure this devastating disease. This review critically evaluates general biochemical and physiological functions of Aβ directed therapeutics and their relevance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rheumatoid arthritis risk allele PTPRC is also associated with response to anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cui, Jing; Saevarsdottir, Saedis; Thomson, Brian; Padyukov, Leonid; van der Helm-van Mil, Annette H. M.; Nititham, Joanne; Hughes, Laura B.; de Vries, Niek; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; Alfredsson, Lars; Askling, Johan; Wedrén, Sara; Ding, Bo; Guiducci, Candace; Wolbink, Gert Jan; Crusius, J. Bart A.; van der Horst-Bruinsma, Irene E.; Herenius, Marieke; Weinblatt, Michael E.; Shadick, Nancy A.; Worthington, Jane; Batliwalla, Franak; Kern, Marlena; Morgan, Ann W.; Wilson, Anthony G.; Isaacs, John D.; Hyrich, Kimme; Seldin, Michael F.; Moreland, Larry W.; Behrens, Timothy W.; Allaart, Cornelia F.; Criswell, Lindsey A.; Huizinga, Tom W. J.; Tak, Paul P.; Bridges, S. Louis; Toes, Rene E. M.; Barton, Anne; Klareskog, Lars; Gregersen, Peter K.; Karlson, Elizabeth W.; Plenge, Robert M.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF) therapy is a mainstay of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of the present study was to test established RA genetic risk factors to determine whether the same alleles also influence the response to anti-TNF therapy. METHODS: A total

Anti-tumor effects of ONC201 in combination with VEGF-inhibitors significantly impacts colorectal cancer growth and survival in vivo through complementary non-overlapping mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Jessica; Kline, C Leah; Zhou, Lanlan; Khazak, Vladimir; El-Deiry, Wafik S

2018-01-22

Small molecule ONC201 is an investigational anti-tumor agent that upregulates intra-tumoral TRAIL expression and the integrated stress response pathway. A Phase I clinical trial using ONC201 therapy in advanced cancer patients has been completed and the drug has progressed into Phase II trials in several cancer types. Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer worldwide and metastatic disease has a poor prognosis. Clinical trials in CRC and other tumor types have demonstrated that therapeutics targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, such as bevacizumab, are effective in combination with certain chemotherapeutic agents. We investigated the potential combination of VEGF inhibitors such as bevacizumab and its murine-counterpart; along with other anti-angiogenic agents and ONC201 in both CRC xenograft and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. We utilized non-invasive imaging and immunohistochemistry to determine potential mechanisms of action. Our results demonstrate significant tumor regression or complete tumor ablation in human xenografts with the combination of ONC201 with bevacizumab, and in syngeneic MC38 colorectal cancer xenografts using a murine VEGF-A inhibitor. Imaging demonstrated the impact of this combination on decreasing tumor growth and tumor metastasis. Our results indicate that ONC201 and anti-angiogenic agents act through distinct mechanisms while increasing tumor cell death and inhibiting proliferation. With the use of both a murine VEGF inhibitor in syngeneic models, and bevacizumab in human cell line-derived xenografts, we demonstrate that ONC201 in combination with anti-angiogenic therapies such as bevacizumab represents a promising approach for further testing in the clinic for the treatment of CRC.

Preformed β-amyloid fibrils are destabilized by coenzyme Q10 in vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Kenjiro; Hasegawa, Kazuhiro; Naiki, Hironobu; Yamada, Masahito

2005-01-01

Inhibition of the formation of β-amyloid fibrils (fAβ), as well as the destabilization of preformed fAβ in the CNS, would be attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We reported previously that nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and wine-related polyphenol, myricetin (Myr), inhibit fAβ formation from Aβ and destabilize preformed fAβ in vitro. Using fluorescence spectroscopic analysis with thioflavin T and electron microscopic studies, we examined the effects of coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) on the formation, extension, and destabilization of fAβ at pH 7.5 at 37 deg C in vitro. We next compared the anti-amyloidogenic activities of CoQ 10 with NDGA and Myr. CoQ 10 dose-dependently inhibited fAβ formation from amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), as well as their extension. Moreover, it destabilized preformed fAβs. The anti-amyloidogenic effects of CoQ 10 were slightly weaker than those of NDGA and Myr. CoQ 10 could be a key molecule for the development of therapeutics for AD

Non-invasive imaging for studying anti-angiogenic therapy effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ehling, J.; Lammers, Twan Gerardus Gertudis Maria; Kiessling, F.

2013-01-01

Noninvasive imaging plays an emerging role in preclinical and clinical cancer research and has high potential to improve clinical translation of new drugs. This article summarises and discusses tools and methods to image tumour angiogenesis and monitor anti-angiogenic therapy effects. In this

Computational Modelling of the Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skeby, Katrine Kirkeby

2014-01-01

to interpret results correctly. Computational studies and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in particular have become important tools in the effort to understand biological mechanisms. The strength of these methods is the high resolution in time and space, and the ability to specifically design the system....... Using MD simulations we have investigated the binding of 13 different imaging agents to a fibril segment. Using clustering analysis and binding energy calculations we have identified a common binding mode for the 13 agents in the surface grooves of the fibril, which are present on all amyloid fibrils....... This information combined with specific knowledge about the AD amyloid fibril is the building block for the design of highly specific amyloid imaging agents. We have also used MD simulations to study the interaction between hIAPP and a phospholipid membrane. At neutral pH, we find that the attraction is mainly...

Feasibility and acceptance of simultaneous amyloid PET/MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuetz, Lisa; Tiepolt, Solveig; Werner, Peter; Jochimsen, Thies; Rullmann, Michael; Sattler, Bernhard; Patt, Marianne; Barthel, Henryk; Lobsien, Donald; Fritzsch, Dominik; Hoffmann, Karl-Titus; Schroeter, Matthias L.; Villringer, Arno; Berrouschot, Joerg; Saur, Dorothee; Classen, Joseph; Hesse, Swen; Sabri, Osama; Gertz, Hermann-Josef

2016-01-01

Established Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker concepts classify into amyloid pathology and neuronal injury biomarkers, while recent alternative concepts classify into diagnostic and progression AD biomarkers. However, combined amyloid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) offers the chance to obtain both biomarker category read-outs within one imaging session, with increased patient as well as referrer convenience. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate this matter for the first time. 100 subjects (age 70 ± 10 yrs, 46 female), n = 51 with clinically defined mild cognitive impairment (MCI), n = 44 with possible/probable AD dementia, and n = 5 with frontotemporal lobe degeneration, underwent simultaneous [ 18 F]florbetaben or [ 11 C]PIB PET/MRI (3 Tesla Siemens mMR). Brain amyloid load, mesial temporal lobe atrophy (MTLA) by means of the Scheltens scale, and other morphological brain pathologies were scored by respective experts. The patients/caregivers as well as the referrers were asked to assess on a five-point scale the convenience related to the one-stop-shop PET and MRI approach. In three subjects, MRI revealed temporal lobe abnormalities other than MTLA. According to the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association classification, the combined amyloid-beta PET/MRI evaluation resulted in 31 %, 45 %, and 24 % of the MCI subjects being categorized as ''MCI-unlikely due to AD'', ''MCI due to AD-intermediate likelihood'', and ''MCI due to AD-high likelihood'', respectively. 50 % of the probable AD dementia patients were categorized as ''High level of evidence of AD pathophysiological process'', and 56 % of the possible AD dementia patients as ''Possible AD dementia - with evidence of AD pathophysiological process''. With regard to the International Working Group 2 classification, 36 subjects had both positive

Feasibility and acceptance of simultaneous amyloid PET/MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuetz, Lisa; Tiepolt, Solveig; Werner, Peter; Jochimsen, Thies; Rullmann, Michael; Sattler, Bernhard; Patt, Marianne; Barthel, Henryk [Leipzig University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Lobsien, Donald; Fritzsch, Dominik; Hoffmann, Karl-Titus [Leipzig University Hospital, Department of Neuroradiology, Leipzig (Germany); Schroeter, Matthias L.; Villringer, Arno [Leipzig University Hospital and Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Day Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig (Germany); Leipzig University Hospital, IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig (Germany); Berrouschot, Joerg [Clinical Centre Altenburger Land, Altenburg (Germany); Saur, Dorothee; Classen, Joseph [Leipzig University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Leipzig (Germany); Hesse, Swen; Sabri, Osama [Leipzig University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig (Germany); Leipzig University Hospital, IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig (Germany); Gertz, Hermann-Josef [Leipzig University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Leipzig (Germany)

2016-11-15

Established Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker concepts classify into amyloid pathology and neuronal injury biomarkers, while recent alternative concepts classify into diagnostic and progression AD biomarkers. However, combined amyloid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) offers the chance to obtain both biomarker category read-outs within one imaging session, with increased patient as well as referrer convenience. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate this matter for the first time. 100 subjects (age 70 ± 10 yrs, 46 female), n = 51 with clinically defined mild cognitive impairment (MCI), n = 44 with possible/probable AD dementia, and n = 5 with frontotemporal lobe degeneration, underwent simultaneous [{sup 18}F]florbetaben or [{sup 11}C]PIB PET/MRI (3 Tesla Siemens mMR). Brain amyloid load, mesial temporal lobe atrophy (MTLA) by means of the Scheltens scale, and other morphological brain pathologies were scored by respective experts. The patients/caregivers as well as the referrers were asked to assess on a five-point scale the convenience related to the one-stop-shop PET and MRI approach. In three subjects, MRI revealed temporal lobe abnormalities other than MTLA. According to the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association classification, the combined amyloid-beta PET/MRI evaluation resulted in 31 %, 45 %, and 24 % of the MCI subjects being categorized as ''MCI-unlikely due to AD'', ''MCI due to AD-intermediate likelihood'', and ''MCI due to AD-high likelihood'', respectively. 50 % of the probable AD dementia patients were categorized as ''High level of evidence of AD pathophysiological process'', and 56 % of the possible AD dementia patients as ''Possible AD dementia - with evidence of AD pathophysiological process''. With regard to the International Working Group 2 classification, 36 subjects had both

Antioxidants inhibit SAA formation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in a human cell model of alkaptonuria.

Science.gov (United States)

Spreafico, Adriano; Millucci, Lia; Ghezzi, Lorenzo; Geminiani, Michela; Braconi, Daniela; Amato, Loredana; Chellini, Federico; Frediani, Bruno; Moretti, Elena; Collodel, Giulia; Bernardini, Giulia; Santucci, Annalisa

2013-09-01

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive disease that currently lacks an appropriate therapy. Recently we provided experimental evidence that AKU is a secondary serum amyloid A (SAA)-based amyloidosis. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the use of antioxidants to inhibit SAA amyloid and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in AKU. We adopted a human chondrocytic cell AKU model to evaluate the anti-amyloid capacity of a set of antioxidants that had previously been shown to counteract ochronosis in a serum AKU model. Amyloid presence was evaluated by Congo red staining. Homogentisic acid-induced SAA production and pro-inflammatory cytokine release (overexpressed in AKU patients) were evaluated by ELISA and multiplex systems, respectively. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated by means of a fluorescence-based assay. Our AKU model allowed us to prove the efficacy of ascorbic acid combined with N-acetylcysteine, taurine, phytic acid and lipoic acid in significantly inhibiting SAA production, pro-inflammatory cytokine release and membrane lipid peroxidation. All the tested antioxidant compounds were able to reduce the production of amyloid and may be the basis for establishing new therapies for AKU amyloidosis.

Sonodynamic therapy combined with novel anti-cancer agents, sanguinarine and ginger root extract: Synergistic increase in toxicity in the presence of PANC-1 cells in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Prescott, Matthew; Mitchell, James; Totti, Stella; Lee, Judy; Velliou, Eirini; Bussemaker, Madeleine

2018-01-01

The presence of ultrasound-induced cavitation in sonodynamic therapy (SDT) treatments has previously enhanced the activity and delivery of certain sonosensitisers in biological systems. The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential for two novel anti-cancer agents from natural derivatives, sanguinarine and ginger root extract (GRE), as sonosensitisers in an SDT treatment with in vitro PANC-1 cells. Both anti-cancer compounds had a dose-dependent cytotoxicity in the presence of PANC-1 cells. A range of six discreet ultrasound power-frequency configurations were tested and it was found that the cell death caused directly by ultrasound was likely due to the sonomechanical effects of cavitation. Combined treatment used dosages of 100μM sanguinarine or 1mM of GRE with 15s sonication at 500kHz and 10W. The sanguinarine-SDT and GRE-SDT treatments showed a 6% and 17% synergistic increase in observed cell death, respectively. Therefore both sanguinarine and GRE were found to be effective sonosensitisers and warrant further development for SDT, with a view to maximising the magnitude of synergistic increase in toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

{beta} - amyloid imaging probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Jae Min [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2007-04-15

Imaging distribution of {beta} - amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease is very important for early and accurate diagnosis. Early trial of the {beta} -amyloid plaques includes using radiolabeled peptides which can be only applied for peripheral {beta} - amyloid plaques due to limited penetration through the blood brain barrier (BBB). Congo red or Chrysamine G derivatives were labeled with Tc-99m for imaging {beta} - amyloid plaques of Alzheimer patient's brain without success due to problem with BBB penetration. Thioflavin T derivatives gave breakthrough for {beta} - amyloid imaging in vivo, and a benzothiazole derivative [C-11]6-OH-BTA-1 brought a great success. Many other benzothiazole, benzoxazole, benzofuran, imidazopyridine, and styrylbenzene derivatives have been labeled with F-18 and I-123 to improve the imaging quality. However, [C-11]6-OH-BTA-1 still remains as the best. However, short half-life of C-11 is a limitation of wide distribution of this agent. So, it is still required to develop an Tc-99m, F-18 or I-123 labeled agent for {beta} - amyloid imaging agent.

β - amyloid imaging probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Jae Min

2007-01-01

Imaging distribution of β - amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease is very important for early and accurate diagnosis. Early trial of the β -amyloid plaques includes using radiolabeled peptides which can be only applied for peripheral β - amyloid plaques due to limited penetration through the blood brain barrier (BBB). Congo red or Chrysamine G derivatives were labeled with Tc-99m for imaging β - amyloid plaques of Alzheimer patient's brain without success due to problem with BBB penetration. Thioflavin T derivatives gave breakthrough for β - amyloid imaging in vivo, and a benzothiazole derivative [C-11]6-OH-BTA-1 brought a great success. Many other benzothiazole, benzoxazole, benzofuran, imidazopyridine, and styrylbenzene derivatives have been labeled with F-18 and I-123 to improve the imaging quality. However, [C-11]6-OH-BTA-1 still remains as the best. However, short half-life of C-11 is a limitation of wide distribution of this agent. So, it is still required to develop an Tc-99m, F-18 or I-123 labeled agent for β - amyloid imaging agent

Amyloid Structure and Assembly: Insights from Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldsbury, C.; Wall, J.; Baxa, U.; Simon, M. N.; Steven, A. C.; Engel, A.; Aebi, U.; Muller, S. A.

2011-01-01

Amyloid fibrils are filamentous protein aggregates implicated in several common diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes. Similar structures are also the molecular principle of the infectious spongiform encephalopathies such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, scrapie in sheep, and of the so-called yeast prions, inherited non-chromosomal elements found in yeast and fungi. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is often used to delineate the assembly mechanism and structural properties of amyloid aggregates. In this review we consider specifically contributions and limitations of STEM for the investigation of amyloid assembly pathways, fibril polymorphisms and structural models of amyloid fibrils. This type of microscopy provides the only method to directly measure the mass-per-length (MPL) of individual filaments. Made on both in vitro assembled and ex vivo samples, STEM mass measurements have illuminated the hierarchical relationships between amyloid fibrils and revealed that polymorphic fibrils and various globular oligomers can assemble simultaneously from a single polypeptide. The MPLs also impose strong constraints on possible packing schemes, assisting in molecular model building when combined with high-resolution methods like solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).

Predictive modelling of a novel anti-adhesion therapy to combat bacterial colonisation of burn wounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Paul A; Huebinger, Ryan M; Keen, Emma; Krachler, Anne-Marie; Jabbari, Sara

2018-05-01

As the development of new classes of antibiotics slows, bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics is becoming an increasing problem. A potential solution is to develop treatment strategies with an alternative mode of action. We consider one such strategy: anti-adhesion therapy. Whereas antibiotics act directly upon bacteria, either killing them or inhibiting their growth, anti-adhesion therapy impedes the binding of bacteria to host cells. This prevents bacteria from deploying their arsenal of virulence mechanisms, while simultaneously rendering them more susceptible to natural and artificial clearance. In this paper, we consider a particular form of anti-adhesion therapy, involving biomimetic multivalent adhesion molecule 7 coupled polystyrene microbeads, which competitively inhibit the binding of bacteria to host cells. We develop a mathematical model, formulated as a system of ordinary differential equations, to describe inhibitor treatment of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa burn wound infection in the rat. Benchmarking our model against in vivo data from an ongoing experimental programme, we use the model to explain bacteria population dynamics and to predict the efficacy of a range of treatment strategies, with the aim of improving treatment outcome. The model consists of two physical compartments: the host cells and the exudate. It is found that, when effective in reducing the bacterial burden, inhibitor treatment operates both by preventing bacteria from binding to the host cells and by reducing the flux of daughter cells from the host cells into the exudate. Our model predicts that inhibitor treatment cannot eliminate the bacterial burden when used in isolation; however, when combined with regular or continuous debridement of the exudate, elimination is theoretically possible. Lastly, we present ways to improve therapeutic efficacy, as predicted by our mathematical model.

Methyl Salicylate Lactoside Protects Neurons Ameliorating Cognitive Disorder Through Inhibiting Amyloid Beta-Induced Neuroinflammatory Response in Alzheimer’s Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinze; Ma, Xiaowei; Wang, Yu; Chen, Chengjuan; Hu, Min; Wang, Linlin; Fu, Junmin; Shi, Gaona; Zhang, Dongming; Zhang, Tiantai

2018-01-01

Neuroinflammatory reactions mediated by microglia and astrocytes have been shown to play a key role in early progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Increased evidences have demonstrated that neurons exacerbate local inflammatory reactions by producing inflammatory mediators and act as an important participant in the pathogenesis of AD. Methyl salicylate lactoside (MSL) is an isolated natural product that is part of a class of novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). In our previous studies, we demonstrated that MSL exhibited therapeutic effects on arthritis-induced mice and suppressed the activation of glial cells. In the current study, we investigated the effects of MSL on cognitive function and neuronal protection induced by amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) and explored potential underlying mechanisms involved. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) double transgenic mice were used to evaluate the effects of MSL through behavioral testing and neuronal degenerative changes. In addition, copper-injured APP Swedish mutation overexpressing SH-SY5Y cells were used to determine the transduction of cyclooxygenase (COX) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Our results indicated that at an early stage, MSL treatment ameliorated cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in APP/PS1 mice. Moreover, in an in vitro AD model, MSL treatment protected injured cells by increasing cell viability, improving mitochondrial dysfunction, and decreasing oxidative damage. In addition, MSL inhibited the phosphorylated level of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK, and suppressed the expression of COX-1/2. As a novel NSAIDs and used for the treatment in early stage of AD, MSL clearly demonstrated cognitive preservation by protecting neurons via a pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effect in the context of AD-associated deficits. Therefore, early treatment of anti-inflammatory therapy may be an effective strategy for treating AD. PMID:29636677

General amyloid inhibitors? A critical examination of the inhibition of IAPP amyloid formation by inositol stereoisomers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Wang

Full Text Available Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP or amylin forms amyloid deposits in the islets of Langerhans; a process that is believed to contribute to the progression of type 2 diabetes and to the failure of islet transplants. An emerging theme in amyloid research is the hypothesis that the toxic species produced during amyloid formation by different polypeptides share common features and exert their effects by common mechanisms. If correct, this suggests that inhibitors of amyloid formation by one polypeptide might be effective against other amyloidogenic sequences. IAPP and Aβ, the peptide responsible for amyloid formation in Alzheimer's disease, are particularly interesting in this regard as they are both natively unfolded in their monomeric states and share some common characteristics. Comparatively little effort has been expended on the design of IAPP amyloid inhibitors, thus it is natural to inquire if Aβ inhibitors are effective against IAPP, especially since no IAPP inhibitors have been clinically approved. A range of compounds inhibit Aβ amyloid formation, including various stereoisomers of inositol. Myo-, scyllo-, and epi-inositol have been shown to induce conformational changes in Aβ and prevent Aβ amyloid fibril formation by stabilizing non-fibrillar β-sheet structures. We investigate the ability of inositol stereoisomers to inhibit amyloid formation by IAPP. The compounds do not induce a conformational change in IAPP and are ineffective inhibitors of IAPP amyloid formation, although some do lead to modest apparent changes in IAPP amyloid fibril morphology. Thus not all classes of Aβ inhibitors are effective against IAPP. This work provides a basis of comparison to work on polyphenol based inhibitors of IAPP amyloid formation and helps provide clues as to the features which render them effective. The study also helps provide information for further efforts in rational inhibitor design.

Maternal hepatitis C (HCV) infection and Anti-D immunoglobulin therapy: study testing antibodies, RNA and Genotype of HCV in Baghdad.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Kubaisy, Waqar; Daud, Suzanna; Al-Kubaisi, Mustafa Waseem; Al-Kubaisi, Omar Waseem; Abdullah, Nik Nairan

2018-04-30

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious health problem. It is a major contributor to end-stage liver disease. Worldwide, 1-8% of all pregnant women were infected. Women with viral hepatitis may be at an increased risk of pregnancy complications. There are several obstetrics intervention acts as risk factors, which are specific to women pertaining the HCV infection; anti-D immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy may be one of them. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of HCV antibodies (anti-HCV), RNA, and genotype distribution among women with anti-D Ig therapy. A cross sectional study was conducted. A sample of 154 Rhesus negative (Rh - ve) pregnant women regardless of the anti-D Ig therapy was collected. Anti-HCV were tested using third generation enzyme immunoassay (EIA-3) and immunoblot assay (Lia Tek-111), subsequently. In addition, 89 serum samples were subjected to molecular analysis using RT-PCR and DNA enzyme immunoassay (DEIA) method for the detection of HCV-RNA and genotypes. Anti-HCV, and HCV-RNA seroprevalence were significantly higher (17.1, 35.5%) among women with anti-D Ig than their counter group (6.4, 13.16%), p = .038, .018, respectively. Significant direct positive dose response correlation (r = 0.78, p = .005) had been seen between number of anti-D Ig therapy and anti-HCV seropositive rate. Anti-D Ig therapy act as a risk factor (odds ratio (OR) = 3.01, 95%CI: 1.01-8.9) especially from the third dose onward. Women with anti-D Ig therapy were at higher risk (3.6 times more) of positive HCV-RNA (OR =3.6, 95%CI =1.19-10.837). Genotype HCV-1b showed higher prevalent (52.9%) among the recipients of anti-D Ig therapy while genotype HCV-3a (6.6%) was the lowest. Our study showed that Anti-D immunoglobulin therapy acts as a risk factor for acquiring HCV infection. Screening for HCV should be recommended for all recipients of anti-D Ig. Not only HCV antibodies but HCV-RNA detection being recommended for the diagnosis of HCV

Effective induction therapy for anti-SRP associated myositis in childhood: A small case series and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Binns, E L; Moraitis, E; Maillard, S; Tansley, S; McHugh, N; Jacques, T S; Wedderburn, L R; Pilkington, C; Yasin, S A; Nistala, K

2017-10-31

Anti-Signal Recognition Particle associated myopathy is a clinically and histopathologically distinct subgroup of Juvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myositis, which is under-recognised in children and fails to respond to conventional first line therapies. We present three cases where remission was successfully induced using combination therapy with intensive rehabilitation. Three new patients are reported. All 3 cases presented with profound, rapid-onset, proximal myopathy and markedly raised CK, but no rash. Histology revealed a destructive myopathy characterized by scattered atrophic and necrotic fibres with little or no inflammatory infiltrate. All 3 patients responded to induction with cyclophosphamide, IVIG and rituximab, in conjunction with intensive physiotherapy and methotrexate as the maintenance agent. Our patients regained near-normal strength (MMT > 70/80), in contrast with the current literature where >50% of cases reported severe residual weakness. A literature search on paediatric anti-SRP myositis was performed to June 2016; PubMed was screened using a combination of the following terms: signal recognition particle, autoantibodies, antibodies, myositis, muscular diseases, skeletal muscle, childhood, paediatric, juvenile. Articles in a foreign language were excluded. Nine case studies were found. This paper supports the hypothesis that anti-SRP myositis is distinct from other JIIM. It is an important differential to JDM and should be considered where there is severe weakness without rash or if highly elevated muscle enzymes (CK > 10,000 U/l) are found. Early identification is essential to initiate aggressive medical and physical therapy. Greater international collaboration and long-term follow-up data is needed to establish the most effective treatment strategy for this rare group of patients.

Biomarkers for Anti-Angiogenic Therapy in Cancer

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Markus Wehland

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Angiogenesis, the development of new vessels from existing vasculature, plays a central role in tumor growth, survival, and progression. On the molecular level it is controlled by a number of pro- and anti-angiogenic cytokines, among which the vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs, together with their related VEGF-receptors, have an exceptional position. Therefore, the blockade of VEGF signaling in order to inhibit angiogenesis was deemed an attractive approach for cancer therapy and drugs interfering with the VEGF-ligands, the VEGF receptors, and the intracellular VEGF-mediated signal transduction were developed. Although promising in pre-clinical trials, VEGF-inhibition proved to be problematic in the clinical context. One major drawback was the generally high variability in patient response to anti-angiogenic drugs and the rapid development of therapy resistance, so that, in total, only moderate effects on progression-free and overall survival were observed. Biomarkers predicting the response to VEGF-inhibition might attenuate this problem and help to further individualize drug and dosage determination. Although up to now no definitive biomarker has been identified for this purpose, several candidates are currently under investigation. This review aims to give an overview of the recent developments in this field, focusing on the most prevalent tumor species.

New Onset of Dermatomyositis/Polymyositis during Anti-TNF-α Therapies: A Systematic Literature Review

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Alexandra Maria Giovanna Brunasso

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We performed a systematic search of databases from 1990 to 2013 to identify articles concerning the new onset of dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM in patients treated with anti-TNF-α therapy. We retrieved 13 publications describing 20 patients where the new onset of DM/PM after anti-TNF-α therapy was recorded. 17 patients were affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA, one by Crohn’s disease, one by ankylosing spondilytis, and one by seronegative arthritis. In 91% of the cases antinuclear autoantibodies were detected after the introduction of anti-TNF-α therapy. In 6 patients antisynthetase antibodies were detected and other clinical findings as interstitial lung disease (ILD were recorded. Improvement of DM/PM after anti-TNF suspension (with the concomitant use of other immunosuppressors was recorded in 94% of cases. The emergence of DM/PM and antisynthetase syndrome seem to be associated with the use of anti-TNF-α agents, especially in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (mainly RA with positive autoantibodies before therapy initiation. In particular, physicians should pay attention to patients affected by RA with positive antisynthetase antibodies and/or history of ILD. In those cases, the use of the TNF-α blocking agents may trigger the onset of PM/DM or antisynthetase syndrome or may aggravate/trigger the lung disease.

Monitoring Crohn's disease during anti-TNF-α therapy: validation of the magnetic resonance enterography global score (MEGS) against a combined clinical reference standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prezzi, Davide; Bhatnagar, Gauraang; Makanyanga, Jesica; Halligan, Steve; Taylor, Stuart Andrew; Vega, Roser

2016-01-01

To assess the ability of magnetic resonance enterography global score (MEGS) to characterise Crohn's disease (CD) response to anti-TNF-α therapy. Thirty-six CD patients (median age 26 years, 20 males) commencing anti-TNF-α therapy with concomitant baseline MRI enterography (MRE) were identified retrospectively. Patients' clinical course was followed and correlated with subsequent MREs. Scan order was randomised and MEGS (a global activity score) was applied by two blinded radiologists. A physician's global assessment of the disease activity (remission, mild, moderate or severe) at the time of MRE was assigned. The cohort was divided into clinical responders and non-responders and MEGS compared according to activity status and treatment response. Interobserver agreement was assessed. Median MEGS decreased significantly between baseline and first follow-up in responders (28 versus 6, P < 0.001) but was unchanged in non-responders (26 versus 18, P = 0.28). The median MEGS was significantly lower in clinical remission (9) than in moderate (14) or severe (29) activity (P < 0.001). MEGS correlated significantly with clinical activity (r = 0.53; P < 0.001). Interobserver Bland-Altman limits of agreement (BA LoA) were -19.7 to 18.5. MEGS decreases significantly in clinical responders to anti-TNF-α therapy but not in non-responders, demonstrates good interobserver agreement and moderate correlation with clinical disease activity. (orig.)

Cediranib, a pan-VEGFR inhibitor, and olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, in combination therapy for high grade serous ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivy, S Percy; Liu, Joyce F; Lee, Jung-Min; Matulonis, Ursula A; Kohn, Elise C

2016-01-01

An estimated 22,000 women are diagnosed annually with ovarian cancer in the United States. Initially chemo-sensitive, recurrent disease ultimately becomes chemoresistant and may kill ~14,000 women annually. Molecularly targeted therapy with cediranib (AZD2171), a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1, 2, and 3 signaling blocker, and olaparib (AZD2281), a poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, administered orally in combination has shown anti-tumor activity in the treatment of high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). This combination has the potential to change the treatment of HGSOC. Preclinical and clinical studies of single agent cediranib and olaparib or their combination are reviewed. Data are presented from peer-reviewed published manuscripts, completed and ongoing early phase clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials, and related recent abstracts. Advances in the treatment of HGSOC that improve progression-free and overall survival have proven elusive despite examination of molecularly targeted therapy. HGSOC patients with deleterious germline or somatic mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCAm) are most responsive to PARP inhibitors (PARPi). PARPi combined with angiogenesis inhibition improved anti-cancer response and duration in both BRCAm and BRCA wild type HGSOC patients, compared to olaparib single agent treatment, demonstrating therapeutic chemical and contextual synthetic lethality.

MAXIMIZATION OF DNA DAMAGE TO MGMT(+ EGFR(+ GBM CELLS USING OPTIMAL COMBINATION OF TEMOZOLOMIDE-ANTI EGFR MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY NIMOTUZUMAB

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M. A. M. Inggas

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adultswith dismal prognosis due to the unavailability of an effective therapy. Up to now, there had been no definitive studies published on EGFR inhibition therapy as a chemosensitizer for GBM therapy using Temozolomide (TMZ. This study aims to reveal the most effective method and timing to administer TMZ-anti EGFR targeted therapy which causes maximal DNA damage on GBM cells.Methods: Various regimens of anti EGFR monoclonal antibody Nimotuzumab (NMZ was administered in different combinations with TMZ, performed on U87MG MGMT(+ EGFR(+ cells. The effectiveness of the combinations were evaluated by measuring yH2AX levels which reflects the degree of DNA damage. One-way Anova and LSD tests were performed to determine the effects of each treatment with p<0.05. Results and discussion: the mean SD of yH2AX of each treatment was: 11,90±1,25 for the control group; 29.33±1.91 for NMZ alone; 28.13±1.58 for TMZ alone; 41.53±3.51 for concurrent use; 35.67 ±2.65 for NMZ after 24 hours TMZ; 31.87±2.94 for NMZ after 48 hours TMZ; 39.57±4.2 for TMZ after 24 hours NMZ; and 35.93 ±3.56 for TMZ after 48 hours NMZ. The administration of TMZ concurrent with or after 24 hours NMZ gives the highest amount of DNA damage to GBM cells. Conclusion: The administration of Nimotuzumab targeted therapy up to 24 hours before Temozolomide chemotherapy has been proven to be effective in maximizing the amount of DNA damage done to GBM cells in vitro. 

Anti-EGFR Therapy: Mechanism and Advances in Clinical Efficacy in Breast Cancer

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John F. Flynn

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This review will focus on recent advances in the application of antiepidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR for the treatment of breast cancer. The choice of EGFR, a member of the ErbB tyrosine kinase receptor family, stems from evidence pinpointing its role in various anti-EGFR therapies. Therefore, an increase in our understanding of EGFR mechanism and signaling might reveal novel targets amenable to intervention in the clinic. This knowledge base might also improve existing medical treatment options and identify research gaps in the design of new therapeutic agents. While the approved use of drugs like the dual kinase inhibitor Lapatinib represents significant advances in the clinical management of breast cancer, confirmatory studies must be considered to foster the use of anti-EGFR therapies including safety, pharmacokinetics, and clinical efficacy.

Targeting chemotherapy-resistant leukemia by combining DNT cellular therapy with conventional chemotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Branson; Lee, Jong Bok; Kang, Hyeonjeong; Minden, Mark D; Zhang, Li

2018-04-24

While conventional chemotherapy is effective at eliminating the bulk of leukemic cells, chemotherapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a prevalent problem that hinders conventional therapies and contributes to disease relapse, and ultimately patient death. We have recently shown that allogeneic double negative T cells (DNTs) are able to target the majority of primary AML blasts in vitro and in patient-derived xenograft models. However, some primary AML blast samples are resistant to DNT cell therapy. Given the differences in the modes of action of DNTs and chemotherapy, we hypothesize that DNT therapy can be used in combination with conventional chemotherapy to further improve their anti-leukemic effects and to target chemotherapy-resistant disease. Drug titration assays and flow-based cytotoxicity assays using ex vivo expanded allogeneic DNTs were performed on multiple AML cell lines to identify therapy-resistance. Primary AML samples were also tested to validate our in vitro findings. Further, a xenograft model was employed to demonstrate the feasibility of combining conventional chemotherapy and adoptive DNT therapy to target therapy-resistant AML. Lastly, blocking assays with neutralizing antibodies were employed to determine the mechanism by which chemotherapy increases the susceptibility of AML to DNT-mediated cytotoxicity. Here, we demonstrate that KG1a, a stem-like AML cell line that is resistant to DNTs and chemotherapy, and chemotherapy-resistant primary AML samples both became more susceptible to DNT-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro following pre-treatment with daunorubicin. Moreover, chemotherapy treatment followed by adoptive DNT cell therapy significantly decreased bone marrow engraftment of KG1a in a xenograft model. Mechanistically, daunorubicin increased the expression of NKG2D and DNAM-1 ligands on KG1a; blocking of these pathways attenuated DNT-mediated cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrate the feasibility and benefit of using DNTs as

Nanoscopic and Photonic Ultrastructural Characterization of Two Distinct Insulin Amyloid States

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Mikael Lindgren

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Two different conformational isoforms or amyloid strains of insulin with different cytotoxic capacity have been described previously. Herein these filamentous and fibrillar amyloid states of insulin were investigated using biophysical and spectroscopic techniques in combination with luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCO. This new class of fluorescent probes has a well defined molecular structure with a distinct number of thiophene units that can adopt different dihedral angles depending on its binding site to an amyloid structure. Based on data from surface charge, hydrophobicity, fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging, along with atomic force microscopy (AFM, we deduce the ultrastructure and fluorescent properties of LCO stained insulin fibrils and filaments. Combined total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM and AFM revealed rigid linear fibrous assemblies of fibrils whereas filaments showed a short curvilinear morphology which assemble into cloudy deposits. All studied LCOs bound to the filaments afforded more blue-shifted excitation and emission spectra in contrast to those corresponding to the fibril indicating a different LCO binding site, which was also supported by less efficient hydrophobic probe binding. Taken together, the multi-tool approach used here indicates the power of ultrastructure identification applying AFM together with LCO fluorescence interrogation, including TIRFM, to resolve structural differences between amyloid states.

Synergistic Enhancement of Cancer Therapy Using a Combination of Ceramide and Docetaxel

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Li-Xia Feng

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Ceramide (CE-based combination therapy (CE combination as a novel therapeutic strategy has attracted great attention in the field of anti-cancer therapy. The principal purposes of this study were to investigate the synergistic effect of CE in combination with docetaxel (DTX (CE + DTX and to explore the synergy mechanisms of CE + DTX. The 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT and combination index (CI assay showed that simultaneous administration of CE and DTX with a molar ratio of 0.5:1 could generate the optimal synergistic effect on murine malignant melanoma cell (B16, CI = 0.31 and human breast carcinoma cell (MCF-7, CI = 0.48. The apoptosis, cell cycle, and cytoskeleton destruction study demonstrated that CE could target and destruct the microfilament actin, subsequently activate Caspase-3 and induce apoptosis. Meanwhile, DTX could target and disrupt the microtubules cytoskeleton, leading to a high proportion of cancer cells in G2/M-phase arrest. Moreover, CE plus DTX could cause a synergistic destruction of cytoskeleton, which resulted in a significantly higher apoptosis and a significantly higher arrest in G2/M arrest comparing with either agent alone (p < 0.01. The in vivo antitumor study evaluated in B16 tumor-bearing mice also validated the synergistic effects. All these results suggested that CE could enhance the antitumor activity of DTX in a synergistic manner, which suggest promising application prospects of CE + DTX combination treatment.

Clinical and imaging correlates of amyloid deposition in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Donaghy, Paul C; Firbank, Michael J; Thomas, Alan J; Lloyd, Jim; Petrides, George; Barnett, Nicola; Olsen, Kirsty; O'Brien, John T

2018-04-19

Amyloid deposition is common in dementia with Lewy bodies, but its pathophysiological significance is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between amyloid deposition and clinical profile, gray matter volume, and brain perfusion in dementia with Lewy bodies. Dementia with Lewy bodies (n = 37), Alzheimer's disease (n = 20), and controls (n = 20) underwent a thorough clinical assessment, 3T MRI, and early- and late-phase 18 F-Florbetapir PET-CT to assess cortical perfusion and amyloid deposition, respectively. Amyloid scans were visually categorized as positive or negative. Image analysis was carried out using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) 8. There were no significant differences between amyloid-positive and amyloid-negative dementia with Lewy bodies cases in age (P = .78), overall cognitive impairment (P = .83), level of functional impairment (P = .80), or any other clinical or cognitive scale. There were also no significant differences in hippocampal or gray matter volumes. However, amyloid-positive dementia with Lewy bodies cases had lower medial temporal lobe perfusion (P = .03) than amyloid-negative cases, although a combination of medial temporal lobe perfusion, hippocampal volume, and cognitive measures was unable to accurately predict amyloid status in dementia with Lewy bodies. Amyloid deposition was not associated with differences in clinical or neuropsychological profiles in dementia with Lewy bodies, but was associated with imaging evidence of medial temporal lobe dysfunction. The presence of amyloid in dementia with Lewy bodies cannot be identified on the basis of clinical and other imaging features and will require direct assessment via PET imaging or CSF. © 2018 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2018 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf

Patients' perceptions of a rural decentralised anti-retroviral therapy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Geographical and financial barriers hamper accessibility to HIV services for rural communities. The government has introduced the nurse initiated management of anti-retroviral therapy at primary health care level, in an effort to improve patient access and reduce patient loads on facilities further up the system.

[Anti-FGF23 antibody therapy for patients with tumor-induced osteomalacia].

Science.gov (United States)

Kinoshita, Yuka; Fukumoto, Seiji

2014-08-01

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a disease caused by fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) secreted from the causative tumor. This disease is cured by complete surgical removal of the tumor. However, there are several difficult cases in which the responsible tumors cannot be found, are incompletely removed, or relapse after the surgery. Anti-FGF23 antibody is being studied as a novel therapy for FGF23-related hypophosphatemic diseases. The efficacy of anti-FGF23 antibodies were confirmed using a murine model of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLHR) , which is the most common heritable form of FGF23-related hypophosphatemic disease. In addition, results of phase I study of single injection of humanized anti-FGF23 antibody for adult patients with XLHR were recently published and the safety and effectiveness of this antibody was shown. This antibody therapy may be useful for patients with TIO with similar pathogenesis to that of XLHR.

Nanomechanical properties of single amyloid fibrils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sweers, K K M; Bennink, M L; Subramaniam, V

2012-01-01

Amyloid fibrils are traditionally associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. However, the ability to form amyloid fibrils appears to be a more generic property of proteins. While disease-related, or pathological, amyloid fibrils are relevant for understanding the pathology and course of the disease, functional amyloids are involved, for example, in the exceptionally strong adhesive properties of natural adhesives. Amyloid fibrils are thus becoming increasingly interesting as versatile nanobiomaterials for applications in biotechnology. In the last decade a number of studies have reported on the intriguing mechanical characteristics of amyloid fibrils. In most of these studies atomic force microscopy (AFM) and atomic force spectroscopy play a central role. AFM techniques make it possible to probe, at nanometer length scales, and with exquisite control over the applied forces, biological samples in different environmental conditions. In this review we describe the different AFM techniques used for probing mechanical properties of single amyloid fibrils on the nanoscale. An overview is given of the existing mechanical studies on amyloid. We discuss the difficulties encountered with respect to the small fibril sizes and polymorphic behavior of amyloid fibrils. In particular, the different conformational packing of monomers within the fibrils leads to a heterogeneity in mechanical properties. We conclude with a brief outlook on how our knowledge of these mechanical properties of the amyloid fibrils can be exploited in the construction of nanomaterials from amyloid fibrils. (topical review)

Functional Amyloid Formation within Mammalian Tissue.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Amyloid is a generally insoluble, fibrous cross-beta sheet protein aggregate. The process of amyloidogenesis is associated with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Huntington disease. We report the discovery of an unprecedented functional mammalian amyloid structure generated by the protein Pmel17. This discovery demonstrates that amyloid is a fundamental nonpathological protein fold utilized by organisms from bacteria to humans. We have found that Pmel17 amyloid templates and accelerates the covalent polymerization of reactive small molecules into melanin-a critically important biopolymer that protects against a broad range of cytotoxic insults including UV and oxidative damage. Pmel17 amyloid also appears to play a role in mitigating the toxicity associated with melanin formation by sequestering and minimizing diffusion of highly reactive, toxic melanin precursors out of the melanosome. Intracellular Pmel17 amyloidogenesis is carefully orchestrated by the secretory pathway, utilizing membrane sequestration and proteolytic steps to protect the cell from amyloid and amyloidogenic intermediates that can be toxic. While functional and pathological amyloid share similar structural features, critical differences in packaging and kinetics of assembly enable the usage of Pmel17 amyloid for normal function. The discovery of native Pmel17 amyloid in mammals provides key insight into the molecular basis of both melanin formation and amyloid pathology, and demonstrates that native amyloid (amyloidin may be an ancient, evolutionarily conserved protein quaternary structure underpinning diverse pathways contributing to normal cell and tissue physiology.

Functional amyloid formation within mammalian tissue.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas M Fowler

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Amyloid is a generally insoluble, fibrous cross-beta sheet protein aggregate. The process of amyloidogenesis is associated with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Huntington disease. We report the discovery of an unprecedented functional mammalian amyloid structure generated by the protein Pmel17. This discovery demonstrates that amyloid is a fundamental nonpathological protein fold utilized by organisms from bacteria to humans. We have found that Pmel17 amyloid templates and accelerates the covalent polymerization of reactive small molecules into melanin-a critically important biopolymer that protects against a broad range of cytotoxic insults including UV and oxidative damage. Pmel17 amyloid also appears to play a role in mitigating the toxicity associated with melanin formation by sequestering and minimizing diffusion of highly reactive, toxic melanin precursors out of the melanosome. Intracellular Pmel17 amyloidogenesis is carefully orchestrated by the secretory pathway, utilizing membrane sequestration and proteolytic steps to protect the cell from amyloid and amyloidogenic intermediates that can be toxic. While functional and pathological amyloid share similar structural features, critical differences in packaging and kinetics of assembly enable the usage of Pmel17 amyloid for normal function. The discovery of native Pmel17 amyloid in mammals provides key insight into the molecular basis of both melanin formation and amyloid pathology, and demonstrates that native amyloid (amyloidin may be an ancient, evolutionarily conserved protein quaternary structure underpinning diverse pathways contributing to normal cell and tissue physiology.

Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

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Mahmut Edip Gürol

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta-peptides (Ab in the walls of leptomeningeal arteries, arterioles, and veins. Despite the fact that these pathological changes were first described in 1909, major advancement in our understanding of the clinicoradiological manifestations, neurobiology, and course of CAA has occurred only during the last 30 years. No significant associations have been shown between CAA and other systemic/visceral amyloidoses or vascular risk factors, including hypertension. CAA is well known as the most common cause of spontaneous and anticoagulant-related lobar parenchymal ICH in the elderly. It also causes lobar cerebral microbleeds (CMBs, small dot-like dark susceptibility artifacts visible with gradient recalled echo (GRE-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. CMBs are important markers of disease severity and predictors of CAA progression. Amyloid angiopathy is also a common cause of ischemic microvascular white matter disease (WMD and deep cerebral infarctions. Such WMD is defined as subcortical and periventricular white matter changes without obvious infarction, as well as a dark appearance on computerized tomography (CT and a bright appearance on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR-MRI. CAA-related vascular dysfunction, with its hemorrhagic and ischemic complications, is a recognized contributor to vascular cognitive impairment in the elderly, an independent effect that is synergistically increased by Alzheimer pathologies, such as plaques and tangles. A set of clinicoradiological criteria was established for the accurate diagnosis of CAA. According to the Boston Criteria, patients aged 55 years and older with multiple hemorrhages (on CT or GRE-MRI restricted to the lobar, cortical, or corticosubcortical regions (cerebellar hemorrhage allowed are diagnosed as probable CAA when no other etiology is found; a single hemorrhage in the same region is classified as possible

Anti-IgE therapy for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in people with cystic fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jat, Kana R; Walia, Dinesh K; Khairwa, Anju

2018-03-18

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive multisystem disorder with an approximate prevalence of 1 in 3500 live births. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is a lung disease caused by aspergillus-induced hypersensitivity with a prevalence of 2% to 15% in people with cystic fibrosis. The mainstay of treatment includes corticosteroids and itraconazole. The treatment with corticosteroids for prolonged periods of time, or repeatedly for exacerbations of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, may lead to many adverse effects. The monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, omalizumab, has improved asthma control in severely allergic asthmatics. The drug is given as a subcutaneous injection every two to four weeks. Since allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is also a condition resulting from hypersensitivity to specific allergens, as in asthma, it may be a candidate for therapy using anti-IgE antibodies. Therefore, anti-IgE therapy, using agents like omalizumab, may be a potential therapy for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in people with cystic fibrosis. This is an updated version of the review. To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of anti-IgE therapy for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in people with cystic fibrosis. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles and reviews. Last search: 29 September 2017.We searched two ongoing trial registries (Clinicaltrials.gov and the WHO trials platform). Date of latest search: 24 January 2018. Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing anti-IgE therapy to placebo or other therapies for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in people with cystic fibrosis. Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias in the included study. They planned to perform data analysis using Review Manager. Only one

Discontinuation of anti-VEGF cancer therapy promotes metastasis through a liver revascularization mechanism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Yunlong; Zhang, Yin; Iwamoto, Hideki

2016-01-01

The impact of discontinuation of anti-VEGF cancer therapy in promoting cancer metastasis is unknown. Here we show discontinuation of anti-VEGF treatment creates a time-window of profound structural changes of liver sinusoidal vasculatures, exhibiting hyper-permeability and enlarged open-pore size...

The anti-tumor histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA and the natural flavonoid curcumin exhibit synergistic neuroprotection against amyloid-beta toxicity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Meng

Full Text Available With the trend of an increasing aged population worldwide, Alzheimer's disease (AD, an age-related neurodegenerative disorder, as one of the major causes of dementia in elderly people is of growing concern. Despite the many hard efforts attempted during the past several decades in trying to elucidate the pathological mechanisms underlying AD and putting forward potential therapeutic strategies, there is still a lack of effective treatments for AD. The efficacy of many potential therapeutic drugs for AD is of main concern in clinical practice. For example, large bodies of evidence show that the anti-tumor histone deacetylase (HDAC inhibitor, suberoylanilidehydroxamic acid (SAHA, may be of benefit for the treatment of AD; however, its extensive inhibition of HDACs makes it a poor therapeutic. Moreover, the natural flavonoid, curcumin, may also have a potential therapeutic benefit against AD; however, it is plagued by low bioavailability. Therefore, the integrative effects of SAHA and curcumin were investigated as a protection against amyloid-beta neurotoxicity in vitro. We hypothesized that at low doses their synergistic effect would improve therapeutic selectivity, based on experiments that showed that at low concentrations SAHA and curcumin could provide comprehensive protection against Aβ25-35-induced neuronal damage in PC12 cells, strongly implying potent synergism. Furthermore, network analysis suggested that the possible mechanism underlying their synergistic action might be derived from restoration of the damaged functional link between Akt and the CBP/p300 pathway, which plays a crucial role in the pathological development of AD. Thus, our findings provided a feasible avenue for the application of a synergistic drug combination, SAHA and curcumin, in the treatment of AD.

A Prospective Clinical Trial Combining Radiation Therapy With Systemic Immunotherapy in Metastatic Melanoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiniker, Susan M., E-mail: shiniker@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University Medical Center and Cancer Institute, Stanford, California (United States); Reddy, Sunil A. [Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center and Cancer Institute, Stanford, California (United States); Maecker, Holden T.; Subrahmanyam, Priyanka B.; Rosenberg-Hasson, Yael [Human Immune Monitoring Center, Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California (United States); Swetter, Susan M. [Department of Dermatology, Pigmented Lesion and Melanoma Program, Stanford University Medical Center and Cancer Institute, Stanford, California (United States); Dermatology Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California (United States); Saha, Saurabh [Atlas Venture, Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States); Shura, Lei; Knox, Susan J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University Medical Center and Cancer Institute, Stanford, California (United States)

2016-11-01

Purpose: Local radiation therapy (RT) combined with systemic anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated protein-4 immunotherapy may enhance induction of systemic antimelanoma immune responses. The primary objective of the present trial was to assess the safety and efficacy of combining ipilimumab with RT in patients with stage IV melanoma. The secondary objectives included laboratory assessment of induction of antimelanoma immune responses. Methods and Materials: In our prospective clinical trial, 22 patients with stage IV melanoma were treated with palliative RT and ipilimumab for 4 cycles. RT to 1 to 2 disease sites was initiated within 5 days after starting ipilimumab. Patients had ≥1 nonirradiated metastasis measuring ≥1.5 cm available for response assessment. Tumor imaging studies were obtained at baseline, 2 to 4 weeks after cycle 4 of ipilimumab, and every 3 months until progression. Laboratory immune response parameters were measured before and during treatment. Results: Combination therapy was well-tolerated without unexpected toxicities. Eleven patients (50.0%) experienced clinical benefit from therapy, including complete and partial responses and stable disease at median follow-up of 55 weeks. Three patients (27.3%) achieved an ongoing systemic complete response at a median follow-up of 55 weeks (range 32-65), and 3 (27.3%) had an initial partial response for a median of 40 weeks. Analysis of immune response data suggested a relationship between elevated CD8-activated T-cells and response. Conclusion: This is the second prospective clinical trial of treatment of metastatic melanoma using the combination of RT and systemic immunotherapy and the first using this sequence of therapy. The results from the present trial demonstrate that a subset of patients may benefit from combination therapy, arguing for continued clinical investigation of the use of RT combined with immunotherapy, including programmed cell death 1 inhibitors, which might have the

A Prospective Clinical Trial Combining Radiation Therapy With Systemic Immunotherapy in Metastatic Melanoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiniker, Susan M.; Reddy, Sunil A.; Maecker, Holden T.; Subrahmanyam, Priyanka B.; Rosenberg-Hasson, Yael; Swetter, Susan M.; Saha, Saurabh; Shura, Lei; Knox, Susan J.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Local radiation therapy (RT) combined with systemic anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated protein-4 immunotherapy may enhance induction of systemic antimelanoma immune responses. The primary objective of the present trial was to assess the safety and efficacy of combining ipilimumab with RT in patients with stage IV melanoma. The secondary objectives included laboratory assessment of induction of antimelanoma immune responses. Methods and Materials: In our prospective clinical trial, 22 patients with stage IV melanoma were treated with palliative RT and ipilimumab for 4 cycles. RT to 1 to 2 disease sites was initiated within 5 days after starting ipilimumab. Patients had ≥1 nonirradiated metastasis measuring ≥1.5 cm available for response assessment. Tumor imaging studies were obtained at baseline, 2 to 4 weeks after cycle 4 of ipilimumab, and every 3 months until progression. Laboratory immune response parameters were measured before and during treatment. Results: Combination therapy was well-tolerated without unexpected toxicities. Eleven patients (50.0%) experienced clinical benefit from therapy, including complete and partial responses and stable disease at median follow-up of 55 weeks. Three patients (27.3%) achieved an ongoing systemic complete response at a median follow-up of 55 weeks (range 32-65), and 3 (27.3%) had an initial partial response for a median of 40 weeks. Analysis of immune response data suggested a relationship between elevated CD8-activated T-cells and response. Conclusion: This is the second prospective clinical trial of treatment of metastatic melanoma using the combination of RT and systemic immunotherapy and the first using this sequence of therapy. The results from the present trial demonstrate that a subset of patients may benefit from combination therapy, arguing for continued clinical investigation of the use of RT combined with immunotherapy, including programmed cell death 1 inhibitors, which might have the

Ischemic colitis after mesotherapy combined with anti-obesity medications

OpenAIRE

Kim, Jong Bin; Moon, Won; Park, Seun Ja; Park, Moo In; Kim, Kyu-Jong; Lee, Jae Nam; Kang, Seong Joo; Jang, Lee La; Chang, Hee Kyung

2010-01-01

Mesotherapy and anti-obesity medications are gradually gaining worldwide popularity for purposes of body contouring and weight loss. Their adverse effects are various, but there is a tendency to disregard them. Ischemic colitis is one of the most common diseases associated with non-obstructive blood vessel disorders. However, there have been no case reports about the adverse effects resulting from mesotherapy only or in combination with anti-obesity medications. We report on an interesting ca...

Quantitative Analyses of Force-Induced Amyloid Formation in Candida albicans Als5p: Activation by Standard Laboratory Procedures.

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Cho X J Chan

Full Text Available Candida albicans adhesins have amyloid-forming sequences. In Als5p, these amyloid sequences cluster cell surface adhesins to create high avidity surface adhesion nanodomains. Such nanodomains form after force is applied to the cell surface by atomic force microscopy or laminar flow. Here we report centrifuging and resuspending S. cerevisiae cells expressing Als5p led to 1.7-fold increase in initial rate of adhesion to ligand coated beads. Furthermore, mechanical stress from vortex-mixing of Als5p cells or C. albicans cells also induced additional formation of amyloid nanodomains and consequent activation of adhesion. Vortex-mixing for 60 seconds increased the initial rate of adhesion 1.6-fold. The effects of vortex-mixing were replicated in heat-killed cells as well. Activation was accompanied by increases in thioflavin T cell surface fluorescence measured by flow cytometry or by confocal microscopy. There was no adhesion activation in cells expressing amyloid-impaired Als5pV326N or in cells incubated with inhibitory concentrations of anti-amyloid dyes. Together these results demonstrated the activation of cell surface amyloid nanodomains in yeast expressing Als adhesins, and further delineate the forces that can activate adhesion in vivo. Consequently there is quantitative support for the hypothesis that amyloid forming adhesins act as both force sensors and effectors.

Predictive modelling of a novel anti-adhesion therapy to combat bacterial colonisation of burn wounds.

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Paul A Roberts

2018-05-01

Full Text Available As the development of new classes of antibiotics slows, bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics is becoming an increasing problem. A potential solution is to develop treatment strategies with an alternative mode of action. We consider one such strategy: anti-adhesion therapy. Whereas antibiotics act directly upon bacteria, either killing them or inhibiting their growth, anti-adhesion therapy impedes the binding of bacteria to host cells. This prevents bacteria from deploying their arsenal of virulence mechanisms, while simultaneously rendering them more susceptible to natural and artificial clearance. In this paper, we consider a particular form of anti-adhesion therapy, involving biomimetic multivalent adhesion molecule 7 coupled polystyrene microbeads, which competitively inhibit the binding of bacteria to host cells. We develop a mathematical model, formulated as a system of ordinary differential equations, to describe inhibitor treatment of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa burn wound infection in the rat. Benchmarking our model against in vivo data from an ongoing experimental programme, we use the model to explain bacteria population dynamics and to predict the efficacy of a range of treatment strategies, with the aim of improving treatment outcome. The model consists of two physical compartments: the host cells and the exudate. It is found that, when effective in reducing the bacterial burden, inhibitor treatment operates both by preventing bacteria from binding to the host cells and by reducing the flux of daughter cells from the host cells into the exudate. Our model predicts that inhibitor treatment cannot eliminate the bacterial burden when used in isolation; however, when combined with regular or continuous debridement of the exudate, elimination is theoretically possible. Lastly, we present ways to improve therapeutic efficacy, as predicted by our mathematical model.

Simultaneous measurement of amyloid fibril formation by dynamic light scattering and fluorescence reveals complex aggregation kinetics.

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Aaron M Streets

Full Text Available An apparatus that combines dynamic light scattering and Thioflavin T fluorescence detection is used to simultaneously probe fibril formation in polyglutamine peptides, the aggregating subunit associated with Huntington's disease, in vitro. Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder in a class of human pathologies that includes Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These pathologies are all related by the propensity of their associated protein or polypeptide to form insoluble, β-sheet rich, amyloid fibrils. Despite the wide range of amino acid sequence in the aggregation prone polypeptides associated with these diseases, the resulting amyloids display strikingly similar physical structure, an observation which suggests a physical basis for amyloid fibril formation. Thioflavin T fluorescence reports β-sheet fibril content while dynamic light scattering measures particle size distributions. The combined techniques allow elucidation of complex aggregation kinetics and are used to reveal multiple stages of amyloid fibril formation.

Anti-lipopolysaccharide toxin therapy for whole body X-irradiation overdose

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Gaffin, S.L.; Wells, M.; Jordan, J.P.

1985-09-01

Death in humans from ionising radiation overexposure in the 3-8 Gy (300-800 rad) range is in part due to the toxaemia caused by the entry of gram-negative bacteria and/or their lipopolysaccharide toxin (LPS) into the blood circulation through the walls of partially denuded gut. Anti-LPS hyperimmune equine plasma was evaluated for its ability to lower irradiation-induced lethality. Mice were irradiated with 6.3 Gy (630 rad) and six days later received equine Anti-LPS hyperimmune plasma, control plasma or saline. Mortalities in the three groups were 58%, 92% and 79% (p < 0.01) respectively. Thus Anti-LPS may prove useful as an adjunct to conventional therapy in treating radiation sickness.

Anti-lipopolysaccharide toxin therapy for whole body X-irradiation overdose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaffin, S.L.; Wells, M.; Jordan, J.P.

1985-01-01

Death in humans from ionising radiation overexposure in the 3-8 Gy (300-800 rad) range is in part due to the toxaemia caused by the entry of gram-negative bacteria and/or their lipopolysaccharide toxin (LPS) into the blood circulation through the walls of partially denuded gut. Anti-LPS hyperimmune equine plasma was evaluated for its ability to lower irradiation-induced lethality. Mice were irradiated with 6.3 Gy (630 rad) and six days later received equine Anti-LPS hyperimmune plasma, control plasma or saline. Mortalities in the three groups were 58%, 92% and 79% (p<0.01) respectively. Thus Anti-LPS may prove useful as an adjunct to conventional therapy in treating radiation sickness. (author)

Clinical features and effect of antiviral therapy on anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibody type 1 positive chronic hepatitis C.

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Ferri, Silvia; Muratori, Luigi; Quarneti, Chiara; Muratori, Paolo; Menichella, Rita; Pappas, Georgios; Granito, Alessandro; Ballardini, Giorgio; Bianchi, Francesco B; Lenzi, Marco

2009-06-01

Anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibody type 1 (anti-LKM1), a serological marker of type 2 autoimmune hepatitis, is also detected in a small proportion of patients with hepatitis C. This study aimed to evaluate clinical features and effect of antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C who are anti-LKM1 positive. Sixty consecutive anti-LKM1 positive and 120 age and sex-matched anti-LKM1 negative chronic hepatitis C patients were assessed at diagnosis and during follow-up. Of these, 26 anti-LKM1 positive and 72 anti-LKM1 negative received antiviral therapy. Anti-LKM1 was detected by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblot. Number of HCV-infected hepatocytes and intrahepatic CD8+ lymphocytes was determined by immunohistochemistry. At diagnosis anti-LKM1 positive patients had higher IgG levels and more intrahepatic CD8+ lymphocytes (p 0.022 and 0.046, respectively). Viral genotypes distribution and response to therapy were identical. Hepatic flares during antiviral treatment only occurred in a minority of patients in concomitance with anti-LKM1 positivity. Immune system activation is more pronounced in anti-LKM1 positive patients with hepatitis C, possibly representing the expression of autoimmune mechanisms of liver damage. Antiviral treatment is as beneficial in these patients as in anti-LKM1 negative patients, and the rare necroinflammatory flares are effectively controlled by corticosteroids, allowing subsequent resumption of antiviral therapy.

Lower Serum Paraoxonase-1 Activity Is Related to Higher Serum Amyloid A Levels in Metabolic Syndrome

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Kappelle, Paul Jan Willem Herman; Bijzet, Johan; Hazenberg, Bouke Pier; Dullaart, Robin Pieter Frank

Background and Aims. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) contain the anti-oxidative enzyme, paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), which is important for atheroprotection. The acute phase reactant, serum amyloid A (SAA), an HDL-associated apolipoprotein, may impair PON-1 activity, whereas SAA and PON-1 are reciprocally

Optical properties of amyloid stained by Congo red: history and mechanisms.

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Howie, Alexander J; Brewer, Douglas B

2009-04-01

Amyloid stained by Congo red has striking optical properties that generally have been poorly described and inadequately explained, although they can be understood from principles of physical optics. Molecules of Congo red are orientated on amyloid fibrils, and so the dye becomes dichroic and birefringent. The birefringence varies with wavelength in accordance with a fundamental property of all light-transmitting materials called anomalous dispersion of the refractive index around an absorption peak. The combination of this and absorption of light, with modification by any additional birefringence in the optical system, explains the various colours that can be seen in Congo red-stained amyloid between crossed polariser and analyser, and also when the polariser and analyser are progressively uncrossed. These are called anomalous colours.

Case report of a KIT-mutated melanoma patient with an excellent response to apatinib and temozolomide combination therapy

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Luo C

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Cong Luo,1 Jiayu Shen,2 Jieer Ying,1 Xianhua Fang,3 Xiaohong Wang,1 Zhixuan Fu,4 Peng Liu5 1Department of Abdominal Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, 2The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 3Department of Pathology, 4Department of Colorectal Surgery, 5Department of Radiotherapy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Malignant melanoma is one kind of malignant disease which has high rates of mortality, metastasis, and poor prognosis. The therapeutic landscape is rapidly changing with the development of novel agents in recent decades, such as anti-PD-1 agents, anti-CTLA-4 agents, and BRAF inhibitors. However, since most of these novel agents are very expensive, not all patients can afford them. Apatinib is a novel oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting the intracellular domain of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2 and may also be effective on Ret, c-KIT, and c-src. Temozolomide (TMZ is a second-generation alkylating agent and a cytotoxic drug for melanoma treatment. In this work, we reported a case of metastatic melanoma with an excellent response to apatinib/TMZ combination therapy with progression-free survival for more than one year. This patient showed high expression of CD117, VEGFR-3, and KIT mutation in exon 11, suggesting that apatinib may induce clinical response via inhibiting VEGFR and c-KIT. Apatinib/TMZ combination therapy could be a new option for the treatment of advanced melanoma with KIT mutation. Keywords: advanced melanoma, KIT mutation, apatinib, temozolomide, combination therapy

Extracellular vesicles from human pancreatic islets suppress human islet amyloid polypeptide amyloid formation

OpenAIRE

Ribeiro, Diana; Horvath, Istvan; Heath, Nikki; Hicks, Ryan; Forslöw, Anna; Wittung-Stafshede, Pernilla

2017-01-01

Protein assembly into amyloid fibers underlies such neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) also involves amyloid formation, although in the pancreas. Because there are no cures for amyloid diseases and T2D is on the rise due to an increasing prevalence of obesity, identifying involved mechanisms and control processes is of utmost importance. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can mediate physiological and pathological communication both loc...

Anti-EGFR immunonanoparticles containing IL12 and salmosin genes for targeted cancer gene therapy.

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Kim, Jung Seok; Kang, Seong Jae; Jeong, Hwa Yeon; Kim, Min Woo; Park, Sang Il; Lee, Yeon Kyung; Kim, Hong Sung; Kim, Keun Sik; Park, Yong Serk

2016-09-01

Tumor-directed gene delivery is of major interest in the field of cancer gene therapy. Varied functionalizations of non-viral vectors have been suggested to enhance tumor targetability. In the present study, we prepared two different types of anti-EGF receptor (EGFR) immunonanoparticles containing pDNA, neutrally charged liposomes and cationic lipoplexes, for tumor-directed transfection of cancer therapeutic genes. Even though both anti-EGFR immunonanoparticles had a high binding affinity to the EGFR-positive cancer cells, the anti-EGFR immunolipoplex formulation exhibited approximately 100-fold higher transfection to the target cells than anti-EGFR immunoliposomes. The lipoplex formulation also showed a higher transfection to SK-OV-3 tumor xenografts in mice. Thus, IL12 and/or salmosin genes were loaded in the anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes and intravenously administered to mice carrying SK-OV-3 tumors. Co-transfection of IL12 and salmosin genes using anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes significantly reduced tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. Furthermore, combinatorial treatment with doxorubicin synergistically inhibited tumor growth. These results suggest that anti-EGFR immunolipoplexes containing pDNA encoding therapeutic genes could be utilized as a gene-transfer modality for cancer gene therapy.

Anti-synthetase syndrome associated with anti PL-12 and anti-Signal recognition particle antibodies and a necrotizing auto-immune myositis.

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Malkan, Ashish; Cappelen-Smith, Cecilia; Beran, Roy; Griffith, Neil; Toong, Catherine; Wang, Min-Xia; Cordato, Dennis

2015-02-01

We report a 37-year-old woman with a 2 month history of proximal muscle weakness and extremely high creatine kinase (21,808 U/L) due to necrotizing auto-immune myositis (NAM) in association with anti-synthetase syndrome. Myositis-specific auto-immune antibody panel was positive for anti-Signal recognition particle and anti-PL-12. CT scan of the chest confirmed interstitial lung disease. Prednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin and cyclophosphamide therapy was given with gradual improvement. This patient is notable for the unusual combination of NAM and anti-synthetase syndrome with the rare finding of two myositis-specific autoantibodies, which directed testing for associated extramuscular features and management with more aggressive immunotherapy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic engineering combined with deep UV resonance Raman spectroscopy for structural characterization of amyloid-like fibrils.

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Sikirzhytski, Vitali; Topilina, Natalya I; Higashiya, Seiichiro; Welch, John T; Lednev, Igor K

2008-05-07

Elucidating the structure of the cross-beta core in large amyloid fibrils is a challenging problem in modern structural biology. For the first time, a set of de novo polypeptides was genetically engineered to form amyloid-like fibrils with similar morphology and yet different strand length. Differential ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy allowed for separation of the spectroscopic signatures of the highly ordered beta-sheet strands and turns of the fibril core. The relationship between Raman frequencies and Ramachandran dihedral angles of the polypeptide backbone indicates the nature of the beta-sheet and turn structural elements.

Semiquantitative dynamic computed tomography to predict response to anti-platelet therapy in acute cerebral infarction

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Chokyu, K.; Shimizu, K.; Fukumoto, M.; Mori, T.; Mokudai, T.; Mori, K.

2002-01-01

We investigated whether dynamic computed tomography (CT) in patients with acute cerebral infarction could identify patients likely to respond to anti-platelet therapy. Seventy patients underwent semiquantitative dynamic CT within 6 h as well as cerebral angiography. All then received anti-platelet therapy with a thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor. Peak value (pv) and time-to-peak (tp) (time-density curves) for the Sylvian fissure were extracted from dynamic CT data and standardizing interpatient data, two indices, PV/TP index and TP index, were prepared following a standard semiquantitative manner. Both PV/TP index and TP index were effective in discriminating between 48 responders (modified Rankin scale (mRS): 0 to 2) and 22 non-responders (mRS: 3 to 5, or death: 6; both P 1.1) and non-compensated rCBF. Intermediate PV/TP values could not predict outcome. Dynamic CT prior to therapy can identify patients with acute cerebral infarction who are treatable with anti-platelet therapy alone. (orig.)

Should anti-inhibitor coagulant complex and tranexamic acid be used concomitantly?

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Valentino, L A; Holme, P A

2015-11-01

Inhibitor development in haemophilia patients is challenging especially when undergoing surgical procedures. The development of an inhibitor precludes using factor VIII (FVIII) therapy thereby requiring a bypassing agent (BPA) for surgical bleeding prophylaxis if the FVIII inhibitor titre >5 BU. Concomitant use of anti-inhibitor coagulant complex (AICC) and tranexamic acid has been reported in the literature as a beneficial treatment for this population. Anti-inhibitor coagulant complex is known to cause an increase in thrombin generation and tranexamic acid inhibits fibrinolysis. Hence, the combined used of AICC and tranexamic acid has been limited due to safety concerns over possibilities of increased risk of thrombotic events and disseminated intravascular coagulation. However, the rationale for concomitant therapy is to obtain a potential synergistic effect and to increase clot stability. We conducted a literature review of past studies and individual case reports of concomitant use of AICC and tranexamic acid, which was extensively used during dental procedures. Evidence also exists for concomitant use of the combined therapy in orthopaedic procedures, control of gastrointestinal bleeding, epistaxis and cerebral haemorrhages. Some patients who received the combined therapy had failed monotherapy with a single BPA prior to combined therapy. There were no reports of thrombotic complications related to the concomitant therapy and haemostasis was achieved in all cases. Anti-inhibitor coagulant complex and tranexamic acid therapy was found to be safe, well-tolerated and effective therapy in haemophilia patients with inhibitors. Additional randomized controlled studies should be performed to confirm these findings. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Artificial intelligence in drug combination therapy.

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Tsigelny, Igor F

2018-02-09

Currently, the development of medicines for complex diseases requires the development of combination drug therapies. It is necessary because in many cases, one drug cannot target all necessary points of intervention. For example, in cancer therapy, a physician often meets a patient having a genomic profile including more than five molecular aberrations. Drug combination therapy has been an area of interest for a while, for example the classical work of Loewe devoted to the synergism of drugs was published in 1928-and it is still used in calculations for optimal drug combinations. More recently, over the past several years, there has been an explosion in the available information related to the properties of drugs and the biomedical parameters of patients. For the drugs, hundreds of 2D and 3D molecular descriptors for medicines are now available, while for patients, large data sets related to genetic/proteomic and metabolomics profiles of the patients are now available, as well as the more traditional data relating to the histology, history of treatments, pretreatment state of the organism, etc. Moreover, during disease progression, the genetic profile can change. Thus, the ability to optimize drug combinations for each patient is rapidly moving beyond the comprehension and capabilities of an individual physician. This is the reason, that biomedical informatics methods have been developed and one of the more promising directions in this field is the application of artificial intelligence (AI). In this review, we discuss several AI methods that have been successfully implemented in several instances of combination drug therapy from HIV, hypertension, infectious diseases to cancer. The data clearly show that the combination of rule-based expert systems with machine learning algorithms may be promising direction in this field. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Clinical study of the improvement of butylphthalide combined with edaravone therapy on neural functional recovery in acute cerebral infarction after interventional therapy

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Juan-Li Jiang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the improvement value of butylphthalide combined with edaravone therapy on neural functional recovery in acute cerebral infarction after interventional therapy. Methods: Patients with acute cerebral infarction who received interventional therapy in our hospital from May 2012 to May 2015 were randomly divided into antioxidant group and control group, control group received conventional anti-platelet and lipid-lowering therapy, antioxidant group received butylphthalide and edaravone on the basis of conventional treatment, and the levels of serum oxygen free radicals, oxidation products, antioxidants and S100β were determined. Results: 3 d after treatment, serum •OH, •O2, NO• and •ONOO- content of both antioxidant group and control group were lower than those instantly after interventional therapy, and serum •OH, •O2, NO• and •ONOO- content of antioxidant group 3 d after treatment were lower than those of control group; 3 d after treatment, serum MDA and AOPP content of antioxidant group were significantly lower than those of control group while SOD and GSH content were significantly higher than those of control group; 3 d, 5 d and 7 d after treatment, serum S100β levels of both antioxidant group and control group were lower than those instantly after interventional therapy, and serum S100β levels of antioxidant group 3 d, 5 d and 7 d after treatment were lower than those of control group. Conclusion: Butylphthalide combined with edaravone therapy for acute cerebral infarction after interventional therapy can improve neural functional recovery, and the functioning molecular target of the treatment is to remove oxygen free radicals.

Overcoming antigen masking of anti-amyloidbeta antibodies reveals breaking of B cell tolerance by virus-like particles in amyloidbeta immunized amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice

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Ugen Kenneth E

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In prior work we detected reduced anti-Aβ antibody titers in Aβ-vaccinated transgenic mice expressing the human amyloid precursor protein (APP compared to nontransgenic littermates. We investigated this observation further by vaccinating APP and nontransgenic mice with either the wild-type human Aβ peptide, an Aβ peptide containing the "Dutch Mutation", E22Q, or a wild-type Aβ peptide conjugated to papillomavirus virus-like particles (VLPs. Results Anti-Aβ antibody titers were lower in vaccinated APP than nontransgenic mice even when vaccinated with the highly immunogenic Aβ E22Q. One concern was that human Aβ derived from the APP transgene might mask anti-Aβ antibodies in APP mice. To test this possibility, we dissociated antigen-antibody complexes by incubation at low pH. The low pH incubation increased the anti-Aβ antibody titers 20–40 fold in APP mice but had no effect in sera from nontransgenic mice. However, even after dissociation, the anti-Aβ titers were still lower in transgenic mice vaccinated with wild-type Aβ or E22Q Aβ relative to non-transgenic mice. Importantly, the dissociated anti-Aβ titers were equivalent in nontransgenic and APP mice after VLP-based vaccination. Control experiments demonstrated that after acid-dissociation, the increased antibody titer did not cross react with bovine serum albumin nor alpha-synuclein, and addition of Aβ back to the dissociated serum blocked the increase in antibody titers. Conclusions Circulating human Aβ can interfere with ELISA assay measurements of anti-Aβ titers. The E22Q Aβ peptide vaccine is more immunogenic than the wild-type peptide. Unlike peptide vaccines, VLP-based vaccines against Aβ abrogate the effects of Aβ self-tolerance.

The role of mutated amyloid beta 1-42 stimulating dendritic cells in a PDAPP transgenic mouse

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LI Jia-lin

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Background Amyloid plaque is one of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD. Anti-beta-amyloid (Aβ immunotherapy is effective in removing brain Aβ, but has shown to be associated with detrimental effects. To avoid severe adverse effects such as meningoencephalitis induced by amyloid beta vaccine with adjuvant, and take advantage of amyloid beta antibody's therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's disease sufficiently, our group has developed a new Alzheimer vaccine with mutated amyloid beta 1-42 peptide stimulating dendritic cells (DC. Our previous work has confirmed that DC vaccine can induce adequate anti-amyloid beta antibody in PDAPP Tg mice safely and efficiently. The DC vaccine can improve impaired learning and memory in the Alzheimer's animal model, and did not cause microvasculitis, microhemorrhage or meningoencephalitis in the animal model. However, the exact mechanism of immunotherapy which reduces Aβ deposition remains unknown. In this report, we studied the mechanism of the vaccine, thinking that this may have implications for better understanding of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Methods A new Alzheimer vaccine with mutated amyloid beta 1-42 peptide stimulating DC which were obtained from C57/B6 mouse bone marrow was developed. Amyloid beta with Freund's adjuvant was inoculated at the same time to act as positive control. After the treatment was done, the samples of brains were collected, fixed, cut. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the expression of the nuclear hormone liver X receptor (LXR, membrane-bound protein tyrosine phosphatase (CD45, the ATP-binding cassette family of active transporters (ABCA1, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE, β-site APP-cleaving enzyme (BACE and Aβ in mouse brain tissue. Semi-quantitative analysis was used to defect CA1, CA2, CA3, DG, Rad in hippocampus region and positive neuron in cortex region. Results Aβ was significantly reduced in the

Arctigenin effectively ameliorates memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease model mice targeting both β-amyloid production and clearance.

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Zhu, Zhiyuan; Yan, Jianming; Jiang, Wei; Yao, Xin-gang; Chen, Jing; Chen, Lili; Li, Chenjing; Hu, Lihong; Jiang, Hualiang; Shen, Xu

2013-08-07

Alzheimer's disease (AD) chiefly characterizes a progressively neurodegenerative disorder of the brain, and eventually leads to irreversible loss of intellectual abilities. The β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced neurodegeneration is believed to be the main pathological mechanism of AD, and Aβ production inhibition or its clearance promotion is one of the promising therapeutic strategies for anti-AD research. Here, we report that the natural product arctigenin from Arctium lappa (L.) can both inhibit Aβ production by suppressing β-site amyloid precursor protein cleavage enzyme 1 expression and promote Aβ clearance by enhancing autophagy through AKT/mTOR signaling inhibition and AMPK/Raptor pathway activation as investigated in cells and APP/PS1 transgenic AD model mice. Moreover, the results showing that treatment of arctigenin in mice highly decreased Aβ formation and senile plaques and efficiently ameliorated AD mouse memory impairment strongly highlight the potential of arctigenin in anti-AD drug discovery.

Serotonin augmentation therapy by escitalopram has minimal effects on amyloid-β levels in early-stage Alzheimer's-like disease in mice.

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von Linstow, Christian Ulrich; Waider, Jonas; Grebing, Manuela; Metaxas, Athanasios; Lesch, Klaus Peter; Finsen, Bente

2017-09-12

Dysfunction of the serotonergic (5-HTergic) system has been implicated in the cognitive and behavioural symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulation of toxic amyloid-β (Aβ) species is a hallmark of AD and an instigator of pathology. Serotonin (5-HT) augmentation therapy by treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in patients with AD has had mixed success in improving cognitive function, whereas SSRI administration to mice with AD-like disease has been shown to reduce Aβ pathology. The objective of this study was to investigate whether an increase in extracellular levels of 5-HT induced by chronic SSRI treatment reduces Aβ pathology and whether 5-HTergic deafferentation of the cerebral cortex could worsen Aβ pathology in the APP swe /PS1 ΔE9 (APP/PS1) mouse model of AD. We administered a therapeutic dose of the SSRI escitalopram (5 mg/kg/day) in the drinking water of 3-month-old APP/PS1 mice to increase levels of 5-HT, and we performed intracerebroventricular injections of the neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (DHT) to remove 5-HTergic afferents. We validated the effectiveness of these interventions by serotonin transporter autoradiography (neocortex 79.7 ± 7.6%) and by high-performance liquid chromatography for 5-HT (neocortex 64% reduction). After 6 months of escitalopram treatment or housing after DHT-induced lesion, we evaluated brain tissue by mesoscale multiplex analysis and sections by IHC analysis. Amyloid-β-containing plaques had formed in the neocortex and hippocampus of 9-month-old APP/PS1 mice after 6 months of escitalopram treatment and 5-HTergic deafferentation. Unexpectedly, levels of insoluble Aβ42 were unaffected in the neocortex and hippocampus after both types of interventions. Levels of insoluble Aβ40 increased in the neocortex of SSRI-treated mice compared with those treated with vehicle control, but they were unaffected in the hippocampus. 5-HTergic deafferentation was without effect on the levels of

Why are Functional Amyloids Non-Toxic in Humans?

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Matthew P. Jackson

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Amyloids were first identified in association with amyloidoses, human diseases in which proteins and peptides misfold into amyloid fibrils. Subsequent studies have identified an array of functional amyloid fibrils that perform physiological roles in humans. Given the potential for the production of toxic species in amyloid assembly reactions, it is remarkable that cells can produce these functional amyloids without suffering any obvious ill effect. Although the precise mechanisms are unclear, there are a number of ways in which amyloid toxicity may be prevented. These include regulating the level of the amyloidogenic peptides and proteins, minimising the production of prefibrillar oligomers in amyloid assembly reactions, sequestrating amyloids within membrane bound organelles, controlling amyloid assembly by other molecules, and disassembling the fibrils under physiological conditions. Crucially, a better understanding of how toxicity is avoided in the production of functional amyloids may provide insights into the prevention of amyloid toxicity in amyloidoses.

Gold Nanoparticles and Microwave Irradiation Inhibit Beta-Amyloid Amyloidogenesis

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Bastus Neus

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Peptide-Gold nanoparticles selectively attached to β-amyloid protein (Aβ amyloidogenic aggregates were irradiated with microwave. This treatment produces dramatic effects on the Aβ aggregates, inhibiting both the amyloidogenesis and the restoration of the amyloidogenic potential. This novel approach offers a new strategy to inhibit, locally and remotely, the amyloidogenic process, which could have application in Alzheimer’s disease therapy. We have studied the irradiation effect on the amyloidogenic process in the presence of conjugates peptide-nanoparticle by transmission electronic microscopy observations and by Thioflavine T assays to quantify the amount of fibrils in suspension. The amyloidogenic aggregates rather than the amyloid fibrils seem to be better targets for the treatment of the disease. Our results could contribute to the development of a new therapeutic strategy to inhibit the amyloidogenic process in Alzheimer’s disease.

Perforated Gastric Ulcer Associated with Anti-Angiogenic Therapy

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Diogo Libânio

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Anti-angiogenic therapy with bevacizumab, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor, is commonly used in metastatic colorectal cancer and is rarely associated with gastrointestinal perforation, perforation being more frequent in the primary tumor site or at the anastomotic level. We present the case of a 64-year-old male with stage IV rectal adenocarcinoma who was on palliative chemotherapy with FOLFOX and bevacizumab. After the 4th chemotherapy cycle, our patient started fever and epigastric pain. He was hemodynamically stable, and signs of peritoneal irritation were absent. There were no alterations in the abdominal X-ray, and C-reactive protein was markedly elevated. A CT scan revealed a de novo thickness in the gastric antrum. Upper digestive endoscopy showed an ulcerated 40-mm lesion in the angulus, with a 20-mm orifice communicating with an exsudative cavity revested by the omentum. A conservative approach was decided including fasting, broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics, and proton-pump inhibitors. Subsequent gastroduodenal series showed no contrast extravasation, allowing the resumption of oral nutrition. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy after 8 weeks showed perforation closure. Biopsies did not show neoplastic cells or Heliobacter pylori infection. Although the success in the conservative management of perforation allowing the maintenance of palliative chemotherapy (without bevacizumab, the patient died after 4 months due to liver failure. The reported case shows an uncommon endoscopic finding due to a rare complication of anti-angiogenic therapy. Additionally, it reminds clinicians that a history of gastroduodenal ulcers should be actively sought before starting anti-angiogenic treatment and that suspicion for perforation should be high in these cases.

Steroids block the anti-inflammatory effects of low level laser therapy

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Lopes-Martins, Rodrigo Alvaro B.; Albertini, Regiane; Lopes-Martins, Patricia Sardinha L.; Iversen, Vegard V.; Bjordal, Jan M.

2006-02-01

Objective: Concomitant use of multiple therapies is common in musculoskeletal and airway disorders. Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is considered a promising therapy in arthritis, tendinopathies and rhinitis. We designed two animal studies to assess if the expected anti-inflammatory effect LLLT could be affected by resection of the adrenal gland or concomitant use of the cortisol antagonist mifepristone. Methods: Two studies were performed, with 40 male Wistar rats and with 40 Balb C male mice respectively.. In both studies, four groups received carrageenan and one control group received saline. At 1, 2, and 3 hours after injections, LLLT irradiation was performed with a dose of 7.5 J/cm2. In the rat study, two of the carrageenan groups had the adrenal gland dissected. In the mice study, two of the carrageenan-injected groups were in addition pre-treated with orally administered mifepristone. Results: In the rat paw study, LLLT reduced edema significantly compared to the carrageenan only group (1.5 vs 0.9 ml, peffect of LLLT could be totally blocked by adding the cortisol antagonist mifepristone ( pSteroid therapy should not be used concomitantly with LLLT, as the anti-inflammatory effect of LLLT is lost if cortisol receptors are downregulated.

Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs As Host-Directed Therapy for Tuberculosis : A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kroesen, Vera M.; Gröschel, Matthias I.; Martinson, Neil; Zumla, Alimuddin; Maeurer, Markus; van der Werf, Tjip S.; Vilaplana, Cristina

2017-01-01

Lengthy, antimicrobial therapy targeting the pathogen is the mainstay of conventional tuberculosis treatment, complicated by emerging drug resistances. Host-directed therapies, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), in contrast, target host factors to mitigate disease severity. In

Anti-adhesion therapy following operative hysteroscopy for treatment of female subfertility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosteels, Jan; Weyers, Steven; D'Hooghe, Thomas M.; Torrance, Helen; Broekmans, Frank J.; Chua, Su Jen; Mol, Ben Willem J.

2017-01-01

Background: Observational evidence suggests a potential benefit with several anti-adhesion therapies in women undergoing operative hysteroscopy (e.g. insertion of an intrauterine device or balloon, hormonal treatment, barrier gels or human amniotic membrane grafting) for decreasing intrauterine

Amyloid Goiter Secondary to Ulcerative Colitis

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Bunyamin Aydin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Diffuse amyloid goiter (AG is an entity characterized by the deposition of amyloid in the thyroid gland. AG may be associated with either primary or secondary amyloidosis. Secondary amyloidosis is rarely caused by inflammatory bowel diseases. Secondary amyloidosis is relatively more common in the patients with Crohn’s disease, whereas it is highly rare in patients with ulcerative colitis. Diffuse amyloid goiter caused by ulcerative colitis is also a rare condition. In the presence of amyloid in the thyroid gland, medullary thyroid cancer should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis. Imaging techniques and biochemical tests are not very helpful in the diagnosis of secondary amyloid goiter and the definitive diagnosis is established based on the histopathologic analysis and histochemical staining techniques. In this report, we present a 35-year-old male patient with diffuse amyloid goiter caused by secondary amyloidosis associated with ulcerative colitis.

Advances in combination therapy of lung cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Lan; Leng, Donglei; Cun, Dongmei

2017-01-01

Lung cancer is a complex disease caused by a multitude of genetic and environmental factors. The progression of lung cancer involves dynamic changes in the genome and a complex network of interactions between cancer cells with multiple, distinct cell types that form tumors. Combination therapy......, including small molecule drugs and biopharmaceuticals, which make the optimization of dosing and administration schedule challenging. This article reviews the recent advances in the design and development of combinations of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of lung cancer. Focus is primarily on rationales...... for the selection of specific combination therapies for lung cancer treatment, and state of the art of delivery technologies and dosage regimens for the combinations, tested in preclinical and clinical trials....

Amyloid Deposition in Transplanted Human Pancreatic Islets: A Conceivable Cause of Their Long-Term Failure

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Arne Andersson

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Following the encouraging report of the Edmonton group, there was a rejuvenation of the islet transplantation field. After that, more pessimistic views spread when long-term results of the clinical outcome were published. A progressive loss of the β-cell function meant that almost all patients were back on insulin therapy after 5 years. More than 10 years ago, we demonstrated that amyloid deposits rapidly formed in human islets and in mouse islets transgenic for human IAPP when grafted into nude mice. It is, therefore, conceivable to consider amyloid formation as one potential candidate for the long-term failure. The present paper reviews attempts in our laboratories to elucidate the dynamics of and mechanisms behind the formation of amyloid in transplanted islets with special emphasis on the impact of long-term hyperglycemia.

Interpretation US Elastography in Chronic Hepatitis B with or without Anti-HBV Therapy

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Cheng-Han Lee

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Inflammation has significant impacts on liver fibrosis measurement by ultrasound elastography. The interpretation requires further optimization in patients with or without anti-viral therapy. We prospectively enrolled a consecutive series of patients with chronic hepatitis B who received liver histology analysis and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI. 146 patients who underwent liver biopsy (50.9% or tumor resection (49.1% were enrolled. 34 patients (23.3% had been receiving anti-hepatitis B therapy of various duration. The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC for the diagnosis of Metavir F4 by mean ARFI was 0.820 in the non-treatment group and 0.796 in the treatment group. The ARFI tended to be not lower (100% than the corresponding Metavir grading in patients with treatment within 12 months, equal (75% from 13 to 31 months, and lower (71.4% after 32 months. We conclude that ARFI is a reliable tool for measurement of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients with ALT (alanine aminotransferase <5x the upper limit of normal. For those patients under anti-HBV therapy, the optimal timing for ARFI analysis will be over 1–2.5 years of nucleos(tide analogue therapy. The ARFI measurement after 2.5 years tends to be lower than the corresponding histology grading.

Role of anti-angiogenesis therapy in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma: The jury is still out

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hong; Sun; Man-Sheng; Zhu; Wen-Rui; Wu; Xiang-De; Shi; Lei-Bo; Xu

2014-01-01

As the leading cause of disease-related deaths,cancer is a major public health threat worldwide.Surgical resection is still the first-line therapy for patients with early-stage cancers.However,postoperative relapse and metastasis remain the cause of 90%of deaths of patients with solid organ malignancies,including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).With the rapid development of molecular biology techniques in recent years,molecularly targeted therapies using monoclonal antibodies,small molecules,and vaccines have become a milestone in cancer therapeutic by significantly improv-ing the survival of cancer patients,and have opened a window of hope for patients with advanced cancer.Hypervascularization is a major characteristic of HCC.It has been reported that anti-angiogenic treatments,which inhibit blood vessel formation,are highly effective for treating HCC.However,the efficacy and safety of anti-angiogenesis therapies remain controversial.Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor with antiproliferative and anti-angiogenic effects and is the first molecular target drug approved for the treatment of advanced HCC.While sorafenib has shown promising therapeutic effects,substantial evidence of primary and acquired resistance to sorafenib has been reported.Numerous clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate a large number of molecularly targeted drugs for treating HCC,but most drugs exhibited less efficacy and/or higher toxicity compared to sorafenib.Therefore,understanding the mechanism(s)underlying sorafenib resistance of cancer cells is highlighted for efficiently treating HCC.This concise review aims to provide an overview of anti-angiogenesis therapy in the management of HCC and to discuss the common mechanisms of resistance to anti-angiogenesis therapies.

Baicalin benefits the anti-HBV therapy via inhibiting HBV viral RNAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Hai; Zhou, Wei; Zhu, Haiyan; Zhou, Pei; Shi, Xunlong

2017-01-01

Background: Although current antiviral treatments (nucleoside analogs, NAs) for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are effective in suppressing HBV-DNA replication, their clinical outcomes can be compromised by the increasing drug resistance and the inefficiency in promoting HBsAg/HBeAg seroconversion. Objectives: In this study, we will explore possible effects and mechanism of a natural product baicalin (BA) with the anti-HBV efficacy of entecavir (ETV), a first-line anti-HBV drug, in HBV-DNA, HBsAg/HBeAg seroconversion and drug-resistance. Methods: The co-effects of BA and ETV were conducted in wild-type/NA-resistance mutant HBV cell lines and DHBV-infected duckling models. HBV-DNA/RNAs, HBsAg/HBeAg, host factors (hepatocyte nuclear factors) were explored for possible anti-HBV mechanism. Results and discussion: BA could significantly enhance and reduced HBsAg and HBeAg in hepG2.2.15, a wild-type HBV cell line. Co-treatment of BA and ETV had a more dramatic effect in NA-resistant HBV rtM204V/rtLl80M transfected hepG2 cells. Our study further revealed that BA mainly inhibited the production of HBV RNAs (3.5, 2.4, 2.1 kb), the templates for viral proteins and HBV-DNA synthesis. BA blocked HBV RNAs transcription possibly by down-regulating transcription and expression of HBV replication dependent hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF1α and HNF4α). Thus, BA may benefit the anti-HBV therapy via inhibiting HBV viral RNAs. - Highlights: • Baicalin benefits the anti-HBV therapy. • Baicalin enhances ETV antiviral efficacy and overcomes NA-resistant HBV mutation. • The anti-HBV effect of baicalin is achieved by inhibiting HBV RNAs. • Baicalin down-regulates HBV replication-dependent host factors HNF 1α and HNF 4α.

Baicalin benefits the anti-HBV therapy via inhibiting HBV viral RNAs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Hai, E-mail: HHai3552@sina.cn [Department of Microbiology and Biopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203 (China); Zhou, Wei, E-mail: zhouw@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, 220 Han Dan Road, Shanghai 200433 (China); Zhu, Haiyan, E-mail: haiyanzhu@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Microbiology and Biopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203 (China); Zhou, Pei, E-mail: pzhou@shmu.edu.cn [Department of Microbiology and Biopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203 (China); Shi, Xunlong, E-mail: xunlongshi@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Microbiology and Biopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203 (China)

2017-05-15

Background: Although current antiviral treatments (nucleoside analogs, NAs) for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are effective in suppressing HBV-DNA replication, their clinical outcomes can be compromised by the increasing drug resistance and the inefficiency in promoting HBsAg/HBeAg seroconversion. Objectives: In this study, we will explore possible effects and mechanism of a natural product baicalin (BA) with the anti-HBV efficacy of entecavir (ETV), a first-line anti-HBV drug, in HBV-DNA, HBsAg/HBeAg seroconversion and drug-resistance. Methods: The co-effects of BA and ETV were conducted in wild-type/NA-resistance mutant HBV cell lines and DHBV-infected duckling models. HBV-DNA/RNAs, HBsAg/HBeAg, host factors (hepatocyte nuclear factors) were explored for possible anti-HBV mechanism. Results and discussion: BA could significantly enhance and reduced HBsAg and HBeAg in hepG2.2.15, a wild-type HBV cell line. Co-treatment of BA and ETV had a more dramatic effect in NA-resistant HBV{sup rtM204V/rtLl80M} transfected hepG2 cells. Our study further revealed that BA mainly inhibited the production of HBV RNAs (3.5, 2.4, 2.1 kb), the templates for viral proteins and HBV-DNA synthesis. BA blocked HBV RNAs transcription possibly by down-regulating transcription and expression of HBV replication dependent hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF1α and HNF4α). Thus, BA may benefit the anti-HBV therapy via inhibiting HBV viral RNAs. - Highlights: • Baicalin benefits the anti-HBV therapy. • Baicalin enhances ETV antiviral efficacy and overcomes NA-resistant HBV mutation. • The anti-HBV effect of baicalin is achieved by inhibiting HBV RNAs. • Baicalin down-regulates HBV replication-dependent host factors HNF 1α and HNF 4α.

Transient Serotonin Toxicity Evoked by Combination of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Fluoxetine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klysner, René; Bjerg Bendsen, Birgitte; Hansen, Maja Soon

2014-01-01

The serotonin syndrome has been described only in rare instances for electroconvulsive therapy combined with an antidepressant medication. We describe a case of serotonin toxicity induced by electroconvulsive therapy in combination with fluoxetine.......The serotonin syndrome has been described only in rare instances for electroconvulsive therapy combined with an antidepressant medication. We describe a case of serotonin toxicity induced by electroconvulsive therapy in combination with fluoxetine....

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation presenting with steroid-responsive higher brain dysfunction: case report and review of the literature

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Maeda Yasushi

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract A 56-year-old man noticed discomfort in his left lower limb, followed by convulsion and numbness in the same area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI showed white matter lesions in the right parietal lobe accompanied by leptomeningeal or leptomeningeal and cortical post-contrast enhancement along the parietal sulci. The patient also exhibited higher brain dysfunction corresponding with the lesions on MRI. Histological pathology disclosed β-amyloid in the blood vessels and perivascular inflammation, which highlights the diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA-related inflammation. Pulse steroid therapy was so effective that clinical and radiological findings immediately improved. CAA-related inflammation is a rare disease, defined by the deposition of amyloid proteins within the leptomeningeal and cortical arteries associated with vasculitis or perivasculitis. Here we report a patient with CAA-related inflammation who showed higher brain dysfunction that improved with steroid therapy. In cases with atypical radiological lesions like our case, cerebral biopsy with histological confirmation remains necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Broad neutralization of calcium-permeable amyloid pore channels with a chimeric Alzheimer/Parkinson peptide targeting brain gangliosides.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Scala, Coralie; Yahi, Nouara; Flores, Alessandra; Boutemeur, Sonia; Kourdougli, Nazim; Chahinian, Henri; Fantini, Jacques

2016-02-01

Growing evidence supports a role for brain gangliosides in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Recently we deciphered the ganglioside-recognition code controlling specific ganglioside binding to Alzheimer's β-amyloid (Aβ1-42) peptide and Parkinson's disease-associated protein α-synuclein. Cracking this code allowed us to engineer a short chimeric Aβ/α-synuclein peptide that recognizes all brain gangliosides. Here we show that ganglioside-deprived neural cells do no longer sustain the formation of zinc-sensitive amyloid pore channels induced by either Aβ1-42 or α-synuclein, as assessed by single-cell Ca(2+) fluorescence microscopy. Thus, amyloid channel formation, now considered a key step in neurodegeneration, is a ganglioside-dependent process. Nanomolar concentrations of chimeric peptide competitively inhibited amyloid pore formation induced by Aβ1-42 or α-synuclein in cultured neural cells. Moreover, this peptide abrogated the intracellular calcium increases induced by Parkinson's-associated mutant forms of α-synuclein (A30P, E46K and A53T). The chimeric peptide also prevented the deleterious effects of Aβ1-42 on synaptic vesicle trafficking and decreased the Aβ1-42-induced impairment of spontaneous activity in rat hippocampal slices. Taken together, these data show that the chimeric peptide has broad anti-amyloid pore activity, suggesting that a common therapeutic strategy based on the prevention of amyloid-ganglioside interactions is a reachable goal for both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tumor-targeted Nanobullets: Anti-EGFR nanobody-liposomes loaded with anti-IGF-1R kinase inhibitor for cancer treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meel, Roy; Oliveira, Sabrina; Altintas, Isil; Haselberg, Rob; van der Veeken, Joris; Roovers, Rob C; van Bergen en Henegouwen, Paul M P; Storm, Gert; Hennink, Wim E; Schiffelers, Raymond M; Kok, Robbert J

2012-04-30

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a validated target for anti-cancer therapy and several EGFR inhibitors are used in the clinic. Over the years, an increasing number of studies have reported on the crosstalk between EGFR and other receptors that can contribute to accelerated cancer development or even acquisition of resistance to anti-EGFR therapies. Combined targeting of EGFR and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) is a rational strategy to potentiate anti-cancer treatment and possibly retard resistance development. In the present study, we have pursued this by encapsulating the kinase inhibitor AG538 in anti-EGFR nanobody-liposomes. The thus developed dual-active nanobody-liposomes associated with EGFR-(over)expressing cells in an EGFR-specific manner and blocked both EGFR and IGF-1R activation, due to the presence of the EGFR-blocking nanobody EGa1 and the anti-IGF-1R kinase inhibitor AG538 respectively. AG538-loaded nanobody-liposomes induced a strong inhibition of tumor cell proliferation even upon short-term exposure followed by a drug-free wash-out period. Therefore, AG538-loaded nanobody-liposomes are a promising anti-cancer formulation due to efficient intracellular delivery of AG538 in combination with antagonistic and downregulating properties of the EGa1 nanobody-liposomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Treatment of vitiligo vulgaris with the combination therapy of topical steroid and vitamin D3 compound

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Yoko Konishi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available We reported here two cases of vitiligo vulgaris successfully treated with the combination therapy of topical steroid and vitamin D3 compound and currently maintained by vitamin D3 analog without any adverse effects: skin atrophy, striae or telangiectasia on the exposed areas. The best-known mechanism of topical vitamin D3 analog is the enhancement of keratinocytes differentiation and anti-proliferative effects. Vitamin D3 analog is also reported to suppress T-cell mediated immunity, T-cell skin recruitment, and skin infiltration via down-regulating cutaneous lymphocyte antigen expression. Furthermore, vitamin D3 compounds are known to influence melanocyte maturation and differentiation and also to up-regulate melanogenesis. Autoreactive lymphocytes against melanocytes are one of the causes. Topical vitamin D3 analog may control vitiligo itself, however stronger immunosuppressive effects of topical corticosteroid may contribute to rapid re-pigmentation suppressing auto-reactive lymphocytes. The topical combination therapy is a simple, effective and safe option for vitiligo vulgaris in sun-exposed areas.

Synergistic efficacy of a novel combination therapy controls growth of Bcl-x(L) bountiful neuroblastoma cells by increasing differentiation and apoptosis.

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Mohan, Nishant; Banik, Naren L; Ray, Swapan K

2011-11-01

Neuroblastoma is the most prevalent extracranial solid tumor mainly in pediatric patients. We explored the efficacy of the combination of 2[(3-[2,3-dichlorophenoxy]propyl)amino]ethanol (2,3-DCPE, a small molecule inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-x(L)) and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide (4-HPR, a synthetic retinoid) in inducing differentiation and apoptosis in human malignant neuroblastoma cells. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and flow cytometry showed that the highest level of Bcl-x(L) expression occurred in SK-N-DZ cells followed by SH-SY5Y and IMR-32 cells. Combination of 20 μM 2,3-DCPE and 1 μM 4-HPR acted synergistically in decreasing viability of SK-N-DZ and SH-SY5Y cells. In situ methylene blue staining and protein gel blotting showed the efficacy of this combination of drugs in inducing neuronal differentiation morphologically and also biochemically with upregulation of the neuronal markers such as neurofilament protein (NFP) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) and downregulation of the differentiation inhibiting molecules such as N-Myc and Notch-1 in SK-N-DZ and SH-SY5Y cells. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining showed the synergistic action of this combination therapy in increasing apoptosis in both cell lines. Protein gel blotting manifested that combination therapy increased apoptosis with downregulation of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-x(L), Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 and upregulation of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, p53, Puma (p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis), and Noxa, ultimately causing activation of caspase-3. In conclusion, our results appeared highly encouraging in advocating the use of 2,3-DCPE and 4-HPR as a novel combination therapy for increasing both differentiation and apoptosis in human malignant neuroblastoma cells having Bcl-x(L) overexpression.

An MRI rating scale for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities with edema or effusion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barkhof, F.; Daams, M.; Scheltens, P.; Brashear, H.R.; Arrighi, H.M.; Bechten, A.K.; Morris, K.; McGovern, M.; Wattjes, M.P.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Immune therapy against amyloid-Appears to be a promising target in Alzheimer disease. However, a dose-related risk for ARIA on FLAIR images thought to represent parenchymal vasogenic edema or sulcal effusion (termed "ARIA-E"), has been observed in clinical trials. To assess

Experiences and needs for work participation in employees with rheumatoid arthritis treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meer, Marrit; Hoving, Jan L.; Vermeulen, Marjolein I. M.; Herenius, Marieke M. J.; Tak, Paul P.; Sluiter, Judith K.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.

2011-01-01

To investigate the experiences and needs with respect to work participation of employees with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. Face-to-face interviews in 14 employees with RA on anti-TNF therapy focused on experiences, offered support and needs with

Proteomic screening for amyloid proteins.

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Anton A Nizhnikov

Full Text Available Despite extensive study, progress in elucidation of biological functions of amyloids and their role in pathology is largely restrained due to the lack of universal and reliable biochemical methods for their discovery. All biochemical methods developed so far allowed only identification of glutamine/asparagine-rich amyloid-forming proteins or proteins comprising amyloids that form large deposits. In this article we present a proteomic approach which may enable identification of a broad range of amyloid-forming proteins independently of specific features of their sequences or levels of expression. This approach is based on the isolation of protein fractions enriched with amyloid aggregates via sedimentation by ultracentrifugation in the presence of strong ionic detergents, such as sarkosyl or SDS. Sedimented proteins are then separated either by 2D difference gel electrophoresis or by SDS-PAGE, if they are insoluble in the buffer used for 2D difference gel electrophoresis, after which they are identified by mass-spectrometry. We validated this approach by detection of known yeast prions and mammalian proteins with established capacity for amyloid formation and also revealed yeast proteins forming detergent-insoluble aggregates in the presence of human huntingtin with expanded polyglutamine domain. Notably, with one exception, all these proteins contained glutamine/asparagine-rich stretches suggesting that their aggregates arose due to polymerization cross-seeding by human huntingtin. Importantly, though the approach was developed in a yeast model, it can easily be applied to any organism thus representing an efficient and universal tool for screening for amyloid proteins.

short history of anti-rheumatic therapy. IV. Corticosteroids

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P. Marson

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In 1948 a corticosteroid compound was administered for the first time to a patient affected by rheumatoid arthritis by Philip Showalter Hench, a rheumatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (USA. He was investigating since 1929 the role of adrenal gland-derived substances in rheumatoid arthritis. For the discovery of cortisone and its applications in anti-rheumatic therapy, Hench, along with Edward Calvin Kendall and Tadeusz Reichstein, won the 1950 Nobel Prize for Medicine. In this review we summarize the main stages that led to the identification of the so-called compound E, which was used by Hench. We also consider the subsequent development of steroid therapy in rheumatic diseases, through the introduction of new molecules with less mineralocorticoid effects, such as prednisone, and more recently, deflazacort.

Therapeutic potential of combined anti-IL-1β IgY and anti-TNF-α IgY in guinea pigs with allergic rhinitis induced by ovalbumin.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo-Zhu, Hu; Xi-Ling, Zhu; Zhu, Wen; Li-Hua, Wu; Dan, He; Xiao-Mu, Wu; Wen-Yun, Zhou; Wei-Xu, Hu

2015-03-01

We have previously demonstrated that anti-IL-1β immunoglobulin yolk(IgY) inhibits pathological responses in allergic asthma guinea pigs induced by ovalbumin(OVA). This study aims to determine whether the combined blockade of IL-1β and TNF-α can more effectively inhibit allergic inflammation in allergic rhinitis(AR) guinea pigs induced by OVA. Healthy guinea pigs treated with saline were used as the healthy control. The AR guinea pigs induced by OVA were randomly divided into (1) the AR model group containing negative control animals treated with intranasal saline; (2) the 0.1% non-specific IgY treatment group treated with non-specific IgY; (3) the 0.1% anti-TNF-α IgY treatment group treated with 0.1% anti-TNF-α IgY; (4) the 0.1% anti-IL-1β IgY treatment group treated with 0.1% anti-IL-1β IgY; (5) the 0.1% combined anti-IL-1β IgY and anti-TNF-α IgY treatment group treated with 0.1% combined anti-IL-1β IgY and anti-TNF-α IgY; and (6) the fluticasone propionate treatment group treated with fluticasone propionate. Cytokines were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that IL-1β, IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, IL-18, IL-22, IL-33, TNF-α, TGF-β1 and OVA-specific IgE levels in the peripheral blood (PB) and nasal lavage fluid (NLF) significantly decreased at 2h, 4h or 8h in the 0.1% combined anti-IL-1β IgY and anti-TNF-α IgY treatment group compared to the AR model group and the 0.1% non-specific IgY treatment group (P<0.05). The data suggest that blockade of IL-1β and TNF-α by intranasal instillation of combined anti-IL-1β IgY and anti-TNF-α IgY could be a potential alternative strategy for preventing and treating allergic rhinitis. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

What do we miss? ASAS non-responders on anti-TNF therapy show improvement in performance-based physical function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Weely, S.F.E.; van Denderen, J.C.; Steultjens, M.P.M.; Nurmohamed, M.T.; Dijkmans, B.A.C.; Dekker, J.; van der Horst-Bruinsma, I.E.

2013-01-01

Objective: A prospective study was conducted in order to establish whether AS patients, who are defined as non-responders after 3 months of anti-TNF therapy, show improvement on performance-based tests of physical functioning. Methods: At baseline and 3 months after the start of anti-TNF therapy, AS

Clinical impact of concomitant immunomodulators on biologic therapy: Pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, efficacy and safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhenhua; Davis, Hugh M; Zhou, Honghui

2015-03-01

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases encompass a variety of different clinical syndromes, manifesting as either common diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and psoriasis, or rare diseases such as cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes. The therapy for these diseases often involves the use of a wide range of drugs including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, immunomodulators, and biologic therapies. Due to the abundance of relevant clinical data, this article provides a general overview on the clinical impact of the concomitant use of immunomodulators and biologic therapies, with a focus on anti-tumor necrosis factor-α agents (anti-TNFα), for the treatment of RA and Crohn's disease (CD). Compared to biologic monotherapy, concomitant use of immunomodulators (methotrexate, azathioprine, and 6-mercaptopurine) often increases the systemic exposure of the anti-TNFα agent and decreases the formation of antibodies to the anti-TNFα agent, consequently enhancing clinical efficacy. Nevertheless, long-term combination therapy with immunomodulators and anti-TNFα agents may be associated with increased risks of serious infections and malignancies. Therefore, the determination whether combination therapy is suitable for a patient should always be based on an individualized benefit-risk evaluation. More research should be undertaken to identify and validate prognostic markers for predicting patients who would benefit the most and those who are at greater risk from combination therapy with immunomodulators and anti-TNFα agents. © 2015, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

The anti-tumor effect of ACNU and x-irradiation on mouse glioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Hidemitsu; Hori, Masaharu; Hasegawa, Hiroshi; Mogami, Heitaro; Hayakawa, Toru.

1979-01-01

Anti-tumor activities of 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU) and x-irradiation on methylcholanthrene induced glioma in C 57 BL mice were studied in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments using cultured glioma cells (MGB cells), the synchronization of cell cycle was done by excess addition of thymidine, and the anti-tumor cell effect were investigated by mean of determinations of DNA synthesis, mitotic index and the number of the living cells following the treatments. As the results, it appeared obvious that ACNU was most effective on MGB cells in S phase and x-irradiation in M phase. As to the combined therapy of ACNU and x-irradiation, the anti-tumor effect was most remarkable when the cells were treated by x-irradiation in the G 2 , M phase, which were hervested by addition of ACNU 44 hours before irradiation. However simultaneous treatment of ACNU and x-irradiation on the cells in G 1 phase was not so remarkable. In vivo experiments the anti-tumor effect of ACNU and x-irradiation on subcutaneously or intracranially transplanted glioma in mice was investigated. Either ACNU 10 mg/kg or local x-irradiation 1240 rads showed inhibitory effect on the tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of the tumor bearing mice. The combination therapy was more effective than ACNU or x-irradiation alone, particularly combination therapy of ACNU and repeated small doses irradiation of x-ray was remarkably effective. Evidence obtained indicated that the combination therapy of ACNU and x-irradiation have synergistic anti-tumor effect on experimental mouse glioma. (author)

Vitamin D as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory therapy for Cystic Fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Herscovitch, K; Dauletbaev, N; Lands, Larry C

2014-06-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by chronic infection and inflammation in the airways that lead to progressive lung damage and early death. Current anti-inflammatory therapies are limited by extensive adverse effects or insufficient efficacy. There is a large body of studies indicating beneficial anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin D. Since most patients with CF present with vitamin D deficiency, and serum vitamin D levels demonstrate a positive correlation with lung function and negative correlation with airway inflammation and infection, correcting vitamin D deficiency may be an attractive therapeutic strategy in CF. The function of vitamin D is intricately tied to its metabolism, which may be impaired at multiple steps in patients with CF, with a potential to limit the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation. It is likely that the aforementioned beneficial properties of vitamin D require supplementation with doses of vitamin D markedly higher than those recommended to maintain proper bone function. This review will illustrate the potential for supplementation with vitamin D or its metabolites to modulate inflammation and improve defence against chronic infection in CF lung, as well as appropriate vitamin D supplementation strategies for improving lung function in CF. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asthma Severity in patients initiating controller monotherapy versus combination therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Diette, Gregory B; Fuhlbrigge, Anne L; Allen-Ramey, Felicia; Hopper, April; Sajjan, Shiva G; Markson, Leona E

2011-04-01

Asthma treatment guidelines recommend medications based on the level of asthma control. To evaluate differences in asthma control between patients who initiated asthma controller monotherapy versus combination therapy. Children (5-16 years; n = 488) and adults (17-80 years; n = 530) with asthma and no controller therapy in the prior 6 months were included. Telephone surveys were conducted within 5 days of filling a new asthma controller prescription with either the caregiver of children or the adult patient. Demographics, asthma control before therapy, and asthma-related resource use were assessed for patients initiating monotherapy (filling one asthma controller prescription) and combination therapy (filling more than one controller medication or a fixed-dose combination). Mean pediatric age was 10 years; 53% were male. Mean adult age was 47 years; 25% were male. There were no significant differences in asthma control score between patients receiving monotherapy and combination therapy. Children on combination therapy did not have more nighttime awakening or short-acting β-agonist use but were more likely to have been hospitalized due to asthma attack (p = .05) and have more unscheduled (p = .0374) and scheduled (p = .009) physician visits. Adults on combination therapy were more likely to have been hospitalized due to asthma attack (p asthma (p asthma control scores in the 4 weeks before index medication suggests that asthma severity during a treatment-free period did not differ significantly for patients initiating controller monotherapy versus combination therapy. From these findings, it appears that although physicians may not focus on asthma control when choosing the intensity of initial controller therapy, the intensity of health-care encounters may be an influence.

Pyrvinium targets the unfolded protein response to hypoglycemia and its anti-tumor activity is enhanced by combination therapy.

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De-Hua Yu

Full Text Available We identified pyrvinium pamoate, an old anthelminthic medicine, which preferentially inhibits anchorage-independent growth of cancer cells over anchorage-dependent growth (approximately 10 fold. It was also reported by others to have anti-tumor activity in vivo and selective toxicity against cancer cells under glucose starvation in vitro, but with unknown mechanism. Here, we provide evidence that pyrvinium suppresses the transcriptional activation of GRP78 and GRP94 induced by glucose deprivation or 2-deoxyglucose (2DG, a glycolysis inhibitor, but not by tunicamycin or A23187. Other UPR pathways induced by glucose starvation, e.g. XBP-1, ATF4, were also found suppressed by pyrvinium. Constitutive expression of GRP78 via transgene partially protected cells from pyrvinium induced cell death under glucose starvation, suggesting that suppression of the UPR is involved in pyrvinium mediated cytotoxicity under glucose starvation. Xenograft experiments showed rather marginal overall anti-tumor activity for pyrvinium as a monotherapy. However, the combination of pyrvinium and Doxorubicin demonstrated significantly enhanced efficacy in vivo, supporting a mechanistic treatment concept based on tumor hypoglycemia and UPR.

Interaction of magnetic nanoparticles with lysozyme amyloid fibrils

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Gdovinová, Veronika [Institute of Experimental Physics SAS, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Košice (Slovakia); Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Tomašovičová, Natália, E-mail: nhudak@saske.sk [Institute of Experimental Physics SAS, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Košice (Slovakia); Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Batko, Ivan; Batková, Marianna; Balejčíková, Lucia [Institute of Experimental Physics SAS, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Košice (Slovakia); Garamus, Vasyl M. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht: Zentrum fr Material, und Kstenforschung GmbH, Max-Plank-Strae 1, Geesthacht 216502 (Germany); Petrenko, Viktor I. [Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Physics Department, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Volodymyrska Street 64, 01601 Kyiv (Ukraine); Avdeev, Mikhail V. [Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Joliot-Curie 6, 141980 Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Kopčanský, Peter [Institute of Experimental Physics SAS, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Košice (Slovakia)

2017-06-01

This work is devoted to the structural study of complex solutions of magnetic nanoparticles with lysozyme amyloid fibrils due to possible ordering of such system by applying the external magnetic field. The interaction of magnetic nanoparticles with amyloid fibrils has been followed by atomic force microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. It has been observed that magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) adsorb to lysozyme amyloid fibrils. It was found that MNPs alter amyloids structures, namely the diameter of lysozyme amyloid fibrils is increased whereas the length of fibrils is decreased. In the same time MNPs do not change the helical pitch significantly. - Highlights: • Solution of MNPs with lysozyme amyloid fibrils was characterized by AFM and SAXS. • MNPs adsorb to lysozyme amyloid fibrils. • Diameter and size of lysozyme amyloid fibrils change due to doping with MNPs.

Effectiveness of medication / auricular therapy / phyto-therapy combination in the treatment of hypertensive patients

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José Ramón Martínez Pérez

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: hypertension is one of the main cardiovascular risk factors, so its control improves the life expectancy of patients.Objective: to assess the effects of a treatment combining medication with auricular therapy and phyto-therapy in hypertensive patients assisted at the health area of ”Romárico Oro” Polyclinic, in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas province.Methods: an intervention study was carried out in 68 hypertensive patients of the health area of “Romárico Oro” Polyclinic in Puerto Padre from April, 2013 to April, 2014. The patients were distributed at random into two equal groups; the first received medication combined with auricular therapy and phyto-therapy, while the second one received only medication. The statistical analysis was done by means of Statistic system, t-student and Chi-Square tests were used and p< or =0.05 was considered as level of statistical significance.Results: by the end of the intervention, 73, 53% of the patients of the group with the combination of drug treatment and auricular therapy and phyto-therapy were controlled. In this group, the diastolic filling pressure diminished to 2, 2 mm Hg and the systolic gradient to 3, 66 mm, regarding the group treated only with drugs. Only one patient, representing the 2, 94% showed adverse reaction to the natural and traditional treatment.Conclusions: the combination of medication with auricular therapy and phyto-therapy proved to be effective, corroborated by a significant decrease of quantity of crisis, diastolic and systolic filling pressure values and increase of number of patients with their disease controlled; the report of only one complication shows the innocuousness of the auricular therapy and phyto-therapy treatment.

Key aromatic/hydrophobic amino acids controlling a cross-amyloid peptide interaction versus amyloid self-assembly.

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Bakou, Maria; Hille, Kathleen; Kracklauer, Michael; Spanopoulou, Anna; Frost, Christina V; Malideli, Eleni; Yan, Li-Mei; Caporale, Andrea; Zacharias, Martin; Kapurniotu, Aphrodite

2017-09-01

The interaction of the intrinsically disordered polypeptide islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), which is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with the Alzheimer's disease amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide modulates their self-assembly into amyloid fibrils and may link the pathogeneses of these two cell-degenerative diseases. However, the molecular determinants of this interaction remain elusive. Using a systematic alanine scan approach, fluorescence spectroscopy, and other biophysical methods, including heterocomplex pulldown assays, far-UV CD spectroscopy, the thioflavin T binding assay, transmission EM, and molecular dynamics simulations, here we identified single aromatic/hydrophobic residues within the amyloid core IAPP region as hot spots or key residues of its cross-interaction with Aβ40(42) peptide. Importantly, we also find that none of these residues in isolation plays a key role in IAPP self-assembly, whereas simultaneous substitution of four aromatic/hydrophobic residues with Ala dramatically impairs both IAPP self-assembly and hetero-assembly with Aβ40(42). Furthermore, our experiments yielded several novel IAPP analogs, whose sequences are highly similar to that of IAPP but have distinct amyloid self- or cross-interaction potentials. The identified similarities and major differences controlling IAPP cross-peptide interaction with Aβ40(42) versus its amyloid self-assembly offer a molecular basis for understanding the underlying mechanisms. We propose that these insights will aid in designing intervention strategies and novel IAPP analogs for the management of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, or other diseases related to IAPP dysfunction or cross-amyloid interactions. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Upregulation of ER signaling as an adaptive mechanism of cell survival in HER2-positive breast tumors treated with anti-HER2 therapy

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Giuliano, Mario; Hu, Huizhong; Wang, Yen-Chao; Fu, Xiaoyong; Nardone, Agostina; Herrera, Sabrina; Mao, Sufeng; Contreras, Alejandro; Gutierrez, Carolina; Wang, Tao; Hilsenbeck, Susan G.; De Angelis, Carmine; Wang, Nicholas J.; Heiser, Laura M.; Gray, Joe W.; Lopez-Tarruella, Sara; Pavlick, Anne C.; Trivedi, Meghana V.; Chamness, Gary C.; Chang, Jenny C.; Osborne, C. Kent; Rimawi, Mothaffar F.; Schiff, Rachel

2015-01-01

Purpose To investigate the direct effect and therapeutic consequences of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeting therapy on expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and Bcl2 in preclinical models and clinical tumor samples. Experimental design Archived xenograft tumors from two preclinical models (UACC812 and MCF7/HER2-18) treated with ER and HER2-targeting therapies, and also HER2+ clinical breast cancer specimens collected in a lapatinib neoadjuvant trial (baseline and week 2 post treatment), were used. Expression levels of ER and Bcl2 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and western blot. The effects of Bcl2 and ER inhibition, by ABT-737 and fulvestrant respectively, were tested in parental versus lapatinib-resistant UACC812 cells in vitro. Results Expression of ER and Bcl2 was significantly increased in xenograft tumors with acquired resistance to anti-HER2 therapy, compared with untreated tumors, in both preclinical models (UACC812: ER p=0.0014; Bcl2 p<0.001. MCF7/HER2-18: ER p=0.0007; Bcl2 p=0.0306). In the neoadjuvant clinical study, lapatinib treatment for two weeks was associated with parallel upregulation of ER and Bcl2 (Spearman’s coefficient: 0.70; p=0.0002). Importantly, 18% of tumors originally ER-negative (ER−) converted to ER+ upon anti-HER2 therapy. In ER−/HER2+ MCF7/HER2-18 xenografts, ER re-expression was primarily observed in tumors responding to potent combination of anti-HER2 drugs. Estrogen deprivation added to this anti-HER2 regimen significantly delayed tumor progression (p=0.018). In the UACC812 cells, fulvestrant, but not ABT-737, was able to completely inhibit anti-HER2-resistant growth (p<0.0001). Conclusion HER2 inhibition can enhance or restore ER expression with parallel Bcl2 upregulation, representing an ER-dependent survival mechanism potentially leading to anti-HER2 resistance. PMID:26015514

Are anti-inflammatory agents effective in treating gingivitis as solo or adjunct therapies? A systematic review.

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Polak, David; Martin, Conchita; Sanz-Sánchez, Ignacio; Beyth, Nurit; Shapira, Lior

2015-04-01

Systematically review the scientific evidence for efficiency of anti-inflammatory agents against gingivitis, either as solo treatments or adjunctive therapies. A protocol was developed aimed to answer the following focused question: "Are anti-inflammatory agents effective in treating gingivitis as solo or adjunct therapies?" RCTs and cohort studies on anti-inflammatory agents against gingivitis studies were searched electronically. Screening, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted. The primary outcome measures were indices of gingival inflammation. A sub-analysis was performed dividing the active agents into anti-inflammatory and other drugs. The search identified 3188 studies, of which 14 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The use of anti-inflammatory or other agents, in general showed a higher reduction in the test than in the control in terms of gingival indexes and bleeding scores. Only two RCTs on inflammatory drugs could be meta-analysed, showing a statistically significant reduction in the GI in the experimental group [WMD = -0.090; 95% CI (-0.105; -0.074); p = 0.000]. However, the contribution of both studies to the global result was unbalanced (% weight: 99.88 and 0.12 respectively). Most of the tested material showed beneficial effect as anti-inflammatory agents against gingivitis, either as a single treatment modality or as an adjunctive therapy. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Combined Therapy of Iron Chelator and Antioxidant Completely Restores Brain Dysfunction Induced by Iron Toxicity

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Sripetchwandee, Jirapas; Pipatpiboon, Noppamas; Chattipakorn, Nipon; Chattipakorn, Siriporn

2014-01-01

Background Excessive iron accumulation leads to iron toxicity in the brain; however the underlying mechanism is unclear. We investigated the effects of iron overload induced by high iron-diet consumption on brain mitochondrial function, brain synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. Iron chelator (deferiprone) and antioxidant (n-acetyl cysteine) effects on iron-overload brains were also studied. Methodology Male Wistar rats were fed either normal diet or high iron-diet consumption for 12 weeks, after which rats in each diet group were treated with vehicle or deferiprone (50 mg/kg) or n-acetyl cysteine (100 mg/kg) or both for another 4 weeks. High iron-diet consumption caused brain iron accumulation, brain mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired brain synaptic plasticity and cognition, blood-brain-barrier breakdown, and brain apoptosis. Although both iron chelator and antioxidant attenuated these deleterious effects, combined therapy provided more robust results. Conclusion In conclusion, this is the first study demonstrating that combined iron chelator and anti-oxidant therapy completely restored brain function impaired by iron overload. PMID:24400127

Systemic combination treatment for psoriasis: a review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter; Skov, Lone; Zachariae, Claus

2010-01-01

exist for the use of systemic combination therapy. Therefore, our aim was to review the current literature on systemic anti-psoriatic combination regimens. We searched PubMed and identified 98 papers describing 116 studies (23 randomized) reporting on the effect of various systemic combination...

Nanomedicine of synergistic drug combinations for cancer therapy - Strategies and perspectives.

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Zhang, Rui Xue; Wong, Ho Lun; Xue, Hui Yi; Eoh, June Young; Wu, Xiao Yu

2016-10-28

Nanomedicine of synergistic drug combinations has shown increasing significance in cancer therapy due to its promise in providing superior therapeutic benefits to the current drug combination therapy used in clinical practice. In this article, we will examine the rationale, principles, and advantages of applying nanocarriers to improve anticancer drug combination therapy, review the use of nanocarriers for delivery of a variety of combinations of different classes of anticancer agents including small molecule drugs and biologics, and discuss the challenges and future perspectives of the nanocarrier-based combination therapy. The goal of this review is to provide better understanding of this increasingly important new paradigm of cancer treatment and key considerations for rational design of nanomedicine of synergistic drug combinations for cancer therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical Kinetics for Bridging Molecular Mechanisms and Macroscopic Measurements of Amyloid Fibril Formation.

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Michaels, Thomas C T; Šarić, Anđela; Habchi, Johnny; Chia, Sean; Meisl, Georg; Vendruscolo, Michele; Dobson, Christopher M; Knowles, Tuomas P J

2018-04-20

Understanding how normally soluble peptides and proteins aggregate to form amyloid fibrils is central to many areas of modern biomolecular science, ranging from the development of functional biomaterials to the design of rational therapeutic strategies against increasingly prevalent medical conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. As such, there is a great need to develop models to mechanistically describe how amyloid fibrils are formed from precursor peptides and proteins. Here we review and discuss how ideas and concepts from chemical reaction kinetics can help to achieve this objective. In particular, we show how a combination of theory, experiments, and computer simulations, based on chemical kinetics, provides a general formalism for uncovering, at the molecular level, the mechanistic steps that underlie the phenomenon of amyloid fibril formation.

Chemical Kinetics for Bridging Molecular Mechanisms and Macroscopic Measurements of Amyloid Fibril Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Michaels, Thomas C. T.; Šarić, Anđela; Habchi, Johnny; Chia, Sean; Meisl, Georg; Vendruscolo, Michele; Dobson, Christopher M.; Knowles, Tuomas P. J.

2018-04-01

Understanding how normally soluble peptides and proteins aggregate to form amyloid fibrils is central to many areas of modern biomolecular science, ranging from the development of functional biomaterials to the design of rational therapeutic strategies against increasingly prevalent medical conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. As such, there is a great need to develop models to mechanistically describe how amyloid fibrils are formed from precursor peptides and proteins. Here we review and discuss how ideas and concepts from chemical reaction kinetics can help to achieve this objective. In particular, we show how a combination of theory, experiments, and computer simulations, based on chemical kinetics, provides a general formalism for uncovering, at the molecular level, the mechanistic steps that underlie the phenomenon of amyloid fibril formation.

Group Versus Individual Cognitive Therapy: A Pilot Study.

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Rush, A. John; Watkins, John T.

Group therapy and individual cognitive therapy were investigated with non-bipolar moderate-to-severely-depressed outpatients (N=44) assigned to group cognitive therapy, individual cognitive therapy only, or to individual cognitive therapy in combination with anti-depressant medication. Treatment efficacy was measured by self-report and a clinical…

Targeting EGFR with photodynamic therapy in combination with Erbitux enhances in vivo bladder tumor response

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Soo Khee

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Photodynamic therapy (PDT is a promising cancer treatment modality that involves the interaction of the photosensitizer, molecular oxygen and light of specific wavelength to destroy tumor cells. Treatment induced hypoxia is one of the main side effects of PDT and efforts are underway to optimize PDT protocols for improved efficacy. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-tumor effects of PDT plus Erbitux, an angiogenesis inhibitor that targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, on human bladder cancer model. Tumor-bearing nude mice were assigned to four groups that included control, PDT, Erbitux and PDT plus Erbitux and tumor volume was charted over 90-day period. Results Our results demonstrate that combination of Erbitux with PDT strongly inhibits tumor growth in the bladder tumor xenograft model when compared to the other groups. Downregulation of EGFR was detected using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and western blotting. Increased apoptosis was associated with tumor inhibition in the combination therapy group. In addition, we identified the dephosphorylation of ErbB4 at tyrosine 1284 site to play a major role in tumor inhibition. Also, at the RNA level downregulation of EGFR target genes cyclin D1 and c-myc was observed in tumors treated with PDT plus Erbitux. Conclusion The combination therapy of PDT and Erbitux effectively inhibits tumor growth and is a promising therapeutic approach in the treatment of bladder tumors.

Epitope structure and binding affinity of single chain llama anti-β-amyloid antibodies revealed by proteolytic excision affinity-mass spectrometry.

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Paraschiv, Gabriela; Vincke, Cécile; Czaplewska, Paulina; Manea, Marilena; Muyldermans, Serge; Przybylski, Michael

2013-01-01

ß-Amyloid (Aß) immunotherapy has become a promising strategy for reducing the level of Aß in brain. New immunological approaches have been recently proposed for rapid, early diagnosis, and molecular treatment of neurodegenerative diseases related to Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The combination of proteolytic epitope excision and extraction and mass spectrometry using digestion with various proteases has been shown to be an efficient tool for the identification and molecular characterization of antigenic determinants. Here, we report the identification of the Aβ epitope recognized by the variable domain of single chain llama anti-Aβ-antibodies, termed Aβ-nanobodies, that have been discovered in the blood of camelids and found to be promising candidates for immunotherapy of AD. The epitope recognized by two Aβ-specific nanobodies was identified by proteolytic epitope extraction- and excision-mass spectrometry using a series of proteases (trypsin, chymotrypsin, GluC-protease, and LysC-protease). Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization--mass spectrometric analysis of the affinity--elution fraction provided the epitope, Aβ(17-28), in the mid- to carboxy-terminal domain of Aβ, which has been shown to exert an Aß-fibril inhibiting effect. Affinity studies of the synthetic epitope confirmed that the Aβ(17-28) peptide is the minimal fragment that binds to the nanobodies. The interactions between the nanobodies and full length Aβ(1-40) or Aβ-peptides containing or lacking the epitope sequence were further characterized by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and bioaffinity analysis. Determinations of binding affinities between the Aβ-nanobodies and Aβ(1-40) and the Aβ(17-28) epitope provided K(D) values of approximately 150 and 700 nmol, respectively. Thus, the knowledge of the epitope may be highly useful for future studies of Aβ-aggregation (oligomerization and fibril formation) and for designing new aggregation inhibitors. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley

Tackling amyloidogenesis in Alzheimer's disease with A2V variants of Amyloid-β.

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Di Fede, Giuseppe; Catania, Marcella; Maderna, Emanuela; Morbin, Michela; Moda, Fabio; Colombo, Laura; Rossi, Alessandro; Cagnotto, Alfredo; Virgilio, Tommaso; Palamara, Luisa; Ruggerone, Margherita; Giaccone, Giorgio; Campagnani, Ilaria; Costanza, Massimo; Pedotti, Rosetta; Salvalaglio, Matteo; Salmona, Mario; Tagliavini, Fabrizio

2016-02-11

We developed a novel therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) exploiting the properties of a natural variant of Amyloid-β (Aβ) carrying the A2V substitution, which protects heterozygous carriers from AD by its ability to interact with wild-type Aβ, hindering conformational changes and assembly thereof. As prototypic compound we designed a six-mer mutated peptide (Aβ1-6A2V), linked to the HIV-related TAT protein, which is widely used for brain delivery and cell membrane penetration of drugs. The resulting molecule [Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D)] revealed strong anti-amyloidogenic effects in vitro and protected human neuroblastoma cells from Aβ toxicity. Preclinical studies in AD mouse models showed that short-term treatment with Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D) inhibits Aβ aggregation and cerebral amyloid deposition, but a long treatment schedule unexpectedly increases amyloid burden, although preventing cognitive deterioration. Our data support the view that the AβA2V-based strategy can be successfully used for the development of treatments for AD, as suggested by the natural protection against the disease in human A2V heterozygous carriers. The undesirable outcome of the prolonged treatment with Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D) was likely due to the TAT intrinsic attitude to increase Aβ production, avidly bind amyloid and boost its seeding activity, warning against the use of the TAT carrier in the design of AD therapeutics.

Research progress in antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C

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YU Guoying

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Antiviral therapy is the most important treatment for chronic hepatitis C. This paper reviews the progress in antiviral treatment over recent years, including the combination therapy with polyethylene glycol-Interferon (PEG-IFN and ribavirin (RBV, specific target therapy, and gene therapy. The paper believes that the anti-hepatitis C virus treatment needs more effective drug combination therapies, shorter courses, less side effect, higher drug resistance threshold, etc.

Report of the ECCO pathogenesis workshop on anti-TNF therapy failures in inflammatory bowel diseases: definitions, frequency and pharmacological aspects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allez, Matthieu; Karmiris, Konstantinos; Louis, Edouard

2010-01-01

The first ECCO pathogenesis workshop focused on anti-TNF therapy failures in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). The overall objective was to better understand and explore primary non response and loss of response to anti-TNF agents in IBD. The outcome of this workshop is presented into two parts....... This first section addresses definitions, frequency and pharmacological aspects of anti-TNF therapy failure, including pharmacokinetics of anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies and immune and non-immune mediated clearance of anti-TNF mAbs. The second section concerns the biological roles of TNF and TNF antagonists...

Experimental study of anti-tumor activity of direct current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Hisao; Hashimoto, Shozo

1989-01-01

The anti-tumor activity of direct current combined with radiation was studied. The experiments were performed with fibrosarcomas (FSA, NFSA) syngenetic to C3H mice. Direct current (0.6mA, 120min) alone was effective to reduce the tumor sizes, but could not cure the tumors. When the direct current therapy (DC therapy) was combined with radiation the DC therapy following radiation was more effective than that before radiation. Using TCD 50 assay, the DC therapy enhanced the effect of a single dose of radiation with the dose-modifying factor of 1.2. However, tumor control rates by the combination therapy were more improved at the smaller doses of radiation than at the larger ones. When the single DC therapy (0.6mA, 120min) was applied immediately after the first radiation of fractionated one the combination therapy still showed the enhanced effect. However, both DC therapy and the radiation therapy were divided in three fractions, and the DC therapy (0.6mA, 40min) was applied after each radiation. Tumor growth retardation by the combination therapy was no different from that by radiation alone. This result suggests that there might be a minimum required dose of coulombs to show the effect of the combination therapy. (author)

Antioxidants Impair Anti-Tumoral Effects of Vorinostat, but Not Anti-Neoplastic Effects of Vorinostat and Caspase-8 Downregulation

OpenAIRE

Bergadà, Laura; Yeramian, Andree; Sorolla, Annabel; Matias-Guiu, Xavier; Dolcet, Xavier

2014-01-01

We have recently demonstrated that histone deacetylase inhibitor, Vorinostat, applied as a single therapy or in combination with caspase-8 downregulation exhibits high anti-tumoral activity on endometrial carcinoma cell lines. In the present study, we have assessed the signalling processes underlying anti-tumoral effects of Vorinostat. Increasing evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species are responsible for histone deacetylase inhibitor-induced cell killing. We have found that Vorinostat...

Amyloid-β Peptide Induces Prion Protein Amyloid Formation: Evidence for Its Widespread Amyloidogenic Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Ryo

2018-04-12

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy is associated with misfolding of prion protein (PrP) into an amyloid β-rich aggregate. Previous studies have indicated that PrP interacts with Alzheimer's disease amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), but it remains elusive how this interaction impacts on the misfolding of PrP. This study presents the first in vitro evidence that Aβ induces PrP-amyloid formation at submicromolar concentrations. Interestingly, systematic mutagenesis of PrP revealed that Aβ requires no specific amino acid sequences in PrP, and induces the misfolding of other unrelated proteins (insulin and lysozyme) into amyloid fibrils in a manner analogous to PrP. This unanticipated nonspecific amyloidogenic effect of Aβ indicates that this peptide might be involved in widespread protein aggregation, regardless of the amino acid sequences of target proteins, and exacerbate the pathology of many neurodegenerative diseases. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterization of amyloid beta peptides from brain extracts of transgenic mice overexpressing the London mutant of human amyloid precursor protein.

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Pype, Stefan; Moechars, Dieder; Dillen, Lieve; Mercken, Marc

2003-02-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is marked by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain of patients. To study plaque formation, we report on further quantitative and qualitative analysis of human and mouse amyloid beta peptides (Abeta) from brain extracts of transgenic mice overexpressing the London mutant of human amyloid precursor protein (APP). Using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs) specific for either human or rodent Abeta, we found that the peptides from both species aggregated to form plaques. The ratios of deposited Abeta1-42/1-40 were in the order of 2-3 for human and 8-9 for mouse peptides, indicating preferential deposition of Abeta42. We also determined the identity and relative levels of other Abeta variants present in protein extracts from soluble and insoluble brain fractions. This was done by combined immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry (IP/MS). The most prominent peptides truncated either at the carboxyl- or the amino-terminus were Abeta1-38 and Abeta11-42, respectively, and the latter was strongly enriched in the extracts of deposited peptides. Taken together, our data indicate that plaques of APP-London transgenic mice consist of aggregates of multiple human and mouse Abeta variants, and the human variants that we identified were previously detected in brain extracts of AD patients.

Functional amyloid formation by Streptococcus mutans

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Oli, M. W.; Otoo, H. N.; Crowley, P. J.; Heim, K. P.; Nascimento, M. M.; Ramsook, C. B.; Lipke, P. N.

2012-01-01

Dental caries is a common infectious disease associated with acidogenic and aciduric bacteria, including Streptococcus mutans. Organisms that cause cavities form recalcitrant biofilms, generate acids from dietary sugars and tolerate acid end products. It has recently been recognized that micro-organisms can produce functional amyloids that are integral to biofilm development. We now show that the S. mutans cell-surface-localized adhesin P1 (antigen I/II, PAc) is an amyloid-forming protein. This conclusion is based on the defining properties of amyloids, including binding by the amyloidophilic dyes Congo red (CR) and Thioflavin T (ThT), visualization of amyloid fibres by transmission electron microscopy and the green birefringent properties of CR-stained protein aggregates when viewed under cross-polarized light. We provide evidence that amyloid is present in human dental plaque and is produced by both laboratory strains and clinical isolates of S. mutans. We provide further evidence that amyloid formation is not limited to P1, since bacterial colonies without this adhesin demonstrate residual green birefringence. However, S. mutans lacking sortase, the transpeptidase enzyme that mediates the covalent linkage of its substrates to the cell-wall peptidoglycan, including P1 and five other proteins, is not birefringent when stained with CR and does not form biofilms. Biofilm formation is inhibited when S. mutans is cultured in the presence of known inhibitors of amyloid fibrillization, including CR, Thioflavin S and epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which also inhibited ThT uptake by S. mutans extracellular proteins. Taken together, these results indicate that S. mutans is an amyloid-forming organism and suggest that amyloidogenesis contributes to biofilm formation by this oral microbe. PMID:23082034

Amyloid beta peptide immunotherapy in Alzheimer disease.

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Delrieu, J; Ousset, P J; Voisin, T; Vellas, B

2014-12-01

Recent advances in the understanding of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis have led to the development of numerous compounds that might modify the disease process. Amyloid β peptide represents an important molecular target for intervention in Alzheimer's disease. The main purpose of this work is to review immunotherapy studies in relation to the Alzheimer's disease. Several types of amyloid β peptide immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease are under investigation, active immunization and passive administration with monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid β peptide. Although immunotherapy approaches resulted in clearance of amyloid plaques in patients with Alzheimer's disease, this clearance did not show significant cognitive effect for the moment. Currently, several amyloid β peptide immunotherapy approaches are under investigation but also against tau pathology. Results from amyloid-based immunotherapy studies in clinical trials indicate that intervention appears to be more effective in early stages of amyloid accumulation in particular solanezumab with a potential impact at mild Alzheimer's disease, highlighting the importance of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease as early as possible and undertaking clinical trials at this stage. In both phase III solanezumab and bapineuzumab trials, PET imaging revealed that about a quarter of patients lacked fibrillar amyloid pathology at baseline, suggesting that they did not have Alzheimer's disease in the first place. So a new third phase 3 clinical trial for solanezumab, called Expedition 3, in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and evidence of amyloid burden has been started. Thus, currently, amyloid intervention is realized at early stage of the Alzheimer's disease in clinical trials, at prodromal Alzheimer's disease, or at asymptomatic subjects or at risk to develop Alzheimer's disease and or at asymptomatic subjects with autosomal dominant mutation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Amyloid fibril systems reduce, stabilize and deliver bioavailable nanosized iron

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yi; Posavec, Lidija; Bolisetty, Sreenath; Hilty, Florentine M.; Nyström, Gustav; Kohlbrecher, Joachim; Hilbe, Monika; Rossi, Antonella; Baumgartner, Jeannine; Zimmermann, Michael B.; Mezzenga, Raffaele

2017-07-01

Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a major global public health problem. A sustainable and cost-effective strategy to reduce IDA is iron fortification of foods, but the most bioavailable fortificants cause adverse organoleptic changes in foods. Iron nanoparticles are a promising solution in food matrices, although their tendency to oxidize and rapidly aggregate in solution severely limits their use in fortification. Amyloid fibrils are protein aggregates initially known for their association with neurodegenerative disorders, but recently described in the context of biological functions in living organisms and emerging as unique biomaterial building blocks. Here, we show an original application for these protein fibrils as efficient carriers for iron fortification. We use biodegradable amyloid fibrils from β-lactoglobulin, an inexpensive milk protein with natural reducing effects, as anti-oxidizing nanocarriers and colloidal stabilizers for iron nanoparticles. The resulting hybrid material forms a stable protein-iron colloidal dispersion that undergoes rapid dissolution and releases iron ions during acidic and enzymatic in vitro digestion. Importantly, this hybrid shows high in vivo iron bioavailability, equivalent to ferrous sulfate in haemoglobin-repletion and stable-isotope studies in rats, but with reduced organoleptic changes in foods. Feeding the rats with these hybrid materials did not result in abnormal iron accumulation in any organs, or changes in whole blood glutathione concentrations, inferring their primary safety. Therefore, these iron-amyloid fibril hybrids emerge as novel, highly effective delivery systems for iron in both solid and liquid matrices.

Effects of Combination Therapy With Immunomodulators on Trough Levels and Antibodies Against Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Meta-analysis.

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Qiu, Yun; Mao, Ren; Chen, Bai-Li; Zhang, Sheng-Hong; Guo, Jing; He, Yao; Zeng, Zhi-Rong; Ben-Horin, Shomron; Chen, Min-Hu

2017-09-01

It is not clear whether combination therapy with immunomodulators affects the immunogenicity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the effects of combined immunomodulator therapy on the presence of antibodies against TNF antagonists (antidrug antibodies [ADAs]) and trough levels of anti-TNF agents. We systematically searched publication databases for studies that reported prevalence of ADAs in patients who received anti-TNF agents. Raw data from studies that met the inclusion criteria were pooled to determine effect estimates. We performed subgroup and metaregression analyses to determine the level of heterogeneity among study outcomes. We analyzed findings from 35 studies that met inclusion criteria (results reported from 6790 patients with inflammatory bowel disease). The pooled risk ratio for formation of ADAs in patients receiving combined therapy with immunomodulators, versus that of patients receiving anti-TNF monotherapy, was 0.49 (95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.59; P immunomodulators (standardized mean difference, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.41; P = .47). Subgroup analyses of patients treated with different TNF antagonists revealed no difference in the formation of ADAs (P = .50 for interaction); the protective effect of immunomodulators did not differ with type of drug patients were given (methotrexate vs thiopurines), or assay for ADA. We observed heterogeneity only among studies of patients with ulcerative colitis (I 2  = 76%). Funnel plot and Egger test analyses indicated publication bias in the studies (P = .001). In a meta-analysis of published studies, we associated combined treatment with immunomodulators with reduced risk of formation of antibodies against TNF antagonists in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Anti-rheumatic therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing hemodialysis].

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Akiyama, Yuji

2011-01-01

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have been increasing recently. Some rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients need hemodialysis (HD), though the proportion is not high. At present, such patients are almost treated with corticosteroids and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alone, even if they have a high disease activity that would require disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy, partly because the safety of DMARDs in RA patients with end-stage renal disease has not been confirmed. Their joint destruction would be inevitable and lead to impaired activities of daily living. As there are no guidelines for the use of DMARDs in HD patients, here I reviewed the previous reports about the treatment of DMARDs including biologics for patients with RA undergoing HD.

Concordance Between Different Amyloid Immunoassays and Visual Amyloid Positron Emission Tomographic Assessment.

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Janelidze, Shorena; Pannee, Josef; Mikulskis, Alvydas; Chiao, Ping; Zetterberg, Henrik; Blennow, Kaj; Hansson, Oskar

2017-12-01

newer assays (AUCs, 0.87-0.89; P ≤ .01). The accuracies of the newer assays improved significantly when Aβ42:Aβ40 (AUCs, 0.93-0.95; P ≤ .01), Aβ42 to total tau (T-tau) (AUCs, 0.94; P ≤ .05), or Aβ42 to phosphorylated tau (P-tau) (AUCs, 0.94-0.95; P ≤ .001) ratios were used. A combination of the Aβ42:Aβ40 ratio and T-tau or P-tau level did not improve the accuracy compared with the ratio alone. Concentrations of CSF Aβ42 derived from the new immunoassays (modified INNOTEST, FL, EI, and MSD) may correlate better with the antibody-independent mass spectrometry-based reference measurement procedure and may show improved agreement with visual [18F]flutemetamol PET assessment when using the Aβ42:Aβ40 or Aβ42:tau ratios. These findings suggest the benefit of implementing the CSF Aβ42:Aβ40 or Aβ42:tau ratios as a biomarker of amyloid deposition in clinical practice and trials.

Synergistic anti-tumor therapy by a comb-like multifunctional antibody nanoarray with exceptionally potent activity

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huafei; Sun, Yun; Chen, Di; Zhao, He; Zhao, Mengxin; Zhu, Xiandi; Ke, Changhong; Zhang, Ge; Jiang, Cheng; Zhang, Li; Zhang, Fulei; Wei, Huafeng; Li, Wei

2015-10-01

Simultaneously blocking multiple mediators offers new hope for the treatment of complex diseases. However, the curative potential of current combination therapy by chronological administration of separate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) or multi-specific mAbs is still moderate due to inconvenient manipulation, low cooperative effectors, poor pharmacokinetics and insufficient tumor accumulation. Here, we describe a facile strategy that arms distinct mAbs with cooperative effectors onto a long chain to form a multicomponent comb-like nano mAb. Unlike dissociative parental mAbs, the multifunctional mAb nanoarray (PL-RB) constructed from type I/II anti-CD20 mAbs shows good pharmacokinetics. This PL-RB simultaneously targets distinct epitopes on a single antigen (Ag) and neighboring Ags on different lymphocytes. This unique intra- and intercellular Ag cross-linking endows the multifunctional mAb nanoarray with potent apoptosis activity. The exceptional apoptosis, complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) that are synchronously evoked by the nano PL-RB are further synergistically promoted via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR), which resulted in high intratumor accumulation and excellent anti-lymphoma efficiency.

Chemical Methods to Knock Down the Amyloid Proteins

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Na Gao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Amyloid proteins are closely related with amyloid diseases and do tremendous harm to human health. However, there is still a lack of effective strategies to treat these amyloid diseases, so it is important to develop novel methods. Accelerating the clearance of amyloid proteins is a favorable method for amyloid disease treatment. Recently, chemical methods for protein reduction have been developed and have attracted much attention. In this review, we focus on the latest progress of chemical methods that knock down amyloid proteins, including the proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC strategy, the “recognition-cleavage” strategy, the chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA strategy, the selectively light-activatable organic and inorganic molecules strategy and other chemical strategies.

Olive Component Oleuropein Promotes β-Cell Insulin Secretion and Protects β-Cells from Amylin Amyloid-Induced Cytotoxicity.

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Wu, Ling; Velander, Paul; Liu, Dongmin; Xu, Bin

2017-09-26

Oleuropein, a natural product derived from olive leaves, has reported anti-diabetic functions. However, detailed molecular mechanisms for how it affects β-cell functions remain poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that oleuropein promotes glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in β-cells. The effect is dose-dependent and stimulates the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway. We further demonstrated that oleuropein inhibits the cytotoxicity induced by amylin amyloids, a hallmark feature of type 2 diabetes. We demonstrated that these dual functions are structure-specific: we identified the 3-hydroxytyrosol moiety of oleuropein as the main functional entity responsible for amyloid inhibition, but the novel GSIS function requires the entire structure scaffold of the molecule.

O-Hydroxyl- or o-amino benzylamine-tacrine hybrids: multifunctional biometals chelators, antioxidants, and inhibitors of cholinesterase activity and amyloid-β aggregation.

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Mao, Fei; Huang, Ling; Luo, Zonghua; Liu, Anqiu; Lu, Chuanjun; Xie, Zhiyong; Li, Xingshu

2012-10-01

In an effort to identify novel multifunctional drug candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a series of hybrid molecules were synthesised by reacting N-(aminoalkyl)tacrine with salicylic aldehyde or derivatives of 2-aminobenzaldehyde. These compounds were then evaluated as multifunctional anti-Alzheimer's disease agents. All of the hybrids are potential biometal chelators, and in addition, most of them were better antioxidants and inhibitors of cholinesterases and amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation than the lead compound tacrine. Compound 7c has the potential to be a candidate for AD therapy: it is a much better inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) than tacrine (IC(50): 0.55 nM vs 109 nM), has good biometal chelation ability, is able to inhibit Aβ aggregation and has moderate antioxidant activity (1.22 Trolox equivalents). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perspectives on future Alzheimer therapies: amyloid-β protofibrils - a new target for immunotherapy with BAN2401 in Alzheimer's disease.

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Lannfelt, Lars; Möller, Christer; Basun, Hans; Osswald, Gunilla; Sehlin, Dag; Satlin, Andrew; Logovinsky, Veronika; Gellerfors, Pär

2014-01-01

The symptomatic drugs currently on the market for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have no effect on disease progression, and this creates a large unmet medical need. The type of drug that has developed most rapidly in the last decade is immunotherapy: vaccines and, especially, passive vaccination with monoclonal antibodies. Antibodies are attractive drugs as they can be made highly specific for their target and often with few side effects. Data from recent clinical AD trials indicate that a treatment effect by immunotherapy is possible, providing hope for a new generation of drugs. The first anti-amyloid-beta (anti-Aβ) vaccine developed by Elan, AN1792, was halted in phase 2 because of aseptic meningoencephalitis. However, in a follow-up study, patients with antibody response to the vaccine demonstrated reduced cognitive decline, supporting the hypothesis that Aβ immunotherapy may have clinically relevant effects. Bapineuzumab (Elan/Pfizer Inc./Johnson & Johnson), a monoclonal antibody targeting fibrillar Aβ, was stopped because the desired clinical effect was not seen. Solanezumab (Eli Lilly and Company) was developed to target soluble, monomeric Aβ. In two phase 3 studies, Solanezumab did not meet primary endpoints. When data from the two studies were pooled, a positive pattern emerged, revealing a significant slowing of cognitive decline in the subgroup of mild AD. The Arctic mutation has been shown to specifically increase the formation of soluble Aβ protofibrils, an Aβ species shown to be toxic to neurons and likely to be present in all cases of AD. A monoclonal antibody, mAb158, was developed to target Aβ protofibrils with high selectivity. It has at least a 1,000-fold higher selectivity for protofibrils as compared with monomers of Aβ, thus targeting the toxic species of the peptide. A humanized version of mAb158, BAN2401, has now entered a clinical phase 2b trial in a collaboration between BioArctic Neuroscience and Eisai without the safety concerns seen

Combined Immune Therapy for the Treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis.

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Rebecca J Faleiro

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Chronic disease caused by infections, cancer or autoimmunity can result in profound immune suppression. Immunoregulatory networks are established to prevent tissue damage caused by inflammation. Although these immune checkpoints preserve tissue function, they allow pathogens and tumors to persist, and even expand. Immune checkpoint blockade has recently been successfully employed to treat cancer. This strategy modulates immunoregulatory mechanisms to allow host immune cells to kill or control tumors. However, the utility of this approach for controlling established infections has not been extensively investigated. Here, we examined the potential of modulating glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor-related protein (GITR on T cells to improve anti-parasitic immunity in blood and spleen tissue from visceral leishmaniasis (VL patients infected with Leishmania donovani. We found little effect on parasite growth or parasite-specific IFNγ production. However, this treatment reversed the improved anti-parasitic immunity achieved by IL-10 signaling blockade. Further investigations using an experimental VL model caused by infection of C57BL/6 mice with L. donovani revealed that this negative effect was prominent in the liver, dependent on parasite burden and associated with an accumulation of Th1 cells expressing high levels of KLRG-1. Nevertheless, combined anti-IL-10 and anti-GITR mAb treatment could improve anti-parasitic immunity when used with sub-optimal doses of anti-parasitic drug. However, additional studies with VL patient samples indicated that targeting GITR had no overall benefit over IL-10 signaling blockade alone at improving anti-parasitic immune responses, even with drug treatment cover. These findings identify several important factors that influence the effectiveness of immune modulation, including parasite burden, target tissue and the use of anti-parasitic drug. Critically, these results also highlight potential negative effects of

Serum amyloid A and haptoglobin levels in crossbred cows with endometritis following different therapy

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S. S. Biswal

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: To determine the serum variations of two major acute phase proteins, serum amyloid A (SAA and haptoglobin (Hp levels in crossbred endometritis cows following pre and post immunomodulation therapy. Materials and Methods: 21 endometritis cows were randomly assigned to three groups (n=7 and treated with three different immunomodulators while seven healthy cows served as control. Uterine flushing collected from all animals was subjected to bacteriological study and serum samples were analyzed for SAA and Hp by sandwich ELISA method. Results: Escherichia coli was most prevalent Gram-negative bacteria (6.02 × 106 CFU/ml while Staphylococcus (0.86 × 106 CFU/ml and Streptococcus (0.52 × 106 CFU/ml were most predominant Gram-positive species isolated from uterine flushing. The pre-treatment SAA values (μg/ml varied significantly (p<0.01 between the treatment groups whereas no difference was observed in post-treatment groups. No significant difference (p<0.01 was observed for Hp values between the treatment groups, but the mean SAA (μg/ml and Hp (μg/ml levels were significantly (p<0.01 higher in pre-treatment when compared to post-treatment within the groups. Conclusion: In the diagnosis and monitoring of bovine endometritis, both SAA and Hp might serve as reliable biomarkers.

The future role of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) products in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

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Camussi, G; Lupia, E

1998-05-01

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) is a pleiotropic cytokine which is overproduced in rheumatoid joints primarily by macrophages. This cytokine has a potential pathogenic role in the establishment of rheumatoid synovitis, in the formation of pannus tissue and in the process of joint destruction, as it increases synoviocyte proliferation and triggers a cascade of secondary mediators involved in the recruitment of inflammatory cells, in neo-angiogenesis and in the process of joint destruction. These findings made TNF alpha a potential target for anticytokine therapy. Experimental studies have shown that TNF alpha blockade by monoclonal antibodies or by soluble TNF receptor reduced the extent and severity of arthritis both in collagen-induced arthritis in mice and in transgenic mice overexpressing TNF alpha, which develop a rheumatoid-like destructive arthritis. Clinical studies based on the use of anti-TNF alpha antibodies or soluble receptors have suggested a potential beneficial effect of TNF alpha-blocking therapy in inducing amelioration of inflammatory parameters in patients with long-standing active disease. In these patients anti-TNF alpha therapy induces a rapid improvement in multiple clinical assessment of disease activity, including morning stiffness, pain score, Ritchie articular index and swollen joint count. The clinical benefits are associated with an improvement in some serological parameters, such as C-reactive protein and serum amyloid-A, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, blood cytokine levels, haemoglobin, white cells and platelet counts, rheumatoid factor titre and histological features of the synovium. However, it remains to be determined whether anti-TNF alpha therapy may be useful in the long term management of rheumatoid patients and in the achievement of better outcomes of disease. Because TNF alpha production also serves a specific function in host defence against infections and tumours, the adverse effects of long term anti-TNF alpha

2A4 binds soluble and insoluble light chain aggregates from AL amyloidosis patients and promotes clearance of amyloid deposits by phagocytosis †.

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Renz, Mark; Torres, Ronald; Dolan, Philip J; Tam, Stephen J; Tapia, Jose R; Li, Lauri; Salmans, Joshua R; Barbour, Robin M; Shughrue, Paul J; Nijjar, Tarlochan; Schenk, Dale; Kinney, Gene G; Zago, Wagner

2016-09-01

Amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis is characterized by misfolded light chain (LC) (amyloid) deposition in various peripheral organs, leading to progressive dysfunction and death. There are no regulatory agency-approved treatments for AL amyloidosis, and none of the available standard of care approaches directly targets the LC protein that constitutes the amyloid. NEOD001, currently in late-stage clinical trials, is a conformation-specific, anti-LC antibody designed to specifically target misfolded LC aggregates and promote phagocytic clearance of AL amyloid deposits. The present study demonstrated that the monoclonal antibody 2A4, the murine form of NEOD001, binds to patient-derived soluble and insoluble LC aggregates and induces phagocytic clearance of AL amyloid in vitro. 2A4 specifically labeled all 21 fresh-frozen organ samples studied, which were derived from 10 patients representing both κ and λ LC amyloidosis subtypes. 2A4 immunoreactivity largely overlapped with thioflavin T-positive labeling, and 2A4 bound both soluble and insoluble LC aggregates extracted from patient tissue. Finally, 2A4 induced macrophage engagement and phagocytic clearance of AL amyloid deposits in vitro. These findings provide further evidence that 2A4/NEOD001 can effectively clear and remove human AL-amyloid from tissue and further support the rationale for the evaluation of NEOD001 in patients with AL amyloidosis.

2A4 binds soluble and insoluble light chain aggregates from AL amyloidosis patients and promotes clearance of amyloid deposits by phagocytosis †

Science.gov (United States)

Renz, Mark; Torres, Ronald; Dolan, Philip J.; Tam, Stephen J.; Tapia, Jose R.; Li, Lauri; Salmans, Joshua R.; Barbour, Robin M.; Shughrue, Paul J.; Nijjar, Tarlochan; Schenk, Dale; Kinney, Gene G.; Zago, Wagner

2016-01-01

Abstract Amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis is characterized by misfolded light chain (LC) (amyloid) deposition in various peripheral organs, leading to progressive dysfunction and death. There are no regulatory agency–approved treatments for AL amyloidosis, and none of the available standard of care approaches directly targets the LC protein that constitutes the amyloid. NEOD001, currently in late-stage clinical trials, is a conformation-specific, anti-LC antibody designed to specifically target misfolded LC aggregates and promote phagocytic clearance of AL amyloid deposits. The present study demonstrated that the monoclonal antibody 2A4, the murine form of NEOD001, binds to patient-derived soluble and insoluble LC aggregates and induces phagocytic clearance of AL amyloid in vitro. 2A4 specifically labeled all 21 fresh-frozen organ samples studied, which were derived from 10 patients representing both κ and λ LC amyloidosis subtypes. 2A4 immunoreactivity largely overlapped with thioflavin T–positive labeling, and 2A4 bound both soluble and insoluble LC aggregates extracted from patient tissue. Finally, 2A4 induced macrophage engagement and phagocytic clearance of AL amyloid deposits in vitro. These findings provide further evidence that 2A4/NEOD001 can effectively clear and remove human AL-amyloid from tissue and further support the rationale for the evaluation of NEOD001 in patients with AL amyloidosis. PMID:27494229

Nanomedicine-based combination anticancer therapy between nucleic acids and small-molecular drugs.

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Huang, Wei; Chen, Liqing; Kang, Lin; Jin, Mingji; Sun, Ping; Xin, Xin; Gao, Zhonggao; Bae, You Han

2017-06-01

Anticancer therapy has always been a vital challenge for the development of nanomedicine. Repeated single therapeutic agent may lead to undesirable and severe side effects, unbearable toxicity and multidrug resistance due to complex nature of tumor. Nanomedicine-based combination anticancer therapy can synergistically improve antitumor outcomes through multiple-target therapy, decreasing the dose of each therapeutic agent and reducing side effects. There are versatile combinational anticancer strategies such as chemotherapeutic combination, nucleic acid-based co-delivery, intrinsic sensitive and extrinsic stimulus combinational patterns. Based on these combination strategies, various nanocarriers and drug delivery systems were engineered to carry out the efficient co-delivery of combined therapeutic agents for combination anticancer therapy. This review focused on illustrating nanomedicine-based combination anticancer therapy between nucleic acids and small-molecular drugs for synergistically improving anticancer efficacy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Specific localization and imaging of amyloid deposits in vivo using 123I-labeled serum amyloid P component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawkins, P.N.; Myers, M.J.; Epenetos, A.A.; Caspi, D.; Pepys, M.B.

1988-01-01

Highly specific, high-resolution scintigraphic images of amyloid-laden organs in mice with experimentally induced amyloid A protein (AA) amyloidosis were obtained after intravenous injection of 123 I-labeled serum amyloid P component (SAP). Interestingly, a much higher proportion (up to 40%) of the injected dose of heterologous human SAP localized to amyloid and was retained there than was the case with isologous mouse SAP, indicating that human SAP binds more avidly to mouse AA fibrils than does mouse SAP. Specificity of SAP localization was established by the failure of the related proteins, human C-reactive protein and Limulus C-reactive protein, to deposit significantly in amyloid and by the absence of human SAP deposition in nonamyloidotic organs. However, only partial correlations were observed between the quantity of SAP localized and two independent estimates, histology and RIA for AA of the amount of amyloid in particular organs. It is not clear which of the three methods used reflects better the extent or clinical significance of the amyloid deposits but in vivo localization of radiolabeled SAP, detectable and quantifiable by gamma camera imaging, is apparently extremely sensitive. These findings establish the use of labeled SAP as a noninvasive in vivo diagnostic probe in experimental amyloidosis, potentially capable of revealing the natural history of the condition, and suggest that it may also be applicable generally as a specific targeting agent for diagnostic and even therapeutic purposes in clinical amyloidosis

Regorafenib: Antitumor Activity upon Mono and Combination Therapy in Preclinical Pediatric Malignancy Models.

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Daudigeos-Dubus, Estelle; Le Dret, Ludivine; Lanvers-Kaminsky, Claudia; Bawa, Olivia; Opolon, Paule; Vievard, Albane; Villa, Irène; Pagès, Mélanie; Bosq, Jacques; Vassal, Gilles; Zopf, Dieter; Geoerger, Birgit

2015-01-01

The multikinase inhibitor regorafenib (BAY 73-4506) exerts both anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic activity in adult solid malignancies mainly advanced colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. We intended to explore preclinically the potential of regorafenib against solid pediatric malignancies alone and in combination with anticancer agents to guide the pediatric development plan. In vitro effects on cell proliferation were screened against 33 solid tumor cell lines of the Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer (ITCC) panel covering five pediatric solid malignancies. Regorafenib inhibited cell proliferation with a mean half maximal growth inhibition of 12.5 μmol/L (range 0.7 μmol/L to 28 μmol/L). In vivo, regorafenib was evaluated alone at 10 or 30 mg/kg/d or in combination with radiation, irinotecan or the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor refametinib against various tumor types, including patient-derived brain tumor models with an amplified platelet-derived growth factor receptor A (PDGFRA) gene. Regorafenib alone significantly inhibited tumor growth in all xenografts derived from nervous system and connective tissue tumors. Enhanced effects were observed when regorafenib was combined with irradiation and irinotecan against PDGFRA amplified IGRG93 glioma and IGRM57 medulloblastoma respectively, resulting in 100% tumor regressions. Antitumor activity was associated with decreased tumor vascularization, inhibition of PDGFR signaling, and induction of apoptotic cell death. Our work demonstrates that regorafenib exhibits significant antitumor activity in a wide spectrum of preclinical pediatric models through inhibition of angiogenesis and induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, radio- and chemosensitizing effects were observed with DNA damaging agents in PDGFR amplified tumors.

Risks and safety of combination therapy for hypothyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonklaas, Jacqueline

2016-08-01

Hypothyroidism is currently a condition that can be treated, but not cured. Although levothyroxine reverses stigmata of hypothyroidism in most individuals, some patients feel dissatisfied with 'monotherapy', and this has stimulated interest in 'combination therapy' with both levothyroxine and liothyronine. A search of PubMed was conducted using terms including hypothyroidism, treatment, benefits, risks, and safety. Based on the articles identified, the body of evidence regarding the efficacy of traditional levothyroxine is reviewed. Concerns with levothyroxine therapy including impaired quality of life in treated patients, thyroxine-predominant hormone ratios, and inadvertent iatrogenic thyroid disease are discussed. The trials of combination therapy performed since 1999 were reviewed. The heterogeneity of these trials, both in terms of design and results, is discussed. The potential for new trials to determine whether combination therapy can reverse the dissatisfaction associated with monotherapy, while avoiding non-physiologic hormone ratios, inadvertent thyrotoxicosis, and unacceptable side effects is discussed. Expert commentary: Research regarding which therapy fully reverses hypothyroidism at a tissue and cellular level is ongoing. The field would be advanced by the development of an extended release preparation of liothyronine. In the future regeneration of functional thyroid follicles from stem cells may offer hope for curing hypothyroidism.

Inhibition of amyloid oligomerization into different supramolecular architectures by small molecules: mechanistic insights and design rules.

Science.gov (United States)

Brahmachari, Sayanti; Paul, Ashim; Segal, Daniel; Gazit, Ehud

2017-05-01

Protein misfolding and aggregation have been associated with several human disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, as well as senile systemic amyloidosis and Type II diabetes. However, there is no current disease-modifying therapy available for the treatment of these disorders. In spite of extensive academic, pharmaceutical, medicinal and clinical research, a complete mechanistic model for this family of diseases is still lacking. In this review, we primarily discuss the different types of small molecular entities which have been used for the inhibition of the aggregation process of different amyloidogenic proteins under diseased conditions. These include small peptides, polyphenols, inositols, quinones and their derivatives, and metal chelator molecules. In recent years, these groups of molecules have been extensively studied using in vitro, in vivo and computational models to understand their mechanism of action and common structural features underlying the process of inhibition. A salient feature found to be instrumental in the process of inhibition is the balance between the aromatic unit that functions as the amyloid recognition unit and the hydrophilic amyloid breaker unit. The establishment of structure-function relationship for amyloid-modifying therapies by the various functional entities should serve as an important step toward the development of efficient therapeutics.

Treatment of malaria from monotherapy to artemisinin-based combination therapy by health professionals in urban health facilities in Yaoundé, central province, Cameroon

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Bley Daniel

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background After adoption of artesunate-amodiaquine (AS/AQ as first-line therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria by the malaria control programme, this study was designed to assess the availability of anti-malarial drugs, treatment practices and acceptability of the new protocol by health professionals, in the urban health facilities and drugstores of Yaoundé city, Cameroon. Methods Between April and August 2005, retrospective and current information was collected by consulting registers and interviewing health practitioners in urban health facilities using a structured questionnaire. Results In 2005, twenty-seven trade-named drugs have been identified in drugstores; quinine tablets (300 mg were the most affordable anti-malarial drugs. Chloroquine was restricted to food market places and no generic artemisinin derivative was available in public health centres. In public health facilities, 13.6% of health professionals were informed about the new guidelines; 73.5% supported the use of AS-AQ as first-line therapy. However, 38.6% apprehended its use due to adverse events attributed to amodiaquine. Malaria treatment was mainly based on the diagnosis of fever. Quinine (300 mg tablets was the most commonly prescribed first-line anti-malarial drug in adults (44.5% and pregnant women (52.5%. Artequin® was the most cited artemsinin-based combination therapy (ACT (9.9%. Medical sales representatives were the main sources of information on anti-malarials. Conclusion The use of AS/AQ was not implemented in 2005 in Yaoundé, despite the wide range of anti-malarials and trade-named artemisinin derivatives available. Nevertheless, medical practitioners will support the use of this combination, when it is available in a paediatric formulation, at an affordable price. Training, information and participation of health professionals in decision-making is one of the key elements to improve adherence to new protocol guidelines. This baseline

Dissociation between brain amyloid deposition and metabolism in early mild cognitive impairment.

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Liyong Wu

inferior parietal cortices, as compared to LMCI.The present results indicate that brain metabolism remains normal despite the presence of significant amyloid accumulation in EMCI. These results suggest a role for anti-amyloid interventions in EMCI aiming to delay or halt the deposition of amyloid and related metabolism impairment.

Risk of post-operative complications associated with anti-TNF therapy in inflammatory bowel disease

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tauseef Ali; Laura Yun; David T Rubin

2012-01-01

There have been increasing concerns regarding the safety of perioperative antitumour necrosis factor (antiTNF) α agents. We performed a literature review to evaluate the postoperative complications associated with perioperative antiTNF use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. A comprehensive review was performed with a literature search utilizing Pub Med, Cochrane, OVID and EMBASE databases according to published guidelines. To date, there are only data for infliximab. There are three published studies which have assessed postoperative complications with perioperative infliximab use in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), four studies in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and one study on both CD and UC patients. Two out of the three studies in CD patients showed no increased postoperative complications associated with perioperative infliximab. Two out of four studies in UC patients also did not show an increase in postoperative complications, and the combined study with CD and UC patients did not show an increased risk as well. Study differences in study designs, patient population and definition of their endpoints. There appears to be a risk of postoperative complications associated with TNF therapy in some patients. Based on these data, careful patient selection and prospective data collection should be performed.

Tackling amyloidogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease with A2V variants of Amyloid-β

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Di Fede, Giuseppe; Catania, Marcella; Maderna, Emanuela; Morbin, Michela; Moda, Fabio; Colombo, Laura; Rossi, Alessandro; Cagnotto, Alfredo; Virgilio, Tommaso; Palamara, Luisa; Ruggerone, Margherita; Giaccone, Giorgio; Campagnani, Ilaria; Costanza, Massimo; Pedotti, Rosetta; Salvalaglio, Matteo; Salmona, Mario; Tagliavini, Fabrizio

2016-01-01

We developed a novel therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exploiting the properties of a natural variant of Amyloid-β (Aβ) carrying the A2V substitution, which protects heterozygous carriers from AD by its ability to interact with wild-type Aβ, hindering conformational changes and assembly thereof. As prototypic compound we designed a six-mer mutated peptide (Aβ1-6A2V), linked to the HIV-related TAT protein, which is widely used for brain delivery and cell membrane penetration of drugs. The resulting molecule [Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D)] revealed strong anti-amyloidogenic effects in vitro and protected human neuroblastoma cells from Aβ toxicity. Preclinical studies in AD mouse models showed that short-term treatment with Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D) inhibits Aβ aggregation and cerebral amyloid deposition, but a long treatment schedule unexpectedly increases amyloid burden, although preventing cognitive deterioration. Our data support the view that the AβA2V-based strategy can be successfully used for the development of treatments for AD, as suggested by the natural protection against the disease in human A2V heterozygous carriers. The undesirable outcome of the prolonged treatment with Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D) was likely due to the TAT intrinsic attitude to increase Aβ production, avidly bind amyloid and boost its seeding activity, warning against the use of the TAT carrier in the design of AD therapeutics. PMID:26864599

Ameliorating Amyloid-β Fibrils Triggered Inflammation via Curcumin-Loaded Polymeric Nanoconstructs

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Andrea Ameruoso

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Inflammation is a common hallmark in several diseases, including atherosclerosis, cancer, obesity, and neurodegeneration. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD, growing evidence directly correlates neuronal damage with inflammation of myeloid brain cells, such as microglia. Here, polymeric nanoparticles were engineered and characterized for the delivery of anti-inflammatory molecules to macrophages stimulated via direct incubation with amyloid-β fibers. 200 nm spherical polymeric nanoconstructs (SPNs and 1,000 nm discoidal polymeric nanoconstructs (DPNs were synthesized using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA, polyethylene glycol (PEG, and lipid chains as building blocks. First, the internalization propensity in macrophages of both nanoparticles was assessed via cytofluorimetric and confocal microscopy analyses, demonstrating that SPNs are by far more rapidly taken up as compared to DPNs (99.6 ± 0.11 vs 14.4 ± 0.06%, within 24 h. Then, Curcumin-loaded SPNs (Curc-SPNs were realized by encapsulating Curcumin, a natural anti-inflammatory molecule, within the PLGA core of SPNs. Finally, Curc-SPNs were shown to diminish up to 6.5-fold the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines—IL-1β; IL-6, and TNF-α—in macrophages stimulated via amyloid-β fibers. Although more sophisticated in vitro models and systematic analyses on the blood–brain barrier permeability are critically needed, these findings hold potential in the development of nanoparticles for modulating inflammation in AD.

Regulation of presynaptic Ca2+, synaptic plasticity and contextual fear conditioning by a N-terminal β-amyloid fragment.

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Lawrence, James L M; Tong, Mei; Alfulaij, Naghum; Sherrin, Tessi; Contarino, Mark; White, Michael M; Bellinger, Frederick P; Todorovic, Cedomir; Nichols, Robert A

2014-10-22

Soluble β-amyloid has been shown to regulate presynaptic Ca(2+) and synaptic plasticity. In particular, picomolar β-amyloid was found to have an agonist-like action on presynaptic nicotinic receptors and to augment long-term potentiation (LTP) in a manner dependent upon nicotinic receptors. Here, we report that a functional N-terminal domain exists within β-amyloid for its agonist-like activity. This sequence corresponds to a N-terminal fragment generated by the combined action of α- and β-secretases, and resident carboxypeptidase. The N-terminal β-amyloid fragment is present in the brains and CSF of healthy adults as well as in Alzheimer's patients. Unlike full-length β-amyloid, the N-terminal β-amyloid fragment is monomeric and nontoxic. In Ca(2+) imaging studies using a model reconstituted rodent neuroblastoma cell line and isolated mouse nerve terminals, the N-terminal β-amyloid fragment proved to be highly potent and more effective than full-length β-amyloid in its agonist-like action on nicotinic receptors. In addition, the N-terminal β-amyloid fragment augmented theta burst-induced post-tetanic potentiation and LTP in mouse hippocampal slices. The N-terminal fragment also rescued LTP inhibited by elevated levels of full-length β-amyloid. Contextual fear conditioning was also strongly augmented following bilateral injection of N-terminal β-amyloid fragment into the dorsal hippocampi of intact mice. The fragment-induced augmentation of fear conditioning was attenuated by coadministration of nicotinic antagonist. The activity of the N-terminal β-amyloid fragment appears to reside largely in a sequence surrounding a putative metal binding site, YEVHHQ. These findings suggest that the N-terminal β-amyloid fragment may serve as a potent and effective endogenous neuromodulator. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3414210-09$15.00/0.

Is there really no benefit to combination therapy with colistin?

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Pogue, Jason M; Kaye, Keith S

2013-09-01

Despite many theoretical and in vitro advantages, clinical data comparing combination therapy with colistin + rifampicin to colistin alone for infection due to extremely-drug resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumanni are scarce and limited by small numbers and/or low quality evidence. This article represents the first large, randomized, controlled, prospective study comparing colistin monotherapy and combination therapy. The reviewed article found no difference in all cause or infection related mortality, though there was an improved rate of microbiological clearance in the combination therapy arm. This study adds important new data to the literature and sets the stage for future studies that can be designed to overcome the limitations of this study, which are discussed in detail below. Based on this study, we cannot say definitively that combination therapy is not warranted for treatment of invasive infection due to A. baumannii, but the results do suggest that rifampicin is not an ideal agent to be combined with colistin.

Endogenous MCM7 microRNA cluster as a novel platform to multiplex small interfering and nucleolar RNAs for combinational HIV-1 gene therapy.

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Chung, Janet; Zhang, Jane; Li, Haitang; Ouellet, Dominique L; DiGiusto, David L; Rossi, John J

2012-11-01

Combinational therapy with small RNA inhibitory agents against multiple viral targets allows efficient inhibition of viral production by controlling gene expression at critical time points. Here we explore combinations of different classes of therapeutic anti-HIV-1 RNAs expressed from within the context of an intronic MCM7 (minichromosome maintenance complex component-7) platform that naturally harbors 3 microRNAs (miRNAs). We replaced the endogenous miRNAs with anti-HIV small RNAs, including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting HIV-1 tat and rev messages that function to induce post-transcriptional gene silencing by the RNA interference pathway, a nucleolar-localizing RNA ribozyme that targets the conserved U5 region of HIV-1 transcripts for degradation, and finally nucleolar trans-activation response (TAR) and Rev-binding element (RBE) RNA decoys designed to sequester HIV-1 Tat and Rev proteins inside the nucleolus. We demonstrate the versatility of the MCM7 platform in expressing and efficiently processing the siRNAs as miRNA mimics along with nucleolar small RNAs. Furthermore, three of the combinatorial constructs tested potently suppressed viral replication during a 1-month HIV challenge, with greater than 5-log inhibition compared with untransduced, HIV-1-infected CEM T lymphocytes. One of the most effective constructs contains an anti-HIV siRNA combined with a nucleolar-localizing U5 ribozyme and TAR decoy. This represents the first efficacious example of combining Drosha-processed siRNAs with small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein (snoRNP)-processed nucleolar RNA chimeras from a single intron platform for effective inhibition of viral replication. Moreover, we demonstrated enrichment/selection for cells expressing levels of the antiviral RNAs that provide optimal inhibition under the selective pressure of HIV. The combinations of si/snoRNAs represent a new paradigm for combinatorial RNA-based gene therapy applications.

Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kosicka, Iga

2014-01-01

Diabetes mellitus type II is a metabolic disease affecting millions of people worldwide. The disease is associated with occurence of insoluble, fibrillar, protein aggregates in islets of Langerhans in the pancreas - islet amyloid. The main constituent of these protein fibers is the human islet...... of diabetes type II, while revealing the structure(s) of islet amyloid fibrils is necessary for potential design of therapeutic agents....

Function-blocking antibodies to human vascular adhesion protein-1: a potential anti-inflammatory therapy.

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Kirton, Christopher M; Laukkanen, Marja-Leena; Nieminen, Antti; Merinen, Marika; Stolen, Craig M; Armour, Kathryn; Smith, David J; Salmi, Marko; Jalkanen, Sirpa; Clark, Michael R

2005-11-01

Human vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is a homodimeric 170-kDa sialoglycoprotein that is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and functions as a semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase and as an adhesion molecule. Blockade of VAP-1 has been shown to reduce leukocyte adhesion and transmigration in in vivo and in vitro models, suggesting that VAP-1 is a potential target for anti-inflammatory therapy. In this study we have constructed mouse-human chimeric antibodies by genetic engineering in order to circumvent the potential problems involved in using murine antibodies in man. Our chimeric anti-VAP-1 antibodies, which were designed to lack Fc-dependent effector functions, bound specifically to cell surface-expressed recombinant human VAP-1 and recognized VAP-1 in different cell types in tonsil. Furthermore, the chimeric antibodies prevented leukocyte adhesion and transmigration in vitro and in vivo. Hence, these chimeric antibodies have the potential to be used as a new anti-inflammatory therapy.

[Antibody therapy for Alzheimer's disease].

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Tabira, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Shin-Ei; Jin, Haifeng

2011-11-01

In order to avoid Abeta-induced autoimmune encephalitis, several monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are in clinical trials. These are bapineuzumab, solanezumab, ponezumab, gantenerumab, BAN2401, gammaguard and octagam. Since each antibody has a different antigen epitope of Abeta, anti-amyloid activities are different. It is unknown which antibody is effective for Alzheimer disease, and we must wait for the result of clinical trials. Some patients who developed tissue amyloid plaque immuno-reactive (TAPIR) antibody showed slower decline after AN-1792 vaccination. We developed TAPIR-like monoclonal antibody, which was found to react with Abeta oligomers preferentially.

Strong transthyretin immunostaining: potential pitfall in cardiac amyloid typing.

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Satoskar, Anjali A; Efebera, Yvonne; Hasan, Ayesha; Brodsky, Sergey; Nadasdy, Gyongyi; Dogan, Ahmet; Nadasdy, Tibor

2011-11-01

Although systemic amyloidosis commonly presents with renal disease, cardiac involvement usually determines the patient's prognosis. Cardiac involvement is seen in light chain amyloid and transthyretin amyloidosis. Distinguishing between these two is critical because prognosis and treatment differ. Our study demonstrates the unreliability of transthyretin immunostaining in subtyping cardiac amyloid. Between January 2003 and August 2010, we retrieved 229 native endomyocardial biopsies, of which 24 had amyloid. Immunohistochemistry for κ, λ, transthyretin, and serum amyloid A protein was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. Staining was graded as weak (trace to 1+) or strong (2 to 3+). Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic typing of microdissected amyloid material was performed on selected cases. Fifteen patients had monoclonal gammopathy/plasma cell dyscrasia with cardiac amyloid. Eight of them (53%) showed strong transthyretin staining in the cardiac amyloid deposits. MS was performed in 5 of these 8 biopsies, and all 5 biopsies revealed light chain amyloid-type amyloid. Two of these 5 light chain amyloid biopsies did not even have concomitant strong staining for the appropriate light chain. Among the 15 cases with plasma cell dyscrasia, only 7 biopsies showed strong staining for the corresponding monoclonal light chain. Strong, false-positive immunostaining for transthyretin in cardiac amyloid is a potential pitfall, augmented by the frequent lack of staining for immunoglobulin light chains. Therefore, the presence of amyloid in the cardiac biopsy should prompt a search for plasma cell dyscrasia irrespective of transthyretin staining. Confirmation with MS should be sought, particularly if there is any discrepancy between κ/λ staining and serum immunofixation results.

Evaluation of Amyloid Protective Factors and Alzheimer Disease Neurodegeneration Protective Factors in Elderly Individuals.

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Vemuri, Prashanthi; Knopman, David S; Lesnick, Timothy G; Przybelski, Scott A; Mielke, Michelle M; Graff-Radford, Jonathan; Murray, Melissa E; Roberts, Rosebud O; Vassilaki, Maria; Lowe, Val J; Machulda, Mary M; Jones, David T; Petersen, Ronald C; Jack, Clifford R

2017-06-01

While amyloid and neurodegeneration are viewed together as Alzheimer disease pathophysiology (ADP), the factors that influence amyloid and AD-pattern neurodegeneration may be considerably different. Protection from these ADP factors may be important for aging without significant ADP. To identify the combined and independent protective factors for amyloid and AD-pattern neurodegeneration in a population-based sample and to test the hypothesis that "exceptional agers" with advanced ages do not have significant ADP because they have protective factors for amyloid and neurodegeneration. This cohort study conducted a prospective analysis of 942 elderly individuals (70-≥90 years) with magnetic resonance imaging and Pittsburgh compound B-positron emission tomography scans enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, a longitudinal population-based study of cognitive aging in Olmsted County, Minnesota. We operationalized "exceptional aging" without ADP by considering individuals 85 years or older to be without significant evidence of ADP. We evaluated predictors including demographics, APOE, intellectual enrichment, midlife risk factors (physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia), and the total number of late-life cardiac and metabolic conditions. We used multivariate linear regression models to identify the combined and independent protective factors for amyloid and AD-pattern neurodegeneration. Using a subsample of the cohort 85 years of age or older, we computed Cohen d-based effect size estimations to compare the quantitative strength of each predictor variable in their contribution with exceptional aging without ADP. The study participants included 423 (45%) women and the average age of participants was 79.7 (5.9) years. Apart from demographics and the APOE genotype, only midlife dyslipidemia was associated with amyloid deposition. Obesity, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac and metabolic conditions, but not

Combination therapy of chitosan, gynostemma, and motherwort alleviates the progression of experimental rat chronic renal failure by inhibiting STAT1 activation

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Bai, Wenxia; Wang, Shudong; An, Shanshan; Guo, Mengjie; Gong, Guangming; Liu, Wenya; Ma, Shaoxin; Li, Xin; Fu, Jihua; Yao, Wenbing

2018-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of single and combination therapy using chitosan (K), gynostemma (J), and motherwort (Y) on an experimental rat model of chronic renal failure (CRF) induced by adenine and the underlying mechanisms. CRF rats were treated with individual or combinational therapy with two or three of these agents. Biochemical indicators showed that the levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid decreased and the levels of albumin and hemoglobin increased by single or combination therapy of these drugs. Drug treatment also decreased oxidative stress damage of renal tissues in CRF rats. Histopathological lesions were attenuated in each drug treatment group by various degrees. Additionally, drug treatment affected the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins including plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, collagen I, matrix metalloprotease-1, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1. In particular, the combination therapy of K, J, and Y was superior to the respective monotherapy, which supported the prescription of KJY combination. We further studied the inhibitory effect of KJY on LPS-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages. The results showed that KJY inhibited LPS-induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines (Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-1 Beta, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10, cyclooxygenase-2 and Tumor necrosis factor-α in RAW264.7 macrophages. Combination therapy of KJY suppressed the protein expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in vivo and in vitro. Further study indicated that KJY inhibited STAT1 activation by down regulating p-STAT1 to exert anti-inflammatory effect and improve renal function in rats with chronic renal failure. PMID:29643988

Manifestações otoneurológicas associadas à terapia anti-retroviral Otoneurological manifestations associated with antiretroviral therapy

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Andrêza Batista Cheloni Vieira

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Ototoxicidade e terapia anti-retroviral parecem estar associadas. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar essa possível correlação. Foram avaliados 779 prontuários médicos de pacientes infectados pelo HIV e regularmente acompanhados, sendo 162 tratados com terapia anti-retroviral e 122 não tratados (controle. Pacientes em tratamento eram mais velhos (média 42 anos, com maior tempo de confirmação sorológica (80 meses e com menor carga viral (p=0,00. CD4+ foi semelhante entre os grupos (P=0,60. No grupo tratado, três (1,8% casos de perda auditiva idiopática e dois (1,3% de perda auditiva relacionada a otosclerose foram observadas e ambas iniciadas após terapia anti-retroviral. Nenhuma diferença estatística relacionada à perda auditiva idiopática foi encontrada entre os grupos. Enquanto estudos descritivos consideram possível ototoxidade associada à terapia anti-retroviral, esse possível efeito adverso não foi relacionado à terapia anti-retroviral neste estudo. Contrariamente, otosclerose poderia estar correlacionada à terapia anti-retroviral. Este assunto merece ser estudado.Ototoxicity and antiretroviral therapy seem to be associated. The aim of this study was to evaluate this possible correlation. Evaluations were carried out on 779 medical records from HIV-infected patients who were being regularly followed up, of whom 162 were being treated with antiretroviral therapy and 122 were untreated (controls. The patients undergoing treatment were older (mean: 42 years, had had serological confirmation for longer times (80 months and had smaller viral loads (P = 0.00. CD4+ was similar between the groups (P = 0.60. In the treated group, three cases (1.8% of idiopathic hearing loss and two (1.3% of otosclerosis-related hearing loss were observed, which both started after antiretroviral therapy. No statistical difference relating to idiopathic hearing loss was found between the groups. While descriptive studies consider possible

Bilateral metachronous periosteal tibial amyloid tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murata, H.; Kusuzaki, Katsuyuki; Hashiguchi, S.; Ueda, Hidetaka; Hirasawa, Yasusuke

2000-01-01

Localized primary periosteal amyloid tumors are extremely rare. A case of bilateral tibial amyloid tumor is presented. A 62-year-old woman initially presented with a painful mass in the anterior aspect of the right leg. There was no evidence of underlying systemic disease, including chronic infection or malignancy. Based on the results of resistance with Congo red staining to treatment with potassium permanganate and positivity for kappa light chain, we classified this particular case as AL-type amyloidosis. The patient noticed a swelling in the opposite leg 2 years later. The second tumor was also an AL-type amyloidoma. Amyloid tumors are generally solitary. This is the first case of bilateral periosteal amyloid tumors of the AL-type occurring in the tibiae. (orig.)

Combined statin-fibrate therapy-induced rhabdomyolysis: Case report

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Jozić Tanja L.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Rhabdomyolysis is a rare, but serious and potentially fatal adverse reaction of the statin application that may be developed in any time of therapy. It is characterized by massive destruction of muscles associated with the large increase of creatine kinase (CK leading to myoglobinuria and potential acute renal failure. Combined statin-fibrate therapy increases the risk of rhabdomyolysis, especially in elderly and diabetic patients. Case report An 81-year-old male was admitted to Coronary Care Unit of the Emergency Center, Clinical Center of Serbia (CCS with the clinical picture and electrocardiogram of the acute anterior wall myocardial infarction complicated with pulmonary edema. Laboratory tests on admission showed higher elevated values of serum creatinine 179 μmol/L and BUN 9.2 mmol/L (eGFR 32 mL/min/1.73m2, CK 309 U/L (on day 2: 3476 U/L and mixed hyperlipidemia (total cholesterol 10.3 mmol/L, HDL 2.26 mmol/L, TG 4.85 mmol/L. The patient was treated with thrombolysis medication therapy (Alteplase, anticoagulant and dual antiplatelet therapy, diuretics, organic nitrates, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE inhibitors, antibiotics, and proton pump inhibitors. During seven days, his therapy included combined pravastatin 20 mg and fenofibrate (160 mg, which was discontinued due to pains and weakness of muscles and significantly elevated CC to 7080 U/L (upper limit 200 U/L, but no significant deterioration of renal function was observed. Discontinuation of therapy resulted in CC level normalization and improvement of clinical condition. Conclusion Combined statin and fibrate therapy requires strict clinical control and monitoring of CK i transaminases. Four-time or higher increase of CK requires discontinuation of therapy. In addition, patients are advised to report immediately any pains in muscles, sensibility, weakness or cramps.

In vivo amyloid-β imaging in the APPPS1-21 transgenic mouse model with a 89Zr- labeled monoclonal antibody.

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Ann-Marie eWaldron

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The accumulation of amyloid-β is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and is a target for molecular imaging probes to aid in diagnosis and disease monitoring. This study evaluated the feasibility of using a radiolabeled monoclonal anti-amyloid-β antibody (JRF/AβN/25 to non-invasively assess amyloid-β burden in aged transgenic mice (APPPS1-21 with μPET imaging.Methods: We investigated the antibody JRF/AβN/25 that binds to full-length Aβ. JRF/AβN/25 was radiolabeled with a [89Zr]-desferal chelate and intravenously injected into 12-13 month aged APPPS1-21 mice and their wild-type (WT controls. Mice underwent in vivo μPET imaging at 2, 4 and 7 days post injection and were sacrificed at the end of each time point to assess brain penetrance, plaque labeling, biodistribution and tracer stability. To confirm imaging specificity we also evaluated brain uptake of a non-amyloid targeting [89Zr]-labeled antibody (Trastuzumab as a negative control, additionally we performed a competitive blocking study with non-radiolabeled Df-Bz-JRF/AβN/25 and finally we assessed the possible confounding effects of blood retention. Results: Voxel-wise analysis of μPET data demonstrated significant [89Zr]-Df-Bz-JRF/AβN/25 retention in APPPS1-21 mice at all time points investigated. With ex vivo measures of radioactivity, significantly higher retention of [89Zr]-Df-Bz-JRF/AβN/25 was found at 4 and 7 day pi in APPPS1-21 mice. Despite the observed genotypic differences, comparisons with immunohistochemistry revealed that in vivo plaque labeling was low. Furthermore, pre-treatment with Df-Bz-JRF/AβN/25 only partially blocked [89Zr]-Df-Bz-JRF/AβN/25 uptake indicative of a high contribution of non-specific binding. Conclusion: Amyloid plaques were detected in vivo with a radiolabeled monoclonal anti-amyloid antibody. The low brain penetrance of the antibodies in addition to non-specific binding prevented an accurate estimation of plaque

Anti-angiogenic Therapy in Patients with Advanced Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: A Systematic Review.

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Chen, Li-Tzong; Oh, Do-Youn; Ryu, Min-Hee; Yeh, Kun-Huei; Yeo, Winnie; Carlesi, Roberto; Cheng, Rebecca; Kim, Jongseok; Orlando, Mauro; Kang, Yoon-Koo

2017-10-01

Despite advancements in therapy for advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers, their prognosis remains dismal. Tumor angiogenesis plays a key role in cancer growth and metastasis, and recent studies indicate that pharmacologic blockade of angiogenesis is a promising approach to therapy. In this systematic review, we summarize current literature on the clinical benefit of anti-angiogenic agents in advanced gastric cancer. We conducted a systematic search of PubMed and conference proceedings including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology, and the European Cancer Congress. Included studies aimed to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-angiogenic agents in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer. Each trial investigated at least one of the following endpoints: overall survival, progression-free survival/time to progression, and/or objective response rate. Our search yielded 139 publications. Forty-two met the predefined inclusion criteria. Included studies reported outcomes with apatinib, axitinib, bevacizumab, orantinib, pazopanib, ramucirumab, regorafenib, sorafenib, sunitinib, telatinib, and vandetanib. Second-line therapy with ramucirumab and third-line therapy with apatinib are the only anti-angiogenic agents so far shown to significantly improve survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Overall, agents that specifically target the vascular endothelial growth factor ligand or receptor have better safety profile compared to multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Use of acid-suppressive therapy before anti-reflux surgery in 2922 patients: a nationwide register-based study in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Lødrup, A; Pottegård, A; Hallas, J; Bytzer, P

2015-07-01

Guidelines recommend that patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease are adequately treated with acid-suppressive therapy before undergoing anti-reflux surgery. Little is known of the use of acid-suppressive drugs before anti-reflux surgery. To determine the use of proton pump inhibitors and H2 -receptor antagonists in the year before anti-reflux surgery. A nationwide retrospective study of all patients aged ≥18 undergoing first-time anti-reflux surgery in Denmark during 2000-2012 using data from three different sources: the Danish National Register of Patients, the Danish National Prescription Register, and the Danish Person Register. The study population thus included 2922 patients (median age: 48 years, 55.7% male). The annual proportion of patients redeeming ≥180 DDD of acid-suppressive therapy increased from 17.0% 5 years before anti-reflux surgery to 64.9% 1 year before. The probability for inadequate dosing 1 year before surgery (reflux surgery, as a high proportion of patients receive inadequate dosing of acid-suppressive therapy prior to the operation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effectiveness of Manual Therapy Combined With Physical Therapy in Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Systematic Review.

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Espí-López, Gemma Victoria; Arnal-Gómez, Anna; Balasch-Bernat, Mercè; Inglés, Marta

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the treatment effectiveness of the combination of manual therapy (MT) with other physical therapy techniques. Systematic searches of scientific literature were undertaken on PubMed and the Cochrane Library (2004-2014). The following terms were used: "patellofemoral pain syndrome," "physical therapy," "manual therapy," and "manipulation." RCTs that studied adults diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) treated by MT and physical therapy approaches were included. The quality of the studies was assessed by the Jadad Scale. Five RCTs with an acceptable methodological quality (Jadad ≥ 3) were selected. The studies indicated that MT combined with physical therapy has some effect on reducing pain and improving function in PFPS, especially when applied on the full kinetic chain and when strengthening hip and knee muscles. The different combinations of MT and physical therapy programs analyzed in this review suggest that giving more emphasis to proximal stabilization and full kinetic chain treatments in PFPS will help better alleviation of symptoms.

Fibril specific, conformation dependent antibodies recognize a generic epitope common to amyloid fibrils and fibrillar oligomers that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers

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Rasool Suhail

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Amyloid-related degenerative diseases are associated with the accumulation of misfolded proteins as amyloid fibrils in tissue. In Alzheimer disease (AD, amyloid accumulates in several distinct types of insoluble plaque deposits, intracellular Aβ and as soluble oligomers and the relationships between these deposits and their pathological significance remains unclear. Conformation dependent antibodies have been reported that specifically recognize distinct assembly states of amyloids, including prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils. Results We immunized rabbits with a morphologically homogeneous population of Aβ42 fibrils. The resulting immune serum (OC specifically recognizes fibrils, but not random coil monomer or prefibrillar oligomers, indicating fibrils display a distinct conformation dependent epitope that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers. The fibril epitope is also displayed by fibrils of other types of amyloids, indicating that the epitope is a generic feature of the polypeptide backbone. The fibril specific antibody also recognizes 100,000 × G soluble fibrillar oligomers ranging in size from dimer to greater than 250 kDa on western blots. The fibrillar oligomers recognized by OC are immunologically distinct from prefibrillar oligomers recognized by A11, even though their sizes overlap broadly, indicating that size is not a reliable indicator of oligomer conformation. The immune response to prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils is not sequence specific and antisera of the same specificity are produced in response to immunization with islet amyloid polypeptide prefibrillar oligomer mimics and fibrils. The fibril specific antibodies stain all types of amyloid deposits in human AD brain. Diffuse amyloid deposits stain intensely with anti-fibril antibody although they are thioflavin S negative, suggesting that they are indeed fibrillar in conformation. OC also stains islet amyloid deposits in transgenic mouse models of type

Significant sE-Selectin levels reduction after 6 months of anti-TNF-α therapy in non-diabetic patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

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Genre, Fernanda; Armesto, Susana; Corrales, Alfonso; López-Mejías, Raquel; Remuzgo-Martínez, Sara; Pina, Trinitario; Ubilla, Begoña; Mijares, Verónica; Martín-Varillas, José Luis; Rueda-Gotor, Javier; Portilla, Virginia; Dierssen-Sotos, Trinidad; González-López, Marcos Antonio; González-Vela, María Del Carmen; Blanco, Ricardo; Llorca, Javier; Hernández, José Luis; González-Gay, Miguel Ángel

2017-12-01

Psoriasis patients have high risk of atherosclerosis, characterized by endothelial dysfunction. We aimed to study the association of the endothelial activation biomarkers monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), soluble (s) E-selectin and P-selectin with disease activity and severity in psoriasis patients treated with anti-TNF-α therapy. Also, to evaluate the relationship of metabolic syndrome features with these biomarkers and the effect of anti-TNF-α therapy on these molecules. Twenty-nine consecutive non-diabetic patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who underwent 6 months of anti-TNF-α-adalimumab therapy were studied. Metabolic and clinical evaluation was performed prior to anti-TNF-α treatment (time 0) and 6 months later. MCP-1, sE-selectin and sP-selectin serum levels were determined by ELISA. Dyslipidemic and obese patients showed higher MCP-1 levels at month 6 from the onset of anti-TNF-α therapy (p = .05 and .01, respectively). sE-selectin positively correlated with pro-inflammatory molecules such as asymmetric dimethylarginine, sP-selectin and resistin at baseline and month 6 (p psoriasis. Adalimumab therapy led to a reduction in sE-selectin levels, supporting the beneficial effect of anti-TNF-α therapy on mechanisms associated with the development of atherosclerosis in psoriasis.