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1.
Andrology ; 10(4): 669-676, 2022 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34994093

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Male hypogonadism (testosterone level < 300 ng/dl) is a clinical syndrome that results from failure of the testis to produce physiological levels of testosterone. Most marketed testosterone replacement therapy products often require multiple dose adjustment clinic visits to achieve the desired, eugonadal testosterone levels. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel oral testosterone undecanoate therapy for the treatment of hypogonadism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety-five (N = 95) hypogonadal men were enrolled in this open-label, single-arm, multicenter study in the United States (NCT03242590). Subjects received 225 mg of oral testosterone undecanoate (TLANDO) twice a day for 24 days without dose adjustment. Primary efficacy was percentages of subjects who achieved mean 24-h testosterone levels within the eugonadal range and secondary efficacies were evaluated based on the upper limit of lab normal range of testosterone concentration. RESULTS: Subjects enrolled were on average age of 56 years, with about 17% of subjects older than 65 years. The mean body mass index was 32.8 kg/m2 . The baseline mean total testosterone values were below the normal range (202 ± 74 ng/dl). Post-treatment with 450 mg testosterone undecanoate daily dose without dose adjustment, 80% of subjects (95% confidence interval of 72%-88%) achieved a testosterone Cavg in the normal range and restored testosterone levels to mean testosterone Cavg of 476 ± 184 ng/dl at steady state. Testosterone restoration was comparable to other approved testosterone replacement therapy products. TLANDO was well tolerated with no deaths, no drug-related serious adverse events, and no hepatic adverse events. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: TLANDO restored testosterone levels to the normal range in the majority of hypogonadal males. This new oral testosterone replacement therapy can provide an option for no-titration oral testosterone replacement therapy. This therapy has the potential to improve patient compliance in testosterone replacement therapy.


Subject(s)
Eunuchism , Hypogonadism , Eunuchism/drug therapy , Hormone Replacement Therapy/adverse effects , Humans , Hypogonadism/drug therapy , Hypogonadism/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Testosterone/therapeutic use , Testosterone Congeners
2.
Transplant Cell Ther ; 27(1): 67.e1-67.e7, 2021 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32980547

ABSTRACT

Outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are influenced by comorbidities, disease type, and status at transplantation. Several prognostic scores can be used, such as the disease risk index (DRI) or the hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI). Recently, a new prognostic tool, the disease risk comorbidity index (DRCI), combining the DRI and the HCT-CI, was published. The DRCI determines 6 patient groups (very low risk [VLR], low risk [LR], intermediate risk 1 [IR-1], intermediate risk 2 [IR-2], high risk [HiR], and very high risk [VHR]) with a significant predictive value for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), relapse incidence (RI), and graft-versus-host disease-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS). However, the DRCI has not been evaluated for patients allografted with partially in vitro T cell depleted (pTDEP) grafts. In our center, we offer pTDEP to reduce graft-versus-host disease for patients in complete remission at transplant time. In this retrospective study, we investigated the DRCI in 404 adult patients (including 37.6% pTDEP) undergoing a first HSCT for hematological malignancies from 2008 to 2018. Because of the small number of patients in LR, VLR and LR were combined for analysis. In the entire cohort, 2-year OS was 84.4% (95% CI, 71.6% to 97.2%) for LR, 61.6% (54.8% to 68.4%) for IR-1, 45.7% (33.3% to 58.1%) for IR-2, 31% (19.4% to 42.6%) for HiR, and 30.9% (14.5% to 47.3%) for VHR (P < .001). In addition, the DRCI was predictive of DFS, RI, and GRFS but not of nonrelapsed mortality and graft-versus-host disease. Our study confirms similar results with the original publication but gives less accurate prognosis information than the DRI and HCT-CI when used separately. In conclusion, the DRCI does not seem to offer more relevant information than the DRI and HCT-CI to help physicians and patients for the HSCT decision.


Subject(s)
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , T-Lymphocytes , Adult , Comorbidity , Humans , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Retrospective Studies
4.
Oncotarget ; 10(60): 6494-6508, 2019 Nov 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31741713

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Mammography is the gold standard for early breast cancer detection, but shows important limitations. Blood-based approaches on basis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) provide minimally invasive screening tools to characterize epigenetic alterations of tumor suppressor genes and could serve as a liquid biopsy, complementing mammography. METHODS: Potential biomarkers were identified from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), using HumanMethylation450-BeadChip data. Promoter methylation status was evaluated quantitatively by pyrosequencing in a serum test cohort (n = 103), a serum validation cohort (n = 368) and a plasma cohort (n = 125). RESULTS: SPAG6, NKX2-6 and PER1 were identified as novel biomarker candidates. ITIH5 was included on basis of our previous work. In the serum test cohort, a panel of SPAG6 and ITIH5 showed 63% sensitivity for DCIS and 51% sensitivity for early invasive tumor (pT1, pN0) detection at 80% specificity. The serum validation cohort revealed 50% sensitivity for DCIS detection on basis of NKX2-6 and ITIH5. Furthermore, an inverse correlation between methylation frequency and cfDNA concentration was uncovered. Therefore, markers were tested in a plasma cohort, achieving a 64% sensitivity for breast cancer detection using SPAG6, PER1 and ITIH5. CONCLUSIONS: Although liquid biopsy remains challenging, a combination of SPAG6, NKX2-6, ITIH5 and PER1 (SNiPER) provides a promising tool for blood-based breast cancer detection.

5.
Rev Med Suisse ; 15(670): 2032-2038, 2019 Nov 06.
Article in French | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31696678

ABSTRACT

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the third most common hematological cancer. MM is a proliferation of plasma cells Its incidence increases from 1 per 100 000 at 40 years to 40 per 100 000 at 80 years. Today, there are many treatment strategies for MM that go from simple care to self-transplantation. Choosing the most appropriate treatment can be challenging in geriatric patients. This population is heterogeneous and therapeutic decisions shouldn't be based on an age limit. Therefore, geriatric assessment is essential to help the clinician choose the best therapeutic strategy and assess the patient's specific needs.


Le myélome multiple (MM) est le troisième cancer hématologique le plus fréquent. Le MM est une prolifération de plasmocytes. Son incidence passe de moins de 1 pour 100 000 à 40 ans, à 40 pour 100 000 à 80 ans. Aujourd'hui, il existe de nombreuses lignes de traitement pour le MM, qui vont de simples soins d'accompagnement à l'autogreffe. La décision quant à la meilleure thérapie peut s'avérer délicate au sein de la population gériatrique. En effet, cette population est hétérogène et il est risqué de baser la décision thérapeutique sur une limite d'âge. L'évaluation gériatrique est donc fondamentale, car elle permet de catégoriser le patient afin d'aider le clinicien à choisir la meilleure stratégie thérapeutique et d'évaluer les besoins spécifiques du patient.


Subject(s)
Geriatric Assessment , Multiple Myeloma/therapy , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Clinical Decision-Making , Humans
6.
J Pharm Biomed Anal ; 176: 112810, 2019 Nov 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31430626

ABSTRACT

Current anti-doping testing is primarily conducted in urine and blood. Recently, due to confounding factors with urine and blood collections such as invasiveness, cost, and stringent shipping conditions, there has been a push for the use of alternative sample matrices to ameliorate these issues. Gaining support within the anti-doping field is the use of oral fluid, and more recently exhaled breath, as viable alternative or complementary matrices to traditional urine and blood for drug testing. Thus, we designed a first-in-field study with the purpose of investigating the utility of oral fluid and exhaled breath testing, and the preference of athlete participants, comparative to conventional anti-doping methods of urine testing. To accomplish this, 521 total matched samples, consisting of exhaled breath, oral fluid, and urine samples, were collected and analyzed, and the results compared across matrices. Participants in this study preferred the exhaled breath collection (rated 4.90 ±â€¯0.34 out of 5, mean ±â€¯SD) over the oral fluid collection procedure (4.29 ±â€¯0.85), and most preferred both over urine collections. Exhaled breath resulted in the shortest collection time (2.58 ±â€¯1.00 min, mean ±â€¯SD), followed by urine (3.08 ±â€¯1.50 min), and finally oral fluid (4.14 ±â€¯1.94 min). Prohibited substances from the drug categories of stimulants, narcotics, cannabinoids, diuretics, glucocorticoids, beta-blockers, and others, were analyzed in this study for a comparison of testing efficacy. Of the total findings 49% were detectable in only urine, 38% in urine + oral fluid, and 9% in all three matrices. Of the unique findings 3% were detectable in only oral fluid, 1% in oral fluid + breath, and 0% of unique findings were present only in exhaled breath. The findings from this study provide a strong foundation for the future use of oral fluid and exhaled breath as viable alternative or complementary matrices for in-competition anti-doping testing.


Subject(s)
Body Fluids/chemistry , Doping in Sports/prevention & control , Performance-Enhancing Substances/analysis , Substance Abuse Detection/methods , Athletes , Breath Tests/methods , Humans , Mouth , Patient Preference , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods , Time Factors
7.
Rev Med Suisse ; 15(651): 1002-1006, 2019 May 15.
Article in French | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31091032

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of cancer is increasing, with an estimated number of new cases of 21.6 million worldwide by 2030. Progress in cancer therapies has turned it into a chronic disease. Physical exercise is essential both for the general population and for oncology patients. Practicing exercise reduces the risk of developing certain cancer types and, in oncologic patients, it can reduce symptoms secondary to the disease and to treatment as well as decrease the risk of relapsing. Encouraging adapted physical exercise to every oncologic patient is therefore essential (or crucial). It is recommended to practice regular physical activity equivalent to 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of high intensity activity per week.


La prévalence du cancer est en augmentation avec 21,6 millions de nouveaux cas dans le monde d'ici 2030. L'évolution des traitements permet de faire du cancer une maladie chronique. L'activité physique est une question essentielle à la fois au sein de la population générale, mais également pour les patients oncologiques. La pratique d'une activité physique permet de diminuer le risque de survenue de certains cancers mais également, pour les patients oncologiques, de réduire les symptômes liés à la maladie et aux traitements et le risque de récidive. Favoriser une activité physique adaptée pour chaque patient oncologique est donc fondamental. Les recommandations préconisent une activité physique régulière correspondant à 150 minutes d'activité d'intensité modérée ou 75 minutes d'activité d'intensité élevée par semaine.


Subject(s)
Chronic Disease , Exercise , Humans , Physicians , Prevalence , Recurrence
8.
Virchows Arch ; 473(2): 183-188, 2018 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29705969

ABSTRACT

The assessment of nodal metastases in gynecological surgical specimen is an important staging parameter, directing further therapeutic procedures. Since the number of lymph nodes (LNs) removed is seen as an indicator of surgical and pathological quality, the demand for higher lymph node (LN) counts is raising. The goal of this prospective study was the comparison between lymph node counts of macroscopically detectable LNs and the LN yield by complete embedding and proceeding of all submitted LN-containing tissue in the pathology laboratory. One hundred six cases of cervical, uterine, or ovarian cancer, treated in three different hospitals within 3 years, were analyzed. All tissue submitted to the pathology from the surgically performed LN dissections was completely dissected and embedded in the institute of pathology. Subsequently, the amount of LN of all macroscopically detectable nodes was compared to the final histologically reached numbers of LN. Furthermore the histologically visible area of the LNs and their metastases was analyzed to assess the relation of LN numbers to the whole examined LN area. Complete embedding raises the average number of LN counted by 3 to 7 but did only minimally increase the LN area for microscopical examination by about 5% due to the small area of the additional LNs in the remaining fat tissue. The staging was in no case altered by complete embedding, even when additional nodal metastases were detected in the remaining fat tissue, since this was only seen in cases which had already metastatic nodes. Complete embedding of LN-containing tissue did not provide relevant additional staging information and seems therefore unnecessarily laborious, careful pathological work-up assumed.


Subject(s)
Genital Neoplasms, Female/diagnosis , Lymph Node Excision/methods , Lymphatic Metastasis/diagnosis , Neoplasm Staging/methods , Pathology, Surgical/methods , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Paraffin Embedding , Prospective Studies
9.
J Phys Chem B ; 122(14): 3864-3875, 2018 04 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29519125

ABSTRACT

The oncogenic gene product Bcr-Abl is the principal cause of chronic myeloid leukemia, and although several therapies exist to curb the aberrant kinase activity of Bcr-Abl through targeting of the Abl kinase domain, these therapies are rendered ineffective by frequent mutations in the corresponding gene. It has been demonstrated that a designed protein, known as CCmut3, is able to produce a dominant negative inactivating effect on Bcr-Abl kinase by preferentially oligomerizing with the N-terminal coiled-coil oligomerization domain of Bcr-Abl (Bcr-CC) to effectively reduce the oncogenic potential of Bcr-Abl. However, the sheer length of the CCmut3 peptide introduces a high degree of conformational variability and opportunity for targeting by intracellular proteolytic mechanisms. Here, we have examined the effects of introducing one or two molecular staples, or cross-links, spanning i, i + 7 backbone residues of the CCmut3 construct, which have been suggested to reinforce α-helical conformation, enhance cellular internalization, and increase resistance to proteolytic degradation, leading to enhanced pharmacokinetic properties. The importance of optimizing staple location along a highly tuned biological construct such as CCmut3 has been widely emphasized and, as such, we have employed in silico techniques to swiftly build, relax, and characterize a large number of candidates. This approach effectively allowed exploring each and every possible staple location along the peptide backbone so that every possible candidate is considered. Although many of the stapled candidate peptides displayed enhanced binding characteristics for Bcr-CC and improved conformational stability in the (Bcr-CC) bound form, simulations of the stapled peptides in the unbound form revealed widespread conformational variability among stapled candidates dependent on staple type and location, implicating the molecular replacement of helix-stabilizing residues with staple-containing residues in disrupting the native α-helical conformation of CCmut3, further highlighting a need for careful optimization of the CCmut3 construct. A candidate set has been assembled, which retains the native backbone α-helical integrity in both the bound and unbound forms while providing enhanced binding affinity for the Bcr-CC target, as research disseminated in this manuscript is intended to guide the development of a next-generation CCmut3 inhibitor peptide in an experimental setting.


Subject(s)
Drug Design , Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Peptides/therapeutic use , Humans , Molecular Conformation , Peptides/chemical synthesis , Peptides/chemistry
10.
PM R ; 10(7): 748-757, 2018 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29407227

ABSTRACT

Corticosteroid injections are commonly used in the treatment of disorders of the large joints. This review assimilates the available literature on corticosteroid injections into the glenohumeral joint, subacromial space, hip joint, and knee joint. A systematic method to review available literature revealed 84 articles that fit the inclusion criteria. For each injection location, four items were examined: overall efficacy of injection, superior type of steroid, superior dose of steroid, and superior volume of injectate. Most research demonstrates positive short-term outcomes in pain and function for corticosteroid injections of the large joints. Methylprednisolone and triamcinolone seem similar in efficacy, with minor differences seen in specific studies. Larger doses may last longer, but need to be balanced with the systemic effects from higher doses. Volume has not been studied extensively. Due to heterogeneity in study types, subject populations, and outcomes, it is not possible to identify a single defining trend for a superior type, dose, or volume of steroid. Future prospective studies examining these factors may better reveal the optimum regimen for each injection location. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.


Subject(s)
Arthralgia/drug therapy , Glucocorticoids/administration & dosage , Pain Measurement/methods , Arthralgia/diagnosis , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Humans , Injections, Intra-Articular , Treatment Outcome
11.
Chemistry ; 23(29): 7087-7092, 2017 May 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28345248

ABSTRACT

The application of thiol-yne/thiol-ene reactions to synthesize mono- and bicyclic-stapled peptides and proteins is reported. First, a thiol-ene-based peptide-stapling method in aqueous conditions was developed. This method enabled the efficient stapling of recombinantly expressed coil-coiled proteins. The resulting stapled protein demonstrated higher stability in its secondary structure than the unstapled version. Furthermore, a thiol-yne coupling was performed by using an α,ω-diyne to react with two cysteine residues to synthesize a stapled peptide with two vinyl sulfide groups. The stapled peptide could further react with another biscysteine peptide to yield a bicyclic stapled peptide with enhanced properties. For example, the cell permeability of a stapled peptide was further increased by appending an oligoarginine cell-penetrating peptide. The robustness and versatility of thiol-yne/thiol-ene reactions that can be applied to both synthetic and expressed peptides and proteins were demonstrated.


Subject(s)
Cell-Penetrating Peptides/chemistry , Sulfhydryl Compounds/chemistry , Sulfides/chemistry , Amino Acid Sequence , Chromatography, Gel , Cyclization , Cysteine/chemistry , Protein Structure, Secondary
12.
J. vasc. bras ; 15(2): 158-164, ilus
Article in English, Portuguese | LILACS | ID: lil-787529

ABSTRACT

O tumor de corpo carotídeo é uma neoplasia rara, geralmente benigna, que acomete, sobretudo, indivíduos entre a quarta e a quinta décadas de vida. Manifesta-se pela presença de massa cervical consistente localizada abaixo do ângulo da mandíbula, pulsátil e comumente indolor. Pode evoluir para dor local, disfagia, soluços, rouquidão e síndrome do corpo carotídeo hipersensível. Este artigo relata os casos de duas pacientes diagnosticadas com essa neoplasia e submetidas ao tratamento cirúrgico. A primeira foi submetida a uma ressecção em bloco do tumor, enquanto a segunda, com estadiamento mais precoce, foi tratada com uma ressecção subadventicial da lesão.


A carotid body tumor is a rare neoplasm, generally benign, that predominantly affects people between their fourth and fifth decades of life. It manifests as a pulsatile and generally painless cervical mass with firm consistency, located below the angle of the jaw. It can progress to the extent that it causes localized pain, dysphagia, hiccups, hoarseness and hypersensitive carotid body syndrome. This article reports the cases of two female patients diagnosed with this tumor who were treated surgically. The first was treated with block resection of the tumor, while the second patient, who had an early stage tumor, was treated with subadventitial resection of the lesion.


Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adult , Aged , Paraganglioma , Paraganglioma/diagnosis , Paraganglioma/rehabilitation , Paraganglioma/therapy , Angiography , Echocardiography, Doppler , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Clinical Laboratory Techniques
13.
J Control Release ; 240: 38-51, 2016 10 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26482081

ABSTRACT

Mitochondria are organelles that have pivotal functions in producing the energy necessary for life and executing the cell death pathway. Targeting drugs and macromolecules to the mitochondria may provide an effective means of inducing cell death for cancer therapy, and has been actively pursued in the last decade. This review will provide a brief overview of mitochondrial structure and function, how it relates to cancer, and importantly, will discuss different strategies of mitochondrial delivery including delivery using small molecules, peptides, genes encoding proteins and MTSs, and targeting polymers/nanoparticles with payloads to the mitochondria. The advantages and disadvantages for each strategy will be discussed. Specific examples using the latest strategies for mitochondrial targeting will be evaluated, as well as potential opportunities for specific mitochondrial compartment localization, which may lead to improvements in mitochondrial therapeutics. Future perspectives in mitochondrial targeting of drugs and macromolecules will be discussed. Currently this is an under-explored area that is prime for new discoveries in cancer therapeutics.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Drug Delivery Systems/methods , Mitochondria/drug effects , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Pharmaceutical Preparations/administration & dosage , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/metabolism , Humans , Macromolecular Substances/administration & dosage , Macromolecular Substances/metabolism , Mitochondria/genetics , Mitochondria/metabolism , Neoplasms/genetics , Neoplasms/metabolism , Pharmaceutical Preparations/metabolism
15.
Mol Pharm ; 12(5): 1412-21, 2015 May 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25858426

ABSTRACT

The oncoprotein Bcr-Abl is the cause of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).1 Current therapies target the tyrosine kinase domain of Bcr-Abl, but resistance to these drugs is common.2 Bcr-Abl homo-oligomerization via its N-terminal coiled-coil (CC) domain is required for tyrosine kinase activity.3 Our previous work has shown that it is possible to inhibit Bcr-Abl activity by targeting the CC domain with a peptidomemetic known as CC(mut3), delivered as a plasmid.4 In this study, CC(mut3) is delivered to cells as a protein by utilizing a leukemia-specific cell-penetrating peptide (CPP).5 Here, recombinant CPP-CC(mut3) was expressed, purified, and tested for its antioncogenic activity. CPP-CC(mut3) was able to enter two leukemic cell lines (K562 and Ba/F3-P210) and inhibit Bcr-Abl activity as shown by induction of necrosis/apoptosis via 7-AAD/Annexin V staining, reduction of oncogenic potential in colony forming assays, reduction of cell proliferation, and inhibition of Bcr-Abl phosphorylation (kinase activity). Further, CPP-CC(mut3) did not enter nonleukemic cell lines (HEK293 and MCF-7). While CPP-CC(mut3) was able to enter the parental, nonleukemic Bcr-Abl(-) Ba/F3 pro-B cell line, it revealed no signs of activity in the assays performed, as expected. These results indicate the feasibility of using CPP-CC(mut3) as a therapeutic against CML.


Subject(s)
Cell-Penetrating Peptides/pharmacology , Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism , Annexin A5/metabolism , Apoptosis/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Cell-Penetrating Peptides/chemistry , Enzyme Activation/drug effects , HEK293 Cells , Humans , K562 Cells , Necrosis/chemically induced , Phosphorylation/drug effects , Protein Structure, Tertiary , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization , Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
16.
Biologics ; 8: 243-54, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25349473

ABSTRACT

In 2012, ponatinib (Iclusig(®)), an orally available pan-BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) developed by ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in resistant or intolerant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+)ALL). Ponatinib is the only approved TKI capable of inhibiting BCR-ABL with the gatekeeper T315I kinase domain mutation, known to be the cause for 20% of resistant or relapsed CML cases. In 2013, ponatinib sales were temporarily suspended due to serious side effects seen in nearly 12% of the patient population. These side effects are thought to stem from the potent nature and pan-activity of this TKI. ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has since been permitted to resume sales and marketing of ponatinib to a limited patient population with an expanded black box warning. In the following review, the use of ponatinib in CML and Ph(+)ALL will be discussed. Mechanisms of resistance in CML are discussed, which provide insight and background into the need for this third generation TKI, followed by the molecular design and pharmacology of ponatinib, which lead to its success as a therapeutic. Finally, the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ponatinib will be highlighted, including summaries of the important clinical trials involving ponatinib as well as its current place in therapy.

17.
Ther Deliv ; 4(11): 1443-67, 2013 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24228993

ABSTRACT

While the peptide and protein therapeutic market has developed significantly in the past decades, delivery has limited their use. Although oral delivery is preferred, most are currently delivered intravenously or subcutaneously due to degradation and limited absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, absorption enhancers, enzyme inhibitors, carrier systems and stability enhancers are being studied to facilitate oral peptide delivery. Additionally, transdermal peptide delivery avoids the issues of the gastrointestinal tract, but also faces absorption limitations. Due to proteases, opsonization and agglutination, free peptides are not systemically stable without modifications. This review discusses oral and transdermal peptide drug delivery, focusing on barriers and solutions to absorption and stability issues. Methods to increase systemic stability and site-specific delivery are also discussed.

18.
J Perinat Med ; 40(3): 287-96, 2012 Jan 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22505508

ABSTRACT

AIM: Small for gestational age neonates (SGA) could be subdivided into two groups according to the underlying causes leading to low birth weight. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a pathologic condition with diminished growth velocity and fetal compromised well-being, while non-growth restricted SGA neonates are constitutionally (genetically determined) small. Antenatal sonographic measurements are used to differentiate these two subgroups. Maternal metabolic changes contribute to the pathogenesis of IUGR. A disturbed lipid metabolism and cholesterol supply might affect the fetus, with consequences for fetal programming of cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated fetal serum lipids and hypothesized a more atherogenic lipoprotein profile in IUGR fetuses. METHODS: Umbilical cord serum lipids and oxidative modified, low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) concentrations were measured by colorimetric enzymatic measurements, or by ELISA. Values of IUGR (n=36) and constitutionally small for gestational age neonates (SGA, n=22) were compared with those of healthy, adequate for gestational age, born neonates (CN, n=97). SAS-statistic software was used and two-way ANOVA was adjusted for gestational age at delivery. RESULTS: Fetal high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) concentrations were found to be lower in the IUGR compared to the CN and SGA groups (HDL-C: P<0.001, TC: P<0.01). Atherogenic indices, including the oxLDL/LDL-C ratio, were increased in the IUGR compared to the CN group (oxLDL/LDL-C ratio: P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results support the hypothesis of a disturbed cholesterol supply in IUGR fetuses. Born SGA has been shown to be a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Since HDL-C has anti-inflammatory properties, a reduced HDL-C during fetal development, and an increase in atherogenic indices, might provide a link to this observation in IUGR fetuses.


Subject(s)
Fetal Blood/metabolism , Fetal Growth Retardation/blood , Lipids/blood , Adult , Atherosclerosis/blood , Atherosclerosis/etiology , Case-Control Studies , Cholesterol/blood , Cholesterol, HDL/blood , Cholesterol, LDL/blood , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn/blood , Infant, Small for Gestational Age/blood , Lipoproteins, LDL/blood , Male , Pre-Eclampsia/blood , Pregnancy/blood , Reference Values , Risk Factors , Triglycerides/blood
20.
Mol Pharm ; 9(1): 187-95, 2012 01 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22136227

ABSTRACT

The oncoprotein Bcr-Abl drives aberrant downstream activity through trans-autophosphorylation of homo-oligomers in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).(1, 2) The formation of Bcr-Abl oligomers is achieved through the coiled-coil domain at the N-terminus of Bcr.(3, 4) We have previously reported a modified version of this coiled-coil domain, CCmut2, which exhibits disruption of Bcr-Abl oligomeric complexes and results in decreased proliferation of CML cells and induction of apoptosis.(5) A major contributing factor to these enhanced capabilities is the destabilization of the CCmut2 homodimers, increasing the availability to interact with and inhibit Bcr-Abl. Here, we included an additional mutation (K39E) that could in turn further destabilize the mutant homodimer. Incorporation of this modification into CCmut2 (C38A, S41R, L45D, E48R, Q60E) generated what we termed CCmut3, and resulted in further improvements in the binding properties with the wild-type coiled-coil domain representative of Bcr-Abl [corrected]. A separate construct containing one revert mutation, CCmut4, did not demonstrate improved oligomeric properties and indicated the importance of the L45D mutation. CCmut3 demonstrated improved oligomerization via a two-hybrid assay as well as through colocalization studies, in addition to showing similar biologic activity as CCmut2. The improved binding between CCmut3 and the Bcr-Abl coiled-coil may be used to redirect Bcr-Abl to alternative subcellular locations with interesting therapeutic implications.


Subject(s)
Apoptosis , Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism , Genetic Therapy , Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/therapy , Peptide Fragments/metabolism , Protein Engineering , Amino Acid Substitution , Animals , COS Cells , Cell Proliferation , Chlorocebus aethiops , Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/chemistry , Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics , Humans , K562 Cells , Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism , Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/pathology , Models, Molecular , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Mutagenesis, Site-Directed , Mutant Proteins/chemistry , Mutant Proteins/genetics , Mutant Proteins/metabolism , Peptide Fragments/chemistry , Peptide Fragments/genetics , Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs , Protein Stability , Protein Transport , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism , Two-Hybrid System Techniques
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