Biologics : Targets & Therapy

BACKGROUND: Despite significant advancements in the molecular characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), no oncogene addiction has been discovered. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a lot of promise as cancer biomarkers. LINC00152 and UCA1 have shown potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets for human cancers. AIM: To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of serum LINC00152 and UCA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: The expression levels of LINC00152 and UCA1 in blood samples from 120 patients (60 with HCC, 60 with liver cirrhosis) and 40 healthy subjects were assessed using real-time qRT-PCR...

INTRODUCTION: Persistence in drug therapy reflects treatment effectiveness and tolerability. We aim to estimate the persistence of apremilast prescribed to patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to identify characteristics associated with treatment discontinuation in a real-world setting. METHODS: Patients with PsA treated with apremilast from January 2016 were identified from a large health database and followed until medication stop date (using 3-months grace period), death or the end of observation period (June 2021)...

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that is conventionally characterized by the absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), accounting for approximately 15-20% of all breast cancers. Compared to other molecular phenotypes, TNBC is typically associated with high malignancy and poor prognosis. Cytotoxic agents have been the mainstay of treatment for the past few decades due to the lack of definitive targets and limited therapeutic interventions...

BACKGROUND: Global pandemic identified as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a variety of clinical symptoms, from asymptomatic carriers to those with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS) and moderate upper respiratory tract symptoms (URTS). This systematic review aimed to determine effectiveness of stem cell (SC) applications among COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Multiple databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were used...

INTRODUCTION: Taxol (Tx), a microtubule-stabilizing drug, has been widely used as a chemotherapeutic in several types of cancer. However, the development of resistance limited its application. One of the strategies used to prevent the emergence of drug resistance is combination treatment, involving at least two drugs. The aim of the current study was to assess if a new uracil analog, 3- p -bromophenyl-1-ethyl-5-methylidenedihydrouracil (U-359) can prevent the development of Tx resistance in breast cancer cells...

PIK3CA activating mutations are found in 40% of advanced breast cancer and are associated with worse prognosis. PI3K blockage is associated with insulin resistance, leading to hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Alpelisib is the first PI3K inhibitor used in cancer treatment. Laboratory evidence indicated that alpelisib-induced hyperinsulinemia offsets the drug's efficacy, but insulin levels were not tested in the clinical trials that evaluated alpelisib for breast cancer. Hyperglycemia could also interfere with anti-tumor effects of PI3K inhibitors by inducing Immune tolerance and altered mitochondrial metabolism...

Hypereosinophilic dermatitis (HED) is a subtype of hypereosinophilic syndrome. HED is characterized by eosinophilic granulocytes increased in peripheral blood and bone marrow and infiltrated in skin. The clinical manifestations of HED are diffussed by erythema, papule and maculopapule with severe itching. The etiology of HED is unknown. At present, in addition to HED with FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion gene positive, whose treatment is tyrosine kinase inhibitor, other types of HED first-line treatment are oral glucocorticoids, supplemented by antihistamines and immunosuppressants...

Ethiopia is attempting to reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality through a strategic national cancer control plan but according to Globocan 2020, hematologic malignancies particularly leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma rank among the top five leading causes of new cancer incidence and cause of death among all age groups in both sexes. Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is an advanced treatment modality that makes the only effective treatment for cancer and non-cancer-related hematologic diseases unresponsive to conventional therapy...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: The stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) controls many cellular processes, such as migration and differentiation. Cells detect stiffness through adhesion structures termed focal adhesions (FAs). Vinculin, an actin-binding FA protein, plays a pivotal role in FA-mediated mechanotransduction. AIM: This study aimed to explore the role of vinculin in the development of HBV/HCV-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Vinculin levels in a total number of 100 serum samples from patients with HBV/HCV-induced liver cirrhosis and HCC, as well as healthy controls, were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)...

INTRODUCTION: Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia with Misaligned Pulmonary Veins (ACDMPV) is a fatal congenital disease resulting from a pulmonary vascular endothelial deficiency of FOXF1, producing abnormal morphogenesis of alveolar capillaries, malpositioned pulmonary veins and disordered development of lung lobes. Affected neonates suffer from cyanosis, severe breathing insufficiency, pulmonary hypertension, and death typically within days to weeks after birth. Currently, no treatment exists for ACDMPV, although recent murine research in the Kalinichenko lab demonstrates nanoparticle delivery improves survival and reconstitutes normal alveolar-capillary architecture...

PURPOSE: IDH1 and IDH2 are hotspot mutations commonly identified in WHO-grade 4 astrocytomas. Their association with TAMs has never been investigated. We aim to explore the crosstalk between the IDH1/2 mutation metabolic effect and TAMs in tumour microenvironment and how this relationship affects the tumour recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 20 samples of patients with WHO-grade 4 astrocytoma. The alteration hotspot in codon IDH1R132 and IDH2R172 was examined using direct sequencing...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of both cellular and humoral immune responses is central in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenetic mechanisms. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 23 (IL23), and their roles in promoting such dysregulation have recently been highly considered. This research compared IL23 serum levels in 85 Egyptian SLE patients and 85 healthy controls. Then, IL23 level was correlated to various SLE disease parameters, disease activity, and damage indices. RESULTS: IL23 serum levels were significantly elevated in SLE patients versus healthy individuals...

PURPOSE: To assess, in a cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with subcutaneous antitumor necrosis factor drugs (anti-TNFs), the levels of treatment adherence before and after implementing a comprehensive care model (CCM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: An observational study including RA patients under treatment with subcutaneous anti-TNFs (adalimumab, etanercept, and golimumab) selected at convenience was performed; a sample size of 125 patients was calculated...

Purpose: A high cardiovascular risk has been described in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); the effects of different biological agents have also been described in these patients. The aim of the present study is to examine the effects of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in the lipoprotein profile of RA patients using a broad laboratory assessment including a large number of non-routine tests. Patients and Methods: RA patients treated with and without TNFi (70 patients in each group) were cross-sectionally compared regarding a broad spectrum of lipoprotein parameters including serum levels of total and HDL, LDL and VLDL cholesterol triglycerides, lipoprotein A (LpA), apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A), B100 (Apo B) and paroxonase...

Phage therapy is one of the alternatives to treat infections caused by both antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with no or low toxicity to patients. It was started a century ago, although rapidly growing bacterial antimicrobial resistance, resulting in high levels of morbidity, mortality, and financial cost, has initiated the revival of phage therapy. It involves the use of live lytic, bioengineered, phage-encoded biological products, in combination with chemical antibiotics to treat bacterial infections...

Biosimilars are biological products that efficiently replicate the function of the originator products. They have changed the prognosis of millions of patients with many serious conditions. The main engine beyond their development is to bring competition into the marketplace, accordingly further the healthcare systems' sustainability. Furthermore, by lowering financial obstacles to biological treatments, biosimilars play a critical role in budgetary redistribution and, hence, promote better allocation of scarce healthcare resources...

Huntington's disease is a devastating heritable neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the presence of a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene, leading to a polyglutamine tract in the protein. Various mechanisms lead to the production of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments, which are reportedly more toxic than the full-length protein. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the production and toxicity of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments. Further, we expand on various therapeutic strategies targeting N-terminal Huntingtin on the protein, RNA and DNA level...

Inflammatory bowel diseases are considered immune disorders with a complex genetic architecture involving constantly changing endogenous and exogenous factors. The rapid evolution of genomic technologies and the emergence of newly discovered molecular actors are compelling the research community to reevaluate the knowledge and molecular processes. The human intestinal tract contains intestinal human microbiota consisting of commensal, pathogenic, and symbiotic strains leading to immune responses that can contribute and lead to both systemic and intestinal disorders including IBD...