Challenges for precision public health communication in the era of genomic medicine

Although still in the early stages of development, the advent of fast, high-output, and cost-effective next-generation DNA sequencing technology is moving precision medicine into public health. Before this shift toward next-generation sequencing in public health settings, individual patients met geneticists after showing symptoms and through limited family screening. In the new era of precision public health, everyone is a possible participant in genetic sequencing, simply by being born (newborn screening), by donating blood (biobanking), or through population screening. These initiatives are increasingly offered to individuals throughout their life and more individuals are encountering opportunities to use DNA sequencing. This article raises awareness of these growing areas and calls for different models of public engagement and communication about genomics, including screening asymptomatic populations, obtaining consent for unspecified and unforeseen future uses of genomic data, and managing variants of uncertain significance. Given that such communication challenges loom large, established norms of practice in genomic medicine and research should be reconsidered.     

针对目前已注册的上市中成药治疗新型冠状病毒肺炎临床研究分析＊

本研究系统分析了中成药治疗新型冠状病毒肺炎临床研究方案注册信息，以提高相关临床研究设计质量，以及为中成药上市后评价提供参考和建议。对中国临床试验注册中心网站（www.chictr.org.cn）和美国临床试验注册中心网站（clinicaltrials.gov）进行检索，以新型肺炎、COVID-19、中成药等为检索词，检索新型冠状病毒肺炎中成药相关临床研究方案。按照纳排标准筛选临床研究，并提取注册号、研究题目、研究设计及类型、干预措施等数据，采用描述性分析方法对纳入研究的注册信息进行分析。共纳入新型冠状病毒肺炎中成药相关研究方案35个，其中涉及的8种中成药是新冠肺炎诊疗方案（第七版）中所推荐使用的药物。评价的干预措施共涉及23种中成药（如血必净注射液、喜炎平注射液、连花清瘟胶囊/颗粒等）。主要疗效指标以退热时间、疾病痊愈时间/有效率等为主。结果显示：中成药治疗新冠肺炎的临床研究响应快速，目前已注册多个临床研究，包括疾病诊治、预防全过程。但也存在问题，如研究人群不明确、评价指标代表性差等，相关研究设计和实施尚有待优化，以进一步提高临床试验研究的可行性，以期为当前和后续更多的临床研究方案提供参考。     

新型冠状病毒肺炎中医病因与辨治的思考

新型冠状病毒肺炎是感受新型冠状病毒所致,属于中医学“疫病”的范畴,其病因为吴又可提出的“异气”,与六淫不同,具有生物学属性;侵袭人体主要造成气阴损伤,气化失常,湿饮停聚;治疗当以“逐邪为第一要义”,恢复机体平衡状态。     

维吾尔医“库西提”法炮制技术规范化研究及巴豆脂肪油含量测定

目的:评价维吾尔医“各立衣克买提”泥法炮制技术和在这种炮制方法前提下改进的新“库西提”法炮制技术对巴豆中脂肪油的含量测定的影响。方法:利用两种炮制方法炮制生巴豆,按《中国药典》2015年版一部巴豆项下的脂肪油含量测定方法进行测定。结果:采用这两种方法炮制的巴豆根据炮制时间不同脂肪油含量依次递减。结论:采用新“库西提”法炮制技术炮制的巴豆的脂肪油含量明显降低。     

优化新生脉散方治疗心力衰竭的网络药理学机制分析

[目的] 运用网络药理学方法分析优化新生脉散方治疗慢性心力衰竭（CHF）的作用机制。[方法] 基于中药系统药理数据库和分析平台（TCMSP）、BATMAN-TCM及UniProt数据库查询优化新生脉散方药物的主要活性成分与相应靶点，利用GeneCards数据库检索CHF相关靶点，通过OmicShare网站分析并结合Cytoscape-v3.6.0软件构建优化新生脉散方中药-化合物-靶点-疾病网络图，使用DAVID数据库对潜在靶点进行基因功能（GO）及京都基因和基因组百科全书（KEGG）通路富集分析。[结果] 根据类药性（DL）、口服吸收利用度（OB）、参数评分（Scorecutoff）筛选出与CHF相关的潜在化合物85种及靶点89个，其中，化合物有quercetin、luteolin、kaempferol等，靶点包括SCN5A、ADRB2、NOS2等。功能富集分析涉及生物过程、分子功能、细胞组分的GO条目共497个，主要参与调控细胞凋亡、增殖及缺氧、炎症反应等方面，KEGG通路富集得到139条，主要与缺氧诱导因子-1（HIF-1）、磷脂酰肌醇3激酶/蛋白激酶B（PI3K-Akt）、肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）信号通路等有关。[结论] 优化新生脉散方治疗CHF具有多成分、多靶点、多途径的作用，为进一步研究优化新生脉散方治疗CHF的潜在复杂机制提供参考方向。     

Dr PK Sen TAI gold medal oration

The current write-up is for Dr P.K.Sen TAI Gold Medal Oration Award for 2020 conferred to Dr Rupak Singla and delivered on 19 th December 2020. The title chosen for the oration was “Introduction and scale up of new anti-TB drugs in India: role of NITRD.? However, in the oration the role this institute has played for overall scale up of Drug-resistant TB services in India under National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) at different times from the beginning of national TB programme has also been presented. National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases has travelled with our country from beginning of DR-TB care. It demonstrated for the first time use of a Standardized Treatment Regimen with second line drugs for MDR-TB in field conditions. NITRD assisted NTEP for the concept of DST guided treatment. This institute guided NTEP for the management of MDR-TB failure patients with Pre-XDR and XDR-TB. Also, NITRD assisted India for the introduction of newer DR-TB drugs and scale up of newer drugs across the country. The strength of NITRD include clinical expertise, laboratory support and training division. NITRD commitment is strong and will continue to support NTEP for all endeavors in future also.     

Extracapsular extension in oral cavity cancers—predictive factors and impact on recurrence pattern and survival

Extracapsular extension (ECE) has long been considered a poor prognostic factor in oral cavity cancer, the presence of which warrants intensification of adjuvant therapy. This study was done to analyze the survival of patients with ECE who received adjuvant chemoradiation. Patients with pathologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, with a minimum of 2 years of follow-up, who were treated at a tertiary cancer centre in New Delhi, India during the years 2009–2017, were included. On multivariate analysis, ECE was significantly associated with depth of invasion >10 mm and tumour deposit size >5 mm. Among the node-positive group, patients without ECE had a 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) advantage over ECE-positive patients of 7.8% (63.8% vs. 56.0%) and 16.5% (87.2% vs. 70.7%), respectively. For patients with ECE, the hazard ratio for DFS and OS was 1.3 (95% confidence interval 0.97–1.75, P = 0.078) and 2.30 (95% confidence interval 1.35–3.92, P = 0.002), respectively. ECE remains one of the strongest predictors of recurrence and survival in oral cancer patients, and despite aggressive adjuvant therapy, distant recurrence is still significantly high.