Limited clinical activity of palbociclib and ribociclib monotherapy in advanced cancers with cyclin D-CDK4/6 pathway alterations in the Dutch DRUP and Australian MoST trials

The Dutch Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP) and the Australian Cancer Molecular Screening and Therapeutic (MoST) Program are similar nonrandomized, multidrug, pan-cancer trial platforms that aim to identify signals of clinical activity of molecularly matched targeted therapies or immunotherapies outside their approved indications. Here, we report results for advanced or metastatic cancer patients with tumors harboring cyclin D-CDK4/6 pathway alterations treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib or ribociclib. We included adult patients that had therapy-refractory solid malignancies with the following alterations: amplifications of CDK4, CDK6, CCND1, CCND2 or CCND3, or complete loss of CDKN2A or SMARCA4. Within MoST, all patients were treated with palbociclib, whereas in DRUP, palbociclib and ribociclib were assigned to different cohorts (defined by tumor type and alteration). The primary endpoint for this combined analysis was clinical benefit, defined as confirmed objective response or stable disease ≥16 weeks. We treated 139 patients with a broad variety of tumor types; 116 with palbociclib and 23 with ribociclib. In 112 evaluable patients, the objective response rate was 0% and clinical benefit rate at 16 weeks was 15%. Median progression-free survival was 4 months (95% CI: 3-5 months), and median overall survival 5 months (95% CI: 4-6 months). In conclusion, only limited clinical activity of palbociclib and ribociclib monotherapy in patients with pretreated cancers harboring cyclin D-CDK4/6 pathway alterations was observed. Our findings indicate that monotherapy use of palbociclib or ribociclib is not recommended and that merging data of two similar precision oncology trials is feasible.     

Quality of life in caregivers of a family member with serious mental illness: Evidence from China

Purpose

To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and social support among family caregivers of a family member with a mental illness and to identify factors associated with the QoL.

国医大师刘柏龄治疗脊髓型颈椎病用药规律探析＊

目的 挖掘、分析国医大师刘柏龄治疗脊髓型颈椎病的用药特点及组方规律。方法 收集120份符合纳入标准的刘柏龄教授治疗脊髓型颈椎病的验案，利用Epidata 3.0软件建立方药数据库，使用IBM SPSS Modeler 18.2软件中基于关联规则的Apriori算法，对处方中的中药及其分类的使用频次、中药之间的应用关系进行分析。结果 纳入处方共涉及中药104味，其中使用频次较高的中药依次为黄芪、当归、附子、丹参、赤芍等，用药以补虚药、活血化瘀药、祛风湿药、平肝息风药为主，辅以解表、温里、化湿等药。在关联规则集中，在支持度20%和置信度90%的情况下分析得到二阶、三阶和四阶关联规则，核心药物群包括黄芪、当归、赤芍、附子、红花、桃仁、鸡血藤、地龙、川芎等。结论 刘柏龄治疗脊髓型颈椎病用药具有补虚祛邪并重的鲜明特点，主要采取益气温里助阳、活血化瘀通络、补肾强骨、祛除风湿之邪的治疗原则。     

Do men with normal testosterone–oestradiol ratios benefit from letrozole for the treatment of male infertility?

Research question

Previous studies of aromatase inhibitors on male infertility have focused on men with low testosterone–oestradiol ratio of less than 10. Can aromatase inhibitors improve spermatogenesis in men with idiopathic male infertility with normal testosterone–oestradiol ratio?

Frequency‐specific changes in the default mode network in patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy

To identify abnormal functional connectivity of the default mode network in cingulate gyrus epilepsy, which may yield new information about the default mode network and suggest a new cingulate gyrus epilepsy biomarker. Fifteen patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy (mean age = 21 years) and 15 healthy controls (mean age = 24 years) were studied in the resting state using magnetoencephalography. Twelve brain areas of interest in the default mode network were extracted and investigated with multifrequency signals that included alpha (α, 8–13 Hz), beta (β, 14–30 Hz), and gamma (γ, 31–80 Hz) band oscillations. Patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy had significantly greater connectivity in all three frequency bands (α, β, γ). A frequency‐specific elevation of functional connectivity was found in patients compared to controls. The greater functional connectivity in the γ band was significantly more prominent than that of the α and β bands. Patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy and controls differed significantly in functional connectivity between the left angular gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex in the α, β, and γ bands. The results of the node degree analysis were similar to those of the functional connectivity analysis. Our findings reveal for the first time that brain activity in the γ band may play a key role in the default mode network in cingulate gyrus epilepsy. Altered functional connectivity of the left angular gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex may be a new biomarker for cingulate gyrus epilepsy.     

Ethyl lactate as a potential green solvent to extract hydrophilic (polar) and lipophilic (non-polar) phytonutrients simultaneously from fruit and vegetable by-products

Phytonutrients extracted from natural resources are receiving much attention among researchers due to their highly antioxidative characteristics which prevent several degenerative diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancers. These nutraceutical compounds can be used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products as natural antioxidants, preservatives, colourants and functional foods. Huge volume of food wastes are generated from the processing industry and these low-value food residues are rich in various phytonutrients worth recovering. This approach of valorisation reduces the generation of food wastes and is cost-effective considering the cheap feedstock, reduced waste management expenses and high market value of extracted compounds. In light of the health and safety risks posed by commonly used organic extraction solvents derived from the petrochemical industry, there is a need to recover the phytonutrients using green, sustainable and efficient solvents that are safe for human consumption. This work discusses ethyl lactate as a safe, green, efficient and potentially cheap solvent to recover phytonutrients from fruit and vegetable by-products. Ethyl lactate is compared with other organic solvents commonly used from the aspects of safety, environmental impacts and efficiency. Current challenges when employing ethyl lactate are also discussed.     

基于“脾主运化”理论探讨肝细胞自噬与脂质代谢的关系＊

脾位于中焦,主运化,为气血生化之源。膏脂由脾运化水谷所生,中土得运,纳运有常,则膏脂可随血循环以濡养五脏六腑及四肢百骸;肝脏是脂质代谢重要的器官,其参与脂质消化、吸收、转运等功能,脾气健运,肝失疏泄,肝脏脂质代谢功能与"脾"运化功能相关。肝细胞自噬是维持肝脏脂质代谢稳态的关键因素之一,自噬功能正常则肝脏脂质代谢趋于平衡。本文基于脾与脂质相关性,从"脾主运化"探讨肝细胞自噬对脂质代谢的影响及机制。