Plant‐derived glucose transport inhibitors with potential antitumor activity

Glucose, a key nutrient utilized by human cells to provide cellular energy and a carbon source for biomass synthesis, is internalized in cells via glucose transporters that regulate glucose homeostasis throughout the human body. Glucose transporters have been used as important targets for the discovery of new drugs to treat cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, owing to their abnormal expression during these disease conditions. Thus far, several glucose transport inhibitors have been used in clinical trials, and increasing numbers of natural products have been characterized as potential anticancer agents targeting glucose transport. The present review focuses on natural product glucose transport inhibitors of plant origin, including alkaloids, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds, and isoprenoids, with their potential antitumor properties also discussed.     

Complicated migraine and migraine variants.

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2002;6:233-239.
This article reviews the less frequently encountered varieties of migraine. It is suggested that these disorders be approached by evaluating possible underlying etiologies before positively diagnosing migraine. This decreases the likelihood of "missing" structural or metabolic disorders. The classification, diagnostic evaluation, differential diagnosis, and treatment options of these disorders is reviewed and a selection of references appended for additional information.
Comment: Dr. Rothner is one of the most prominent pediatric neurology headache specialists in the country, and he sees a variety of atypical presentations of migraine. This is an excellent review of such presentations. SJT     

Below the surface: Parents’ views on the factors that influence treatment adherence in paediatric burn scar management — A qualitative study

Introduction

Parents have a crucial role to play in burn scar management for their children at a time that is extremely stressful for them and their child. Scar management treatments such as pressure garment therapy (PGT) require high levels of adherence. There has been a lack of research into the factors that may influence adherence in paediatric burn scar management. This qualitative research study has investigated parents’ experiences of scar management and their attempts to adhere to treatment at home. The aim of this paper is to outline parents’ views on the factors that influence adherence.

Is the UK NICE “Reference Case” Influencing the Practice of Pediatric Quality-Adjusted Life-Year Measurement within Economic Evaluations?

ObjectivesTo report findings from a systematic review, this article sought to address two related questions. First, how has the practice of UK pediatric cost-utility analyses evolved over time, in particular how are health-related outcomes assessed and valued? Second, how do the methods compare to the limited guidance available, in particular, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reference case(s)?MethodsElectronic searches of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were conducted for the period May 2004 to April 2012 and the Paediatric Economic Database Evaluation database for the period May 2004 to December 2010. Identified studies were screened by three independent reviewers.ResultsForty-three studies were identified, 11 of which elicit utility values through primary research. A discrepancy was identified between the methods used for outcome measurement and valuation and the methods advocated within the NICE reference case. Despite NICE recommending the use of preference-based instruments designed specifically for children, most studies that were identified had used adult measures. In fact, the measurement of quality-adjusted life-years is the aspect of economic evaluation with the greatest amount of variability and the area that most digressed from the NICE reference case.ConclusionsRecommendations stemming from the review are that all studies should specify the age range of childhood and include separate statements of perspective for costs and effects as well as the reallocation of research funding away from systematic review studies toward good quality primary research measuring utilities in children.     

Phytochemicals: A Glimpse into their Structural and Biological Variation

Higher plants have afforded a plethora of structurally varied biologically active secondary metabolite organic molecules, and accordingly have been subjected to wide experimental scrutiny in countries all over the world. In this short review the promise of just one phytochemical group, the flavonoids, will be focused upon. Compounds of this type which have been recently isolated and characterized in this laboratory, with potential use as cancer chemopreventives, cancer chemotherapeutic agents, and sucrose substitutes, will be described.