Dronabinol,a cannabinoid agonist,reduces hair pulling in trichotillomania: a pilot study

Rationale  

Trichotillomania is characterized by repetitive pulling causing noticeable hair loss. Pharmacological treatment data for trichotillomania are limited.     

Mitochondrial Antioxidants Alleviate Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress in a Cellular Model of Sepsis

Purpose  

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in sepsis.     

Polymeric Nanoparticles for Increased Oral Bioavailability and Rapid Absorption Using Celecoxib as a Model of a Low-Solubility, High-Permeability Drug

Purpose  

To demonstrate drug/polymer nanoparticles can increase the rate and extent of oral absorption of a low-solubility, high-permeability drug.     

Identification of a LNCaP-Specific Binding Peptide Using Phage Display

Purpose  

To identify a LNCaP-specific peptide using a phage display library and evaluate its potential applications in targeted drug delivery.     

Association between PLA2G12A polymorphism and patients with schizophrenia in a southern Chinese Han population

Background

Elevated phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity is reported to be involved in the development of schizophrenia. Further study revealed an association between PLA2 groups XIIA (PLA2G12A) polymorphism and patients with schizophrenia in a northeast Chinese Han population.

Objective

This study will further examine whether PLA2G12A rs3087494 polymorphism is associated with patients with schizophrenia in a southern Chinese Han population.

Methods

This polymorphism was genotyped in 438 patients with schizophrenia (diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders‐IV) and 876 healthy controls using a case–control design. Demographic and clinical data were collected in all subjects.

Results

The allele and genotype frequencies of PLA2G12A rs3087494 polymorphism significantly differed between groups (both, p < .001). These differences still were significant by adjusting for sex and age. However, there was no difference in age at onset among 3 genotype groups in patients with schizophrenia by adjusting for the variables (F = 0.22, p = .80). Stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed that this polymorphism was not associated with age at onset in patients with schizophrenia (β = .008, t = .07, p = .94).

Conclusions

Our results indicated that even though PLA2G12A rs3087494 polymorphism did not influence age at onset in patients with schizophrenia, it may play an important role in the susceptibility to schizophrenia in a southern Chinese Han population.     

Carboxylate-Dependent Gelation of a Monoclonal Antibody

Purpose  

This paper shows the first ever assembly of monoclonal antibody using multivalent carboxylate ions into highly ordered structures that feature viscoelastic properties reminiscent of other filamentous proteins.     

MR Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer with a Peptide-Targeted Contrast Agent in a Mouse Orthotopic Prostate Cancer Model

Purpose  

To study the effectiveness of a peptide targeted nanoglobular Gd-DOTA complexes for MR molecular imaging of prostate cancer in a mouse orthotopic PC-3 prostate cancer model.     

Lack of effect of sublingual salvinorin A,a naturally occurring kappa opioid,in humans: a placebo-controlled trial

Rationale  

Salvinorin A (SA) is a highly selective kappa opioid receptor agonist and the putative psychoactive compound in Salvia divinorum (SD), an increasingly abused hallucinogenic plant.     

Macitentan: entry-into-humans study with a new endothelin receptor antagonist

Purpose  

To study the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and tolerability of rising single doses of macitentan, an endothelin receptor antagonist, in healthy male subjects.     

Phase Separation of an IgG1 Antibody Solution under a Low Ionic Strength Condition

Purpose  

Phase separation of monoclonal antibody A (MAb A) solution and its relation to protein self-association are studied.     

Rectal Absorption of Vigabatrin,a Substrate of the Proton Coupled Amino Acid Transporter (PAT1, Slc36a1), in Rats

Purpose  

To investigate the rectal absorption of vigabatrin in rats, based on the hypothesis that PAT1 (Slc36a1) is involved.     

Multiple Triphenylphosphonium Cations as a Platform for the Delivery of a Pro-Apoptotic Peptide

Purpose  

Triphenyl phosphonium cations (TPPs) are delocalized lipophilic cations that accumulate in the mitochondria of cells. We have explore the effect of increasing the number of TPPs on delivery of a cell-impermeable pro-apoptotic peptide to intact cells.     

Aggregation Stability of a Monoclonal Antibody During Downstream Processing

Purpose  

To study the effect of several operative parameters, particularly pH and salt concentration, on the stability and aggregation kinetics of IgG solutions under the conditions typically encountered in downstream processing.     

Frozen State Storage Instability of a Monoclonal Antibody: Aggregation as a Consequence of Trehalose Crystallization and Protein Unfolding

Purpose  

To investigate the cause of unexpected and erratic increase in aggregation during long-term storage of an IgG2 monoclonal antibody in a trehalose formulation at −20°C.     

The use of driving impairing medicines: a European survey

Aim  

To analyse the consumption of a number of medicines with a known potential for increasing the risk of road traffic accidents in the general population of Europe.     

Priming a restrained mental set reduces alcohol-seeking independently of mood

Rationale  

Cross-sectional research demonstrates that heavy drinking is associated with elevated impulsivity, including disinhibition. However, causal effects of disinhibition on drinking behaviour are not well established.     

Alterations in tryptophan and purine metabolism in cocaine addiction: a metabolomic study

Background  

Mapping metabolic “signatures” can provide new insights into addictive mechanisms and potentially identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets.     

Multicomponent Amorphous Nanofibers Electrospun from Hot Aqueous Solutions of a Poorly Soluble Drug

Purpose  

To design and fabricate multicomponent amorphous electrospun nanofibers for synergistically improving the dissolution rate and permeation profiles of poorly water-soluble drugs.     

Stability of a Therapeutic Layer of Immobilized Recombinant Human Tropoelastin on a Plasma-Activated Coated Surface

Purpose  

To modify blood-contacting stainless surfaces by covalently coating them with a serum-protease resistant form of tropoelastin (TE). To demonstrate that the modified TE retains an exposed, cell-adhesive C-terminus that persists in the presence of blood plasma proteases.