Modified Version of Baby-Led Weaning Does Not Result in Lower Zinc Intake or Status in Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Little is known about zinc intakes and status during complementary feeding. This is particularly true for baby-led approaches, which encourage infants to feed themselves from the start of complementary feeding, although self-feeding may restrict the intake of zinc-rich foods.

Arguments Used in Public Comments to Support or Oppose the US Department of Agriculture’s Minimum Stocking Requirements: A Content Analysis

Background

In 2016, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Retailer Rule proposed several changes for SNAP-authorized retailers, including: requiring retailers to have at least 85% of their food sales come from items that are not cooked or heated on site before or after purchase; requiring stores to stock seven varieties of qualifying foods from four staple food groups; requiring stores to carry perishable foods in three of the four staple groups; requiring stores to carry six units of qualifying foods at all times (depth of stock); disqualifying multiple ingredient foods and accessory foods from counting toward depth of stock requirements.

Translating Mechanism-Based Strategies to Break the Obesity−Cancer Link: A Narrative Review

Prevalence of obesity, an established risk factor for many cancers, has increased dramatically over the past 50 years in the United States and across the globe. Relative to normoweight cancer patients, obese cancer patients often have poorer prognoses, resistance to chemotherapies, and are more likely to develop distant metastases. Recent progress on elucidating the mechanisms underlying the obesity?cancer connection suggests that obesity exerts pleomorphic effects on pathways related to tumor development and progression and, thus, there are multiple opportunities for primary prevention and treatment of obesity-related cancers. Obesity-associated alterations, including systemic metabolism, adipose inflammation, growth factor signaling, and angiogenesis, are emerging as primary drivers of obesity-associated cancer development and progression. These obesity-associated host factors interact with the intrinsic molecular characteristics of cancer cells, facilitating several of the hallmarks of cancer. Each is considered in the context of potential preventive and therapeutic strategies to reduce the burden of obesity-related cancers. In addition, this review focuses on emerging mechanisms behind the obesity?cancer link, as well as relevant dietary interventions, including calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, low-fat diet, and ketogenic diet, that are being implemented in preclinical and clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of reducing incidence and progression of obesity-related cancers.     

A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling Approach to Predict Drug-Drug Interactions of Buprenorphine After Subcutaneous Administration of CAM2038 With Perpetrators of CYP3A4

CAM2038, FluidCrystal injection depot, is an extended release formulation of buprenorphine given subcutaneously every 1 week (Q1W) or every 4 weeks (Q4W). The purpose of this research was to predict the magnitude of drug-drug interaction (DDI) after coadministration of a strong CYP3A4 inducer or inhibitor using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. A PBPK model was developed for CAM2038 based on the previously published buprenorphine PBPK model after intravenous and sublingual administration and the PK profiles after subcutaneous administration of CAM2038 from 2 phase I clinical trials. The strong CYP3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole was predicted to increase the buprenorphine exposure by 35% for the Q1W formulation and 34% for Q4W formulation, respectively. Also, the strong CYP3A4 inducer rifampin was predicted to decrease the buprenorphine exposure by 26% for both the Q1W and Q4W formulations. The results provided insight into the potential DDI effect for CAM2038 and suggested a lack of clinically meaningful DDI when CAM2038 is coadministered with CYP3A4 inhibitor or inducer. Therefore, no dose adjustment is required when CAM2038 is coadministered with CYP3A4 perpetrators.     

Coformulation of Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies 3BNC117 and PGT121: Analytical Challenges During Preformulation Characterization and Storage Stability Studies

In this study, we investigated analytical challenges associated with the formulation of 2 anti-HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), 3BNC117 and PGT121, both separately at 100 mg/mL and together at 50 mg/mL each. The bnAb formulations were characterized for relative solubility and conformational stability followed by accelerated and real-time stability studies. Although the bnAbs were stable during 4°C storage, incubation at 40°C differentiated their stability profiles. Specific concentration-dependent aggregation rates at 30°C and 40°C were measured by size exclusion chromatography for the individual bnAbs with the mixture showing intermediate behavior. Interestingly, although the relative ratio of the 2 bnAbs remained constant at 4°C, the ratio of 3BNC117 to PGT121 increased in the dimer that formed during storage at 40°C. A mass spectrometry-based multiattribute method, identified and quantified differences in modifications of the Fab regions for each bnAb within the mixture including clipping, oxidation, deamidation, and isomerization sites. Each bnAb showed slight differences in the levels and sites of lysine residue glycations. Together, these data demonstrate the ability to differentiate degradation products from individual antibodies within the bnAb mixture, and that degradation rates are influenced not only by the individual bnAb concentrations but also by the mixture concentration.     

Intradermal Delivery of a Near-Infrared Photosensitizer Using Dissolving Microneedle Arrays

Nodular basal cell carcinoma is a deep skin lesion and one of the most common cancers. Conventional photodynamic therapy is limited to treatment of superficial skin lesions. The parenteral administration of near-IR preformed photosensitizers suffers from poor selectivity and may result in prolonged skin photosensitivity. Microneedles (MNs) can provide localized drug delivery to skin lesions. Intradermal delivery of the preformed near-IR photosensitizer; 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,6-difluoro-3-N-methylsulfamoylphenyl bacteriochlorin (Redaporfin?) using dissolving MN was successful in vitro and in vivo. MN demonstrated complete dissolution 30 min after skin application and showed sufficient mechanical strength to penetrate the skin to a depth of 450 μm. In vitro deposition studies illustrated that the drug was delivered and detected down to 5 mm in skin. In vivo biodistribution studies in athymic nude mice Crl:NU(NCr)-Foxn1^nu showed both fast initial release and localized drug delivery. The MN-treated mice showed a progressive decrease in the fluorescence intensity at the application site over the 7-day experiment period, with the highest and lowest fluorescence intensities measured being 9.2 × 10¹⁰ ± 2.5 × 10¹⁰ and 3.8 × 10⁹ ± 1.6 × 10⁹ p/s, respectively. By day 7, there was some migration of fluorescence away from the site of initial MN application. However, the majority of the body surfaces showed fluorescence levels that were comparable to those seen in the negative control group. This work suggests utility for polymeric MN arrays in minimally invasive intradermal delivery to enhance photodynamic therapy of deep skin lesions.     

Impact of Glycosylation on the Local Backbone Flexibility of Well-Defined IgG1-Fc Glycoforms Using Hydrogen Exchange-Mass Spectrometry

We have used hydrogen exchange–mass spectrometry to characterize local backbone flexibility of 4 well-defined IgG1-Fc glycoforms expressed and purified from Pichia pastoris, 2 of which were prepared using subsequent in vitro enzymatic treatments. Progressively decreasing the size of the N-linked N297 oligosaccharide from high mannose (Man8-Man12), to Man5, to GlcNAc, to nonglycosylated N297Q resulted in progressive increases in backbone flexibility. Comparison of these results with recently published physicochemical stability and Fcγ receptor binding data with the same set of glycoproteins provide improved insights into correlations between glycan structure and these pharmaceutical properties. Flexibility significantly increased upon glycan truncation in 2 potential aggregation-prone regions. In addition, a correlation was established between increased local backbone flexibility and increased deamidation at asparagine 315. Interestingly, the opposite trend was observed for oxidation of tryptophan 277 where faster oxidation correlated with decreased local backbone flexibility. Finally, a trend of increasing C'E glycopeptide loop flexibility with decreasing glycan size was observed that correlates with their FcγRIIIa receptor binding properties. These well-defined IgG1-Fc glycoforms serve as a useful model system to identify physicochemical stability and local backbone flexibility data sets potentially discriminating between various IgG glycoforms for potential applicability to future comparability or biosimilarity assessments.     

Effect of correcting for gestational age at birth on population prevalence of early childhood undernutrition

Background

Postmenstrual and/or gestational age-corrected age (CA) is required to apply child growth standards to children born preterm (< 37 weeks gestational age). Yet, CA is rarely used in epidemiologic studies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which may bias population estimates of childhood undernutrition. To evaluate the effect of accounting for GA in the application of growth standards, we used GA-specific standards at birth (INTERGROWTH-21st newborn size standards) in conjunction with CA for preterm-born children in the application of World Health Organization Child Growth Standards postnatally (referred to as ‘CA’ strategy) versus postnatal age for all children, to estimate mean length-for-age (LAZ) and weight-for-age (WAZ) z scores at 0, 3, 12, 24, and 48-months of age in the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort.

Results

At birth (n = 4066), mean LAZ was higher and the prevalence of stunting (LAZ < ?2) was lower using CA versus postnatal age (mean ± SD): ? 0.36 ± 1.19 versus ? 0.67 ± 1.32; and 8.3 versus 11.6%, respectively. Odds ratio (OR) and population attributable risk (PAR) of stunting due to preterm birth were attenuated and changed inferences using CA versus postnatal age at birth [OR, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32 (95% CI 0.95, 1.82) vs 14.7 (95% CI 11.7, 18.4); PAR 3.1 vs 42.9%]; differences in inferences persisted at 3-months. At 12, 24, and 48-months, preterm birth was associated with stunting, but ORs/PARs remained attenuated using CA compared to postnatal age. Findings were similar for weight-for-age z scores.

Conclusions

Population-based epidemiologic studies in LMICs in which GA is unused or unavailable may overestimate the prevalence of early childhood undernutrition and inflate the fraction of undernutrition attributable to preterm birth.