Drug discovery strategies for acute radiation syndrome

Introduction: There are at the minimum two major, quite different approaches to advance drug discovery. The first being the target-based drug discovery (TBDD) approach that is commonly referred to as the molecular approach. The second approach is the phenotype-based drug discovery (PBDD), also known as physiology-based drug discovery or empirical approach.

Area covered: The authors discuss, herein, the need for developing radiation countermeasure agents for various sub-syndromes of acute radiation syndromes (ARS) following TBDD and PBDD approaches. With time and continuous advances in radiation countermeasure drug development research, the expectation is to have multiple radiation countermeasure agents for each sub-syndrome made available to radiation exposed victims.

Expert opinion: The majority of the countermeasures currently being developed for ARS employ the PBDD approach, while the TBDD approach is clearly under-utilized. In the future, an improved drug development strategy might be a ‘hybrid’ strategy that is more reliant on TBDD for the initial drug discovery via large-scale screening of potential candidate agents, while utilizing PBDD for secondary screening of those candidates, followed by tertiary analytics phase in order to pinpoint efficacious candidates that target the specific sub-syndromes of ARS.     

Development and function of tissue resident macrophages in mice

Macrophages are important for tissue development, homeostasis as well as immune response upon injury or infection. For a long time they were only seen as one uniform group of phagocytes with a common origin and similar functions. However, this view has been challenged in the last decade and revealed a complex diversity of tissue resident macrophages. Here, we want to present the current view on macrophage development and tissue specification and we will discuss differences as well as common patterns between heterogeneous macrophage subpopulations.     

校友资源在高校大学生创新创业教育发展中的情况调查研究

为研究校友资源在高校大学生创新创业教育发展中情况,采用个案调查方法对校友资源在大学生创新创业教育发展中情况进行调查,调查内容涉及影响大学生创新创业意识、动机、教育培养、校友资源运用等多个方面,调查结果运用SPASS软件进行统计分析,最后从高校校友资源角度对高校大学生创新创业发展提出意见建议,以期为高校校友资源在高校创新创业教育发展中提供借鉴和参考。     

SGLT2 inhibitors for the treatment of diabetes: a patent review (2013-2018)

Introduction: The sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) is ascribed to target renal tubular glucose re-absorption, and its inhibition has been proved to induce glucosuria which improves the glycemic index. Accordingly, SGLT2 inhibitors have found to be the promising class of antidiabetic agents for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. A large number of SGLT2 inhibitors have developed through structural modification and investigated for their ability to selectivity inhibit SGLT2 transporters with better bioavailability.

Areas covered: This review comprises a summary of patent applications (2013–2018) of SGLT2 inhibitors with focus on chemical structural advancement and therapeutic potentials in the management of diabetes and related disorders.

Expert opinion: SGLT2 inhibitors exert multiple metabolic benefits, including reduced glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), improved glycemic control (fasting and postprandial), reduced body weight, reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure and improved HDL cholesterol. Due to the virtue of no interference with insulin action and secretion, their efficacy remains the same even in presence of progressive β cell failure in type 2 diabetes. Additionally, few members of this class have been reported to exhibit cardioprotective, renoprotective, and anticancer activity. However, more study on the long-term outcomes in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors is warranted.     

Depression in type 1 diabetes and risk of dementia

Objective: Depression afflicts 14% of individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Depression is a robust risk factor for dementia but it is unknown if this holds true for individuals with T1D, who recently started living to an age conferring dementia risk. We examined if depression is a dementia risk factor among elderly individuals with T1D.

Methods: 3,742 individuals with T1D age ≥50 were followed for dementia from 1/1/96-9/30/2015. Depression, dementia, and comorbidities were abstracted from electronic medical records. Cox proportional hazard models estimated the association between depression and dementia adjusting for demographics, glycosylated hemoglobin, severe dysglycemic epidsodes, stroke, heart disease, nephropathy, and end stage renal disease. The cumulative incidence of dementia by depression was estimated conditional on survival dementia-free to age 55.

Results: Five percent (N = 182) were diagnosed with dementia and 20% had baseline depression. Depression was associated with a 72% increase in dementia (fully adjusted HR = 1.72; 95% CI:1.12-2.65). The 25-year cumulative incidence of dementia was more than double for those with versus without depression (27% vs. 12%).

Conclusions: For people with T1D, depression significantly increases dementia risk. Given the pervasiveness of depression in T1D, this has major implications for successful aging in this population recently living to old age.     

Silicone-based simulation models for peripheral nerve microsurgery

Background

There is a need for a peripheral nerve model on which surgeons-in-training can simulate the repair of nerve injuries at their own pace. Although practicing on animal models/cadavers is considered the “gold standard” of microsurgical training, the proposed model aims to provide a platform for improving the technical skills of surgical trainees prior to their practice on cadaver/animal models. In addition, this model has the potential to serve as a standardized test medium for assessing the skill sets of surgeons.

桃红四物汤联合银杏酮酯滴丸治疗老年出血性玻璃体混浊的临床疗效研究

目的:探究桃红四物汤联合银杏酮酯滴丸治疗老年出血性玻璃体混浊的临床疗效。方法:收集2016年12月-2018年12月我院收治的老年出血性玻璃体混浊患者67例,共67眼,根据随机对照表分为对照组和试验组,其中试验组34例,对照组33例,对照组予以银杏酮酯滴丸;试验组在对照组的基础上联用桃红四物汤。两组均服用30 d。治疗结束后对比分析两组患者临床疗效、出血吸收时间、血液流变学及视网膜中央动脉血流动力学。结果:治疗后两组患者高切全血粘度、低切全血粘度、纤维蛋白原、阻力指数(Resistance Index,RI)低于治疗前,收缩期峰值速度(Peak Systolic Velocity,PSV)、舒张末期血流速度(End Diastolic Velocity,EDV)高于治疗前,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);治疗后试验组临床总有效率、PSV、EDV高于对照组,出血吸收时间、高切全血粘度、低切全血粘度、纤维蛋白原、RI低于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:桃红四物汤联合银杏酮酯滴丸治疗老年出血性玻璃体混浊临床疗效显著,适宜临床应用推广。     

2‐deoxy D‐glucose treatment does not elicit a hair growth response in alopecia areata

2‐deoxy D‐glucose (2DG) was tested for efficacy in treating alopecia areata using the C3H/HeJ skin graft model. 2DG has proven to be efficacious in treatment of various mouse models of autoimmunity with minimal serious side effects noted. This agent has been shown to normalize abnormally activated T‐cell populations while also preventing cell surface expression of NKG2D; key factors defining alopecia areata disease progression. Daily oral ingestion of 2DG via drinking water to mice with patchy or diffuse alopecia areata for 16 weeks failed to prevent expansion of alopecia or cause regrowth of hair in treated mice. Histologically, there were no differences between treated and control groups. These results indicate that, while 2DG is effective for some autoimmune diseases, it was not efficacious for the cell‐mediated autoimmune mouse disease, alopecia areata.