Promising Pharmaceuticals： edited by Purusotam Basnet

The better understanding of human biology and disease pathology has been a comer stone of the rapid advancements in the field of pharmaceutical science, including drug discovery, manufacturing and treatment procedures. Building on these important achievements, Purusotam Basnet, the editor of, and a contributing author to the book entitled Promising Pharmaceuticals （its information is shown in Table 1; cover paper is shown in Figure 1）,     

Accelerated thrombolysis and reperfusion in a canine model of myocardial infarction by liposomal encapsulation of streptokinase

The aim of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction with plasminogen activators such as streptokinase is to lyse the coronary thrombus and reestablish blood flow as quickly as possible so that heart tissue loss is minimized and mortality rates are improved. Streptokinase has been encapsulated in large unilamellar phospholipid vesicles and tested in an animal model of acute myocardial infarction. The time required to restore vessel patency has been reduced more than 50% when compared with findings for free streptokinase. The total dosage of streptokinase required was lower, and smaller remnant thrombi were observed with the encapsulated agent. Results from this initial unoptimized study may have significant implications for further reduction in mortality from heart attacks by therapy with plasminogen activators.     

The Cerebral Palsy Kinematic Assessment Tool (CPKAT): feasibility testing of a new portable tool for the objective evaluation of upper limb kinematics in children with cerebral palsy in the non-laboratory setting

Purpose: Efficacy of treatment to improve upper-limb activity of children with cerebral palsy (CP) is typically evaluated outside clinical/laboratory environments through functional outcome measures (e.g. ABILHAND kids). This study evaluates CPKAT, a new portable laptop-based tool designed to objectively measure upper-limb kinematics in children with CP. Methods: Seven children with unilateral CP (2 females; mean age 10 years 2 months (SD 2 years 3 months), median age 9 years 6 months, range 6 years 5 months, MACS II–IV) were evaluated on copying, tracking and tracing tasks at their homes using CPKAT. CPKAT recorded parameters relating to spatiotemporal hand movement: path length, movement time, smoothness, path accuracy and root mean square error. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test explored whether CPKAT could detect differences between the affected and less-affected limb. Results: CPKAT detected intra-limb differences for movement time and smoothness (aiming), and path length (tracing). No intra-limb tracking differences were found, as hypothesised. These findings are consistent with other studies showing that movements of the impaired upper limb in unilateral CP are slower and less smooth. Conclusion: CPKAT provides a potential solution for home-based assessment of upper limb kinematics in children with CP to supplement other measures and assess functional intervention outcomes. Further validation is required.

• Implications for Rehabilitation

• This paper demonstrates the feasibility of evaluating upper limb kinematics in home using CPKAT, a portable laptop-based evaluation tool.

• We found that CPKAT is easy to set-up and use in home environments and yields useful kinematic measures of upper limb function.

• CPKAT can complement less responsive patient reported or subjectively evaluated functional measures for a more complete evaluation of children with cerebral palsy.

• Thus, CPKAT can help guide a multi-disciplinary team to more effective intervention and rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy.

     

Disinterest in local self-help groups amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Leicester

An invitation to attend the inaugural meeting of a self-help group and a questionnaire were sent to 2084 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Twelve months later 180 patients who had joined the group (n=90) and a similar number who had not, were sent a second questionnaire seeking why they had or had not, and what functions the group had managed to fulfill. 254 (13%) responded and 138 (7%) joined. Patients with Crohn's disease (² = 5.43, P=0.02) and women (² = 3.80, P<0.05) were more likely to join. These differences were not seen amongst the Asians who responded to the questionnaire (² = 0.01, ns) who were much less likely to respond (² = 15.1, P>0.0001). Responders wanted the group to provide an information service (85%) to give an opportunity to discuss problems with other patients (77%) and to promote the needs of people with IBD to the local community. 88% (n=159) responded to the second questionnaire, including 83 from joiners and 76 from non-joiners. Forty-seven (57% of joiners) had attended meetings. Answers indicated the group provided useful general information (99%), mutual support (66%), information on medical research (70%) and an opportunity to meet (60%). Amongst nonjoiners, 81% (n=62) thought such a group might be useful. Reasons for not joining included: too busy (40%), too far away (23%), managing without support (28%) and reluctance to broadcast their illness (20%).

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Résumé Une invitation à assister à le réunion inaugurale d'un groupe d'aide personnelle et un questionnaire ont été envoyés à 2084 patients avec une maladie inflammatoire du colon. 12 mois plus tard, 180 patients qui avaient rejoint le groupe (n=90) et un nombre similaire qui ne l'avait pas fait ont reçu un deuxième questionnaire cherchant pourquoi ils avaient ou non fait cela et quelles fonctions le groupe avait décidé de remplir. 254 (13%) ont répondu et 138 (7%) ont rejoint le groupe. Les patients avec maladie de Crohn (² = 5.43, P=0.02) et les femmes (² = 3.80, P>0.05) étaient susceptibles de rejoindre le groupe. Ces différences n'étaient pas vues parmi les asiatiques qui ont répondu au questionnaire (² = 0.01, ns) qui étaient beaucoup moins susceptible de répondre (² = 15.1, P>0.0001). Les répondeurs demandaient au groupe de fournir un service d'informations (85%) de donner une opportunité de discuter des problèmes avec d'autres malades (77%) et de promouvoir les besoins des gens atteints de maladie inflammatoire dans la communauté locale. 88% (n=159) ont répondu au deuxième questionnaire, incluant 83 de ceux qui avaient rejoint et 76 de ceux qui n'avaient pas rejoint le groupe. 47 (57% de ceux qui avaient rejoint) ont suivi les réunions. Les répondeurs ont indiqué que le groupe fournissait des informations générales utiles (99%) une aide mutuelle (66%), des informations sur la recherche médicale (70%) et une opportunité de se rencontrer (60%). Parmi ceux qui n'avaient pas rejoint, 81% (n=62) pensaient qu'un tel groupe pouvait être utile. Les raisons de ne pas rejoindre comprenait: trop occupé (40%), trop loin (23%) pas de support (28%) et répugnance à diffuser leur maladie (20%).

     

Conversion to the buffy coat method and quality of frozen plasma derived from whole blood donations in Canada

BACKGROUND: Canada converted from the platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) method to the buffy coat (BC) method of processing whole blood donations between 2006 and 2008. We measured coagulation variables in plasma units during this transition, in 2006 (PRP only), 2007 (BC and PRP), and 2008 (BC only) to test the hypothesis that this conversion would not affect frozen plasma (FP) quality. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Fresh‐frozen plasma (FFP; frozen within 8 hr of collection) or FP (frozen within 24 hr of collection) units were shipped on dry ice from 12 plasma manufacturing sites, thawed, and characterized using an automated coagulation analyzer, at a single testing site. RESULTS: FP made by the BC method (FP‐BC) exhibited fibrinogen, Factor (F)V, ABO‐matched FVIII, and antithrombin levels at least as high as FP made by the PRP method (FP‐PRP) and supported global clotting, as measured by prothrombin time or activated partial thromboplastin time, to an indistinguishable extent as FP‐PRP. FP‐BC and FP‐PRP did not differ in ABO‐matched FVIII levels, but both contained 30% to 35% less FVIII than FFP. There was no discernible effect of the site of manufacturing on plasma quality. FP‐BC units leukoreduced by centrifugation contained more FV activity than those leukoreduced by filtration, but the difference was unlikely to be of clinical significance. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that no reduction in FP quality, at least in the characteristics we tested, accompanied the switch from the PRP to the BC method processing of whole blood donations in Canada.