1,721,059 research outputs found
ISOXADOLE DERIVATIVES AS INDUCERS OF FETAL HEMOGLOBIN IN ERYTHROID PRECURSOR CELLS FROM BETA-THALASSEMIC PATIENTS
No full textThe invention refers to the use of isoxazole derivatives to prepare medicament able to induce fetal hemoglobin (HbF) synthesis in β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD) patients.We recently found that isoxazole derivatives characterized by a Resorcinol portion and the C-3 amide moiety show high activity in inducing HbF synthesis in erythroid precursors cells (ErPCs) derived from β-thalassemia patients. These data were verified using ErPCs from an high number of patients with different genotypes and HbF starting levels
The ethanol fraction from the stem of Berberis libanotica inhibits the viability of adult T cell leukemia
No full textAim. In the Mediterranean countries, several described medicinal plants are derived from Lebanon. According to Tohme et al. there are 2597 species in Lebanon. More than fifty two percent are endemic to Lebanon. In this paper we show that the ethanol fraction of the stem of Berberis libanotica is able to inhibit the viability of HTLV-1 positive (HuT-102) and HTLV-1 negative (CEM) cell lines of malignant T-cell leukemia. Methods. After traditional maceration to extract the ethanol fraction from Berberis libanotica stem, the in vitro viability was assayed. Results. The results suggest that Berberis libanotica (a Lebanese medicinal plant) contains a substantial amount of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids powerful in inhibiting the viability of HuT-102 and CEM cell lines. Conclusion. The obtained results demonstrate a novel anticancer property of Berberis libanotica stem extracts, in addition to the previously reported anti-inflammatory activity.Abi Saab S, 2008, LEBAN SCI J, V9, P99; Barbour EK, 2004, J ETHNOPHARMACOL, V93, P1, DOI 10.1016-j.jep.2004.02.027; Bazarbachi A, 2001, VIRUS RES, V78, P79, DOI 10.1016-S0168-1702(01)00286-6; Bazarbachi A, 2011, BLOOD, V118, P1736, DOI 10.1182-blood-2011-03-345702; Darwiche N, 2007, EXPERT OPIN DRUG DIS, V2, P361, DOI 10.1517-17460441.2.3.361; FOLEY GE, 1965, CANCER, V18, P522, DOI 10.1002-1097-0142(196504)18:4522::AID-CNCR28201804183.0.CO;2-J; Gritsanapan W, 2009, J HLTH RES, V23, P59; Hande KR, 1998, EUR J CANCER, V34, P1514, DOI 10.1016-S0959-8049(98)00228-7; Harakeh S, 2004, CHEM-BIOL INTERACT, V148, P101, DOI 10.1016-j.cbi.2004.05.002; Ishitsuka K, 2008, EUR J HAEMATOL, V80, P185, DOI 10.1111-j.1600-0609.2007.01016.x; Khan M, 2010, MUTAT RES-FUND MOL M, V683, P123, DOI 10.1016-j.mrfmmm.2009.11.001; Lampronti I, 2008, EVID-BASED COMPL ALT, V5, P303, DOI 10.1093-ecam-nem042; Lampronti I, 2006, INT J ONCOL, V29, P989; Lampronti I, 2005, MINERVA BIOTECH, V17, P153; Matsuoka M, 2005, RETROVIROLOGY, V2, DOI 10.1186-1742-4690-2-27; Taylor JM, 2008, APOPTOSIS, V13, P733, DOI 10.1007-s10495-008-0208-7; Tohme G, 2007, ILLUSTRATED FLORA LE, P610; Yoshida M, 2010, P JPN ACAD B-PHYS, V86, P117, DOI 10.2183-pjab.86.11712
Fetal haemoglobin (HbF) induction as a strategy to improve life quality in thalassemia: characterisation of HbF inducing products and preclinical models to predict therapeutic response
No full textBeta thalassemia is due to mutations in one or both of the beta globin genes, leading to abnormal
red blood cells. The different types of beta thalassemia include: (a) Beta Thalassemia Trait,
including subjects that only show microcytosis and a possible mild anemia. This gene mutation
can be passed on to an individual’s children. (b) Thalassemia Intermedia, including subjects with
anemia requiring medical treatment. (c) Thalassemia Major (known also as Cooley's Anemia),
including subjects with anemia requiring lifelong regular blood transfusions and considerable
ongoing medical care. The dividing line between thalassemia intermedia and thalassemia major is
the degree of anemia and the number and frequency of blood transfusions required to treat it.
Those with thalassemia intermedia may need occasional transfusions. Beta thalassemia is most
common in persons of Mediterranean, African and Southeast Asian descent, where thalassemia
trait affects 5 to 30 percent of persons. It has been estimated that about 1.5% of the global
population are carriers of beta thalassemia trait, with about 60,000 symptomatic individuals born
annually, the great majority in the developing world. The total annual incidence of symptomatic
individuals is estimated at 1 in 100,000 throughout the world and 1 in 10,000 people in the
European Union
A personalized medicine approach for beta-thalassemia patients: testing sirolimus in a first pilot clinical trial (sirthalaclin)
No full textBeta-thalassemias are hereditary blood disorders caused by reduced or absent synthesis of
hemoglobin beta chains, with variable outcomes ranging from severe anemia to clinically
asymptomatic individuals. Treatment is symptomatic and thalassemia is a major unmet medical
need. Survival is increased, even in patients needing transfusions, in comparison with a few years
ago, but the quality of life is poor for many patients. In some patients, an anomalous expression of
gamma-globin genes has been observed, with a consequent rise in Fetal Hemoglobin levels. The
patients displaying a clinical phenotype known as HPFH (Hereditary Persistence of Fetal
Hemoglobin) exhibit a positive clinical status. To mimick HPFH, several compounds able to induce
expression of embryofetal hemoglobins (HbF) have been evaluated. Within this framework,
sirolimus is particularly interesting as an inducer of HbF. It has been used for many years for
different indications and the available preclinical evidence warrant the start of a clinical
development plan in thalassemia. We propose a pilot clinical trial in beta-thalassemia patients,
designed to evaluate the effect of sirolimus on several parameters related to red blood cell status
and to the level of HbF in particular, as a first step for the full clinical development in this new
indicatio
Ultra sensitive plasmonic devices for early cancer diagnosis
No full textULTRAPLACAD aims at the development of a novel robust in vitro diagnostic system for early cancer
diagnosis, prognosis, patient follow-up and therapy efficacy assessment based on molecular analysis
of peripheral blood (liquid biopsy). Although the platform may find wide applications in oncology,
ULTRAPLACAD will focus solely on colorectal cancer (CRC) that is the second most frequently occurring
cancer in the EU with an equal distribution among women and men. ULTRAPLACAD will provide
unique and up to now not existing platform for the comprehensive detection of nucleic acids and protein
CRC biomarkers in blood plasma.
The extremely low concentration of most cancer biomarkers in blood imposes a stringent barrier to the wide
applicability of the liquid biopsy for CRC diagnosis. The ULTRAPLACAD will deliver a disruptive
diagnostic platform for the analysis of cancer biomarkers in blood plasma with unprecedented
sensitivity and reliability. Reaching ULTRAPLACAD goals will significantly contribute to wider spread of
diagnostic and prognostic protocols based on liquid biopsy – an emerging and rapidly developing cancer
diagnostic approach.
The use of innovative optical analytical techniques that take advantage of plasmonic metallic
nanostructures (nanostructure-enhanced surface plasmon resonance imaging -NESPRI – and plasmonenhanced
fluorescence spectroscopy imaging – PEFSI) will advance the state-of-art of CRC biomarkers
detection (Figure 1)
Natural substances in the treatment of cystic fibrosis
No full textThe research on the biological activity of natural products and biomaterials is becoming year by year more competitive and complex, and involves experts in different research fields, including chemists, biochemists, molecular biologists, immunologists and bioinformatics. While unfractionated natural products exhibit “per se” biological properties relevant for alternative therapeutic treatments of human diseases, the identification of lead compounds within these products, the characterization of molecular targets and studies of structurally-related molecules are key processes to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease caused by mutations of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. It is well established that three major fields of therapeutic intervention should be considered, targeting CFTR, bacterial infection and inflammation. In this review, we describe natural products reported to be very useful tools for correction of pathological conditions related to cystic fibrosis. The main topics are (a) CFTR potentiation and correction using natural products, (b) natural products as antibacterial agents and (c) natural products exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity. The recent issues of waste utilization and drug repurposing are also discussed in the context of the development of possible therapeutic approaches for cystic fibrosis
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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