Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00161
Pankaj Sharma, Vinay Jain
The development of patient-specific prosthetics, medication administration, the manufacture of tissues and organs, and surgical planning have all benefited significantly from the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing during the past few decades. The enthusiasm for customized healthcare has increased because the United States of America launched its Precision Medicine Initiative in 2015. In a nutshell, the phrase “personalized medicine” refers to medical care that is tailored to the patient. Nevertheless, the biomedical materials utilized in 3D printing are often stable and can’t react or be adaptive and intelligent in the body’s interior environment. Ex-situ fabrication of these substances, which includes printing on a flat substrate before releasing it onto the target surface, may cause a discrepancy between the printed portion and the target areas. The 3D printing is one method that might be used to provide customized treatment. The four-dimensional (4D) printing is developed while employing components that can be tweaked with stimulation. Several researchers have been looking at a new area recently that blends medicines with 3D and 4D printing. The development of 4D printing overcomes a number of these issues and creates a promising future for the biomedical industry. Smart materials that have been pre-programmed can be used in 4D printing to create structures that react interactively to outside stimuli. Despite these benefits, dynamic materials created using 4D technology remain in their development. As a result, several ideas for pharmaceutical products and formulas that may be customized and printed have emerged. Furthermore, Spritam®, the first medicine produced by 3D printing, has indeed reached a medical facility. This paper offers a summary of several 3D and 4D printing technologies and how they are used in the pharmaceutical industry for customized medicine and drug delivery systems.
{"title":"An overview of current advances and pharmaceutical uses of 3D and 4D printing","authors":"Pankaj Sharma, Vinay Jain","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00161","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00161","url":null,"abstract":"The development of patient-specific prosthetics, medication administration, the manufacture of tissues and organs, and surgical planning have all benefited significantly from the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing during the past few decades. The enthusiasm for customized healthcare has increased because the United States of America launched its Precision Medicine Initiative in 2015. In a nutshell, the phrase “personalized medicine” refers to medical care that is tailored to the patient. Nevertheless, the biomedical materials utilized in 3D printing are often stable and can’t react or be adaptive and intelligent in the body’s interior environment. Ex-situ fabrication of these substances, which includes printing on a flat substrate before releasing it onto the target surface, may cause a discrepancy between the printed portion and the target areas. The 3D printing is one method that might be used to provide customized treatment. The four-dimensional (4D) printing is developed while employing components that can be tweaked with stimulation. Several researchers have been looking at a new area recently that blends medicines with 3D and 4D printing. The development of 4D printing overcomes a number of these issues and creates a promising future for the biomedical industry. Smart materials that have been pre-programmed can be used in 4D printing to create structures that react interactively to outside stimuli. Despite these benefits, dynamic materials created using 4D technology remain in their development. As a result, several ideas for pharmaceutical products and formulas that may be customized and printed have emerged. Furthermore, Spritam®, the first medicine produced by 3D printing, has indeed reached a medical facility. This paper offers a summary of several 3D and 4D printing technologies and how they are used in the pharmaceutical industry for customized medicine and drug delivery systems.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47882789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00156
P. Giannoni, E. Barisione, M. Grosso, D. de Totero
Broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) represents a safe tool for the differential diagnosis of various pulmonary fibrotic diseases. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) belongs to a heterogeneous group of diseases, interstitial lung disease (ILD), presenting a progressive impairment of pulmonary functions. IPF is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the alveolar parenchyma that may lead to irreversible pulmonary remodeling. Although the exact pathogenetic mechanisms leading to IPF development are still unclear it has been demonstrated that fibroblasts differentiating toward myofibroblasts are the major actors involved in this process. The possibility of obtaining and expanding fibroblasts from the BAL of ILD patients for research purposes has been recently explored. This approach is discussed here as a reliable chance, helpful to advance the scientific community knowledge and to devise two- and three-dimensional (2D/3D) pre-clinical in vitro models of these diseases, further overcoming technical and ethical concerns related to the use of fibroblasts derived from tissue biopsy.
{"title":"Utility of fibroblasts derived from broncho-alveolar lavage of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or related disorders to develop in vitro models","authors":"P. Giannoni, E. Barisione, M. Grosso, D. de Totero","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00156","url":null,"abstract":"Broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) represents a safe tool for the differential diagnosis of various pulmonary fibrotic diseases. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) belongs to a heterogeneous group of diseases, interstitial lung disease (ILD), presenting a progressive impairment of pulmonary functions. IPF is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the alveolar parenchyma that may lead to irreversible pulmonary remodeling. Although the exact pathogenetic mechanisms leading to IPF development are still unclear it has been demonstrated that fibroblasts differentiating toward myofibroblasts are the major actors involved in this process. The possibility of obtaining and expanding fibroblasts from the BAL of ILD patients for research purposes has been recently explored. This approach is discussed here as a reliable chance, helpful to advance the scientific community knowledge and to devise two- and three-dimensional (2D/3D) pre-clinical in vitro models of these diseases, further overcoming technical and ethical concerns related to the use of fibroblasts derived from tissue biopsy.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41804168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00164
Shymaa M. Al-Jabri, Effat A. Al-Judaibi, Yasser A. Al-Gamdee, A. Al-Judaibi
Aim: Childhood obesity is a global health concern that affects the daily life of children. It has a complex pathogenesis that involves genetic and nutritional factors among others. Moreover, the dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been recently associated with the development and progression of obesity. Methods: A total of 43 faecal samples were collected from Saudi children; among them, 26 were normal and 17 were obese. Whole genomic DNA was extracted from their faecal samples and sequenced using an Illumina Sequencing platform. Results: The gut microbiota was dominated by Phyla Firmicutes (69.00%) and Bacteroidetes (20.00%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.50%). In children with obesity, the abundance of Firmicutes was decreased, while Bacteroidetes was relatively enriched. Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria were not detected in the obese group, but they were found in low abundance in the control group. Phylum Firmicutes was dominated by the families Ruminococcaceae (17.86%) and Lachnospiraceae (41.20%). Less Ruminococcaceae was found in the obese group. Phylum Bacteroidetes was dominated by families Bacteroidaceae (12.98%) and Prevotellaceae (4.10%), which were enriched in the obese group. Genus Blautia (14.29%) was highly abundant, followed by Bacteroides (12.98%), Faecalibacterium (10.08%), Bifidobacterium (7.96%), and Prevotella (5.04%). Ruminococcus_g2 and _g4, Subdoligranulum, Roseburia, Fusicatenibacter, Anaerostipes, and Faecalibacterium were decreased (P > 0.05) in the obese group, while Streptococcus, Agathobacter, Prevotella, Bacteroides, and Bifidobacterium were increased (P > 0.05). Conclusions: In conclusion, a diverse bacterial community was profiled in Saudi preschool children, and changes in bacterial community composition were observed between obese- and normal-weight children.
{"title":"Comparison of eating habits and gut microbiota of preschool children with obesity","authors":"Shymaa M. Al-Jabri, Effat A. Al-Judaibi, Yasser A. Al-Gamdee, A. Al-Judaibi","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00164","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00164","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: Childhood obesity is a global health concern that affects the daily life of children. It has a complex pathogenesis that involves genetic and nutritional factors among others. Moreover, the dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been recently associated with the development and progression of obesity.\u0000Methods: A total of 43 faecal samples were collected from Saudi children; among them, 26 were normal and 17 were obese. Whole genomic DNA was extracted from their faecal samples and sequenced using an Illumina Sequencing platform.\u0000Results: The gut microbiota was dominated by Phyla Firmicutes (69.00%) and Bacteroidetes (20.00%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.50%). In children with obesity, the abundance of Firmicutes was decreased, while Bacteroidetes was relatively enriched. Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria were not detected in the obese group, but they were found in low abundance in the control group. Phylum Firmicutes was dominated by the families Ruminococcaceae (17.86%) and Lachnospiraceae (41.20%). Less Ruminococcaceae was found in the obese group. Phylum Bacteroidetes was dominated by families Bacteroidaceae (12.98%) and Prevotellaceae (4.10%), which were enriched in the obese group. Genus Blautia (14.29%) was highly abundant, followed by Bacteroides (12.98%), Faecalibacterium (10.08%), Bifidobacterium (7.96%), and Prevotella (5.04%). Ruminococcus_g2 and _g4, Subdoligranulum, Roseburia, Fusicatenibacter, Anaerostipes, and Faecalibacterium were decreased (P > 0.05) in the obese group, while Streptococcus, Agathobacter, Prevotella, Bacteroides, and Bifidobacterium were increased (P > 0.05).\u0000Conclusions: In conclusion, a diverse bacterial community was profiled in Saudi preschool children, and changes in bacterial community composition were observed between obese- and normal-weight children.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47028638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00162
M. Obradović, S. Zafirovic, Z. Gluvić, Jelena Radovanović, E. Isenovic
The current literature findings on autophagy’s beneficial and detrimental roles in diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetes-related comorbidities were reviewed. The effects of oral hypoglycaemic medicines and autophagy in DM. Autophagy plays an important function in cellular homeostasis by promoting cell survival or initiating cell death in physiological settings was also assessed. Although autophagy protects insulin-target tissues, organelle failure caused by autophagy malfunction influences DM and other metabolic diseases. Endoplasmic reticulum and oxidative stress enhance autophagy levels, making it easier to regulate stress-induced intracellular changes. Evidence suggests that autophagy-caused cell death can occur when autophagy is overstimulated and constitutively activated, which might prevent or develop DM. Even though the precise role of autophagy in DM complications is uncertain, deregulation of the autophagic machinery is strongly linked to beta cell destruction and the aetiology of DM. Thus, improving autophagy dysfunction is a possible therapeutic objective in treating DM and other metabolic disorders.
{"title":"Autophagy and diabetes","authors":"M. Obradović, S. Zafirovic, Z. Gluvić, Jelena Radovanović, E. Isenovic","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00162","url":null,"abstract":"The current literature findings on autophagy’s beneficial and detrimental roles in diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetes-related comorbidities were reviewed. The effects of oral hypoglycaemic medicines and autophagy in DM. Autophagy plays an important function in cellular homeostasis by promoting cell survival or initiating cell death in physiological settings was also assessed. Although autophagy protects insulin-target tissues, organelle failure caused by autophagy malfunction influences DM and other metabolic diseases. Endoplasmic reticulum and oxidative stress enhance autophagy levels, making it easier to regulate stress-induced intracellular changes. Evidence suggests that autophagy-caused cell death can occur when autophagy is overstimulated and constitutively activated, which might prevent or develop DM. Even though the precise role of autophagy in DM complications is uncertain, deregulation of the autophagic machinery is strongly linked to beta cell destruction and the aetiology of DM. Thus, improving autophagy dysfunction is a possible therapeutic objective in treating DM and other metabolic disorders.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45573478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abnormal energy metabolism is one of the ten hallmarks of tumors, and tumor cell metabolism provides energy and a suitable microenvironment for tumorigenesis and metastasis. Tumor cells can consume large amounts of glucose and produce large amounts of lactate through glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen, a process called aerobic glycolysis, also known as the Warburg effect. Lactate is the end product of the aerobic glycolysis. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), which is highly expressed in cancer cells, promotes lactate production and transports lactate to the tumor microenvironment and is taken up by surrounding stromal cells under the action of monocarboxylate transporter 1/4 (MCT1/4), which in turn influences the immune response and enhances the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Therapeutic strategies targeting lactate metabolism have been intensively investigated, focusing on its metastasis-promoting properties and various target inhibitors; AZD3965, an MCT1 inhibitor, has entered phase I clinical trials, and the LDHA inhibitor N-hydroxyindole (NHI) has shown cancer therapeutic activity in pre-clinical studies. Interventions targeting lactate metabolism are emerging as a promising option for cancer therapy, with chemotherapy or radiotherapy combined with lactate-metabolism-targeted drugs adding to the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Based on current research, this article outlines the role of lactate metabolism in tumor metastasis and the potential value of inhibitors targeting lactate metabolism in cancer therapy.
能量代谢异常是肿瘤的十大标志之一,肿瘤细胞代谢为肿瘤的发生和转移提供了能量和适宜的微环境。肿瘤细胞即使在氧气存在的情况下也能通过糖酵解消耗大量葡萄糖并产生大量乳酸,这一过程被称为有氧糖酵解,也被称为Warburg效应。乳酸是有氧糖酵解的最终产物。乳酸脱氢酶A (Lactate dehydrogenase A, LDHA)在癌细胞中高表达,在单羧酸转运蛋白1/4 (MCT1/4)的作用下,促进乳酸生成并将乳酸转运到肿瘤微环境,被周围基质细胞摄取,进而影响免疫应答,增强癌细胞的侵袭和转移。针对乳酸代谢的治疗策略已被深入研究,重点关注其促进转移的特性和各种靶标抑制剂;MCT1抑制剂AZD3965已进入I期临床试验,LDHA抑制剂n -羟基吲哚(NHI)已在临床前研究中显示出癌症治疗活性。针对乳酸代谢的干预措施正在成为癌症治疗的一个有希望的选择,化疗或放疗结合乳酸代谢靶向药物增加了癌症治疗的有效性。基于目前的研究,本文概述了乳酸代谢在肿瘤转移中的作用以及靶向乳酸代谢抑制剂在肿瘤治疗中的潜在价值。
{"title":"Lactate metabolic pathway regulates tumor cell metastasis and its use as a new therapeutic target","authors":"Weimei Xing, Xiaowei Li, Yuli Zhou, Mengsen Li, Mingyue Zhu","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00160","url":null,"abstract":"Abnormal energy metabolism is one of the ten hallmarks of tumors, and tumor cell metabolism provides energy and a suitable microenvironment for tumorigenesis and metastasis. Tumor cells can consume large amounts of glucose and produce large amounts of lactate through glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen, a process called aerobic glycolysis, also known as the Warburg effect. Lactate is the end product of the aerobic glycolysis. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), which is highly expressed in cancer cells, promotes lactate production and transports lactate to the tumor microenvironment and is taken up by surrounding stromal cells under the action of monocarboxylate transporter 1/4 (MCT1/4), which in turn influences the immune response and enhances the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Therapeutic strategies targeting lactate metabolism have been intensively investigated, focusing on its metastasis-promoting properties and various target inhibitors; AZD3965, an MCT1 inhibitor, has entered phase I clinical trials, and the LDHA inhibitor N-hydroxyindole (NHI) has shown cancer therapeutic activity in pre-clinical studies. Interventions targeting lactate metabolism are emerging as a promising option for cancer therapy, with chemotherapy or radiotherapy combined with lactate-metabolism-targeted drugs adding to the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Based on current research, this article outlines the role of lactate metabolism in tumor metastasis and the potential value of inhibitors targeting lactate metabolism in cancer therapy.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42651042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00163
Dinh T. P. Le, Tuan D. Pham
Wound healing is a very dynamic and complex process as it involves the patient, wound-level parameters, as well as biological, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Its process includes hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Evaluation of wound components such as angiogenesis, inflammation, restoration of connective tissue matrix, wound contraction, remodeling, and re-epithelization would detail the healing process. Understanding key mechanisms in the healing process is critical to wound research. Elucidating its healing complexity would enable control and optimize the processes for achieving faster healing, preventing wound complications, and undesired outcomes such as infection, periwound dermatitis and edema, hematomas, dehiscence, maceration, or scarring. Wound assessment is an essential step for selecting an appropriate treatment and evaluating the wound healing process. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) as advanced computer-assisted methods is promising for gaining insights into wound assessment and healing. As AI-based approaches have been explored for various applications in wound care and research, this paper provides an overview of recent studies exploring the application of AI and its technical developments and suitability for accurate wound assessment and prediction of wound healing. Several studies have been done across the globe, especially in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. The results of these studies have shown that AI-based approaches are promising for wound assessment and prediction of wound healing. However, there are still some limitations and challenges that need to be addressed. This paper also discusses the challenges and limitations of AI-based approaches for wound assessment and prediction of wound healing. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions and recommendations for the use of AI-based approaches for wound assessment and prediction of wound healing.
{"title":"Unveiling the role of artificial intelligence for wound assessment and wound healing prediction","authors":"Dinh T. P. Le, Tuan D. Pham","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00163","url":null,"abstract":"Wound healing is a very dynamic and complex process as it involves the patient, wound-level parameters, as well as biological, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Its process includes hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Evaluation of wound components such as angiogenesis, inflammation, restoration of connective tissue matrix, wound contraction, remodeling, and re-epithelization would detail the healing process. Understanding key mechanisms in the healing process is critical to wound research. Elucidating its healing complexity would enable control and optimize the processes for achieving faster healing, preventing wound complications, and undesired outcomes such as infection, periwound dermatitis and edema, hematomas, dehiscence, maceration, or scarring. Wound assessment is an essential step for selecting an appropriate treatment and evaluating the wound healing process. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) as advanced computer-assisted methods is promising for gaining insights into wound assessment and healing. As AI-based approaches have been explored for various applications in wound care and research, this paper provides an overview of recent studies exploring the application of AI and its technical developments and suitability for accurate wound assessment and prediction of wound healing. Several studies have been done across the globe, especially in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia. The results of these studies have shown that AI-based approaches are promising for wound assessment and prediction of wound healing. However, there are still some limitations and challenges that need to be addressed. This paper also discusses the challenges and limitations of AI-based approaches for wound assessment and prediction of wound healing. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions and recommendations for the use of AI-based approaches for wound assessment and prediction of wound healing.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46140690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00158
Hannah Thurgur, A. Schlag, E. Iveson, Adele Hosseini, M. Lynskey, D. Nutt
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can result in a range of persistent symptoms impacting everyday functioning for a considerable proportion of patients, a condition termed Long coronavirus disease (COVID) or post COVID-19 syndrome. The severity and set of symptoms vary between patients, and include fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbances, palpitations, tachycardia, pain, depression, and anxiety. The high prevalence of Long COVID combined with the lack of treatment approaches has resulted in considerable unmet clinical needs. There is a growing body of evidence that cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) can be used to treat symptoms including pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep, headaches, and cognitive dysfunction, which are commonly reported in Long COVID. This article provides an overview of the pathophysiology of Long COVID and discusses preliminary pre-clinical, clinical trials, and real-world evidence (RWE) for CBMPs in the context of Long COVID. This review summarises current clinical trials and studies exploring CBMPs in Long COVID. The current evidence provides a rationale to further explore CBMPs as a treatment for Long COVID symptoms. In addition to further randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the increasing availability of CBMPs globally, coupled with the continued prevalence of Long COVID in the population, also highlights the value of real-world data in the research of CBMPs in Long COVID. Critically, there is an evident need for multidisciplinary approaches of CBMPs and Long COVID in real-world clinical practice settings.
{"title":"Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for the treatment of Long COVID symptoms: current and potential applications","authors":"Hannah Thurgur, A. Schlag, E. Iveson, Adele Hosseini, M. Lynskey, D. Nutt","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00158","url":null,"abstract":"Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can result in a range of persistent symptoms impacting everyday functioning for a considerable proportion of patients, a condition termed Long coronavirus disease (COVID) or post COVID-19 syndrome. The severity and set of symptoms vary between patients, and include fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbances, palpitations, tachycardia, pain, depression, and anxiety. The high prevalence of Long COVID combined with the lack of treatment approaches has resulted in considerable unmet clinical needs. There is a growing body of evidence that cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) can be used to treat symptoms including pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep, headaches, and cognitive dysfunction, which are commonly reported in Long COVID. This article provides an overview of the pathophysiology of Long COVID and discusses preliminary pre-clinical, clinical trials, and real-world evidence (RWE) for CBMPs in the context of Long COVID. This review summarises current clinical trials and studies exploring CBMPs in Long COVID. The current evidence provides a rationale to further explore CBMPs as a treatment for Long COVID symptoms. In addition to further randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the increasing availability of CBMPs globally, coupled with the continued prevalence of Long COVID in the population, also highlights the value of real-world data in the research of CBMPs in Long COVID. Critically, there is an evident need for multidisciplinary approaches of CBMPs and Long COVID in real-world clinical practice settings.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44261098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00157
Yiting Hong, Liyuan Gu, Bing Han, Honghong Yao
Stroke, a central nervous system (CNS) injury, is responsible for the second leading cause of death in the world, bringing a great burden on the world. Stroke is normally divided into ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, among which ischemic stroke takes up 87% proportion. Accumulating evidence has denoted a rather pivotal role for autophagy in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke, which is activated in neuronal cells, glial cells, and endothelial cells. Besides, circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel type of epigenetic regulation, are highly expressed in the CNS and are involved in the process of CNS diseases, which is regarded as an important molecular mechanism in ischemic stroke. Meanwhile, circRNA and autophagy have a significant correlation. The intracellular signaling pathways regulating autophagy can either restrain or activate autophagy. However, under the circumstances of ischemic stroke, the precise communication between circRNA and stroke is largely unknown. This review aims to provide a summary of the relationship between circRNA, autophagy, and ischemic stroke, as well as the current research advancements in understanding how circRNA regulates autophagy in the context of stroke.
{"title":"Autophagy in ischemic stroke: role of circular RNAs","authors":"Yiting Hong, Liyuan Gu, Bing Han, Honghong Yao","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00157","url":null,"abstract":"Stroke, a central nervous system (CNS) injury, is responsible for the second leading cause of death in the world, bringing a great burden on the world. Stroke is normally divided into ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, among which ischemic stroke takes up 87% proportion. Accumulating evidence has denoted a rather pivotal role for autophagy in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke, which is activated in neuronal cells, glial cells, and endothelial cells. Besides, circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel type of epigenetic regulation, are highly expressed in the CNS and are involved in the process of CNS diseases, which is regarded as an important molecular mechanism in ischemic stroke. Meanwhile, circRNA and autophagy have a significant correlation. The intracellular signaling pathways regulating autophagy can either restrain or activate autophagy. However, under the circumstances of ischemic stroke, the precise communication between circRNA and stroke is largely unknown. This review aims to provide a summary of the relationship between circRNA, autophagy, and ischemic stroke, as well as the current research advancements in understanding how circRNA regulates autophagy in the context of stroke.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41584662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00159
C. Barbagallo, M. Stella, C. Ferrara, A. Caponnetto, R. Battaglia, D. Barbagallo, C. Di Pietro, M. Ragusa
The idea that proteins are the main determining factors in the functioning of cells and organisms, and their dysfunctions are the first cause of pathologies, has been predominant in biology and biomedicine until recently. This protein-centered view was too simplistic and failed to explain the physiological and pathological complexity of the cell. About 80% of the human genome is dynamically and pervasively transcribed, mostly as non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which competitively interact with each other and with coding RNAs generating a complex RNA network regulating RNA processing, stability, and translation and, accordingly, fine-tuning the gene expression of the cells. Qualitative and quantitative dysregulations of RNA-RNA interaction networks are strongly involved in the onset and progression of many pathologies, including cancers and degenerative diseases. This review will summarize the RNA species involved in the competitive endogenous RNA network, their mechanisms of action, and involvement in pathological phenotypes. Moreover, it will give an overview of the most advanced experimental and computational methods to dissect and rebuild RNA networks.
{"title":"RNA-RNA competitive interactions: a molecular civil war ruling cell physiology and diseases","authors":"C. Barbagallo, M. Stella, C. Ferrara, A. Caponnetto, R. Battaglia, D. Barbagallo, C. Di Pietro, M. Ragusa","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00159","url":null,"abstract":"The idea that proteins are the main determining factors in the functioning of cells and organisms, and their dysfunctions are the first cause of pathologies, has been predominant in biology and biomedicine until recently. This protein-centered view was too simplistic and failed to explain the physiological and pathological complexity of the cell. About 80% of the human genome is dynamically and pervasively transcribed, mostly as non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which competitively interact with each other and with coding RNAs generating a complex RNA network regulating RNA processing, stability, and translation and, accordingly, fine-tuning the gene expression of the cells. Qualitative and quantitative dysregulations of RNA-RNA interaction networks are strongly involved in the onset and progression of many pathologies, including cancers and degenerative diseases. This review will summarize the RNA species involved in the competitive endogenous RNA network, their mechanisms of action, and involvement in pathological phenotypes. Moreover, it will give an overview of the most advanced experimental and computational methods to dissect and rebuild RNA networks.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41498345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-30DOI: 10.37349/emed.2023.00154
R. Kalayasiri, Sakol Srisuklorm, Attapong Chatdon, W. Sungkarat
Aim: Cigarette smoking is an addictive behavior that requires high motivation to change, a phenotype related to the functional activity of the brain. The study aims to examine motivation to change among cigarette smokers and to study the association between functional brain activity and motivation to change smoking behaviors. Methods: Motivation to change smoking behaviors of 107 current smokers receiving services in a university hospital was obtained using the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES). Brain activities related to motivation to change were also explored in a subgroup using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results: The results showed that most of the current smokers (n = 68, 63.6%) were low motivated to change despite receiving health-related services. Brain activities in the left of the temporal, frontal gyrus, and superior medial gyrus of smokers with motivation were greater activated than those without. In contrast, the brain activities in the left precentral gyrus and bilateral paracentral lobules of smokers without motivation were greater activated. Conclusions: These preliminary results show the differences in brain activities between smokers with and without motivation to change and warrant further research to see if motivated smokers can quit smoking using a series of strategies based on their functional activities of the brain.
{"title":"The brain activities of individuals with or without motivation to change: a preliminary study among cigarette smokers","authors":"R. Kalayasiri, Sakol Srisuklorm, Attapong Chatdon, W. Sungkarat","doi":"10.37349/emed.2023.00154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37349/emed.2023.00154","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: Cigarette smoking is an addictive behavior that requires high motivation to change, a phenotype related to the functional activity of the brain. The study aims to examine motivation to change among cigarette smokers and to study the association between functional brain activity and motivation to change smoking behaviors. Methods: Motivation to change smoking behaviors of 107 current smokers receiving services in a university hospital was obtained using the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES). Brain activities related to motivation to change were also explored in a subgroup using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results: The results showed that most of the current smokers (n = 68, 63.6%) were low motivated to change despite receiving health-related services. Brain activities in the left of the temporal, frontal gyrus, and superior medial gyrus of smokers with motivation were greater activated than those without. In contrast, the brain activities in the left precentral gyrus and bilateral paracentral lobules of smokers without motivation were greater activated. Conclusions: These preliminary results show the differences in brain activities between smokers with and without motivation to change and warrant further research to see if motivated smokers can quit smoking using a series of strategies based on their functional activities of the brain.","PeriodicalId":72999,"journal":{"name":"Exploration of medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47708555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}