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Transactions of the Royal Society of... Jan 2017Worms have co-evolved with humans over millions of years. To survive, they manipulate host systems by modulating immune responses so that they cause (in the majority of... (Review)
Review
Worms have co-evolved with humans over millions of years. To survive, they manipulate host systems by modulating immune responses so that they cause (in the majority of hosts) relatively subtle harm. Anthelminthic treatment has been promoted as a measure for averting worm specific pathology and to mitigate subtle morbidities which may include effects on anaemia, growth, cognitive function and economic activity. With our changing environment marked by rapid population growth, urbanisation, better hygiene practices and anthelminthic treatment, there has been a decline in worm infections and other infectious diseases and a rise in non-communicable diseases such as allergy, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This review reflects upon our age-old interaction with worms, and the broader ramifications of life without worms for vaccine responses and susceptibility to other infections, and for allergy-related and metabolic disease. We touch upon the controversy around the benefits of mass drug administration for the more-subtle morbidities that have been associated with worm infections and then focus our attention on broader, additional aspects of life without worms, which may be either beneficial or detrimental.
Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Cardiovascular Diseases; Communicable Diseases; Helminthiasis; Helminths; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Metabolic Diseases; Vaccines
PubMed: 28340138
DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trx010 -
Pflugers Archiv : European Journal of... Jan 2015Mechanical allodynia (other pain) is a painful sensation caused by innocuous stimuli like light touch. Unlike inflammatory hyperalgesia that has a protective role,... (Review)
Review
Mechanical allodynia (other pain) is a painful sensation caused by innocuous stimuli like light touch. Unlike inflammatory hyperalgesia that has a protective role, allodynia has no obvious biological utility. Allodynia is associated with nerve damage in conditions such as diabetes, and is likely to become an increasing clinical problem. Unfortunately, the mechanistic basis of this enhanced sensitivity is incompletely understood. In this review, we describe evidence for the involvement of candidate mechanosensitive channels such as Piezo2 and their role in allodynia, as well as the peripheral and central nervous system mechanisms that have also been implicated in this form of pain. Specific treatments that block allodynia could be very useful if the cell and molecular basis of the condition could be determined. There are many potential mechanisms underlying this condition ranging from alterations in mechanotransduction and sensory neuron excitability to the actions of inflammatory mediators and wiring changes in the CNS. As with other pain conditions, it is likely that the range of redundant mechanisms that cause allodynia will make therapeutic intervention problematic.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Hyperalgesia; Ion Channel Gating; Ion Channels; Mechanotransduction, Cellular; Models, Neurological; Nociceptors; Touch
PubMed: 24846747
DOI: 10.1007/s00424-014-1532-0 -
PeerJ 2022Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common complication of diabetes, being the most prevalent reason for blindness among the working-age population in the developed... (Review)
Review
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common complication of diabetes, being the most prevalent reason for blindness among the working-age population in the developed world. Despite constant improvement of understanding of the pathogenesis of DR, identification of novel biomarkers of DR is needed for improvement of patient risk stratification and development of novel prevention and therapeutic approaches. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the primary protein quality control system responsible for recognizing and degrading of damaged proteins. This review aims to summarize literature data on modifications of UPS in diabetes and DR. First, we briefly review the structure and functions of UPS in physiological conditions. We then describe how UPS is involved in the development and progression of diabetes and touch upon the association of UPS genetic factors with diabetes and its complications. Further, we focused on the effect of diabetes-induced hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and hypoxia on UPS functioning, with examples of studies on DR. In other sections, we discussed the association of several other mechanisms of DR (endoplasmic reticulum stress, neurodegeneration ) with UPS modifications. Finally, UPS-affecting drugs and remedies are reviewed. This review highlights UPS as a promising target for the development of therapies for DR prevention and treatment and identifies gaps in existing knowledge and possible future study directions.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Cytoplasm; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetic Retinopathy; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Ubiquitin
PubMed: 35873915
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13715 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Apr 2015Anxiety and depression affect many people. Treatments do not have complete success and often require people to take drugs for long periods of time. Many people look for... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Anxiety and depression affect many people. Treatments do not have complete success and often require people to take drugs for long periods of time. Many people look for other treatments that may help. One of those is Reiki, a 2500 year old treatment described as a vibrational or subtle energy therapy, and is most commonly facilitated by light touch on or above the body. There have been reports of Reiki alleviating anxiety and depression, but no specific systematic review.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness of Reiki for treating anxiety and depression in people aged 16 and over.
SEARCH METHODS
Search of the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL - all years), the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Review Group's Specialised Register (CCDANCTR - all years), EMBASE, (1974 to November 2014), MEDLINE (1950 to November 2014), PsycINFO (1967 to November 2014) and AMED (1985 to November 2014). Additional searches were carried out on the World Health Organization Trials Portal (ICTRP) together with ClinicalTrials.gov to identify any ongoing or unpublished studies. All searches were up to date as of 4 November 2014.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised trials in adults with anxiety or depression or both, with at least one arm treated with Reiki delivered by a trained Reiki practitioner.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
The two authors independently decided on inclusion/exclusion of studies and extracted data. A prior analysis plan had been specified but was not needed as the data were too sparse.
MAIN RESULTS
We found three studies for inclusion in the review. One recruited males with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of non-metastatic prostate cancer who were not receiving chemotherapy and had elected to receive external-beam radiation therapy; the second study recruited community-living participants who were aged 55 years and older; the third study recruited university students.These studies included subgroups with anxiety and depression as defined by symptom scores and provided data separately for those subgroups. As this included only 25 people with anxiety and 17 with depression and 20 more with either anxiety or depression, but which was not specified, the results could only be reported narratively. They show no evidence that Reiki is either beneficial or harmful in this population. The risk of bias for the included studies was generally rated as unclear or high for most domains, which reduces the certainty of the evidence.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is insufficient evidence to say whether or not Reiki is useful for people over 16 years of age with anxiety or depression or both.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Depression; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prostatic Neoplasms; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Therapeutic Touch
PubMed: 25835541
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006833.pub2 -
Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS Nov 2022Not all T-cell responses against HIV are created equally and responses of certain epitope specificities have been associated with superior control of infection. These... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW
Not all T-cell responses against HIV are created equally and responses of certain epitope specificities have been associated with superior control of infection. These insights have spurred the development of a wide range of immunogen sequences, each with particular advantages and limitations.
RECENT FINDINGS
We review some of the most advanced designs that have reached or are close to reaching human clinical trials, with a special focus on T-cell immunogen developed for therapeutic use. We also touch upon the importance of how immunogens are delivered and point out the lamentable fact that there is essentially no alignment between different designs and vaccine regimens, which is a major hindrance to accelerated advances in the field.
SUMMARY
The design of an immunogen able to induce T-cell responses of adequate specificity and functionality is subject of a wide range of preclinical and clinical studies. Few designs have shown promise to date, but emerging data highlight the critical contribution of specificity to effective antiviral activity in vivo .
Topics: AIDS Vaccines; Antiviral Agents; Epitopes; HIV Infections; HIV-1; Humans; T-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 36165078
DOI: 10.1097/COH.0000000000000765 -
Journal of Neurorestoratology Mar 2021COVID-19 has been an emerging and rapidly evolving risk to people of the world in 2020. Facing this dangerous situation, many colleagues in Neurorestoratology did their... (Review)
Review
COVID-19 has been an emerging and rapidly evolving risk to people of the world in 2020. Facing this dangerous situation, many colleagues in Neurorestoratology did their best to avoid infection if themselves and their patients, and continued their work in the research areas described in the . Neurorestorative achievements and progress during 2020 includes recent findings on the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, neurorestorative mechanisms and clinical therapeutic achievements. Therapeutic progress during this year included advances in cell therapies, neurostimulation/neuromodulation, brain-computer interface (BCI), and pharmaceutical neurorestorative therapies, which improved neurological functions and quality of life for patients. Four clinical guidelines or standards of Neurorestoratology were published in 2020. Milestone examples include: 1) a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of olfactory ensheathing cell treatment of chronic stroke showed functional improvements; 2) patients after transhumeral amputation experienced increased sensory acuity and had improved effectiveness in work and other activities of daily life using a prosthesis; 3) a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis used a steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP)-based BCI to achieve accurate and speedy computer input; 4) a patient with complete chronic spinal cord injury recovered both motor function and touch sensation with a BCI and restored ability to detect objects by touch and several sensorimotor functions. We hope these achievements motivate and encourage other scientists and physicians to increase neurorestorative research and its therapeutic applications.
PubMed: 37387779
DOI: 10.26599/JNR.2021.9040002 -
Eye (London, England) Apr 2023Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is the most common non-melanocytic tumour of the ocular surface. Surgical excision with wide margins using the "no-touch" method... (Review)
Review
Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is the most common non-melanocytic tumour of the ocular surface. Surgical excision with wide margins using the "no-touch" method was originally the most popular treatment for OSSN. However, in the past two decades, the use of topical medications for OSSN treatment has gained a reputation amongst ophthalmologists for being an effective alternative to surgical excision. Furthermore, technological advancements, such as those seen in high-resolution optical coherence tomography (HR-OCT) for the anterior segment, have facilitated the diagnosis and monitoring of OSSN. When selecting a topical agent, interferon alpha-2b (IFNα-2b) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are two of the gentlest medications used for OSSN and are often considered first line therapies due to their high-resolution rates and mild side effect profiles. Mitomycin C (MMC), on the other hand, has a highly toxic profile; therefore, while effective, in our hands it is considered as a second-line treatment for OSSN if the other modalities fail. In addition, newer and less studied agents, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, retinoic acid, aloe vera, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor have anti-neoplastic properties and have shown potential for the treatment of OSSN. We enclose an updated literature review of medical treatments for OSSN.
Topics: Humans; Conjunctival Neoplasms; Fluorouracil; Mitomycin; Interferon alpha-2; Eye Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 36754986
DOI: 10.1038/s41433-023-02434-x -
Biomedicines May 2023Metastasis and resistance to cancer therapeutics are critical barriers to curing cancer. This special issue entitled "Cancer Metastasis and Therapeutic Resistance"...
Metastasis and resistance to cancer therapeutics are critical barriers to curing cancer. This special issue entitled "Cancer Metastasis and Therapeutic Resistance" contains nine original contributions. The articles span a variety of human cancers, including breast, lung, brain, prostate, and skin and touch upon significant areas of interest such as cancer stem cell function, cancer immunology, and glycosylation.
PubMed: 37239018
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051347 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic virus with the potential to cause chronic infection, and it is one of the common causes of liver disease worldwide. Chronic HBV... (Review)
Review
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic virus with the potential to cause chronic infection, and it is one of the common causes of liver disease worldwide. Chronic HBV infection leads to liver cirrhosis and, ultimately, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and the impaired immune response in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has been studied over the past few decades. Despite advances in the etiology of HBV and the development of potent virus-suppressing regimens, a cure for HBV has not been found. Both the innate and adaptive branches of immunity contribute to viral eradication. However, immune exhaustion and evasion have been demonstrated during CHB infection, although our understanding of the mechanism is still evolving. Recently, the successful use of an antiviral drug for hepatitis C has greatly encouraged the search for a cure for hepatitis B, which likely requires an approach focused on improving the antiviral immune response. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge of the immunopathogenic mechanisms and immunobiology of HBV infection. In addition, we touch upon why the existing therapeutic approaches may not achieve the goal of a functional cure. We also propose how combinations of new drugs, and especially novel immunotherapies, contribute to HBV clearance.
PubMed: 36297173
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11101116 -
Cureus Nov 2022The Eustachian tube is a crucial pneumatic component of the head and neck region and is often neglected as an important site of insidious pathologies. In our literature... (Review)
Review
The Eustachian tube is a crucial pneumatic component of the head and neck region and is often neglected as an important site of insidious pathologies. In our literature review, we negotiate the management of eustachian tube dysfunction and explore the various therapeutic and surgical options available at our disposal. We begin by investigating the physiological nature of the eustachian tube and its role in the body's functioning. We also list and elaborate on the various pathologies affecting the Eustachian tube and its associated structures. The review then outlines eustachian tube dysfunction and discusses the pathophysiology involved in the genesis of the condition and its progression. Further, the review explores the tools most commonly used to diagnose or alleviate the condition, including, but not limited to, the Valsalva maneuver, Toynbee maneuver, tympanometry, pressure chamber test, and video nasopharyngoscopy. We also touch on The ETS-7 questionnaire and then on the various surgical interventions that may be used to manipulate the condition. The review also describes conventional tympanostomy and myringotomy, along with more novel techniques such as microwave ablation, laser eustachian tuboplasty, and balloon eustachian tuboplasty. We conclude by establishing the most favorable course of treatment in cases of eustachian tube dysfunction.
PubMed: 36523693
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.31432