-
Alzheimer's Research & Therapy Jan 2019Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology begins several years before the clinical onset. The long preclinical phase is composed of three stages according to the 2011National... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology begins several years before the clinical onset. The long preclinical phase is composed of three stages according to the 2011National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria, followed by mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a featured clinical entity defined as "due to AD", or "prodromal AD", when pathophysiological biomarkers (i.e., cerebrospinal fluid or positron emission tomography with amyloid tracer) are positive. In the clinical setting, there is a clear need to detect the earliest symptoms not yet fulfilling MCI criteria, in order to proceed to biomarker assessment for diagnostic definition, thus offering treatment with disease-modifying drugs to patients as early as possible. According to the available evidence, we thus estimated the prevalence and risk of progression at each preclinical AD stage, with special interest in Stage 3.
METHODS
Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies published from April 2008 to May 2018 were obtained through MEDLINE-PubMed, screened, and systematically reviewed by four independent reviewers. Data from included studies were meta-analyzed using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed by I statistics.
RESULTS
Estimated overall prevalence of preclinical AD was 22% (95% CI = 18-26%). Rate of biomarker positivity overlapped in cognitively normal individuals and people with subjective cognitive decline. The risk of progression increases across preclinical AD stages, with individuals classified as NIA-AA Stage 3 showing the highest risk (73%, 95% CI = 40-92%) compared to those in Stage 2 (38%, 95% CI = 21-59%) and Stage 1 (20%, 95% CI = 10-34%).
CONCLUSION
Available data consistently show that risk of progression increases across the preclinical AD stages, where Stage 3 shows a risk of progression comparable to MCI due to AD. Accordingly, an effort should be made to also operationalize the diagnostic work-up in subjects with subtle cognitive deficits not yet fulfilling MCI criteria. The possibility to define, in the clinical routine, a patient as "pre-MCI due to AD" could offer these subjects the opportunity to use disease-modifying drugs at best.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Progression; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Prevalence; Prodromal Symptoms; Risk Factors
PubMed: 30646955
DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0459-7 -
Pain Jul 2021This narrative review represents an output from the International Association for the Study of Pain's global task force on the use of cannabis, cannabinoids, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
This narrative review represents an output from the International Association for the Study of Pain's global task force on the use of cannabis, cannabinoids, and cannabis-based medicines for pain management, informed by our companion systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies in this area. Our aims in this review are (1) to describe the value of studying cannabinoids and endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) system modulators in preclinical/animal models of pain; (2) to discuss both pain-related efficacy and additional pain-relevant effects (adverse and beneficial) of cannabinoids and endocannabinoid system modulators as they pertain to animal models of pathological or injury-related persistent pain; and (3) to identify important directions for future research. In service of these goals, this review (1) provides an overview of the endocannabinoid system and the pharmacology of cannabinoids and endocannabinoid system modulators, with specific relevance to animal models of pathological or injury-related persistent pain; (2) describes pharmacokinetics of cannabinoids in rodents and humans; and (3) highlights differences and discrepancies between preclinical and clinical studies in this area. Preclinical (rodent) models have advanced our understanding of the underlying sites and mechanisms of action of cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system in suppressing nociceptive signaling and behaviors. We conclude that substantial evidence from animal models supports the contention that cannabinoids and endocannabinoid system modulators hold considerable promise for analgesic drug development, although the challenge of translating this knowledge into clinically useful medicines is not to be underestimated.
Topics: Animals; Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Endocannabinoids; Pain; Pain Management; Receptors, Cannabinoid
PubMed: 33729211
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002268 -
The Journal of Surgical Research Dec 2023Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage heart failure. There is a mismatch between the number of donor hearts available and the number of patients... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage heart failure. There is a mismatch between the number of donor hearts available and the number of patients awaiting transplantation. Expanding the donor pool is critically important. The use of hearts donated following circulatory death is one approach to increasing the number of available donor hearts.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines utilizing Pubmed/MEDLINE and Embase. Articles including adult human studies and preclinical animal studies of heart transplantation following donation after circulatory death were included. Studies of pediatric populations or including organs other than heart were excluded.
RESULTS
Clinical experience and preclinical studies are reviewed. Clinical experience with direct procurement, normothermic regional perfusion, and machine perfusion are included. Preclinical studies addressing organ function assessment and enhancement of performance of marginal organs through preischemic, procurement, preservation, and reperfusion maneuvers are included. Articles addressing the ethical considerations of thoracic transplantation following circulatory death are also reviewed.
CONCLUSIONS
Heart transplantation utilizing organs procured following circulatory death is a promising method to increase the donor pool and offer life-saving transplantation to patients on the waitlist living with end-stage heart failure. There is robust ongoing preclinical and clinical research to optimize this technique and improve organ yield. There are also ongoing ethical considerations that must be addressed by consensus before wide adoption of this approach.
PubMed: 37657140
DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.07.050 -
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine Oct 2018Recent investigations on the biochemical pathways after a musculoskeletal injury have suggested that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may be a viable supplement to enhance... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Recent investigations on the biochemical pathways after a musculoskeletal injury have suggested that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may be a viable supplement to enhance collagen synthesis and soft tissue healing.
PURPOSE
To (1) summarize vitamin C treatment protocols; (2) report on the efficacy of vitamin C in accelerating healing after bone, tendon, and ligament injuries in vivo and in vitro; and (3) report on the efficacy of vitamin C as an antioxidant protecting against fibrosis and promoting collagen synthesis.
STUDY DESIGN
Systematic review; Level of evidence, 2.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed, with the inclusion criteria of animal and human studies on vitamin C supplementation after a musculoskeletal injury specific to collagen cross-linking, collagen synthesis, and biologic healing of the bone, ligament, and tendon.
RESULTS
The initial search yielded 286 articles. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were included in the final analysis. Of the preclinical studies evaluating fracture healing, 2 studies reported significantly accelerated bone healing in the vitamin C supplementation group compared with control groups. The 2 preclinical studies evaluating tendon healing reported significant increases in type I collagen fibers and scar tissue formation with vitamin C compared with control groups. The 1 preclinical study after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction reported significant short-term (1-6 weeks) improvements in ACL graft incorporation in the vitamin C group compared with control groups; however, there was no long-term (42 weeks) difference. Of the clinical studies evaluating fracture healing, 1 study reported no significant differences in the rate of fracture healing at 50 days or functional outcomes at 1 year. Vitamin C supplementation was shown to decrease oxidative stress parameters by neutralizing reactive oxygen species through redox modulation in animal models. No animal or human studies reported any adverse effects of vitamin C supplementation.
CONCLUSION
Preclinical studies demonstrated that vitamin C has the potential to accelerate bone healing after a fracture, increase type I collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress parameters. No adverse effects were reported with vitamin C supplementation in either animal models or human participants; thus, oral vitamin C appears to be a safe supplement but lacks clinical evidence compared with controls. Because of the limited number of human studies, further clinical investigations are needed before the implementation of vitamin C as a postinjury supplement.
PubMed: 30386805
DOI: 10.1177/2325967118804544 -
Journal of Endocrinological... Nov 2023The clinical significance of metabolic syndrome (MetS) versus its single components in erectile dysfunction (ED) is conflicting. Thus, the purpose is to analyze the... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The clinical significance of metabolic syndrome (MetS) versus its single components in erectile dysfunction (ED) is conflicting. Thus, the purpose is to analyze the available evidence on the relationship between MetS-along with its components-and ED.
METHODS
All prospective and retrospective observational studies reporting information on ED and MetS were included. In addition, we here reanalyzed preclinical and clinical data obtained from a previously published animal model of MetS and from a consecutive series of more than 2697 men (mean age: 52.7 ± 12), respectively.
RESULTS
Data derived from this meta-analysis showed that MetS was associated with an up to fourfold increased risk of ED when either unadjusted or adjusted data were considered. Meta-regression analysis, performed using unadjusted statistics, showed that the MetS-related risk of ED was closely associated with all the MetS components. These associations were confirmed when unadjusted analyses from clinical models were considered. However, fully adjusted data showed that MetS-associated ED was more often due to morbidities included (or not) in the algorithm than to the MetS diagnostic category itself. MetS is also associated with low testosterone, but its contribution to MetS-associated ED-as derived from preclinical and clinical models-although independent, is marginal.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of our analysis suggest that MetS is a useless diagnostic category for studying ED. However, treating the individual MetS components is important, because they play a pivotal role in determining ED.
PubMed: 37515706
DOI: 10.1007/s40618-023-02136-x -
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy Feb 2023The objective of this systematic review is to summarize in vitro, preclinical, and human data related to omadacycline and infection (CDI). (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this systematic review is to summarize in vitro, preclinical, and human data related to omadacycline and infection (CDI).
DATA SOURCES
PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for "omadacycline" AND ("" OR "" OR "") for any studies published before February 15, 2022. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Events Reporting System (AERS) was searched for omadacycline (for reports including "" or "CDI" or "gastrointestinal infection"). The publications list publicly available at Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Web site was reviewed.
STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION
Publications presenting primary data on omadacycline and published in English were included.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Preclinical and clinical evidence was extracted from 14 studies. No case reports in indexed literature and no reports on FDA AERS were found. Omadacycline has potent in vitro activity against many clinical strains and diverse ribotypes. In phase 3 studies, there were no reports of CDI in patients who received omadacycline for either community-acquired bacterial pneumonia or acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection.
RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE
Omadacycline should be considered a low-risk antibiotic regarding its propensity to cause CDI.
CONCLUSIONS
Reducing the burden of CDI on patients and the health care system should be a priority. Patients with appropriate indications who are at heightened risk of CDI may be suitable candidates for omadacycline therapy. In these patients, omadacycline may be preferable to antibiotics with a high CDI risk.
Topics: Humans; Clostridioides; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Clostridium Infections; Clostridioides difficile; Bacteria; Community-Acquired Infections
PubMed: 35656828
DOI: 10.1177/10600280221089007 -
Headache May 2023To systemically review preclinical studies investigating the implication of prolactin signaling in headache and migraine pathophysiology. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To systemically review preclinical studies investigating the implication of prolactin signaling in headache and migraine pathophysiology.
BACKGROUND
The features of migraine attacks, including characteristics, duration, frequency, and prevalence, are sex-dependent with variability across a lifetime, indicating the involvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. Prolactin is a key regulator of this axis, and a new line of evidence implicates prolactin signaling in sex-related differences in pain perception.
METHODS
In this systematic review, we searched PubMed and EMBASE for the terms prolactin, hyperprolactinemia, macroprolactinemia, hypoprolactinemia, migraine, headache, head pain, and trigeminal pain pathway to find preclinical studies investigating prolactin signaling in headache and migraine. Two reviewers independently screened 841 articles for population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study design. Studies were restricted to the English language and were excluded if they had a nonexperimental methodology.
RESULTS
Of a total of 15 preclinical articles selected, 11 were both ex vivo and in vivo, 3 were ex vivo, and 1 was an in vivo study. The main findings were that prolactin receptors are distributed in the trigeminal pain pathway, and prolactin induced migraine-like behavior in rodents. Moreover, prolactin signaling has a crucial role in calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release, a key molecule in migraine pathogenesis, and prolactin gene deletion attenuated CGRP-induced migraine-like behavior.
CONCLUSION
Preclinical data indicate a key role of prolactin and its receptors in mechanisms causing migraine. Further randomized and placebo-controlled clinical studies targeting prolactin signaling are needed to further clarify the influences of prolactin in migraine-attack initiation.
Topics: Humans; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Headache; Migraine Disorders; Pain; Prolactin; Animals; Mice; Rats
PubMed: 36752584
DOI: 10.1111/head.14412 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Sep 2016Rodent defense behavior assays have been widely used as preclinical models of anxiety to study possibly therapeutic anxiety-reducing interventions. However, some... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Rodent defense behavior assays have been widely used as preclinical models of anxiety to study possibly therapeutic anxiety-reducing interventions. However, some proposed anxiety-modulating factors - genes, drugs and stressors - have had discordant effects across different studies. To reconcile the effect sizes of purported anxiety factors, we conducted systematic review and meta-analyses of the literature on ten anxiety-linked interventions, as examined in the elevated plus maze, open field and light-dark box assays. Diazepam, 5-HT1A receptor gene knockout and overexpression, SERT gene knockout and overexpression, pain, restraint, social isolation, corticotropin-releasing hormone and Crhr1 were selected for review. Eight interventions had statistically significant effects on rodent anxiety, while Htr1a overexpression and Crh knockout did not. Evidence for publication bias was found in the diazepam, Htt knockout, and social isolation literatures. The Htr1a and Crhr1 results indicate a disconnect between preclinical science and clinical research. Furthermore, the meta-analytic data confirmed that genetic SERT anxiety effects were paradoxical in the context of the clinical use of SERT inhibitors to reduce anxiety.
Topics: Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Humans; Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Social Isolation
PubMed: 27328783
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.04.011 -
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and... May 2014The use of systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies has become more common, including those of studies describing the modeling of cerebrovascular... (Review)
Review
The use of systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies has become more common, including those of studies describing the modeling of cerebrovascular diseases. Empirical evidence suggests that too many preclinical experiments lack methodological rigor, and this leads to inflated treatment effects. The aim of this review is to describe the concepts of systematic review and meta-analysis and consider how these tools may be used to provide empirical evidence to spur the field to improve the rigor of the conduct and reporting of preclinical research akin to their use in improving the conduct and reporting of randomized controlled trials in clinical research. As with other research domains, systematic reviews are subject to bias. Therefore, we have also suggested guidance for their conduct, reporting, and critical appraisal.
Topics: Animals; Bias; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Humans; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Review Literature as Topic; Stroke; Translational Research, Biomedical
PubMed: 24549183
DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2014.28 -
Viruses Nov 2022The outbreak of monkeypox, coupled with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic is a critical communicable disease. This study aimed to systematically identify and review... (Review)
Review
The outbreak of monkeypox, coupled with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic is a critical communicable disease. This study aimed to systematically identify and review research done on preclinical studies focusing on the potential monkeypox treatment and immunization. The presented juxtaposition of efficacy of potential treatments and vaccination that had been tested in preclinical trials could serve as a useful primer of monkeypox virus. The literature identified using key terms such as monkeypox virus or management or vaccine stringed using Boolean operators was systematically reviewed. Pubmed, SCOPUS, Cochrane, and preprint databases were used, and screening was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A total of 467 results from registered databases and 116 from grey literature databases were screened. Of these results, 72 studies from registered databases and three grey literature studies underwent full-text screening for eligibility. In this systematic review, a total of 27 articles were eligible according to the inclusion criteria and were used. Tecovirimat, known as TPOXX or ST-246, is an antiviral drug indicated for smallpox infection whereas brincidofovir inhibits the viral DNA polymerase after incorporation into viral DNA. The ability of tecovirimat in providing protection to poxvirus-challenged animals from death had been demonstrated in a number of animal studies. Non-inferior with regard to immunogenicity was reported for the live smallpox/monkeypox vaccine compared with a single dose of a licensed live smallpox vaccine. The trial involving the live vaccine showed a geometric mean titre of vaccinia-neutralizing antibodies post two weeks of the second dose of the live smallpox/monkeypox vaccine. Of note, up to the third generation of smallpox vaccines-particularly JYNNEOS and Lc16m8-have been developed as preventive measures for MPXV infection and these vaccines had been demonstrated to have improved safety compared to the earlier generations.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Smallpox Vaccine; Smallpox; Pandemics; COVID-19; Monkeypox virus; Variola virus; Vaccinia virus; Vaccines, Attenuated; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 36423105
DOI: 10.3390/v14112496