The Current and Promising Oral Delivery Methods for Protein- and Peptide-Based Drugs.

Drugs based on peptides and proteins (PPs) have been widely used in medicine, beginning with insulin therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus over a century ago. Although the oral route of drug administration is the preferred one by the vast majority of patients and improves compliance, medications of this kind due to their specific chemical structure are typically delivered parenterally, which ensures optimal bioavailability. In order to overcome issues connected with oral absorption of PPs such as their instability depending on digestive enzymes and pH changes in the gastrointestinal (GI) system on the one hand, but also their limited permeability across physiological barriers (mucus and epithelium) on the other hand, scientists have been strenuously searching for novel delivery methods enabling peptide and protein drugs (PPDs) to be administered enterally.

Inclisiran-A Revolutionary Addition to a Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy.

Hypercholesterolemia plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis, but it remains an undertreated and underdiagnosed disease. Taking into consideration the high prevalence of lipid disorders, long duration of the asymptomatic course of the disease, life-threatening complications resulting from inaccurate therapy, and stringent treatment goals concerning LDL cholesterol level in the prevention of cardiovascular events, novel lipid-lowering therapies have been introduced in the last few years. In this article, a drug belonging to the group of small interfering RNA (siRNA) called inclisiran is described.

Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Labor-Related Anxiety and Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Pregnant Women?

The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly had significant effects on women's health and the course of pregnancy. The aim of this single-center study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult pregnant and postpartum women's mental health, as well as to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms, anxiety and fear of delivery. The 465 women included in this questionnaire-based cohort study were divided into two groups: one (controls) of women who gave birth before ( = 190), and the second who were pregnant and delivered during the pandemic ( = 275).

Fungal infection mimicking COVID-19 infection - A case report.

For the last 2 years, one of the most frequent causes of respiratory failure is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The symptoms are not specific. Imaging diagnostics, especially high-resolution computed tomography, is a diagnostic method widely used in the diagnosis of this disease.

Personality Traits, Metabolic Control and the Use of Insulin Pump Functions in Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: An Observational Single-Visit Study.

Introduction: While a few studies have assessed the association between personality and metabolic outcomes in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), there have been none in adults or in subjects treated with insulin pumps, and hypoglycaemic episodes have not been considered in these studies. The aim of this observational single-visit study was to assess the association between personality traits and metabolic control, hypoglycaemic episodes and insulin pump use in adult T1DM patients.

Methods: Data were obtained from 52 adults with T1DM treated in a tertiary care centre (no complications or comorbidities; aged 27 ± 8 years; diabetes duration of 12.