Successful intracranial delivery of trastuzumab by gene-therapy for treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases.

Background: Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody which demonstrates efficacy for HER2 positive breast cancer patients. Recently, an increased incidence of brain metastasis in trastuzumab-treated patients has been reported. The reason for this may be the effectiveness of systemic trastuzumab allowing patients to survive longer thus providing time for brain metastases to develop, along with the lack of penetration of systemic therapies through the blood brain barrier.

Sustained secretion of anti-tumor necrosis factor α monoclonal antibody from ex vivo genetically engineered dermal tissue demonstrates therapeutic activity in mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a symmetric inflammatory polyarthritis associated with high concentrations of pro-inflammatory, cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Adalimumab is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds TNF-α, and is widely used to treat RA. Despite its proven clinical efficacy, adalimumab and other therapeutic mAbs have disadvantages, including the requirement for repeated bolus injections and the appearance of treatment limiting anti-drug antibodies.

Effect of long-term treatment with rasagiline on cognitive deficits and related molecular cascades in aged mice.

The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of prolonged treatment with the selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor, novel anti-parkinsonian drug, rasagiline (Azilect) in aged animals. Our findings from behavioral experiments demonstrated that long-term treatment of aged mice with rasagiline (0.2 mg/kg) exerted significant beneficial effects on mood-related dysfunction and spatial learning and memory functions.

Beneficial behavioral, neurochemical and molecular effects of 1-(R)-aminoindan in aged mice.

Previous neuroprotective studies demonstrated that 1-(R)-aminoindan (AI), which is the major metabolite of the anti-Parkinsonian drug rasagiline, possesses beneficial pharmacological effects in various cell culture and animal models of neurodegeneration. The present study was aimed at investigating the possible neuroprotective effects of AI on cognitive impairments and neurochemical alterations in aged mice. Our findings provide evidence that following chronic systemic treatment with AI (5 mg/kg; daily; 3 months) of aged mice (24 months old), the compound exerted a significant positive impact on neuropsychiatric functions and cognitive behavior deficits, assessed in a variety of tasks (spatial learning and memory retention, working memory, learning abilities and nest building behavior) and produced an antidepressant-like effect.