Targeting of the estrogen receptor (ER) by antiestrogens is the standard of care for patients with ER+ HER2- advanced/metastatic breast cancer. Although antiestrogens that degrade ERα (fulvestrant) or block estrogen production (aromatase inhibitors) have improved patient outcomes, clinically important challenges remain related to drug administration, limited bioavailability, lack of brain exposure, and acquired resistance due to ESR1 mutations. These limitations indicate a need for more robust ER-targeted therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImplementing clinical outcome assessments electronically in clinical studies requires the sponsor and electronic clinical outcome assessment (eCOA) provider to work closely together to implement study-specific requirements and ensure consensus-defined best practices are followed. One of the most important steps is for sponsors to conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) using an eCOA system developed by the eCOA provider. UAT provides the clinical study team including sponsor or designee an opportunity to evaluate actual software performance and ensure that the sponsor's intended requirements were communicated clearly and accurately translated into the system design, and that the system conforms to a sponsor-approved requirements document based on the study protocol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose To quantitatively determine the limit of detection of marrow stromal cells (MSC) after cardiac cell therapy (CCT) in swine by using clinical positron emission tomography (PET) reporter gene imaging and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with cell prelabeling. Materials and Methods Animal studies were approved by the institutional administrative panel on laboratory animal care. Seven swine received 23 intracardiac cell injections that contained control MSC and cell mixtures of MSC expressing a multimodality triple fusion (TF) reporter gene (MSC-TF) and bearing superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (NP) (MSC-TF-NP) or NP alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose To use multimodality reporter-gene imaging to assess the serial survival of marrow stromal cells (MSC) after therapy for myocardial infarction (MI) and to determine if the requisite preclinical imaging end point was met prior to a follow-up large-animal MSC imaging study. Materials and Methods Animal studies were approved by the Institutional Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care. Mice (n = 19) that had experienced MI were injected with bone marrow-derived MSC that expressed a multimodality triple fusion (TF) reporter gene.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Liver diseases progress faster in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected persons than HIV-monoinfected persons. The aim of this study was to compare rates of liver fibrosis progression (measured by the aspartate-to-platelet ratio index [APRI]) among HIV-HCV-coinfected users of modern protease inhibitor (PI)- and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based regimens with a backbone of tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) or abacavir/lamivudine (ABC/3TC).
Methods: Data from a Canadian multicenter cohort study were analyzed, including 315 HCV polymerase chain reaction-positive persons who initiated antiretroviral therapy with a PI or NNRTI and a backbone containing either TDF/FTC or ABC/3TC.
Background: Although some studies show higher antiretroviral concentrations in women compared to men, data are limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study of HIV-positive women to determine if protease inhibitor (PI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) C(min) and Cmax values were significantly different than historical general population (predominantly male) averages and to evaluate correlates of higher concentrations.
Methods: HIV-positive women with virologic suppression (viral load < 50copies/mL) on their first antiretroviral regimen were enrolled.
Background: Participation bias is a well-known phenomenon in epidemiologic research, where individuals consenting to research studies differ from individuals who are not able or willing to participate. These dissimilarities may limit the generalizability of results of research studies. Quantification of the participation bias is essential for the interpretation of research findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWAY-255348 is a potent nonsteroidal progesterone receptor (PR) antagonist previously characterized in rodents and nonhuman primates. This report describes the novel mechanism by which WAY-255348 inhibits the activity of progesterone. Most PR antagonists bind to and block PR action by inducing a unique "antagonist" conformation of the PR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe have continued to explore the 3,3-dialkyl-5-aryloxindole series of progesterone receptor (PR) modulators looking for new agents to be used in female healthcare: contraception, fibroids, endometriosis, and certain breast cancers. Previously we reported that subtle structural changes with this and related templates produced functional switches between agonist and antagonist properties ( Fensome et al. Biorg.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTanaproget represents a potential first-in-class nonsteroidal PR agonist for contraception with improved safety and side effect profiles versus currently available steroidal oral contraceptives. Additional SAR, biological activity, and structural information from a tanaproget/hPR-LBD (hPR-LBD = human progesterone receptor ligand binding domain) cocrystal structure will also be presented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProgesterone receptor (PR) agonists have several important applications in women's health, such as in oral contraception and post-menopausal hormone therapy. Currently, all PR agonists used clinically are steroids. Because of their interactions with other steroid receptors, steroid-metabolizing enzymes, or other steroid-signaling pathways, these drugs can pose significant side effects in some women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Cryosurgical ablation of the prostate is 1 approach to the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Third generation cryosurgery uses gas driven probes that allow for a decrease in probe diameter to 17 gauge (1.5 mm).
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