New metabolic signature for Chagas disease reveals sex steroid perturbation in humans and mice.

The causative agent of Chagas disease (CD), , claims thousands of lives each year. Current diagnostic tools are insufficient to ensure parasitological detection in chronically infected patients has been achieved. A host-derived metabolic signature able to distinguish CD patients from uninfected individuals and assess antiparasitic treatment efficiency is introduced.

Fasting blood glucose as a predictor of mortality: Lost in translation.

Aging leads to profound changes in glucose homeostasis, weight, and adiposity, which are considered good predictors of health and survival in humans. Direct evidence that these age-associated metabolic alterations are recapitulated in animal models is lacking, impeding progress to develop and test interventions that delay the onset of metabolic dysfunction and promote healthy aging and longevity. We compared longitudinal trajectories, rates of change, and mortality risks of fasting blood glucose, body weight, and fat mass in mice, nonhuman primates, and humans throughout their lifespans and found similar trajectories of body weight and fat in the three species.

Localized Affinity-Based Delivery of Prinomastat for Cancer Treatment.

Glioblastoma multiforme patients suffer a median survival of 14 months, facilitated by the highly invasive nature of this cancer that allows for it to evade conventional therapy. Prinomastat targets the essential matrix metalloproteinase degradation of the extracellular matrix needed for cancer invasion; however, its clinical potential is impeded by adverse musculoskeletal side effects. By localizing delivery of prinomastat via cyclodextrin polymers, systemic side effects can be bypassed.