Early disease intervention with guselkumab in psoriasis leads to a higher rate of stable complete skin clearance ('clinical super response'): Week 28 results from the ongoing phase IIIb randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, GUIDE study.

Background: Guselkumab is an interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitor with demonstrated efficacy in patients with psoriasis.

Objectives: Evaluate the impact of early disease intervention on clinical responses following 28 weeks of guselkumab treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Correlate clinical response and disease duration data with serum biomarker data.

Bioprinting-Associated Shear Stress and Hydrostatic Pressure Affect the Angiogenic Potential of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

Bioprinting-associated shear stress and hydrostatic pressure can negatively affect the functionality of dispensed cells. We hypothesized that these mechanical stimuli can potentially affect the angiogenic potential of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). A numerical simulation model was used to calculate the shear stress during microvalve-based droplet ejection.

FRESH bioprinting technology for tissue engineering - the influence of printing process and bioink composition on cell behavior and vascularization.

The rapid and tailored biofabrication of natural materials is of high interest for the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Scaffolds require both high biocompatibility and tissue-dependent mechanical strength to function as basis for tissue-engineered implants. Thus, natural hydrogels such as fibrin are promising but their rapid biofabrication remains challenging.

Extracellular Vesicles-Loaded Fibrin Gel Supports Rapid Neovascularization for Dental Pulp Regeneration.

Rapid vascularization is required for the regeneration of dental pulp due to the spatially restricted tooth environment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from mesenchymal stromal cells show potent proangiogenic effects. Since EVs suffer from rapid clearance and low accumulation in target tissues, an injectable delivery system capable of maintaining a therapeutic dose of EVs over a longer period would be desirable.

Influence of Different Cell Types and Sources on Pre-Vascularisation in Fibrin and Agarose-Collagen Gels.

Vascularisation is essential for the development of tailored, tissue-engineered organs and tissues due to diffusion limits of nutrients and the lack of the necessary connection to the cardiovascular system. To pre-vascularize, endothelial cells and supporting cells can be embedded in the scaffold to foster an adequate nutrient and oxygen supply after transplantation. This technique is applied for tissue engineering of various tissues, but there have been few studies on the use of different cell types or cells sources.

Hand-held bioprinting for vascular formation applicable to dental pulp regeneration.

Deep carious lesions may cause irreversible pulpitis and the current endodontic treatment typically removes the whole dental pulp tissue, which finally reduces lifespan of the teeth. Nowadays, the most frequent treatment is based on removing the infected tissue and filling the root canal with inert synthetic materials. Tissue engineering approaches are important alternatives to the current treatment, because they can potentially maintain the biological function of the tooth instead of sacrificing it.

Combination of vascularization and cilia formation for three-dimensional airway tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering is a promising approach to treat massive airway dysfunctions such as tracheomalacia or tumors. Currently, there is no adequate solution for patients requiring the resection of more than half of the length of their trachea. In this study, the best conditions for combination of three different cell types from the respiratory airway system were investigated to develop a functional ciliated and pre-vascularized mucosal substitute in vitro.

Macrophages significantly enhance wound healing in a vascularized skin model.

Tissue-engineered dermo-epidermal skin grafts could be applied for the treatment of large skin wounds or used as an in vitro wound-healing model. However, there is currently no skin replacement model that includes both, endothelial cells to simulate vascularization, and macrophages to regulate wound healing and tissue regeneration. Here, we describe for the first time a tissue-engineered, fully vascularized dermo-epidermal skin graft based on a fibrin hydrogel scaffold, using exclusively human primary cells.

Efficacy and tolerability of a house dust mite allergoid in allergic bronchial asthma: a randomized dose-ranging trial.

Aim: This multicenter randomized placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial investigated which maintenance dose shows the optimal benefit-risk ratio for subcutaneous immunotherapy with a Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergoid preparation.

Objective: To evaluate four maintenance doses of the allergoid preparation versus placebo.

Methods: The late-phase reaction of the intracutaneous test was chosen as efficacy parameter and minimal dose of fluticasone required for asthma control.

Elevating the use of sugar-free chewing gum in Germany: cost saving and caries prevention.

Objective: To analyse the lifetime monetary and health related effects of the consumption of sugar-free chewing gum.

Material And Methods: Using a Markov model we assumed that the German consumption of sugar-free chewing gum (111 gums/year) could be elevated to the level of Finland (202 gums/year). The calculation was based on a model patient representing the development of oral health from the age of 12 to 74 years and clinical data on the effectiveness of chewing sugar-free gum.

Electro-spun PLA-PEG-yarns for tissue engineering applications.

Electro-spinning is widely used in tissue-engineered applications mostly in form of non-woven structures. The development of e-spun yarn opens the door for textile fabrics which combine the micro to nanoscale dimension of electro-spun filaments with three-dimensional (3D) drapable textile fabrics. Therefore, the aim of the study was the implementation of a process for electro-spun yarns.

New stereolithographic resin providing functional surfaces for biocompatible three-dimensional printing.

Stereolithography is one of the most promising technologies for the production of tailored implants. Within this study, we show the results of a new resin formulation for three-dimensional printing which is also useful for subsequent surface functionalization. The class of materials is based on monomers containing either thiol or alkene groups.

A global approach to assess the economic benefits of increased consumption of sugar-free chewing gum.

Purpose: To analyze the influence of increasing the average consumption of sugar-free gum (SFG) in 25 industrialized countries on dental expenditures due to caries by the national health care systems. It was assumed that large cost savings were possible, because the regular consumption of SFG significantly reduces the relative risk of caries and therefore, improves dental health, which reduces expenditures on dental treatments.

Methods: A budget impact analysis (BIA) was performed to model the decrease in the relative risk of caries and the subsequent cost savings for dental care.

Three-Dimensional Printing and Angiogenesis: Tailored Agarose-Type I Collagen Blends Comprise Three-Dimensional Printability and Angiogenesis Potential for Tissue-Engineered Substitutes.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a promising technology for manufacturing cell-laden tissue-engineered constructs. Larger tissue substitutes, however, require a vascularized network to ensure nutrition supply. Therefore, tailored bioinks combining 3D printability and cell-induced vascularization are needed.

GelMA-collagen blends enable drop-on-demand 3D printablility and promote angiogenesis.

Effective vascularization is crucial for three-dimensional (3D) printed hydrogel-cell constructs to efficiently supply cells with oxygen and nutrients. Till date, several hydrogel blends have been developed that allow the in vitro formation of a capillary-like network within the gels but comparatively less effort has been made to improve the suitability of the materials for a 3D bioprinting process. Therefore, we hypothesize that tailored hydrogel blends of photo-crosslinkable gelatin and type I collagen exhibit favorable 3D drop-on-demand printing characteristics in terms of rheological and mechanical properties and that further capillary-like network formation can be induced by co-culturing human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human mesenchymal stem cells within the proposed blends.

[Improvement of Stress Resistance and Quality of Life of Adults with Nervous Restlessness after Treatment with a Passion Flower Dry Extract].

Background: The passion flower dried ethanolic extract investigated in this non-interventional study has well-documented calmative effects and good tolerability. We investigated the effects of this extract on the stress resistance (resilience) and quality of life (QoL) of patients suffering from nervous restlessness. The addiction potential of the drug and the course of symptoms were also evaluated.

[Medical care and costs in the last year of life - propensity score matching of AAPV and SAPV insurants].

Introduction: Patients with life limiting diseases need special medical treatments at the end of life. In Germany, since 2007 there is specialized outpatient palliative care (SAPV) available for patients in need of special treatments additional to regular outpatient palliative care (AAPV). Distribution of specialized palliative care is not homogenous in german regions and there is no evidence about medical gain and total costs yet.

Quality of life and costs of spasticity treatment in German stroke patients.

Objective: To gather data about the medical and non-medical health service in patients suffering from post-stroke spasticity of the upper limb and evaluate treatment effectiveness and tolerability as well as costs over the treatment period of one year.

Methods: Prospective, non-interventional, multicenter, parallel-group study comparing effectivenessand costs of incobotulinumtoxinA (INCO) treatment (n = 118) to conventional (CON) antispastic therapy (n = 110) for upper limb spasticity after stroke in 47 clinical practices across Germany over a 1-year treatment period. IncobotulinumtoxinA was applied according to the individual treatment algorithms of each participating site and additional antispastic treatments were allowed.

Long-term efficacy and safety of incobotulinumtoxinA and conventional treatment of poststroke arm spasticity: a prospective, non-interventional, open-label, parallel-group study.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of incobotulinumtoxinA with conventional antispastic therapy for poststroke arm spasticity in routine clinical practice over a 1-year period.

Design: Prospective, non-interventional, open-label, parallel-group study.

Setting: 47 centres in Germany.