Hyperpolarized helium-3 magnetic resonance lung imaging of non-sedated infants and young children: a proof-of-concept study.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a protocol for hyperpolarized helium-3 (HHe) ventilation magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lungs of non-sedated infants and children.

Materials And Methods: HHe ventilation MRI was performed on seven children ≤4years old. Contiguous 2D-spiral helium-3 images were acquired sequentially with a scan time of ≤0.

Use of hyperpolarized helium-3 MRI to assess response to ivacaftor treatment in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Background: This pilot study evaluated the effect of short- and long-term ivacaftor treatment on hyperpolarized He-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-defined ventilation defects in patients with cystic fibrosis aged ≥12years with a G551D-CFTR mutation.

Methods: Part A (single-blind) comprised 4weeks of ivacaftor treatment; Part B (open-label) comprised 48weeks of treatment. The primary outcome was change from baseline in total ventilation defect (TVD; total defect volume:total lung volume ratio).

Evaluating more naturalistic outcome measures: A 1-year smartphone study in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: In this cohort of individuals with and without multiple sclerosis (MS), we illustrate some of the novel approaches that smartphones provide to monitor patients with chronic neurologic disorders in their natural setting.

Methods: Thirty-eight participant pairs (MS and cohabitant) aged 18-55 years participated in the study. Each participant received an Android HTC Sensation 4G smartphone containing a custom application suite of 19 tests capturing participant performance and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

A signature for immune response correlates with HCV treatment outcome in Caucasian subjects.

This data article contains Supplementary material for a published research article describing a whole-blood proteomic signature that predicts treatment outcome for subjects infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) [1]. The proteomic signature is derived from whole-blood samples from subjects infected with HCV. The article includes detailed experimental and computational methods used in the analysis.

A signature for immune response correlates with HCV treatment outcome in Caucasian subjects.

Unlabelled: Broad proteomic profiling was performed on serum samples of phase 2 studies (PROVE1, PROVE2, and PROVE3) of the direct-acting antiviral drug telaprevir in combination with peg-interferon and ribavirin in subjects with HCV. Using only profiling data from subjects treated with peg-interferon and ribavirin, a signature composed of pretreatment levels of 13 components was identified that correlated well (R(2)=0.68) with subjects' underlying immune response as measured by week 4 viral decline and was highly predictive of sustained virologic response in non-African American subjects (AUC=0.

Intrahepatic and Peripheral CXCL10 Expression in Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients Treated With Telaprevir, Pegylated Interferon, and Ribavirin.

Unlabelled: We assessed peripheral and liver CXCL10 levels in 15 patients treated with telaprevir/pegylated interferon/ribavirin. Induction of peripheral CXCL10 messenger RNA (mRNA) peaked (mean fold-induction [±SD], 3.1 ± 1.

Assessment of repeatability of hyperpolarized gas MR ventilation functional imaging in cystic fibrosis.

Rationale And Objectives: Hyperpolarized (HP) gas magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an advanced imaging technique that provides high-resolution regional information on lung function without using ionizing radiation. Before this modality can be considered for assessing clinical or investigational interventions, baseline repeatability needs to be established. We assessed repeatability of lung function measurement using HP helium-3 MRI (HP (3)He MRI) in a small cohort of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Telaprevir-based treatment effects on hepatitis C virus in liver and blood.

Unlabelled: Understanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication has been limited by access to serial samples of liver, the primary site of viral replication. Our understanding of how HCV replicates and develops drug-resistant variants in the liver is limited. We studied 15 patients chronically infected with genotype 1 HCV treated with telaprevir (TVR)/pegylated-interferon alpha/ribavirin.

Limited impact of IL28B genotype on response rates in telaprevir-treated patients with prior treatment failure.

Background & Aims: Nucleotide polymorphisms upstream of the interleukin 28B (IL28B) gene are strongly associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance in treatment-naïve patients treated with peginterferon/ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV). This subanalysis of the REALIZE study evaluated the impact of IL28B polymorphisms on sustained virologic response (SVR) in telaprevir-treated, HCV genotype 1-infected patients with prior PegIFN/RBV treatment failure.

Methods: Treatment-experienced patients were randomized to 12 weeks of telaprevir (750 mg every 8h) with/without a 4-week PegIFN/RBV lead-in, or placebo, each with PegIFN-α-2a (180 μg/week) and ribavirin (1000-1200 mg/day) for 48 weeks overall.

Dynamic changes in HCV RNA levels and viral quasispecies in a patient with chronic hepatitis C after telaprevir-based treatment.

Background: Telaprevir is a selective inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus NS3·4A serine protease. Treatment with telaprevir resulted in a rapid HCV-RNA decline in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients.

Objectives: To report the clinical and viral course of a patient treated with telaprevir in combination with pegylated interferon-alpha-2a and ribavirin in a Phase 2 clinical trial (PROVE3).

Results of a phase IIa study of VX-809, an investigational CFTR corrector compound, in subjects with cystic fibrosis homozygous for the F508del-CFTR mutation.

Background: VX-809, a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator, has been shown to increase the cell surface density of functional F508del-CFTR in vitro.

Methods: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the safety, tolerability and pharmacodynamics of VX-809 in adult patients with cystic fibrosis (n=89) who were homozygous for the F508del-CFTR mutation. Subjects were randomised to one of four VX-809 28 day dose groups (25, 50, 100 and 200 mg) or matching placebo.

Active-site residues of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase required in coupling ATP hydrolysis to DNA supercoiling and amino acid substitutions leading to novobiocin resistance.

DNA gyrase is a bacterial type II topoisomerase which couples the free energy of ATP hydrolysis to the introduction of negative supercoils into DNA. Amino acids in proximity to bound nonhydrolyzable ATP analog (AMP. PNP) or novobiocin in the gyrase B (GyrB) subunit crystal structures were examined for their roles in enzyme function and novobiocin resistance by site-directed mutagenesis.