Target-Specific Nanoparticle Polyplex Down-Regulates Mutant to Prevent Pancreatic Carcinogenesis and Halt Tumor Progression.

Survival from pancreatic cancer is poor because most cancers are diagnosed in the late stages and there are no therapies to prevent the progression of precancerous pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasms (PanINs). Inhibiting mutant , the primary driver mutation in most human pancreatic cancers, has been challenging. The cholecystokinin-B receptor (CCK-BR) is absent in the normal pancreas but becomes expressed in high grade PanIN lesions and is over-expressed in pancreatic cancer making it a prime target for therapy.

Inside-Out of Complement in Cancer.

The role of complement in cancer has received increasing attention over the last decade. Recent studies provide compelling evidence that complement accelerates cancer progression. Despite the pivotal role of complement in fighting microbes, complement seems to suppress antitumor immunity regulation of host cell in the tumor microenvironment.

Safety and antiviral activity of triple combination broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody therapy against HIV-1: a phase 1 clinical trial.

HIV-1 therapy with single or dual broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) has shown viral escape, indicating that at least a triple bNAb therapy may be needed for robust suppression of viremia. We performed a two-part study consisting of a single-center, randomized, double-blind, dose-escalation, placebo-controlled first-in-human trial of the HIV-1 V2-glycan-specific antibody PGDM1400 alone or in combination with the V3-glycan-specific antibody PGT121 in 24 adults without HIV in part 1, as well as a multi-center, open-label trial of the combination of PGDM1400, PGT121 and the CD4-binding-site antibody VRC07-523LS in five viremic adults living with HIV not on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in part 2 ( NCT03205917 ). The primary endpoints were safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics for both parts and antiviral activity among viremic adults living with HIV and not on ART for part 2 of the study.

Taking Care of Each Other: How Can We Increase Compliance with Personal Protective Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chile?

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective measures (e.g., social distancing, handwashing, and mask wearing) have been adopted as a cornerstone to limit the spread of the disease.

Safety and immunogenicity of an HIV-1 gp120-CD4 chimeric subunit vaccine in a phase 1a randomized controlled trial.

A major challenge for HIV vaccine development is to raise anti-envelope antibodies capable of recognizing and neutralizing diverse strains of HIV-1. Accordingly, a full length single chain (FLSC) of gp120-CD4 chimeric vaccine construct was designed to present a highly conserved CD4-induced (CD4i) HIV-1 envelope structure that elicits cross-reactive anti-envelope humoral responses and protective immunity in animal models of HIV infection. IHV01 is the FLSC formulated in aluminum phosphate adjuvant.

Characteristics of achieving clinically important weight loss in two paediatric weight management interventions.

Objective: To examine characteristics and lifestyle behaviours associated with achieving clinically important weight loss (CIWL) in two paediatric weight management interventions (PWMIs).

Methods: We examined 1010 children enrolled in the STAR and Connect for Health trials. We defined achieving CIWL as any participant who had decreased their BMI z-score by ≥0.

A Potent Anti-Malarial Human Monoclonal Antibody Targets Circumsporozoite Protein Minor Repeats and Neutralizes Sporozoites in the Liver.

Discovering potent human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) on sporozoites (SPZ) and elucidating their mechanisms of neutralization will facilitate translation for passive prophylaxis and aid next-generation vaccine development. Here, we isolated a neutralizing human mAb, L9 that preferentially bound NVDP minor repeats of PfCSP with high affinity while cross-reacting with NANP major repeats. L9 was more potent than six published neutralizing human PfCSP mAbs at mediating protection against mosquito bite challenge in mice.

Family-centeredness of childhood obesity interventions: psychometrics & outcomes of the family-centered care assessment tool.

Background: Incorporating family-centered care principles into childhood obesity interventions is integral for improved clinical decision making, better follow-through, and more effective communication that leads to better outcomes and greater satisfaction with services. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of a modified version of the Family Centered-Care Assessment (mFCCA) tool and to assess the family-centeredness of two clinical-community childhood obesity interventions.

Methods: Connect for Health was a randomized trial testing the comparative effectiveness of two interventions that enrolled 721 children, ages 2-12 years, with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile.

Characterization of two in vivo challenge models to measure functional activity of monoclonal antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein.

Background: New strategies are needed to reduce the incidence of malaria, and promising approaches include the development of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target the circumsporozoite protein (CSP). To select the best candidates and speed development, it is essential to standardize preclinical assays to measure the potency of such interventions in animal models.

Methods: Two assay configurations were studied using transgenic Plasmodium berghei expressing Plasmodium falciparum full-length circumsporozoite protein.

Complement C3 Inhibitor Pegcetacoplan for Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Randomized Phase 2 Trial.

Purpose: Geographic atrophy (GA), a late stage of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a major cause of blindness. Even while central visual acuity remains relatively well preserved, GA often causes considerable compromise of visual function and quality of life. No treatment currently exists.

Parents' Willingness to Pay for Pediatric Weight Management Programs.

Objective: To examine parents' interest in continuing and willingness to pay (WTP) for 2 pediatric weight management programs following their participation.

Methods: Participants were parents of 2- to 12-year-old children with body mass index ≥ 85th percentile who participated in the Connect for Health trial. One group received enhanced primary care (EPC) and the other received EPC plus individualized coaching (EPC+C).

Parent-Perceived Stress and Its Association With Children's Weight and Obesity-Related Behaviors.

Introduction: Psychosocial stress is associated with obesity in adult and pediatric populations, but few studies have examined the relationship between parent-perceived stress and risk of child obesity and related behaviors.

Methods: We studied 689 pairs of parents and children aged 2 to 12 in Massachusetts with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile. Recruitment occurred from June 2014 to March 2015, and data collection ended in March 2016.

Use of Telehealth to Enhance Care in a Family-Centered Childhood Obesity Intervention.

Family-centered childhood obesity interventions have been found to be effective. We describe the use of telehealth for tailored behavior change support in a family-centered randomized trial. Children of 2 to 12 years with body mass index ≥85th percentile were randomized to Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) or Enhanced Primary Care + Coaching (EPC + C).

Presence of Small Screens in Bedrooms Is Associated With Shorter Sleep Duration and Later Bedtimes in Children With Obesity.

Background: The presence of small screens in the sleep environment has been associated with shorter sleep duration and later bedtimes in children of normal weight, but the role these devices play in the sleep environment of overweight children is unclear. We sought to examine the association of small screen presence in the sleep environment with sleep behaviors among school-age children with obesity.

Methods: We surveyed 526 parents of children ages 6 to 12 years old with a body mass index ≥95th percentile who were participating in a randomized trial to treat childhood obesity.

Determinants of Binge Eating Symptoms in Children with Overweight/Obesity.

Background: Examining binge eating symptoms before the diagnosis of binge eating disorder in children with obesity could provide important information on prevention of future eating disorders.

Methods: We examined the prevalence and multilevel determinants of three binge eating symptoms: (1) sneaking, hiding, or hoarding food; (2) eating in the absence of hunger, and (3) inhibition or embarrassment when eating in front of others among 817 children aged 5-12 years old with overweight/obesity receiving primary care in eastern Massachusetts. We examined the associations of child and parent/household characteristics with the prevalence ratios (PRs) of these three binge eating symptoms.

Neighborhood social cohesion and sleep outcomes in the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey.

Study Objective: Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) have the lowest attainment of healthy sleep duration among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. We examined associations of neighborhood social cohesion with sleep duration and quality.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 2464 adults in the NHPI National Health Interview Survey (2014).

Effects of Before-School Physical Activity on Obesity Prevention and Wellness.

Introduction: The effects of Build Our Kids Success-a 12-week, 1-hour before-school physical activity program-on BMI and social-emotional wellness among kindergarten to eighth grade students was examined.

Study Design: This was a nonrandomized trial.

Setting/participants: Participants were from 24 schools in Massachusetts; there were 707 children from kindergarten to eighth grade.

The association of posttraumatic stress disorder and chronic medical conditions by ethnicity.

Our study extends the literature on associations between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic medical conditions by assessing differences in the magnitude of these relations by ethnicity. We examined group differences in the magnitude of the relation between PTSD and chronic medical conditions (cardiovascular disease [CVD], hypertension, obesity, diabetes). We obtained data from Latino ( = 3,224) and non-Latino white ( = 4,180) respondents from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys.

A Community Resource Map to Support Clinical-Community Linkages in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Childhood Obesity, Eastern Massachusetts, 2014-2016.

Background: Novel approaches to health care delivery that leverage community resources could improve outcomes for children at high risk for obesity.

Community Context: We describe the process by which we created an online interactive community resources map for use in the Connect for Health randomized controlled trial. The trial was conducted in the 6 pediatric practices that cared for the highest percentage of children with overweight or obesity within a large multi-specialty group practice in eastern Massachusetts.

Comparative Effectiveness of Clinical-Community Childhood Obesity Interventions: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Novel approaches to care delivery that leverage clinical and community resources could improve body mass index (BMI) and family-centered outcomes.

Objective: To examine the extent to which 2 clinical-community interventions improved child BMI z score and health-related quality of life, as well as parental resource empowerment in the Connect for Health Trial.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This 2-arm, blinded, randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 2014 through March 2016, with measures at baseline and 1 year after randomization.

Examination of polytrauma typologies: A latent class analysis approach.

Potentially traumatizing events (PTE) are highly prevalent, and are associated with detrimental effects on psychological health, including increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Multiple endorsed PTEs (polytraumatization) may have even greater effects on a person's health than the impact of a single index event. To better understand patterns of polytraumatization, person-centered analytic techniques such as Latent class analysis (LCA) are recommended.