The Effects of Prescribed Medications on Depressive Symptoms and Neurocognitive Performance in People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Background: Alterations in brain function and structure, such as depression and neurocognitive impairment, continue to occur in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, PWH) taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). The lifespan of PWH has improved but the healthspan remains worse than people without HIV, in part because of aging-related diseases. As a result, polypharmacy is common and increases the risk of drug-drug interactions and adverse reactions.

Enriched Environment Contributes to the Recovery from Neurotoxin-Induced Parkinson's Disease Pathology.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder that affects dopaminergic neurons. The lack of understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of PD pathology makes treating it a challenge. Several pieces of evidence support the protective role of enriched environment (EE) and exercise on dopaminergic neurons.

Initial Steps in Creating a Patient-Centric Addendum to Clinical Trial Informed Consent Forms.

Introduction: The purpose of the informed consent form (ICF) is to outline the risks and benefits of an interventional clinical trial to potential participants. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of a short addendum to the ICF, summarizing key points most relevant to potential participants.

Methods: A sample of 20 ICFs was reviewed against the requirements of the U.

Association of APOE gene with longitudinal changes of CSF amyloid beta and tau levels in Alzheimer's disease: racial differences.

Background: The Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, no investigation has focused on racial differences in the longitudinal effect of APOE genotypes on CSF amyloid beta (Aβ42) and tau levels in AD.

Methods: This study used data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI): 222 participants with AD, 264 with cognitive normal (CN), and 692 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at baseline and two years follow-up.

Patient Report on the Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Living With Lung Cancer.

Introduction: Several studies have highlighted coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related disruptions in treatment and care in people living with lung cancer. However, few studies have assessed patient-reported perspectives on treatment disruption. This study aims to report the patient perspectives on the impact of COVID-19, vaccination access, and coverage on people living with lung cancer.

Differential expression of interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3 (IFIT3) in Alzheimer's disease and HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders.

The United Nations projects that one in every six people will be over the age of 65 by the year 2050. With a rapidly aging population, the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) becomes a major concern. AD is a multifactorial disease that involves neurodegeneration in the brain with mild dementia and deficits in memory and other cognitive domains.

Effect of drug-to-lipid ratio on nanodisc-based tenofovir drug delivery to the brain for HIV-1 infection.

Combination antiretroviral therapy has significantly advanced HIV-1 infection treatment. However, HIV-1 remains persistent in the brain; the inaccessibility of the blood-brain barrier allows for persistent HIV-1 infections and neuroinflammation. Nanotechnology-based drug carriers such as nanodiscoidal bicelles can provide a solution to combat this challenge.

The 2021 Global Lung Cancer Therapy Landscape.

Introduction: The lung cancer treatment landscape has substantially evolved over the past decade. However, a systematic analysis of the current global drug development landscape has not been conducted.

Methods: We curated and analyzed a comprehensive list of therapeutic entities (TEs) in preclinical development and clinical trials for lung cancer.

Implantable Devices for the Treatment of Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the female population worldwide. Standard treatments such as chemotherapy show noticeable results. However, along with killing cancer cells, it causes systemic toxicity and apoptosis of the nearby healthy cells, therefore patients must endure side effects during the treatment process.

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Study of the Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on International Lung Cancer Clinical Trials.

Introduction: To evaluate the effects of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on lung cancer trials, we surveyed investigators and collected aggregate enrollment data for lung cancer trials across the world before and during the pandemic.

Methods: A Data Collection Survey collected aggregate monthly enrollment numbers from 294 global lung cancer trials for 2019 to 2020. A 64-question Action Survey evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials and identified mitigation strategies implemented.

PCL-PEG copolymer based injectable thermosensitive hydrogels.

A number of stimuli-responsive-based hydrogels has been widely explored in biomedical applications in the last few decades because of their excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility. The development of synthetic chemistry and materials science leads to the emergence of in situ stimuli-responsive hydrogels. In this regard, several synthetic and natural polymers have been synthesized and utilized to prepare temperature-sensitive in situ forming hydrogels.

Current Considerations for Clinical Management and Care of People with HIV: Findings from the 11th Annual International HIV and Aging Workshop.

The number of people with HIV (PWH) aged 50 years or older continues to steadily increase. The convergence of age- and HIV-related complications in these individuals presents a challenge for both patients and clinicians alike. New findings continue to emerge, as numerous researchers evaluate the combined impact of these two factors on quality of life, physiological systems, and mental health in PWH.

Knowledge and Practice Patterns Among Pulmonologists for Molecular Biomarker Testing in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Targeted therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with oncogenic drivers have caused a paradigm shift in care. Biomarker testing is needed to assess eligibility for these therapies. Pulmonologists often perform bronchoscopy, providing tissue for both pathologic diagnosis and biomarker analysis.

The Increase of HIV-1 Infection, Neurocognitive Impairment, and Type 2 Diabetes in The Rio Grande Valley.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) infection remains a persistent predicament for the State of Texas, ranking seventh among the most documented HIV cases in the United States. In this regard, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in South Texas is considered as one of the least investigated areas of the state with respect to HIV infection and HIV associated comorbidities. Considering the 115% increase in average HIV incidence rates per 100,000 within the RGV from 2007-2015, it is worth characterizing this population with respect to their HIV-1 infection, HIV-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND), and the association of treatment with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Increased Plasma Levels of the TH2 chemokine CCL18 associated with low CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-1-infected Patients with a Suppressed Viral Load.

The chemokine (C-C motif) chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) is a structural homolog of CCL3 primarily produced by monocyte-derived cells with an M2 phenotype. Elevated levels of CCL18 have been observed in several diseases associated with malignancies and chronic inflammation. The role of CCL18 in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) infection remains unknown.

The Membrane-Active Phytopeptide Cycloviolacin O2 Simultaneously Targets HIV-1-infected Cells and Infectious Viral Particles to Potentiate the Efficacy of Antiretroviral Drugs.

Novel strategies to increase the efficacy of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs will be of crucial importance. We hypothesize that membranes of HIV-1-infected cells and enveloped HIV-1 particles may be preferentially targeted by the phytopeptide, cycloviolacin O2 (CyO2) to significantly enhance ARV efficacy. Physiologically safe concentrations of CyO2 were determined via red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis.