Neutrophil Activation Markers and Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Response to the JAK1/2 Inhibitor Baricitinib.

Objective: Neutrophils play an important role in regulating immune and inflammatory responses in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed whether baricitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, could reduce neutrophil activation and whether a neutrophil activation score could predict treatment response.

Methods: Markers of neutrophil activation, calprotectin, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in plasma from patients with RA (n = 271) and healthy controls (n = 39).

Computed Tomography-Guided Spinal Biopsy in Suspected Infective Spondylodiscitis: An Institutional Review of Its Utility.

 Infectious spondylodiscitis is a debilitating condition and evidence-based medicine dictates confirming the diagnosis before treatment. Computed tomography-guided spinal biopsy plays a major role and hence we would like to determine its utility in current clinical practice.  The purpose of this study is to determine the percentage of confirmatory positives of CT-guided spinal biopsy in patients who were clinicoradiologically diagnosed with infectious spondylitis.

Synergistic Strategies to Accelerate the Development of Function-Promoting Therapies: Lessons From Operation Warp Speed and Oncology Drug Development.

Background: Functional limitations and physical disabilities associated with aging and chronic disease are major concerns for human societies and expeditious development of function-promoting therapies is a public health priority.

Methods: Expert panel discussion.

Results: The remarkable success of Operation Warp Speed for the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 therapeutics, and of oncology drug development programs over the past decade have taught us that complex public health problems such as the development of function-promoting therapies will require collaboration among many stakeholders, including academic investigators, the National Institutes of Health, professional societies, patients and patient advocacy organizations, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and the U.

Androgens and Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators to Treat Functional Limitations Associated With Aging and Chronic Disease.

Testosterone, many steroidal androgens, and nonsteroidal ligands that bind to androgen receptor and exert tissue-specific transcriptional activity (selective androgen receptor modulators [SARMs]) are being developed as function-promoting therapies to treat functional limitations associated with aging and chronic diseases. This narrative review describes preclinical studies, mechanisms, and randomized trials of testosterone, other androgens, and nonsteroidal SARMs. Sex differences in muscle mass and strength and empiric use of anabolic steroids by athletes to increase muscularity and athletic performance provide supportive evidence of testosterone's anabolic effects.

Challenges and Future Prospects of Targeting Myostatin/Activin A Signaling to Treat Diseases of Muscle Loss and Metabolic Dysfunction.

Over the past 25 years, considerable progress has been made in terms of elucidating the regulatory and signaling mechanisms underlying the control of skeletal muscle mass by myostatin and other secreted proteins belonging to the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. Preclinical studies demonstrating the potential benefits of targeting the activities of these ligands have fueled the development of numerous biologics capable of perturbing this signaling pathway and increasing muscle mass and function. These biologics have been tested in numerous clinical trials for a wide range of indications characterized by muscle loss and excess adiposity.

Comparative Effectiveness of Dexamethasone in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in the United States.

Introduction: To compare the mortality of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 between those that required supplemental oxygen and received dexamethasone with a comparable set of patients who did not receive dexamethasone.

Methods: We utilized the Premier Health Database to identify hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 from July 1, 2020-January 31, 2021. Index date was when patients first initiated oxygen therapy.

Macrophage-derived CCL23 upregulates expression of T-cell exhaustion markers in ovarian cancer.

Background: Macrophages are an important component of the tumour immune microenvironment (TME) and can promote tumour growth and metastasis. Macrophage-secreted chemokine-ligand-23 (CCL23) induces ovarian cancer cell migration via chemokine-receptor 1 (CCR1). However, the effect of CCL23 on other immune cells in the TME is unknown.

Revealing the human mucinome.

Mucin domains are densely O-glycosylated modular protein domains found in various extracellular and transmembrane proteins. Mucin-domain glycoproteins play important roles in many human diseases, such as cancer and cystic fibrosis, but the scope of the mucinome remains poorly defined. Recently, we characterized a bacterial O-glycoprotease, StcE, and demonstrated that an inactive point mutant retains binding selectivity for mucin-domain glycoproteins.

Utility of spinal angiography and arterial embolization in patients undergoing CT guided alcohol injection of aggressive vertebral hemangiomas.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of spinal angiography and arterial embolization in avoiding spinal cord ischemia in patients undergoing CT-guided alcohol injection of aggressive vertebral hemangiomas.

Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with vertebral hemangioma who underwent CT-guided direct alcohol injection between January 2007 and October 2018 were identified. Of 28 such patients, 26 had neurological deficits, and 2 had only back pain or radiculopathy.

Cancer-associated mesothelial cells promote ovarian cancer chemoresistance through paracrine osteopontin signaling.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecological malignancy-related deaths, due to its widespread intraperitoneal metastases and acquired chemoresistance. Mesothelial cells are an important cellular component of the ovarian cancer microenvironment that promote metastasis. However, their role in chemoresistance is unclear.

A novel hybrid construction of MnMoO nanorods anchored graphene nanosheets; an efficient electrocatalyst for the picomolar detection of ecological pollutant ornidazole in water and urine samples.

Nitroimidazole compounds are widely used antibiotics to encounter anaerobic bacterial and parasitic infections. The wide usage of antibiotic drugs became an ecological contaminant which in turn into potential monitoring. In this regards, we have designed and developed a new electrochemical sensing probe to monitor an antiprotozoal drug, ornidazole (ODZ), with the aid of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) integrated with manganese molybdate nanorods (MnMoO) decorated graphene nanosheets (GNS) hybrid materials that prepared by feasible probe sonochemical method (parameters: 2-4 W, 5 mV amp, 20 kHz).

Cell-based immunotherapy in gynecologic malignancies.

Purpose Of Review: To provide an update on cell-based immunotherapies in solid tumors particularly in gynecological cancers.

Recent Findings: Recent clinical trial results demonstrate safety and tolerability of different cell therapies in gynecological cancers. Novel approaches, such as harnessing the cells of the innate immune system are also under investigation in a phase I trial.

Does the Surgical Reduction of High Grade Spondylolisthesis Restore Spino-Pelvic Alignment? An Analysis of 35 Patients.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze how the sagittal spinopelvic alignment is influenced by an attempted surgical reduction of the L5-S1 segment in patients with high-grade spondylolisthesis (HGS).

Overview Of Literature: Conventional treatment strategies stress the importance of achieving fusion across the lumbosacral junction in patients with HGS.

Nanomolar level detection of non-steroidal antiandrogen drug flutamide based on ZnMnO nanoparticles decorated porous reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite electrode.

Flutamide is a non-steroidal antiandrogen drug and widely used in the treatment of prostatic carcinoma. Nevertheless, the excessive intake and improper disposal could affect the living organisms. In this work, we have synthesized a new nanocomposite based on ZnMnO nanoparticles and porous reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (ZnMnO-PGO) for the electrocatalytic detection of flutamide (FLU) drug.

Composite Grip Strength as a Marker of Outcome in Patients Surgically Treated for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the efficacy of composite grip strength as a marker of surgical outcome in patients with moderate to severe degenerative cervical myelopathy.

Overview Of Literature: Degenerative cervical myelopathy causes loss of dexterity, muscle strength, and sensations in the hand.

Role of Biochemical Nutritional Parameters as Predictors of Postoperative Morbidity in Major Spine Surgeries.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between nutritional parameters related to postoperative surgical site infections and duration of hospital stay and intensive care unit (ICU) stay in patients undergoing major spine surgery.

Overview Of Literature: Malnutrition is highly prevalent in surgical patients.