Is miR-223 Upregulation in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases a Protective Response?

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by chronic inflammation and damage of colonocytes with etiology of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. MicroRNA-223 (miR-223) has been found to be increased in both IBD patients and animal colitis models. However, contentious opinions relevant to the roles of miR-223 in IBD have been reported.

Pilot clinical and pharmacokinetic study of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/Cannabidiol (CBD) nanoparticle oro-buccal spray in patients with advanced cancer experiencing uncontrolled pain.

This pilot study aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and exploratory analgesic effect of a novel water-soluble oro-buccal nanoparticle spray of a cannabis-based medicine (MDCNS-01) in patients with advanced incurable malignancy with unrelieved pain from opioid analgesic. The study was a non-blinded single arm 2 stage study. Stage I was a single escalating dose (n = 5) [2.

An exploratory study of the gut microbiota in major depression with anxious distress.

Objectives: To explore differences in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome between major depressive disorder (MDD) with and without anxious distress.

Methods: The study comprised 117 participants (79 female, 36 male, 2 other, mean age 38.2 ± 13.

The Role of the Gut-Lung Axis in COVID-19 Infections and Its Modulation to Improve Clinical Outcomes.

The main entry point of SARS-CoV-2 is the respiratory tract and as such immune defence in this site determines if the virus will spill-over to the systemic circulation and circulate and infect other major organs. The first line of mucosal immune defence is composed of mucins, an epithelial barrier, and immune cells in the nasal cavity. The lung immune defence is carried out by numerous alveoli.

Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol medicines for chronic pain and mental health conditions.

Combination tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) medicines or CBD-only medicines are prospective treatments for chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. THC and CBD increase signaling from cannabinoid receptors, which reduces synaptic transmission in parts of the central and peripheral nervous systems and reduces the secretion of inflammatory factors from immune and glial cells. The overall effect of adding CBD to THC medicines is to enhance the analgesic effect but counteract some of the adverse effects.

Intestinal Dysbiosis, the Tryptophan Pathway and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progresses from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH), which may then progress to the development of cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. NASH is characterized by both steatosis and inflammation. Control of inflammation in NASH is a key step for the prevention of disease progression to severe sequalae.

The intestinal microbiota and improving the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Most COVID-19 cases are mild or asymptomatic and recover well, suggesting that effective immune responses ensue, which successfully eliminate SARS-CoV-2 viruses. However, a small proportion of patients develop severe COVID-19 with pathological immune responses. This indicates that a strong immune system balanced with anti-inflammatory mechanisms is critical for the recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Altered gut microbial metabolites could mediate the effects of risk factors in Covid-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, is now pandemic. While most Covid-19 patients will experience mild symptoms, a small proportion will develop severe disease, which could be fatal. Clinically, Covid-19 patients manifest fever with dry cough, fatigue and dyspnoea, and in severe cases develop into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis and multi-organ failure.

A pilot safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic study of an oro-buccal administered cannabidiol-dominant anti-inflammatory formulation in healthy individuals: a randomized placebo-controlled single-blinded study.

Background: The cannabis plant presents a complex biochemical unit of over 500 constituents of which 70 or more molecules have been classified as cannabinoids binding to cannabinoid receptors. The study aimed to investigate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary pharmacokinetics of a nanoparticle CBD formulation.

Methods: The cannabis-based medicine was elaborated with a micellular technology, to produce a water-soluble nanoparticle CBD-dominant anti-inflammatory cannabis medicine (MDCNB-02).

Modulation of Gut Microbiota for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19.

The gut microbiota is well known to exert multiple benefits on human health including protection from disease causing pathobiont microbes. It has been recognized that healthy intestinal microbiota is of great importance in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Gut dysbiosis caused by various reasons is associated with severe COVID-19.

Oral administration of dermatan sulphate reduces venous thrombus formation in vivo: potential use as a formulation for venous thromboembolism.

Dermatan sulphate (DS) is a sulphated polysaccharide that displays complexity in constituent sulphated disaccharides and interacts with proteins and signalling molecules to modulate numerous biological processes, including inhibition of the coagulation cascade and regulation of blood clotting and fibrinolysis. This study shows the antithrombotic and anticoagulant effects of DS prepared from bovine collagen waste liquor following oral and intravenous administrations in a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) rabbit model. In vitro, the prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and thrombin citrated plasma clotting assays revealed that bovine DS had strong antithrombotic and anticoagulant effects comparable to low-molecular-weight heparin [Clexane (enoxaparin sodium)].

Gut Microbiota Metabolites in NAFLD Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Implications.

Gut microbiota dysregulation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through its metabolites. Therefore, the restoration of the gut microbiota and supplementation with commensal bacterial metabolites can be of therapeutic benefit against the disease. In this review, we summarize the roles of various bacterial metabolites in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and their therapeutic implications.

Targeting the Intestinal Microbiota to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes and Enhance the Effect of Metformin on Glycaemia: A Randomised Controlled Pilot Study.

Early treatment may prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in individuals who are at high risk. Lifestyle interventions and the hypoglycemic drug metformin have been shown to reduce T2DM incidence. The effectiveness of such interventions may be enhanced by targeting environmental factors such as the intestinal microbiota, which has been proven to predict the response to lifestyle interventions and play a part in mediating the glucose-lowering effects of metformin.

The gallbladder and vermiform appendix influence the assemblage of intestinal microorganisms.

Surgical procedures for the symptomatic removal of the gallbladder and the vermiform appendix have been posited to adversely shift the assemblage of the intestinal microbiome increasing the risk of disease. The associated mechanisms have been linked with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. Cholecystectomy causes changes of bile acid compositions and bile secretion patterns as bile acids interact with the intestinal microbiota in a bidirectional capacity.