Cytokine Modulators in Plaque Psoriasis - A Review of Current and Prospective Biologic Therapeutic Approaches.

Psoriasis is a debilitating inflammatory condition that affects physiological and psychological states of millions around the world. Conventional biologic and nonbiologic therapies are fraught with profound adverse side effect profiles, frequent injection requirements, suboptimal outcomes, and other detriments. An enhanced understanding of the role of cytokines in psoriasis, particularly interleukins 12, 17, and 23, has afforded improved therapeutic strategies.

What Do Veterans Want? Understanding Veterans' Preferences for PTSD Treatment Delivery.

Introduction: Home-based delivery of psychotherapy may offer a viable alternative to traditional office-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by overcoming several barriers to care. Little is known about patient perceptions of home-based mental health treatment modalities. This study assessed veterans' preferences for treatment delivery modalities and how demographic variables and trauma type impact these preferences.

Initial genetic dissection of serum neuroactive steroids following chronic intermittent ethanol across BXD mouse strains.

Neuroactive steroids modulate alcohol's impact on brain function and behavior. Ethanol exposure alters neuroactive steroid levels in rats, humans, and some mouse strains. We conducted an exploratory analysis of the neuroactive steroids (3α,5α)-3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP), (3α,5α)-3,21-dihydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THDOC), and pregnenolone across 126-158 individuals and 19 fully inbred strains belonging to the BXD family, which were subjected to air exposure, or chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure.

The highly selective orexin/hypocretin 1 receptor antagonist GSK1059865 potently reduces ethanol drinking in ethanol dependent mice.

The orexin/hypocretin (ORX) system plays a major role in motivation for natural and drug rewards. In particular, a number of studies have shown that ORX signaling through the orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) regulates alcohol seeking and consumption. Despite the association between ORX signaling and motivation for alcohol, no study to date has investigated what role the ORX system plays in alcohol dependence, an understanding of which would have significant clinical relevance.

Chronic intermittent ethanol induced axon and myelin degeneration is attenuated by calpain inhibition.

Chronic alcohol consumption causes multifaceted damage to the central nervous system (CNS), underlying mechanisms of which are gradually being unraveled. In our previous studies, activation of calpain, a calcium-activated neutral protease has been found to cause detrimental alterations in spinal motor neurons following ethanol (EtOH) exposure in vitro. However, it is not known whether calpain plays a pivotal role in chronic EtOH exposure-induced structural damage to CNS in vivo.

Assessing abuse liability in clinical trials.

In this article, the use of data collected in registration-focused clinical trials to provide information concerning abuse liability of compounds under development is discussed. Registration-focused trials are limited by the small and select sample chosen for study participation and design constraints. However, most compounds under development are first administered to humans during the conduct of registration-focused trials, so this presents an opportunity to collect potentially important information about the effects of drugs in humans.

Role of conservative surgery for invasive penile carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Most penile tumors are suitable for standard partial or total penile amputation. We attempted to identify whether occasional patients with anatomically suitable penile carcinoma can be safely managed with unconventional techniques that preserve uninvolved penile structures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of personal patients with anatomically suitable invasive penile carcinoma managed by unconventional surgical resections between 1979 and 1995 were reviewed.

Residual erythroid progenitors in W/W mice respond to erythropoietin in the absence of steel factor signals.

Erythropoiesis is severely impaired in mice with inactivating mutations in the Steel factor (SF) gene (Sl/Sl mice) or in c-kit, in the SF receptor gene (W/W mice), and in mice with null mutations in the genes for either erythropoietin (EPO) or the erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R). Previous studies indicated that EPO is sufficient for colony development from colony-forming units-erythroid (CFU-E). However, recent studies have shown that there is a physical association between these 2 receptors and that c-kit can phosphorylate EPO-R.

Loss of flk-2/flt3 expression during commitment of multipotent mouse hematopoietic progenitor cells to the mast cell lineage.

The expression of c-kit and flk-2/flt3 was analyzed in various stages of mast cell differentiation using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Mouse fetal liver cells were sorted using antibodies for Sca-1 (Ly6A/E) and CD43 to obtain a population enriched for early progenitors; committed mast cell progenitors were absent from this population. Mouse fetal liver-derived, IL-3-dependent blast cell colonies provided a source of committed mast cell progenitors, and mast cell colonies provided mature mast cells.

Chaos, self-organization, and psychology.

A variety of investigators in recent years have proposed models of psychological systems based on the concepts of chaos, nonlinear dynamics, and self-organization. Unfortunately, psychologists in general have little understanding of these important ideas. These terms are defined, and their relationships are discussed.