Novel Approaches in Biotechnology: Microbial Genetic Modifications and Metabolic Disease Therapies.

Recent advances in biotechnology have brought novel solutions to both metabolic diseases and sustainable agriculture. This Patent Highlight examines innovation from four recent patents focusing on the genetic modification of microbes for nitrogen and carbon fixation and the development of pharmaceutical compounds to target critical metabolic pathways. These breakthroughs have potential applications in fields ranging from industrial biotechnology and agriculture to cancer therapy and metabolic disease treatment, providing new strategies for addressing global health and environmental challenges.

Novel Bicyclic Heterocyclic Compounds as CD73 Inhibitors for Treating Cancer.

Provided herein are novel bicyclic heterocyclic compounds as CD73 inhibitors, pharmaceutical compositions, use of such compounds in treating cancer, and processes for preparing such compounds.

A Conjugate of an EGFR-Binding Peptide and Doxorubicin Shows Selective Toxicity to Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells.

Selective targeting of cancer cells via overexpressed cell-surface receptors is a promising strategy to enhance chemotherapy efficacy and minimize off-target side effects. In this study, we designed peptide 31 (YHWYGYTPERVI) to target the overexpressed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Peptide 31 is internalized by TNBC cells through EGFR-mediated endocytosis and shares sequence and structural similarities with human EGF (hEGF), a natural EGFR ligand.

Structure-Based Design of Novel TLR7/8 Agonist Payloads Enabling an Immunomodulatory Conjugate Approach.

Dual activation of the TLR7 and TLR8 pathways leads to the production of type I interferon and proinflammatory cytokines, resulting in efficient antigen presentation by dendritic cells to promote T-cell priming and antitumor immunity. We developed a novel series of TLR7/8 dual agonists with varying ratios of TLR7 and TLR8 activity for use as payloads for an antibody-drug conjugate approach. The agonist-induced production of several cytokines in human whole blood confirmed their functional activity.

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Overcome Key Challenges in Psychedelic Research and Therapy.

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential in psychedelic research by addressing limitations in personalized treatment, predicting therapeutic outcomes, and understanding complex biological and environmental factors. AI-driven models provide new insights into long-term efficacy, set and setting optimization, and alternative treatment methods, advancing psychedelic therapy into personalized medicine.

Targeted Therapeutics in Oncology and Neurology: Advances in Kinase Inhibition and Biomarkers for Brain Injury.

Innovations in pharmaceutical science drive new treatment approaches for cancer and brain injury. This Patent Highlight reviews findings from three patents focused on kinase inhibition in cancer therapy and using biomarkers to assess brain injury. By targeting key enzymes such as AKT1 and diacylglycerol kinase alpha (DGKα), these innovations offer new strategies for cancer treatment, particularly in cases of resistance to conventional therapies.

Novel Compounds as CDK2 Inhibitors for Treating Cancer.

Provided herein are novel compounds as CDK2 inhibitors, pharmaceutical compositions, use of such compounds in treating cancer, and processes for preparing such compounds.

Development of a Buchwald-Hartwig Amination for an Accelerated Library Synthesis of Cereblon Binders.

In recent years, targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a powerful therapeutic modality utilizing both heterobifunctional ligand-directed degraders (LDDs) and molecular glues (e.g., CELMoDs) to recruit E3 ligases for inducing polyubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of target proteins.

Discovery of a Potent Triazole-Based Reversible Targeted Covalent Inhibitor of Cruzipain.

Cruzipain (CZP) is an essential cysteine protease of , the etiological agent of Chagas disease, and a promising druggable target. To date, no CZP inhibitors have reached clinical use, with research efforts mostly hampered by insufficient potency, limited target selectivity or lack of bioactivity translation from the isolated enzyme to the parasite in cellular environments. In this study, we report the design of , a 1,2,3-triazole-based targeted covalent inhibitor with nanomolar potency (IC = 28 nM) and null inhibition of human cathepsin L.

Pyrrolopyrazine Compounds as ERK5 Inhibitors for Treating Cancer.

Provided herein are novel pyrrolopyrazine compounds as ERK5 inhibitors, pharmaceutical compositions, use of such compounds in treating cancer, and processes for preparing such compounds.

Novel Imidazotriazine Derivatives as IL-17 Modulators for Treating Inflammatory and Autoimmune Disorders.

Provided herein are novel imidazotriazine derivatives as IL-17 modulators, pharmaceutical compositions, use of such compounds in treating inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, and processes for preparing such compounds.

Advances in Psychoactive Alkaloid Delivery, Ergoline Analogues, and Serotonin Receptor Modulation for Enhanced Therapeutic Outcomes.

Recent advancements in pharmaceutical research have focused on developing novel psychoactive compounds and receptor modulators that enhance therapeutic outcomes while minimizing adverse effects. This Patent Highlight examines three innovative approaches: (1) transmucosal delivery of dephosphorylated psychoactive alkaloids, (2) nonhallucinogenic serotonin receptor modulators, and (3) ergoline analogues designed for treating neurological disorders. These innovations offer breakthroughs in drug delivery, receptor targeting, and structural modifications, aiming to address challenges in the treatment of mood disorders, neurological diseases, and chronic pain while improving bioavailability and reducing side effects and hallucinogenic properties.

Conducting 24-hour movement behaviour research with preschool children in middle-income countries: Lessons from the SUNRISE pilot study in Mexico.

Objectives: Movement behaviour research among preschoolers is nascent in low- and middle-income countries, where levels of physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviour in children are largely unknown. This study aimed to adapt and assess the acceptability and feasibility of the International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years (SUNRISE) in Mexico, and report on challenges and solutions while implementing the protocol.

Study Design: Pilot study of the SUNRISE protocol in Mexico.

A measure of modifiable lifestyle factors shaping subjective cognitive reserve in the general population.

Objective: This study examined the psychometric properties of a newly developed scale for measuring subjective cognitive reserve (SCR) across multiple domains, including nutrition, physical condition, sleep, cognition, willingness to learn, socialization, general health, and life plan.

Method: The relationship between SCR scores and other established measures of cognitive reserve and subjective cognitive decline was also explored. A sample of 402 healthy participants aged 18 to 79 years took part in the study.

Thermal Behavior of -Octanol and Related Ether Alcohols.

The thermal behavior of -octanol and related ether alcohols has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The melting point, heat of fusion, and isobaric heat capacities of -octanol obtained from the DSC measurements are in good agreement with literature values. The ether alcohols display kinetic barriers for forming a solid phase during cooldown.

Bayesian modeling framework for optimizing pre-hospital stroke triage decisions.

Ischemic stroke is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in the United States and worldwide. Stroke treatment optimization requires emergency medical personnel to make rapid triage decisions concerning destination hospitals that may differ in their ability to provide highly time-sensitive pharmaceutical and surgical interventions. These decisions are particularly crucial in rural areas, where transport decisions can have a large impact on treatment times - often involving a trade-off between delay in pharmaceutical therapy or a delay in endovascular thrombectomy.

Workplace factors associated with job satisfaction among dental hygienists and assistants in the United States.

Previous research has assessed job satisfaction and related workplace factors among healthcare workers. However, studies on dental care professionals are limited. This study aimed to evaluate job satisfaction among US dental hygienists (DHs) and assistants (DAs) and identify workplace factors contributing to their job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Family physicians' perspectives on outcomes, processes, and policies in dementia care.

The rapid rise in numbers of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) poses major challenges to health systems and policy. Although primary care clinicians provide ongoing medical care for 80% of affected individuals, they face persistent barriers to providing high-quality dementia care. We conducted qualitative interviews with family physicians ( = 20) to understand what core outcomes they consider most important and what care processes and systems and policy strategies they propose to achieve them.

Medicaid billing for community health worker services growing, but remains low, 2016-2020.

Despite the recognized value of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in improving health outcomes, the integration of CHWs into Medicaid continues to be a challenge. This study examines the trends in CHW billing for Medicaid services across states from 2016 to 2020. We conducted an exploratory descriptive analysis of the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files (TAF) 2016-2020 to identify trends in direct billing for CHW services, including beneficiaries served, total services rendered, payment type, place of service, and procedure codes used for services billed by CHWs.

Aligning training, regulation, and payment policy to advance the behavioral health workforce.

The United States is facing an unprecedented behavioral health crisis, exacerbated by workforce shortages that limit access to treatment. In response, states are attempting to increase access to behavioral health services by developing new professions and roles and expanding the functions of the existing behavioral health workforce. Yet, training, regulation, and payment policies are often not aligned to effectively deploy the workforce to serve in new or expanded roles to meet behavioral health needs.

Health workforce issues and challenges in the post-pandemic era.

The health workforce is an essential component of our health care delivery system. A well-trained, sufficiently sized, and diverse workforce is critical to meet the health care needs of the population. However, in this postpandemic era, many challenges persist.

Use of pattern recognition in photoacoustic imaging to identify neuronal ensembles in the prefrontal cortex of rats undergoing conditioned fear learning.

Pattern recognition analysis in brain research has improved understanding of sensory processing and led to the identification of default brain networks in neuroimaging studies. The current study uses pattern recognition analysis to extend our previous findings showing conditioned fear learning and novelty-exposure (i.e.

Niemann-pick disease with visceral and pulmonary involvement in a resource limited setting: A rare case report.

Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by deficient lysosomal enzyme or faulty cholesterol transport. A 9-year-old male patient presented with 6 years of abdominal swelling, previously treated as tuberculosis. He exhibited hepatosplenomegaly, delayed growth, and pancytopenia.

Development of an agenda for research and action on climate change and health in the Caribbean.

This paper delineates the development of the Caribbean Research for Action Agenda which aims to empower Caribbean Small Island Developing States to reduce their vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change on health. The Caribbean Research for Action Agenda emerged from collaboration between nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and multilateral agencies that organized a conference on climate change and health in the Caribbean. This Agenda was formulated by prioritizing research areas, synthesizing evidence from conference presentations and scientific literature, and holding consultations with stakeholders and experts.

Hospital-based health technology assessment (HTA) in Latin America and the Caribbean: a scoping review.

Objective: To provide an overview of hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA) activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the technologies assessed, resources utilized, evaluation methods employed, and challenges encountered.

Methods: A scoping review focused on HB-HTA using frameworks from the Joanna Briggs Institute was conducted across databases and gray literature.

Results: Seventeen studies were identified, and another two documents were retrieved manually at a conference, totaling 19 files.