scholarly journals Pharmacotherapy of COVID-19: confine to existential drugs or search for new ones?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
izzettin hatip-Al-Khatib ◽  
Funda F. Bölükbaşi Hatip
Keyword(s):  
Economic Losses ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Drug Reactions ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Drugs ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Pharmacology And Toxicology ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Old Drugs

Background The recent COVID-19 outbreak (pandemic) has inflicted great human lives and economic losses. Aside from being abated, new surges in cases are being recorded. The sudden emergence and fulmination of the disease and its rapid spread caught the health authorities worldwide, including the developed ones, off guard, with no novel drugs available. Therefore there was no choice other than using the old drugs. Objectives This study aims to reveal the possible mechanism of action, adverse drug reactions and beneficial combination of drugs used in COVID-19 treatment Methods We undertook a comprehensive living structural review of COVID-19, searching databases, and other sources to identify literature on drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19. We analyzed the sources, publication date, type, and the topic of the retrieved articles/studies in the available search machines. Results Although a large number of literature on COVID-19 deals with pathology, clinic, and epidemiological issues, few studies that tackle pharmacology and toxicology of the drugs used could be found in the literature. At least twenty six (26) drugs, alone or in various combinations, are found in the literature to be used in various countries in the world. These drugs had been used previously for other purposes but they also possess activities that could target various steps involved in the virus invasion-replication-multiplication and leaving the cell. Pharmacokinetic fundamentals had also been applied in some combination (decrease Lopnavirs metabolism by ritonavir), but some drugs that were initially extensively used at high doses without benefiting from some of their properties are recently being abandoned (hydroxychloroquine, ionophore for Zn2+). Conclusion The literature concerning drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 lag far behind the great number of literature that discusses diseases pathogenicity, clinical picture, and epidemiology. The World indeed had been caught unprepared for COVID-19, hence obliged to use old drugs.

Pharmacotherapy of COVID-19: confine to existential drugs or search for new ones? (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izzettin Hatip-Al-Khatib ◽  
Funda Bolukbasi Hatip
Keyword(s):  
Economic Losses ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Drug Reactions ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Drugs ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Pharmacology And Toxicology ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Old Drugs

UNSTRUCTURED Background The recent COVID-19 outbreak (pandemic) has inflicted great human lives and economic losses. Aside from being abated, new surges in cases are being recorded. The sudden emergence and fulmination of the disease and its rapid spread caught the health authorities worldwide, including the developed ones, off guard, with no novel drugs available. Therefore there was no choice other than using the old drugs. Objectives This study aims to reveal the possible mechanism of action, adverse drug reactions and beneficial combination of drugs used in COVID-19 treatment Methods We undertook a comprehensive living structural review of COVID-19, searching databases, and other sources to identify literature on drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19. We analyzed the sources, publication date, type, and the topic of the retrieved articles/studies in the available search machines. Results Although a great number of literature on COVID-19 deals with pathology, clinic, and epidemiological issues, few studies that tackle pharmacology and toxicology of the drugs used could be found in the literature. At least twenty six (26) drugs, alone or in various combinations, are found in the literature to be used in various countries in the world. These drugs had been used previously for other purposes but they also possess activities that could target various steps involved in the virus invasion-replication-multiplication and leaving the cell. Pharmacokinetic fundamentals had also been applied in some combination (decrease Lopnavir’s metabolism by ritonavir), but some drugs that were initially extensively used at high doses without benefiting from some of their properties are recently being abandoned (hydroxychloroquine, ionophore for Zn2+). Conclusion The literature concerning drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 lag far behind the great number of literature that discusses disease’s pathogenicity, clinical picture, and epidemiology. The World indeed had been caught unprepared for COVID-19, hence obliged to use old drugs.

scholarly journals HumanChrysomya bezzianamyiasis: A systematic review

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianyi Zhou ◽  
Dzinkambani Moffat Kambalame ◽  
Sitong Zhou ◽  
Xiang Guo ◽  
Dan Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Features ◽  
General Public ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The World ◽  
And Control ◽  
Chrysomya Bezziana

AbstractBackgroundMyiasis due to Old World screw-worm fly,Chrysomya bezziana, is an important obligate zoonotic disease in the OIE-list of diseases and is found throughout much of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, southeast and east Asia.C. bezzianamyiases cause not only morbidity and death to animals and humans, but also economic losses in the livestock industries. Because of the aggressive and destructive nature of this disease in hosts, we initiated this study to provide a comprehensive understanding of human myiasis caused byC. bezziana.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of the databases in English (PubMed, Embase and African Index Medicus) and Chinese (CNKI, Wanfang, and Duxiu), and international government online reports to 6thFebruary, 2019, to identify studies concerningChrysomya bezziana. Another ten human cases in China and Papua New Guinea that our team had recorded were also included.ResultsWe retrieved 1,048 reports from which 202 studies were ultimately eligible for inclusion in the present descriptive analyses. Since the first human case due toC. bezzianawas reported in 1909, we have summarized 291 cases and found that these cases often occurred in poor hygiene, low socio-economic conditions, old age, and underlying diseases including infections, age-related diseases, and noninfectious chronic diseases. ButC. bezzianamyiasis appears largely neglected as a serious medical or veterinary condition, with human and animal cases only reported in 16 and 24 countries respectively, despite this fly species recorded as present in 44 countries worldwide.ConclusionOur findings indicate that cryptic myiasis cases due to the obligate parasite,C. bezziana,are under-recognized. Through this in-depth study to clarify the knowledge of humanC. bezzianamyiasis including its etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, prevention and control, we call for more vigilance and awareness of the disease from governments, health authorities, clinicians, veterinary workers, nursing homes, and also the general public.Author summaryChrysomya bezzianalarvae are characterized by feeding aggressively on the living tissues and body fluids of the host. The nightmare-like feelings of patients suffering from this myiasis, severe tissues and bones destruction, even death, and enormous economic loss in the livestock industries have been described in the previous reports. But our findings indicate thatC. bezzianamyiases still appear to be under-recognized as a serious medical or veterinary condition throughout the world. Both in China and the world at large, it is probable thatC. bezzianadistribution could be greater than currently reported. For the first time, we have therefore systematically investigated human myiasis caused byC. bezziana. Our study provides an opportunity for clinicians and health authorities to gain a better understanding of this disease from its etiology, pathology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, prevention and control. In addition, our findings will hopefully engage governments, health staff, veterinary workers, the elderly homes, and also the general public in efforts to recognize, prevent and control such infestations.

scholarly journals Rationale for Mass Masking in Controlling the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shing Yau Tam ◽  
Victor C. W. Tam ◽  
Helen K. W. Law ◽  
May Ling Khaw ◽  
Shara W. Y. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Lower Transmission

The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into a global pandemic caught the world unprepared. Previously effective measures for containing disease outbreaks were overwhelmed, necessitating strict controls such as lockdowns or curfews. Among the disease control interventions, community mass masking was one of the highly controversial issues with differing opinions on its indications or effectiveness from different health authorities around the world. Regions where community mass masking was timely introduced were associated with lower transmission rates, and more effective disease control. In this article, we discuss the evidence on the effectiveness, and rationale for community mass masking to prevent the COVID-19 transmission. Areas for further research to define the role of mass masking in light of the COVID-19 pandemic will be suggested. This would help policy makers in formulating mass masking policies.

Importance of Zebrafish as an efficient research model for the screening of novel therapeutics in neurological disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diksha Saluja ◽  
Rishabh Jhanji ◽  
Swati Kaushal ◽  
Bharti Verma ◽  
Neelam Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Tropical Fish ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Behavioral Repertoire ◽  
Experimental Procedure ◽  
Novel Drugs ◽  
Associated Functions ◽  
Pharmacology And Toxicology ◽  
Rats And Mice

Abstract:: In the previous years of research, the use of animal model becomes very common for the screening of novel drugs. Animal model represents the complex problems of humans into simplest forms which can be extended further to include the experimental procedure. The most successful models in neuroscience, rats and mice, undoubtedly considered as one of the best models to understand the psychology of mammalian brain and its associated functions involved in various behavioral repertoire. Moreover, recently researchers in behavioral neuroscience are focusing more on the use of aquatic animals especially fish as model species due to their simplicity, and cost effectiveness. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a tropical fish from minnow family a genetic structure surprisingly 84 % similar to humans. It is gaining popularity as a model to study the mechanism in behavioral neuropharmacology. Moreover, Zebrafish is having numerous advantages over other rodent models like ease in maintenance due to their small size; breeding power is more, transparency of embryos, overall reduced cost of experimentation and many more. Nowadays, it is considered as an ideal model to study the neurobehavioral aspects with relevance to humans. It is also used in varieties of scientific studies like genetics, neuroscience, pharmacology, and toxicology. In this manuscript, we have described the feasibility and importance of Zebrafish as a model for the screening of novel drugs for different neurological disorders.

Critical Insight into the Attributes of Emerging Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in India and Across the World

Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
Gaurav M. Doshi ◽  
Hemen S. Ved ◽  
Ami P. Thakkar
Keyword(s):  
Review Article ◽  
World Health ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
The World ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Old Drugs

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced the spread of novel coronavirus (nCoV) globally and has declared it a pandemic. The probable source of transmission of the virus, which is from animal to human and human to human contact, has been established. As per the statistics reported by the WHO on 11th April 2020, data has shown that more than sixteen lakh confirmed cases have been identified globally. The reported cases related to nCoV in India have been rising substantially. The review article discusses the characteristics of nCoV in detail with the probability of potentially effective old drugs that may inhibit the virus. The research may further emphasize and draw the attention of the world towards the development of an effective vaccine as well as alternative therapies. Moreover, the article will help to bridge the gap between the new researchers since it’s the current thrust area of research.

scholarly journals Modelling the impact of delaying vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 assuming unlimited vaccine supply

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Amaku ◽  
Dimas Tadeu Covas ◽  
Francisco Antonio Bezerra Coutinho ◽  
Raymundo Soares Azevedo ◽  
Eduardo Massad
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
The State ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
The World ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background At the moment we have more than 177 million cases and 3.8 million deaths (as of June 2021) around the world and vaccination represents the only hope to control the pandemic. Imperfections in planning vaccine acquisition and difficulties in implementing distribution among the population, however, have hampered the control of the virus so far. Methods We propose a new mathematical model to estimate the impact of vaccination delay against the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the number of cases and deaths due to the disease in Brazil. We apply the model to Brazil as a whole and to the State of Sao Paulo, the most affected by COVID-19 in Brazil. We simulated the model for the populations of the State of Sao Paulo and Brazil as a whole, varying the scenarios related to vaccine efficacy and compliance from the populations. Results The model projects that, in the absence of vaccination, almost 170 thousand deaths and more than 350 thousand deaths will occur by the end of 2021 for Sao Paulo and Brazil, respectively. If in contrast, Sao Paulo and Brazil had enough vaccine supply and so started a vaccination campaign in January with the maximum vaccination rate, compliance and efficacy, they could have averted more than 112 thousand deaths and 127 thousand deaths, respectively. In addition, for each month of delay the number of deaths increases monotonically in a logarithmic fashion, for both the State of Sao Paulo and Brazil as a whole. Conclusions Our model shows that the current delay in the vaccination schedules that is observed in many countries has serious consequences in terms of mortality by the disease and should serve as an alert to health authorities to speed the process up such that the highest number of people to be immunized is reached in the shortest period of time.

scholarly journals Pandemic of Childhood Myopia. Could New Indoor LED Lighting Be Part of the Solution?

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3827
Author(s):  
David Baeza Moyano ◽  
Roberto Alonso González-Lezcano
Keyword(s):  
Technological Progress ◽  
Visible Spectrum ◽  
Visible Range ◽  
Natural Light ◽  
Genetic Origin ◽  
Led Lighting ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
The World ◽  
Children’S Work ◽  
Possible Cause

The existence of a growing myopia pandemic is an unquestionable fact for health authorities around the world. Different possible causes have been put forward over the years, such as a possible genetic origin, the current excess of children’s close-up work compared to previous stages in history, insufficient natural light, or a multifactorial cause. Scientists are looking for different possible solutions to alleviate it, such as a reduction of time or a greater distance for children’s work, the use of drugs, optometric correction methods, surgical procedures, and spending more time outdoors. There is a growing number of articles suggesting insufficient natural light as a possible cause of the increasing levels of childhood myopia around the globe. Technological progress in the world of lighting is making it possible to have more monochromatic LED emission peaks, and because of this, it is possible to create spectral distributions of visible light that increasingly resemble natural light in the visible range. The possibility of creating indoor luminaires that emit throughout the visible spectrum from purple to infrared can now be a reality that could offer a new avenue of research to fight this pandemic.

scholarly journals Importance of immunoglobulin therapy for COVID-19 patients with lymphocytopenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heba K. Nabih
Keyword(s):  
Passive Immunization ◽  
Immunoglobulin Therapy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Clinical Feature ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Plasma Therapy ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Background The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was announced as pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). With the increased number of infected and dead victims daily all over the world, it becomes necessary to stop or overcome its rapid spread. Main body Although the production of vaccine or even specified effective anti-virus may take about six months to a year, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) may be clinically used as a safe treatment to save and improve the quality of life of patients with a variety of immunodeficiency diseases such as lymphocytopenia, which is a common clinical feature in COVID-19. Conclusion Through the current review, it was concluded that this passive immunization may promote the immunity to better fight against the virus, so the survival of the patients could be kept longer. The efficacy of immunotherapy with IVIg would be greater if the immune IgG antibodies were collected from convalescent plasma therapy.

Psychology Within and Without the State

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Clark Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The World ◽  
Psychological Similarity

Psychological research in small-scale societies is crucial for what it stands to tell us about human psychological diversity. However, people in these communities, typically Indigenous communities in the global South, have been underrepresented and sometimes misrepresented in psychological research. Here I discuss the promises and pitfalls of psychological research in these communities, reviewing why they have been of interest to social scientists and how cross-cultural comparisons have been used to test psychological hypotheses. I consider factors that may be undertheorized in our research, such as political and economic marginalization, and how these might influence our data and conclusions. I argue that more just and accurate representation of people from small-scale communities around the world will provide us with a fuller picture of human psychological similarity and diversity, and it will help us to better understand how this diversity is shaped by historical and social processes. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Psychology, Volume 73 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Measuring Pharmacogene Variant Function at Scale Using Multiplexed Assays

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renee C. Geck ◽  
Gabriel Boyle ◽  
Clara J. Amorosi ◽  
Douglas M. Fowler ◽  
Maitreya J. Dunham
Keyword(s):  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Functional Data ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Genetic Information ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Drug Selection ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Pharmacology And Toxicology ◽  
Generation Sequencing

As costs of next-generation sequencing decrease, identification of genetic variants has far outpaced our ability to understand their functional consequences. This lack of understanding is a central challenge to a key promise of pharmacogenomics: using genetic information to guide drug selection and dosing. Recently developed multiplexed assays of variant effect enable experimental measurement of the function of thousands of variants simultaneously. Here, we describe multiplexed assays that have been performed on nearly 25,000 variants in eight key pharmacogenes ( ADRB2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, NUDT15, SLCO1B1, TMPT, VKORC1, and the LDLR promoter), discuss advances in experimental design, and explore key challenges that must be overcome to maximize the utility of multiplexed functional data. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 62 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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