scholarly journals Drug Delivery Systems on Leprosy Therapy: Moving Towards Eradication?

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1202
Author(s):  
Luíse L. Chaves ◽  
Yuri Patriota ◽  
José L. Soares-Sobrinho ◽  
Alexandre C. C. Vieira ◽  
Sofia A. Costa Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Targeted Delivery ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Mycobacterium Leprae ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Multidrug Therapy ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
Optimal Drug ◽  
The Status

Leprosy disease remains an important public health issue as it is still endemic in several countries. Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, presents tropism for cells of the reticuloendothelial and peripheral nervous system. Current multidrug therapy consists of clofazimine, dapsone and rifampicin. Despite significant improvements in leprosy treatment, in most programs, successful completion of the therapy is still sub-optimal. Drug resistance has emerged in some countries. This review discusses the status of leprosy disease worldwide, providing information regarding infectious agents, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, actual treatment and future perspectives and strategies on targets for an efficient targeted delivery therapy.

Targeted Delivery of siRNA Therapeutics using Ligand Mediated Biodegradable Polymeric Nanocarriers

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (16) ◽  
pp. 1788-1800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kye-Soo Cho ◽  
Seo-Jin Hong ◽  
Min-Hye Ahn ◽  
Sukdeb Pal ◽  
Pill-Hoon Choung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Delivery System ◽  
Targeted Delivery ◽  
Sirna Delivery ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Magic Bullet ◽  
Bodily Fluids ◽  
Low Cytotoxicity ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Sirna Delivery System

Background: Cancer poses a major public health issue, is linked with high mortality rates across the world, and shows a strong interplay between genetic and environmental factors. To date, common therapeutics, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy, have made significant contributions to cancer treatment, although diverse obstacles for achieving the permanent “magic bullet” cure have remained. Recently, various anticancer therapeutic agents designed to overcome the limitations of these conventional cancer treatments have received considerable attention. One of these promising and novel agents is the siRNA delivery system; however, poor cellular uptake and altered siRNA stability in physiological environments have limited its use in clinical trials. Therefore, developing the ideal siRNA delivery system with low cytotoxicity, improved siRNA stability in the body’s circulation, and prevention of its rapid clearance from bodily fluids, is rapidly emerging as an innovative therapeutic strategy to combat cancer. Moreover, active targeting using ligand moieties which bind to over-expressed receptors on the surface of cancer cells would enhance the therapeutic efficiency of siRNA. Conclusion: In this review, we provide 1) an overview of the non-viral carrier associated with siRNA delivery for cancer treatment, and 2) a description of the five major cancer-targeting ligands.

scholarly journals Increased levels of pentraxins protein and cytokines bear good association in patients with severe dengue infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Goutam Patra ◽  
Bibhuti Saha ◽  
Sumi Mukhopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Dengue Infection ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Blood Parameters ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Severe Dengue ◽  
Disease Manifestation ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Tropics

AbstractDengue is an arboviral infection with high rates of morbidity and mortality throughout the tropics and sub-tropics. This work studied the status of pentraxin (CRP/SAP) protein, ferritin, TNF-α and IL-1β levels in Dengue patients of different pathophysiological manifestations. Accordingly, clinically confirmed Dengue cases (n = 97) were enrolled and subsequently blood parameters were studied by Haematology cell counter and Biochemistry Autoanalyser. CRP, SAP, ferritin, TNF-α and IL-1β ELISA were done in all the samples by using standard ELISA kits. Statistical Analysis was done in all the experiments. The levels of CRP (p < 0.0001), SAP (p < 0.0001), ferritin (p < 0.0001), TNF-α (p < 0.0001) and IL-1β (p < 0.0001) were high in patients with Severe Dengue as compared to Dengue without warning signs. High levels of SGOT, SGPT and decreased platelet counts were found in severe patients as compared to Healthy donor. CRP/SAP as well as TNF-α/IL-1β were independently associated with both dengue severity and overall disease manifestation. Statistically significant increased CRP, SAP, ferritin, TNF-α and IL-1β titres were correlated in patients with severe clinical manifestations as compared to mild disease forms of dengue. Elevated levels of pentraxin, TNF-α/IL-1β in blood during dengue infection could act as an early predictor in Severe Dengue infection.

scholarly journals Overview on Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act and its implementation: current update

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 463
Author(s):  
Dhwanit Thakore ◽  
Mahesh Chavda ◽  
Girish Parmar ◽  
Tejal Sheth
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Health Goal ◽  
The Status ◽  
Public Health Goal ◽  
Almost All

Tobacco use- a major public health issue in India has an enormous effect on the lower SES population. . There is an evident link between tobacco use or consumption and poverty. The widespread use of almost all forms of tobacco among the Indian population can be attributed to the social and cultural acceptance in the country. Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA) is the legislation that regulates tobacco in India. The prime objective of this review is to compile the literature with information about the laws regulating tobacco use and the status of implementation of tobacco control provisions covered under COTPA. Since effective tobacco control measures involve multi-stakeholders i.e public health, law, trade and commerce, industry, consumer, human rights and child development, coordinated efforts are required to successful enforcement. The outcome of the current literature is bridging the gaps to make the tobacco control a very important public health goal and thereby protect the population from the consequent morbidity and mortality due to tobacco use.

Infections due to Mycobacterium leprae and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K Leonard Jr ◽  
Henry M Blumberg ◽  
Carlos Franco-Paredes
Keyword(s):  
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Mycobacterium Leprae ◽  
Lepromatous Leprosy ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Mycobacterial Infections ◽  
Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria ◽  
Treatment Regimens

Mycobacterium leprae infection (i.e., leprosy) is a disease that has been recognized—and often misunderstood—since ancient times. The emergence of HIV/AIDS and the development of newer culture methodologies and molecular diagnostic tools have brought about increased interest in the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of human infections from nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). More than 140 species of NTM have been identified; approximately 50 of these may be pathogenic for humans, causing a broad spectrum of disease. This chapter covers both M. leprae and selected NTM organisms, including M. avium complex; M. kansasii; M. marinum; and rapidly growing mycobacteria such as M. chelonae, M. fortuitum, and M. abscessus. The section on leprosy encompasses subsections on diagnosis, clinical manifestations and classification, laboratory studies, treatment, and leprosy reactions. Treatments for nontuberculous mycobacteria infections are also covered. Figures include a natural history of leprosy, tuberculoid leprosy, lepromatous leprosy, and various forms of borderline leprosy, as well as type 1 and type 2 leprosy reaction. Tables include the Ridley-Jopling classification of leprosy, recommendations for treatment of leprosy, clinical characteristics and treatment of leprosy, major clinical syndromes associated with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections, diagnosing nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease, a listing of slow and rapidly growing mycobacteria that are human pathogens, plus treatment regimens for selected nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in adults. This review contains 59 references.

Content Delivery Networks

2021 ◽  
pp. 66-95
Author(s):  
Yannick Le Louédec ◽  
Gaëlle Yven ◽  
Valéry Bastide ◽  
Yiping Chen ◽  
Gwenaëlle Delsart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Content Delivery ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Web Performance ◽  
Content Delivery Networks ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Status ◽  
Delivery Networks

This chapter provides an overview on the recent advances and perspectives on content delivery networks (CDNs). After a reminder on the definition and core features of CDNs, the first section highlights their importance with quantitative illustrations. The second section identifies the various types of CDNs which have been deployed to address different markets. The growth of the CDNs has been driven primarily by video streaming. Next to media content, CDNs have evolved to deliver always more demanding social networks and applications. Security solutions are now fully integrated into CDNs and marketed as flagship products. The third, fourth, and fifth sections outline the challenges and technical evolutions of the CDNs to keep up with their customers' hunger for media content, web performance, and security. The sixth section focuses on the convergence of CDNs and clouds. The seventh section reviews the status and perspectives of different approaches for using multiple CDNs. The last section presents the current positioning and future perspectives of the CDNs in the mobile domain.

scholarly journals Intensity of Nematode Infection in Children Aged 3 to 5 Years Living in Mukuru Kwa Njenga Slum Settlement, Nairobi, Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynda Allan ◽  
Fiona N. Mbai ◽  
Dorcas S. Yole ◽  
Moses Owino
Keyword(s):  
Health Workers ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Nematode Infection ◽  
Intensity Of Infection ◽  
Mean Intensity ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
The Status ◽  
Severe Infections ◽  
Stool Samples

Background. The burden of nematode infections is high mostly in children below 5 years old, with clinical manifestations ranging from mild to painful symptoms due to severe infections that end up suppressing the immune system of the infected children. The occurrence of these infections is highest in areas of extreme poverty. This study evaluated the intensity of nematode infections and assessed the status of deworming in children aged 3 to 5 years living in Mukuru slum settlement, Nairobi County, Kenya. Methodology. A total of 172 children aged between 3 and 5 years were sampled across the 5 major villages of Mukuru Slum settlement: Kwa Njenga, Vietnum, Wapewape, Kwa Reuben, and Motomoto. Community health workers administered questionnaires on the deworming history of children. Stool samples were collected, macroscopically examined, and microscopically analysed using Kato-Katz technique to assess the intensity of infection. The intensities of nematode infections were expressed as eggs per gram (epg) of faeces. Results. The point prevalence of nematode infection among the 98 children in the 1st sampling was 25.5% with a mean infection intensity of 5424 epg, whereas among the 74 children sampled in 2nd sampling, 47.3% had nematode infection with a mean infection intensity of 12384 epg. The average nematode infection for the 172 participants was 34.9% with a mean intensity of 17808 epg. The highest number of children infected with nematodes was in the village of Wapewape where 34 participants were examined and 36.3% were infected with a mean intensity of 3216 epg. Kwa Reuben and Vietnum villages had the same prevalence values of 32.4% where 34 participants in each village had a mean intensity of 3624 epg and 4512 epg, respectively. In both samplings, more than 80% of children had been dewormed more than 6 months prior to the study. Ascaris lumbricoides was the only species of intestinal nematodes identified to be present in the stool samples of children in this study, whereas Trichuris trichiura and hookworm infections were found to be absent. The intensity of infection was not dependent on age or gender.

scholarly journals Injectable Thermo-Sensitive Chitosan Hydrogel Containing CPT-11-Loaded EGFR-Targeted Graphene Oxide and SLP2 shRNA for Localized Drug/Gene Delivery in Glioblastoma Therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Jen Lu ◽  
Yu-Hsiang Lan ◽  
Chi-Cheng Chuang ◽  
Wan-Ting Lu ◽  
Li-Yang Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graphene Oxide ◽  
Gene Delivery ◽  
Drug Release ◽  
Delivery System ◽  
Targeted Delivery ◽  
Drug Formulation ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Gene Delivery System ◽  
Optimal Drug

In this study, we aimed to develop a multifunctional drug/gene delivery system for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme by combining the ligand-mediated active targeting and the pH-triggered drug release features of graphene oxide (GO). Toward this end, we load irinotecan (CPT-11) to cetuximab (CET)-conjugated GO (GO-CET/CPT11) for pH-responsive drug release after endocytosis by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) over-expressed U87 human glioblastoma cells. The ultimate injectable drug/gene delivery system was designed by co-entrapping stomatin-like protein 2 (SLP2) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and GO-CET/CPT11 in thermosensitive chitosan-g-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (CPN) polymer solution, which offers a hydrogel depot for localized, sustained delivery of the therapeutics after the in situ formation of CPN@GO-CET/CPT11@shRNA hydrogel. An optimal drug formulation was achieved by considering both the loading efficiency and loading content of CPT-11 on GO-CET. A sustained and controlled release behavior was found for CPT-11 and shRNA from CPN hydrogel. Confocal microscopy analysis confirmed the intracellular trafficking for the targeted delivery of CPT-11 through interactions of CET with EGFR on the U87 cell surface. The efficient transfection of U87 using SLP2 shRNA was achieved using CPN as a delivery milieu, possibly by the formation of shRNA/CPN polyplex after hydrogel degradation. In vitro cell culture experiments confirmed cell apoptosis induced by CPT-11 released from acid organelles in the cytoplasm by flow cytometry, as well as reduced SLP2 protein expression and inhibited cell migration due to gene silencing. Finally, in vivo therapeutic efficacy was demonstrated using the xenograft of U87 tumor-bearing nude mice through non-invasive intratumoral delivery of CPN@GO-CET/CPT11@shRNA by injection. Overall, we have demonstrated the novelty of this thermosensitive hydrogel to be an excellent depot for the co-delivery of anticancer drugs and siRNA. The in situ forming hydrogel will not only provide extended drug release but also combine the advantages offered by the chitosan-based copolymer structure for siRNA delivery to broaden treatment modalities in cancer therapy.

scholarly journals Cutaneous leprosy in Central Florida man with significant armadillo exposure

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. e229287
Author(s):  
Christopher Michael Logas ◽  
Kathryn B Holloway
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Peripheral Nerve ◽  
Mycobacterium Leprae ◽  
Granulomatous Disease ◽  
Multidrug Therapy ◽  
Travel History ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
The Usa

Leprosy is a chronic infectious, granulomatous disease caused by the intracellular bacillusMycobacterium lepraethat infects macrophages and Schwann cells. While relatively rare in the USA, there is about 200 new cases of leprosy every year with the majority occurring in the southern parts of the country. It is believed to be linked to the region of the nine-banned armadillo in patients with no significant travel history outside of the country. In this case report, we encountered a 58-year-old Central Florida man that had extensive exposure to armadillos and presented with the typical symptoms of large erythaematous patches, numbness and peripheral nerve hypertrophy. Once diagnosed properly, patients are then reported to the National Hansen’s Centre who provides the multidrug therapy for 12–24 months. Due to its rarity and its ability to mimic other more common ailments, leprosy should be included in the differential diagnosis in patients that have significant exposure to armadillos, live in the southern part of the country or have recently travelled to countries that have a high prevalence of leprosy.

Rickettsial Infections around the World, Part 1: Pathophysiology and the Spotted Fever Group

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-62
Author(s):  
Jashin J. Wu ◽  
David B. Huang ◽  
Katie R. Pang ◽  
Stephen K. Tyring
Keyword(s):  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Spotted Fever Group ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Important Group ◽  
Rickettsial Infections ◽  
Rickettsial Diseases

Background: The rickettsial diseases are an important group of infectious agents that have dermatological manifestations. These diseases are important to consider in endemic areas, but in certain suspicious cases, possible acts of bioterrorism should warrant prompt notification of the appropriate authorities. Objective: In this two part review article, we review these diverse diseases by examining established and up-to-date information about the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of the ricksettsiae. Methods: Using PubMed to search for relevant articles, we browsed over 500 articles to compose a clinically based review article. Results: Part one focuses on pathophysiology of the rickettsial diseases and the clinical aspects of the spotted fever group. Conclusions: At the completion of part one of this learning activity, participants should be able to discuss all of the clinical manifestations and treatments of the sported fever group. Participants should also be familiar with the pathophysiology of the rickettsial diseases.

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