How Can Dogs and Cats Help to Cure Human Cancers?

Like their owners, dogs and cats can be affected by several types of cancer, and some types are very similar to those seen in people. Unfortunately, there is still no cure for several types of cancer. How can humans’ best friends help? If a new therapy to fight cancer works well in pets, it is likely to also be effective in people with the same type of cancer. Scientists, medical doctors, and animal doctors are working together to develop new therapies that destroy cancer cells and save patients. Since the characteristics of certain types of cancer are very similar between humans and pets, new medicines that work in pet dogs or cats may also benefit human patients. Studying these “human-like” cancers in pets may speed up the development of effective anti-cancer drugs and will help to cure not only more dogs and cats, but also people with cancer.

Overcoming Immune Depletion is the Main Goal of Developing New Therapies for Cancer or Severe Viral Infections

It is widely known that severe viral infections and cancer disrupt the immune system, including T cells, a process called "immune fatigue." Overcoming immune depletion is the main goal of developing new therapies for cancer or severe viral infections. Called Apex cells, they can maintain their function for a long time. Keywords: Cancer; Cells; Tissues; Tumors; Prevention; Prognosis; Diagnosis; Imaging; Screening, Treatment; Management

Whom should we treat with novel agents? Specific indications for specific and challenging populations

A relative wealth of new therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have led to a rapid shift in treatment paradigms for this disease. Understanding whom, when, and how to treat is more complex than ever before. Here we explore whom to treat with these available new therapies, focusing on special patient populations that include older adults, those with relapsed disease, and those with TP53-mutated AML. These high-risk subgroups are some of the most challenging to care for, but novel treatments are providing them with new hope.

AL amyloidosis: untangling new therapies

Systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a protein misfolding disorder characterized by the deposition of abnormal immunoglobulin light chains in fibrillary aggregates, resulting in end-organ damage. Several unique challenges face treating physicians, including delayed diagnosis, advanced vital organ involvement, and morbidity with treatment. Aggressive supportive care and risk-adapted application of plasma cell–directed therapies are the cornerstones of management. The therapeutic revolution in multiple myeloma will likely further expand the arsenal against plasma cells. Careful investigation of these agents will be critical to establish their role in this fragile population. The promise of fibril-directed therapies to restore organ function remains despite early disappointments. In this review, we discuss new therapies to tackle AL amyloidosis using a case-based approach.

Novel Insights Into the Neurobiology of the Antidepressant Response From Ketamine Research: A Mini Review

The serendipitous discovery of ketamine’s antidepressant effects represents one of the major landmarks in neuropsychopharmacological research of the last 50 years. Ketamine provides an exciting challenge to traditional concepts of antidepressant drug therapy, producing rapid antidepressant effects seemingly without targeting monoaminergic pathways in the conventional way. In consequence, the advent of ketamine has spawned a plethora of neurobiological research into its putative mechanisms. Here, we provide a brief overview of current theories of antidepressant drug action including monoaminergic signaling, disinhibition of glutamatergic neurotransmission, neurotrophic and neuroplastic effects, and how these might relate to ketamine. Given that research into ketamine has not yet yielded new therapies beyond ketamine itself, current knowledge gaps and limitations of available studies are also discussed.

Niclosamide shows strong antiviral activity in a human airway model of SARS-CoV-2 infection and a conserved potency against the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351) and Delta variant (B.1.617.2)

SARS-CoV-2 variants are emerging with potential increased transmissibility highlighting the great unmet medical need for new therapies. Niclosamide is a potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent that has advanced in clinical development. We validate the potent antiviral efficacy of niclosamide in a SARS-CoV-2 human airway model. Furthermore, niclosamide remains its potency against the D614G, Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants. Our data further support the potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties of niclosamide and highlights its great potential as a therapeutic agent for COVID-19.