Review
Urology & Nephrology
Eugene Yu-hin Chan, Desmond Yat-hin Yap, Manuela Colucci, Alison Lap-tak Ma, Rulan S. Parekh, Kjell Tullus
Summary: Rituximab is an established therapy for children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, providing short- to medium-term disease remission and avoiding steroid toxicities. Recent trials focus on using rituximab as a first-line agent for milder disease severity. The treatment response to rituximab depends on various factors, including patient characteristics, dosing regimen, and the use of immunosuppression. Repeated treatments lead to an improving response overall, but relapse eventually occurs in 80% of patients, necessitating additional courses of rituximab. The long-term safety profile and the development of reliable predictors for treatment success and side effects are areas of concern.
CLINICAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Mohanapriya C. Dhandapani, Vettriselvi Venkatesan, Charmine Pricilla
Summary: The discovery of microRNAs has opened up new avenues of research in understanding the molecular basis of diseases, with potential for disease classification and clinical prediction. Circulatory and urinary exosomal microRNAs show promise as noninvasive or minimally invasive biomarkers for various diseases.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Hematology
Keiji Nogami, Midori Shima
Summary: Non-factor products have been developed to treat patients with hemophilia by facilitating the coagulation pathway or blocking the anticoagulant pathway. Emicizumab, one of these products, has been globally approved and can alter the phenotype of severe hemophilia patients. However, there is a risk of thrombotic events in patients receiving these non-factor products, and monitoring of their hemostatic function is necessary.
LANCET HAEMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Peng Peng, Wei Li, Yanyan Jin, Wenqing Xiang, Haidong Fu, Jianhua Mao
Summary: Serum levels of CCL22 and Leptin, detected prior to steroid therapy, were associated with steroid resistance in childhood INS.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bernt Johan von Scholten, Frederik F. Kreiner, Stephen C. L. Gough, Matthias von Herrath
Summary: Insulin remains the key treatment for type 1 diabetes, but efforts are now shifting towards protecting beta cells to prevent dysfunction and destruction, with research focusing on antigen vaccination and agents that can reduce stress on the beta cells.
Review
Oncology
Aine Sally, Ryan McGowan, Karen Finn, Brian Michael Moran
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide, primarily due to delayed diagnosis and resistance to traditional chemotherapy. Delayed diagnosis is often caused by the wide range of non-specific symptoms associated with the disease. Resistance to current chemotherapies, such as gemcitabine, develops due to genetic mutations that are either intrinsic or acquired. This has resulted in poor patient prognosis and justifies the requirement for new targeted therapies. Synthetic lethality approaches targeting specific loss-of-function mutations have shown great potential in pancreatic cancer treatment. Immunotherapies have also yielded promising results and are currently undergoing clinical trials. Monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell transfer, and vaccines have shown success in other cancers and could hold the same potential in pancreatic cancer treatment. This review focuses on currently approved therapies, challenges, and future directions in pancreatic cancer therapy, including synthetic lethality approaches, immunotherapy, and clinical trials.
Review
Urology & Nephrology
Adebowale D. Ademola, Adanze O. Asinobi, Michael A. Alao, Wasiu A. Olowu
Summary: Nephrotic syndrome is a common childhood glomerular disease associated with proteinuria and edema. Treatment and patient outcomes differ in different regions of Africa. There is a need for consensus guidelines and an African nephrotic syndrome registry to improve patient outcomes.
SEMINARS IN NEPHROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Liang Rong, Ni Li, Zhenzhen Zhang
Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common brain tumor with poor prognosis. Immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade, CAR T cell therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and vaccine therapy, has shown promising results in improving GBM outcomes. Techniques to overcome the blood-brain barrier for targeted delivery are also being tested. This article reviews the rationales for these therapies, potential novel agents, current status of trials, and discusses challenges and future perspectives in glioblastoma immuno-oncology.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Paul Diefenhardt, Thomas Osterholt, Paul Brinkkoetter
Summary: The new 2021 KDIGO Guidelines provide detailed classification and treatment recommendations for nephrotic syndrome caused by minimal change disease (MCD) and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), including the distinction between primary, secondary, and genetic causes, as well as the selection and alternatives for treatment drugs. In addition, it is recommended to include patients in clinical registries to ensure proper treatment and genetic testing, and to utilize national registries for refining individualized medicine.
DEUTSCHE MEDIZINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Sujit S. Nair, Dimple Chakravarty, Vaibhav Patel, Nina Bhardwaj, Ashutosh K. Tewari
Summary: Neoadjuvant therapies are important for reducing tumor volume, facilitating surgery, and assessing treatment response. They have the potential to improve survival in patients with localized or locally advanced genitourinary cancer. The use of biomarkers and comprehensive studies will advance precision neoadjuvant therapies.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Erica L. Macon, Micah H. Devore, Yu Kuei Lin, Megan B. Music, Mason Wooten, Colleen A. McMullen, Andrea M. Woodcox, Ashlee R. Marksbury, Zachary Beckner, Bansi V. Patel, Lily A. Schoeder, Ashley N. Iles, Simon J. Fisher
Summary: Intensive insulin regimes are needed for individuals with T1D and insulin-dependent T2D, but this often results in hypoglycemia. Recurrent hypoglycemia can lead to impaired awareness of hypoglycemia and increase the risk of severe hypoglycemia. Various therapies are being explored to improve hypoglycemia awareness and reduce the risk of severe hypoglycemia.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pediatrics
Ashlene M. McKay, Rulan S. Parekh, Damien Noone
Summary: Steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome is a common condition in pediatric nephrology with good prognosis in most children. However, due to frequent relapses, around 50% of children require steroid-sparing therapy. There is a lack of high-quality randomized controlled trials, particularly focusing on long-term remission. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve the quantity and quality of trials, especially in terms of long-term outcomes.
PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Arathi Kulkarni, Shuchi Patel, Deepesh Khanna, Mayur S. Parmar
Summary: Celiac Disease (CeD) is an autoimmune disorder caused by the consumption of gluten, leading to inflammation in the small intestine. The current treatment recommendation is to avoid gluten-based products, as there is no FDA-approved medication for CeD. However, several clinical trials are underway to develop pharmacological approaches to treat CeD.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Rachel K. Cason, Eileen Chambers, Tiffany Tu, Megan Chryst-Stangl, Kinsie Huggins, Brandon M. Lane, Alejandro Ochoa, Annette M. Jackson, Rasheed A. Gbadegesin
Summary: This study found that genetic risk loci for childhood SSNS are associated with therapy response, potentially predicting disease outcome and paving the way for personalized treatment of NS.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Peter M. Irving, Krisztina B. Gecse
Summary: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an optimization strategy in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, aiming to achieve maximal treatment benefits by monitoring drug concentrations. There are variations in optimal drug concentrations based on treatment targets, disease phenotypes, inflammatory burden, and sampling timing. This review discusses the role of TDM in biologic and oral small molecule therapies, the differences between reactive and proactive TDM, and the areas where evidence is lacking. Future adaptations in TDM usage may contribute to personalized treatment for patients with IBD.
