Review
Immunology
Huiru Chen, Youjia Qiu, Ziqian Yin, Zilan Wang, Yanbing Tang, Hanyu Ni, Jiaye Lu, Zhouqing Chen, Yan Kong, Zhong Wang
Summary: This study conducted a network meta-analysis to compare the relative effects of different drugs for generalized myasthenia gravis (MG). The results showed that rozanolixzumab and batoclimab may be the most effective drugs, but rozanolixzumab was associated with a higher incidence of adverse events. Further head-to-head and extensive observational studies are needed to confirm these findings.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sarah Dunn, Victoria Brocklebank, Andrew Bryant, Sonya Carnell, Thomas J. Chadwick, Sally Johnson, David Kavanagh, Jan Lecouturier, Michal Malina, Eoin Moloney, Yemi Oluboyede, Christopher Weetman, Edwin Kwan Soon Wong, Len Woodward, Neil Sheerin
Summary: This study aims to investigate the safety of stopping eculizumab treatment in patients with atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) by monitoring disease activity and tracking thrombotic microangiopathy-related serious adverse events. It evaluates the effectiveness and feasibility of this treatment strategy.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Francesco Sacca, Chiara Pane, Pablo Ezequiel Espinosa, Maria Pia Sormani, Alessio Signori
Summary: This study conducted a meta-analysis and network meta-analysis of randomized and placebo-controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of innovative therapies in myasthenia gravis (MG). The results showed that anti-complement and FcRn treatments were effective in MG patients, while rituximab did not provide significant benefit.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Hematology
Raymond S. M. Wong
Summary: This article reviews multiple clinical studies on the efficacy and safety of pegcetacoplan treatment in adults with PNH. The studies found that pegcetacoplan showed superior improvements in hemoglobin levels and other hematologic parameters, and effectively managed anemia and anemia-related complications.
THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN HEMATOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Rui Zhang, Meng Zhou, Jiaqian Qi, Wenjing Miao, Ziyan Zhang, Depei Wu, Yue Han
Summary: The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Eculizumab for TA-TMA, finding that it can improve survival rate and overall response rate in patients, with the most common adverse event being infection. However, more high-quality studies are needed to further validate these findings.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
C. Angwin, J. Zschocke, T. Kammin, E. Bjorck, J. Bowen, A. F. Brady, H. Burns, C. Cummings, R. Gardner, N. Ghali, R. Groebner, J. Harris, M. Higgins, D. Johnson, U. Lepperdinger, D. Milnes, F. M. Pope, R. Sehra, I. Kapferer-Seebacher, G. Sobey, F. S. Van Dijk
Summary: This study clinically and molecularly diagnosed 21 adults from 12 families with pEDS, and identified C1R variants in all families. The clinical features of pEDS in adults, including easy bruising, pretibial plaques, skin fragility, joint hypermobility, and vocal changes, were highlighted. The study also discussed hypothetical pathogenic mechanisms to advance the understanding and management of pEDS.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Y. Tomita, R. J. Motzer, T. K. Choueiri, B. Rini, H. Miyake, H. Uemura, L. Albiges, Y. Fujii, Y. Umeyama, J. Wang, M. Mariani, M. Schmidinger
Summary: In patients with renal cell carcinoma, the combination of avelumab and axitinib as first-line treatment showed favorable efficacy across different age groups, including elderly patients. The safety profile remained consistent across the age groups.
Article
Immunology
Cheryl A. Triplett, Nancy A. Niemuth, Christopher Cirimotich, Gabriel Meister, Mimi Guebre-Xabier, Nita Patel, Mike Massare, Greg Glenn, Gale Smith, Kendra J. Alfson, Yenny Goez-Gazi, Ricardo Carrion
Summary: This study evaluated the potential correlates of protection (CoP) for the Novavax EBOV GP vaccine in cynomolgus macaques. The results showed that anti-GP IgG antibodies correlated with protection, while PsVNA results were influenced by assay variability.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aniela Brodzikowska, Bartlomiej Gorski, Agnieszka Boguslawska-Kapala
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of basic periodontal treatment depending on the interleukin-1 genotype in adult Poles. The results showed that after 6-8 weeks of treatment, there was a significant decrease in pocket depth and bleeding pockets for both genotypes, while the reduction in plaque surfaces and increase in epithelial attachment were genotype-specific.
Article
Oncology
Qing Zhou, Jun Zhao, Jianhua Chang, Huijie Wang, Yun Fan, Ke Wang, Gang Wu, Weiqi Nian, Yuping Sun, Meili Sun, Xiangcai Wang, Huaqiu Shi, Xiangqian Zheng, Sheng Yao, Mengmeng Qin, Zhenwei Shen, Jason Yang, Yi-Long Wu
Summary: The efficacy and safety of pralsetinib were evaluated in Chinese patients with advanced RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer. Pralsetinib demonstrated robust and durable clinical activity with a well-tolerated safety profile in both pretreated and treatment-naive patients.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Helena Iznardo, Esther Roe, Esther Serra-Baldrich, Lluis Puig
Summary: Abrocitinib, a selective JAK1 inhibitor, has been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults. It has shown efficacy and safety in clinical trials involving both children and adults, and in comparison with dupilumab. The expected response rates for abrocitinib at week 12 are 62.9% for the 200 mg dose and 43.0% for the 100 mg dose. Abrocitinib has a faster effect in relieving itch compared to dupilumab. Caution is necessary when using abrocitinib due to its incomplete target selectivity, and additional screening and monitoring may be required.
Article
Oncology
Fen Wang, Feng Jin, Boran Cheng, Yue Zhang, Qing Zhou, Shubin Wang
Summary: The study showed that anlotinib monotherapy in aNSCLC patients has promising efficacy in the first-line setting, serving as an option for those ineligible for chemotherapy. Anlotinib combination therapy in a >= second-line setting displayed manageable toxicities and encouraging efficacy, suggesting a favorable application prospect.
JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Bruce E. Sands, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Jaroslaw Kierkus, Peter D. R. Higgins, Monika Fischer, Vipul Jairath, Fumihito Hirai, Geert D'Haens, Ruth M. Belin, Debra Miller, Elisa Gomez-Valderas, April N. Naegeli, Jay L. Tuttle, Paul F. Pollack, William J. Sandborn
Summary: Mirikizumab demonstrates efficacy and safety in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. Significant endoscopic response is observed in the Mirikizumab groups compared to the placebo group at Week 12 and is sustained through Week 52. The frequency of adverse events is similar between Mirikizumab and placebo groups.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Romain Marlin, Delphine Desjardins, Vanessa Contreras, Guillaume Lingas, Caroline Solas, Pierre Roques, Thibaut Naninck, Quentin Pascal, Sylvie Behillil, Pauline Maisonnasse, Julien Lemaitre, Nidhal Kahlaoui, Benoit Delache, Andres Pizzorno, Antoine Nougairede, Camille Ludot, Olivier Terrier, Nathalie Dereuddre-Bosquet, Francis Relouzat, Catherine Chapon, Raphael Ho Tsong Fang, Sylvie van der Werf, Manuel Rosa Calatrava, Denis Malvy, Xavier de Lamballerie, Jeremie Guedj, Roger Le Grand
Summary: Repurposed antiviral drugs are valuable resources for outbreak defense, but rigorous evaluation in large animal models is crucial for successful clinical implementation. This study evaluates the antiviral activity of favipiravir against Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2 in cynomolgus macaques, highlighting its potential for clinical investigations against Zika virus but advising against its use for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
E. Sammons, J. C. Hopewell, F. Chen, W. Stevens, K. Wallendszus, E. Valdes-Marquez, R. Dayanandan, C. Knott, K. Murphy, E. Wincott, A. Baxter, R. Goodenough, M. Lay, M. Hill, S. Macdonnell, G. Fabbri, D. Lucci, M. Fajardo-Moser, S. Brenner, D. Hao, H. Zhang, J. Liu, B. Wuhan, S. Mosegaard, W. Herrington, C. Wanner, C. Angermann, G. Ertl, A. Maggioni, P. Barter, B. Mihaylova, Y. Mitchel, R. Blaustein, S. Goto, J. Tobert, P. DeLucca, Y. Chen, Z. Chen, A. Gray, R. Haynes, J. Armitage, C. Baigent, S. Wiviott, C. Cannon, E. Braunwald, R. Collins, L. Bowman, M. Landray
Summary: The REVEAL study showed that combining cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor therapy with intensive statin therapy significantly reduced the risk of major coronary events, with the beneficial effects increasing during extended follow-up. The findings highlight the importance of sufficiently long treatment and follow-up duration in randomized trials of lipid-modifying agents.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2022)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Dimitrios C. Mastellos, John D. Lambris
SEMINARS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Marco Mannes, Dimitrios C. Mastellos, Kristina N. Ekdahl, Bo Nilsson, Despina Yancopoulou, John D. Lambris, Markus Huber-Lang
Summary: Patients in the ICU often straddle the divide between life and death. The complement system plays a crucial role in diseases that may require ICU admission. Therefore, evaluating complement inhibition strategies in ICU treatment is valuable.
SEMINARS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Tetsuhiro Kajikawa, Dimitrios C. Mastellos, Hatice Hasturk, Georgios A. Kotsakis, Despina Yancopoulou, John D. Lambris, George Hajishengallis
Summary: Periodontitis, if not properly treated, can lead to tooth loss and affect overall health. This review focuses on the potential use of a complement-targeting drug called AMY-101 in the treatment of periodontal disease and peri-implant inflammatory conditions.
SEMINARS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Benjamin J. Kim, Tianyu Liu, Dimitrios C. Mastellos, John D. Lambris
Summary: The eye presents a unique opportunity for C3 therapeutics, as C3 plays a pivotal role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and potentially other eye diseases. Clinical and preclinical data suggest that C3 inhibitors, such as pegcetacoplan, may be effective for treating AMD, including geographic atrophy. C3 also appears to be important in other eye diseases, such as Stargardt disease, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
SEMINARS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
John D. Lambris, Arnon Rosenthal, Pablo Pelegrin, Marie-Eve Tremblay, Peiwen Chen
Summary: Neuroimmunology research is currently thriving, with promising pharmacological targets and drug approaches emerging for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. The Editor-in-Chief of Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, Jerry Madukwe, asked authors of the August 2022 special issue to reflect on the global challenges in the field and discuss the future of neuroimmunology research for CNS disease therapy.
TRENDS IN PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Panagiotis Skendros, Georgios Germanidis, Dimitrios C. Mastellos, Christina Antoniadou, Efstratios Gavriilidis, Georgios Kalopitas, Anna Samakidou, Angelos Liontos, Akrivi Chrysanthopoulou, Maria Ntinopoulou, Dionysios Kogias, Ioanna Karanika, Andreas Smyrlis, Dainora Cepaityte, Iliana Fotiadou, Nikoleta Zioga, Ioannis Mitroulis, Nikolaos K. Gatselis, Charalampos Papagoras, Simeon Metallidis, Haralampos Milionis, George N. Dalekos, Loek Willems, Barbro Persson, Vivek Anand Manivel, Bo Nilsson, E. Sander Connolly, Simona Iacobelli, Vasileios Papadopoulos, Rodrigo T. Calado, Markus Huber-Lang, Antonio M. Risitano, Despina Yancopoulou, Konstantinos Ritis, John D. Lambris
Summary: Complement C3 activation plays a role in the pathology of COVID-19, and targeting C3 has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. This study provides interim data from the first randomized trial evaluating a C3 inhibitor, AMY-101, in severe COVID-19 patients. The results show that AMY-101 is safe and well tolerated, and it appears to have a potential benefit in reducing disease severity.
Review
Immunology
Lydia Kalafati, Aikaterini Hatzioannou, George Hajishengallis, Triantafyllos Chavakis
Summary: The principle of trained immunity represents innate immune memory due to sustained, mainly epigenetic, changes triggered by endogenous or exogenous stimuli in bone marrow (BM) progenitors and their innate immune cell progeny. Neutrophils, as the most abundant innate immune cell population, play a crucial role in trained immunity. However, trained immunity may have detrimental outcomes in chronic inflammation.
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Silvia M. Uriarte, George Hajishengallis
Summary: Neutrophils play a crucial role in periodontal health and disease, but their absence or dysfunction can lead to severe periodontitis at an early age. Both an excess or hyperactive neutrophil response can disrupt the balance of host-microbe interactions in the periodontium, resulting in inflammation and dysbiosis. Periodontal pathogens can further exploit neutrophil responses to their advantage, causing harm to the host.
IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Hematology
Christina Lamers, Daniel Ricklin, John D. Lambris
Summary: The number of complement inhibitors approved for therapeutic use or in late-stage clinical trials has expanded rapidly in recent years. The sudden emergence of this area in biotech start-ups and pharmaceutical companies is surprising considering the well-established involvement of the complement system in various clinical conditions. However, the complement system has unique characteristics that have delayed its recognition as a traditional drug target, such as concerns about safety and the complexity of its involvement in biological processes.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
George Hajishengallis, Richard J. Lamont, Hyun Koo
Summary: Oral microbial communities form complex spatial structures and regulate their collective function and adaptability through sophisticated physical and chemical signaling systems. The balance or dysbiosis of these communities, influenced by intra-community interactions, host and environmental factors, plays a crucial role in oral diseases such as periodontitis and dental caries. Dysbiosis in oral polymicrobial communities also has systemic effects, partly due to the colonization of oral pathogens in extra-oral tissues.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Amelie Kuhn, Jana Riegger, Graciosa Q. Teixeira, Markus Huber-Lang, John D. Lambris, Cornelia Neidlinger-Wilke, Rolf E. Brenner
Summary: Terminal complement complex deposition was found in human degenerated discs. The study investigated the mechanisms and effects of terminal complement activation in annulus fibrosus (AF) cells. Complement inhibitors effectively suppressed anaphylatoxin generation and TCC deposition induced by zymosan. Gene expression of ADAMTS4, MMP1, and COX2 was influenced by C3 and C5 blockade. Degenerated endplate tissue secreted soluble factors that enhanced direct C5 cleavage. These findings suggest the functional involvement of terminal complement activation in disc degeneration and the role of degenerated tissue in complement activation.
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
M. Arce, M. Rodriguez-Pena, J. Espinoza-Arrue, R. A. Godoy, M. Reyes, T. Kajikawa, T. Greenwell-Wild, G. Hajishengallis, L. Abusleme, N. Moutsopoulos, N. Dutzan
Summary: Periodontitis is a common inflammatory disease characterized by tissue destruction. This study found that cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-23, which are associated with tissue destruction, use a signaling pathway mediated by STAT3. STAT3 activation was found to be increased in epithelial cells and T cells during periodontitis.
JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Dimitrios C. Mastellos, George Hajishengallis, John D. Lambris
Summary: Complement, previously considered as a crucial innate immune effector, is now known to have broader involvement in fundamental biological processes beyond innate immunity. It engages in intricate crosstalk with various pathways and regulates processes like development, tissue regeneration, and cancer immunity. Dysregulation of complement activation can lead to inflammatory tissue pathology, but this understanding has also inspired the development of complement-based therapeutics.
NATURE REVIEWS IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
George Hajishengallis
Summary: Periodontitis and caries are influenced by complex interactions between the oral microbiome and host factors. Animal models have been valuable in understanding the mechanisms of these diseases, although no single model can fully replicate human diseases. This review emphasizes the importance of animal models in proving causality, identifying therapeutic targets, and evaluating novel treatments. Combining animal model-derived findings with in vitro and clinical research can provide a deeper understanding of oral disease pathogenesis.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Elan Zebrowitz, Azamat Aslanukov, Tetsuhiro Kajikawa, Kamila Bedelbaeva, Sam Bollinger, Yong Zhang, David Sarfatti, Jing Cheng, Phillip B. Messersmith, George Hajishengallis, Ellen Heber-Katz
Summary: This study explores a specific case of volumetric bone loss in a mouse model, where bone and soft tissues are restored through a regenerative response induced by a small molecule inhibitor, indicating potential therapeutic possibilities.
FRONTIERS IN DENTAL MEDICINE
(2022)
