Article
Orthopedics
Yi Ren, Qi Yang, Tim Luo, Jin Lin, Jin Jin, Wenwei Qian, Xisheng Weng, Bin Feng
Summary: The study found that perioperative treatment with glucocorticoids and DMARDs can improve clinical outcomes for RA patients undergoing TKA, leading to better function, larger range of motion, and reduced postoperative pain in the long term.
JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY AND RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yang Baoqi, Ma Dan, Zhao Xingxing, Zhu Xueqing, Wang Yajing, Xu Ke, Zhang Liyun
Summary: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease associated with multiple comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, lymphoma, infection, and osteoporosis. Therapeutic drugs for RA can have both beneficial and harmful effects on cardiovascular events.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hong Ki Min, Se Hee Kim, Hae-Rim Kim, Sang-Heon Lee
Summary: Targeting specific pathologic pro-inflammatory cytokines or related molecules with biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), such as monoclonal antibodies, has shown excellent therapeutic effects in various forms of inflammatory arthritis. These bDMARDs can target different pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-6, and IL-23/12, and control the inflammatory response by targeting specific cell-surface molecules. The therapeutic efficacy and adverse events of bDMARDs vary among different types of inflammatory arthritis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tamseela Mumtaz, Ayesha Tahir, Maham Almas Tariq, Muhammad Amir Iqbal
Summary: The comparative toxicity of methotrexate and leflunomide on multiple organs in rheumatoid arthritis patients was evaluated in this study. While methotrexate had more harmful effects on the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys, leflunomide posed a greater risk to the liver.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xin Chen, Chengcheng Lu, Yanwen Duan, Yong Huang
Summary: Sinomenine is a benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline-type alkaloid with potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, used for over 25 years in China to treat rheumatoid arthritis. However, its commercial hydrochloride form has low oral bioavailability and allergic reactions, requiring pharmaceutical strategies to improve delivery efficiency and reduce side effects.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tatyana P. Makalish, Ilya O. Golovkin, Volodymyr V. Oberemok, Kateryna V. Laikova, Zenure Z. Temirova, Olesya A. Serdyukova, Ilya A. Novikov, Roman A. Rosovskyi, Andrey I. Gordienko, Evgeniya Yu. Zyablitskaya, Elvina A. Gafarova, Kseniya A. Yurchenko, Iryna I. Fomochkina, Anatoly V. Kubyshkin
Summary: The study demonstrates the potential of Cytos-11 antisense oligonucleotide in treating rheumatoid arthritis by effectively suppressing TNF-alpha gene expression, reducing joint inflammation, and inhibiting pannus development, showing comparable results to adalimumab.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Hematology
Takuya Harada, Hiromi Iwasaki, Tsuyoshi Muta, Shingo Urata, Aiko Sakamoto, Kentaro Kohno, Ken Takase, Tomoya Miyamura, Takuya Sawabe, Hideki Asaoku, Kensuke Oryoji, Tomoaki Fujisaki, Yasuo Mori, Goichi Yoshimoto, Masahiro Ayano, Hiroki Mitoma, Toshihiro Miyamoto, Hiroaki Niiro, Hidetaka Yamamoto, Yumi Oshiro, Hiroaki Miyoshi, Koichi Ohshima, Morishige Takeshita, Koichi Akashi, Koji Kato
Summary: The study evaluated the clinical outcomes of MTX-LPD patients and found that the pathological subtype of lymphoma could predict the clinical outcome. Patients with polymorphic-type LPD had better event-free survival compared to other subtypes. Use of TNF-alpha inhibitors was associated with higher non-relapse mortality in DLBCL patients, while RA patients previously treated with JAK inhibitors more commonly required chemotherapy, indicating disease aggressiveness.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Ivan Arias de la Rosa, Alejandro Escudero-Contreras, Miriam Ruiz-Ponce, Cristobal Roman-Rodriguez, Carlos Perez-Sanchez, Maria del Carmen Abalos-Aguilera, Rafaela Ortega-Castro, Juan Alcaide, Mora Murri, Pilar Font, Jerusalem Calvo-Gutierrez, Maria Luque-Tevar, Alejandra Maria Patino-Trives, Rocio Guzman-Ruiz, Maria del Mar Malagon, Francisco Jose Tinahones, Eduardo Collantes-Estevez, Chary Lopez-Pedrera, Nuria Barbarroja
Summary: Obesity may not directly impact disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients, but the induction of arthritis can lead to transcriptomic changes in adipose tissue under obesity conditions. Treatment with hydroxychloroquine can reduce weight and insulin resistance, with beneficial metabolic effects in adipose tissue.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Rheumatology
Giovanni Adami, Angelo Fassio, Maurizio Rossini, Davide Bertelle, Francesca Pistillo, Camilla Benini, Ombretta Viapiana, Davide Gatti
Summary: Reducing glucocorticoid doses in rheumatoid arthritis patients can effectively decrease the risk of disease flare-ups. However, choosing the right tapering strategy remains challenging. The study found that tapering glucocorticoids to doses of 2.5 mg/day or below was associated with a higher risk of flare, suggesting the need for better tapering strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence in rheumatoid arthritis patients on biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Review
Immunology
Junyu Fan, Ting Jiang, Dongyi He
Summary: Alterations in the gut microbiota can impact the effectiveness and toxicity of drugs, and understanding these interactions can lead to the development of new therapeutic options.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Yu-Jih Su, Hui-Ming Chen, Tien-Ming Chan, Tien-Tsai Cheng, Shan-Fu Yu, Jia-Feng Chen, Chun-Yu Lin, Chung-Yuan Hsu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether patients using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) may have different levels of risk for diabetes and to analyze other risk factors for diabetes. The results showed that certain DMARDs can reduce the risk of diabetes.
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Hironari Hanaoka, Jun Kikuchi, Kazuoto Hiramoto, Shuntaro Saito, Yasushi Kondo, Yuko Kaneko
Summary: This study investigated the incidence and factors associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with stable rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The results showed that controlling inflammation contributes to inhibiting CKD progression in RA patients.
CLINICAL KIDNEY JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Andrea Giachi, Massimo Cugno, Roberta Gualtierotti
Summary: Rheumatoid arthritis is not only related to joint issues, but also to cardiovascular disease. Chronic inflammation plays a key role in accelerating atherosclerosis. Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs can improve cardiovascular risk.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Sebastian E. Sattui, Iris Navarro-Millan, Fenglong Xie, Mangala Rajan, Huifeng Yun, Jeffrey R. Curtis
Summary: This study evaluated the risk of incident dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using biologics or targeted synthetic DMARDs compared to conventional synthetic DMARDs. The results showed that patients using b/tsDMARDs had a lower risk of dementia compared to patients using csDMARDs.
SEMINARS IN ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Priyam Das, Dana Weisenfeld, Kumar Dahal, Debsurya De, Vivi Feathers, Jonathan S. Coblyn, Michael E. Weinblatt, Nancy A. Shadick, Tianxi Cai, Katherine P. Liao
Summary: This study aimed to determine subphenotypes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients based on the prescription history of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). The results showed that RA patients can be clustered into four main groups based on bDMARD prescription sequences, and these clusters are associated with differences in disease activity trajectories.
ARTHRITIS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Spectroscopy
Rafael C. Castro, David S. M. Ribeiro, Joao L. M. Santos, Claudia Nunes, Salette Reis, Ricardo N. M. J. Pascoa
Summary: A fast, simple, and reliable method for determination of metformin was developed by coupling surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with chemometric methods. The method utilized a portable Raman spectrometer and citrate stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as substrate, resulting in improved sensitivity. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression were used for data analysis. Optimization of the PLS model led to RMSECV and R2CV values of 0.42 mg/L and 0.94, respectively. Validation of the optimized PLS regression model with commercial pharmaceutical samples yielded good results in terms of R2P (0.97), RE (4.54%), and analytical sensitivity (2.13 mg/L).
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ana Isabel Barbosa, Sofia A. Costa Lima, Ibraheem Yousef, Salette Reis
Summary: In this study, menthol, L-linalool, bergamot oil, and beta-pinene were incorporated in alginate/fucoidan hydrogels to evaluate their skin permeation enhancement profile and assess their influence on the skin organization. The study highlights the effect of the composition in the design of formulations for topical or transdermal delivery systems.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rute Chitas, Claudia Nunes, Salette Reis, Paula Parreira, Maria Cristina L. Martins
Summary: Chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori is a major risk factor for gastric cancer. Blank nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) have shown potential for H. pylori eradication. Anionic NLC proved to be effective in completely clearing both rod and coccoid morphologies of H. pylori.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Rita Ferreira, Mariana Ferreira, Claudia Nunes, Salette Reis, Catia Teixeira, Paula Gomes, Paula Gameiro
Summary: Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) like W-BP100 can counteract bacterial resistance by targeting the cell membrane. It has been observed that W-BP100 can promote the aggregation and fusion of anionic vesicles, leading to changes in lipid structures. Biophysical tools have been used to study this behavior.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Filipa A. Soares, Pedro Costa, Celia T. Sousa, Miguel Horta, Catarina Pereira-Leite, Catarina Leal Seabra, Sofia A. Costa Lima, Salette Reis, Claudia Nunes
Summary: This study aims to develop and optimize the production of PEGylated magnetoliposomes (MLPs@PEG) by encapsulating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) within fusogenic liposomes. The optimized MLPs@PEG has a mean size of 182 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.19, and SPIONs encapsulation efficiency (%EE) around 76%. Cytocompatibility assays demonstrate that the MLPs@PEG exhibits no toxicity in fibroblasts and no hemolytic effect at safe lipid and iron concentrations.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Filipa Serrasqueiro, Ana Isabel Barbosa, Sofia A. Costa Lima, Salette Reis
Summary: Understanding the impact of carbohydrate-targeting mannose receptors on macrophages is crucial for improving carrier design. Functionalized fucoidan/chitosan nanoparticles with mannose and mannan were characterized and shown to activate macrophages towards an M1-polarized state, indicating their potential therapeutic use.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Carina Brito, Camila Lourenco, Joana Magalhaes, Salette Reis, Margarida Borges
Summary: Nanoparticles have been widely used as delivery vehicles for drugs and immunogens in the prevention of infectious diseases. Nanovaccines have shown promising results in preventing experimental toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. This review examines the in vivo experimental models of T. gondii infection where nanovaccines were tested and their protective and immune responses were evaluated, aiming to shed light on the development of an effective vaccine for toxoplasmosis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabio M. S. Costa, Andreia Granja, Rocio L. Perez, Isiah M. Warner, Salette Reis, Marieta L. C. Passos, M. Lucia M. F. S. Saraiva
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health concern, and strategic therapies are needed to replace ineffective antibacterials. GUMBOS, a group of uniform materials based on organic salts, provide a promising alternative approach by combining antibacterials with adjuvants to treat infections caused by resistant bacteria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Katerina Spanou, Ana Isabel Barbosa, Anastasia Detsi, Sofia A. Costa Lima, Salette Reis
Summary: Lipid-based nanoplatforms, especially gel-like matrices, have shown promising potential for skin delivery of drugs. In this study, a gel-like matrix based on freeze-dried nanostructured lipid carriers was developed to deliver genistein to the skin. The genistein-loaded nanoparticles exhibited good stability and preserved the antioxidant activity of genistein. The gel-like matrix showed excellent stability and increased skin deposition of genistein compared to free genistein.
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Celia Marques, Maria Helena Fernandes, Sofia A. Costa Lima
Summary: Berberine, an alkaloid extracted from plants, has shown potential as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent. However, its poor solubility, low bioavailability, permeability, and absorption hinder its therapeutic efficacy. Nanotechnology has been used to improve these limitations and enhance the potential of berberine as a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.
Review
Oncology
Sara C. C. Freitas, Daniel Sanderson, Sofia Caspani, Ricardo Magalhaes, Belen Cortes-Llanos, Andreia Granja, Salette Reis, Joao Horta Belo, Jose Azevedo, Maria Victoria Gomez-Gaviro, Celia Tavares de Sousa
Summary: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Current treatment strategies have room for improvement, and nanotechnology using plasmonic nanoparticles shows promise in enhancing cancer therapeutics as photothermal therapy agents and radiosensitizers. Combining radio- and phototherapies to enhance their clinical application is of imperative importance.
