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Topic Review
Biosimilar Agents
A biosimilar is a biological product highly similar to and interchangeable with an already approved reference product. Innovations in computer-aided discovery for biosimilar agents involve several key approaches. Structural bioinformatics and molecular docking techniques, including homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, aid in understanding the structure-function relationships. In silico screening and virtual high-throughput screening, powered by database mining and predictive modeling, expedite the identification of potential biosimilar candidates. Machine learning and artificial intelligence contribute by analyzing large datasets to predict success probabilities and integrating diverse data sources. Immunogenicity prediction tools assess potential immune responses, while network pharmacology and quantitative systems pharmacology provide a holistic understanding of biosimilar effects. Optimization algorithms play a role in formulating biosimilars for desired properties. This dynamic field continues to evolve, with regular updates reflecting the latest advancements in computational tools for biosimilar discovery.
  • 522
  • 13 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Opioid-Induced Constipation in Cancer Patients
Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a disabling symptom which 60–90 percent of cancer patients with chronic opioid use experience. Peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs) are a class of medications aiming to reverse opioids’ adverse effects on the gut by interacting with opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract without significantly crossing the blood–brain barrier, and therefore they are not affecting the analgesic opioid effects in the central nervous system.
  • 519
  • 22 Mar 2024
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
HPV Vaccination for Cervical Cancer Prevention in Switzerland
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for almost all cases of cervical cancer worldwide. It is also responsible for a variety of other cancers including penile; vaginal; vulvar; anal; and oropharyngeal cancers at the base of the tongue and tonsils. There are a very large number of these HPVs, which are classified into groups from high to low risk based on their oncogenic potential. Every year in Switzerland, over 260 women develop cervical cancer, and nearly 90 of them will die from the disease. Cervical cancer affects young women and is the fourth most common cancer in women between the ages of 20 and 49 years. Among the high-risk HPV types, HPV-16 and -18 are the most common and most carcinogenic ones. Together, these two HPV types are responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases in developed countries. HPV-6 and -11 are directly responsible for 90% of genital warts. There are two effective public health interventions to prevent this cancer: screening and vaccination. The present entry provides an overview of current literature in order to present these preventative approaches and consider their use within a Swiss context. It is hoped that, going forward, this will encourage the implementation and uptake of such interventions.
  • 516
  • 19 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Flavonoids as CYP3A4 Inhibitors In Vitro
CYP enzymes are a group of heme-containing enzymes that play important roles in the metabolism of many drugs and other xenobiotics. They are located in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells throughout the body, but they are most abundant in the liver.
  • 516
  • 22 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Nanodelivery Systems and Constituents Derived from Novel Foods
Novel Food is a new category of food, regulated by the European Union Directive No. 2015/2283. This latter norm defines a food as “Novel” if it was not used “for human consumption to a significant degree within the Union before the date of entry into force of that regulation, namely 15 May 1997”.  Due to their natural source, Novel Food can represent another new and not fully exploited reservoir of nutraceuticals. Indeed, Novel Food can also be considered an important source of raw matter to produce a nano-drug delivery system. The application of Novel Foods as new nanoceutical materials or bioactive compounds embedded into nanocarriers is a new research field, as these sources have been employed only in recent decades.
  • 515
  • 17 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Overexpression of Glutathione S-Transferases in Human Diseases
Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a major class of phase II metabolic enzymes. Besides their essential role in detoxification, GSTs also exert diverse biological activities in the occurrence and development of various diseases. Much research interest has been paid to exploring the mechanisms of GST overexpression in tumor drug resistance. Correspondingly, many GST inhibitors have been developed and applied, solely or in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, for the treatment of multi-drug resistant tumors. Moreover, novel roles of GSTs in other diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis and neurodegenerative diseases, have been recognized, although the exact regulatory mechanisms remain to be elucidated.
  • 503
  • 27 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Off-Label Prescribing in Pediatric Population
Off-label prescribing is widespread among pediatricians, and it is unlikely that this trend will soon be bound by a uniform legal framework. This is necessitated by the fact that there are four variables: the patient’s health condition, the physician’s experience and knowledge, the legislative measures (laws, directives, guidelines, and recommendations), and finally, the pharmaceutical industry. There is considerable concern worldwide about the use of off-label medicines in children. 
  • 492
  • 06 Dec 2023
Topic Review
RNA Combined with Nanoformulation to Advance Therapeutic Technologies
Nucleic acid-based therapies have the potential to address numerous diseases that pose significant challenges to more traditional methods. RNA-based therapies have emerged as a promising avenue, utilizing nanoformulation treatments to target a range of pathologies. Nanoformulation offers several advantages compared to other treatment modalities, including targeted delivery, low toxicity, and bioactivity suitable for drug loading. Various types of nanoformulations are available, such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), magnetic NPs, nanoshells, and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). RNA-based therapy utilizes intracellular gene nanoparticles with messenger RNA (mRNA) emerging prominently in cancer therapy and immunotechnology against infectious diseases. The approval of mRNA-based technology opens doors for future technological advancements, particularly self-amplifying replicon RNA (repRNA). RepRNA is a novel platform in gene therapy, comprising viral RNA with a unique molecular property that enables the amplification of all encoded genetic information countless times. As a result, repRNA-based therapies have achieved significant levels of gene expression.
  • 490
  • 19 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Non-Dopaminergic Antipsychotic Mechanisms of Neuroleptic Drugs
In 1957, Arvid Carlsson discovered that dopamine, at the time believed to be nothing more than a norepinephrine precursor, was a brain neurotransmitter in and of itself. By 1963, postsynaptic dopamine blockade had become the cornerstone of psychiatric treatment as it appeared to have deciphered the “chlorpromazine enigma”, a 1950s term, denoting the action mechanism of antipsychotic drugs.
  • 486
  • 23 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Cellular, Molecular, Pharmacological, and Nano-Formulation Aspects of Thymoquinone
The goal of an antiviral agent research is to find an antiviral drug that reduces viral growth without harming healthy cells. Transformations of the virus, new viral strain developments, the resistance of viral pathogens, and side effects are the current challenges in terms of discovering antiviral drugs. The time has come and it is now essential to discover a natural antiviral agent that has the potential to destroy viruses without causing resistance or other unintended side effects. The pharmacological potency of thymoquinone (TQ) against different communicable and non-communicable diseases has been proven by various studies, and TQ is considered to be a safe antiviral substitute. 
  • 484
  • 17 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Multicomponent Mixtures and Single Compounds from Lentinula edodes
Apart from the isolation of single substances, complexly composed products, so-called multicomponent mixtures (more than one constituent substances, MOCSs), are obtained from the natural materials. A multicomponent mixture contains numerous individual constituents with different functionalities. By using the example of Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler, shiitake, it is shown that this is the case not only for plants but also for medicinal mushrooms. Lentinan, a polysaccharide isolated from the mycelium, is used as a single compound as part of an integrated tumor therapy.
  • 472
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Current Application of DNSPEs in Drug Delivery
A drug nanocrystal self-stabilized Pickering emulsion (DNSPE) is a novel Pickering emulsion with drug nanocrystals as the stabilizer. As a promising drug delivery system, DNSPEs have attracted increasing attention due to their high drug loading capacity and ability to reduce potential safety hazards posed by surfactants or specific solid particles.
  • 471
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Liposome-Derived Nanosystems  for Increased Brain Drug Bioavailability
Niosomes, transfersomes, and ethosomes are nanometric vesicular structures that allow drug encapsulation, protecting them from degradation, and increasing their solubility, permeability, brain targeting, and bioavailability.
  • 460
  • 16 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Novel Pharmacological Targets of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychopathological condition with a heterogeneous clinical picture that is complex and challenging to treat. Its multifaceted pathophysiology still remains an unresolved question and certainly contributes to this issue. The pharmacological treatment of PTSD is mainly empirical and centered on the serotonergic system. Since the therapeutic response to prescribed drugs targeting single symptoms is generally inconsistent, there is an urgent need for novel pathogenetic hypotheses, including different mediators and pathways.
  • 445
  • 11 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Second-Generation Lipophosphonoxins and Their Applications
Lipophosphonoxins (LPPOs) represent a new group of membrane-targeting antibiotics. Three generations of LPPOs have been described: First-generation LPPOs, second-generation LPPOs, and LEGO-LPPOs. All three generations have a similar mode of bactericidal action of targeting and disrupting the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane of prokaryotic cells, with limited effect on eukaryotic cells. Second-generation LPPOs broaden the antibiotic effect also against Gram-negative bacteria. However, both first- and second-generation LPPOs lose their antibacterial activity in the presence of serum albumin. Second-generation LPPOs have been studied as antimicrobial additives in bone cement and as nanofiber dressing components in the treatment of wound infections in mice. 
  • 445
  • 18 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Suicidality Risk of Chronic Pain Medications
Chronic pain is one of the main leading causes of disability in the world at present. A variety in the symptomatology, intensity and duration of this phenomenon has led to an ever-increasing demand of pharmacological treatment and relief. This demand for medication, ranging from well-known groups, such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines, to more novel drugs, was followed by a rise in safety concerns of such treatment options. 
  • 434
  • 30 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Discovering Amino Acid Transporter Inhibitors
Amino acid transporters are abundant amongst the solute carrier family and have an important role in facilitating the transfer of amino acids across cell membranes. Because of their impact on cell nutrient distribution, they also appear to have an important role in the growth and development of cancer. Naturally, this has made amino acid transporters a novel target of interest for the development of new anticancer drugs. 
  • 377
  • 05 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Polypharmacy in Older Patients with COVID-19
Polypharmacy is the use of multiple and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) that lack sufficient evidence of benefits and/or increase the risks of adverse drug reactions. It is an increasing problem among older adults. The global polypharmacy prevalence is 34.6% in patients with COVID-19, and polypharmacy in COVID-19 increases with age. 
  • 370
  • 14 Mar 2024
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Comprehensive Medication Management for Hypertension in the United States: A Scoping Review of Therapeutic, Humanistic, Safety and Economic Outcomes
Emerging research has shown that pharmacist-led comprehensive medication management (CMM) can be an effective strategy for controlling hypertension. A synthesis of the evidence on the overall effects of CMM on clinical, quality, and economic outcomes could help inform and contribute to improvements in programming and practice. Presently, such a synthesis is limited in the literature. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review of CMM effects on these outcomes, organized by 4 domains: therapeutic, humanistic, safety and economic. Using predefined search terms for articles on studies published between 2010 and 2024, we performed a literature search utilizing these terms to search the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and CINAHL databases. For each of the identified studies, we applied a multi-stage screening process to extract data, chart results, and synthesize findings. The process took into account methodology of study design, patient population involved, CMM implementation, relevance of outcomes to clinical improvement, and factors that were deemed relevant to study selection. In total, 49 experimental, observational, and simulation-based studies were included in the scoping review. The synthesis focused on outcomes most frequently reported and those rigorously evaluated by the studies in the review. They included clinical measures of blood pressure reduction and control, frequency and duration of healthcare visits, and changes in medication therapy regimen and medication adherence. Overall, CMM interventions were found to have significantly favorable effects on systolic blood pressure reduction, hypertension control, and medication changes. Other outcomes, which showed positive effects, included self-reported patient experience and behaviors, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, mortality, and program costs and related savings from implementing a CMM program. Some results, however, were mixed. For example, a number of studies reported outcomes data without significance testing and many generally lacked consistent characterization of their programming and implementation processes. Future research and practice evaluations should include these elements in their documentation. Furthermore, a more consistent approach to implementing CMM in the field may lead to better support of program delivery fidelity, helping to optimize CMM, moving it from demonstrated efficacy to intervention effectiveness in the real world.
  • 302
  • 03 Sep 2025
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Nose-to-Brain Drug Delivery
Nose-to-brain drug delivery is an innovative approach that leverages the unique anatomical pathways connecting the nasal cavity to the brain, including the olfactory and trigeminal nerve routes. This method bypasses the blood–brain barrier, enabling direct and efficient transport of therapeutic agents to the central nervous system. It offers significant advantages, such as rapid drug action, reduced systemic side effects, and improved patient compliance through non-invasive administration. This entry summarizes factors affecting the nose-to-brain delivery of drugs and the recent development of nanoparticle-based nose-to-brain delivery.
  • 289
  • 01 Jul 2025
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