Topic Review
SL-401 (Tagraxofusp)
Overcoming the leukemia stem cell resistance to intensive chemotherapy has been an area of extensive research over the last two decades. Advances and greater understanding of the molecular biology of leukemia stem cells are in rapid progress. Targeted therapies are currently being used in clinical practice with reasonable response rates, but a cure is being achieved in only a small percentage of patients, most likely due to tumor mutational heterogeneity. A genetically engineered diphtheria toxin fused with interleukin-3 (SL-401 or tagraxofusp) has shown robust activity in blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm and promising response rates in different myeloid malignancies, including eradication of minimal residual disease. Multiple clinical trials are being conducted using this drug and the preliminary results are encouraging. 
  • 375
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
The Challenge of Assessing Benefit-Risk of Older Drugs
Evidence-based pain therapy should rely on precisely defined and personalized criteria. This includes balancing the benefits and risks not only of single drugs but often requires complex between-drug comparisons. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been available for several decades and their use is described in an abundance of guidelines. Most of these guidelines recommend that ‘the selection of a particular NSAID should be based on the benefit-risk balance for each patient’. However, head-to-head studies are often lacking or of poor quality, reflecting the lower standards for clinical research and regulatory approval at the time. The inconsistency of approved indications between countries due to national applications adds to the complexity. Finally, a fading research interest once drugs become generic points to a general deficit in the post-marketing evaluation of medicines. Far from claiming completeness, this research illustrates the challenges that physicians encounter when trying to balance benefits and risks in a situation of incomplete and inconsistent data on longstanding treatment concepts. Ibuprofen and mefenamic acid, the most frequently sold NSAIDs in Austria, serve as examples. The illustrated principles are, however, not specific to these drugs and are generalizable to any comparison of older drugs in daily clinical practice. 
  • 375
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Sleep Disorders and Diabetic Foot
Diabetic foot is associated with a low quality of life since physical disabilities, mood disturbances and psychological disorders are frequent. One of the most important biological processes to ensure quality of life is sleep. Sleep disorders can impair glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus or even cause long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus. 
  • 374
  • 05 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Dyslipidemia in Transplant Patients
Cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of death worldwide in recent years; an increasing trend is also shown in organ transplant patients subjected to immunosuppressive therapies, in which cardiovascular diseases represent one of the most frequent causes of long-term mortality. This is also linked to immunosuppressant-induced dyslipidemia, which occurs in 27 to 71% of organ transplant recipients. 
  • 374
  • 22 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Pain Management in Hemodialysis
Acupuncture demonstrated considerable promise as a benign and efficacious supplementary therapy for managing pain, enhancing functional capacity and muscular strength, lessening symptoms of restless leg syndrome and uremic pruritus, and bettering the quality of life (QOL) of patients on hemodialysis. Additional investigations are imperative to confirm these results and define the ideal parameters for treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy also exhibited the potential to ameliorate diverse facets of wellness in hemodialysis patients, including social support, QOL, and mental health outcomes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) proved successful in attenuating depressive symptom severity, enhancing therapy adherence, and diminishing depression. Internet-based CBT could potentially enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of these interventions for this patient population. Relaxation techniques, encompassing progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness meditation, appear to hold potential in managing pain, fatigue, stress, and sleep patterns, as well as in promoting well-being and QOL for hemodialysis patients. Emerging as an innovative immersive technology, virtual reality has demonstrated potential benefits in pain management for individuals undergoing hemodialysis.
  • 373
  • 23 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Thrombotic Disorders and COVID-19 Vaccines
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected hundreds of millions worldwide, leading to nearly 7 million deaths globally, although now declared not a worldwide concern anymore. Strenuous research and analysis of various vaccine advances led to the development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year from the pandemic’s beginning. Different types of vaccines, such as mRNA vaccines, DNA vaccines, viral vector vaccines, and inactivated virus vaccines have been approved and have shown a high degree of efficacy with variable protective levels of up to 95% (70–95% range) in vaccinated individuals against COVID-19.
  • 368
  • 01 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Diagnostic Approaches for Epstein–Barr Virus
Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent of many diseases including infectious mononucleosis (IM), and it is associated with different subtypes of lymphoma, sarcoma and carcinoma such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and gastric carcinoma. With the advent of improved laboratory tests for EBV, a timelier and accurate diagnosis could be made to aid better prognosis and effective treatment. For histopathological lesions, the in situ hybridization (ISH) of EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in biopsy tissues remains the gold standard for detecting EBV.
  • 364
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Achieving Optimum Clinical Outcomes with Vitamin D
Musculoskeletal benefits of vitamin D include calcium homeostasis, bone mineralization, etc., through its hormonal actions. This requires serum 25(OH)D less than 20 ng/mL. In contrast, many other tissues require above 30 or 40 ng/mL steady-state concentrations. To reduce infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and all-cause mortality require a minimum level of 50 ng/mL. Vitamin D is an economical and widely available (generic) nutrient obtained over the counter without a prescription. At the recommended doses, vitamin D does not cause any adverse effects. Disease prevention and minimizing complications and premature deaths can be achieved by maintaining serum 25(OH)D concentrations between 50 and 80 ng/mL. This costs less than 0.01% of the cost of one day of hospitalization.
  • 362
  • 21 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Nanosystems in Treating Lung Cancer
Even though there are various types of cancer, this pathology as a whole is considered the principal cause of death worldwide. Lung cancer is known as a heterogeneous condition, and it is apparent that genome modification presents a significant role in the occurrence of this disorder. There are conventional procedures that can be utilized against diverse cancer types, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but they are hampered by the numerous side effects. Owing to the many adverse events observed in these therapies, it is imperative to continuously develop new and improved strategies for managing individuals with cancer. Nanomedicine plays an important role in establishing new methods for detecting chromosomal rearrangements and mutations for targeted chemotherapeutics or the local delivery of drugs via different types of nano-particle carriers to the lungs or other organs or areas of interest.
  • 361
  • 01 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Treatment of Preterm Infants at Border of Viability
Decision-making at the border of viability remains challenging for the expectant parents and the medical team. The preterm infant is dependent on others making the decision that will impact them for a lifetime in hopefully their best interest. Besides survival and survival without neurodevelopmental impairment, other relevant outcome measures, such as the quality of life of former preterm infants and the impact on family life, need to be integrated into prenatal counselling.
  • 361
  • 17 Mar 2022
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