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Topic Review
Enhancing Brain Drug Bioavailability in Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are high incidence and debilitating psychiatric disorders, usually treated by antidepressant or anxiolytic drug administration, respectively. Three main strategies have been used to improve brain drug targeting: the intranasal route of administration, which allows the drug to be directly transported to the brain by neuronal pathways, bypassing the blood–brain barrier and avoiding the hepatic and gastrointestinal metabolism; the use of nanosystems for drug encapsulation, including polymeric and lipidic nanoparticles, nanometric emulsions, and nanogels; and drug molecule functionalization by ligand attachment, such as peptides and polymers. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic in vivo studies’ results have shown that intranasal administration can be more efficient in brain targeting than other administration routes, and that the use of nanoformulations and drug functionalization can be quite advantageous in increasing brain–drug bioavailability. These strategies could be the key to future improved therapies for depressive and anxiety disorders.
  • 379
  • 31 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Enhanced Drug Penetration and Retention in Airway Mucosa
Airway mucus is a complex viscoelastic gel mainly composed of water, glycoproteins, lipids, enzymes, minerals, etc. Among them, glycoprotein is the main factor determining mucus-gel-like rheology. Airway mucus forms a protective barrier by secreting mucin, which represents the absorption barrier, especially for more lipophilic drugs. It rapidly clears the drug from the airways through physiological mucus clearance mechanisms, so the drug does not remain in the lungs or reach the airway epithelial tissue for a long time.
  • 191
  • 08 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Engineering Drug Delivery Systems
Engineering drug delivery systems (DDS) aim to release bioactive cargo to a specific site within the human body safely and efficiently. Hydrogels have been used as delivery matrices in different studies due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and versatility in biomedical purposes. Microparticles have also been used as drug delivery systems for similar reasons. The combination of microparticles and hydrogels in a composite system has been the topic of many research works. These composite systems can be injected in loco as DDS. The hydrogel will serve as a barrier to protect the particles and retard the release of any bioactive cargo within the particles. Additionally, these systems allow different release profiles, where different loads can be released sequentially, thus allowing a synergistic treatment. The reported advantages from several studies of these systems can be of great use in biomedicine for the development of more effective DDS.
  • 750
  • 04 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition to Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process that leads to the thickening of the intimal layer of large- and medium-sized arteries and results in the formation of plaques. It occurs due to an imbalance between lipid breakdown and the immune response, leading to a failure of inflammatory response resolution. The risk factors of atherosclerosis include hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and smoking.
  • 335
  • 12 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Endometrial Hyperplasia
Endometrial hyperplasia without cytological atypia is commonly treated with progestins, but other treatments may be available with equivalent efficacy and reduced side effects. Here, we evaluate the effect of genistein aglycone on angiogenesis and apoptosis-related markers women with endometrial hyperplasia. Premenopausals (n=38) with nonatypical endometrial hyperplasia were administered either genistein aglycone (54 mg/day, n=19) or norethisterone acetate (10 mg/day, n=19) on days 16–25 of the menstrual cycle and evaluated for 6 months. Biopsies were taken during hysteroscopy at baseline and 6 months, and symptoms including excessive uterine bleeding were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months following recruitment. The expression of angiogenesis (Vegf), epithelial (Egf and Tgfb), and apoptosis-related (Bax, Bcl-2, and Casp-9) molecules, were assessed in uterine biopsies at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. Follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, SHBG, and progesterone levels were also measured. After 6 months, 42% of genistein aglycone-administered patients had a significant improvement of symptoms compared to 47% of norethisterone acetate subjects. No significant differences were noted in hormone levels for any treatment. Gene expression revealed a significant reduction in Vegf, Egf, and Tgfb (P<0.05 versus baseline), and an increase in proapoptotic molecules (Bax and Casp-9), with a concomitant decrease in Bcl-2 values (P<0.05) in both groups. These results suggest that genistein aglycone might be useful for the management of endometrial hyperplasia without atypia in women who cannot or do not wish to be treated with progestin.
  • 800
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Endolysins
Endolysins are phage-encoded enzymes utilized by mature phage virions to hydrolyze the cell wall from within. There is significant evidence that proves the ability of endolysins to degrade the peptidoglycan externally without the assistance of phage. Thus, their incorporation in therapeutic strategies has opened new options for therapeutic application against bacterial infections in the human and veterinary sectors, as well as within the agricultural and biotechnology sectors. While endolysins show promising results within the laboratory, it is important to document their resistance, safety, and immunogenicity for in-vivo application.
  • 887
  • 24 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Endocytic Properties of vGPCRs
Endocytosis is a fundamental process involved in trafficking of various extracellular and transmembrane molecules from the cell surface to its interior. This enables cells to communicate and respond to external environments, maintain cellular homeostasis, and transduce signals. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute a family of receptors with seven transmembrane alpha-helical domains (7TM receptors) expressed at the cell surface, where they regulate physiological and pathological cellular processes. Several herpesviruses encode receptors (vGPCRs) which benefits the virus by avoiding host immune surveillance, supporting viral dissemination, and thereby establishing widespread and lifelong infection, processes where receptor signaling and/or endocytosis seem central. vGPCRs are rising as potential drug targets as exemplified by the cytomegalovirus-encoded receptor US28, where its constitutive internalization has been exploited for selective drug delivery in virus infected cells. Therefore, studying GPCR trafficking is of great importance.
  • 545
  • 30 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Endocannabinoid System Present in the Glioblastoma Tumour Microenvironment
The highly aggressive and invasive glioblastoma (GBM) tumour is the most malignant lesion among adult-type diffuse gliomas, representing the most common primary brain tumour in the neuro-oncology practice of adults. With a poor overall prognosis and strong resistance to treatment, this nervous system tumour requires new, innovative treatment. GBM is a polymorphic tumour consisting of an array of stromal cells and various malignant cells contributing to tumour initiation, progression, and treatment response. Cannabinoids possess anti-cancer potencies against glioma cell lines and in animal models. To improve existing treatment, cannabinoids as functionalised ligands on nanocarriers were investigated as potential anti-cancer agents. The GBM tumour microenvironment is a multifaceted system consisting of resident or recruited immune cells, extracellular matrix components, tissue-resident cells, and soluble factors. 
  • 745
  • 31 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Endocannabinoid Signaling Pathways
Endocannabinoids play an important role as powerful regulators of synaptic function in the central nervous system where they regulate neural functions and behaviors. As fundamental modulators of synaptic function, endocannabinoids can regulate neural functions such as cognition, motor control, pain, and feeding behavior. The interaction between endogenous or exogenous ligands and endocannabinoid receptors initiates signaling pathways.
  • 315
  • 24 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Endemic Plants of Mauritius in Biomedicine
Resistance to the existing arsenal of therapeutic agents significantly impedes successful drug therapy. One approach to combat this burgeoning global crisis is to provide novel and more effective clinical agents. Terrestrial plants have long been exploited as a source of novel drug candidates. In this line, the endemic floral diversity of the Republic of Mauritius cannot be ignored. However, developing drugs from these plants is a multi-stepped, lengthy process that requires multistakeholder involvement from scientists, policymakers, and conservationists as well as the local community. 
  • 412
  • 28 Jul 2023
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