Summary

The advent of biopharmaceuticals in current medicine brought enormous benefits to the treatment of life-threatening human diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders), and improved the well-being of many people worldwide. The global portfolio of these therapeutic products include proteins and antibodies, nucleic acids, and cell-based products, and continues to expand at a rapid pace - approvals in the period 2015-2018 essentially double the typical five-yearly historical approval pace (G. Walsh, Nat. Biotechnol., 36:1136-1145, 2018) -, representing a significant share of the entire market of pharmaceuticals.

Innovation in the (bio)pharmaceutical industry has been driven towards the development of cost-effective manufacturing processes, envisaging the delivery of products in high quantity, with superior quality (purity), and high specificity, with the ultimate goal of benefiting patients. Progress in this direction have resulted from the application of novel technologies in the upstream stage (high-throughput, single-use devices, statistical optimization of media and fermentation conditions, QbD, and continuous processing), while at the downstream level, chromatography has evolved through the development of new resins and ligands, coupled with advances in process modelling, operating and control strategies.

An emerging trend is the application of alternative solvents such as ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, in which their structure and physicochemical properties can be tuned to address unmet needs in (bio)pharmaceutical research. These compounds may be derived from natural and reneawable sources and hold great promise in the development of efficient, sustainable and cost-effective biopharmaceuticals purification processes.

This Entry Collection aims to provide the latest progresses achieved in pharmaceuticals bioprocessing. We welcome submissions of original research, comprehensive reviews and perspectives, including, but not limited, to the following fields:

- Upstream processing (genetic engineering, systems biology, difficult-to-express proteins, expression conditions, Quality by Design approaches, process analytical technologies);

- Chromatographic purification methods (process modelling and control, continuous bioprocessing, design and characterization of resins and ligands, new formats);

- Alternative purification methods (aqueous biphasic systems, filtration, crystallization, precipitation);

- Application of neoteric solvents in upstream and downstream stages;

- Analytical characterization of biopharmaceuticals (stability, post-translational modifications, biological activity, immunogenicity); 

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Entries
Topic Review
Conventional Treatment for Wounds
Application of modern delivery techniques to natural bioactive products improves their permeability, bioavailability, and therapeutic efficacy. Many natural products have desirable biological properties applicable to wound healing but are limited by their inability to cross the stratum corneum to access the wound. Over the past two decades, modern systems such as microneedles, lipid-based vesicles, hydrogels, composite dressings, and responsive formulations have been applied to natural products such as curcumin or aloe vera to improve their delivery and efficacy. 
  • 1.3K
  • 30 May 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Inhibitory Actions of Clinical Analgesics, Analgesic Adjuvants, and Plant-Derived Analgesics on Nerve Action Potential Conduction
The action potential (AP) conduction in nerve fibers plays a crucial role in transmitting nociceptive information from the periphery to the cerebral cortex. Nerve AP conduction inhibition possibly results in analgesia. It is well-known that many analgesics suppress nerve AP conduction and voltage-dependent sodium and potassium channels that are involved in producing APs. The compound action potential (CAP) recorded from a bundle of nerve fibers is a guide for knowing if analgesics affect nerve AP conduction. This entry mentions the inhibitory effects of clinically used analgesics, analgesic adjuvants, and plant-derived analgesics on fast-conducting CAPs and voltage-dependent sodium and potassium channels. The efficacies of their effects were compared among the compounds, and it was revealed that some of the compounds have similar efficacies in suppressing CAPs. It is suggested that analgesics-induced nerve AP conduction inhibition may contribute to at least a part of their analgesic effects.
  • 1.1K
  • 01 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Oral Diseases and Related Biomaterials
Oral diseases such as gingivitis, periodontitis, and oral cancer affect millions of people worldwide. Much research has been conducted to understand the pathogenetic mechanisms of these diseases and translate this knowledge into therapeutics. 
  • 838
  • 24 May 2022
Topic Review
Monosodium Glutamate-Induced Male Reproductive Dysfunction
Reproductive dysfunction is often characterized by malfunction of the reproductive tissues, which may lead to disruption of the synergistic rhythm that should bring about a progression of sexual events and the conception of new life. This may therefore result in the sexual dysfunction and infertility that can be seen in couples having prolonged biological difficulty in reproducing their offspring after having unrestricted sexual intercourse for at least twelve months. Several factors have been implicated in the cause and progression of reproductive dysfunction, including poor nutrition, drug side effects, disease states, and toxicant ingestion. A well-known food additive that has been found to be potent at initiating reproductive anomalies in males is monosodium glutamate (MSG). 
  • 1.8K
  • 23 May 2022
Topic Review
Therapeutic Use of Cancer Biomarkers
The use of biomarkers in cancer diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis has been highly effective over several decades. Studies of biomarkers in cancer patients pre- and post-treatment and during cancer progression have helped identify cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their related microenvironments. These analyses are critical for the therapeutic application of drugs and the efficient targeting and prevention of cancer progression, as well as the investigation of the mechanism of the cancer development. Biomarkers that characterize CSCs have thus been identified and correlated to diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis. However, CSCs demonstrate elevated levels of plasticity, which alters their functional phenotype and appearance by interacting with their microenvironments, in response to chemotherapy and radiotherapeutics. In turn, these changes induce different metabolic adaptations of CSCs.
  • 809
  • 20 May 2022
Topic Review
Using GPCRs to Target Ovarian Cancer with Nanomedicines
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of membrane receptors, and many are overexpressed in solid tumors, including ovarian cancer.
  • 851
  • 19 May 2022
Topic Review
A Long-Lasting PARP1-Activation Mediates Signal-Induced Gene Expression
PolyADP-ribosylation is an evolutionary conserved, reversible post-translational modification of proteins. Numerous nuclear proteins act as substrates of the abundant nuclear polyADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1). In this modification, negatively charged ADP-ribose chains constructed on chromatin-bound proteins, cause their repulsion from the negatively charged DNA. In accordance, polyADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification of proteins that causes relaxation of the highly condensed structure of the chromatin. Histone H1, which is bound to the linker DNA, located between the nucleosomes, is a prominent substrate of PARP1.
  • 1.4K
  • 19 May 2022
Topic Review
In Vitro Human Cancer Models for Biomedical Applications
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and its incidence is steadily increasing. Although years of research have been conducted on cancer treatment, clinical treatment options for cancers are still limited. Animal cancer models have been widely used for studies of cancer therapeutics, but these models have been associated with many concerns, including inaccuracy in the representation of human cancers, high cost and ethical issues. Therefore, in vitro human cancer models are being developed quickly to fulfill the increasing demand for more relevant models in order to get a better knowledge of human cancers and to find novel treatments.
  • 982
  • 19 May 2022
Topic Review
Botulinum Neurotoxin Injection for Wrinkles in Nose Region
As wrinkle removal using BoNT is being performed more often, the adverse effects, such as paralysis of the nearby muscles, diplopia, ptosis, and samurai eyebrows have been reported. When treating wrinkles with BoNT in the nasal region, significant problems, such as diplopia may result from unintended paralysis of the rectus inferior or medialis. To prevent these side effects, the injection should be administered at an anatomically accurate location of the targeting muscle, and the initial treatment should be at a reduced dosage.
  • 3.0K
  • 18 May 2022
Topic Review
3DP Medicines and Medical Devices
Novel additive manufacturing (AM) techniques and particularly 3D printing (3DP) have achieved a decade of success in pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. Highly innovative personalized therapeutical solutions may be designed and manufactured through a layer-by-layer approach starting from a digital model realized according to the needs of a specific patient or a patient group. The combination of patient-tailored drug dose, dosage, or diagnostic form (shape and size) and drug release adjustment has the potential to ensure the optimal patient therapy. This document provides an overview on different 3DP techniques to produce personalized medicines and medical devices, highlighting, for each method, the critical printing process parameters, the main starting materials, as well as advantages and limitations.
  • 2.2K
  • 17 May 2022
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