Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer affecting women worldwide. In 2021, the estimated number of new breast cancer cases was 281 550 and about 43 500 women died from metastatic breast cancer (mBC). For women aged 20-59 years, mBC remains the leading cause of cancer death and is, therefore, an important public health concern. ⋯ Even with the major progress that has been made in understanding the biology of BC, challenges such as resistance frequency to therapies, unknown efficacy, concerns for safety of drug combination and toxicities still remain high. Therefore, a new targeted and more selective treatment approaches are the need of the hour. In this review, we aim to outline the most recently approved medications in treatment of Her2-positive and triple-negative breast cancers.
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The intact telomere structure is essential for the prevention of the chromosome end-to-end fusions and maintaining genomic integrity. The maintenance of telomere length is critical for cellular homeostasis. The shortening of telomeres has been reported in patients with chronic liver diseases. ⋯ In this brief report, we observed evidence of telomere shortening without changes in the telomerase activity in the liver of patients with alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis when compared with controls. The alterations in the genes associated with telomere binding proteins were only observed in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Future studies are required to determine the mechanism of how alcohol affects the length of the telomere and if the shortening impacts the disease progression in ALD.
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COVID-19 readmissions are associated with increased patient mortality and healthcare system strain. This retrospective cohort study of PCR-confirmed COVID-19 positive adults (>18 years) hospitalized and readmitted within 30 days of discharge from index admission was performed at eight Atlanta hospitals from March to December 2020. The objective was to describe COVID-19 patient-level demographics and clinical characteristics, and community-level social determinants of health (SDoH) that contribute to 30-day readmissions. ⋯ Patients residing in communities with larger average household size were less likely to be readmitted (OR 0.7 (95% CI: 0.5 to 0.9). In this cohort, patients who received remdesivir, were cared for in an ICU, and resided in ZIP codes with higher proportions of residents with increased social support had lower odds of readmission. These patient-level factors and community-level SDoH may be used to identify patients with COVID-19 who are at increased risk of readmission.
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This study aimed to explore the clinical adverse effects of anthracyclines on patients undergoing chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery. A total of 118 patients who received anthracycline chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery were selected as the research object, and the changes of echocardiogram, ECG, myocardial enzymes and blood biochemical indices before, during and after chemotherapy were studied. SPSS V.20 was used to conduct statistical analysis. ⋯ Heart rate and triglycerides increased significantly in the early stage of chemotherapy; ST-segment abnormality increased during the entire chemotherapy period; creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase increased significantly in the late stage of chemotherapy; hemoglobin and albumin decreased in the early stage of chemotherapy. The magnitude is large; high-density lipoprotein decreases throughout the chemotherapy period. In anthracycline chemotherapy regimens, bone marrow suppression and dyslipidemia occur in the early stage of chemotherapy, and the risk of cardiotoxicity is higher in the late stage of chemotherapy.
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Vinpocetine exerts pharmacological effects against cardiovascular diseases, while few studies focused on its roles in cancer. The present study investigated the roles of vinpocetine in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relationship with cisplatin resistance. A549 cisplatin-resistant cells (A549/DDP) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-overexpressing cell lines were established. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay was conducted to determine cell viability. ⋯ Interestingly, the overexpression of Nrf2 abolished the antiproliferative effects of vinpocetine on NSCLC cells. In vivo data suggested that vinpocetine (50 mg/kg) inhibited tumor growth and enhanced the antitumor effects of cisplatin in the NSCLC cell tumor-bearing model. Vinpocetine enhances cisplatin sensitivity of NSCLC cells in part by suppressing Nrf2 signaling.