AIM： To clarify the mechanism of infliximab treatment in diabetic macular edema （DME） and to provide a new alternative therapy for DME. METHODS： Rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group ...AIM： To clarify the mechanism of infliximab treatment in diabetic macular edema （DME） and to provide a new alternative therapy for DME. METHODS： Rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group and the infliximab treatment group. A diabetic rat model was created. The concentration of TNF-α in the vitreous body was detected by ELISA. The expressions of B-Raf, p38, claudin-1 and occludin in the retina were detected by Western blot. The integrity of the blood retinal barrier （BRB） was measured using Evan＇s blue as a tracer. RESULTS： After three months and six months of the diabetes model, the vitreous TNF-α level in the model group was higher than that of the control group. It was also higher in treated group than that of the control group but was lower than that of the model group. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant （at 3mo, F=857.098, P〈0.001; 6mo, F=1261.897, P〈0.001）. The retina B-Raf and p38 levels in the model group were higher than that of the control group. They were also higher in treated group than that of the control group but were lower than that of the model group. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant （B-Raf at 3mo, F=106.596, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F=200.681, P〈0.001; p38 at 3mo, F=41.662, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F=67.979, P〈0.001）. The retina claudin-1 and occludin levels in the model group were lower than that of the control group. They were also lower in treated group than that of the control group but were higher than that of the model group. The differences among three groups were statistically significant （claudin-1 at3mo, F=-139.088, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F=128.415, P〈0.001; occludin at 3mo, F=-92.733, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F--104.478, P〈0.001）. The retinal Evans blue leakage in the model group was higher than that of the control group. It was also higher in treated group than that of the control group but was lower than that of the model group. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant （at 3mo, F=-447.946, P〈0.001; at 6mo, F＇=-1610.732, P〈0.001）. CONCLUSION： In-α diabetic rat model, infliximab may relieve TNF-α induced BRB breakdown via the B-Raf and p38 signaling pathway.展开更多
Delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system（CNS） and brain-tumor has been a major challenge. The current standard treatment approaches for the brain-tumor comprise of surgical resection followed by immunot...Delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system（CNS） and brain-tumor has been a major challenge. The current standard treatment approaches for the brain-tumor comprise of surgical resection followed by immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the current treatments are limited in providing significant benefits to the patients and despite recent technological advancements; brain-tumor is still challenging to treat. Brain-tumor therapy is limited by the lack of effective and targeted strategies to deliver chemotherapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier（BBB）. The BBB is the main obstacle that must be overcome to allow compounds to reach their targets in the brain. Recent advances have boosted the nanotherapeutic approaches in providing an attractive strategy in improving the drug delivery across the BBB and into the CNS. Compared to conventional formulations, nanoformulations offer significant ad vantages in CNS drug delivery approaches. Considering the above facts, in this review, the physiological/anatomical features of the brain-tumor and the BBB are briefly discussed. The drug transport mechanisms at the BBB are outlined. The approaches to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs across the CNS into the brain-tumor using nanocarriers are summarized. In addition, the challenges that need to be addressed in nanotherapeutic approaches for their enhanced clinical application in brain-tumor therapy are discussed.展开更多
Due to the aging of the population and despite the enormous scientific effort,Alzheimer's disease remains one of the biggest medical and pharmaceutical challenges in current medicine.Novel insights highlight the i...Due to the aging of the population and despite the enormous scientific effort,Alzheimer's disease remains one of the biggest medical and pharmaceutical challenges in current medicine.Novel insights highlight the importance of neuroinflammation as an undeniable player in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease.Tumor necrosis factor is a master inflammatory cytokine that signals via tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor 2,but that also regulates several brain functions in health and disease.However,clinical trials investigating drugs that interfere with the tumor necrosis factor pathway in Alzheimer's disease led to inconclusive results,partially because not only the pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 1,but also the beneficial tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 signaling was antagonized in these trials.We recently found that tumor necrosis factor is the main upregulated cytokine in the choroid plexus of Alzheimer's disease patients,signaling via tumor necrosis factor receptor 1.In agreement with this,choroidal tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 signaling was also upregulated in different Alzheimer's disease mouse models.Interestingly,both genetic and nanobody-based pharmacological blockage of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 signaling was accompanied by favorable effects on Alzheimer's disease-associated inflammation,choroidal morphology and cognitive functioning.Here,we briefly summarize the detrimental effects that can be mediated by tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 signaling in(early) Alzheimer's disease,and the consequences this might have on the disease progression.As the main hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials is still based on the amyloid beta-cascade,the importance of Alzheimer's disease-associated neuroinflammation urge the development of novel therapeutic strategies that might be effective in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and prevent the irreversible neurodegeneration and resulting memory decline.展开更多
Brain tumor incidence shows an upward trend in recent years; brain tumors account for 5% of adult tumors, while in children, this figure has increased to 70%. Moreover, 20%–30% of malignant tumors will eventually met...Brain tumor incidence shows an upward trend in recent years; brain tumors account for 5% of adult tumors, while in children, this figure has increased to 70%. Moreover, 20%–30% of malignant tumors will eventually metastasize into the brain. Both benign and malignant tumors can cause an increase in intracranial pressure and brain tissue compression, leading to central nervous system(CNS) damage which endangers the patients' lives. Despite the many approaches to treating brain tumors and the progress that has been made, only modest gains in survival time of brain tumor patients have been achieved. At present, chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for many cancers, but the special structure of the blood–brain barrier(BBB) limits most chemotherapeutic agents from passing through the BBB and penetrating into tumors in the brain. The BBB microenvironment contains numerous cell types, including endothelial cells, astrocytes, peripheral cells and microglia, and extracellular matrix(ECM). Many chemical components of natural products are reported to regulate the BBB microenvironment near brain tumors and assist in their treatment. This review focuses on the composition and function of the BBB microenvironment under both physiological and pathological conditions, and the current research progress in regulating the BBB microenvironment by natural products to promote the treatment of brain tumors.展开更多
基金Supported by Fujian Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission(No.2014-ZQN-ZD-16)
文摘AIM： To clarify the mechanism of infliximab treatment in diabetic macular edema （DME） and to provide a new alternative therapy for DME. METHODS： Rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group and the infliximab treatment group. A diabetic rat model was created. The concentration of TNF-α in the vitreous body was detected by ELISA. The expressions of B-Raf, p38, claudin-1 and occludin in the retina were detected by Western blot. The integrity of the blood retinal barrier （BRB） was measured using Evan＇s blue as a tracer. RESULTS： After three months and six months of the diabetes model, the vitreous TNF-α level in the model group was higher than that of the control group. It was also higher in treated group than that of the control group but was lower than that of the model group. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant （at 3mo, F=857.098, P〈0.001; 6mo, F=1261.897, P〈0.001）. The retina B-Raf and p38 levels in the model group were higher than that of the control group. They were also higher in treated group than that of the control group but were lower than that of the model group. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant （B-Raf at 3mo, F=106.596, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F=200.681, P〈0.001; p38 at 3mo, F=41.662, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F=67.979, P〈0.001）. The retina claudin-1 and occludin levels in the model group were lower than that of the control group. They were also lower in treated group than that of the control group but were higher than that of the model group. The differences among three groups were statistically significant （claudin-1 at3mo, F=-139.088, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F=128.415, P〈0.001; occludin at 3mo, F=-92.733, P〈0.001 and at 6mo, F--104.478, P〈0.001）. The retinal Evans blue leakage in the model group was higher than that of the control group. It was also higher in treated group than that of the control group but was lower than that of the model group. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant （at 3mo, F=-447.946, P〈0.001; at 6mo, F＇=-1610.732, P〈0.001）. CONCLUSION： In-α diabetic rat model, infliximab may relieve TNF-α induced BRB breakdown via the B-Raf and p38 signaling pathway.
文摘Delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system（CNS） and brain-tumor has been a major challenge. The current standard treatment approaches for the brain-tumor comprise of surgical resection followed by immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the current treatments are limited in providing significant benefits to the patients and despite recent technological advancements; brain-tumor is still challenging to treat. Brain-tumor therapy is limited by the lack of effective and targeted strategies to deliver chemotherapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier（BBB）. The BBB is the main obstacle that must be overcome to allow compounds to reach their targets in the brain. Recent advances have boosted the nanotherapeutic approaches in providing an attractive strategy in improving the drug delivery across the BBB and into the CNS. Compared to conventional formulations, nanoformulations offer significant ad vantages in CNS drug delivery approaches. Considering the above facts, in this review, the physiological/anatomical features of the brain-tumor and the BBB are briefly discussed. The drug transport mechanisms at the BBB are outlined. The approaches to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs across the CNS into the brain-tumor using nanocarriers are summarized. In addition, the challenges that need to be addressed in nanotherapeutic approaches for their enhanced clinical application in brain-tumor therapy are discussed.
基金supported by the Research Foundation Flanders(FWO)The Foundation for Alzheimer’s Research Belgium(SAO-FRA)+1 种基金European Union Cost action MouseAge(BM1402)the Baillet Latour Fund(all to SS and REV)
文摘Due to the aging of the population and despite the enormous scientific effort,Alzheimer's disease remains one of the biggest medical and pharmaceutical challenges in current medicine.Novel insights highlight the importance of neuroinflammation as an undeniable player in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease.Tumor necrosis factor is a master inflammatory cytokine that signals via tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor 2,but that also regulates several brain functions in health and disease.However,clinical trials investigating drugs that interfere with the tumor necrosis factor pathway in Alzheimer's disease led to inconclusive results,partially because not only the pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 1,but also the beneficial tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 signaling was antagonized in these trials.We recently found that tumor necrosis factor is the main upregulated cytokine in the choroid plexus of Alzheimer's disease patients,signaling via tumor necrosis factor receptor 1.In agreement with this,choroidal tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 signaling was also upregulated in different Alzheimer's disease mouse models.Interestingly,both genetic and nanobody-based pharmacological blockage of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 signaling was accompanied by favorable effects on Alzheimer's disease-associated inflammation,choroidal morphology and cognitive functioning.Here,we briefly summarize the detrimental effects that can be mediated by tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 signaling in(early) Alzheimer's disease,and the consequences this might have on the disease progression.As the main hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials is still based on the amyloid beta-cascade,the importance of Alzheimer's disease-associated neuroinflammation urge the development of novel therapeutic strategies that might be effective in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and prevent the irreversible neurodegeneration and resulting memory decline.
基金supported by the Shanghai Rising-Star Program of China (13QA1403400)Shanghai Talent Development Funds (201665)+3 种基金Natural Science Foundation of China (81773909)Excellent Youth Program of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (2017YQ060)Medical Profession Scholarship of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineThe Open Project Program of Key Lab of Smart Drug Delivery, Fudan University (SDD2017-01)
文摘Brain tumor incidence shows an upward trend in recent years; brain tumors account for 5% of adult tumors, while in children, this figure has increased to 70%. Moreover, 20%–30% of malignant tumors will eventually metastasize into the brain. Both benign and malignant tumors can cause an increase in intracranial pressure and brain tissue compression, leading to central nervous system(CNS) damage which endangers the patients' lives. Despite the many approaches to treating brain tumors and the progress that has been made, only modest gains in survival time of brain tumor patients have been achieved. At present, chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for many cancers, but the special structure of the blood–brain barrier(BBB) limits most chemotherapeutic agents from passing through the BBB and penetrating into tumors in the brain. The BBB microenvironment contains numerous cell types, including endothelial cells, astrocytes, peripheral cells and microglia, and extracellular matrix(ECM). Many chemical components of natural products are reported to regulate the BBB microenvironment near brain tumors and assist in their treatment. This review focuses on the composition and function of the BBB microenvironment under both physiological and pathological conditions, and the current research progress in regulating the BBB microenvironment by natural products to promote the treatment of brain tumors.
