Sweet Solution Analgesia

Mammals’ first tasting experience is usually sweet solution. Whether it is milk (breast or formula), sugar water as in some cultures or even dates as advocated by Prophet Mohammed to his followers. Thus, it is no wonder the soothing, calming and even pain relieving effects of oral sweet solutions. Nevertheless, using sweet solution purposely for its pain-relieving effects for infants in the clinical setting is relatively recent; however, the discussion concerning sweet solution effectiveness, mechanism of actions and adverse long-term effects are still ongoing. In this chapter, we present an account of studies on both humans and animals that explored and examined the use of several sweet solutions for analgesia

Production of Recombinant Alpha-Synuclein: Still No Standardized Protocol in Sight

Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by the abnormal accumulation of the protein alpha-synuclein (aSyn). aSyn is an intrinsically disordered protein that can adopt different aggregation states, some of which may be associated with disease. Therefore, understanding the transitions between such aggregation states may be essential for deciphering the molecular underpinnings underlying synucleinopathies. Recombinant aSyn is routinely produced and purified from E. coli in many laboratories, and in vitro preparations of aSyn aggregated species became central for modeling neurodegeneration in cell and animal models. Thus, reproducibility and reliability of such studies largely depends on the purity and homogeneity of aSyn preparations across batches and between laboratories. A variety of different methods are in use to produce and purify aSyn, which we review in this commentary. We also show how extraction buffer composition can affect aSyn aggregation, emphasizing the importance of standardizing protocols to ensure reproducibility between different laboratories and studies, which are essential for advancing the field

Endogenous levels of alpha-synuclein modulate seeding and aggregation in cultured cells

International audienceParkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of misfolded alphasynuclein in intraneuronal inclusions known as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Multiple studies strongly implicate the levels of alpha-synuclein as a major risk factor for the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease. Alpha-synuclein pathology spreads progressively throughout interconnected brain regions but the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the seeding of alpha-synuclein aggregation are still unclear. Here, using stable cell lines expressing alpha-synuclein, we examined the correlation between endogenous alpha-synuclein levels and the seeding propensity by exogenous alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils. We applied biochemical approaches and imaging methods in stable cell lines expressing alpha-synuclein and in primary neurons to determine the impact of alpha-synuclein levels on seeding and aggregation. Our results indicate that the levels of alpha-synuclein define the pattern and severity of aggregation and the extent of p-alpha-synuclein deposition, likely explaining the selective vulnerability of different cell types in synucleinopathies. The elucidation of the cellular processes involved in the pathological aggregation of alpha-synuclein will enable the identification of novel targets and the development of therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies

Subjective and objective financial toxicity among colorectal cancer patients: a systematic review

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer type worldwide. Colorectal cancer treatment costs vary between countries as it depends on policy factors such as treatment algorithms, availability of treatments and whether the treatment is government-funded. Hence, the objective of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence and measurements of financial toxicity (FT), including the cost of treatment, among colorectal cancer patients. Methods: Medline via PubMed platform, Science Direct, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were searched to find studies that examined CRC FT. There was no limit on the design or setting of the study. Results: Out of 819 papers identified through an online search, only 15 papers were included in this review. The majority (n = 12, 80%) were from high-income countries, and none from low-income countries. Few studies (n = 2) reported objective FT denoted by the prevalence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), 60% (9 out of 15) reported prevalence of subjective FT, which ranges from 7 to 80%, 40% (6 out of 15) included studies reported cost of CRC management– annual direct medical cost ranges from USD 2045 to 10,772 and indirect medical cost ranges from USD 551 to 795. Conclusions: There is a lack of consensus in defining and quantifying financial toxicity hindered the comparability of the results to yield the mean cost of managing CRC. Over and beyond that, information from some low-income countries is missing, limiting global representativeness