RICORS2040 : The need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is 'solved' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020-2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true

BODIPY as electron withdrawing group for the activation of double bonds in asymmetric cycloaddition reactions

In this work we have found that a BODIPY can be used as an electron withdrawing group for the activation of double bonds in asymmetric catalysis. The synthesis of cyclohexyl derivatives containing a BODIPY unit can easily be achieved via trienamine catalysis. This allows a new different asymmetric synthesis of BODIPY derivatives and opens the door to future transformation of this useful fluorophore. In addition, the Quantum Chemistry calculations and mechanistic studies provide insights into the role of BODIPY as an EWGSpanish Government (CTQ2015-64561-R, CTQ2016-76061-P), CONACYT (project supported by the Fondo Sectorial de Investigación para la Educación) and PRODEP (Mexico) are acknowledged. We acknowledge allocation of computing time at the CCC-UAM. A. G. C. thanks MINECO (FPI) and T. J. P. CONACYT for PhD fellowships, respectively. A. M. S. thanks CAM for a postdoctoral contract (2016-T2/IND-1660). The authors wish to thank ''Comunidad de Madrid'' for its support to the FotoArt-CM Project (S2018/NMT-4367) through the Program of R&D activities between research groups in Technologies 2013, co-financed by European Structural Fund

Role of serum leptin in the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with stable angina

[ES] Fundamentos y objetivo: La leptina es una hormona plasmática que ha sido relacionada con la homeostasis cardiovascular y la aterosclerosis, pero no existen datos concluyentes sobre su asociación con la patogénesis de la enfermedad coronaria. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el valor de la leptina sérica en pacientes con angina estable y su relación con la gravedad de la enfermedad coronaria.Pacientes y método: Se incluyeron 204 pacientes, 152 con angina estable (grupo con enfermedad coronaria) y 52 sin enfermedad coronaria, excluida por tomografía computarizada cardíaca (grupo control). El grupo con enfermedad coronaria fue dividido en 2 subgrupos atendiendo a la gravedad de la afectación (enfermedad monovaso o multivaso, 46 y 106 pacientes respectivamente). Los niveles de leptina sérica fueron determinados mediante Enzyme-Linked Inmunosorbent Assay.Resultados: Los niveles de leptina fueron significativamente superiores en los pacientes con enfermedad multivaso y se asociaron de forma independiente con una mayor gravedad de la enfermedad coronaria en comparación con los controles (OR 1,14; IC95% 1,03-1,27; p = 0,014) y con pacientes con enfermedad monovaso (OR 1,12; IC95% 1,01-1,25; p = 0,036). Se testó el valor diagnóstico de la leptina sérica para el diagnóstico enfermedad multivaso, obteniendo un área bajo la curva en la curva Receiver Operating Characteristic de 0,6764 (IC95% 0,5765-0,7657).Conclusiones: La leptina sérica se asoció en pacientes con angina estable con la mayor gravedad de la enfermedad coronaria, mostrando su implicación en el desarrollo de la enfermedad coronaria y como futuro objetivo terapéutico.[EN] Background and objectives: Leptin is a plasmatic peptide hormone that has been related to cardiovascular homeostasis and atherosclerosis but much is still unknown about its relationship with coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of serum leptin in patients with stable angina and its relationship with the severity of coronary disease.Patients and methods: 204 patients, 152 with stable angina (coronary artery disease group) and 52 without coronary disease excluded by cardiac computerized tomography (control group) were included. The coronary artery disease group was divided into 2 subgroups according to severity of coronary disease (single or multivessel disease, 46 and 106 patients, respectively). Serum leptin levels were determined by Enzyme-Linked InmunoSorbent Assay.Results: Leptin levels were significantly higher in patients with multivessel disease and were independently associated with a greater severity of coronary artery disease when compared with controls (OR 1.14; 95%CI: 1.03-1.27; p = 0.014) and with patients with single vessel disease (OR 1.12; 95%CI: 1.01-1.25; p = 0.036). Serum leptin was tested as a diagnostic marker of multivessel disease with an area under the curve obtained from Receiver Operating Characteristics of 0.6764 (95%CI 0.5765-0.7657).Conclusions: Serum leptin levels were associated in patients with stable angina with the severity of coronary artery disease, suggesting its value in the development of coronary disease and as a future therapeutic target.Peer reviewe

Science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems

We present the science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems, targeting an evolution in technology, that might lead to impacts and benefits reaching into most areas of society. This roadmap was developed within the framework of the European Graphene Flagship and outlines the main targets and research areas as best understood at the start of this ambitious project. We provide an overview of the key aspects of graphene and related materials (GRMs), ranging from fundamental research challenges to a variety of applications in a large number of sectors, highlighting the steps necessary to take GRMs from a state of raw potential to a point where they might revolutionize multiple industries. We also define an extensive list of acronyms in an effort to standardize the nomenclature in this emerging field