A palladium iodide-catalyzed oxidative aminocarbonylation–heterocyclization approach to functionalized benzimidazoimidazoles

A novel carbonylative approach to the synthesis of functionalized 1H-benzo[d]imidazo[1,2-a]imidazoles is presented. The method consists of the oxidative aminocarbonylation of N-substituted-1-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-amines, carried out in the presence of secondary nucleophilic amines, to give the corresponding alkynylamide intermediates, followed by in situ conjugated addition and double-bond isomerization, to give 2-(1-alkyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazo[1,2-a]imidazol-2-yl)acetamides. Products were obtained in good to excellent yields (64–96%) and high turnover numbers (192–288 mol of product per mol of catalyst) under relatively mild conditions (100 °C under 20 atm of a 4:1 mixture of CO–air), using a simple catalytic system, consisting of PdI2 (0.33 mol %) in conjunction with KI (0.33 equiv)

Exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of renal cell cancer

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most prevalent type of kidney cancer originating from renal tubular epithelial cells, with clear cell RCC comprising approximately 80% of cases. The primary treatment modalities for RCC are surgery and targeted therapy, albeit with suboptimal efficacies. Despite progress in RCC research, significant challenges persist, including advanced distant metastasis, delayed diagnosis, and drug resistance. Growing evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a pivotal role in multiple aspects of RCC, including tumorigenesis, metastasis, immune evasion, and drug response. These membrane-bound vesicles are released into the extracellular environment by nearly all cell types and are capable of transferring various bioactive molecules, including RNA, DNA, proteins, and lipids, aiding intercellular communication. The molecular cargo carried by EVs renders them an attractive resource for biomarker identification, while their multifarious role in the RCC offers opportunities for diagnosis and targeted interventions, including EV-based therapies. As the most versatile type of EVs, exosomes have attracted much attention as nanocarriers of biologicals, with multi-range signaling effects. Despite the growing interest in exosomes, there is currently no widely accepted consensus on their subtypes and properties. The emerging heterogeneity of exosomes presents both methodological challenges and exciting opportunities for diagnostic and clinical interventions. This article reviews the characteristics and functions of exosomes, with a particular reference to the recent advances in their application to the diagnosis and treatment of RCC

Physiotherapy exercises and back pain: a blinded review.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the quality of randomised controlled trials of exercise therapy for back pain. DESIGN--Computer aided search of published papers and blinded assessment of the methods of studies. SUBJECTS--23 randomised controlled trials, of which 16 studied exercise therapy given by physiotherapists to individual patients with back pain. Other conservative treatments could be included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Score for quality of methods (based on four main categories: study population, interventions, measurement of effect, and data presentation and analysis) and main conclusion of author(s) with regard to exercise therapy. RESULTS--Only four studies scored more than 50 points (maximum 100), indicating that most were of poor quality. Six studies found that exercise was better than reference treatments and 10 reported it to be no better or worse than the reference treatment. Those reporting positive results tended to have higher methods scores (4/6 positive v 4/10 negative scored greater than or equal to 42). CONCLUSIONS--No conclusion can be drawn about whether exercise therapy is better than other conservative treatments for back pain or whether a specific type of exercise is more effective. Further trials are needed in which greater attention is paid to methods of study