11 research outputs found

    Effect of Subcutaneous Casirivimab and Imdevimab Antibody Combination vs Placebo on Development of Symptomatic COVID-19 in Early Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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    Importance: Easy-to-administer anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatments may be used to prevent progression from asymptomatic infection to symptomatic disease and to reduce viral carriage. Objective: To evaluate the effect of combination subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab on progression from early asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection to symptomatic COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of close household contacts of a SARS-CoV-2-infected index case at 112 sites in the US, Romania, and Moldova enrolled July 13, 2020-January 28, 2021; follow-up ended March 11, 2021. Asymptomatic individuals (aged ≥12 years) were eligible if identified within 96 hours of index case positive test collection. Results from 314 individuals positive on SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) testing are reported. Interventions: Individuals were randomized 1:1 to receive 1 dose of subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab, 1200 mg (600 mg of each; n = 158), or placebo (n = 156). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was the proportion of seronegative participants who developed symptomatic COVID-19 during the 28-day efficacy assessment period. The key secondary efficacy end points were the number of weeks of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and the number of weeks of high viral load (>4 log10copies/mL). Results: Among 314 randomized participants (mean age, 41.0 years; 51.6% women), 310 (99.7%) completed the efficacy assessment period; 204 were asymptomatic and seronegative at baseline and included in the primary efficacy analysis. Subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab, 1200 mg, significantly prevented progression to symptomatic disease (29/100 [29.0%] vs 44/104 [42.3%] with placebo; odds ratio, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.30-0.97]; P =.04; absolute risk difference, -13.3% [95% CI, -26.3% to -0.3%]). Casirivimab and imdevimab reduced the number of symptomatic weeks per 1000 participants (895.7 weeks vs 1637.4 weeks with placebo; P =.03), an approximately 5.6-day reduction in symptom duration per symptomatic participant. Treatment with casirivimab and imdevimab also reduced the number of high viral load weeks per 1000 participants (489.8 weeks vs 811.9 weeks with placebo; P =.001). The proportion of participants receiving casirivimab and imdevimab who had 1 or more treatment-emergent adverse event was 33.5% vs 48.1% for placebo, including events related (25.8% vs 39.7%) or not related (11.0% vs 16.0%) to COVID-19. Conclusions and Relevance: Among asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR-positive individuals living with an infected household contact, treatment with subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab antibody combination vs placebo significantly reduced the incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 over 28 days. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04452318

    Eicosanoid mediators in health, inflammation and cancer.

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    Role of endoplasmic reticulum depletion and multidomain proapoptotic BAX and BAK proteins in shaping cell death after hypericin-mediated photodynamic therapy

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    Both the commitment event and the modality of cell death in photodynamic therapy (PDT) remain poorly defined. We report that PDT with endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associating hypericin leads to an immediate loss of SERCA2 protein levels, causing disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis and cell death. Protection of SERCA2 protein rescues ER-Ca2+ levels and prevents cell death, suggesting that SERCA2 photodestruction with consequent incapability of the ER to maintain intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis is causal to cell killing. Apoptosis is rapidly initiated after ER-Ca2+ depletion and strictly requires the BAX/BAK gateway at the mitochondria. Bax-/-Bak-/- double-knockout (DKO) cells are protected from apoptosis but undergo autophagy-associated cell death as revealed by electron microscopy and biochemical analysis. Autophagy inhibitors, but not caspase antagonists, significantly reduce death of DKO cells, suggesting that sustained autophagy is lethal. Thus, following ER photodamage and consequent disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis, BAX and BAK proteins model PDT-mediated cell killing, which is executed through apoptosis in their presence or via an autophagic pathway in their absence.status: publishe

    Role of endoplasmic reticulum depletion and multidomain proapoptotic BAX and BAK proteins in shaping cell death after hypericin-mediated photodynamic therapy

    No full text
    Both the commitment event and the modality of cell death in photodynamic therapy (PDT) remain poorly defined. We report that PDT with endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associating hypericin leads to an immediate loss of SERCA2 protein levels, causing disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis and cell death. Protection of SERCA2 protein rescues ER-Ca2+ levels and prevents cell death, suggesting that SERCA2 photodestruction with consequent incapability of the ER to maintain intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis is causal to cell killing. Apoptosis is rapidly initiated after ER-Ca2+ depletion and strictly requires the BAX/BAK gateway at the mitochondria. Bax(-/-)Bak(-/-) double-knockout (DKO) cells are protected from apoptosis but undergo autophagy-associated cell death as revealed by electron microscopy and biochemical analysis. Autophagy inhibitors, but not caspase antagonists, significantly reduce death of DKO cells, suggesting that sustained autophagy is lethal. Thus, following ER photodamage and consequent disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis, BAX and BAK proteins model PDT-mediated cell killing, which is executed through apoptosis in their presence or via an autophagic pathway in their absence

    'In-house' data on the outside : a mobile health approach

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    Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have the potential to capture dense patient data on the background of real-life behavior. Merck & Co., Inc. (Kenilworth, NJ), in collaboration with Koneksa Health, conducted a phase I clinical trial to validate cardiovascular mHealth technologies for concordance with traditional approaches and to establish sensitivity to detect effects of pharmacological intervention. This two-part study enrolled 18 healthy male subjects. Part I, a 5-day study, compared mHealth measures of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) to those from traditional methods. Hypotheses of similarity, in the clinic and at home, were tested individually for HR, systolic BP, and diastolic BP, at a 2-sided 0.05 alpha level, with a prespecified criterion for similarity being the percentage differences between the 2 measurements within 15%. Part II, a 7-day, 3-period randomized balanced crossover study, evaluated the mHealth technology's ability to detect effects of bisoprolol and salbutamol. Hypotheses that the changes from baseline in HR were greater in the bisoprolol (reduction in HR) and salbutamol (increase in HR) groups compared with no treatment were tested, at a 1-sided 0.05 alpha level. Linear mixed-effects models, Pearson's correlation coefficients, summary statistics, and exploratory plots were applied to analyze the data. The mHealth measures of HR and BP were demonstrated to be similar to those from traditional methods, and sensitive to changes in cardiovascular parameters induced by bisoprolol and salbutamol

    Spatiotemporal autophagic degradation of oxidatively damaged organelles after photodynamic stress is amplified by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species.

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    Although reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been reported to evoke different autophagic pathways, how ROS or their secondary products modulate the selective clearance of oxidatively damaged organelles is less explored. To investigate the signaling role of ROS and the impact of their compartmentalization in autophagy pathways, we used murine fibrosarcoma L929 cells overexpressing different antioxidant enzymes targeted to the cytosol or mitochondria and subjected them to photodynamic (PD) stress with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated photosensitizer hypericin. We show that following apical ROS-mediated damage to the ER, predominantly cells overexpressing mitochondria-associated glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) displayed attenuated kinetics of autophagosome formation and overall cell death, as detected by computerized time-lapse microscopy. Consistent with a primary ER photodamage, kinetics and colocalization studies revealed that photogenerated ROS induced an initial reticulophagy, followed by morphological changes in the mitochondrial network that preceded clearance of mitochondria by mitophagy. Overexpression of cytosolic and mitochondria-associated GPX4 retained the tubular mitochondrial network in response to PD stress and concomitantly blocked the progression toward mitophagy. Preventing the formation of phospholipid hydroperoxides and H 2O 2 in the cytosol as well as in the mitochondria significantly reduced cardiolipin peroxidation and apoptosis. All together, these results show that in response to apical ER photodamage ROS propagate to mitochondria, which in turn amplify ROS production, thereby contributing to two antagonizing processes, mitophagy and apoptosis

    On-the-road driving performance the morning after bedtime use of suvorexant 15 and 30 mg in healthy elderly

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    Suvorexant is a first-in-class orexin receptor antagonist for treating insomnia. There is a general concern that hypnotics may impair next-morning driving ability. The objective of this study was to evaluate next-morning driving performance in older adults after single and repeated doses of suvorexant. Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 4-period crossover study in 24 healthy volunteers (10 females), aged 65-80 years. Subjects were treated with suvorexant (15 and 30 mg) for eight consecutive nights, zopiclone 7.5 mg nightly on days 1 and 8, and placebo. Driving performance was assessed on days 2 and 9 (9 h after dosing) using a 1-h standardized highway driving test in normal traffic, measuring standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). Drug-placebo differences in SDLP > 2.4 cm were considered to reflect clinically meaningful driving impairment. Driving performance as measured by SDLP was not impaired following suvorexant. Mean drug-placebo differences in SDLP following suvorexant 15 and 30 mg on day 2 and 9 were 0.6 cm or less. Their 90 % CIs were all below the threshold of 2.4 cm for clinical relevance and included zero, indicating effects were not clinically meaningful or statistically significant. Symmetry analysis showed no significant differences between the number of participants who had SDLP differences > 2.4 cm and those who had SDLP differences There was no clinically meaningful residual effect of suvorexant 15 and 30 mg on next-morning driving (9 h after bedtime dosing) in healthy older adults, as assessed by mean changes in SDLP and by the number of participants on drug versus placebo that exceeded a predetermined threshold for clinically meaningful impairment

    On-the-Road Driving Performance the Morning after Bedtime Use of Suvorexant 20 and 40 mg: A Study in Non-Elderly Healthy Volunteers

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    Study Objective: To evaluate next-morning driving performance in adults younger than 65 years, after single and repeated doses of suvorexant 20 and 40 mg. Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-period crossover study. Setting: Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Participants: 28 healthy volunteers (15 females), aged 23 to 64 years. Interventions: Suvorexant (20 and 40 mg) for 8 consecutive nights; zopiclone 7.5 mg nightly on day 1 and 8; placebo. Measurements: Performance on day 2 and 9 (9 h after dosing) using a one-hour standardized highway driving test in normal traffic, measuring standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). Drug-placebo changes in SDLP > 2.4 cm were considered to reflect meaningful driving impairment. Results: Mean drug-placebo changes in SDLP following suvorexant 20 and 40 mg were 1.01 and 1.66 cm on day 2, and 0.48 and 1.31 cm on Day 9, respectively. The 90% CIs of these changes were all below 2.4 cm. Symmetry analysis showed that more subjects had SDLP changes > 2.4 cm than < -2.4 cm following suvorexant 20 and 40 mg on day 2, and following suvorexant 40 mg on day 9. Four female subjects requested that a total of 5 driving tests-all following suvorexant-stop prematurely due to self-reported somnolence. Conclusions: As assessed by mean changes in standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), there was no clinically meaningful residual effect of suvorexant in doses of 20 and 40 mg on next-morning driving (9 h after bedtime dosing) in healthy subjects < 65 years old. There may be some individuals who experience next-day effects, as suggested by individual changes in SDLP and prematurely stopped tests

    Evaluation of a Cerebral-Blood-Volume (CBV) pharmaco-MRI (phMRI) assay utilizing low (0.1mg/70kg) and high (0.2mg/70kg) dose buprenorphine infusion and a novel USPIO contrast agent (Ferumoxytol) in healthy human subjects

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    We present results from a clinical trial of pharmaco-MRI (phMRI) employing cerebral blood volume (CBV) imaging using ferumoxytol (Rienso/Feraheme, AMAG) as a blood pool contrast agent. The study examined the pharmacodynamic effects of two single doses of buprenorphine (0.2mg/70kg and 0.1mg/70kg administered intravenously). We found that contrast-enhanced CBV phMRI signals are more sensitive reporters of pharmacodynamic effects than conventional blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) phMRI. In particular, higher sensitivity of CBV phMRI compared to BOLD allows for elucidation of PD responses at lower doses of buprenorphine, which has practical implications for similar phMRI studies with centrally acting drugs
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