Biomarker candidates of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease for the evaluation of disease-modifying therapeutics

Reliable biomarkers that can be used for early diagnosis and tracking disease progression are the cornerstone of the development of disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The German Society of Experimental and Clinical Neurotherapeutics (GESENT) has convened a Working Group to review the current status of proposed biomarkers of neurodegeneration according to the following criteria and to develop a consensus statement on biomarker candidates for evaluation of disease-modifying therapeutics in PD. The criteria proposed are that the biomarker should be linked to fundamental features of PD neuropathology and mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in PD, should be correlated to disease progression assessed by clinical rating scales, should monitor the actual disease status, should be pre-clinically validated, and confirmed by at least two independent studies conducted by qualified investigators with the results published in peer-reviewed journals. To date, available data have not yet revealed one reliable biomarker to detect early neurodegeneration in PD and to detect and monitor effects of drug candidates on the disease process, but some promising biomarker candidates, such as antibodies against neuromelanin, pathological forms of α-synuclein, DJ-1, and patterns of gene expression, metabolomic and protein profiling exist. Almost all of the biomarker candidates were not investigated in relation to effects of treatment, validated in experimental models of PD and confirmed in independent studies

Advances in the therapy of Alzheimer's disease: Targeting amyloid beta and tau and perspectives for the future

Worldwide multidisciplinary translational research has led to a growing knowledge of the genetics and molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) indicating that pathophysiological brain alterations occur decades before clinical signs and symptoms of cognitive decline can be diagnosed. Consequently, therapeutic concepts and targets have been increasingly focused on early-stage illness before the onset of dementia; and distinct classes of compounds are now being tested in clinical trials. At present, there is a growing consensus that therapeutic progress in AD delaying disease progression would significantly decrease the expanding global burden. The evolving hypothesis- and evidence-based generation of new diagnostic research criteria for early-stage AD has positively impacted the development of clinical trial designs and the characterization of earlier and more specific target populations for trials in prodromal as well as in pre- and asymptomatic at-risk stages of AD

Can accessible tourism be sustainable? A link between accessibility and sustainability

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Lateral Approach for Excision of Maxillary Incisor Pseudo-Odontoma in Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Aim: To describe our experience with lateral approach for excision of maxillary pseudo-odontomas and to illustrate surgical outcomes and postoperative complications in seven pet prairie dogs. Materials and Methods: Excision of 11 maxillary pseudo-odontomas was performed in seven prairie dogs with lateral approach technique and clinical presentation, duration of surgery, time and type of postsurgical complications, presence or absence of symptom recurrence, time to follow-up, overall survival time and causes of death of each case were recorded. Results: Duration of surgery, postoperative hospitalization and time to autonomous feeding were 54.8 minutes, 58 hours and 1 day, respectively. Recurrence of respiratory symptoms was observed in four cases. Mean follow-up time was 632 days. Six out of seven cases were still alive at the end of the study. Conclusion: The lateral approach to excision showed good and promising results for treatment of maxillary pseudo- odontomas in prairie dogs