Safety and efficacy of anti-tau monoclonal antibody gosuranemab in progressive supranuclear palsy: a phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 52-week study (no. NCT03068468) evaluated gosuranemab, an anti-tau monoclonal antibody, in the treatment of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). In total, 486 participants dosed were assigned to either gosuranemab (n = 321) or placebo (n = 165). Efficacy was not demonstrated on adjusted mean change of PSP Rating Scale score at week 52 between gosuranemab and placebo (10.4 versus 10.6, P = 0.85, primary endpoint), or at secondary endpoints, resulting in discontinuation of the open-label, long-term extension. Unbound N-terminal tau in cerebrospinal fluid decreased by 98% with gosuranemab and increased by 11% with placebo (P < 0.0001). Incidences of adverse events and deaths were similar between groups. This well-powered study suggests that N-terminal tau neutralization does not translate into clinical efficacy

Controlled assemble and microfabrication of zeolite particles on SiO2 substrates for potential biosensor applications

Zeolite nanoparticles were organized into functional entities on SiO2 substrates and microfabrication technique was tested to form patterns of zeolite nanoparticles on SiO2 using the electron beam lithography (EBL). The effect of different techniques for efficient zeolite assembly on the SiO2 substrates was investigated. For this purpose, three different assembly techniques were tested. The first two methods are spin-coating (SC) and ultrasound aided strong agitation (US) methods, which were tested using bare and silanized zeolite nanoparticles. The third technique is the manual assembly method, which was also investigated using bare zeolites. All methods were facile in terms of experimental approach. Full coverage of the substrate was obtained after all three methods, however strong agitation (US) leads to better organization of zeolite nanoparticles. Among all techniques, manual assembly method lead to the most organized zeolite nanoparticles with full coverage. Although strong agitation (US) also results in organized zeolite entities, it was not found to be a suitable technique for EBL studies. Using the manual assembly method, it was possible to form monolayers of zeolite natioparticles on SiO2 and to make patterns of zeolite nanoparticles by EBL, which offers a simple technique to engineer the surfaces for immobilization of biomolecules

Preparation and Characterization of Antibacterial Zeolite-Polyurethane Composites

In this study, antibacterial properties were induced in polyurethane (PU) films by the incorporation of Ag+-loaded zeolites as fillers. The mechanical and thermal properties of the prepared composites were also investigated. For this purpose, two different types of zeolite microparticles, high-silica zeolite beta crystals and low-silica zeolite A crystals, were synthesized. Ag+ was added by ion exchange, and these particles were incorporated into the PU prepolymer, which was prepared from its main components of toluene diisocyanate and polypropylene ethylene glycol (medical purity). Microbiological tests revealed that both types of composites, prepared by the addition of Ag+-containing zeolite beta or zeolite A to the PU matrix, had antibacterial properties. It was demonstrated for the first time that a high-silica zeolite (zeolite beta) and its composite film could be effectively employed as antibacterial materials. Furthermore, mechanical and thermal characterization of the composites showed that the zeolites enhanced the mechanical properties of the polymer and did not cause any deterioration in its thermal properties. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 110: 2854-2861, 200