52 research outputs found
A national multidisciplinary healthcare network for treatment of hepatitis C in people who inject drugs in Slovenia
Peginterferon alfa-2b plus weight-based ribavirin for 24 weeks in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 with low viral load who achieve rapid viral response
The Hep-CORE policy score: A European hepatitis C national policy implementation ranking based on patient organization data.
BACKGROUND content: New hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatments spurred the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 to adopt a strategy to eliminate HCV as a public health threat by 2030. To achieve this, key policies must be implemented. In the absence of monitoring mechanisms, this study aims to assess the extent of policy implementation from the perspective of liver patient groups. - Label: METHODS content: "Thirty liver patient organisations, each representing a country, were surveyed in October 2018 to assess implementation of HCV
policies in practice. Respondents received two sets of questions
based on: 1) WHO recommendations; and 2) validated data sources
verifying an existing policy in their country. Academic experts
selected key variables from each set for inclusion into policy
scores. The similarity scores were calculated for each set with
a multiple joint correspondence analysis. Proxy reference
countries were included as the baseline to contextualize
results. We extracted scores for each country and standardized
them from 0 to 10 (best)." - Label: RESULTS content: Twenty-five
countries responded. For the score based on WHO recommendations,
Bulgaria had the lowest score whereas five countries (Cyprus,
Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden) had the highest
scores. For the verified policy score, a two-dimensional
solution was identified; first dimension scores pertained to
whether verified policies were in place and second dimension
scores pertained to the proportion of verified policies in-place
that were implemented. Spain, UK, and Sweden had high scores for
both dimensions. - Label: CONCLUSIONS content: Patient groups
reported that the European region is not on track to meet WHO
2030 HCV goals. More action should be taken to implement and
monitor HCV policies
The Hep-CORE policy score: A European hepatitis C national policy implementation ranking based on patient organization data.
BACKGROUND: New hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatments spurred the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 to adopt a strategy to eliminate HCV as a public health threat by 2030. To achieve this, key policies must be implemented. In the absence of monitoring mechanisms, this study aims to assess the extent of policy implementation from the perspective of liver patient groups. METHODS: Thirty liver patient organisations, each representing a country, were surveyed in October 2018 to assess implementation of HCV policies in practice. Respondents received two sets of questions based on: 1) WHO recommendations; and 2) validated data sources verifying an existing policy in their country. Academic experts selected key variables from each set for inclusion into policy scores. The similarity scores were calculated for each set with a multiple joint correspondence analysis. Proxy reference countries were included as the baseline to contextualize results. We extracted scores for each country and standardized them from 0 to 10 (best). RESULTS: Twenty-five countries responded. For the score based on WHO recommendations, Bulgaria had the lowest score whereas five countries (Cyprus, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden) had the highest scores. For the verified policy score, a two-dimensional solution was identified; first dimension scores pertained to whether verified policies were in place and second dimension scores pertained to the proportion of verified policies in-place that were implemented. Spain, UK, and Sweden had high scores for both dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Patient groups reported that the European region is not on track to meet WHO 2030 HCV goals. More action should be taken to implement and monitor HCV policies
Bioreactor manufactured cartilage grafts repair acute and chronic osteochondral defects in large animal studies
Objectives
Bioreactor‐based production systems have the potential to overcome limitations associated with conventional tissue engineering manufacturing methods, facilitating regulatory compliant and cost‐effective production of engineered grafts for widespread clinical use. In this work, we established a bioreactor‐based manufacturing system for the production of cartilage grafts.
Materials & Methods
All bioprocesses, from cartilage biopsy digestion through the generation of engineered grafts, were performed in our bioreactor‐based manufacturing system. All bioreactor technologies and cartilage tissue engineering bioprocesses were transferred to an independent GMP facility, where engineered grafts were manufactured for two large animal studies.
Results
The results of these studies demonstrate the safety and feasibility of the bioreactor‐based manufacturing approach. Moreover, grafts produced in the manufacturing system were first shown to accelerate the repair of acute osteochondral defects, compared to cell‐free scaffold implants. We then demonstrated that grafts produced in the system also facilitated faster repair in a more clinically relevant chronic defect model. Our data also suggested that bioreactor‐manufactured grafts may result in a more robust repair in the longer term.
Conclusion
By demonstrating the safety and efficacy of bioreactor‐generated grafts in two large animal models, this work represents a pivotal step towards implementing the bioreactor‐based manufacturing system for the production of human cartilage grafts for clinical applications
Surgical stress and postoperative complications related to regional and radical mastectomy in dogs
Acute severe hepatitis of unknown aetiology in children: a new nonAeE hepatitis virus on horizon?
The benefits of hepatitis C virus cure : Every rose has thorns
To examine mid-term benefits on hepatic complications, extrahepatic clinical syndromes and quality of life associated with HCV cure; to review the few safety issues linked to oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs); and to discuss the potential population benefits of reducing the burden of HCV infection. DAAs cure HCV infection in more than 95% of patients. The halting of liver inflammation and fibrosis progression translates into both hepatic and extrahepatic benefits and reduces the need for liver transplantation. A reduction in the frequency of extrahepatic manifestations such as mixed cryoglobulinaemia and vasculitis and improvements in quality of life and fatigue have also been described. A few safety issues linked to DAAs such as the potential recurrence of aggressive HCC, the flares of hepatitis B virus in patients with overt or occult HBV infection are been discussed. Curing HCV infection also has a high potential to reduce the burden of HCV infection at the population level. With widespread scaling up of HCV treatment, several modeling studies suggest that major reductions in HCV prevalence and incidence are possible, and that elimination of viral hepatitis is an achievable target by 2030
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