41 research outputs found
Consensus Statement on Circulating Biomarkers for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Context: In advanced prostate cancer (PC), there is increasing investigation of circulating biomarkers,
including quantitation and characterization of circulating tumour cells and cell-free nucleic acids, for
therapeutic monitoring and as prognostic and predictive biomarkers. However, there is a lack of
consensus and standardisation regarding analyses, reporting, and integration of results into specific
clinical contexts. A consensus meeting on circulating biomarkers was held to address these topics.
Objective: To present a report of the consensus statement on circulating biomarkers in advanced PC.
Evidence acquisition: Four important areas of controversy in the field of circulating biomarkers in PC
management were identified: known clinical utility of circulating biomarkers; unmet clinical needs for
circulating biomarkers in PC care; most pressing blood-based molecular assays required; and essential
steps for developing circulating biomarker assays. A panel of 18 international PC experts in the field of
circulating biomarkers developed the programme and consensus questions. The panel voted publicly
but anonymously on 50 predefined questions developed following a modified Delphi process.
Evidence synthesis: Voting was based solely on panellist opinions of the predefined topics and
therefore not on a standard literature review or meta-analysis. The outcomes of the voting had
varying degrees of support, as reflected in the wording of this article and in the detailed voting results
provided in the Supplementary material.
Conclusions: The expert voting results presented can guide the future development of circulating
biomarkers for PC care. Notably, the consensus meeting highlighted the importance of reproducibility and variability studies, among other significant areas in need of trials specifically designed to
address them.
Patient summary: A panel of international experts met to discuss and vote on the use of different
blood-based prostate cancer tests, and how they can be used to guide treatment and disease
monitoring to deliver more precise and better patient car
Prunella vulgaris: A comprehensive review of chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications.
Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a perennial herb belonging to the Labiate family and is widely distributed in northeastern Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. It is reported to display diverse biological activities including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation as determined by in vitro or in vivo studies. So far, about 200 compounds have been isolated from PV plant and majority of these have been characterized mainly as triterpenoids, sterols and flavonoids, followed by coumarins, phenylpropanoids, polysaccharides and volatile oils. This review summarizes and analyzes the current knowledge on the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and clinical applications of the PV plant including its potential as a future medicinal plant. Although some of the chemical constituents of the PV plant and their mechanism of action have been investigated the biological activities of many of these remain unknown and further clinical trials are required to further enhance its reputation as a medicinal plant