Rebound Rise in Renin Concentrations after Cessation of Salicylates

Salicylates are widely used in the treatment of rheumatic disorders, and they have been shown to induce minor changes in renal function. One of the major mechanisms of action of salicylates is the suppression of prostaglandin synthetase activity, and in animal rnodels renal prostaglandin production is closely related to renin release and the regulation of renal blood flow. Indomethacin has been shown to decrease the glomerular filtration rate and to lower plasma renin activity in human beings, and to reduce the antihypertensive effectiveness of cer¬tain beta-adrenoreceptor-blocking agents. We there-fore studied the effects of aspirin, another commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, on plasma renin concentration, both during administra¬tion and after withdrawal

Opportunities and challenges for the clinical translation of structured DNA

Gene therapeutics including siRNAs, anti-sense oligos, messenger RNAs, and CRISPR ribonucleoprotein complexes offer unmet potential to treat over 7,000 known genetic diseases, as well as cancer, through targeted in vivo modulation of aberrant gene expression and immune cell activation. Compared with viral vectors, nonviral delivery vectors offer controlled immunogenicity and low manufacturing cost, yet suffer from limitations in toxicity, targeting, and transduction efficiency. Structured DNA assemblies fabricated using the principle of scaffolded DNA origami offer a new nonviral delivery vector with intrinsic, yet controllable immunostimulatory properties and virus-like spatial presentation of ligands and immunogens for cell-specific targeting, activation, and control over intracellular trafficking, in addition to low manufacturing cost. However, the relative utilities and limitations of these vectors must clearly be demonstrated in preclinical studies for their clinical potential to be realized. Here, we review the major capabilities, opportunities, and challenges we foresee in translating these next-generation delivery and vaccine vectors to the clinic. This article is categorized under:. Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies. Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Nucleic Acid-Based Structures. Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease