Liposomal sunitinib for ocular drug delivery : A potential treatment for choroidal neovascularization

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a prevalent vision-threatening vascular disorder in aging population. CNV is associated with several diseases in the posterior segment of the eye such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this study we developed sunitinib-loaded liposomes to block the neovascularization signalling pathway through inhibition of tyrosine kinase of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs). Liposomal sunitinib formulations were prepared by thin film hydration method and studied for their encapsulation efficiency (EE), loading capacity (LC) and drug release profile in buffer andvitreous. Our finding showed that the liposomes (mean size 104 nm) could effectively entrap sunitinib (EE approximate to 95%) at relatively high loading capacity (LC approximate to 5%) and release sunitinib over at least 3 days. Intravitreal sunitinib-loaded liposomes revealed inhibitory effect on established neovascularization in laser-induced CNV mouse model while the intravitreal injection of sunitinib solubilized with cyclodextrin was inefficient in management of neovascularization. Accordingly, liposomal sunitinib is a promising drug delivery system that should be further studied to inhibit the CNV related to AMD.Peer reviewe

Aetiology of bacterial meningitis in infants aged <90 days : Prospective surveillance in Luanda, Angola

Background: Despite effective antibiotics and vaccines, bacterial meningitis (BM) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in young infants worldwide. Data from Africa on the aetiology and antibiotic susceptibility are scarce. Objective: To describe the aetiology of BM in Angolan infants Methods: A prospective, observational, single-site study was conducted from February 2016 to October 2017 in the Paediatric Hospital of Luanda. All cerebrospinal fluid samples (CSF) from infants aged Results: Of the 1287 infants, 299 (23%) had confirmed or probable BM. Of the 212 (16%) identified bacterial isolates from CSF, the most common were Klebsiella spp (30 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (29 cases), Streptococcus agalactiae (20 cases), Escherichia coli (17 cases), and Staphylococcus aureus (11 cases). A fifth of pneumococci (3/14; 21%) showed decreased susceptibility to penicillin, whereas methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was encountered in 4/11 cases (36%). Of the gram-negative isolates, 6/45 (13%) were resistant to gentamicin and 20/58 (34%) were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. Twenty-four percent (33/135) of the BM cases were fatal, but this is likely an underestimation. Conclusions: BM was common among infantsPeer reviewe

Risk factors for death in suspected severe bacterial infection in infants aged

Background Yearly, about two million infants die during the first 28 days of life. Most of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and a third of those are caused by severe infections. The early identification of infants at risk of death is important when trying to prevent poor outcomes. Objective The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for death among young infants with possible serious bacterial infection (pSBI) at hospital admission. Methods This prospective, observational, single-site, descriptive study forms part of a larger study on bacterial meningitis in infantsPeer reviewe