Simvastatin Treatment Does Not Ameliorate Muscle Pathophysiology in a Mouse Model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked, recessive muscular dystrophy in which the absence of the dystrophin protein leads to fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress, resulting in loss of muscle tissue. Drug repurposing, i.e. using drugs already approved for other disorders, is attractive as it decreases development time. Recent studies suggested that simvastatin, a cholesterol lowering drug used for cardiovascular diseases, has beneficial effects on several parameters in mdx mice. To validate properly the effectiveness of simvastatin, two independent labs tested the effects of 12-week simvastatin treatment in either young (starting at 4 weeks of age) or adult (starting at 12 weeks of age) mdx mice. In neither study were benefits of simvastatin treatment observed on muscle function, histology or expression of genes involved in fibrosis, regeneration, oxidative stress and autophagy. Unexpectedly, although the treatment protocol was similar, simvastatin plasma levels were found be much lower than observed in a previous study. In conclusion, in two laboratories, simvastatin did not ameliorate disease pathology in mdx mice, which could either be due to the ineffectiveness of simvastatin itself or due to the low simvastatin plasma levels following oral administration via the food

Process Control on Workplace Level - User Comfort Energy Optimalization

Utility building developments in the near future face two mayor challenges. These challenges are closely related. The first one is the pressure to reduce the amount of energy needed to acclimatize the building and the second is to increase the comfort level provided by the building. These two problems can be solved by the implementation of Individual Comfort Systems (ICS). An ICS should be able to assess the comfort state of the occupant at the desk and able to act upon upcoming discomfort. But to really reduce energy load of the building, the challenge of providing the best comfort for all people present in an office is a combined effort between ICS and building climate installation. The system should cooperate in a multi-agent system within a nano grid, connected to a micro-grid on building level and eventually to a Smart grid. This way, comfort demand is matched directly to energy supply in a multi-agent system, making the most effective use of available resources. The article provides an literature overview and ideas for further research