Validation of Humanized Mouse Antibodies

Antibody therapy is being developed and tested as one of the most promising agents for treatment of various human diseases. As of March 2016, 350 antibody candidates are in clinical trials. Many of these antibodies have been taken from animals and “humanized” by genetic modification. Our experiment tests monoclonal antibodies that have been harvested from mouse hybridoma (spleen-derived) cells and cloned until the heavy and light chains of the antibody can be recognized by human cells. Because of this “humanization” procedure, basic antibody assays are needed to demonstrate that the binding, specificity and functional parameters of the antibodies are not lost during cloning. The purpose of this research is to perform this validation through assays. The antibodies are harvested from cell supernatants and purified using affinity chromatography. Then, the antibody fractions are tested for reactivity with human target protein PTP-Beta, via western blot and ELISA procedures. Cross-reactivity of the antibody is tested against human eta and cynomolgus beta proteins. The work presented in this poster describes results from one particular mouse antibody, R15, which has been humanized to functionally enhance endothelial survival. The goal is to generate a therapeutic antibody candidate that improves endothelium survival and stability

Religion

Pharmacists should be well-trained and sensitive to patient religious concerns and proactive in their research of any drug ingredients that may conflict with a patient\u27s beliefs. Pharmaceutical manufacturing companies should be comprehensive in their product labeling to accommodate religious sensitivities.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/public_health_posters/1008/thumbnail.jp

Training student Pharmacists to Facilitate Human Immunodeficiency Virus Point-of-Care Testing

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The advent of HIV point-of-care testing (POCT) has increased ease of access to HIV testing in the outpatient setting. As community pharmacy continues to expand, it is crucial that student pharmacists are exposed to POCT in the classroom so they are prepared for more intensive training as a pharmacist as they could be providing POCT in future practice. Our objective was to train student pharmacists to perform HIV POCT and educate patients on results and implications of testing. Educational activity and setting: Following a didactic HIV lecture, second-year student pharmacists learned to utilize the OraQuick ADVANCE Rapid HIV-½ Antibody Test in a one-hour workshop. Participants were then assessed using a 4-point Likert type scale during an individual, 10-min skills lab on their ability to provide POCT using sample kits and interpret simulated results. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. FINDINGS: Forty-one students participated. Students showed competency when performing HIV POCT, as 92.7% of students were able to describe the test, and 97.6% of students were able to interpret the results correctly. Students scored a mean of 46.2 points overall (maximum of 50). SUMMARY: Results suggest training student pharmacists to perform HIV POCT may better prepare them to administer the test and counsel patients on results in an outpatient setting. Future studies should examine the differences in the ability to perform POCT between pharmacists who received training as students and those who did not

Improvement of Student Confidence and Competence through a Self-Care Skills Multi-Course Integration

INTRODUCTION: Our goal was to evaluate the impact of integrating self-care concepts in class, a pharmacy practice laboratory, and an introductory pharmacy practice experience on student confidence and competence in self-care counseling. METHODS: Two cohorts of first-year professional pharmacy students were taught self-care topics using team-based learning (TBL) pedagogy. Students then applied their knowledge in two different settings: a patient-counseling simulation in a pharmacy practice laboratory and a real patient encounter at a pharmacy practice site. Students were evaluated on their performance at both settings using a validated rubric as well as on their self-reported confidence before and after the classroom engagement and after the counseling practice. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Friedman tests were used to examine pre-post changes and changes across all three assessments. RESULTS: Reported student confidence levels rose after classroom learning and again after the real patient encounter. Student improvement was mirrored in rubric scores from the pharmacy practice laboratory simulation as well as from the pharmacy practice site encounter. CONCLUSIONS: This research showed that integration of self-care topics across three different settings improved student confidence and competence in self-care counseling, demonstrating the value of providing multiple opportunities for students to apply knowledge and practice skills. Further research is needed to apply this longitudinal structure of learning to other classes in the pharmacy curriculum