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News Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A: What is the Expression of Factor VIII Using the Adeno-Associated Viral Vector SPK-8011?
The goal of gene therapy for hemophilia A is to safely transfer stable and durable expression of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), which predictably improves the bleeding phenotype at the lowest possible vector dose. Updated data from a study examining the use of the adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) SPK-8011 were presented during the virtual congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) 2021.
News Effect of Telmisartan and Losartan on Bone Turnover Markers in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Stage I Hypertension
Telmisartan, an AT1 receptor blocker for angiotensin II and partial agonist of the PPAR-γ receptor, is a widely used antihypertensive. The PPAR-γ receptor plays a role in the genesis of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and antidiabetic drugs from the thiazolidinedione group, which act as agonists of this receptor, have a known inhibitory effect on bone metabolism and increase the risk of non-traumatic fractures. Knowledge regarding the potential similar effects of telmisartan is limited. The following study compared the effects of telmisartan and losartan (an AT1 blocker without agonistic effect on PPAR-γ) on bone turnover markers in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension.
News Comparison of the Risk of Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients with RA with Biological and Targeted Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Therapy
The authors of a newly published study sought to answer whether the risk of developing interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is affected by the administration of biological or targeted disease-modifying antirheumatic therapy. They analyzed data from more than 28,000 patients with RA.
News Experiences with Long-term Treatment of Psoriasis with Interleukin 17A Inhibitor
The current publication of the long-term extension of the UNCOVER-3 study, which focused on the treatment of psoriasis with ixekizumab, describes the efficacy and safety of 4 years of use of this drug.
News Study AMPLIFY Confirmed Safety and Efficacy of Fixed Combination Aclidinium/Formoterol in COPD Therapy
The randomized double-blind phase III AMPLIFY study compared the efficacy of a fixed combination of formoterol/aclidinium with monotherapy of the individual components or with tiotropium in patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
News Efficacy and Speed of Pain Relief in Rheumatoid Arthritis When Adding Baricitinib to Methotrexate
The phase III clinical trial RA-BEAM conducted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) inadequately controlled by methotrexate demonstrated the benefit of adding baricitinib or adalimumab compared to placebo in terms of reducing the number of swollen joints. However, baricitinib showed greater pain relief starting from week 1 compared to placebo and from week 2 compared to adalimumab. Thus, the recently published results of an analysis using the data from this study aimed to compare the proportion of patients who achieved certain pain relief thresholds, the time required for pain relief, and the relationship between the presence of inflammation and pain.
News Subclinical Hypothyroidism Associated with the Use of Allopurinol? What the Results of a Large Multicenter Study Suggested
Allopurinol is a widely used drug for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. The retrospective study presented below investigated whether its long-term use is associated with an increased risk of developing subclinical hypothyroidism.
News Finger on the Pulse of the Times with Automated Peritoneal Dialysis and Remote Patient Monitoring
The method of peritoneal dialysis brings many advantages to patients with chronic kidney disease and significantly eases their lives. Peritoneal dialysis saves time for both the patients themselves and the attending healthcare personnel. Modern medicine now offers an innovative tool that can remotely monitor the patient's condition, with the possibility of adjusting the treatment regimen.
News When to Initiate Dabigatran Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation After First Ischemic Stroke?
After a cardioembolic ischemic stroke (iCMP), approximately 5% of patients experience a recurrence within the first 14 days without anticoagulant therapy. The aim of the retrospective observational study presented below was to evaluate the optimal timing of initiating dabigatran anticoagulant therapy with respect to the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage.
News Incidence of Secondary Malignancies in CLL Patients on FCR Regimen in Central Europe
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) represents the most common type of leukemia in Western countries with closely related incidence in Central European states. Since 2000, new therapeutic regimens have been explored and applied in an effort to improve patient prognosis, including the combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR). However, the development of new therapeutic regimens is also associated with concerns about the risk of secondary malignancies.
News The Future and Prospects of Type 2 Diabetes Therapy: Can We Fully Cure It with Endoscopy or Genetics?
Diabetes mellitus (DM) cannot be cured, but it can be successfully treated... Will we rewrite this textbook fact passed down for years in the future? Will we be able to completely cure type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) one day? The Prague Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM) sees endoscopic procedures as one of the promising paths and is preparing to test this groundbreaking method of therapy.
News Increase in Thyroid Cancer Incidence Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic?
According to available data, COVID-19 disease does not worsen the course of thyroid cancer. However, the restriction of medical care during the pandemic is associated with concern about an increase in the incidence of this malignant disease and the associated morbidity and mortality.
News Does Intense Monitoring After Colorectal Cancer Resection Bring Benefits?
Is it necessary to intensely monitor patients with colorectal cancer after curative resection? Not always, as shown by the results of the PRODIGE 13 study presented at the virtual ESMO 2020 conference.
News Asthma is not a risk factor for a severe course of COVID-19
According to the statement of the Czech Initiative for Asthma from April 2020, the disease COVID-19 caused by the new type of coronavirus does not pose significantly greater danger for people with asthma than for the general population. It is, however, necessary to adhere to the prescribed treatment and keep asthma under control. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology provides an explanation for this surprising phenomenon. It is the reduced expression of ACE2 receptors in people with asthma and allergies, as shown by a new study involving three cohorts of pediatric and adult patients. The SARS-CoV-2 virus uses ACE2 receptors to enter the host cell.
News When You Say Amyloid…
The term 'amyloid' was first used by the German doctor Rudolf Virchow in the mid-19th century. He described it as a pathological substance which he originally thought was starch. Although it was quickly discovered that it was a substance of protein nature, the reference to starch (from the Greek amylon) remained in the name.
News Administration of aPCC as a Prevention of Bleeding After Major Cardiac Surgical Procedures
The possibility of actively preventing severe bleeding after a major cardiac surgical procedure using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) by administering a concentrate of activated procoagulant complex seems feasible, although a larger study will be needed to confirm its effect.
News Picking from the Red Book of the CHS: What's New in This Year's Recommendations for Diagnosis and Treatment of AML?
In recent years, there have been significant advances in the diagnosis and therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). High-quality laboratory diagnostics (molecular genetics, cytogenetics, and flow cytometry) are absolutely essential, and monitoring measurable residual disease is becoming increasingly important. The range of treatment options is also beginning to expand. The content of the latest 'Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML),' which are part of this year's updated 'Red Book' of the Czech Hematology Society ČLS JEP (CHS), is primarily based on the 2022 European Leukemia Network (ELN) guidelines and offers, among other things, an updated disease classification and risk stratification, as well as an overview of current treatment options for both intensive and non-intensive regimens.
News Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance in Predicting Progression of Low-Risk Prostate Cancer
A newly published study has demonstrated the utility of imaging using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and its interpretation using PI-RADS version 2 (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System) in predicting unfavorable disease outcomes in patients with prostate cancer suitable for active surveillance.
News Spectrum of Mechanisms of Action of Fenfluramine in the Treatment of Rare Epilepsies
Fenfluramine (FFA) is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of rare epilepsies such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In addition to effectively reducing seizure frequency, it also mitigates non-seizure comorbidities in patients with these conditions. Last year, Belgian authors published a detailed review of all its described mechanisms of action. They also explain how these mechanisms might contribute to the clinical benefits of FFA beyond seizure suppression, such as reducing the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) or improving executive functions.
News MDT Board: a unique project for doctors caring for patients with lung diseases and other thoracic pathologies
A unique concept of a cooperative thoracic group has been created in the Czech Republic, involving specialists from several leading Prague clinics. The primary purpose of the so-called board is to provide the best diagnostic and treatment plan for a patient with lung disease and other pathologies in the thoracic area, shared by all members of the multidisciplinary team and based on current knowledge. The MDT Board project, which operates on the principle of online indication seminars, is intended for doctors of patients with common and rare lung diseases.
News Biosimilar Bevacizumab in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Biosimilar drugs are essentially analogous to generics for biological medicines. The patent protection for the original bevacizumab product will expire in the European Union in 2022. Consequently, several companies have already embarked on developing a biosimilar molecule.
News Less is Sometimes More – How Generic Substitution Can Affect Patient Adherence
It is undisputed that the use of generic drugs saves the healthcare system significant costs. Although doctors should certainly care about the health of the system, they primarily care for the health of individual patients – and for them, generic substitution may not always be the best choice. For instance, it is now known that it is not ideal for drugs with a narrow therapeutic range, such as antiepileptics, antidepressants, or antiparkinsonian drugs. But does this mean that generic substitution is always a welcome choice for other drugs?
News The Role of Inflammation in the Cardiovascular Continuum and the Aging Process
Inflammation plays a role at various stages of the cardiovascular (CV) continuum, in both atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic CV diseases. Where to look for inflammation in the pathophysiology of CV diseases, why inflammation is related to aging, and how to utilize these findings in clinical practice was explained in a lecture by MUDr. Peter Wohlfahrt, Ph.D., from the Center of Preventive Cardiology IKEM in Prague, at the XXXII Annual Meeting of the Czech Cardiology Society.