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Potential Pharmacological Agents For Covid-19, Anita Kotwani, Sumanth Gandra

Open Access Publications

A novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, has become a global pandemic. Currently, the management of COVID-19 infection is mainly supportive. Several clinical trials worldwide are evaluating several drugs approved for other indications, as well as multiple investigational agents for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Here, we give a brief overview of pharmacological agents and other therapies which are under investigation as treatment options or adjunctive agents for patients infected with COVID-19 and for chemoprophylaxis for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. At …

Perspectives Of Patients On Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy: Experiences And Adherence, Yasir Hamad, Sai Dodda, Allison Frank, Joe Beggs, Christopher Sleckman, Glen Kleinschmidt, Michael A. Lane, Yvonne Burnett

Open Access Publications

Background: Nonadherence to medication is a burden to the US health care system and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Data on outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) treatment plan adherence are lacking. The purpose of this study is to determine the rate of nonadherence and factors associated with it.

Methods: We surveyed patients discharged from a tertiary hospital on OPAT between February and August 2019 about their baseline characteristics, OPAT regimen, adherence, and experience with OPAT.

Results: Sixty-five patients responded to the survey. The median age was 62 years, and 56% were male. The rate of reported nonadherence to intravenous …

Evaluating The Use Of Rcbv As A Tumor Grade And Treatment Response Classifier Across Nci Quantitative Imaging Network Sites: Part Ii Of The Dsc-Mri Digital Reference Object (Dro) Challenge, Laura C. Bell, Hongyu An, Cihat Eldeniz, Richard Wahl, Et Al

Open Access Publications

We have previously characterized the reproducibility of brain tumor relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) using a dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging digital reference object across 12 sites using a range of imaging protocols and software platforms. As expected, reproducibility was highest when imaging protocols and software were consistent, but decreased when they were variable. Our goal in this study was to determine the impact of rCBV reproducibility for tumor grade and treatment response classification. We found that varying imaging protocols and software platforms produced a range of optimal thresholds for both tumor grading and treatment response, but the performance …

Covid-19 Clinical Trials: A Primer For The Cardiovascular And Cardio-Oncology Communities, Bonnie Ky, Douglas L Mann

Open Access Publications

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a proliferation of clinical trials designed to slow the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Many therapeutic agents that are being used to treat patients with COVID-19 are repurposed treatments for influenza, Ebola, or for malaria that were developed decades ago and are unlikely to be familiar to the cardiovascular and cardio-oncology communities. Here, we provide a foundation for cardiovascular and cardio-oncology physicians on the front line providing care to patients with COVID-19, so that they may better understand the emerging cardiovascular epidemiology and the biological rationale for the clinical trials …

In Vivo Evolution Of Biopsy-Proven Inflammatory Demyelination Quantified By R2t* Mapping, Biao Xiang, Jie Wen, Hsiang-Chih Lu, Robert E Schmidt, Dmitriy A Yablonskiy, Anne H Cross

Open Access Publications

A 35-year-old man with an enhancing tumefactive brain lesion underwent biopsy, revealing inflammatory demyelination. We used quantitative Gradient-Recalled-Echo (qGRE) MRI to visualize and measure tissue damage in the lesion. Two weeks after biopsy, qGRE showed significant R2t* reduction in the left optic radiation and surrounding tissue, consistent with the histopathological and clinical findings. qGRE was repeated 6 and 14 months later, demonstrating partially recovered optic radiation R2t*, in concert with improvement of the hemianopia to ultimately involve only the lower right visual quadrant. These results support qGRE metrics as in vivo biomarkers for tissue damage and longitudinal monitoring of demyelinating …

Antibiotic Prescription Practices In Primary Care In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Giorgia Sulis, Pierrick Adam, Vaidehi Nafade, Genevieve Gore, Benjamin Daniels, Amrita Daftary, Jishnu Das, Sumanth Gandra, Madhukar Pai

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: The widespread use of antibiotics plays a major role in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. However, important knowledge gaps still exist regarding the extent of their use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly at the primary care level. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies conducted in primary care in LMICs to estimate the prevalence of antibiotic prescriptions as well as the proportion of such prescriptions that are inappropriate.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Global Health, and CENTRAL for articles published between 1 January 2010 and 4 April 2019 without language restrictions. …

Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Of Murine Islets Shows High Cellular Complexity At All Stages Of Autoimmune Diabetes, Pavel N. Zakharov, Hao Hu, Xiaoxiao Wan, Emil R. Unanue

Open Access Publications

Tissue-specific autoimmune diseases are driven by activation of diverse immune cells in the target organs. However, the molecular signatures of immune cell populations over time in an autoimmune process remain poorly defined. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we performed an unbiased examination of diverse islet-infiltrating cells during autoimmune diabetes in the nonobese diabetic mouse. The data revealed a landscape of transcriptional heterogeneity across the lymphoid and myeloid compartments. Memory CD4 and cytotoxic CD8 T cells appeared early in islets, accompanied by regulatory cells with distinct phenotypes. Surprisingly, we observed a dramatic remodeling in the islet microenvironment, in which the resident macrophages …

Oliceridine And Its Potential To Revolutionize Gi Endoscopy Sedation, Basavana Goudra, Preet Mohinder Singh

Open Access Publications

Providing sedation to patients undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a controversial and emotive issue. The mainstay of sedation is propofol, whose administration is within the sole jurisdiction of anesthesia providers, at least in the USA. Attempts have been made to seize the authority by the GI community. One of the first attempts was the use of the prodrug of propofol -fospropofol. However, as the drug has a similar adverse effect profile as propofol in terms of respiratory depression, the FDA did not approve its use by providers other than those trained in airway management. Sedasys

Conformational Distributions Of Isolated Myosin Motor Domains Encode Their Mechanochemical Properties, Justin R. Porter, Artur Meller, Maxwell I. Zimmerman, Michael J. Greenberg, Gregory R. Bowman

Open Access Publications

Myosin motor domains perform an extraordinary diversity of biological functions despite sharing a common mechanochemical cycle. Motors are adapted to their function, in part, by tuning the thermodynamics and kinetics of steps in this cycle. However, it remains unclear how sequence encodes these differences, since biochemically distinct motors often have nearly indistinguishable crystal structures. We hypothesized that sequences produce distinct biochemical phenotypes by modulating the relative probabilities of an ensemble of conformations primed for different functional roles. To test this hypothesis, we modeled the distribution of conformations for 12 myosin motor domains by building Markov state models (MSMs) from an …

Plasmodium Falciparum Translational Machinery Condones Polyadenosine Repeats, Slavica Pavlovic Djuranovic, Jessey Erath, Ryan J. Andrews, Peter O. Bayguinov, Joyce J. Chung, Douglas L. Chalker, James A.J. Fitzpatrick, Walter N. Moss, Pawel Szczesny, Sergej Djuranovic

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Consensus Guideline For The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Tetrahydrobiopterin (Bh4) Deficiencies, Thomas Opladen, Toni S Pearson, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH

CONCLUSION: Although the total body of evidence in the literature was mainly rated as low or very low, these consensus guidelines will help to harmonize clinical practice and to standardize and improve care for BH

Six2 Regulates Human Β Cell Differentiation From Stem Cells And Functional Maturation In Vitro, Leonardo Velazco-Cruz, Madeleine M Goedegebuure, Kristina G Maxwell, Punn Augsornworawat, Nathaniel J Hogrebe, Jeffrey R Millman

Open Access Publications

Generation of insulin-secreting β cells in vitro is a promising approach for diabetes cell therapy. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are differentiated to β cells (SC-β cells) and mature to undergo glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, but molecular regulation of this defining β cell phenotype is unknown. Here, we show that maturation of SC-β cells is regulated by the transcription factor SIX2. Knockdown (KD) or knockout (KO) of SIX2 in SC-β cells drastically limits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in both static and dynamic assays, along with the upstream processes of cytoplasmic calcium flux and mitochondrial respiration. …

Bone Density Of First And Second Segments Of Normal And Dysmorphic Sacra, Joseph M Radley, Brian W Hill, Daemeon A Nicolaou, Stephen B Huebner, Kelby B Napier, Dane H Salazar

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Iliosacral screw fixation is safe and effective but can be complicated by loss of fixation, particularly in patients with osteopenic bone. Sacral morphology dictates where iliosacral screws may be placed when stabilizing pelvic ring injuries. In dysmorphic sacra, the safe osseous corridor of the upper sacral segment (S1) is smaller and lacks a transsacral corridor, increasing the need for fixation in the second sacral segment (S2). Previous evidence suggests that S2 is less dense than S1. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to further evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) of the S1 and S2 iliosacral osseous pathways through …

Study Protocol: Improving Cognition In People With Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Multi-Arm, Randomized, Blinded, Sham-Controlled Trial Of Cognitive Rehabilitation And Aerobic Exercise (Cogex), Anthony Feinstein, Amber Salter, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Cognitive dysfunction affects up to 70% of people with progressive MS (PMS). It can exert a deleterious effect on activities of daily living, employment and relationships. Preliminary evidence suggests that performance can improve with cognitive rehabilitation (CR) and aerobic exercise (EX), but existing data are predominantly from people with relapsing-remitting MS without cognitive impairment. There is therefore a need to investigate whether this is also the case in people with progressive forms of the disease who have objectively identified cognitive impairment. It is hypothesized that CR and EX are effective treatments for people with PMS who have cognitive impairment, …

Efficient Generation And Transcriptomic Profiling Of Human Ipsc-Derived Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells, Pooja Hor, Vasu Punj, Ben A Calvert, Alessandra Castaldi, Alyssa J Miller, Gianni Carraro, Barry R Stripp, Steven L Brody, Jason R Spence, Justin K Ichida, Amy L Ryan Firth, Zea Borok

Open Access Publications

Expansion of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) is a pathological feature of many human lung diseases. Human PNECs are inherently difficult to study due to their rarity (<1% of total lung cells) and a lack of established protocols for their isolation. We used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate induced PNECs (iPNECs), which express core PNEC markers, including ROBO receptors, and secrete major neuropeptides, recapitulating known functions of primary PNECs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that differentiation efficiency is increased in the presence of an air-liquid interface and inhibition of Notch signaling. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed a PNEC-associated gene expression profile that is concordant between iPNECs and human fetal PNECs. In addition, pseudotime analysis of scRNA-seq results suggests a basal cell origin of human iPNECs. In conclusion, our model has the potential to provide an unlimited source of human iPNECs to explore PNEC pathophysiology associated with several lung diseases.

Nadph And Glutathione Redox Link Tca Cycle Activity To Endoplasmic Reticulum Homeostasis, Erica R Gansemer, Kyle S Mccommis, Michael Martino, Abdul Qaadir King-Mcalpin, Matthew J Potthoff, Brian N Finck, Eric B Taylor, D Thomas Rutkowski

Open Access Publications

Many metabolic diseases disrupt endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis, but little is known about how metabolic activity is communicated to the ER. Here, we show in hepatocytes and other metabolically active cells that decreasing the availability of substrate for the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle diminished NADPH production, elevated glutathione oxidation, led to altered oxidative maturation of ER client proteins, and attenuated ER stress. This attenuation was prevented when glutathione oxidation was disfavored. ER stress was also alleviated by inhibiting either TCA-dependent NADPH production or Glutathione Reductase. Conversely, stimulating TCA activity increased NADPH production, glutathione reduction, and ER stress. Validating these findings, …

Quantitative Analysis Of Transcription Factor Binding And Expression Using Calling Cards Reporter Arrays, Jiayue Liu, Christian A. Shively, Robi D. Mitra

Open Access Publications

We report a tool, Calling Cards Reporter Arrays (CCRA), that measures transcription factor (TF) binding and the consequences on gene expression for hundreds of synthetic promoters in yeast. Using Cbf1p and MAX, we demonstrate that the CCRA method is able to detect small changes in binding free energy with a sensitivity comparable to in vitro methods, enabling the measurement of energy landscapes in vivo. We then demonstrate the quantitative analysis of cooperative interactions by measuring Cbf1p binding at synthetic promoters with multiple sites. We find that the cooperativity between Cbf1p dimers varies sinusoidally with a period of 10.65 bp and …

In Utero Exposure To Transient Ischemia-Hypoxemia Promotes Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Abnormalities In Male Rat Offspring, Arvind Palanisamy, Tusar Giri, Jia Jiang, Annie Bice, James D Quirk, Sara B Conyers, Susan E Maloney, Nandini Raghuraman, Adam Q Bauer, Joel R Garbow, David F Wozniak

Open Access Publications

The impact of transient ischemic-hypoxemic insults on the developing fetal brain is poorly understood despite evidence suggesting an association with neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. To address this, we designed an aberrant uterine hypercontractility paradigm with oxytocin to better assess the consequences of acute, but transient, placental ischemia-hypoxemia in term pregnant rats. Using MRI, we confirmed that oxytocin-induced aberrant uterine hypercontractility substantially compromised uteroplacental perfusion. This was supported by the observation of oxidative stress and increased lactate concentration in the fetal brain. Genes related to oxidative stress pathways were significantly upregulated in male, but not female, offspring 1 …

Sex-Specific Impact Of Patterns Of Imageable Tumor Growth On Survival Of Primary Glioblastoma Patients, Paula Whitmire, Joshua B Rubin, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Sex is recognized as a significant determinant of outcome among glioblastoma patients, but the relative prognostic importance of glioblastoma features has not been thoroughly explored for sex differences.

METHODS: Combining multi-modal MR images, biomathematical models, and patient clinical information, this investigation assesses which pretreatment variables have a sex-specific impact on the survival of glioblastoma patients (299 males and 195 females).

RESULTS: Among males, tumor (T1Gd) radius was a predictor of overall survival (HR = 1.027, p = 0.044). Among females, higher tumor cell net invasion rate was a significant detriment to overall survival (HR = 1.011, p < 0.001). Female extreme survivors had significantly smaller tumors (T1Gd) (p = 0.010 t-test), but tumor size was not correlated with female overall survival (p = 0.955 CPH). Both male and female extreme survivors had significantly lower tumor cell net proliferation rates than other patients (M p = 0.004, F p = 0.001, t-test).

CONCLUSION: Despite …

Delayed Multifocal Tracheal Injury Following Thyroidectomy: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Matthew Shew, Christopher Boyd, Shannon Kraft

Open Access Publications

Delayed presentation of tracheal injury after thyroidectomy is a rare complication. We present the case of a 24-year-old male presenting with findings of tracheal injury 12 days after total thyroidectomy. Upon surgical exploration, multifocal, transmural tracheal injuries were identified. Repair was performed with a combination of acellular dermal matrix allograft, local-regional flaps, silicone stenting, and tracheostomy. Herein we also review published cases of delayed tracheal injury. Our findings suggest that delayed tracheal necrosis and rupture is an uncommon yet potentially devastating complication of thyroidectomy. Surgeons should maintain a low threshold to suspect such injuries when patients present with neck swelling …

Pediatric Reporting Of Genomic Results Study (Progress): A Mixed-Methods, Longitudinal, Observational Cohort Study Protocol To Explore Disclosure Of Actionable Adult- And Pediatric-Onset Genomic Variants To Minors And Their Parents, Juliann M Savatt, Jessica Mozersky, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Exome and genome sequencing are routinely used in clinical care and research. These technologies allow for the detection of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in clinically actionable genes. However, fueled in part by a lack of empirical evidence, controversy surrounds the provision of genetic results for adult-onset conditions to minors and their parents. We have designed a mixed-methods, longitudinal cohort study to collect empirical evidence to advance this debate.

METHODS: Pediatric participants in the Geisinger MyCode® Community Health Initiative with available exome sequence data will have their variant files assessed for pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in 60 genes designated as actionable by …

Site-Specific Siderocalin Binding To Ferric And Ferric-Free Enterobactin As Revealed By Mass Spectrometry, Chunyang Guo, Lindsey K Steinberg, Ming Cheng, Jong Hee Song, Jeffrey P Henderson, Michael L Gross

Open Access Publications

Both host and pathogen competitively manipulate coordination environments during bacterial infections. Human cells release the innate immune protein siderocalin (Scn, also known as lipocalin-2/Lcn2, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin/NGAL) that can inhibit bacterial growth by sequestering iron in a ferric complex with enterobactin (Ent), the ubiquitous

Targeting Mitochondrial Fusion And Fission Proteins For Cardioprotection, Sauri Hernandez-Resendiz, Fabrice Prunier, Henrique Girao, Gerald Dorn, Derek J Hausenloy, Eu-Cardioprotection Cost Action (Ca16225)

Open Access Publications

New treatments are needed to protect the myocardium against the detrimental effects of acute ischaemia/reperfusion (IR) injury following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), in order to limit myocardial infarct (MI) size, preserve cardiac function and prevent the onset of heart failure (HF). Given the critical role of mitochondria in energy production for cardiac contractile function, prevention of mitochondrial dysfunction during acute myocardial IRI may provide novel cardioprotective strategies. In this regard, the mitochondrial fusion and fissions proteins, which regulate changes in mitochondrial morphology, are known to impact on mitochondrial quality control by modulating mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy and the mitochondrial unfolded …

A Dose-Finding Phase 2 Study Of Single Agent Isatuximab (Anti-Cd38 Mab) In Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma, Joseph Mikhael, Ravi Vij, Et Al

Open Access Publications

A Phase 2 dose-finding study evaluated isatuximab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM; NCT01084252). Patients with ≥3 prior lines or refractory to both immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors (dual refractory) were randomized to isatuximab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W), 10 mg/kg Q2W(2 cycles)/Q4W, or 10 mg/kg Q2W. A fourth arm evaluated 20 mg/kg QW(1 cycle)/Q2W. Patients (N = 97) had a median (range) age of 62 years (38-85), 5 (2-14) prior therapy lines, and 85% were double refractory. The overall response rate (ORR) was 4.3, 20.0, 29.2, and 24.0% with isatuximab 3 mg/kg Q2W, 10 mg/kg …

Coronary Heart Disease And Mortality Following A Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Aixia Guo, Kathleen W Zhang, Kristi Reynolds, Randi E Foraker

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for breast cancer survivors, yet the joint effect of adverse cardiovascular health (CVH) and cardiotoxic cancer treatments on post-treatment CHD and death has not been quantified.

METHODS: We conducted statistical and machine learning approaches to evaluate 10-year risk of these outcomes among 1934 women diagnosed with breast cancer during 2006 and 2007. Overall CVH scores were classified as poor, intermediate, or ideal for 5 factors, smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, glucose/hemoglobin A1c, and cholesterol from clinical data within 5 years prior to the breast cancer diagnosis. …

Transcriptional Analyses Of Adult And Pediatric Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma Reveals Similar Expression Signatures Regarding Potential Therapeutic Targets, Eric Prince, Chibueze Agwu, David D Limbrick, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is a biologically benign but clinically aggressive lesion that has a significant impact on quality of life. The incidence of the disease has a bimodal distribution, with peaks occurring in children and older adults. Our group previously published the results of a transcriptome analysis of pediatric ACPs that identified several genes that were consistently overexpressed relative to other pediatric brain tumors and normal tissue. We now present the results of a transcriptome analysis comparing pediatric to adult ACP to identify biological differences between these groups that may provide novel therapeutic insights or support the assertion that potential …

Radiation Induces Iatrogenic Immunosuppression By Indirectly Affecting Hematopoiesis In Bone Marrow, Vaishali Kapoor, Andrea Collins, Kaylan Griffith, Subhajit Ghosh, Nathan Wong, Xiaowei Wang, Grant A. Challen, Joseph Krambs, Dan Link, Dennis E. Hallahan, Dinesh Thotala

Open Access Publications

The immune system plays a vital role in cancer therapy, especially with the advent of immunotherapy. Radiation therapy induces iatrogenic immunosuppression referred to as radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL). RIL correlates with significant decreases in the overall survival of cancer patients. Although the etiology and severity of lymphopenia are known, the mechanism(s) of RIL are largely unknown. We found that irradiation not only had direct effects on circulating lymphocytes but also had indirect effects on the spleen, thymus, and bone marrow. We found that irradiated cells traffic to the bone marrow and bring about the reduction of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and …

Contribution Of Ctcf Binding To Transcriptional Activity At The Hoxa Locus In Npm1-Mutant Aml Cells, Reza Ghasemi, Heidi Struthers, Elisabeth R Wilson, David H Spencer

Open Access Publications

Transcriptional regulation of the HOXA genes is thought to involve CTCF-mediated chromatin loops and the opposing actions of the COMPASS and Polycomb epigenetic complexes. We investigated the role of these mechanisms at the HOXA cluster in AML cells with the common NPM1c mutation, which express both HOXA and HOXB genes. CTCF binding at the HOXA locus is conserved across primary AML samples, regardless of HOXA gene expression, and defines a continuous chromatin domain marked by COMPASS-associated histone H3 trimethylation in NPM1-mutant primary AML samples. Profiling of the three-dimensional chromatin architecture in primary AML samples with the NPM1c mutation identified chromatin …

Mentored Training And Its Association With Dissemination And Implementation Research Output: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation, Rebekah R Jacob, Angeline Gacad, Margaret Padek, Graham A Colditz, Karen M Emmons, Jon F Kerner, David A Chambers, Ross C Brownson

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: There is a continued need to evaluate training programs in dissemination and implementation (D&I) research. Scientific products yielded from trainees are an important and objective measure to understand the capacity growth within the D&I field. This study evaluates our mentored training program in terms of scientific productivity among applicants.

METHODS: Post-doctoral and early-career cancer researchers were recruited and applied to the R25 Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (MT-DIRC) between 2014 and 2017. Using application details and publicly available bibliometric and funding data, we compared selected fellows with unsuccessful applicants (nonfellows). We extracted Scopus citations and …

Switching To Lurasidone Following 12 Months Of Treatment With Risperidone: Results Of A 6-Month, Open-Label Study, Greg W Mattingly, Peter M Haddad, Michael Tocco, Jane Xu, Debra Phillips, Andrei Pikalov, Antony Loebel

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia are at an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome, which is associated with greater cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Treatment with some commonly used antipsychotic medications may increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety of lurasidone in patients who continued lurasidone or switched from risperidone to lurasidone. A secondary aim was assessment of the effect of long-term lurasidone on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

METHODS: The treatment sample in the current study consisted of clinically stable patients with schizophrenia (N = 223) …