Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Proteomic Characterization And Cytotoxic Potential Of Proteins From Cuscuta (Cuscuta Epithymum (L.) Crude Herbal Product Against Mcf-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line, Umaima Akhtar, Yamna Khurshid, Bishoy El-Aarag, Basir Syed, Ishtiaq A. Khan, Keykavous Parang, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

The burden of breast cancer, the second leading cause of death worldwide, is increasing at an alarming rate. Cuscuta, used in traditional medicine for different ailments, including cancer, is known for containing phytochemicals that exhibit anticancer activity; however, the bioactivities of proteins from this plant remain unexplored. This study aimed to screen the cytotoxic potential of proteins from the crude herbal product of Cuscuta epithymum(L.) (CE) harvested from the host plants Alhagi maurorum and Medicago sativa.

Methods

The proteins from CE were extracted using a salting-out method, followed by fractionation with a gel filtration chromatography column. Gel-free shotgun …

Predicting Ffar4 Agonists Using Structure-Based Machine Learning Approach Based On Molecular Fingerprints, Zaid Anis Sherwani, Syeda Sumayya Tariq, Mamona Mushtaq, Ali Raza Siddiqui, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Aftab Ahmed, Zaheer Ul-Haq

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Free Fatty Acid Receptor 4 (FFAR4), a G-protein-coupled receptor, is responsible for triggering intracellular signaling pathways that regulate various physiological processes. FFAR4 agonists are associated with enhancing insulin release and mitigating the atherogenic, obesogenic, pro-carcinogenic, and pro-diabetogenic effects, normally associated with the free fatty acids bound to FFAR4. In this research, molecular structure-based machine-learning techniques were employed to evaluate compounds as potential agonists for FFAR4. Molecular structures were encoded into bit arrays, serving as molecular fingerprints, which were subsequently analyzed using the Bayesian network algorithm to identify patterns for screening the data. The shortlisted hits obtained via machine learning protocols …

Broad-Spectrum Activity Of Membranolytic Cationic Macrocyclic Peptides Against Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria And Fungi, Sandeep Lohan, Anastasia G. Konshina, Rakesh K. Tiwari, Roman G. Efremov, Innokentiy Maslennikov, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains causes severe problems in the treatment of microbial infections owing to limited treatment options. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are drawing considerable attention as promising antibiotic alternative candidates to combat MDR bacterial and fungal infections. Herein, we present a series of small amphiphilic membrane-active cyclic peptides composed, in part, of various nongenetically encoded hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids. Notably, lead cyclic peptides 3b and 4b showed broad-spectrum activity against drug-resistant Gram-positive (MIC = 1.5–6.2 µg/mL) and Gram-negative (MIC = 12.5–25 µg/mL) bacteria, and fungi (MIC = 3.1–12.5 µg/mL). Furthermore, lead peptides displayed substantial antibiofilm action comparable …

Harnessing Exosomes As A Platform For Drug Delivery In Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review For In Vivo And In Vitro Studies, Abdulwahab Teflischi Gharavi, Saeed Irian, Azadeh Niknejad, Keykavous Parang, Mona Salimi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Breast cancer remains a significant global health concern, emphasizing the critical need for effective treatment strategies, especially targeted therapies. This systematic review summarizes the findings from in vitro and in vivo studies regarding the therapeutic potential of exosomes as drug delivery platforms in the field of breast cancer treatment. A comprehensive search was conducted across bibliographic datasets, including Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus, using relevant queries from several related published articles and the Medical Subject Headings Database. Then, all morphological, biomechanical, histopathological, and cellular-molecular outcomes were systematically collected. A total of 30 studies were identified based on the Preferred …

Characterizing Antibiotic Regimen Modification Behavior, Patient Characteristics, And Outcomes For Patients With Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections, A Retrospective Single-Center Study, Jason Yamaki, Mirna Mikhail, Richard Beuttler, Philip Robinson, Emre Yücel, Alexandre H. Watanabe

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Few studies describe the frequency of antibiotic regimen modification behaviors in the acute care setting. We sought to ascertain patient and treatment characteristics, details of regimen modification, and clinical outcomes with antibiotic modifications. This retrospective study included patients admitted to Hoag Memorial Hospital from 1 January 2019–31 March 2021 with a complicated infection caused by a Gram-negative organism resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins or with the potential for resistance (AmpC producers). A total of 400 patients were included. The predominant sources were bloodstream (33%), urine (26%), and respiratory (24%), including patients with multiple sources. The most isolated organisms were Pseudomonas spp. …

Modulation Of Hippocampal Protein Expression By A Brain Penetrant Biologic Tnf-Α Inhibitor In The 3xtg Alzheimer’S Disease Mice, Nataraj Jagadeesan, G. Chuli Roules, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Joshua Yang, Sanjana Kolluru, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Biologic TNF-α inhibitors (bTNFIs) can block cerebral TNF-α in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) if these macromolecules can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Thus, a model bTNFI, the extracellular domain of type II TNF-α receptor (TNFR), which can bind to and sequester TNF-α, was fused with a mouse transferrin receptor antibody (TfRMAb) to enable brain delivery via BBB TfR-mediated transcytosis. Previously, we found TfRMAb-TNFR to be protective in a mouse model of amyloidosis (APP/PS1) and tauopathy (PS19), and herein we investigated its effects in mice that combine both amyloidosis and tauopathy (3xTg-AD).

Methods

Eight-month-old female 3xTg-AD mice were injected intraperitoneally with …

Limonene Exerts Anti-Inflammatory Effect On Lps-Induced Jejunal Injury In Mice By Inhibiting Nf-Κb/Ap-1 Pathway, Sarmed H. Kathem, Yasameen Sh. Nasrawi, Shihab H. Mutlag, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The human gastrointestinal system is a complex ecosystem crucial for well-being. During sepsis-induced gut injury, the integrity of the intestinal barrier can be compromised. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria, disrupts the intestinal barrier, contributing to inflammation and various dysfunctions. The current study explores the protective effects of limonene, a natural compound with diverse biological properties, against LPS-induced jejunal injury in mice. Oral administration of limonene at dosages of 100 and 200 mg/kg was used in the LPS mouse model. The Murine Sepsis Score (MSS) was utilized to evaluate the severity of sepsis, while serum levels of urea and …

A Novel Micropeptide, Slitharin, Exerts Cardioprotective Effects In Myocardial Infarction, Ahmed G. E. Ibrahim, Alessandra Ciullo, Shukuro Yamaguchi, Chang Li, Travis Antes, Xaviar Jones, Liang Li, Ramachandran Murali, Innokentiy Maslennikov, Niveda Sundararaman, Daniel Soetkamp, Eugenio Cingolani, Jennifer Van Eyk, Eduardo Marbán

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: Micropeptides are an emerging class of proteins that play critical roles in cell signaling. Here, we describe the discovery of a novel micropeptide, dubbed slitharin (Slt), in conditioned media from Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), a therapeutic cardiac stromal cell type.

Experimental design: We performed mass spectrometry of peptide-enriched fractions from the conditioned media of CDCs and a therapeutically inert cell type (human dermal fibrobasts). We then evaluated the therapeutic capacity of the candidate peptide using an in vitro model of cardiomyocyte injury and a rat model of myocardial infarction.

Results: We identified a novel 24-amino acid micropeptide …

Repurposing Of Us-Fda-Approved Drugs As Negative Modulators Of Ubiquitin Specific Protease-7 (Usp7), Seema Zadi, Sumaira Javaid, Atia-Tul-Wahab, Humaira Zafar, Muhammad Awais, Innokentiy Maslennikov, M. Iqbal Choudhary

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ubiquitin-specific protease7 (USP7) regulates the stability of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and several other proteins critical for tumor cell survival. Aberrant expression of USP7 facilitates human malignancies by altering the activity of proto-oncogenes/proteins, and tumor suppressor genes. Therefore, USP7 is a validated anti-cancer drug target. In this study, a drug repurposing approach was used to identify new hits against the USP7 enzyme. It is one of the most strategic approaches to find new uses for drugs in a cost- and time-effective way. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-based screening of 172 drugs identified 11 compounds that bind to the catalytic domain of …

Analysis Of Us Food And Drug Administration New Drug And Biologic Approvals, Regulatory Pathways, And Review Times, 1980–2022, Enrique Seoane-Vazquez, Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio, John H. Powers Iii

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

U.S. laws enacted since 1983 have aimed to enhance the development and marketing of new pharmaceutical products. We thoroughly characterized all new molecular entities, therapeutic biologics, and gene and cell therapies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the period 1980–2022 in the context of these laws and regulations. Throughout the study period, the FDA approved 1355 new pharmaceutical products. The median FDA review time decreased from 26.6 months prior to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (1992), which authorized the FDA to collect fees from drug companies to 9.9 months after the Food and Drug Administration …

Oxidative Stress And Ion Channels In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Razan Orfali, Adnan Z. Alwatban, Rawan S. Orfali, Liz Lau, Noble Chea, Abdullah M. Alotaibi, Young-Woo Nam, Miao Zhang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Numerous neurodegenerative diseases result from altered ion channel function and mutations. The intracellular redox status can significantly alter the gating characteristics of ion channels. Abundant neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress have been documented, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinocerebellar ataxia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species compounds trigger posttranslational alterations that target specific sites within the subunits responsible for channel assembly. These alterations include the adjustment of cysteine residues through redox reactions induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitration, and S-nitrosylation assisted by nitric oxide of tyrosine residues through peroxynitrite. Several ion channels have been directly …

Exploring Lgbtq+ Cultural Competency And Dei In Continuing Education: A Cross-Sectional Review Of U.S. Pharmacy Legislation, Jennifer Ko, Jeremy Carlos, Yvonne Nguyen

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, or other sexual orientations or gender identities (LGBTQ+) cultural competency training is offered in pharmacy curricula to variable extents. State legislation directly dictates pharmacist training through continuing pharmacy education (CPE) requirements.

Objectives

This study aimed to identify the U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) that require CPE or training on topics related to LGBTQ+ cultural competency or topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in general. In addition, this study quantified and compared each state’s CPE hours required for each renewal period.

Methods

This cross-sectional study retrospectively …

Modifying Peptide/Lipid-Associated Nucleic Acids (Planas) For Crispr/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Delivery, Abdulelah Alhazza, Parvin Mahdipoor, Ryley Hall, Arthur Manda, Sandeep Lohan, Keykavous Parang, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

With the first reports on the possibility of genome editing by Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (Cas)9 surfacing in 2005, the enthusiasm for protein silencing via nucleic acid delivery experienced a resurgence following a period of diminished enthusiasm due to challenges in delivering small interfering RNAs (siRNA), especially in vivo. However, delivering the components necessary for this approach into the nucleus is challenging, maybe even more than the cytoplasmic delivery of siRNA. We previously reported the birth of peptide/lipid-associated nucleic acids (PLANAs) for siRNA delivery. This project was designed to investigate the efficiency of …

Real-World Dispensing Of Buprenorphine In California During Prepandemic And Pandemic Periods, Yun Wang, Alexandre Chan, Richard Beuttler, Marc L. Fleming, Todd Schneberk, Michael Nichol, Haibing Lu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: The opioid overdose crisis in the United States has become a significant national emergency. Buprenorphine, a primary medication for individuals coping with opioid use disorder (OUD), presents promising pharmacokinetic properties for use in primary care settings, and is often delivered as a take-home therapy. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the scarcity of access to buprenorphine, leading to dire consequences for those with OUD. Most existing studies, primarily focused on the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, highlight the challenges in accessing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs), particularly buprenorphine. However, these studies only cover a relatively short timeframe. Methods: To …

Describing The Evidence Linking Interprofessional Education Interventions To Improving The Delivery Of Safe And Effective Patient Care: A Scoping Review, Tamara Cadet, Joseph Cusimano, Shelley Mckearney, Julie Honaker, Cynthia O'Neal, Reza Taheri, Virginia Uhley, Yingting Zhang, Margaret Dreker, Judith S. Cohn

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Empirical evidence indicates that collaborative interprofessional practice leads to positive health outcomes. Further, there is an abundance of evidence examining student and/or faculty perceptions of learning or satisfaction about the interprofessional education (IPE) learning experience. However, there is a dearth of research linking IPE interventions to patient outcomes. The objective of this scoping review was to describe and summarize the evidence linking IPE interventions to the delivery of effective patient care. A three-step search strategy was utilized for this review with articles that met the following criteria: publications dated 2015–2020 using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods; the inclusion of healthcare …

The Concise Guide To Pharmacology 2023/24: Enzymes, Stephen P. H. Alexander, Doriano Fabbro, Eamonn Kelly, Alistair Mathie, John A. Peters, Emma L. Veale, Jane F. Armstrong, Elena Faccenda, Simon D. Harding, James A. Davies, Stephanie Annett, Detlan Boison, Kathryn Elisa Burns, Carmen Dessauer, Jürg Gertsch, Nuala Ann Helsby, Angela A. Izzo, Rennolds Ostrom, Andreas Papapetropoulos, Nigel J. Pyne, Susan Pyne, Tracy Robson, Roland Seifert, Johannes-Peter Stasch, Csaba Szabo, Mario Van Der Stelt, Albert Van Der Vliet, Val Watts, Szu Shen Wong

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24 is the sixth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of approximately 1800 drug targets, and about 6000 interactions with about 3900 ligands. There is an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes almost 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the …

The Effects Of Sex Hormones On The Size Of Intestinal Lipoproteins, Andromeda M. Nauli, Ann Phan, Patrick Tso, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Larger intestinal lipoproteins are more likely to be retained longer in the intestinal wall, allowing more time for their fat to be hydrolyzed and subsequently taken up by the abdominal viscera. Since men generally accumulate more abdominal visceral fat than women, we sought to determine if males produce larger intestinal lipoproteins compared to females. Using the conscious lymph fistula mouse model, we discovered that the male mice indeed produced larger intestinal lipoproteins than the female mice when they were intraduodenally infused with lipid emulsion. We then employed our differentiated Caco-2 cell model with semipermeable membrane system to determine the effects …

Postgraduate Medical Trainees At A Ugandan University Perceive Their Clinical Learning Environment Positively But Differentially Despite Challenging Circumstances: A Cross-Sectional Study, Paul E. Alele, Joshua Kiptoo, Kathleen Hill-Besinque

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

The clinical learning environment is an essential component in health professions’ education. Data are scant on how postgraduate trainees in sub-Saharan Africa perceive their medical school learning environments, and how those perceptions contribute to their engagement during training, their emotional wellbeing, and career aspirations. This study examined perceptions of postgraduate medical trainees (residents) in a resource-limited setting, regarding their learning environment and explored perceptual contributions to their career engagement during training. The data reported contribute to understanding how clinical learning environments can be improved in low-resource settings in Uganda and elsewhere.

Methods

This study was done at the Faculty …

Structural Analysis And Activity Correlation Of Amphiphilic Cyclic Antimicrobial Peptides Derived From The [W4R4] Scaffold, Shaima Ahmed El-Mowafi, Anastasia G. Konshina, Eman H. M. Mohammed, Nikolay A. Krylov, Roman G. Efremov, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

In our ongoing quest to design effective antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), this study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms governing cyclic amphiphilic AMPs and their interactions with membranes. The objective was to discern the nature of these interactions and understand how peptide sequence and structure influence antimicrobial activity. We introduced modifications into the established cyclic AMP peptide, [W₄R₄], incorporating an extra aromatic hydrophobic residue (W), a positively charged residue (R), or the unique 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP). This study systematically explored the structure–activity relationships (SARs) of a series of cyclic peptides derived from the [W₄R₄] scaffold, …

Erythrocyte–Brain Endothelial Interactions Induce Microglial Responses And Cerebral Microhemorrhages In Vivo, Hai Zhang, Rachita K. Sumbria, Rudy Chang, Jiahong Sun, David H. Cribbs, Todd C. Holmes, Mark J. Fisher, Xiangmin Xu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Cerebral microhemorrhages (CMH) are associated with stroke, cognitive decline, and normal aging. Our previous study shows that the interaction between oxidatively stressed red blood cells (RBC) and cerebral endothelium may underlie CMH development. However, the real-time examination of altered RBC–brain endothelial interactions in vivo, and their relationship with clearance of stalled RBC, microglial responses, and CMH development, has not been reported.

Methods

RBC were oxidatively stressed using tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP), fluorescently labeled and injected into adult Tie2-GFP mice. In vivo two-photon imaging and ex vivo confocal microscopy were used to evaluate the temporal profile of RBC–brain endothelial interactions associated with …

Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells Possess A Second Cilium That Arises From The Daughter Centriole, Karthikeyan Thirugnanam, Ankan Gupta, Francisco Nunez, Shubhangi Prabhudesai, Amy Y. Pan, Surya M. Nauli, Ramani Ramchandran

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Primary cilia from the brain microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) are specialized cell-surface organelles involved in mediating sensory perception, cell signaling, and vascular stability. Immunofluorescence (IF) analysis of human primary brain microvascular ECs reveals two cilia per cell. To confirm the in vitro observation of the two-cilia phenotype in human primary brain ECs, ECs isolated from mouse brain were cultured and stained for cilium. Indeed, brain ECs from a ciliopathic mouse (polycystic kidney disease or Pkd2−/−) also possess more than one cilium. Primary cilium emerges from the mother centriole. Centriole analysis by IF suggests that in brain ECs, markers …

Diabetes-Associated Hyperglycemia Causes Rapid-Onset Ocular Surface Damage, Judy Weng, Christopher Ross, Jacob Baker, Saleh Alfuraih, Kiumars Shamloo, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: The metabolic alterations due to chronic hyperglycemia are well-known to cause diabetes-associated complications. Short-term hyperglycemia has also been shown to cause many acute changes, including hemodynamic alterations and osmotic, oxidative, and inflammatory stress. The present study was designed to investigate whether diabetes-associated hyperglycemia can cause rapid-onset detrimental effects on the tear film, goblet cells, and glycocalyx and can lead to activation of an inflammatory cascade or cellular stress response in the cornea.

Methods: Mouse models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes were used. Tear film volume, goblet cell number, and corneal glycocalyx area were measured on …

Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis On Kidney Tissues From Mice Reveals Potential Hypoxia Biomarkers, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Francisco J. Nunez, Farideh Amirrad, Moom Rahman Roosan, Tom Vojtko, Scott Mcculloch, Amal Alachkar, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Chronic hypoxia may have a huge impact on the cardiovascular and renal systems. Advancements in microscopy, metabolomics, and bioinformatics provide opportunities to identify new biomarkers. In this study, we aimed at elucidating the metabolic alterations in kidney tissues induced by chronic hypoxia using untargeted metabolomic analyses. Reverse phase ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy/mass spectroscopy (RP–UPLC–MS/MS) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC)–UPLC–MS/MS methods with positive and negative ion mode electrospray ionization were used for metabolic profiling. The metabolomic profiling revealed an increase in metabolites related to carnitine synthesis and purine metabolism. Additionally, there was a notable increase in bilirubin. Heme, N-acetyl-L-aspartic …

Tolfenamic Acid Derivatives: A New Class Of Transcriptional Modulators With Potential Therapeutic Applications For Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Disorders, Juanetta Hill, Karim E. Shalaby, Syed W. Bihaqi, Bothaina H. Alansi, Benjamin Barlock, Keykavous Parang, Richard Thompson, Khalid Ourarhni, Nasser H. Zawia

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has witnessed recent breakthroughs in the development of disease-modifying biologics and diagnostic markers. While immunotherapeutic interventions have provided much-awaited solutions, nucleic acid-based tools represent other avenues of intervention; however, these approaches are costly and invasive, and they have serious side effects. Previously, we have shown in AD animal models that tolfenamic acid (TA) can lower the expression of AD-related genes and their products and subsequently reduce pathological burden and improve cognition. Using TA as a scaffold and the zinc finger domain of SP1 as a pharmacophore, we developed safer and more potent brain-penetrating analogs …

Addressing The Crisis: Leveraging The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals To Prepare Student Leaders To Tackle The Opioid Epidemic, Sharon Xavioer, Laressa Bethishou, Madeline Dintzner, Reza Taheri, Jelena Lewis

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The United States faces several ongoing public health issues including the opioid epidemic. This article describes a new model aimed at providing a framework that incorporates the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to develop pharmacy student leaders through education, experiences, and development of critical skills. This holistic approach can serve as an example methodology to equip future leaders across public health domains to tackle many of the critical problems we face today.

Improving Pharmacist-Led Pediatric Patient Education On Oral Chemotherapy At Home, Anika Patel, Christopher M. Nguyen, Kristin Willins, Elsabella Y. Wang, Grace Magedman, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Oral chemotherapy (OC) has been increasingly used in pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer, which is primarily managed in the outpatient setting. Different from adults, pediatric patients face unique challenges in administering these hazardous medications at home. Because of the complexity of pediatric pharmaceutical care and the hazardous nature of chemotherapy agents, comprehensive patient education is imperative to mitigate the potential safety risks associated with OC administration at home. Pharmacists play a vital role in patient education and medication consultations. However, the lack of practice guidelines and limited resources supporting OC counseling are noted. Additional barriers include insufficient knowledge and training …

Targeting Breast Cancer: The Familiar, The Emerging, And The Uncharted Territories, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Arthur Manda, Riya Sidgal, Co Chung

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Breast cancer became the most diagnosed cancer in the world in 2020. Chemotherapy is still the leading clinical strategy in breast cancer treatment, followed by hormone therapy (mostly used in hormone receptor-positive types). However, with our ever-expanding knowledge of signaling pathways in cancer biology, new molecular targets are identified for potential novel molecularly targeted drugs in breast cancer treatment. While this has resulted in the approval of a few molecularly targeted drugs by the FDA (including drugs targeting immune checkpoints), a wide array of signaling pathways seem to be still underexplored. Also, while combinatorial treatments have become common practice in …

Effects Of Transition From Closed-Book To Open-Book Assessment On Students’ Scores In A Pharmacokinetics Course, Reza Mehvar, Richard Beuttler

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Closed-book summative assessment of student learning, common in pharmacy education, is challenging to administer in a remote setting due to the need for costly and intrusive monitoring technology. Therefore, open-book assessments without monitoring have been considered an alternative in remote settings. The present study investigated the effects of the transition from in-person closed-book to remote open-book format on the students’ scores in different assessment categories in a Pharmacokinetics course. The students’ performances in the transition cohort (Transition, n = 96) during the in-person and remote periods were compared with those of an in-person cohort (Control, n = 85) during the …

Additive Effects Of Cyclic Peptide [R4w4] When Added Alongside Azithromycin And Rifampicin Against Mycobacterium Avium Infection, Melissa Kelley, Kayvan Sasaninia, Arbi Abnousian, Ali Badaoui, James Owens, Abrianna Beever, Nala Kachour, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Vishwanath Venketaraman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Mycobacterium avium (M. avium), a type of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), poses a risk for pulmonary infections and disseminated infections in immunocompromised individuals. Conventional treatment consists of a 12-month regimen of the first-line antibiotics rifampicin and azithromycin. However, the treatment duration and low antibiotic tolerability present challenges in the treatment of M. avium infection. Furthermore, the emergence of multidrug-resistant mycobacterium strains prompts a need for novel treatments against M. avium infection. This study aims to test the efficacy of a novel antimicrobial peptide, cyclic [R4W4], alongside the first-line antibiotics azithromycin and rifampicin in reducing M. avium survival. Colony-forming unit (CFU) …

The Structural Characterization And Bioactivity Assessment Of Nonspecific Lipid Transfer Protein 1 (Nsltp1) From Caraway (Carum Carvi) Seeds, Taibah Aldakhil, Saud O. Alshammari, Bushra Siraj, Bishoy El-Aarag, Shamshad Zarina, David Salehi, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Carum carvi (caraway) of the Apiaceae family has been used in many cultures as a cooking spice and part of the folk medicine. Previous reports primarily focus on the medicinal properties of caraway seed essential oil and the whole seeds extract. However, no effort has been made to study caraway proteins and their potential pharmacological properties, including nonspecific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP), necessitating further research. The current study aimed to characterize nonspecific lipid transfer protein 1 (nsLTP1) from caraway seed, determine its three-dimensional structure, and analyze protein–ligand complex interactions through docking studies. We also evaluated nsLTP1 in vitro cytotoxic …