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Full-Text Articles in Other Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Customized Blister Packaging For Patients Living With Hiv: Assessment Of Patient Attitudes And Satisfaction, Holly Groteluschen, Harlan Sayles, Rebecca Osborn, Joshua P. Havens, Sara Bares, Jasmine R. Marcelin Dec 2020

Customized Blister Packaging For Patients Living With Hiv: Assessment Of Patient Attitudes And Satisfaction, Holly Groteluschen, Harlan Sayles, Rebecca Osborn, Joshua P. Havens, Sara Bares, Jasmine R. Marcelin

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Adherence to antiretroviral medication results in reduced HIV transmission and improved health outcomes, yet challenges with medication adherence remain. A Collaborative Care Program was developed with a community pharmacy integrating a multi-dose adherence packaging service. We surveyed program participants to assess their satisfaction with this program and found an overall positive sentiment toward the program, that the program helped with reducing missed doses, and all patients would recommend the program to others.


Molecular Virology Of Kshv In The Lymphocyte Compartment—Insights From Patient Samples And De Novo Infection Models, Farizeh Aalam, Jennifer Totonchy Dec 2020

Molecular Virology Of Kshv In The Lymphocyte Compartment—Insights From Patient Samples And De Novo Infection Models, Farizeh Aalam, Jennifer Totonchy

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The incidence of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-associated Kaposi Sarcoma has declined precipitously in the present era of effective HIV treatment. However, KSHV-associated lymphoproliferative disorders although rare, have not seen a similar decline. Lymphoma is now a leading cause of death in people living with HIV (PLWH), indicating that the immune reconstitution provided by antiretroviral therapy is not sufficient to fully correct the lymphomagenic immune dysregulation perpetrated by HIV infection. As such, novel insights into the mechanisms of KSHV-mediated pathogenesis in the immune compartment are urgently needed in order to develop novel therapeutics aimed at prevention and treatment of KSHV-associated lymphoproliferations. …


An Update Of The Virion Proteome Of Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus, Ramina Nabiee, Basir Syed, Jesus Ramirez Castano, Rukhsana Lalani, Jennifer Totonchy Dec 2020

An Update Of The Virion Proteome Of Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus, Ramina Nabiee, Basir Syed, Jesus Ramirez Castano, Rukhsana Lalani, Jennifer Totonchy

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The virion proteins of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) were initially characterized in 2005 in two separate studies that combined the detection of 24 viral proteins and a few cellular components via LC-MS/MS or MALDI-TOF. Despite considerable advances in the sensitivity and specificity of mass spectrometry instrumentation in recent years, leading to significantly higher yields in detections, the KSHV virion proteome has not been revisited. In this study, we have re-examined the protein composition of purified KSHV virions via ultra-high resolution Qq time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHR-QqTOF). Our results confirm the detection of all previously reported virion proteins, in addition to 17 …


Vitamin D Levels Affect Survival In A Bcr-Abl Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Mouse Model But Do Not Cause Vitamin-Drug Interactions, Kavya Annu Nov 2020

Vitamin D Levels Affect Survival In A Bcr-Abl Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Mouse Model But Do Not Cause Vitamin-Drug Interactions, Kavya Annu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

It is a well-established phenomenon that dietary components containing CYP3A inducers or inhibitors if co-administered with drugs that are CYP3A4 substrates lead to marked drug-drug interactions. Because vitamin D is known to regulate intestinal CYP3A expression and gut CYP3A expression plays an important role in pre-systemic metabolism of CYP3A drugs, we determined the impact of vitamin D (VD3) status on systemic exposure and efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents that are CYP3A substrates. We employed VD3 sufficient and deficient mice to perform pharmacokinetics (PK) and anti-leukemic efficacy studies.

First, using hCYP3A4 transgenic mouse model we evaluated the intestinal, hepatic and renal expression …


Analysis Of Kshv B Lymphocyte Lineage Tropism In Human Tonsil Reveals Efficient Infection Of Cd138+ Plasma Cells, Farizeh Aalam, Ramina Nabiee, Jesus Ramirez Castano, Jennifer Totonchy Oct 2020

Analysis Of Kshv B Lymphocyte Lineage Tropism In Human Tonsil Reveals Efficient Infection Of Cd138+ Plasma Cells, Farizeh Aalam, Ramina Nabiee, Jesus Ramirez Castano, Jennifer Totonchy

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Despite 25 years of research, the basic virology of Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesviruses (KSHV) in B lymphocytes remains poorly understood. This study seeks to fill critical gaps in our understanding by characterizing the B lymphocyte lineage-specific tropism of KSHV. Here, we use lymphocytes derived from 40 human tonsil specimens to determine the B lymphocyte lineages targeted by KSHV early during de novo infection in our ex vivo model system. We characterize the immunological diversity of our tonsil specimens and determine that overall susceptibility of tonsil lymphocytes to KSHV infection varies substantially between donors. We demonstrate that a variety of B lymphocyte …


Cyclosporine Shows Benefit As Compared To Methotrexate For Treatment Of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Refractory To Topical Medications When Rapidity Of Clinical Response Is Of Key Importance To The Patient, Connor R. Buechler, Steven Daveluy Md Oct 2020

Cyclosporine Shows Benefit As Compared To Methotrexate For Treatment Of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Refractory To Topical Medications When Rapidity Of Clinical Response Is Of Key Importance To The Patient, Connor R. Buechler, Steven Daveluy Md

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report appraising El-Khalawany MA, Hassan H, Shaaban D, Ghonaim N, Eassa B. Methotrexate versus cyclosporine in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis in children: a multicenter experience from Egypt. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2012;172(3):351-356. https://doi.org10.1007/s00431-012-1893-3 for a pediatric patient with severe atopic dermatitis.


Cytokine-Targeted Therapeutics For Kshv-Associated Disease, Nedaa Alomari, Jennifer Totonchy Sep 2020

Cytokine-Targeted Therapeutics For Kshv-Associated Disease, Nedaa Alomari, Jennifer Totonchy

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), is linked to several human malignancies including Kaposi sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD) and recently KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome (KICS). As with other diseases that have a significant inflammatory component, current therapy for KSHV-associated disease is associated with significant off-target effects. However, recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of KSHV have produced new insight into the use of cytokines as potential therapeutic targets. Better understanding of the role of cytokines during KSHV infection and tumorigenesis may lead to new preventive or therapeutic …


Acute And Chronic Dosing Of A High-Affinity Rat/Mouse Chimeric Transferrin Receptor Antibody In Mice, Demi M. Castellanos, Jiahong Sun, Joshua Yang, Weijun Ou, Alexander C. Zambon, William M. Pardridge, Rachita K. Sumbria Sep 2020

Acute And Chronic Dosing Of A High-Affinity Rat/Mouse Chimeric Transferrin Receptor Antibody In Mice, Demi M. Castellanos, Jiahong Sun, Joshua Yang, Weijun Ou, Alexander C. Zambon, William M. Pardridge, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Non-invasive brain delivery of neurotherapeutics is challenging due to the blood-brain barrier. The revived interest in transferrin receptor antibodies (TfRMAbs) as brain drug-delivery vectors has revealed the effect of dosing regimen, valency, and affinity on brain uptake, TfR expression, and Fc-effector function side effects. These studies have primarily used monovalent TfRMAbs with a human constant region following acute intravenous dosing in mice. The effects of a high-affinity bivalent TfRMAb with a murine constant region, without a fusion partner, following extravascular dosing in mice are, however, not well characterized. Here we elucidate the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of a high-affinity bivalent …


Effect Of High Glucose On Ocular Surface Epithelial Cell Barrier And Tight Junction Proteins, Saleh M. Alfuraih, Ashley Barbarino, Christopher Ross, Kiumars Shamloo, Vishal Jhanji, Miao Zhang, Ajay Sharma Sep 2020

Effect Of High Glucose On Ocular Surface Epithelial Cell Barrier And Tight Junction Proteins, Saleh M. Alfuraih, Ashley Barbarino, Christopher Ross, Kiumars Shamloo, Vishal Jhanji, Miao Zhang, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. Patients with diabetes mellitus are reported to have ocular surface defects, impaired ocular surface barrier function, and a higher incidence of corneal and conjunctival infections. Tight junctions are critical for ocular surface barrier function. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of high glucose exposure on human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cell barrier function and tight junction proteins.

METHODS. Human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells were exposed to 15 mM and 30 mM glucose for 24 and 72 hours. The barrier function was measured using transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The cell migration was quantified using scratch assay. …


Development Of An Lc-Esi-Ms/Ms Method For Determination Of A Novel Pyrrolomycin (Mp-1) And Application To Pre-Clinical Adme Studies, Wafaa N. Aldhafiri Aug 2020

Development Of An Lc-Esi-Ms/Ms Method For Determination Of A Novel Pyrrolomycin (Mp-1) And Application To Pre-Clinical Adme Studies, Wafaa N. Aldhafiri

Theses & Dissertations

A rapid, selective, and sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for quantitation of a novel Pyrrolomycin (MP-1) in mouse plasma. MP-1 was extracted from plasma utilizing a structural analog (PL-3) as the internal standard (IS). Analyte separation was achieved using a Waters Acquity UPLC®BEH C18 column (1.7 µm, 100 x 2.1 mm) protected with Acquity UPLC C18 guard column. Mobile phase consisted of 0.1% acetic acid in water (10%) and methanol (90%) at a total flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. The mass spectrometer was operated at unit resolution in the multiple reaction …


Understanding Covid-19: From Origin To Potential Therapeutics, Muhammad Moazzam, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Hamza Shahid, Jahanzaib Butt, Irfan Bashir, Muhammad Jamshaid, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari Aug 2020

Understanding Covid-19: From Origin To Potential Therapeutics, Muhammad Moazzam, Muhammad Imran Sajid, Hamza Shahid, Jahanzaib Butt, Irfan Bashir, Muhammad Jamshaid, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Currently, a global pandemic era of public health concerns is going on with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first case of COVID-19 was reported from Wuhan’s Huanan seafood market in China late December 2019. Bats, pangolins, and snakes have been nominated as salient carriers of the virus. Thanks to its high pathogenicity, it can cause severe respiratory infections. Fever, dry cough, sore throat, pneumonia, septic shock, and ground-glass opacities are the foremost clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Immunocompromised patients are at high risk for COVID-19 infection and may lead to …


Cyclic Peptide [R4w4] In Improving The Ability Of First-Line Antibiotics To Inhibit Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Inside In Vitro Human Granulomas, Joshua Hernandez, David Ashley, Ruoqiong Cao, Rachel Abrahem, Timothy Nguyen, Kimberly To, Aram Yegiazaryan, Ajayi Akinwale David, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Vishwanath Venketaraman Aug 2020

Cyclic Peptide [R4w4] In Improving The Ability Of First-Line Antibiotics To Inhibit Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Inside In Vitro Human Granulomas, Joshua Hernandez, David Ashley, Ruoqiong Cao, Rachel Abrahem, Timothy Nguyen, Kimberly To, Aram Yegiazaryan, Ajayi Akinwale David, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Vishwanath Venketaraman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Tuberculosis (TB) is currently one of the leading causes of global mortality. Medical non-compliance due to the length of the treatment and antibiotic side effects has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) that are difficult to treat. A current therapeutic strategy attempting to circumvent this issue aims to enhance drug delivery to reduce the duration of the antibiotic regimen or dosage of first-line antibiotics. One such agent that may help is cyclic peptide [R4W4], as it has been shown to have antibacterial properties (in combination with tetracycline) …


Cytokine Storm In Covid-19: An Overview, Mechanism, Treatment Strategies, And Stem Cell Therapy Perspective, Nuriza Ulul Azmi, Meidi Utami Puteri, Donny Lukmanto Aug 2020

Cytokine Storm In Covid-19: An Overview, Mechanism, Treatment Strategies, And Stem Cell Therapy Perspective, Nuriza Ulul Azmi, Meidi Utami Puteri, Donny Lukmanto

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the disease caused by the highly transmittable novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infections. The disease was found at the end of December 2019, in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread worldwide with a higher mortality rate compared to the previous coronavirus disease. Cytokine plays an important role in the inflammatory response against coronavirus infection. However, in severely ill patients with COVID-19, an excessive amount of cytokine serum level (cytokine storm) has been associated with the aggravation of coronavirus disease leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Thus, the management of the cytokine storm could be the key to …


Prospects For Rnai Therapy Of Covid-19, Hasan Uludağ, Kylie Parent, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Azita Haddadi Jul 2020

Prospects For Rnai Therapy Of Covid-19, Hasan Uludağ, Kylie Parent, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Azita Haddadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a fast emerging disease with deadly consequences. The pulmonary system and lungs in particular are most prone to damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection, which leaves a destructive footprint in the lung tissue, making it incapable of conducting its respiratory functions and resulting in severe acute respiratory disease and loss of life. There were no drug treatments or vaccines approved for SARS-CoV-2 at the onset of pandemic, necessitating an urgent need to develop effective therapeutics. To this end, the innate RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism can be employed to develop front line therapies against …


Phosphodiesterase Isoforms And Camp Compartments In The Development Of New Therapies For Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Martina Schmidt, Isabella Cattani-Cavalieri, Francisco J. Nuñez, Rennolds S. Ostrom Jul 2020

Phosphodiesterase Isoforms And Camp Compartments In The Development Of New Therapies For Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Martina Schmidt, Isabella Cattani-Cavalieri, Francisco J. Nuñez, Rennolds S. Ostrom

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The second messenger molecule 3′5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) imparts several beneficial effects in lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). While cAMP is bronchodilatory in asthma and COPD, it also displays anti-fibrotic properties that limit fibrosis. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) metabolize cAMP and thus regulate cAMP signaling. While some existing therapies inhibit PDEs, there are only broad family specific inhibitors. The understanding of cAMP signaling compartments, some centered around lipid rafts/caveolae, has led to interest in defining how specific PDE isoforms maintain these signaling microdomains. The possible altered expression of PDEs, and thus abnormal …


Targeting The Transferrin Receptor To Develop Erythropoietin For Alzheimer’S Disease, Rachita K. Sumbria Jun 2020

Targeting The Transferrin Receptor To Develop Erythropoietin For Alzheimer’S Disease, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States with approximately 5.8 million Americans currently living with AD. Due to the lack of a disease modifying treatment for AD and the aging baby boomer generation, this number is projected to grow to 13.8 million by 2050 (Gaugler et al., 2019). Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque accumulation, one of the major pathological hallmarks of AD, can begin > 20 years before clinical symptoms of AD. By the time AD is clinically diagnosed, neuronal loss and neuropathological lesions (Aβ plaques and tau tangles) have already occurred in many brain regions …


Cancer Pain And The Risks Of Opioid Abuse, Yarelis Diaz Jun 2020

Cancer Pain And The Risks Of Opioid Abuse, Yarelis Diaz

College of Pharmacy Student Research

No abstract provided.


Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery For The Treatment Of Cardiovascular Diseases, Rajasekharreddy Pala, Vt Anju, Madhu Dyavaiah, Siddhardha Busi, Surya M. Nauli May 2020

Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery For The Treatment Of Cardiovascular Diseases, Rajasekharreddy Pala, Vt Anju, Madhu Dyavaiah, Siddhardha Busi, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the foremost causes of high morbidity and mortality globally. Preventive, diagnostic, and treatment measures available for CVDs are not very useful, which demands promising alternative methods. Nanoscience and nanotechnology open a new window in the area of CVDs with an opportunity to achieve effective treatment, better prognosis, and less adverse effects on non-target tissues. The application of nanoparticles and nanocarriers in the area of cardiology has gathered much attention due to the properties such as passive and active targeting to the cardiac tissues, improved target specificity, and sensitivity. It has reported that more than …


Rapamycin Treatment Correlates Changes In Primary Cilia Expression With Cell Cycle Regulation In Epithelial Cells, Maha Jamal, Ane C.F. Nunes, Nosratola D. Vaziri, Ramani Ramchandran, Robert L. Bacallao, Andromeda M. Nauli, Surya M. Nauli May 2020

Rapamycin Treatment Correlates Changes In Primary Cilia Expression With Cell Cycle Regulation In Epithelial Cells, Maha Jamal, Ane C.F. Nunes, Nosratola D. Vaziri, Ramani Ramchandran, Robert L. Bacallao, Andromeda M. Nauli, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Primary cilia are sensory organelles that regulate cell cycle and signaling pathways. In addition to its association with cancer, dysfunction of primary cilia is responsible for the pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and other ciliopathies. Because the association between cilia formation or length and cell cycle or division is poorly understood, we here evaluated their correlation in this study. Using Spectral Karyotyping (SKY) technique, we showed that PKD and the cancer/tumorigenic epithelial cells PC3, DU145, and NL20-TA were associated with abnormal ploidy. We also showed that PKD and the cancer epithelia were highly proliferative. Importantly, the cancer epithelial cells …


Comparative Antiviral Activity Of Remdesivir And Anti-Hiv Nucleoside Analogs Against Human Coronavirus 229e (Hcov-229e), Keykavous Parang, Naglaa Salem El-Sayed, Assad J. Kazeminy, Rakesh Tiwari May 2020

Comparative Antiviral Activity Of Remdesivir And Anti-Hiv Nucleoside Analogs Against Human Coronavirus 229e (Hcov-229e), Keykavous Parang, Naglaa Salem El-Sayed, Assad J. Kazeminy, Rakesh Tiwari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Remdesivir is a nucleotide prodrug that is currently undergoing extensive clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19. The prodrug is metabolized to its active triphosphate form and interferes with the action of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-COV-2. Herein, we report the antiviral activity of remdesivir against human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) compared to known anti-HIV agents. These agents included tenofovir (TFV), 4′-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2′-deoxyadenosine (EFdA), alovudine (FLT), lamivudine (3TC), and emtricitabine (FTC), known as nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and a number of 5′-O-fatty acylated anti-HIV nucleoside conjugates. The anti-HIV nucleosides interfere with HIV RNA-dependent DNA polymerase and/or act as chain terminators. …


Assessing The Effect Of Chronic Dopamine Receptor 2 Blockade As A Potential Model Of Secondary Negative Symptoms In Rats Using The Fr5/Chow Feeding Choice Task, Cyrene Nicholas May 2020

Assessing The Effect Of Chronic Dopamine Receptor 2 Blockade As A Potential Model Of Secondary Negative Symptoms In Rats Using The Fr5/Chow Feeding Choice Task, Cyrene Nicholas

Honors Scholar Theses

Haloperidol, a dopamine (DA) D2 receptor antagonist, is an antipsychotic drug which is commonly used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. These disorders are often characterized by elevated striatal dopamine, which is speculated to have a role in producing positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia, as well as symptoms related to motivational salience and reward prediction. Individuals with schizophrenia also exhibit negative symptoms, such as amotivation, anergia, fatigue, and apathy among others. While some negative symptoms of schizophrenia are inherent to the pathophysiology, other negative symptoms are hypothesized to be partially induced by chronic exposure to antipsychotic …


Proteoglycan-4 Regulates Fibroblast To Myofibroblast Transition And Expression Of Fibrotic Genes In The Synovium, Marwa Qadri, Gregory D. Jay, Ling X. Zhang, Holly Richendrfer, Tannin A. Schmidt, Khaled A. Elsaid May 2020

Proteoglycan-4 Regulates Fibroblast To Myofibroblast Transition And Expression Of Fibrotic Genes In The Synovium, Marwa Qadri, Gregory D. Jay, Ling X. Zhang, Holly Richendrfer, Tannin A. Schmidt, Khaled A. Elsaid

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Synovial tissue fibrosis is common in advanced OA with features including the presence of stress fiber-positive myofibroblasts and deposition of cross-linked collagen type-I. Proteoglycan-4 (PRG4) is a mucinous glycoprotein secreted by synovial fibroblasts and is a major component of synovial fluid. PRG4 is a ligand of the CD44 receptor. Our objective was to examine the role of PRG4-CD44 interaction in regulating synovial tissue fibrosis in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: OA synoviocytes were treated with TGF-β ± PRG4 for 24h and α-SMA content was determined using immunofluorescence. Rhodamine-labeled rhPRG4 was incubated with OA synoviocytes ± anti-CD44 or …


Cd44 Receptor Mediates Urate Crystal Phagocytosis By Macrophages And Regulates Inflammation In A Murine Peritoneal Model Of Acute Gout, Emira Bousoik, Marwa Qadri, Khaled A. Elsaid Apr 2020

Cd44 Receptor Mediates Urate Crystal Phagocytosis By Macrophages And Regulates Inflammation In A Murine Peritoneal Model Of Acute Gout, Emira Bousoik, Marwa Qadri, Khaled A. Elsaid

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Gout is a chronic arthritis caused by the deposition of poorly soluble monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals in peripheral joints. Resident macrophages initiate inflammation in response to MSU mediated by NF-κB nuclear translocation and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. We investigated the role of CD44, a transmembrane receptor, in mediating MSU phagocytosis by macrophages. We used an antibody that sheds the extracellular domain (ECD) of CD44 to study the role of the receptor and its associated protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in macrophage activation. We also studied the significance of CD44 in mediating MSU inflammation in-vivo. Cd44−/− BMDMs showed reduced MSU …


Pcsk9 Inhibitors In Secondary Prevention – An Opportunity For Personalized Therapy, Chase Board, Michael S. Kelly, Michael D. Shapiro, Dave L. Dixon Feb 2020

Pcsk9 Inhibitors In Secondary Prevention – An Opportunity For Personalized Therapy, Chase Board, Michael S. Kelly, Michael D. Shapiro, Dave L. Dixon

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary cause of ASCVD and reducing LDL-C levels with statin therapy significantly reduces ASCVD risk; however, significant residual risk remains. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), alirocumab and evolocumab, that target proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9), reduce LDL-C levels by up to 60% when used in combination with statins and significantly reduce the risk of recurrent ASCVD events in both stable secondary prevention and acute coronary syndrome populations. Pre-specified analyses of recent randomized controlled trials have shed light on how best to prioritize these therapies …


Tobacco/Hiv-1-Induced Myeloid Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles In Hiv-1 Pathogenesis, Sanjana Haque Feb 2020

Tobacco/Hiv-1-Induced Myeloid Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles In Hiv-1 Pathogenesis, Sanjana Haque

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction. Smoking, which is highly prevalent in people living with HIV/AIDS, has been shown to exacerbate HIV-1 replication, in part via cytochrome P450 (CYP)-induced oxidative stress. CYP enzymes metabolize cigarette smoke condensate (CSC), causing oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Our previous studies have demonstrated that CSC and specific CSC constituents, benzo(a)pyrene and nicotine, potentially induce CYPs, resulting in higher oxidative stress and subsequent exacerbation of HIV-1 replication in monocytes and macrophages. However, the exact mechanism behind tobacco-induced, oxidative stress-mediated enhancement of HIV-1 replication is still poorly understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently gained attention for their unique nature as intercellular messengers …


Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer Jan 2020

Oral Contraceptives As Possible Acl Injury Prevention Method, Haley Schweizer

Capstone Showcase

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are an upsetting setback for many athletes that require a long and costly recovery process. The injury rates are four times greater in women than men. Preventative measures that help to prevent ACL injuries are limited to stretching and strengthening. Therefore, this review aims to investigate if oral contraceptive [I] usage provides a possible new avenue for prevention of ACL injury [O] in young female athletes (ages 18-30) [P] compared to those that do not take oral contraceptives [C].

Methods: A literature review was performed though PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS Database, and ClinicalKey …


Design And Biological Evaluation Of Colchicine-Cd44-Targeted Peptide Conjugate In An In Vitro Model Of Crystal Induced Inflammation, Khalid A. Zoghebi, Emira Bousoik, Keykavous Parang, Khaled A. Elsaid Dec 2019

Design And Biological Evaluation Of Colchicine-Cd44-Targeted Peptide Conjugate In An In Vitro Model Of Crystal Induced Inflammation, Khalid A. Zoghebi, Emira Bousoik, Keykavous Parang, Khaled A. Elsaid

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis due to the joint deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. Phagocytosis of MSU crystals by tissue macrophages results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Colchicine use in gout is limited by severe toxicity. CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is highly expressed in tissue macrophages and may be involved in gout pathogenesis. The P6 peptide is a 20-amino acid residue peptide that binds to CD44. We hypothesized that the conjugation of colchicine to the P6 peptide would reduce its off-target cytotoxicity while preserving its anti-inflammatory effect. …


Delivery Of Small Molecule And Rna Using Synthetic Polymeric Micelles And Multifunctional Exosomes For The Treatment Of Type 1 Diabetes, Yang Peng Dec 2019

Delivery Of Small Molecule And Rna Using Synthetic Polymeric Micelles And Multifunctional Exosomes For The Treatment Of Type 1 Diabetes, Yang Peng

Theses & Dissertations

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most challenging chronic autoimmune diseases. The destruction and dysfunction of insulin-secreting β cells are the results of inflammatory infiltration and the synergistic effect of multiple immune cells. The aim of this dissertation is to develop novel and reliable therapeutic approaches to advance the treatment of T1D: including chemical modification of a broad-spectrum immunosuppressant, co-application of small molecule based immune intervention and siRNA based β cell preservative therapy, and administration of a PI3K-δ/γ dual inhibitor to specifically target immune cells, utilizing synthetic polymeric micelles or natural produced multi-functional exosomes derived from human bone marrow …


Synthesis And Characterization Of Long Acting Darunavir Prodrugs, Mary Banoub Dec 2019

Synthesis And Characterization Of Long Acting Darunavir Prodrugs, Mary Banoub

Theses & Dissertations

Patient adherence is critical for ART success to ensure adequate viral suppression, therefore, long-acting antiretrovirals are soon replacing current daily regimens. In recent years, two drugs were successfully transformed into long-acting injectables; CAB LA and RPV LA. These long-acting nanoformulations made it possible to abandon the daily pill burden, instead approximately a bimonthly injection of both drugs is enough to suppress and maintain viral load suppression. Our laboratory has been instrumental in transforming FDA-approved and experimental-HIV medications into long-acting slow effective release drugs, also known as LASER ART. LASER ART consists of slow drug metabolism and high permeability and retention …


The Development Of Novel Apurinic/Aprymidinic Endonuclease/Redox-Factor 1 Inhibitors For The Treatment Of Human Melanoma, Bella Sharifi Dec 2019

The Development Of Novel Apurinic/Aprymidinic Endonuclease/Redox-Factor 1 Inhibitors For The Treatment Of Human Melanoma, Bella Sharifi

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

Apurinic/apyrimidinic DNA repair endonuclease-1 (APE1), first recognized as an important DNA excision repair enzyme, is also known as Redox Factor-1 (Ref-1) involved in the activation of many nuclear transcription factors in both redox-dependent and independent manner. It has been well-documented that the overexpression of APE/Ref-1 contributes to the development of chemo-resistance and is associated with tumor progression in many human malignancies [1].

Our previous study in melanoma demonstrated that the development of novel inhibitors targeting the redox regulation domain of APE/Ref-1 is a promising strategy for melanoma treatment. To date, limited successes have been reported in developing novel …