Other Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

A Pdk-1 Allosteric Agonist Neutralizes Insulin Signaling Derangements And Beta-Amyloid Toxicity In Neuronal Cells And In Vitro, Henry Querfurth, John Marshall, Keykavous Parang, Mengia S. Rioult-Pedotti, Rakesh Tiwari, Bumsup Kwon, Steve Reisinger, Han-Kyu Lee

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The Alzheimer’s brain is affected by multiple pathophysiological processes, which include a unique, organ-specific form of insulin resistance that begins early in its course. An additional complexity arises from the four-fold risk of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in type 2 diabetics, however there is no definitive proof of causation. Several strategies to improve brain insulin signaling have been proposed and some have been clinically tested. We report findings on a small allosteric molecule that reverses several indices of insulin insensitivity in both cell culture and in vitro models of AD that emphasize the intracellular accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβi). PS48, a chlorophenyl …

Channelopathy-Causing Mutations In The S45A/S45B And Ha/Hb Helices Of KCa2.3 And KCa3.1 Channels Alter Their Apparent Ca2+ Sensitivity, Razan Orfali, Young-Woo Nam, Hai Minh Nguyen, Mohammad Asikur Rahman, Grace Yang, Meng Cui, Heike Wulff, Miao Zhang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Small- and intermediate-conductance Ca²⁺-activated potassium (K_Ca2.x and K_Ca3.1, also called SK and IK) channels are activated exclusively by a Ca²⁺-calmodulin gating mechanism. Wild-type K_Ca2.3 channels have a Ca²⁺ EC₅₀ value of ∼0.3 μM, while the apparent Ca²⁺ sensitivity of wild-type K_Ca3.1 channels is ∼0.27 μM. Heterozygous genetic mutations of K_Ca2.3 channels have been associated with Zimmermann-Laband syndrome and idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension, while K_Ca3.1 channel mutations were reported in hereditary xerocytosis patients. K_Ca2.3_S436C and K_Ca2.3_V450L channels with …

Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (Enos) And The Cardiovascular System: In Physiology And In Disease States, N Tran, T Garcia, M Aniqa, S Ali, A Ally, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a critical role in regulating and maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. The importance of eNOS can be emphasized from the genetic polymorphisms of the eNOS gene, uncoupling of eNOS dimerization, and its numerous signaling regulations. The activity of eNOS on the cardiac myocytes, vasculature, and the central nervous system are discussed. The effects of eNOS on the sympathetic autonomic nervous system (SANS) and the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system (PANS), both of which profoundly influence the cardiovascular system, will be elaborated. The relationship between the eNOS protein with cardiovascular autonomic reflexes such as the baroreflex …

Centracare Launch Of Covid Antiviral Therapy, Jessica Miller, Todd Lemke Pharmd, Dennis Heinen Rph

Nursing Posters

• Efficiently monitor the limited available stock of oral antiviral COVID therapies during surge states
• Prescribe safely and appropriately
• Dispense to patients close to home.

Equitable Pharmacogenetic Testing Implementation For Rural And Underserved Populations, Shayna Killam

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pharmacogenetic testing has potential to transform healthcare, yet implementation strategies have been limited to major academic medical centers serving metropolitan communities and large health systems. In contrast, rural, community-based health systems are slow to implement these advances, threatening to exacerbate existing healthcare disparities for rural populations. A majority of Montanans live in rural areas, with unique challenges in providing access to pharmacogenetics.

We have established partnerships with three clinical sites who serve rural, underserved populations including American Indian, pediatric, and low socioeconomic status patients. We conducted a needs assessment for pharmacogenetic testing implementation by interviewing 48 key stakeholders. Interview questions …

Assessing The Accuracy And Deficits Of Popular Drug-Interaction Software Programs In Detecting Interactions Between Cannabis And Pharmaceutical Drugs, Nathan C. Ramsbacher

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

- Purpose – The management of drug interactions in healthcare is a large concern for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, especially for patients requiring large amounts of medications. Healthcare professionals and patients alike utilize drug-interaction software programs (DISPs) frequently to manage medications and make clinical decisions. There is a large discrepancy between DISPs in terms of detecting clinically significant drug interactions. Notably, cannabis does not flag as an interaction as reliably as pharmaceutical drugs on many DISPs. With rising cannabis use in the United States, patients deserve to make decisions on how to safely use cannabis with their prescription drugs …

The Relative Contribution Of Liver And Intestine In Reverse Cholesterol Transport, Rupinder Kaur

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Despite decades of advances in research, death due to cardiometabolic disease remains the largest contributor to mortality in the US. While present therapies oppose “forward cholesterol transport,” and atherosclerotic plaque progression, they do not remove cholesterol from established atherosclerotic plaques. Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is the active process of mobilizing peripheral cholesterol for excretion through the hepatobiliary (transhepatic cholesterol elimination, THCE) or intestinal (transintestinal cholesterol elimination, TICE) pathways. Currently, there are no clinically approved therapeutics that target RCT. Elucidation of the mechanisms that govern RCT and TICE, and the subsequent identification of novel targets is of importance. The present work …

Development Of Zafirlukast Derivatives Active Against Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Kaitlind C. Howard

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Periodontal diseases are inflammatory diseases that can lead to damage of the soft tissue and bone supporting the teeth. Gingivitis is the reversible early stage of gum disease, which consist of gums that bleed when brushing or flossing teeth. When left untreated, the preventable but irreversible late stage of periodontal disease, periodontitis, can lead teeth to loosen or even fall out. Oral bacterial species, such as the Gram-negative anaerobic pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis trigger these inflammatory diseases through oral dysbiosis. P. gingivalis is a keystone pathogen, meaning that the damage caused by P. gingivalis is not proportional to its abundance. Treatment …

Clinical Skills Development In The Virtual Learning Environment: Adapting To A New World, Erini S. Serag-Bolos, Liza Barbarello Andrews, Jennifer Beall, Kelly A. Lempicki, Aimon C. Miranda, Carol Motycka, Chelsea Phillips Renfro, Brittany L. Riley, Chasity M. Shelton, Deepti Vyas, Kimberly Won

Pharmacy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

The rapid transition to distance learning in response to the unexpected SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic led to disruption of clinical skills development, which are typically conducted face-to-face. Consequently, faculty adapted their courses, using a multitude of active learning modalities, to meet student learning objectives in the didactic and experiential settings. Strategies and considerations to implement innovative delivery methods and address potential challenges are elucidated. Furthermore, integration of a layered learning approach may allow for more broad perspectives and allow additional interactions and feedback, which is especially necessary in the virtual environment.

Development And Optimization Of A Low Volume Air-Jet Dry Powder Inhaler (Dpi) Platform For The Delivery Of High Dose Aerosolized Powder To Infants, Connor Howe

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to develop an infant air-jet dry powder inhaler (DPI) platform for high-efficiency nose-to-lung (N2L) aerosol administration to infants through optimization of individual system components followed by expansion of the system to higher doses and different formulations using a new approach. Primary challenges associated with aerosol delivery to infants using the N2L route include the extremely narrow extrathoracic airways, short inspiratory times (~0.2 sec), low safe airway pressure (H₂O), and very low volumes of air (~10 mL) available to form the aerosol. The infant air-jet DPI system was comprised of three main …

Pharmacists' Role In Opioid Use Disorder And Overdose Prevention And Treatment And Their Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Distributing Naloxone Under A Standing Order, Stephen C. Ijioma

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Opioids are a class of drugs that bind to opioid receptors (mu, delta, and kappa), located in the central and peripheral nervous systems, to exert responses such as analgesia, respiratory depression, euphoria, and miosis. The opioid epidemic is characterized in large part by an increase in opioid overdose deaths. Community pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare professionals who frequently interact with patients and can implement OUD and opioid overdose prevention strategies. Treatment for opioid overdose and OUD include naloxone for overdose deaths as well as medication-assisted treatment for OUD.

Objective: The specific aims of this thesis include …

Targeting Vulnerabilities In Cell State And Calcium Signaling For The Treatment Of Lung Cancer, Clark Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lung cancer remains the deadliest of all cancers due to the high mutational burden associated with the disease. Combating mutational drivers and drug resistance proves to be essential in the development of novel therapies to improve patient outcomes. A first-in-class cyclic peptide known as MTI-101 has been shown to induce necrotic cell death in a caspase independent manner. MTI-101 was derived from the linear peptide known as HYD1 that was found in a high throughput screen to block cell adhesion with the extracellular matrix. The compound was further optimized and cyclized to the currently used MTI-101 that was found to …

Investigating The Mitochondrial Protein Mitoneet In C. Elegans Models Of Aging And Alzheimer's Disease, Jacob Ryan Boos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and elimination, favoring the former. Reactive oxygen species serve as important signaling molecules for physiological homeostasis. However, when produced in excess, these once important signaling molecules become detrimental, disrupting cellular functions, and ultimately leading to cell death. In aging, reactive oxygen species production is increased, accompanied with reductions in oxidative stress resistance, increasing the risk for developing age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. The outer mitochondrial membrane iron-sulfur cluster containing protein mitoNEET (CISD1; gene CISD1) has shown to be a mediator of mitochondrial function and …

Biologic Tnf-Α Inhibitors Reduce Microgliosis, Neuronal Loss, And Tau Phosphorylation In A Transgenic Mouse Model Of Tauopathy, Weijun Ou, Joshua Yang, Juste Simanauskaite, Matthew Choi, Demi M. Castellanos, Rudy Chang, Jiahong Sun, Nataraj Jagadeesan, Karen D. Parfitt, David H. Cribbs, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a central role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, making biologic TNF-α inhibitors (TNFIs), including etanercept, viable therapeutics for AD. The protective effects of biologic TNFIs on AD hallmark pathology (Aβ deposition and tau pathology) have been demonstrated. However, the effects of biologic TNFIs on Aβ-independent tau pathology have not been reported. Existing biologic TNFIs do not cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), therefore we engineered a BBB-penetrating biologic TNFI by fusing the extracellular domain of the type-II human TNF-α receptor (TNFR) to a transferrin receptor antibody (TfRMAb) that ferries the TNFR into the brain via …

The Benefits Of Astaxanthin To Improve Pain Relief In Patients With Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: An Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial, Rizaldy Taslim Pinzon, Mary Rose Angelina Budi Harsana

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Treatment of diabetic neuropathy is still carried out by providing symptomatic therapy, which only improves ± 50% of the total symptoms felt by patients, but does not tackle the underlying causes of the disease. Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic carotenoid that could be an additional treatment option. We aimed to measure the effectiveness of administering astaxanthin as an additional therapy to improve the impact of pain and discomfort experienced daily by diabetes mellitus patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. We conducted a randomized experimental study with an open label design of 36 patients who had been diagnosed with …

Ameliorating Role Of Ulva Lactuca Extract On Neurobehavioral And Neurochemical Abnormalities Caused By Lithium In Rats, Samira Bouhalit, Noura Brahmi

Journal of Bioresource Management

Lithium is a relevant mood-stabilizing agent that is used in the management of depressive and manic episodes in bipolar, disorder; however, its application may cause diverse side effects including oxidative stress. This work investigated the neuroprotective and anti-stress activity of Ulva lactuca extract (MEUL) against lithium induced neuronal toxicity in rats. Lithium (2 g/kg) was administered in diets with or without MEUL (250 mg/kg BW by gavage) for 90 days. Lithium induced oxidative stress lead to an elevation in lipid peroxidation and oxidation protein product levels, a reduced superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities, glutathione, and ascorbic acid concentrations in brain. …

The Effect Of Heparinoid As Systemic Prophylactic Anticoagulants On Covid-19 Patient Mortality And Its Safety Profiles: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Ariska Deffy Anggarany, Rani Sauriasari, Muhammad Alkaff, Famila Takhwifa, Hayatun Nufus, Diana Paramita

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Coagulopathy is one of the complications of COVID-19 and is associated with a higher risk of mortality. However, evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of anticoagulant therapy in various doses among COVID-19 patients is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review and explore the effect of using heparinoids as a systemic anticoagulant at prophylactic doses on mortality in COVID-19 patients. Systematic searches were conducted of various databases (Pubmed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Scopus, and ProQuest) covering the period 2019-2021. We assessed the quality of the articles using the STROBE checklist. Studies with a high risk of bias were excluded before …

Comparative Analytical Study Of Phytochemicals In Selected Antidiabetic Medicinal Plant Seeds In Sri Lanka, Gowri Rajkumar, Mihiri Rangika Jayasinghe, Vinotha Sanmugarajah

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Medicinal plants are universally used in the management of various diseases in different medical practices. A varied diversity of compounds extracted from plants may show anticancer, antibacterial, and antidiabetic activities. Comparative laboratory studies and scientific approach of efficacy related to phytochemicals found in medicinal plants in Sri Lanka have not been reported yet. This study aims to evaluate the phytochemicals in selected four different plant seeds such as Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels, Brassica alba (L.) Rabenh, Trigonella foenum-graecum L. and Nigella sativa L., which are used in the management of diabetes mellitus in Sri Lanka. The ethanol extracts of …

Pharmacy-Led Medication Reconciliation Program Reduces Adverse Drug Events And Improves Satisfaction In A Community Hospital, L. Hayley Burgess, Joan Kramer, Carley Castelein, Joseph M. Parra, Victoria Timmons, Samantha Pickens, Sarah Fraker, Christopher Cameron Skinner

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Pharmacy-led medication reconciliation identifies and corrects medication errors that can potentially cause moderate to severe harm. This research sought to identify the impact of pharmacy-led medication reconciliation on patient outcomes and describe the changes in healthcare workers’ perceptions of the program.

Methods

A pharmacy-led admission medication reconciliation program pilot started in July 2019, and a discharge medication reconciliation proof of concept was tested in September 2020 at a 432-bed hospital. The following periods were compared: August 2018 to February 2019 (pre-program implementation) and August 2019 to February 2020 (post-program implementation). Endpoints included patient outcomes, workforce productivity and interdisciplinary healthcare …

Development Of A Bamlanivimab Infusion Process In The Emergency Department For Outpatient Covid-19 Patients, Danny Pham, Sandy Wong, Christina T. Nguyen, Stephen C. Lee, Kimberly J. Won

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted the creation of new therapies to help fight against the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Bamlanivimab is a SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody that is administered as an intravenous infusion to ambulatory patients with mild or moderate COVID-19, but a concern that arose was deciding the optimal location for patients to receive the medication. This report describes the development and implementation of a bamlanivimab infusion center in the emergency department of three hospitals in Orange County, California, shortly after bamlanivimab received emergency use authorization. As a result, a total of 601 …

Novel Biomarkers Of Ciliary Extracellular Vesicles Interact With Ciliopathy And Alzheimer’S Associated Proteins, Ashraf M. Mohieldin, Amal Alachkar, John R. Yates Iii, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ciliary extracellular vesicles (ciEVs), released from primary cilia, contain functional proteins that play an important role in cilia structure and functions. We have recently shown that ciEVs and cytosolic extracellular vesicles (cyEVs) have unique and distinct biomarkers. While ciEV biomarkers have shown some interactions with known ciliary proteins, little is known about the interaction of ciEV proteins with proteins involved in ciliopathy and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we reveal for the first time the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between the top five ciEVs biomarkers with ciliopathy and Alzheimer disease (AD) proteins. These results support the growing evidence of the critical physiological roles …

Evaluating The 0–10 Point Pain Scale On Adolescent Opioid Use In Us Emergency Departments, Michael T. Phan, Daniel M. Tomaszewski, Cody Arbuckle, Sun Yang, Brooke Jenkins, Michelle A. Fortier, Theodore Heyming, Erik Linstead, Candice Donaldson, Zeev N. Kain

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: To evaluate trends in national emergency department (ED) adolescent opioid use in relation to reported pain scores. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis on National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) data was conducted on ED visits involving patients aged 11–21 from 2008–2017. Crude observational counts were extrapolated to weighted estimates matching total population counts. Multivariate models were used to evaluate the role of a pain score in the reported use of opioids. Anchors for pain scores were 0 (no pain) and 10 (worst pain imaginable). Results: 31,355 observations were captured, which were extrapolated by the NHAMCS to represent 162,515,943 …

Recombinant Human Proteoglycan 4 Regulates Phagocytic Activation Of Monocytes And Reduces Il-1Β Secretion By Urate Crystal Stimulated Gout Pbmcs, Sandy Elsayed, Gregory D. Jay, Ralph Cabezas, Marwa Qadri, Tannin A. Schmidt, Khaled A. Elsaid

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives

To compare phagocytic activities of monocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from acute gout patients and normal subjects, examine monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystal-induced IL-1β secretion ± recombinant human proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) or interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), and study the anti-inflammatory mechanism of rhPRG4 in MSU stimulated monocytes.

Methods

Acute gout PBMCs were collected from patients in the Emergency Department and normal PBMCs were obtained from a commercial source. Monocytes in PBMCs were identified by flow cytometry. PBMCs were primed with Pam3CSK4 (1μg/mL) for 24h and phagocytic activation of monocytes was determined using fluorescently labeled latex beads. MSU …

Optimizing Empiric Vancomycin Use In Febrile Neutropenia Patients, Nicole Tadros, Erika Dittmar, Radhan B. Gopalani

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Introduction: National guidelines do not support routine empiric vancomycin use in the initial management of febrile neutropenia (FN) and only recommend it in patients with specific clinical indications. This bi-phasic quality improvement project aimed to evaluate current vancomycin use in FN and improve compliance with a guideline-driven algorithm (GDA) to ensure appropriate prescribing and therapy duration in a community hospital.

Methods: Phase I was a retrospective review of charts of adults receiving empiric vancomycin therapy for FN at a community hospital. Phase II was a prospective review of charts of patients with FN, who received pharmacist-led interventions, to improve de-escalation …

Keratin 1 As A Cell-Surface Receptor In Cancer, Oluseye Ogunnigbagbe, Christopher G. Bunick, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Keratins are fibrous proteins that take part in several important cellular functions, including the formation of intermediate filaments. In addition, keratins serve as epithelial cell markers, which has made their role in cancer progression, diagnosis, and treatment an important focus of research. Keratin 1 (K1) is a type II keratin whose structure is comprised of a coiled-coil central domain flanked by flexible, glycine-rich loops in the N- and C-termini. While the structure of cytoplasmic K1 is established, the structure of cell-surface K1 is not known. Several transformed cells, such as cancerous cells and cells that have undergone oxidative stress, display …

Kshv Susceptibility And Transmission Within Tonsillar Specimens, Farizeh Aalam

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Despite nearly three decades of research, not much is known regarding the early stages of development for KSHV lymphoproliferative disorders, hindering our ability to develop prophylactic measures or effective treatments. This dissertation will focus on the host and viral factors influencing the magnitude and dynamics of KSHV infection in the human tonsil to pave the way for future interventions directed at limiting person-to-person transmission of KSHV.

To understand the contribution of host factors to KSHV susceptibility in B lymphocytes, we generated a library of 40 tonsillar specimens. Our results indicate that the immunological composition of tonsillar lymphocytes varies across our …

Modulating The Tumor Microenvironment To Improve Immunotherapy Treatments, Lleayem Nazario-Johnson, David Rowley

Senior Honors Projects

Advances in immunotherapy are revolutionizing the treatments of certain cancers, especially those in the blood. However, wider applications for eradicating solid tumors have been slow to emerge. A likely reason is the presence of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the tumor microenvironment that secrete immunosuppressive molecules which attenuate the attack of immune cells. We hypothesize that small molecule Wnt/Beta- Catenin inhibitors can be used to modulate the immunosuppressive actions of MDSCs and increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments, such as with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. The Wnt/Beta-Catenin Pathway has been shown to be a crucial driving force behind the …

Comparative Metabolism Of Aflatoxin B1 In Two Quail Genera Coturnix Japonica And Callipepla Californica, Sean Moody

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Avian species are highly susceptible to the hepatotoxic mycotoxin aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁). Domesticated turkeys are exquisitely sensitive, due to a combination of highly-efficient hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated bioactivation, and to dysfunctional alpha-class glutathione S-transferases (GSTAs) which typically detoxify the bioactivated electrophilic metabolite exo-AFB₁-8,9-epoxide (AFBO). Wild turkeys are relatively resistant to AFB₁ in large part due to expression of functional GSTAs. Quail, a related Galliforme, are slightly less sensitive in vivo to AFB₁, but whether this is related to the hepatic metabolic profiles of these two critical enzymes has not been rigorously evaluated. …

Arrhythmogenic Hearts In Pkd2 Mutant Mice Are Characterized By Cardiac Fibrosis, Systolic, And Diastolic Dysfunctions, Farideh Amirrad, Rajasekharreddy Pala, Kiumars Shamloo, Brian S. Muntean, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a hereditary disorder affecting multiple organs, including the heart. PKD has been associated with many cardiac abnormalities including the arrhythmogenic remodeling in clinical evaluations. In our current study, we hypothesized that Pkd2 gene mutation results in structural and functional defects in the myocardium. The structural and functional changes of Pkd2 mutant hearts were analyzed in the myocardial-specific Pkd2 knockout (KO) mouse. We further assessed a potential role of TGF-b₁ signaling in the pathology of Pkd2-KO hearts. Hearts from age-matched 6-month-old MyH6•Pkd2^wt/wt (control or wild-type) and MyH6 …

The Concentration Of Brain Homogenates With The Amicon Ultra Centrifugal Filters, Joshua Yang, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Accurately measuring the brain concentration of a neurotherapeutic is critical in determining its pharmacokinetic profile in vivo. Biologics are potential therapeutics for neurologic diseases and biologics fused to an antibody targeting a transcytosis receptor at the Blood-Brain Barrier, designated as antibody-biologic fusion proteins, are Blood-Brain Barrier penetrating neurotherapeutics. The use of sandwich immunosorbent assays to measure concentrations of antibody-biologic fusion proteins in brain homogenates has become increasingly popular. The raw brain homogenate contains many proteins and other macromolecules that can cause a matrix effect, potentially interfering with the limit of detection of such assays and reduce the overall sample …