Current and potential treatment of colorectal cancer metastasis to bone.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) with subsequent bone metastasis is associated with a poor prognosis compared with patients who do not develop bone metastasis. However, metastasis in bone is rare, contrasted with more common locations such as the liver and lungs. As a result, the treatment methods targeting CRC bone lesions are limited. This review aims to compile information regarding current and potential medical and surgical treatment methods for colorectal cancer with specific regard to bone metastasis. METHODS: A computer-based literature review of animal- and human-based studies was conducted using multiple database searches. Case reports were excluded. RESULTS: Preliminary findings demonstrate that treatments specifically targeting bone metastasis due to colorectal cancer are categorized by local vs. systemic treatment. The primary goals are the alleviation of skeletal-related events and improvement in quality of life. Current options include: chemotherapy, radiation, monoclonal antibodies, and surgery. Emerging options include intratumoral mellitin, MRgFUS, and bone microenvironment targeting. CONCLUSION: Treatment of CRC metastasis to bone is necessary to slow down metastatic progression, alleviate symptoms, and improve quality of life. With a possible rise in bone metastasis due to increased overall CRC survival rates, more clinical trials should be performed to address this growing concern.

High-Salt Diet Exacerbates H. pylori Infection and Increases Gastric Cancer Risks.

Gastric cancer ranks as the fifth-leading contributor to global cancer incidence and the fourth-highest in terms of cancer-related mortality. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection leads to inflammation and ulceration, atrophic and chronic gastritis, and eventually, increases the risk of developing gastric adenocarcinoma. In this paper, we delve into the combined impact of a high-salt diet (HSD) and concurrent H. pylori infection, which act as predisposing factors for gastric malignancy. A multitude of mechanisms come into play, fostering the development of gastric adenocarcinoma due to the synergy between an HSD and H. pylori colonization. These encompass the disruption of mucosal barriers, cellular integrity, modulation of H. pylori gene expression, oxidative stress induction, and provocation of inflammatory responses. On the whole, gastric cancer patients were reported to have a higher median sodium intake with respect to healthy controls. H. pylori infection constitutes an additional risk factor, with a particular impact on the population with the highest daily sodium intake. Consequently, drawing from epidemiological discoveries, substantial evidence suggests that diminishing salt intake and employing antibacterial therapeutics could potentially lower the susceptibility to gastric cancer among individuals.

Effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the liver.

There have been numerous concerns about the disease and how it affects the human body since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic began in December 2019. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the liver is being carefully investigated due to an increase in individuals with hepatitis and other liver illnesses, such as alcoholic liver disease. Additionally, the liver is involved in the metabolism of numerous drugs used to treat comorbidities and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Determining how SARS-CoV-2 affects the liver and what factors place individuals with COVID-19 at a higher risk of developing liver problems are the two main objectives of this study. This evaluation of the literature included research from three major scientific databases. To provide an update on the current impact of COVID-19 on the liver, data was collected and relevant information was incorporated into the review. With more knowledge about the effect of the disease on the liver, better management and therapeutics can be developed, and education can ultimately save lives and reduce the long-term impact of the pandemic on our population.

Routine pediatric vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic: A review of the global impact.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put standard, routine childhood vaccinations at risk worldwide. The disruption in vaccine coverage has resulted in a negative impact on the health of children, with some races, ethnicities, age groups, areas of settlement, and parts of the world affected more than others. This literature review studied and examined the impact of COVID-19 on infant, child, and adolescent vaccinations. Retrospectively, the analysis showed a decline, delays, or interruptions in the coverage of vaccines during the pan-demic and a decline in some countries' pre-pandemic and post-pandemic eras. Necessary attempts and efforts should be made for these delayed and missed vaccinations, as failure to do so could put children's health at risk. Thus, priority should be directed at instituting catch-up programs to support vaccine uptake and decrease the probability of acquiring vaccine-preventable diseases.

Therapeutic Antiaging Strategies.

Aging constitutes progressive physiological changes in an organism. These changes alter the normal biological functions, such as the ability to manage metabolic stress, and eventually lead to cellular senescence. The process itself is characterized by nine hallmarks: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication. These hallmarks are risk factors for pathologies, such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Emerging evidence has been focused on examining the genetic pathways and biological processes in organisms surrounding these nine hallmarks. From here, the therapeutic approaches can be addressed in hopes of slowing the progression of aging. In this review, data have been collected on the hallmarks and their relative contributions to aging and supplemented with in vitro and in vivo antiaging research experiments. It is the intention of this article to highlight the most important antiaging strategies that researchers have proposed, including preventive measures, systemic therapeutic agents, and invasive procedures, that will promote healthy aging and increase human life expectancy with decreased side effects.

Current advancements and future prospects of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics: a narrative review.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made a global impact on the daily lives of humanity, devastating health systems, and cataclysmically affecting the world's economy. Currently, the Standard Public Health Protective practices consist of but are not limited to wearing masks, social distancing, isolating sick and exposed people, and contact tracing. Scientists around the globe undertook swift scientific efforts to develop safe and effective therapeutics and vaccines to combat COVID-19. Presently, as of mid-March 2022, 57.05% of the world population have been fully vaccinated, and 65.3% of the United States of America's (USA) total population have been fully vaccinated while 76.7% have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This article explores the various vaccines created through modern science and technology, including their safety, efficacy, and mechanism of action. Although the vaccines produced are up to 95.0% efficacious, their efficacy wanes over time, underscoring the need for booster doses. Also, vaccination has not been able to prevent "breakthrough" infections. The limitations of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines indicate that further measures are required to ensure a firm control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of certain therapeutic agents because they have shown remarkable clinical outcomes. Several therapeutic agents for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 include Gilead's remdesivir, Regeneron's casirivimab and imdevimab combination, Eli Lilly's baricitinib and remdesivir combination, Pfizer's co-packaged nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets, and Merck's molnupiravir capsules. Hence concerted efforts in early and accurate diagnosis, education on the COVID-19 virulence, transmission and preventive measures, global vaccination, and therapeutic agents could bring this COVID-19 pandemic under control across the globe.

Post-acute Sequelae in COVID-19 Survivors: an Overview.

In the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, varying degrees of clinical manifestations have been noticed in patients. Some patients who recovered from the infection developed long-term effects which have become of interest to the scientific and medical communities, as it relates to pathogenesis and the multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Long COVID (long-term or long-haul) is the collective term used to define recovered individuals of SARS-CoV-2 infection who have presented with persistent COVID symptoms, as well as the emergence of disorders and complications. Following the review of literature from major scientific databases, this paper investigated long COVID and the resulting post-sequela effects on survivors, regardless of initial disease severity. The clinical manifestations and multisystem complications of the disease specifically, cardiovascular, neurologic and psychologic, hematologic, pulmonary, dermatologic, and other ailments were discussed. Patients with chronic COVID-19 were found to experience heart thrombosis leading to myocardial infarction, inflammation, lung fibrosis, stroke, venous thromboembolism, arterial thromboembolism, "brain fog", general mood dysfunctions, dermatological issues, and fatigue. As the disease continues to progress and spread, and with the emergence of new variants the management of these persisting symptoms will pose a challenge for healthcare providers and medical systems in the next period of the pandemic. However, more information is needed about long COVID, particularly concerning certain patient populations, variability in follow-up times, the prevalence of comorbidities, and the evolution of the spread of infection. Thus, continued research needs to be conducted concerning the disease pathology to develop preventative measures and management strategies to treat long COVID.

Copper-mediated ß-amyloid toxicity and its chelation therapy in Alzheimer's disease.

The link between bio-metals, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its associated protein, amyloid-ß (Aß), is very complex and one of the most studied aspects currently. Alzheimer's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, is proposed to occurs due to the misfolding and aggregation of Aß. Dyshomeostasis of metal ions and their interaction with Aß has largely been implicated in AD. Copper plays a crucial role in amyloid-ß toxicity, and AD development potentially occurs through direct interaction with the copper-binding motif of APP and different amino acid residues of Aß. Previous reports suggest that high levels of copper accumulation in the AD brain result in modulation of toxic Aß peptide levels, implicating the role of copper in the pathophysiology of AD. In this review, we explore the possible mode of copper ion interaction with Aß, which accelerates the kinetics of fibril formation and promote amyloid-ß mediated cell toxicity in Alzheimer's disease and the potential use of various copper chelators in the prevention of copper-mediated Aß toxicity. KEYWORDS: Short Twitter Statement: Authors explore copper ion interaction w/ Aß and kinetics of fibril formation in promoting amyloid-ß mediated cell toxicity in Alzheimer's disease and the potential use of copper chelators in the prevention of copper-mediated Aß toxicity. SHORT TWITTER STATEMENT: Authors explore copper ion interaction w/Aß and kinetics of fibril formation in promoting amyloid-ß mediated cell toxicity in Alzheimer's disease and the potential use of copper chelators in the prevention of copper-mediated Aß toxicity.

The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Since emerging from Wuhan, China, in December of 2019, the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been causing devastating severe respiratory infections in humans worldwide. With the disease spreading faster than the medical community could contain it, death tolls increased at an alarming rate worldwide, causing the World Health Organization to officially sanction the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a pandemic, leading to a state of worldwide lockdown for the majority of the year 2020. There have been reports of new strains of the virus emerging in various parts of the world, with some strains displaying even greater infectivity and transmissibility. Areas of the emerging variant of concern arise from countries like the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and India. These mutations carry a lineage from N501Y, D614G, N439K, Y453F, and others, which are globally dominated by clades 20A, 20B, and 20C. This literature review intends to identify and report SARS-CoV-2 variants that are currently evolving and their disease implications.

Therapeutic potential of astaxanthin and superoxide dismutase in Alzheimer's disease.

Oxidative stress, the imbalance of the antioxidant system, results in an accumulation of neurotoxic proteins in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The antioxidant system is composed of exogenous and endogenous antioxidants to maintain homeostasis. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an endogenous enzymatic antioxidant that converts superoxide ions to hydrogen peroxide in cells. SOD supplementation in mice prevented cognitive decline in stress-induced cells by reducing lipid peroxidation and maintaining neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Furthermore, SOD decreased expression of BACE1 while reducing plaque burden in the brain. Additionally, Astaxanthin (AST), a potent exogenous carotenoid, scavenges superoxide anion radicals. Mice treated with AST showed slower memory decline and decreased depositions of amyloid-beta (Aß) and tau protein. Currently, the neuroprotective potential of these supplements has only been examined separately in studies. However, a single antioxidant cannot sufficiently resist oxidative damage to the brain, therefore, a combinatory approach is proposed as a relevant therapy for ameliorating pathological changes in AD.