Knowledge about cervical cancer in young Portuguese women: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Health literacy is crucial to adherence to medical interventions in therapeutics, prevention, and diagnosis. The basis for literacy is knowledge. To accomplish the goals for the elimination of cervical cancer, one of the most prevalent and preventable cancers, we must understand the determinants of non-adherence and address them specifically to ensure patients' active participation. Aim: To determine women's knowledge regarding the manifestations of cervical cancer and its prevention. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in an urban population from northern Portugal. Women aged 18 to 30 years were randomly assigned to answer the Cervical Cancer Awareness Measure questionnaire, including questions of knowledge about the causes and symptoms of cervical cancer, prospecting for individual and social-related determinants. Results: The total number of participants was 270, with a mean age of 24.7 years. Knowledge about symptoms scored 5.4 ± 2.6, with a maximum of 12 points, and knowledge about the causes scored 5.7 ± 1.9, with a maximum of 11 points. The correlation between both was 0.334. High education, high socio-economic status, self-perception of one's capacity to recognize symptoms, and knowledge about the HPV vaccine were associated with better knowledge. Discussion: Portuguese women present low knowledge about cervical cancer, potentially affecting their health through exposure to risk situations and non-adherence to routine screening.

New Multitarget Rivastigmine-Indole Hybrids as Potential Drug Candidates for Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia with no cure so far, probably due to the complexity of this multifactorial disease with diverse processes associated with its origin and progress. Several neuropathological hallmarks have been identified that encourage the search for new multitarget drugs. Therefore, following a multitarget approach, nine rivastigmine-indole (RIV-IND) hybrids (5a1-3, 5b1-3, 5c1-3) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their multiple biological properties and free radical scavenging activity, as potential multitarget anti-AD drugs. The molecular docking studies of these hybrids on the active center of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) suggest their capacity to act as dual enzyme inhibitors with probable greater disease-modifying impact relative to AChE-selective FDA-approved drugs. Compounds 5a3 (IC50 = 10.9 µM) and 5c3 (IC50 = 26.8 µM) revealed higher AChE inhibition than the parent RIV drug. Radical scavenging assays demonstrated that all the hybrids containing a hydroxyl substituent in the IND moiety (5a2-3, 5b2-3, 5c2-3) have good antioxidant activity (EC50 7.8-20.7 µM). The most effective inhibitors of Aß42 self-aggregation are 5a3, 5b3 and 5c3 (47.8-55.5%), and compounds 5b2 and 5c2 can prevent the toxicity induced by Aß1-42 to cells. The in silico evaluation of the drug-likeness of the hybrids also showed that all the compounds seem to have potential oral availability. Overall, within this class of RIV-IND hybrids, 5a3 and 5c3 appear as lead compounds for anti-AD drug candidates, deserving further investigation.

Rivastigmine-Benzimidazole Hybrids as Promising Multitarget Metal-Modulating Compounds for Potential Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

With the goal of combating the multi-faceted Alzheimer's disease (AD), a series of Rivastigmine-Benzimidazole (RIV-BIM) hybrids was recently reported by us as multitarget-directed ligands, thanks to their capacity to tackle important hallmarks of AD. In particular, they exhibited antioxidant activity, acted as cholinesterase inhibitors, and inhibited amyloid-ß (Aß) aggregation. Herein, we moved forward in this project, studying their ability to chelate redox-active biometal ions, Cu(II) and Fe(III), with widely recognized roles in the generation of oxidative reactive species and in protein misfolding and aggregation in both AD and Parkinson's disease (PD). Although Cu(II) chelation showed higher efficiency for the positional isomers of series 5 than those of series 4 of the hybrids, the Aß-aggregation inhibition appears more dependent on their capacity for fibril intercalation than on copper chelation. Since monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are also important targets for the treatment of AD and PD, the capacity of these hybrids to inhibit MAO-A and MAO-B was evaluated, and they showed higher activity and selectivity for MAO-A. The rationalization of the experimental evaluations (metal chelation and MAO inhibition) was supported by computational molecular modeling studies. Finally, some compounds showed also neuroprotective effects in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y cells) upon treatment with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+), a neurotoxic metabolite of a Parkinsonian-inducing agent.

Novel Phenothiazine/Donepezil-like Hybrids Endowed with Antioxidant Activity for a Multi-Target Approach to the Therapy of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex multi-factorial neurodegenerative disorder for which only few drugs (including donepezil, DPZ) are available as symptomatic treatments; thus, researchers are focusing on the development of innovative multi-target directed ligands (MTDLs), which could also alter the course of the disease. Among other pathological factors, oxidative stress has emerged as an important factor in AD that could affect several pathways involved in the onset and progression of the pathology. Herein, we propose a new series of hybrid molecules obtained by linking a phenothiazine moiety, known for its antioxidant properties, with N-benzylpiperidine or N-benzylpiperazine fragments, mimicking the core substructure of DPZ. The investigation of the resulting hybrids showed, in addition to their antioxidant properties, their activity against some AD-related targets, such as the inhibition of cholinesterases (both AChE and BChE) and in vitro Aß1-40 aggregation, as well as the inhibition of the innovative target fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Furthermore, the drug-likeness properties of these compounds were assessed using cheminformatic tools. Compounds 11d and 12d showed the most interesting multi-target profiles, with all the assayed activities in the low micromolar range. In silico docking calculations supported the obtained results. Compound 13, on the other hand, while inactive in the DPPH assay, showed the best results in the in vitro antioxidant cell assays conducted on both HepG2 and SHSY-5Y cell lines. These results, paired with the low or absent cytotoxicity of these compounds at tested concentrations, allow us to aim our future research at the study of novel and effective drugs and pro-drugs with similar structural characteristics.

Novel Rivastigmine Derivatives as Promising Multi-Target Compounds for Potential Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most serious and prevalent neurodegenerative disorder still without cure. Since its aetiology is diverse, recent research on anti-AD drugs has been focused on multi-target compounds. In this work, seven novel hybrids (RIV-BIM) conjugating the active moiety of the drug rivastigmine (RIV) with 2 isomeric hydroxyphenylbenzimidazole (BIM) units were developed and studied. While RIV assures the inhibition of cholinesterases, BIM provides further appropriate properties, such as inhibition of amyloid ß-peptide (Aß) aggregation, antioxidation and metal chelation. The evaluated biological properties of these hybrids included antioxidant activity; inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and Aß42 aggregation; as well as promotion of cell viability and neuroprotection. All the compounds are better inhibitors of AChE than rivastigmine (IC50 = 32.1 µM), but compounds of series 5 are better inhibitors of BChE (IC50 = 0.9-1.7 µM) than those of series 4. Series 5 also showed good capacity to inhibit self- (42.1-58.7%) and Cu(II)-induced (40.3-60.8%) Aß aggregation and also to narrow (22.4-42.6%) amyloid fibrils, the relevant compounds being 5b and 5d. Some of these compounds can also prevent the toxicity induced in SH-SY5Y cells by Aß42 and oxidative stress. Therefore, RIV-BIM hybrids seem to be potential drug candidates for AD with multi-target abilities.

Structure-based design of novel donepezil-like hybrids for a multi-target approach to the therapy of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a widespread multifactorial aging-related pathology, which includes cholinergic deficit among its main causes. Following a multi-target design strategy, the structure of the approved drug donepezil was taken as the starting point for generating some new potential multi-functional compounds. Therefore, a series of twenty molecular hybrids were synthesized and assayed against three different enzymes, namely the well-established targets acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and the innovative one fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). In silico studies confirmed the interaction of benzylpiperidine and the benzylpiperazine isostere with the catalytic anionic site (CAS) of AChE, while the aryloxycarbonyl portion appeared to be important for the interaction with the peripheral site (PAS). A QSAR study was carried out on AChE inhibition data, which revealed that the inhibition potency seems to depend upon the length of the spacer and the number of polar atoms. The docking poses of selected compounds within BChE and FAAH were also calculated. Furthermore, pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties were assessed by chemoinformatic tools. Several piperidine derivatives (in particular compound 10) showed interesting profiles as multi-target directed agents, while the lead piperazine derivative 12 (SON38) was found to be a more potent and selective AChE inhibitor (IC50 = 0.8 nM) than donepezil, besides being able to bind bivalent copper cations (pCu = 7.9 at physiological pH). Finally, the selected lead compounds (10 and 12, SON38) did not show significant cytotoxicity on SH-SY5Y and HepG2 cells at the highest tested concentration (100 µM) in a MTT assay.

GdIII and GaIII complexes with a new tris-3,4-HOPO ligand as new imaging probes: complex stability, magnetic properties and biodistribution.

The development of metal-based multimodal imaging probes is a highly challenging field in coordination chemistry. In this context, we have developed a bifunctional hexadentate tripodal ligand (H3L2) with three 3,4-HOPO moieties attached to a flexible tetrahedral carbon bearing a functionalizable nitro group. Complexes formed with different metal ions have potential interest for diagnostic applications, namely magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). The capacity of the ligand to coordinate GdIII and GaIII was studied and the thermodynamic stability constants of the respective complexes were determined by potentiometry and spectrophotometry. The ligand forms stable 1 : 1 ML complexes though with considerably higher affinity for GaIII than for GdIII (pGa = 26.2 and pGd = 14.3 at pH 7). The molecular dynamics simulations of the GdIII complex indicate that two water molecules can coordinate the metal ion, thus providing efficient paramagnetic enhancement of water proton relaxation. The relaxation and the water exchange properties of the GdIII chelate, assessed by a combined 17O NMR and 1H NMRD study, showed associative activated water exchange with a relatively low rate constant, k298ex = (0.82 ± 0.11) × 107 s-1, and some aggregation tendency. Biodistribution studies of the 67Ga-L2 complex suggested good in vivo stability and quick renal clearance. Further anchoring of this ligand with specific biotargeting moieties might open future prospectives for applications of labelled conjugates in both MRI and 68Ga-PET diagnostic imaging.

Hydroxypyridinone-Based Metal Chelators towards Ecotoxicity: Remediation and Biological Mechanisms.

Hydroxypyridinones (HPs) are recognized as excellent chemical tools for engineering a diversity of metal chelating agents, with high affinity for hard metal ions, exhibiting a broad range of activities and applications, namely in medical, biological and environmental contexts. They are easily made and functionalizable towards the tuning of their pharmacokinetic properties or the improving of their metal complex thermodynamic stabilities. In this review, an analysis of the recently published works on hydroxypyridinone-based ligands, that have been mostly addressed for environmental applications, namely for remediation of hard metal ion ecotoxicity in living beings and other biological matrices is carried out. In particular, herein the most recent developments in the design of new chelating systems, from bidentate mono-HP to polydentate multi-HP derivatives, with a structural diversity of soluble or solid-supported backbones are outlined. Along with the ligand design, an analysis of the relationship between their structures and activities is presented and discussed, namely associated with the metal affinity and the thermodynamic stability of the corresponding metal complexes.

Multifunctional Small Molecules as Potential Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Agents.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a severe multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of neurons in the brain. Despite research efforts, the pathogenesis and mechanism of AD progression are not yet completely understood. There are only a few symptomatic drugs approved for the treatment of AD. The multifactorial character of AD suggests that it is important to develop molecules able to target the numerous pathological mechanisms associated with the disease. Thus, in the context of the worldwide recognized interest of multifunctional ligand therapy, we report herein the synthesis, characterization, physicochemical and biological evaluation of a set of five (1a-e) new ferulic acid-based hybrid compounds, namely feroyl-benzyloxyamidic derivatives enclosing different substituent groups, as potential anti-Alzheimer's disease agents. These hybrids can keep both the radical scavenging activity and metal chelation capacity of the naturally occurring ferulic acid scaffold, presenting also good/mild capacity for inhibition of self-Aß aggregation and fairly good inhibition of Cu-induced Aß aggregation. The predicted pharmacokinetic properties point towards good absorption, comparable to known oral drugs.

Novel Donepezil-Arylsulfonamide Hybrids as Multitarget-Directed Ligands for Potential Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most devastating neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by multiple pathological features. Therefore, multi-target drug discovery has been one of the most active fields searching for new effective anti-AD therapies. Herein, a series of hybrid compounds are reported which were designed and developed by combining an aryl-sulfonamide function with a benzyl-piperidine moiety, the pharmacophore of donepezil (a current anti-AD acetylcholinesterase AChE inhibitor drug) or its benzyl-piperazine analogue. The in vitro results indicate that some of these hybrids achieve optimized activity towards two main AD targets, by displaying excellent AChE inhibitory potencies, as well as the capability to prevent amyloid-ß (Aß) aggregation. Some of these hybrids also prevented Aß-induced cell toxicity. Significantly, drug-like properties were predicted, including for blood-brain permeability. Compound 9 emerged as a promising multi-target lead compound (AChE inhibition (IC50 1.6 µM); Aß aggregation inhibition 60.7%). Overall, this family of hybrids is worthy of further exploration, due to the wide biological activity of sulfonamides.

Recent Multi-target Approaches on the Development of Anti- Alzheimer's Agents Integrating Metal Chelation Activity.

Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is the most common and severe age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Notwithstanding the large amount of research dedicated to both the elucidation of this pathology and the development of an effective drug, the multifaceted nature and complexity of the disease are certainly a rationale for the absence of cure so far. Currently available drugs are used, mainly to compensate the decline of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, though they only provide temporary symptomatic benefits and cannot stop AD progression. Although the multiple factors that contribute to trigger AD onset and progression are not yet fully understood, several pathological features and underneath pathways have been recognized to contribute to its pathology, such as metal dyshomeostasis, protein misfolding, oxidative stress and neurotransmitter deficiencies, some of them being interconnected. Thus, there is widespread recent interest in the development of multitarget-directed ligands (MTDLs) for simultaneous interaction with several pathological targets of AD. In this review, a selection of the most recent reports (2016-up to present) on metal chelators of MTDLs with multifunctionalities is presented. These compounds enable the hitting of several AD targets or pathways, such as modulation of specific biometal ions (e.g., Cu, Fe, Zn) and of protein misfolding (ß-amyloid and tau protein), anti-oxidant activity and AChE inhibition. The properties found for these hybrids are discussed in comparison with the original reference compounds, some MTDLs being outlined as leading compounds for pursuing future studies in view of efficient potential applications in AD therapy.

Derivatives of Tenuazonic Acid as Potential New Multi-Target Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Agents.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is generally recognized as a multifactorial neurodegenerative pathology with an increasing impact on society. Tenuazonic acid (TA) is a natural compound that was recently identified as a potential multitarget ligand with anti-cholinesterase, anti-amyloidogenic and antioxidant activities. Using its structure as a chemical scaffold, we synthesized and evaluated new derivatives (1-5), including tenuazonic-donepezil (TA-DNP) hybrids (4 and 5) due to the clinical importance of the anti-AD drug donepezil. These novel compounds all achieved activity in the micromolar range towards all selected targets and demonstrated to be potentially orally absorbed. Moreover, a selected compound (1) was further investigated as a chelating agent towards copper (II), zinc (II) and iron (III) and showed good chelating ability (pFe = 16.6, pCu = 11.6, pZn = 6.0 at pH 7.4). Therefore, the TA motif can be considered an interesting building block in the search for innovative multi-functional anti-neurodegenerative drugs, as exemplified by hybrid 5, a promising non-cytotoxic lead compound adequate for the early stages of AD, and capable of ameliorating the oxidative status of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells.

Multi-Targeting Tacrine Conjugates with Cholinesterase and Amyloid-Beta Inhibitory Activities: New Anti-Alzheimer's Agents.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a severe age dependent and chronic problem with no cure so far. The available treatments are temporary, acting over short period of time. The main pathological hallmark of the disease includes cholinergic dysfunction, oxidative stress, accumulation of Aß fibrils and tau tangles. In context with the multi-factorial nature of this disease, two different series of molecules were developed to hit the multifactorial disease targets. Mainly, the molecules were designed to inhibit the AChE and aggregation of Aß, and also oxidative damage. Two novel series of TAC-fenbufen/menbutone conjugated molecules were designed, synthesized and bio-assayed. All compounds showed inhibition capacity towards AChE, Aß aggregation and moderate to good radical scavenging capacity. Particularly, five TAC-menbutone molecules showed improved AChE and Aß aggregation inhibition capacity compared to TAC-fenbufen conjugated molecules. Overall, these novel series of molecules may be potential drug lead molecules in the treatment of AD.

Donepezil-based hybrids as multifunctional anti-Alzheimer's disease chelating agents: Effect of positional isomerization.

The intricate and multifactorial nature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) requires the development of compounds able to hit different pathophysiological targets, such as cholinergic dysfunction, deposits of amyloid beta (Aß) peptide and metal dyshomeostasis. In order to continue the search for new anti-AD drugs, a design strategy was once more followed based on repositioning donepezil (DNP) drug, by ortho-attaching a benzylpiperidine mimetic of DNP moiety to a hydroxyphenyl-benzimidazole (BIM) chelating unit (compound 1). Herein, compound 1 and a positional isomer 2 are compared in terms of their potential multiple properties: both present good acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition (low µmolar range) and are moderate/good inhibitors of Aß self- and Cu-mediated aggregation, the inhibition process being mainly due to ligand intercalation between the ß-sheets of the fibrils; compound 1 has a higher chelating capacity towards Cu2+ and Zn2+ (pCu = 14.3, pZn = 6.4, pH 7.4, CL/CM = 10, CM = 10-6 M) than 2 (pCu = 10.7, pZn = 6.3), attributed to its ability to establish a tridentate (N,O,O) coordination to the metal ion. Both compounds are eligible as drug candidates for oral administration but compound 1 shows improved neuroprotective role by completely preventing Aß-induced cell toxicity.

Design, Synthesis, and In Vitro Evaluation of Hydroxybenzimidazole-Donepezil Analogues as Multitarget-Directed Ligands for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

A series of multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs), obtained by attachment of a hydroxyphenylbenzimidazole (BIM) unit to donepezil (DNP) active mimetic moiety (benzyl-piperidine/-piperazine) was designed, synthesized, and evaluated as potential anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) drugs in terms of biological activity (inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and ß-amyloid (Aß) aggregation), metal chelation, and neuroprotection capacity. Among the DNP-BIM hybrids studied herein, the structural isomerization did not significantly improve the biological properties, while some substitutions, namely fluorine atom in each moiety or the methoxy group in the benzyl ring, evidenced higher cholinergic AChE activity. All the compounds are able to chelate Cu and Zn metal ions through their bidentate BIM moieties, but compound 5, containing a three-dentate chelating unit, is the strongest Cu(II) chelator. Concerning the viability on neuroblastoma cells, compounds 9 and 10 displayed the highest reduction of Aß-induced cell toxicity. In silico calculations of some pharmacokinetic descriptors indicate that all the compounds but the nitro derivatives have good potential oral-bioavailability. Overall, it can be concluded that most of the studied DNP-BIM conjugates showed quite good anti-AD properties, therefore deserving to be considered in further studies with the aim of understanding and treating AD.

Novel tacrine-benzofuran hybrids as potential multi-target drug candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Pursuing the widespread interest on multi-target drugs to combat Alzheimer´s disease (AD), a new series of hybrids was designed and developed based on the repositioning of the well-known acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, tacrine (TAC), by its coupling to benzofuran (BF) derivatives. The BF framework aims to endow the conjugate molecules with ability for inhibition of AChE (bimodal way) and of amyloid-beta peptide aggregation, besides providing metal (Fe, Cu) chelating ability and concomitant extra anti-oxidant activity, for the hybrids with hydroxyl substitution. The new TAC-BF conjugates showed very good activity for AChE inhibition (sub-micromolar range) and good capacity for the inhibition of self- and Cu-mediated Aß aggregation, with dependence on the linker size and substituent groups of each main moiety. Neuroprotective effects were also found for the compounds through viability assays of neuroblastoma cells, after Aß1-42 induced toxicity. Structure-activity relationship analysis provides insights on the best structural parameters, to take in consideration for future studies in view of potential applications in AD therapy.

Guía de práctica clínica hospitalaria: elementos de protección personal y testeo prequirúrgico de pacientes asintomáticos para prevención de la diseminación de SARS-CoV2 en el ámbito quirúrgico en cirugía de urgencia / Clinical practice guideline: elements of personal protection and pre-surgical testing of asymptomatic patients for prevention of the spread of SARS-CoV2 in the surgical field in emergency surgery

En epidemias de enfermedades altamente infecciosas como el COVID-19, de transmisión a través de gotas expulsadas por la boca de la persona infectada, los trabajadores de la salud tienen un riesgo mayor de infección que la población en general, debido a su contacto con fluidos corporales y aerosoles generados por los pacientes. La existencia de un porcentaje que podría llegar a ser de hasta un 50 %, de portadores asintomáticos con capacidad de contagio, preocupa al momento de planificar la atención quirúrgica. Con el objetivo de desarrollar la presente guía, se realizó una síntesis y valoración crítica de la evidencia disponible sobre el tema, con el fin de responder determinadas preguntas clínicas (utilización de barbijo N95 vs barbijo quirúrgico en cirugía, realización de test diagnóstico para SARS-CoV2 previo a cirugía) utilizando metodología GRADE. La mascarilla N95 podría ser beneficiosa en el personal que realiza procedimientos que favorecen la aerosolización del virus, tales como traqueostomía y ventilación manual con bolsa de autoinsuflación previo a la intubación, entre otros. El testeo del paciente, previo a una cirugía, puede ser considerado en escenarios en los que existe disponibilidad de la de terminación. Es necesario evaluar la complejidad de la cirugía, evitando que el retraso causado por la realización de la prueba resulte en daño para el paciente. El conjunto de recomendaciones debe ser implementado teniendo en cuenta el recurso disponible de equipos de protección personal, las características de las intervenciones quirúrgicas (procedimientos que generen aerosoles) y el tipo de circulación viral en la población general (existencia de transmisión comunitaria). (AU)

In epidemics of highly contagious diseases such as COVID-19, transmitted through drops expelled from the infected person's mouth, health care workers have a higher risk of infection than the general population, due to their contact with fluidsand patient-generated aerosols. The existence of a percentage that could be up to 50 % of asymptomatic carriers with contagion capacity, worries when planning surgical care. To develop an evidence-based protocol, a synthesis and critical evaluation of the evidence was carried out in order to answer clinical questions (use of N95 chinstrap versus surgical chin during surgery, diagnostic test for SARS-CoV2 before surgery) using the GRADE methodology. The N95 mask could be beneficial for personnel who perform procedures that favor the aerosolization of the virus, such as tracheostomy and manual ventilation with a self-inflating bag before intubation, among others. The testing of patients prior to surgery can be evaluated in scenarios where the inputs for making determinations are available. It is necessary to evaluate the complexity of the surgery, avoiding that the delay caused by the test results in harm to the patient. (AU)

New strong extrafunctionalizable tris(3,4-HP) and bis(3,4-HP) metal sequestering agents: synthesis, solution and in vivo metal chelation.

Finding new multifunctional metal binders to be potentially used in diagnosis or therapy has been a subject of major challenge. Hydroxypyridinones have long been recognized as privileged chelating structures for the design of metal chelating drugs, especially towards hard metal ions, in view of their decorporation in metal overload disorders. Thus, pursuing our strategy of engineering new polydentate 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinones (3,4-HP) with extrafunctionalization capacity for sensing or targeting purposes, we report herein the synthesis and full characterization of a hexadentate (tris-3,4-HP) and a tetradentate (bis-3,4-HP) ligand, possessing three and two 3,4-HP arms N-attached to an aminomethanetrispropionic acid backbone, respectively. Thus, as compared with previously reported analogues, each ligand possesses an extra free amino group ready for further functionalization. Their chelating capacity towards Fe and Al was evaluated in aqueous solution, by potentiometric and spectroscopic techniques, and they proved to be strong sequestering agents for these metal ions without depletion of Zn, an essential biometal. Their excellent in vivo metal-decorporation capacity was also evidenced in mice injected with a radiotracer (67Ga) as an animal model of metal overload pathological situations. These findings provide encouragement for further ongoing extrafunctionalizations in view of several potential biomedical applications.

Informe rápido de evaluación de tecnología sanitaria sobre la efectividad y seguridad de las intervenciones para el manejo de Linfedema / Health Technology Assessment Short Report on Efficacy and Safety of Interventions to Treat Lymphedema

El linfedema es una acumulación de linfa y tejido fibroadiposo anormal en los miembros. Su origen más habitual, en Argentina, es el tratamiento del cáncer de mama. El manejo incluye múltiples intervenciones, que van desde terapias no invasivas hasta técnicas quirúrgicas específicas. El objetivo de este informe fue evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de intervenciones destinadas al manejo del linfedema mediante la revisión de la evidencia científica disponible, con el fin de orientar la toma de decisiones de cobertura. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica y se utilizó la lista de cotejo de PRISMA para la evaluación de revisiones sistemáticas. En caso de discrepancias, se consultó a un tercer revisor. Se recuperaron 141 trabajos a través de las distintas estrategias de búsqueda, 45 fueron evaluados mediante resumen o texto completo. Finalmente se incluyeron 10 revisiones sistemáticas. La evidencia para las intervenciones evaluadas resultó de baja confianza, principalmente por la presencia de estudios con escaso número de pacientes, comparadores distintos del manejo habitual, heterogeneidad en las intervenciones y tiempos acotados de seguimien

New Multitarget Hybrids Bearing Tacrine and Phenylbenzothiazole Motifs as Potential Drug Candidates for Alzheimer's Disease.

Research on neurodegenerative brain disorders, namely the age-dependent Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been intensified in the last decade due to the absence of a cure and the recognized increasing of life expectancy for populations. To address the multifactorial nature and complexity of AD, a multi-target-directed ligand approach was herein employed, by designing a set of six selected hybrids (14⁻19) that combine in the same entity two pharmacophores: tacrine (TAC) and 2-phenylbenzothiazole (PhBTA). The compounds contain a methoxy substituent at the PhBTA moiety and have a variable length linker between that and the TAC moiety. The docking studies showed that all the compounds assure a dual-binding mode of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, establishing π-stacking and H-bond interactions with aminoacid residues at both active binding sites of the enzyme (CAS and PAS). The bioassays revealed that the designed compounds display excellent AChE inhibitory activity in the sub-micromolar range (0.06⁻0.27 µM) and moderate inhibition values for amyloid-ß (Aß) self-aggregation (27⁻44.6%), compounds 14 and 15 being the lead compounds. Regarding neuroprotective effects in neuroblastoma cells, compounds 15, 16 and 19 revealed the capacity to prevent Aß-induced toxicity, but compound 16 showed the highest neuroprotective effect. Overall these hybrid compounds, in particular 15 and 16, with promising multitarget anti-AD ability, encourage further pursuing studies on this type of TAC-PhBTA derivatives for potential AD therapy.