[The contribution of «Télévie¼ and the «Léon Fredericq Foundation¼ to the fundamental cancer research in Liège]. / La contribution de Télévie et de la Fondation Léon Fredericq à la recherche fondamentale en cancérologie à Liège.

Télévie and the Léon Fredericq Foundation support many research projects in the CHU of Liège and the ULiège. This paper summarizes some projects aiming at a better knowledge of the basic mechanisms leading to cancer development, of the immune defenses against tumours, of specific characteristics of some cancer types and, finally, of strategies for improving quality of life of patients whose fertility has been threatened by anti-cancer treatments.

Le Télévie et la Fondation Léon Fredericq soutiennent de nombreux projets de recherche cancérologique au CHU de Liège et à l'ULiège. Cet article résume quelques projets de recherche qui concernent une meilleure connaissance des mécanismes fondamentaux qui sous-tendent la formation des cancers, des moyens de défense de l'organisme contre ces maladies, des caractéristiques particulières de quelques types de cancers et, enfin, de stratégies visant à améliorer la qualité de vie des patientes cancéreuses en leur rendant la fertilité menacée par les traitements anti-cancéreux.

[Clinical and fundamental research Yinhua Miyanling Tablets in treating urinary tract infection].

As the famous Chinese patent medicine, Yinhua Miyanling Tablets, which was derived from ancient prescription denominated Bazhengsan, has not only the effects in clearing away heat and purging pathogenic fire, removing dampness and relieving stranguria, but also have the functions of detoxifying and tonifying. A great number of scientific studies have demonstrated that Yinhua Mi-yanling Tablets played significant roles in destroying harmful microbes and resisting inflammatory and diuresis. Compared with antibiotics, traditional antibacterial Chinese patent medicine Yinhua Miyanling Tablets has the advantage in bacterial resistance in long-term use. Fundamental studies about the content of pharmaceutical ingredients and the modern pharmacology of Yinhua Miyanling Tablets were collected and summarized, which conduces to indicating the active ingredients of Yinhua Miyanling Tablets with the medicinal efficacy from the molecular level and the internal mechanism of Yinhua Miyanling Tablets in the treatment of urinary tract infection(UTI) from the scientific perspective. In the field of clinical research, literatures associated with Yinhua Miyanling Tablets for the treatment of UTI were summarized and analyzed in terms of treatment type, administration mode, dosage, frequency of medication, course, efficiency, side effects and whether combined with healthy lifestyle. These literatures confirmed the medicinal values and the application prospect of Yinhua Miyanling Tablets in treating UTI, especially acute UTI, which provides a scientific theoretical foundation and a correct direction for the clinical application of Yinhua Miyanling Tablets. In conclusion, this article contributes to the standardization of Yinhua Miyanling Tablets in the treatment of UTI, in the expectation of giving the scientific guidance for clinical practice.

Experimental physical methods and theories--then and now.

INTRODUCTION: A first evaluation of fundamental research into the physics and physiology of Ultra high dilutions (UHDs) was conducted by the author in 1994(1). In this paper we revisit methods and theories from back then and follow their paths through their evolution and contribution to new knowledge in UHD research since then. METHOD: Physical methods and theories discusses in our anthology on UHD in 1994(1) form the basis for tracing ideas and findings along their path of further development and impact on new knowledge in UHD. RESULTS: Experimental approaches to probe physical changes in homeopathic preparations have become more sophisticated over past two decades, so did the desire to report results to a scientific standard that is on par with those in specialist literature. The same cannot be said about underlying supporting theoretical models and simulations. CONCLUSION: Grant challenges in science often take a more targeted and more concerted approach to formulate a research question and then look for answers. A concerted effort to focus on one hypothesized physical aspect of a well-defined homeopathic preparation may help aligning experimental methods with theoretical models and, in doing so, help to gain a deeper understanding of the whole body of insights and data produced.

Publications on experimental physical methods to investigate ultra high dilutions--an assessment on quality.

INTRODUCTION: Our first evaluation of fundamental research into the physics and physiology of Ultra High Dilution (UHD) was conducted in 1994. Since then, in 2003, Becker-Witt et al. conducted a more systematic evaluation of the literature and established the Score for Assessment of Physical Experiments on Homeopathy (SAPEH). While this evaluation focused on experimental methodologies, Stock-Schröer et al., in 2009, formulated a detailed guideline for authors on Reporting Experiments in Homeopathic Basic research (REHBaR) to promote a high standard in research as well as in its communication in scientific literature. METHOD: In this paper, we evaluate publications on basic research into the physics of UHD since the decade following the presentation of the SAPEH score (2004-2014), and present the state of progress in this field. RESULTS: Fundamental research into the physics of UHD has been reported at a steady rate over the past 60 years. Reported research of high quality as per SAPEH scoring appears to be still the exception rather than standard. CONCLUSION: Considering the importance of a fundamental understanding of what makes a UHD preparation, results of this study suggest that it may be beneficial to this field of fundamental research if grant challenges are approached in strategic way similar to other grant challenges in science.

Geographical and temporal distribution of basic research experiments in homeopathy.

The database HomBRex (Homeopathy Basic Research experiments) was established in 2002 to provide an overview of the basic research already done on homeopathy (http://www.carstens-stiftung.de/hombrex). By this means, it facilitates the exploration of the Similia Principle and the working mechanism of homeopathy. Since 2002, the total number of experiments listed has almost doubled. The current review reports the history of basic research in homeopathy as evidenced by publication dates and origin of publications. In July 2013, the database held 1868 entries. Most publications were reported from France (n = 267), followed by Germany (n = 246) and India (n = 237). In the last ten years, the number of publications from Brazil dramatically increased from n = 13 (before 2004) to n = 164 (compared to n = 251 published in France before 2004, and n = 16 between 2004 and 2013). The oldest database entry was from Germany (1832).

Scientific guidelines for preclinical research on potentised preparations manufactured according to current pharmacopoeias-the PrePoP guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: Pharmacopoeias regulate the manufacture of potentised pharmaceutical preparations used in different branches of complementary and integrative medicine. The physicochemical properties and biological activity of these preparations are often investigated in preclinical research, yet no guidelines for experimental research currently exist in this area. The present PrePoP guidelines aim to provide recommendations to promote high-quality, statistically sound, and reproducible preclinical research on potentised preparations. METHODS: Input was gathered from researchers nominated by the relevant scientific societies using a simplified Delphi consensus approach covering the most relevant aspects of basic research methodology in the field including appropriate controls, sample preparation and handling, and statistics. After three rounds of feedback, a consensus was finally reached on the most important aspects and considerations for conducting high-quality research on potentised preparations. RESULTS: We present a series of recommendations on a range of topics including experimental controls, system stability, blinding and randomisation, environmental influences, and procedures for the preparation of potentised samples and controls, and we address some specific challenges of this research field. CONCLUSION: This expert consensus process resulted in a robust set of methodological guidelines for research on potentised preparations and provides a valuable framework that will inform and improve the quality of subsequent research in this emerging field. PLEASE CITE THIS ARTICLE AS: Tournier AL, Bonamin LV, Buchheim-Schmidt S, Cartwright S, Dombrowsky C, Doesburg P, Holandino C, Kokornaczyk MO, van de Kraats EB, López-Carvallo JA, Nandy P, Mazón-Suástegui JM, Mirzajani F, Poitevin B, Scherr C, Thieves K, Würtenberger S, Baumgartner S. Scientific guidelines for preclinical research on potentised preparations manufactured according to current pharmacopoeias-the PrePoP guidelines. J Integr Med. 2024; Epub ahead of print.

Analysis of the Research Hotspot of Exosomes in Cardiovascular Disease: A Bibliometric-based Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status and development trend of research on exosomes in cardiovascular disease (CVD) using bibliometric analysis and to elucidate trending research topics. METHODS: Research articles on exosomes in CVD published up to April 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Data were organized using Microsoft Office Excel 2019. CiteSpace 6.1 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used for bibliometric analysis and result visualization. RESULTS: Overall, 256 original research publications containing 190 fundamental research publications and 66 clinical research publications were included. "Extracellular vesicle" was the most frequent research keyword, followed by "microrna," "apoptosis," and "angiogenesis." Most publications were from China (187, 73.05%), followed by the United States (57, 22.27%), the United Kingdom (7, 2.73%), and Japan (7, 2.73%). A systematic review of the publications revealed that myocardial infarction and stroke were the most popular topics and that exosomes and their contents, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), play positive roles in neuroprotection, inhibition of autophagy and apoptosis, promotion of angiogenesis, and protection of cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION: Research on exosomes in CVD has attracted considerable attention, with China having the most published studies. Fundamental research has focused on CVD pathogenesis; exosomes regulate the progression of CVD through biological processes, such as the inflammatory response, autophagy, and apoptosis. Clinical research has focused on biomarkers for CVD; studies on using miRNAs in exosomes as disease markers for diagnosis could become a future trend.

A public health mission in Canada in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Many governments in the world reacted to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic by swiftly offering stimulus packages to their populations. While public unpreparedness was dramatic, it was not unexpected: many alarms had been sounded. Strategies by the federal and various provincial governments of Canada in core sectors predisposed the country to the current situation and weakened its capacity to respond adequately. This paper reviews the cumulative effects of these strategic orientations: a deficient investment strategy in fundamental science; disconnect between laboratory work and the country's capacity to produce vaccines and antiviral drugs; the priority of cost efficiency that led to overwhelming dependency on foreign production of medical supplies; and dramatic spending cuts in public health. We will discuss a Mission strategy to exit the crisis that takes a long-term perspective, in which public interest and public health, combined with a strong State leadership, stimulate innovation and collaboration between national and international actors.

[Goals, motivations, and difficulties of young oncology residents]. / Objectifs, motivations et difficultés des internes en phase socle en oncologie.

INTRODUCTION: The Association for education and research of interns in oncology (AERIO) conducted a national survey of the 2020-year oncology residents promotion in the "phase socle". The objective was to collect and analyze their motivations, as well as the objectives and limitations in the life and career of the residents during this first year of residency. METHODS: A questionnaire included 45 closed questions divided into 6 sections describing: the demographic characteristics of the population, the commitment of the students' and their clinical and academic expectations in the, their training, their life and career objectives, and their commitment in associative life. RESULTS: Seventy-eight of 119 residents participated (66%), of which 68 (87.2%) completed the questionnaire entirely. The population was predominantly women (60%) with a median age of 24 years. The choice between medical or radiation oncology was mostly undefined (87%) and 15% of the residents considered to change their medical specialty. The average hospital work time reported was predominantly between 45 and 65hours per week (83%). Sixty-nine percent were primarily interested in clinical research. One out of two residents (52%) did not have access to their half-day of training per week. DISCUSSION: This national survey made possible to analyze the perception of oncology young residents, as well as their career aspirations and their relationship to research.

The current state and future prospects of the fundamental research on pediatric otorhinolaryngology: an analysis of application and funding data of the National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2009 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to summarize the current situation and deficiencies of the fundamental research on pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck science. It is hoped that the results can provide support for the long-term development of the basic research on this subject. METHODS: Information concerning the applications to and funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for otolaryngology-head and neck from 2009 to 2019 was collected and analyzed. RESULTS: In the past 10 years, pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck science received 150 applications, accounting for 2.92% of all applications for otolaryngology-head and neck science. Ultimately, 20 projects were funded, accounting for 2.17% of all the funded projects. There were 88 applications for children's ear science and hearing-related research, accounting for 58.67% of the applications for pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck science. Furthermore, 14 approved grants focused on cochlear implants and the genetics and mechanisms of deafness. There were 25 applications related to children's nasal science, particularly allergic rhinitis, accounting for 16.67% of the total applications. Of these, 4 applications were funded, and these mainly focused on the disease regulation and pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis. A total of 30 applications related to children's laryngopharyngeal diseases, accounting for 20% of the applications, mainly focused on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), adenoid hypertrophy, and tonsil hypertrophy, with only 1 application being funded. The scientific research on children's head and neck was mainly related to laryngeal papilloma and lymphatic vascular malformation, with 7 projects being applied for and 2 being funded. CONCLUSIONS: The fundamental research of pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck science in China is at a relatively weak level and lags behind the average level of the discipline. There are relatively few basic researchers engaged in pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck science, and the dominant research units are relatively concentrated. The basic research of children's ear science is relatively advanced in each subspecialty, so the basic research on children's unique congenital and hereditary diseases should be further strengthened.

Phototrophic Co-cultures From Extreme Environments: Community Structure and Potential Value for Fundamental and Applied Research.

Cyanobacteria are found in most illuminated environments and are key players in global carbon and nitrogen cycling. Although significant efforts have been made to advance our understanding of this important phylum, still little is known about how members of the cyanobacteria affect and respond to changes in complex biological systems. This lack of knowledge is in part due to our dependence on pure cultures when determining the metabolism and function of a microorganism. We took advantage of the Culture Collection of Microorganisms from Extreme Environments (CCMEE), a collection of more than 1,000 publicly available photosynthetic co-cultures maintained at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and assessed via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing if samples readily available from public culture collection could be used in the future to generate new insights into the role of microbial communities in global and local carbon and nitrogen cycling. Results from this work support the existing notion that culture depositories in general hold the potential to advance fundamental and applied research. Although it remains to be seen if co-cultures can be used at large scale to infer roles of individual organisms, samples that are publicly available from existing co-cultures depositories, such as the CCMEE, might be an economical starting point for such studies. Access to archived biological samples, without the need for costly field work, might in some circumstances be one of the few remaining ways to advance the field and to generate new insights into the biology of ecosystems that are not easily accessible. The current COVID-19 pandemic, which makes sampling expeditions almost impossible without putting the health of the participating scientists on the line, is a very timely example.

Lumbar Intervertebral Motion Analysis During Flexion and Extension Cinematographic Recordings in Healthy Male Participants: Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Physiological motion of the lumbar spine is a subject of interest for musculoskeletal health care professionals, as abnormal motion is believed to be related to lumbar conditions and complaints. Many researchers have described ranges of motion for the lumbar spine, but only a few have mentioned specific motion patterns of each individual segment during flexion and extension. These motion patterns mostly comprise the sequence of segmental initiation in sagittal rotation. However, an adequate definition of physiological motion of the lumbar spine is still lacking. The reason for this is the reporting of different ranges of motion and sequences of segmental initiation in previous studies. Furthermore, due to insufficient fields of view, none of these papers have reported on maximum flexion and extension motion patterns of L1 to S1. In the lower cervical spine, a consistent pattern of segmental contributions was recently described. In order to understand physiological motion of the lumbar spine, it is necessary to systematically study motion patterns, including the sequence of segmental contribution, of vertebrae L1 to S1 in healthy individuals during maximum flexion and extension. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to define the lumbar spines' physiological motion pattern of vertebrae L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, and S1 by determining the sequence of segmental contribution and the sequence of segmental initiation of motion in sagittal rotation of each vertebra during maximum flexion and extension. The secondary endpoint will be exploring the possibility of analyzing the intervertebral horizontal and vertical translation of each vertebra during maximum flexion and extension. METHODS: Cinematographic recordings will be performed in 11 healthy male participants, aged 18-25 years, without a history of spine problems. Cinematographic flexion and extension recordings will be made at two time points with a minimum 2-week interval in between. RESULTS: The study has been approved by the local institutional medical ethical committee (Medical Research Ethics Committee of Zuyderland and Zuyd University of applied sciences) on September 24, 2018. Inclusion of participants will be completed in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: If successful, these physiological motion patterns can be compared with motion patterns of patients with lumbar conditions before or after surgery. Ultimately, researchers may be able to determine differences in biomechanics that can potentially be linked to physical complaints like low back pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03737227; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03737227. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/14741.

Evaluating "startup readiness" for researchers: case studies of research-based startups with biopharmaceutical research topics.

For research domains such as life sciences, which pursue fundamental scientific understanding and applications intended for immediate use, academic entrepreneurship has played a pivotal role in commercialization. This paper presents an evaluation method of researchers related to user-inspired fundamental research, using global databases of startup finances and academic research papers of "startup readiness." Case studies of startups related to biopharmaceutical research topics suggest that the biopharmaceutical field has rich opportunities stemming from scientific research, commercialization, and entrepreneurship. This evaluation method sorts specific industry segments by which financing activities are active, and by which related growing research topics attract increased academic attention. We constructed networks of author citation and co-authorship from paper citation networks related to research topics in industry segments in the biopharmaceutical domain. Results obtained across all research topics we surveyed demonstrated that authors in the top 10% of degree centrality ranking in both networks are far more likely to be startup participants than other authors. Our computational approach might provide convenient, dynamic, global, and real-time understanding of the "startup readiness" of researchers working with research topics for which academic attention is emerging in actively financed biopharmaceutical fields.

The Case for Basic Biological Research.

The majority of biomedical and biological research relies on a few molecular biology techniques. Here we show that eight key molecular biology techniques would not exist without basic biological research. We also find that the scientific reward system does not sufficiently value basic biological research into molecular mechanisms.

[A GERCOR-AERIO national survey of oncology residents in France: Current setting and expectations regarding post-internship and research]. / État des lieux et attentes des internes d'oncologie français concernant le post-internat et la recherche : une enquête nationale GERCOR-AERIO.

INTRODUCTION: The demographics of oncology residents has changed since 2010 with the increase in the size of promotions. The evolution of the residents' aspirations towards research and their future exercise in parallel with these demographic changes has not been assessed. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed by a working group from GERCOR (cooperative group in oncology), involving clinicians, researchers, GERCOR members, and residents. It consisted of 62 questions divided into 7 sections: demographics, medical thesis, post-residency, mobility, publication activity, basic research, and clinical/translational research. The national survey was published online by the Association d'enseignement et de recherche des internes en oncologie (AERIO). RESULTS: In total, 143 residents participated, of which 116 (81.1%) completed the questionnaire entirely. The population was representative of the current demographics, with a majority of women (65.0%), a median age of 28 years, and 39.7% of residents from Paris region. The unsupervised analysis revealed four profiles of residents, including one group strongly committed to research (16.8%), one group with moderate involvement (41.3%) and one group that did not seem interested in research (14.7%). Uncertainty about future position and lack of time and interaction with researchers appeared to be the main barriers to involvement of residents in research. DISCUSSION: This national survey provided useful information about the residents' perspective to academic research. It may serve as a basis for proposing measures adapted to their expectations.

La solidez de la investigación homeopática fundamental / The strength of fundamental homeopathic research

La investigación fundamental en homeopatía ha avanzado considerablemente en los últimos 20 años: desde estudios exploratorios con animales y plantas hasta la caracterización de los efectos sistémicos de los medicamentos homeopáticos y estudios in vitro con sistemas celulares aislados para evaluar los cambios en los mecanismos de adaptación celular y señalización intracelular frente a tratamientos homeopáticos variables. El número de artículos publicados a lo largo del tiempo ha permitido realizar varias revisiones sistemáticas. Recientemente, la demostración de que los medicamentos homeopáticos podrían modificar las funciones celulares a través de mecanismos epigenéticos (metilación y desmetilación de ADN) preparó el camino para un campo de investigación completamente nuevo. En paralelo, el descubrimiento de las nanopartículas y propiedades físicas específicas de las diluciones homeopáticas ha arrojado luz hacia un campo antes poco conocido, dado que se consideraba que las diluciones homeopáticas no consistían más que de agua. Así las cosas, los retos para el futuro conciernen a la demostración, o no, de la interrelación entre ambos fenómenos.

Fundamental research in homeopathy has much advanced in the past 20 years. From exploratory studies with animals and plants to the characterization of the systemic effects of homeopathic medicines and in vitro studies with isolated cell systems to assess changes in the mechanisms of cell adaptation and intracellular signaling facing variable homeopathic treatments. The amount of articles published over time enabled several systematic reviews. Recently, demonstration that homeopathic medicines might modify cell functions through epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation and demethylation) paved the road for a fully new field of research. In parallel, the discovery of nanoparticles and specific physical properties of homeopathic dilutions brought light to a previously poorly known field, as it was believed that homeopathic dilutions consist in nothing but water. Thus being, challenges for the future concern the demonstration, or not, of the interrelationship between both phenomena.

Nanobody Technology: A Versatile Toolkit for Microscopic Imaging, Protein-Protein Interaction Analysis, and Protein Function Exploration.

Over the last two decades, nanobodies or single-domain antibodies have found their way in research, diagnostics, and therapy. These antigen-binding fragments, derived from Camelid heavy chain only antibodies, possess remarkable characteristics that favor their use over conventional antibodies or fragments thereof, in selected areas of research. In this review, we assess the current status of nanobodies as research tools in diverse aspects of fundamental research. We discuss the use of nanobodies as detection reagents in fluorescence microscopy and focus on recent advances in super-resolution microscopy. Second, application of nanobody technology in investigating protein-protein interactions is reviewed, with emphasis on possible uses in mass spectrometry. Finally, we discuss the potential value of nanobodies in studying protein function, and we focus on their recently reported application in targeted protein degradation. Throughout the review, we highlight state-of-the-art engineering strategies that could expand nanobody versatility and we suggest future applications of the technology in the selected areas of fundamental research.