Fluid biomarkers in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a type of cerebrovascular disorder characterised by the accumulation of amyloid within the leptomeninges and small/medium-sized cerebral blood vessels. Typically, cerebral haemorrhages are one of the first clinical manifestations of CAA, posing a considerable challenge to the timely diagnosis of CAA as the bleedings only occur during the later disease stages. Fluid biomarkers may change prior to imaging biomarkers, and therefore, they could be the future of CAA diagnosis. Additionally, they can be used as primary outcome markers in prospective clinical trials. Among fluid biomarkers, blood-based biomarkers offer a distinct advantage over cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers as they do not require a procedure as invasive as a lumbar puncture. This article aimed to provide an overview of the present clinical data concerning fluid biomarkers associated with CAA and point out the direction of future studies. Among all the biomarkers discussed, amyloid ß, neurofilament light chain, matrix metalloproteinases, complement 3, uric acid, and lactadherin demonstrated the most promising evidence. However, the field of fluid biomarkers for CAA is an under-researched area, and in most cases, there are only one or two studies on each of the biomarkers mentioned in this review. Additionally, a small sample size is a common limitation of the discussed studies. Hence, it is hard to reach a solid conclusion on the clinical significance of each biomarker at different stages of the disease or in various subpopulations of CAA. In order to overcome this issue, larger longitudinal and multicentered studies are needed.

Adverse drug reactions of Rituximab in patients suffering from autoimmune neurological diseases.

BACKGROUND: Rituximab, a chimeric human/mouse monoclonal antibody targeting CD-20 antigens, has been used recently for various rheumatological and autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune neurological disorders. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to study the frequency, seriousness, causality, and preventability of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of rituximab in Iranian patients with autoimmune neurological diseases. METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, patients with autoimmune neurological diseases who had an indication for rituximab treatment were enrolled. Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale was used to assess the causality of ADRs, and the preventability of the ADRs was determined by P-Method. The seriousness of ADRs was also determined. RESULTS: A total of 264 ADRs were recorded from 97 patients. The Median (min-max) number of ADRs experienced by patients was 3 (1-7) events. 11.3% of patients experienced serious ADRs. 18.2% and 26.9% of ADRs were Definite and Probable, respectively. Only 5% of the ADRs were ''preventable". The most frequent ADRs were rituximab infusion-related reactions. CONCLUSION: Rituximab had an acceptable safety profile in our study patients. However, there must be certain cautions regarding the use of the medication for the elderly or patients with a compromised immune system. Timely detection and management of ADRs would also be crucial to prevent severe and permanent damages. Moreover, considering that rituximab is used as an off-label treatment for autoimmune neurological diseases, a risk-benefit assessment would be necessary before deciding on the treatment choice.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Herbal Formulation of Boswellia sacra Flueck. In Improving Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms in Patients with Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of an herbal formulation based on Boswellia sacra in improving cognitive and behavioral symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild-to-moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: A 3-month, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial was implemented from October 2021 to April 2022. Patients with MCI and mild-to-moderate stages of AD aged above 50 years (n = 60; 40 women, 20 men) enrolled in the study using clinical diagnosis and a score of 10-30 on the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) test. They were assigned into two groups; one receiving a herbal formulation) include B. sacra, Melissa officinalis, Piper longum, Cinnamomum verum, and Physalis alkekengi) three times a day and the other receiving a placebo for 3 months. The main efficacy measures were the changes in cognitive domains based on the MMSE and changes in behavioral and psychiatric symptoms based on neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI) scores compared with baseline. Side effects were also recorded. Findings: Results of this study showed significant differences between the two groups after 3 months in terms of all the assessed variables, including the overall result of the mean score of MMSE and NPI tests (P ≤ 0.001). The herbal formulation had the most considerable effects on the domains of orientation, attention, working memory, delay recall, and language of the MMSE test. Conclusion: Herbal formulation based on B. sacra was significantly effective compared to a placebo in improving cognitive and behavioral symptoms in patients with MCI and mild-to-moderate AD.

Role of dimethyl fumarate in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme: A review article.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most frequent malignant and aggressive primary brain tumor, is characterized by genetically unstable heterogeneous cells, diffused growth pattern, microvascular proliferation, and resistance to chemotherapy. Extensive investigations are being carried out to identify the molecular origin of resistance to chemo- and radio-therapy in GBM and find novel targets for therapy to improve overall survival rate. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has been shown to be a safe drug with limited short and long-term side effects, and fumaric acid esters (FAEs), including DMF, present both anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activity in different cell types and tissues. DMF has also anti-tumoral and neuroprotective effects and so it could be repurposed in the treatment of this invasive tumor in the future. Here, we have reviewed DMF pharmacokinetics and different mechanisms by which DMF could have therapeutic effects on GBM.