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Antiviral Nanomaterials as Potential Targets for Malaria Prevention and Treatment
Published in Devarajan Thangadurai, Saher Islam, Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji, Viral and Antiviral Nanomaterials, 2022
Kantrol Kumar Sahu, Sunita Minz, Madhulika Pradhan, Monika Kaurav, Krishna Yadav
The oral route is the one of the most preferred, accessible, and prevalent routes of drug administration for the attainment of significant therapeutic level of drugs. However, some major limitations are associated with oral drug administration, such as the requirement of higher drug dose for effective pharmacological effect due to respective obstacles such as stringent gastrointestinal milieu, biological membrane barrier action, chemical instability of drugs, and hepatic first-pass metabolism, thus patient compliance is also compromised. In this regard, to overcome all above discussed problems along with achievement of efficient therapeutic response with minimal patient related side effects, a number of novel drug-delivery system-based techniques and methods has been employed for the delivery of antiviral drugs. For example, a lipid-based nano-emulsion system (emulsifier coated nanosized lipid droplets) has been formulated with acyclovir to improve its solubility and oral bioavailability (Sapra et al. 2013). Similar types of delivery system-based formulations for oral antiviral drug administration are discussed in Table 18.1 (Patel and Sawant 2007; Sankar et al. 2012; Sapra et al. 2013; Kumar et al. 2015; Venkatesh et al. 2015; Kumar et al. 2016; Öztürk and Yurtdaş Kirimlioğlu 2019).
Clinical Trials
Published in Abhaya Indrayan, Research Methods for Medical Graduates, 2019
Medical experiments on human beings are called trials. The objective is to discover or verify the clinical or pharmacological effect of an intervention and to identify its adverse effects. The endpoint could be safety and/or efficacy [1]. The intervention must be potentially beneficial and not harmful. This could be a drug, a surgical procedure, a medical device, some behavioral change, a process of care, or any such intervention.
Computer-Aided Drug Design for the Identification of Multi-Target Directed Ligands (MTDLs) in Complex Diseases: An Overview
Published in Peter Grunwald, Pharmaceutical Biocatalysis, 2019
In another report (Jalencas and Mestres, 2013), based on the collected drug–target interaction data, the authors have suggested to change the biased perception of drug selectivity. Further, it was stated that most of the therapeutically effective drugs interact with multiple proteins to show their actual pharmacological effect, while selective drugs that targeting only a single target are just few exceptions. Based on their observation, currently only 15% of drugs are known to interact with a single target, whereas over 50% of them interact with more than five targets.
The discovery of berberine erythrocyte-hemoglobin self-assembly delivery system: a neglected carrier underlying its pharmacokinetics
Published in Drug Delivery, 2022
Qiuxia Yu, Minhua Li, Hanbin Chen, Lieqiang Xu, Juanjuan Cheng, Guoshu Lin, Yuhong Liu, Ziren Su, Xiaobo Yang, Yucui Li, Jiannan Chen, Jianhui Xie
It is well-known that the pharmacological effect of a drug is dependent on both its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, which are largely influenced by the reversible binding of the drug to proteins in the blood (Schmidt et al., 2010; Borkar et al., 2015). The primary binding sites of drugs in erythrocytes are associated with Hb, proteins, or plasma membrane. Hb is the major (soluble) protein and makes up 97% of the erythrocyte’s dry weight. In addition to carrying O2 and CO2, Hb also has important physiological functions, such as storing endogenous metabolites and exogenous small molecules (Wang et al., 2007). And it is reported that Hb in blood plasma is naturally scavenged by monocytes and macrophages and is subsequently denatured in the lysosome, making it a natural drug carrier to target monocytes and macrophages (Zhang and Palmer, 2011; Singhal et al., 2017). In our work, the blood routine examination showed that the counts of WBC and PLT in blood did not fluctuate obviously, while the contents of erythrocyte and Hb were significantly reduced (p < .01 or p < .05) post intravenous administration of BBR, which might indicate the interaction of erythrocyte and Hb with BBR. Besides, Hb tended to accumulate in the liver, which was similar to the biodistribution of BBR (Ship et al., 2005; Tan et al., 2013), presumptively ascribed to the recognition and phagocytosis of BBR-loaded erythrocyte by the reticuloendothelial system of the liver. However, further endeavors are merited to provide definite insight.
Food insecurity and substance use in people with HIV infection and substance use disorder
Published in Substance Abuse, 2022
Akila Raja, Timothy C. Heeren, Alexander Y. Walley, Michael R. Winter, Aldina Mesic, Richard Saitz
Substance use can also worsen outcomes in PLWH22 via disinhibited or impulsive behavior,23 memory loss,24 and participation in related risk behaviors25 resulting in medication non-adherence 3 and recurrent infectious exposures.26 Unhealthy alcohol use, defined as use that risks consequences or meeting criteria for alcohol use disorder, is prevalent among PLWH (up to 42%).27 HAART adherence in those who consume alcohol is lower than it is in those who do not drink (60% compared to 74%, respectively).28 High-dose and long-term opioid therapy are common among PLWH,29 and although findings are mixed, some studies suggest associations between opioid use and HIV disease progression.30,31 This association may be a direct pharmacological effect or due to substance use-related medication non-adherence and risky behavior.32
Insights into gastrointestinal microbiota-generated ginsenoside metabolites and their bioactivities
Published in Drug Metabolism Reviews, 2020
Li Yang, Hecun Zou, Yongchao Gao, Junjia Luo, Xiaonv Xie, Wenhui Meng, Honghao Zhou, Zhirong Tan
Gastrointestinal microbiota acts as an ‘invisible organ’ in humans that affect drug efficacy, toxicity, and bioavailability, indicating that the gastrointestinal microbiota play an important role in drug metabolism. Moreover, this review provides new insight into novel drugs discovery. In the process of screening new drugs, candidates should not be excluded, because of low activity and bioavailability, as their metabolites may exhibit good pharmacological effect following the action of the gastrointestinal microbiota. In addition, in further research to discover probiotics, a combination of agents could be used to exert greater efficacy than single agents. Moreover, differences in lifestyle and diets cerate inter-individual variations in the gastrointestinal microbiota of humans. Consequently, administration of the same dose drug could exhibit differences in therapeutic effects because of differences in the gastrointestinal microbiota. Therefore, testing the gastrointestinal microbiota of individuals, before drug treatment would be expedient as this would allow ginsenoside administration based on the characteristics of both the microbiota and the ginsenosides. This would further facilitate the use of specific drug regimens based on the gastrointestinal microbiota–drug interaction, helping meet the clinical requirements of individuals for improved medication use and treatment efficacy.