Researchers from VIB, UGent, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and several collaborators developed a new antiviral strategy to fight human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in children. The approach hinges on the use of single-domain antibodies, also known as Nanobodies, which target and neutralize a vital protein in the virus, rendering it unable to enter lung cells. The research elucidates how these Nanobodies interact with and neutralize the virus and demonstrates their ability to successfully protect mice from RSV infection and related inflammation.

RSV annually causes nearly 34 million illnesses in children under 5 years of age and can result in serious illness in both very young children and elderly people leading to hospitalization in up to 2percent of cases. Despite intensive research and the virus’ status as a major pathogen, current methods of treatment rely almost exclusively on supportive care. With the goal of developing a new therapy to fight this disease, Prof. Xavier Saelens (VIB-UGent) and his team developed Nanobodies that target the protein that the virus needs to enter lung cells. The researchers showed that these Nanobodies neutralized the virus in laboratory assays as well as in animals.

To obtain highly potent anti-viral molecules, the group of prof. Saelens collaborated closely with Prof. Jason McLellan’s team from the Geisel School of Medicine and Dr. Barney Graham’s team from the National Institutes of Health in the USA to select, produce and purify Nanobodies that specifically target the active but highly unstable form of the RSV fusion protein. Detailed structural analysis revealed that these Nanobodies tightly bind to a very conserved pocket of the viral fusion protein, and that they provide anti-viral activity against many types of RSV.

Prof. Xavier Saelens (VIB-UGent): ‘We successfully developed molecules that act very potently against RSV, not only against multiple clinical isolates in cell culture, but also in animals. Our Nanobodies are some of – if not the – most potent molecules ever isolated to fight RSV.’

VIB www.vib.be/en/news/Pages/Scientists-isolate-new-antibodies-to-fight-human-respiratory-syncytial-virus-(RSV).aspx

Researchers have found that some of the harmful effects of a commonly used cancer drug can be alleviated by using gene therapy that stimulates blood vessel growth in the heart. Doxorubicin treatment, which is commonly used in a variety of cancers, leads to cardiac atrophy and body wasting. Researchers from the Wihuri Research Institute and the University of Helsinki found that in mouse heart, doxorubicin leads to blood vessel rarefaction, which was prevented by treatment with gene therapy using the VEGF-B growth factor.

As advances in cancer treatment have decreased deaths from cancer, doxorubicin-induced heart problems have become an increasing problem. ‘The new findings give hope that in future the heart could be protected by gene therapy, allowing more thorough cytostatic cancer treatment. Thus, the cancer itself would be treated more effectively and the adverse effects could be avoided’, explains Markus Rasanen, MD, who made the discovery during his thesis studies.

‘Doxorubicin, a cytostatic agent of the anthracycline class, that was used in this study has been a target of intensive research in the scientific world for a long time, and its role has been described in thousands of research articles. This research article is the first one, where blood vessel-directed therapy has a clear protective effect against the doxorubicin toxicity’, says Dr. Riikka Kivela, who supervised the study.

‘Our findings show, that especially the endothelial cells, which form the inner surface of the vessels in the heart, have an essential role in the protection against the cardiotoxicity. More preclinical studies are needed though for the development of VEGF-B gene therapy for cardiac protection in patients’, elaborates Rasanen.

University of Helsinki www.helsinki.fi/en/news/a-common-heart-problem-caused-by-cancer-therapy-avoided-blood-vessel-treatment

B. Braun Melsungen AG, active in regional anesthesia and pain management, and Royal Philips, a global leader in ultrasound and image-guided therapy solutions, recently announced a multi-year strategic alliance to innovate ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia – a rapidly growing alternative to general anesthesia – and vascular access. Leveraging the companies’ combined deep clinical expertise and R&D capabilities, as well as sales and service channels, B. Braun and Philips are jointly developing and commercializing solutions to support anesthesiologists and hospitals in critical areas of regional anesthesia. These solutions are intended to enhance needle visualization and guidance, as well as optimize procedure workflow and resource planning. The alliance will also focus on vascular access procedures, such as those used to insert catheters into deeply seated veins as part of a catheter-based treatment.
As a platform on which to implement their joint innovations, Philips and B. Braun are launching the new Xperius ultrasound system, which will be available in a cart and ultra-mobile tablet version. Based on the input of clinical experts, Xperius was specifically designed to support the needs in regional anesthesia at the point of care. The system offers an intuitive user interface and exceptional image quality for confident needle targeting and positioning, as well as ergonomic features such as the articulating arm.
Xperius complements B. Braun´s innovative offering in the field of ultrasound guided regional anesthesia which includes the newly launched peripheral nerve block portfolio comprising Stimuplex® and Contiplex® Ultra 360®. It has also been specifically designed to support future innovations for needle visualization and guidance. The two companies will offer education, training, service and support that will enable anesthesiologists and healthcare providers to extract maximum benefit from the system.
Regional anesthesia or analgesia involves the injection of an anesthetic in the proximity of a nerve, targeting areas of a patient’s body that are subject to surgical intervention. Regional anesthesia can have significant advantages over general anesthesia for both patients and hospitals. Patients undergoing regional anesthesia typically benefit from reduced opioid consumption and fewer side-effects, such as nausea. Moreover, regional anesthesia may lead to faster post-surgical recovery, allowing patients to ambulate or leave the hospital sooner, which benefits both patients and hospitals.
However, regional anesthesia and especially peripheral nerve blocks are not easy to perform. Maximizing anesthetic effectiveness and preventing damage to the targeted nerve or other tissue structures depends on the accurate placement of the needle tip through which the anesthetic will be injected or a catheter will be placed. Hence, there is a real need for innovations that continually improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of regional anesthesia procedures.
“Our customers are looking for fully integrated system solutions that address all aspects of their everyday work in caring for patients, including the enhanced efficiency needed to meet ever-increasing demand for their services,” said Dr. Meinrad Lugan, Member of the Board for the Hospital Care Division at B. Braun. “This new alliance with Philips illustrates our commitment to sharing expertise, not only with our customers, but also with other key technology players, to meet healthcare needs and challenges faced today and into the future.”
“Philips and B. Braun have a worldwide reputation for clinical innovations and a shared commitment to work with patients and care providers to optimize healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes,” said Rob Cascella, Chief Business Leader of the Diagnosis & Treatment Businesses at Philips. “By partnering with B. Braun, we have created a solution for ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia comprising the Xperius ultrasound system, decision support software, echogenic needles, and a suite of services. We look forward to jointly developing further innovations. This new alliance is a great example of our commitment to partnering with industry leaders with complementary skills to increase our footprint in the therapy market.”
The Xperius platform will be co-branded and sold via B. Braun’s global sales network, with Philips providing installation and service.

Findings from a large, community-based study show that antithrombotic therapy doesn’t decrease low-risk atrial fibrillation patients’ risk of suffering a stroke within five years. In fact, researchers found that low-risk patients fared better without any antithrombotic therapy.

The new findings was from researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City.

Antithrombotic agents are drugs that reduce the formation of blood clots. Antithrombotics can be used therapeutically for prevention or treatment of a dangerous blood clots.

The news findings contradict some current standards. For instance, the European Cardiology Society advocates oral anticoagulation therapy for patients with stroke risk factors as defined by a CHA2DS2 VASc score of 1 or more for men and 2 or more for women.

However, the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute study found that low-risk patients – with a CHADS2 score of 0-1 or CHA2DS2 VASc score of 0-2 – who received antithrombotic therapy experienced higher rates of stroke and significant bleeding.

CHADS2 is an acronym that helps clinicians recall major stroke risk factors, assigning one point for each letter: ‘C’ for congestive heart failure, ‘H’ for high blood pressure, ‘A’ for age 75 or older and ‘D’ for diabetes. ‘S’ stands for stroke and the ‘2’ denotes an extra point is assigned for a previous stroke. CHA2DS2-VASc builds on CHADS2, adding points for being female, being between the ages 65-75 and having vascular disease.

Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute researcher Victoria Jacobs, PhD, NP, says the use of oral anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapies is controversial in the medical community.

‘There is still no consensus regarding the initiation of these therapies in low-stroke risk patients, but findings from our study add important insight into this issue,’ she said.

The study involved 56,723 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and a CHADS2 scores of 0-1 and CHADS2 VASc scores of 0-2. Patients were divided into groups receiving aspirin, Clopidogrel and warfarin.

Follow-up after five years showed that 4.6 percent of aspirin-prescribed patients suffered a stroke versus 2.3 percent of those who weren’t on it; 17.6 percent of those using aspirin experienced significant bleeding versus 11.5 percent not on it.

Of warfarin-prescribed patients, 5.7 percent suffered a stroke after five years versus 2.6 percent of those not on it; 22.3 percent of warfarin patients experienced significant bleeding versus 12.3 percent not on it.

The study concludes that anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapies don’t lower stroke rates in low-risk patients, but rather increase their risk of significant bleeding and death.

Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute intermountainhealthcare.org/news/2017/03/antithrombotic-therapy-has-no-benefit-for-low-risk-atrial-fibrillation-patients/

AF (atrial fibrillation) is a common cardiac rhythm disturbance that can lead to severe consequences such as stroke and heart failure. AF can be triggered by various stressful conditions and about 30% of patients undergoing cardiac operations suffer from post-operative AF.
Harri Hemilä from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Timo Suonsyrjä from the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland, carried out a systematic review of vitamin C for preventing AF in high risk patients. They identified 14 randomized trials totalling 2006 patients who had undergone cardiac surgery, and one trial with 44 patients that had investigated the recurrence of AF after a successful cardioversion.
There was substantial heterogeneity between the 14 cardiac surgery trials, but the heterogeneity was explained by the division of them between five trials carried out in the USA and nine trials conducted outside of the USA. The five cardiac surgery trials carried out in the USA uniformly found no effect of vitamin C against post-operative AF. In contrast, the nine cardiac surgery trials conducted outside of the USA found a mean reduction of 44% in the incidence of post-operative AF and there was no heterogeneity between these nine trials. Five of the latter trials were carried out in Iran, two in Greece, one in Slovenia and one in Russia.
The single study on the recurrence of AF after a successful cardioversion, which was carried out in Greece, found that vitamin C decreased the risk of AF recurrence by 87%.
In the non-US cardiac surgery trials, vitamin C decreased the length of hospital stay by 12.6% and intensive care unit stay by 8.0%.
Some of the surgery patients in the non-US studies were administered vitamin C orally, whereas in others vitamin C was administered intravenously. The latter route leads to substantially higher levels of vitamin C in the blood, thus the effects of the two administration methods might differ.
Oral administration of vitamin C decreased the occurrence of post-operative AF by 73%, whereas intravenous administration decreased it by 36%. On the other hand, oral administration shortened the length of hospital stay by only 7% (0.4 days), whereas intravenous administration decreased it by 16% (1.5 days). Thus, the effect of intravenous vitamin C administration was greater for the length of hospital stay, but less for the occurrence of post-operative AF.
According to Drs. Hemilä and Suonsyrjä, “Vitamin C is a safe low-cost essential nutrient. Given the consistent evidence from the less wealthy countries, vitamin C might be administered to cardiac surgery patients, although further studies are needed to find out optimal protocols for its administration. However, there seems to be no rationale for further study of unselected patients in wealthy countries, but the effects of vitamin C for patients who have a particularly low documented level of vitamin C might still be worthwhile.”

ScienceDailyhttp://tinyurl.com/ydek9set