East meets West in COVID-19 therapeutics.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Wang S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7282746 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is amongst one of the most common indications for endothelial keratoplasty worldwide. Despite being originally described among Caucasians, it is now known to be prevalent among a large number of populations, including Asians. While the FECD phenotype is classically described as that of central guttate and pigment deposits associated with corneal endothelial dysfunction, there are subtle yet important differences in how FECD and its phenocopies may present in Caucasians vs Asians. Such differences are paralled by genotypic variations and disease management preferences which appear to be geographically and ethnically delineated. This article provides a succinct review of such differences, with a focus on diagnostic and management issues which may be encountered by ophthalmologists practicing in the different geographic regions, when evaluating a patient with FECD.
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Project description:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed enormous challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. The negative impact of COVID-19 is widespread and includes not only people who contracted the disease but also those with chronic morbidities such as diabetes whose care is compromised due to diversion of medical resources. People with diabetes are generally more susceptible to infection as a result of altered immunity. People with diabetes have a worse prognosis from COVID-19 and there is evidence to suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may directly affect pancreatic function precipitating hyperglycaemic crises. In the United Kingdom, one of the most heavily affected countries, guidelines are in place to unify the management of people with diabetes hospitalized for COVID-19. Diabetes services are re-organized to ensure that medical care of people with diabetes is maintained despite resource and other practical constraints. Public health measures including social distancing, hand hygiene and the use of face masks are crucial in containing community transmission of the virus. Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated city in the world, is particularly vulnerable and has in place a stringent containment policy and aggressive contact tracing to ensure public safety during this pandemic.
| S-EPMC7995062 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C (BCLC C) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) includes a heterogeneous population for which sorafeninb is one of the recommended therapies. We aim to evaluate the real world clinical treatment and survival of BCLC stage C patients in an Asian cohort. METHODS:This is a retrospective cohort study that enrolled 427 consecutive BCLC stage C patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2017 by using the HCC registry data for our hospital. All patients were managed via a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach. RESULTS:Hepatitis B surface antigen positive was noted in 50.6% of the patients. The patients were classified as performance status (PS)1 alone (n = 83; 19.4%), PS2 alone (n = 23; 5.4%), or macrovascular invasion (MVI) or extrahepatic spread (EHS) (n = 321; 75.2%). The median overall survival (OS) was 11.0 months in the whole cohort. The most frequent treatments were transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in the PS1 (45.8%) and PS2 patients (52.2%) and sorafenib (32.4%) in the MVI or EHS patients. The independent prognostic factors were the PS, Child-Pugh class, MVI or EHS, alpha fetoprotein levels, and treatment type. CONCLUSIONS:We reported the real world management in BCLC stage C patients in an Asian cohort through the use of personalized management via a MDT approach.
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Project description:Genetic variation in Arctic species is often influenced by vicariance during the Pleistocene, as ice sheets fragmented the landscape and displaced populations to low- and high-latitude refugia. The formation of secondary contact or suture zones during periods of ice sheet retraction has important consequences on genetic diversity by facilitating genetic connectivity between formerly isolated populations. Brant geese (Branta bernicla) are a maritime migratory waterfowl (Anseriformes) species that almost exclusively uses coastal habitats. Within North America, brant geese are characterized by two phenotypically distinct subspecies that utilize disjunct breeding and wintering areas in the northern Pacific and Atlantic. In the Western High Arctic of Canada, brant geese consist of individuals with an intermediate phenotype that are rarely observed nesting outside this region. We examined the genetic structure of brant geese populations from each subspecies and areas consisting of intermediate phenotypes using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequence data and microsatellite loci. We found a strong east-west partition in both marker types consistent with refugial populations. Within subspecies, structure was also observed at mtDNA while microsatellite data suggested the presence of only two distinct genetic clusters. The Western High Arctic (WHA) appears to be a secondary contact zone for both Atlantic and Pacific lineages as mtDNA and nuclear genotypes were assigned to both subspecies, and admixed individuals were observed in this region. The mtDNA sequence data outside WHA suggests no or very restricted intermixing between Atlantic and Pacific wintering populations which is consistent with published banding and telemetry data. Our study indicates that, although brant geese in the WHA are not a genetically distinct lineage, this region may act as a reservoir of genetic diversity and may be an area of high conservation value given the potential of low reproductive output in this species.
| S-EPMC11004662 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with large variation of the incidence and mortality across regions. Although the mortality of lung cancer has been decreasing, or steady in the US, it has been increasing in Asia for the past two decades. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, and other risk factors such as indoor coal burning, cooking fumes, and infections may play important roles in the development of lung cancer among Asian never smoking women. The median age of diagnosis in Asian patients with lung cancer is generally younger than Caucasian patients, particularly among never-smokers. Asians and Caucasians may have different genetic susceptibilities to lung cancer, as evidenced from candidate polymorphisms and genome-wide association studies. Recent epidemiologic studies and clinical trials have shown consistently that Asian ethnicity is a favorable prognostic factor for overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), independent of smoking status. Compared with Caucasian patients with NSCLC, East Asian patients have a much higher prevalence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation (approximately 30% vs. 7%, predominantly among patients with adenocarcinoma and never-smokers), a lower prevalence of K-Ras mutation (less than 10% vs. 18%, predominantly among patients with adenocarcinoma and smokers), and higher proportion of patients who are responsive to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The ethnic differences in epidemiology and clinical behaviors should be taken into account when conducting global clinical trials that include different ethnic populations.
| S-EPMC4013393 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background/aimsA recent study from the United States reported that nearly 12% of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) occurred in patients without cirrhosis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was the most common liver disease in these patients. We aim to evaluate the characteristics, etiologies, and outcomes of cases of non-cirrhotic HCC in East Asia, where there is a higher prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated non-cirrhotic HCC.MethodsThis retrospective study consecutively enrolled de novo HCC patients managed at our institution from 2011 to 2017. The presence of cirrhosis was assessed by histology; if histology was not available, it was assessed by image study.Results2055 patients with HCC were enrolled in this study. Among them, 529 (25.7%) were non-cirrhotic. The non-cirrhotic patients were younger (60.9 vs. 62.5 years, p = 0.006), included a greater proportion of males (78.1% vs. 71.3%, p = 0.002), and had a lower body mass index (24.3 vs. 25.3 kg/m2, p<0.001) than the cirrhotic patients. Among the non-cirrhotic patients, HBV was the most common liver disease (49.0%). The patients with non-cirrhotic HCC had larger tumors (5.9 vs. 4.7 cm, p<0.001), underwent liver resection at a higher rate (66.0% vs. 17.4%, p<0.001), and had better overall survival than the cirrhotic HCC patients (median 5.67 vs. 2.83 years, p<0.001).ConclusionsNearly 26% of the HCCs occurred in patients without cirrhosis. HBV was the most common liver disease in these patients, and the survival was better in the non-cirrhotic patients than the cirrhotic patients.
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Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC9944528 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused already over 3.5 million COVID-19 cases and 250,000 deaths globally. There is an urgent need to create novel models to study SARS-CoV-2 using human disease-relevant cells to understand key features of virus biology and facilitate drug screening. As primary SARS-CoV-2 infection is respiratory-based, we developed a lung organoid model using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that could be adapted for drug screens.
2020-08-11 | GSE148113 | GEO
Project description:Weedy crop relatives are among the world's most problematic agricultural weeds, and their ability to rapidly evolve can be enhanced by gene flow from both domesticated crop varieties and wild crop progenitor species. In this study, we examined the role of modern commercial crop cultivars, traditional landraces, and wild relatives in the recent emergence and proliferation of weedy rice in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. This region of Malaysia is separated from the Asian continent by the South China Sea, and weedy rice has become a major problem there more recently than on the Malaysian peninsular mainland. Using 24 polymorphic SSR loci and genotype data from the awn-length domestication gene An-1, we assessed the genetic diversity, population structure and potential origins of East Malaysian weeds; 564 weedy, cultivated and wild rice accessions were analyzed from samples collected in East Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia and neighboring countries. While there is considerable evidence for contributions of Peninsular Malaysian weed ecotypes to East Malaysian populations, we find that local crop cultivars and/or landraces from neighboring countries are also likely contributors to the weedy rice infestations. These findings highlight the implications of genetic admixture from different cultivar source populations in the spread of weedy crop relatives and the urgent need for preventive measurements to maintain sustainable crop yields.
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Project description:The population genetic structure of northern boreal species has been strongly influenced both by the Quaternary glaciations and the presence of contemporary barriers, such as mountain ranges and rivers. We used a combination of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), nuclear microsatellites and spatial distribution modelling to study the population genetic structure of the boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus), a resident passerine, and to investigate whether historical or contemporary barriers have influenced this northern species. MtDNA data showed evidence of eastern and western groups, with secondary admixture occurring in central Canada. This suggests that the boreal chickadee probably persisted in multiple glacial refugia, one in Beringia and at least one in the east. Palaeo-distribution modelling identified suitable habitat in Beringia (Alaska), Atlantic Canada and the southern United States, and correspond to divergence dates of 60-96 kya. Pairwise FST values for both mtDNA and microsatellites were significant for all comparisons involving Newfoundland, though mtDNA data suggest a more recent separation. Furthermore, unlike mtDNA data, nuclear data support population connectivity among the continental populations, possibly due to male-biased dispersal. Although both are significant, the isolation-by-distance signal is much stronger for mtDNA (r(2)=0.51) than for microsatellites (r(2)=0.05), supporting the hypothesis of male-biased dispersal. The population structure of the boreal chickadee was influenced by isolation in multiple refugia and contemporary barriers. In addition to geographical distance, physical barriers such as the Strait of Belle Isle and northern mountains in Alaska are restricting gene flow, whereas the Rocky Mountains in the west are a porous barrier.
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