The time-resolved and extreme conditions XAS (TEXAS) facility at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility: the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline BM23

BM23 is the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline at the ESRF, replacing the former BM29 beamline in the framework of the ESRF upgrade. Its mission is to serve the whole XAS user community by providing access to a basic service in addition to the many specialized instruments available at the ESRF. BM23 offers high signal-to-noise ratio EXAFS in a large energy range (5-75 keV), continuous energy scanning for quick-EXAFS on the second timescale and a micro-XAS station delivering a spot size of 4 µm × 4 µm FWHM. It is a user-friendly facility featuring a high degree of automation, online EXAFS data reduction and a flexible sample environment.

What research agenda could be generated from the European General Practice Research Network concept of Multimorbidity in Family Practice?

Background

Multimorbidity is an intuitively appealing, yet challenging, concept for Family Medicine (FM). An EGPRN working group has published a comprehensive definition of the concept based on a systematic review of the literature which is closely linked to patient complexity and to the biopsychosocial model. This concept was identified by European Family Physicians (FPs) throughout Europe using 13 qualitative surveys. To further our understanding of the issues around multimorbidity, we needed to do innovative research to clarify this concept. The research question for this survey was: what research agenda could be generated for Family Medicine from the EGPRN concept of Multimorbidity?

Methods

Nominal group design with a purposive panel of experts in the field of multimorbidity. The nominal group worked through four phases: ideas generation phase, ideas recording phase, evaluation and analysis phase and a prioritization phase.

Results

Fifteen international experts participated. A research agenda was established, featuring 6 topics and 11 themes with their corresponding study designs. The highest priorities were given to the following topics: measuring multimorbidity and the impact of multimorbidity. In addition the experts stressed that the concept should be simplified. This would be best achieved by working in reverse: starting with the outcomes and working back to find the useful variables within the concept.

Conclusion

The highest priority for future research on multimorbidity should be given to measuring multimorbidity and to simplifying the EGPRN model, using a pragmatic approach to determine the useful variables within the concept from its outcomes.

Early Initiation Rather Than Prolonged Duration of Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV Infection Contributes to the Normalization of CD8 T-Cell Counts

BACKGROUND

CD8 T-cell counts remain elevated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection even after long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is associated with an increased risk of non-AIDS-related events. We assessed the impact of ART initiation in early versus chronic HIV infection on trajectories of CD8 cell counts over time.

METHODS

Of 280 individuals enrolled during primary HIV infection (PHI), 251 were followed up for 24 months; 84 started ART before 6 months of infection (eART), 49 started between 6 and 24 months, and 118 remained untreated. Plasma HIV viral load (VL), CD4 and CD8 cell counts were assessed at each study visit. CD8 counts were also examined in 182 age-matched HIV-infected individuals who started ART during chronic infection and maintained undetectable plasma VL for ≥5 years.

RESULTS

At PHI baseline, higher CD8 cell counts were associated with more recent infection (P = .02), higher CD4 cell counts (P < .001), and higher VL (P < .001). The CD8 count in the eART group decreased from 797 to 588 cells/µL over 24 months (P < .001), to a level lower than that in untreated PHI (834 cells/µL; P = .004) or in long-term-treated patients with chronic HIV infection (743 cells/µL; P = .047). More prominent CD4 T-cell recovery was observed in the eART group than in the delayed ART group.

CONCLUSIONS

ART initiated in early HIV infection is associated with improved resolution of CD8 T-cell elevation compared with long-term ART initiated in chronic infection. Early ART may help reduce the risk of non-AIDS-related events by alleviating this elevation.

The antiproliferative action of [D-Arg(1), D-Phe(5), D-Trp(7,9), LEU(11)] substance P analogue antagonist against small-cell- and non-small-cell lung cancer cells could be due to the pharmacological profile of its tachykinin receptor antagonist

It is known that in human lung cancer samples, both small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells express the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor; that after binding to the NK-1 receptor the peptide substance P (SP) elicits tumour cell proliferation and an antiapoptotic effect. By contrast, it has been demonstrated that non-peptide NK-1 receptor antagonists, after binding to the NK-1 receptor and hence by blocking the SP action in SCLC/NSCLC, exert an antiproliferative action (inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation and induce the death of tumour cells by apoptosis). It is also known that SP peptide NK-1 receptor antagonists also called SP analogue antagonists (broad-spectrum GPCR antagonists, broad-spectrum neuropeptide antagonists or synthetic analogues of SP), also exert antiproliferative actions against SCLC/NSCLC. However, the underlying mechanisms involved in this antiproliferative action remain unknown. By using competition assays with SP, here we demonstrate that the antiproliferative action exerted by the [D-Arg(1), D-Phe(5), D-Trp(7,9), Leu(11)] SP analogue on human H-69 SCLC and COR-L23 NSCLC cell lines, occurs at least through the NK-1 receptor.

NK-1 receptor antagonists: a new generation of anticancer drugs

After binding to the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor, substance P (SP) induces tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and the migration of tumor cells for invasion and metastasis. After binding to NK-1 receptors, NK-1 receptor antagonists inhibit tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis and the migration of tumor cells. These antagonists are broad-spectrum antitumor drugs. In addition, in the host they display beneficial effects: anxiolytic, antiemetic, neuroprotector, nephroprotector, hepatoprotector, antiinflammatory and analgesic. In combination therapy with classic cytostatics, NK-1 receptor antagonists have synergic effects and minimize the side-effects of these classic drugs. Thus, NK-1 receptor antagonists could offer a new and promising generation of anticancer drugs.