Parameters for successful monthly extended dosing of darbepoetin-alpha in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

AIM: To document the feasibility and report the results of dosing darbepoetin-alpha at extended intervals up to once monthly (QM) in a large dialysis patient population. MATERIAL: 175 adult patients treated, at 23 Swiss hemodialysis centres, with stable doses of any erythropoiesis-stimulating agent who were switched by their physicians to darbepoetin-alpha treatment at prolonged dosing intervals (every 2 weeks [Q2W] or QM). METHOD: Multicentre, prospective, observational study. Patients' hemoglobin (Hb) levels and other data were recorded 1 month before conversion (baseline) to an extended darbepoetin-alpha dosing interval, at the time of conversion, and once monthly thereafter up to the evaluation point (maximum of 12 months or until loss to follow-up). RESULTS: Data for 161 evaluable patients from 23 sites were included in the final analysis. At 1 month prior to conversion, 73% of these patients were receiving darbepoetin-alpha weekly (QW) and 27% of the patients biweekly (Q2W). After a mean follow-up of 9.5 months, 34% received a monthly (QM) dosing regimen, 52% of the patients were receiving darbepoetin-alpha Q2W, and 14% QW. The mean (SD) Hb concentration at baseline was 12.3 +/- 1.2 g/dl, compared to 11.9 +/- 1.2 g/dl at the evaluation point. The corresponding mean weekly darbepoetin-alpha dose was 44.3 +/- 33.4 microg at baseline and 37.7 +/- 30.8 microg at the evaluation point. CONCLUSIONS: Conversion to extended darbepoetin-alpha dosing intervals of up to QM, with maintenance of initial Hb concentrations, was successful for the majority of stable dialysis patients.

Synthetic RGD-containing alpha-helical coiled coil peptides promote integrin-dependent cell adhesion.

Integrin receptors are the main mediators of cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. They bind to their ligands by interacting with short amino acid sequences, such as the RGD sequence. Soluble, small RGD-based peptides have been used to block integrin-binding to ligands, thereby interfering with cell adhesion, migration and survival, while substrate-immobilized RGD sequences have been used to enhance cell binding to artificial surfaces. This approach has several important medical applications, e.g. in suppression of tumor angiogenesis or stimulation of bone formation around implants. However, the relatively weak affinity of short RGD-containing peptides often results in incomplete integrin inhibition or ineffective ligation. In this work, we designed and synthesized several new multivalent RGD-containing molecules and tested their ability to inhibit or to promote integrin-dependent cell adhesion when used in solution or immobilized on substrates, respectively. These molecules consist of an oligomeric structure formed by alpha-helical coiled coil peptides fused at their amino-terminal ends with an RGD-containing fragment. When immobilized on a substrate, these peptides specifically promoted integrin alphaVbeta3-dependent cell adhesion, but when used in solution, they blocked alphaVbeta3-dependent cell adhesion to the natural substrates fibronectin and vitronectin. One of the peptides was nearly 10-fold more efficient than fibronectin or vitronectin in promoting cell adhesion, and almost 100-fold more efficient than a linear RGD tripeptide in blocking adhesion. These results indicate that alpha-helical coiled coil peptides carrying an amino-terminal RGD motif can be used as soluble antagonists or surface-immobilized agonists to efficiently inhibit or promote integrin alphaVbeta3-mediated cell adhesion, respectively.

Iowa Developments, February 2007, Vol. 16, no. 2

Business news from the Iowa Department of Economic Development

Archives parlementaires de 1787 à 1860 ; 8-17, 19, 21-33. Assemblée nationale constituante. 19. Du 16 septembre 1790 au 23 octobre 1790 / impr. par ordre du Sénat et de la Chambre des députés ; sous la dir. de M. J. Mavidal,... et de M. E. Laurent,...

Collection : Les archives de la Révolution française ; 3.1

Archives parlementaires de 1787 à 1860 ; 8-17, 19, 21-33. Assemblée nationale constituante. 16. Du 31 mai 1790 au 8 juillet 1790 / impr. par ordre du Sénat et de la Chambre des députés ; sous la dir. de M. J. Mavidal,... et de M. E. Laurent,...

Collection : Les archives de la Révolution française ; 3.1

Archives parlementaires de 1787 à 1860 ; 8-17, 19, 21-33. Assemblée nationale constituante. 9. Du 16 septembre 1789 au 11 novembre 1789 / impr. par ordre du Sénat et de la Chambre des députés ; sous la dir. de M. J. Mavidal,... et de M. E. Laurent,...

Collection : Les archives de la Révolution française ; 3.1

Secure & Prepared, August 22, 2006, Vol.2, no.16

Secure & Prepared is a bi-weekly publication of the Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division for those involved in the homeland security system in the state of Iowa.

ABD e-News, March 16, 2007

Weekly Newsletter

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, March 16, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.