Latest technologies from Royal College of Surgeons Ireland

A new method for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) Inhibitors of the proteasomal component, Rpt4

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 23 May 2011 03:30:42 GMT

Introduction Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common forms of cancer in both males and females and a leading cause of cancer related deaths. Industry analysis estimates that the colorectal cancer market was valued at $6 billion in 2009 with a projected CAGR of 9.8% and projected market value of approximately $12 billion by 2016. This represents a key pharmaceutical market with high unmet global demand. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for CRC and for small tumours localised to the bowel wall (Stage I), resection offers an excellent c...

Novel conjugates of b-lactam antibiotic and host defence peptide to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:42:49 GMT

Introduction b-Lactam antibiotics have been in clinical use for more than 65 years and have proven to be safe and efficient. They include penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams and carbapenems. The market for b-lactam antibiotics has been valued at US$ billion 8.1 in 2002, representing 52% of the total antibiotic market. b-Lactam agents form the cornerstone of the antibiotic arsenal and it is therefore not surprising that the most commonly acquired mechanism of antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to express enzymes (b-lactamases) ina...

Method for Producing Microcapsules

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 06:15:15 GMT

Introduction Manufacture of particles is an important activity in many industries such as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, printing and analytical sciences. Essentially, particle manufacturing technology is required to produce particles in a defined size range, to enhance solubility, to provide protection to a core, to alter the characteristics of a substance in a particle core, to alter the interaction of a core with its surroundings, to target a particle to a specific site or to ensure that the core substance is only available under defined conditions. Pharmaceutically the need is o...

Phenytoin for Wound Healing

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:04:39 GMT

Introduction There are many applications for gel-based topical therapies. There is frequently a desire to apply poorly soluble agents or to apply agents that are not ordinarily soluble at the neutral values of pH required for topical administration. We have applied this to an active ingredient with demonstrated activity in improving wound healing. Phenytoin sodium has well-established use as an anticonvulsant, administered orally or intravenously. A relatively common side effect is gingival hyperplasia, leading to its proposed use to accelerate wound-healing. Numerous publi...

Orodispersible Tablet Technology

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 02:43:22 GMT

Introduction Solid dosage forms for oral drug administration are the mainstay of product formulation. Conventionally a company will look at this strategy as a convenient and reproducible method of manufacture. This does always however take into account patient needs and preferences and undoubtedly a significant number of patients find difficulty in swallowing a tablet. Convenience and palatability of the dosage form are major considerations and orally disintegrating tablets have addressed this in a number of cases. Currently available technologies for oral disintegration are based upon...

Therapeutic Opportuitues: ALS & Neuro-degenerative Diseases

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:35 GMT

Introduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in the US, is the most common neurodegenerative disorder of young and middle aged adults that is incurable and invariably fatal. The only disease-modifying therapy currently available is Riluzole®, which only extends survival by 3-6 months and has recently come off patent. This treatment is expected to show sales in excess of US $129 million for 2007. Novel disease-specific mutations in a particular gene have recently been identified in ALS patients. This gene has not previously...

Blood Pressure Pharmacogenic Assay

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:33 GMT

Introduction The first direct renin inhibitor has recently been licensed for use as an anti-hypertensive drug in both the United States and Europe. Many analysts suggest that Aliskiren (Tekturna, Rasilez) (Novartis), as the first of its class to market, has blockbuster potential, with projected annual sales of > $2.5 billion by 2012. The market for blockers of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) is large - in excess of 70% of those over 50 years of age suffer from hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, renal dysfunction or stroke. Use of the R...

An Economic and Green Technology for the Manufacture of Sulfonic Acids

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:28 GMT

Introduction Novel technology developed at RCSI has produced an improved, facile, low temperature and “green” technology for the production of racemic sulfonic acids. Sulfonic acids are precious compounds that are present in a wide number of marketed compounds such as taurine (used as a functional food in many energy products and drinks, e.g., Red Bull) and saclophen (used in anti-spasmodic drugs such a Lioresal). At present, their production involves the reaction of alkenes and bisulfite at high temperature and in the presence of radical initiators. The involvement...

Bone Graft Substitute

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:26 GMT

Introduction Bone grafts are used clinically in the treatment of many forms of bone tissue defect (e.g. fracture alignment/non-union, critical-sized defects, maxillo-facial surgery and spinal fusion). They actively promote healing and new bone formation (osteogenesis) using a biocompatible, osteoconductive and osteoinductive graft structure that provides mechanical support and promotes osteogenesis. Historically, the gold standard has been either autografts (patient’s own tissue) or allografts (donor tissue). Whilst autografts are still widely used, drawbacks suc...

UDCA as a Treatment for Diarrhoeal disease

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:24 GMT

Introduction The global impact of diarrheal disease: Diarrhoeal diseases represent a huge global burden. In developing countries infectious diarrhoea kills 2.5 million children annually while in Western societies diarrhoea is a feature of many intestinal disorders including infectious diseases (ID), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and a number of conditions associated with bile acid malabsorption. It has been estimated by the American Gastroenterological Association that ID, IBD and IBS alone represent an annual cost to the U...

FXR Agonists as a Treatment for Diarrhoeal Disease

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:22 GMT

Introduction Diarrhoeal disease is known to cause ~ 2 million deaths per year mostly in developing countries and in children < 5 yrs old. In the Western world common causes of diarrhea include infectious diseases, Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBs), allergic diarrhoea, celiac disease and liver diseases. In the United states IBD, IBS and IDs alone cost the exchequer ~ $9.6 billion in 2000. Furthermore, diarrhoea is often a debilitating and dose-limiting side effect of cancer chemotherapy. Current treatments such as anti inflammatory drugs and those that ...

Osteochondral Defect Repair Scaffold

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:19 GMT

Introduction Articular cartilage is a highly specialised tissue found covering the surfaces of the bony ends of all synovial joints in the human body. Its function is to lubricate joint movement and absorb small shock impacts within a joint. The structure and composition of articular cartilage is highly ordered into distinct but seamlessly integrated layers which vary in composition and structure according to the distance from the surface. Cartilage has a poor ability to regenerate itself due to the sparse distribution and low mitotic activity of the articular...

Breast Cancer Biomarkers: S100 beta and HOXC11

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:17 GMT

Introduction Every year approximately 1.2 million worldwide, are diagnosed with breast cancer (International Agency for Research). Currently women diagnosed with breast cancer generally undergo surgery to remove the tumour. Many will also receive either chemo or radiotherapy or a combination of both. Approximately two thirds of all breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive and it is these patients who will then receive endocrine treatment for a further 5 years. Though most patients initially respond to treatment, approximately 40% eventually relapse. Why these ...

Live Cell Imaging Software

joannocallaghan@rcsi.ie — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:41:13 GMT

Introduction Recent technological developments in fluorescent microscopy provide new opportunities for multi parameter imaging in living cells. However, as experiments may run for hours or days, manpower restrictions apply when controlling and evaluating the experiments. Likewise, the cell’s sensitivity to phototoxicity creates the necessity to use laser resources efficiently. This poses a challenge whenever key events happen spontaneously after hours and then proceed rapidly. Here, overly frequent temporal sampling (usually chosen at experimental set-up) might lead to ...