Search

Background: The aims of this study were to confirm the non‐inferiority of tegoprazan to lansoprazole up to week 4 in patients with erosive esophagitis (EE) and to evaluate its effectiveness in rapid mucosal healing and symptom relief at week 2. Methods: In this multi‐center, randomized, double‐blind, active‐comparator non‐inferiority trial, 218 patients with endoscopically confirmed EE (Los Angeles Classification Grades A–D) were randomly allocated to either the tegoprazan (50 mg) or lansoprazole (30 mg) group. The primary endpoint was the cumulative proportion of patients with healed EE up to week 4, as confirmed through endoscopy. The proportion of patients with healed EE at week 2 was also evaluated. Furthermore, CYP2C19 genotypes, symptoms, safety, and tolerability were assessed. Key Results: In the full‐analysis set, 103 and 109 participants in the tegoprazan and lansoprazole groups, respectively, were analyzed. The cumulative healing rates up to week 4 were 95.2% (98/103) and 86.2% (94/109) (difference [95% confidence interval], 8.91 [1.22–16.59]; p < 0.0001 for non‐inferiority and 0.0266 for superiority), while those at week 2 were 88.4% (91/103) and 82.6% (90/109) (5.78 [−3.66–15.22], p = 0.0005 for non‐inferiority) for tegoprazan and lansoprazole, respectively. Tegoprazan showed consistent healing rates regardless of CYP2C19 genotypes. Conclusions and Inferences: Tegoprazan was superior to lansoprazole in the treatment of EE up to 4 weeks. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings and clarify the superiority of tegoprazan, especially in the treatment of severe EE. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05267743 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent type of arthritis worldwide and a leading cause of years lost to pain and disability. Among the current pharmacological treatments for OA, symptomatic slow-acting drugs for OA (SYSADOA) induce pain relief and aim to improve joint function by relieving inflammation while causing fewer gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse events than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). SKCPT is a herbal SYSADOA formulated from Clematis mandshurica , Trichosanthes kirilowii , and Prunella vulgaris powdered extracts. This preparation has been shown to induce cartilage protection and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical studies and inhibit glycosaminoglycan degradation and catabolic gene expression in human OA chondrocytes and cartilage. We aimed to evaluate the non-inferiority of SKCPT to celecoxib and safety for treating knee OA. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase III clinical trial enrolled adults with primary knee OA who were randomized (1:1) to SKCPT 300 mg twice daily or celecoxib 200 mg once daily for 12 weeks. In total, 278 patients were assigned to treatment (SKCPT, 136; celecoxib, 142) for approximately 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the mean change of Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (K-WOMAC) pain subscale scores from baseline to Day 84. The mean change (least squares [LS] mean ± standard error) from baseline to Day 84 was −23.74 ± 1.48 for SKCPT and −25.88 ± 1.44 for celecoxib. The two-sided 95% confidence interval of the difference (LS mean) between groups was [−1.94, 6.20], confirming that the upper limit was less than the non-inferiority margin of 10. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the secondary endpoints (mean changes of K-WOMAC pain, physical, stiffness subscale, and total score, and the frequency and number of doses of rescue medications) between groups at all time points. Differences between groups in adverse events and adverse drug reactions were not significant, and no serious adverse events occurred. SKCPT efficacy was non-inferior, and its safety profile was similar, to celecoxib. Building on previous results showing that SYSADOA reduce NSAID intake, the present results suggest that the SYSADOA SKCPT could effectively replace NSAIDs in knee OA treatment while avoiding long-term side effects. [Display omitted] • We aimed to assess the non-interiority of SKCPT to celecoxib for knee OA. • Mean changes in K-WOMAC scores from baseline to Day 84 were similar in both groups. • There were no differences in secondary endpoints between groups at all time points. • The incidence of AEs, including gastrointestinal AEs, was low in both groups. • SKCPT was non-inferior in efficacy to celecoxib and was safe and well tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to improve the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities of mastic gum resin (MGR). MGR was loaded into a phospholipid nanocarrier with or without partially hydrolyzed ginsenoside, followed by dispersion into distilled water., Method: The phospholipid nanocarrier dispersion showed significantly enhanced in-vitro release, porcine skin/ intestine permeation, and retention. When the ratio of the MGR versus partially hydrogenated ginsenoside reached 1:1 w/w in the nanocarrier composition, the in-vitro release increased 54.8-fold compared to the MGR powder suspended in the release media., Results: Permeation of the nanocarrier dispersion through the porcine skin and intestine increased 160-fold and 42-fold, respectively, compared to permeation of the MGR powder suspension. Furthermore, the nanocarrier dispersion reduced NO production and iNOS mRNA expression in the LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. MIC and MBC of the nanocarrier dispersion against P. gingivalis were 4.11 ± 1.17 and 8.22 ± 2.35 μg/mL, respectively., Conclusion: In conclusion, the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities of MGR were remarkably enhanced when the MGR was loaded into the nanocarrier with partially hydrolyzed ginsenoside., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Human breast milk (HBM) is an important source of tolerogenic immune mediators that influence the infant immune system. HBM-derived immune components are affected by various factors; however, few studies have examined the relationship between parity and immune cell profiles of HBM., Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the effects of parity on HBM immune cell heterogeneity and gene expression by integrating and analyzing publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing datasets., Results: The proportion of innate immune cells was significantly higher in the primiparous versus multiparous group, whereas the proportion of adaptive immune cells was significantly higher in the multiparous group (p = 0.021). The two immune clusters were re-annotated and classified into monocyte, T/B cell, and CD45 groups. The proportions of monocytes and T/B cells were higher in the primiparous and multiparous groups, respectively. In a gene set enrichment analysis of monocytes, genes with a direct role in the infant immune system and immune response-related genes were more highly expressed in the primiparous group., Conclusion: Our results support the parity-dependent differences in gene expression between innate and adaptive immune cells.

Recently, injectable hydrogels have garnered significant attention in tissue engineering due to their controlled flowability, strong plasticity, adaptability, and good biocompatibility. However, research on readily injectable in situ -forming hydrogels capable of forming functional three-dimensional (3D) tissue condensations remains limited. This study explores the development and evaluation of a carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCTS)/oxidized hyaluronic acid (oHA) hydrogel incorporated with silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) for tissue engineering applications with inherent antibacterial activity. Through physicochemical analysis, the optimal formulation of CMCTS/oHA hydrogels was established. The hydrogel demonstrated excellent injectability, enabling minimally invasive in situ delivery. In vitro cytotoxicity assays identified 0.1 % AgSD as the optimal concentration, supporting cell proliferation while exhibiting antimicrobial efficacy against S. mutans and E. faecalis . In vivo studies revealed complete hydrogel degradation and good biocompatibility, with no adverse tissue reactions. The hydrogel's ability to form 3D cell aggregates and support tissue regeneration underscores its potential for future 3D tissue engineering applications. Consequently, the injectable CMCTS/oHA/AgSD hydrogel developed in this study holds significant potential for application in a wide range of bioengineering fields, including antibacterial substance delivery systems and 3D tissue engineering, indicating potential for future clinical application., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2025 The Authors.)