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Purpose: This study describes the therapeutic strategies in NMOSD and MOGAD adopted by neurologists to treat both conditions in Latin America (LATAM) with main focus on rituximab (RTX) and the disease outcome., Methods: retrospective study in a cohort of NMOSD and MOGAD patients followed in specialized MS/NMOSD centers from eight countries and 14 LATAM reference centers. Demographics and clinical characteristics were collected. RTX strategies on naïve (for rituximab) patients were summarized as follows: scheme A: two 1000 mg infusions 15 days apart and repeated every 6 months; scheme B: four 375 mg/m2 infusions every week for 4 weeks and repeated every 6 months; scheme C: one 1000 mg infusions and repeated every 6 months; scheme D: other scheme used. Relapse rate and adverse events during follow-up were analyzed considering the different RTX schemes. Poisson and logistic regression analysis were used to assess baseline aspects and disease activity during follow-up., Results: A total of 217 patients were included. 197 were NMOSD patients (164, 83.2% AQP4-IgG seropositive and 16.7% seronegative) and 20 were MOGAD patients. The most frequent long-term treatment was RTX in both groups (48.2% and 65% for NMOSD and MOGAD patients, respectively). The most common RTX regimen used in 79 (83.1%) patients was two 1000 mg infusions 15 days apart and repeat every 6 months. Relapses under RTX treatment were observed in 21 (22.1%) patients. Relapses after RTX treatment were associated with higher EDSS (OR 1.75, 95%CI 1.44-2.34, p = 0.03) and higher ARR pre-RTX (OR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.72-3.12, p = 0.002) but not with RTX regimen (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.89-1.21, p = 0.60)., Conclusion: the most strategy used in LATAM was RTX with two 1000 mg infusions 15 days apart. Relapses during follow up were not associated with RTX regimen used., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest JIR has received reimbursement for developing educational presentations, educational and research grants, consultations fees and travel stipends from Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis. TA has received consulting fees, lecture honoraria and Travel Support from Biogen, Merck, Roche and Teva. PAL has received reimbursement for developing educational presentations, educational and research grants, consultations fees and travel stipends from Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis and Roche. JF has received consulting fees from Biogen, Novartis and Genzyme, as a lecturer from Merck Serono, Novartis and Biogen, and collaboration for attendance to national and international congresses from Biogen, Novartis, Merck Serono, Bayer and Gador. FG has received reimbursement for developing educational presentations, educational and research grants, consultations fees and travel stipends from Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Bayer. CN has received reimbursement for developing educational presentations, educational and research grants, consultations fees and travel stipends from Stendhal, Roche, Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, Biopas. LP has received reimbursement for developing educational presentations, educational and research grants, consultations fees and travel stipends from Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis. EC has received reimbursement for developing educational presentations, educational and research grants, consultations fees and travel stipends from Biogen, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis. ECC has received reimbursement for developing educational presentations, educational and research grants, consultations fees and travel stipends from Bayer, Biogen, Ipsen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Teva. The rest of the authors declares not conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aedes aegypti is a mosquito vector of arboviruses such as dengue, chikungunya, zika and yellow fever that cause important public health diseases. The incidence and gravity of these diseases justifies the search for effective measures to reduce the presence of this vector in the environment. Bioinsecticides are an effective alternative method for insect control, with added ecological benefits such as biodegradability. The current study demonstrates that a chitinolytic enzyme complex produced by the fungus Trichoderma asperellum can disrupt cuticle formation in the L3 larvae phase of A. aegypti, suggesting such biolarvicidal action could be used for mosquito control. T. asperellum was exposed to chitin from different sources. This induction of cell wall degrading enzymes, including chitinase, N-acetylglucosaminidase and β-1,3-glucanase. Groups of 20 L3 larvae of A. aegypti were exposed to varying concentrations of chitinolytic enzymes induced with commercial chitin (CWDE) and larvae cell wall degrading enzymes (L-CWDE). After 72 h of exposure to the CWDE, 100% of larvae were killed. The same percent mortality was observed after 48 h of exposure to L-CWDE at half the CWDE enzyme mixture concentration. Exoskeleton deterioration was further observed by scanning and electron microscopy. Our findings indicate that L-CWDE produced by T. asperellum reflect chitinolytic enzymes with greater specificity for L3 larval biomolecules. This specificity is characterized by the high percentage of mortality compared with CWDE treatments and also by abrupt changes in patterns of the cellular structures visualized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. These mixtures of chitinolytic enzymes could be candidates, as adjuvant or synergistic molecules, to replace conventional chemical insecticides currently in use., (© 2021 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.)