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Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) antagonists exert antitumor action, are safe and do not cause serious side-effects. These antagonists (via the NK-1R) exert multiple actions against cancer: antiproliferative and anti-Warburg effects and apoptotic, anti-angiogenic and antimetastatic effects. These multiple effects have been shown for a broad spectrum of cancers. The drug aprepitant (an NK-1R antagonist) is currently used in clinical practice as an antiemetic. In in vivo and in vitro studies, aprepitant also showed the aforementioned multiple antitumor actions against many types of cancer. A successful combination therapy (aprepitant and radiotherapy) has recently been reported in a patient suffering from lung carcinoma: the tumor mass disappeared and side-effects were not observed. Aprepitant could be considered as an intelligent bullet against cancer. The administration of aprepitant in cancer patients to prevent recurrence and metastasis after surgical procedures, thrombosis and thromboembolism is discussed, as is the possible link, through the substance P (SP)/NK-1R system, between cancer and depression. Our main aim is to review the multiple antitumor actions exerted by aprepitant, and the use of this drug is suggested in cancer patients. Altogether, the data support the reprofiling of aprepitant for a new therapeutic use as an antitumor agent.

In 2016, the order Mononegavirales was emended through the addition of two new families (Mymonaviridae and Sunviridae), the elevation of the paramyxoviral subfamily Pneumovirinae to family status (Pneumoviridae), the addition of five free-floating genera (Anphevirus, Arlivirus, Chengtivirus, Crustavirus, and Wastrivirus), and several other changes at the genus and species levels. This article presents the updated taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales as now accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).

Post‐harvest recovery of biodiversity is one of important goals in modern forestry. A variable retention (VR) approach has been of particular interest in North America because it promotes rapid faunal recovery, while minimizing negative lasting impacts of logging on the natural fauna. We studied responses of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) to a broad range of retention harvests (2, 10, 20, 50 and 75% retention) in comparison to uncut controls as part of the Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND) experiment in the boreal mixedwood forest of western Canada. We sampled beetles using pitfall traps 1, 2, 11 and 16 years post‐harvest in replicated (n = 3) stands representing four cover types (deciduous‐dominated, deciduous with spruce understory, mixed and coniferous‐dominated). We collected 74 263 individuals distributed across 99 species (excluding Aleocharinae). Estimated species richness was highest in clear‐cuts until year 11, but by year 16 species richness was similar among treatments. Species composition initially varied strongly in relation to intensity of harvest treatments, but overall variation decreased with time, and by year 16, species composition overlapped among most treatment combinations. Assemblages recovered more quickly in early successional (deciduous‐dominated) than in late successional (mixed and conifer‐dominated) stands. Overall, our results show that rove beetle assemblages in stands harvested to all VR prescriptions converged more rapidly toward those in fire‐origin mature stands than did assemblages in clear‐cuts over the first 16 years post‐harvest. Thus, it demonstrates that even modest levels of forest retention can facilitate the recovery of staphylinid assemblages in managed landscapes.

Biotechnological fermentation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from microbes is rooted in decelerating the reliance on synthetic plastics, one of the predominant challenges for the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of recent decades. The multifaceted inherent properties of these PHAs also exert wide spectrum applicability in numerous industrial, environmental, and healthcare sectors. However, conventional producers include gram-negative microbes with stringent nutrient requirements, low PHA productivities, and endotoxin-contaminated products thereby limiting large-scale production. We hereby critically review the inherent potential of developing non-pathogenic gram-positive Bacillus cereus clade as the chassis for PHA biosynthesis and growth-dependent (exponential) accumulation with high purity. Integration of these microbes as PHA producers in mainstream industries requires in-depth and precise knowledge that is provided within this review in coordination with (i) key operons/pathways, (ii) evolved regulatory mechanisms, (iii) toxigenicity evasion, (iv) carbon flux engineering, and (v) -omics-supported bioprocesses. Among them, the review reports newly updated Bacillus emend cereus members with class IV PhaC ‘synthase’ demonstrating superior properties such as broad substrate specificity, structurally unrelated waste carbon catalysis, diverse monomeric copolymerization and unique alcoholytic cleavage. Moreover, the obtained biopolymer naturally lacks pyrogenic contamination meaning that the end polymer is in compliance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Accordingly, this can propel the industrial B. cereus clade PHAs in advanced biorefinery domains using second-generation (waste) feedstocks to promote a circular economy, reduce the carbon footprint and an increase in practical applications as both social and environmentally friendly polymers.

ObjectivesThis is a prospective study evaluating NEPA in patients with breast cancer (the NEPA group), who received (neo)adjuvant AC chemotherapy (consisting of doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2). The primary objectives were to assess the efficacy and safety of NEPA in controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). The secondary objectives were to compare CINV between the NEPA group and historical controls (the APR group) who received aprepitant in an earlier prospective randomised study.Patients and methods60 patients participated in the NEPA group; 62 were in the APR group. Eligibility criteria of both groups were similar, that is, Chinese patients with breast cancer who were treated with (neo)adjuvant AC. NEPA group received NEPA and dexamethasone; APR group received aprepitant, ondansetron and dexamethasone. Individuals filled in self-reported diary, visual analogue scale for nausea and Functional Living Index-Emesis questionnaire.ResultsWithin the NEPA group, 70.0%, 85.7% and 60.0%, respectively reported complete response in the acute, delayed and overall phases in cycle 1 AC. When compared with the historical APR group during cycle 1 AC, NEPA group achieved significantly higher rates of complete response, complete protection, total control, ‘no significant nausea’ and ‘no nausea’ in the delayed phase; similar findings were noted in the overall phase with significantly better quality of life. Superior efficacy of NEPA was maintained over multiple cycles. Both antiemetic regimens were well tolerated.ConclusionIn this study on Chinese patients with breast cancer who were uniformly receiving AC, NEPA was effective in controlling CINV.Trial registration number NCT03386617.

Background Aprepitant is an FDA-approved medication for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It blocks substance P binding to neurokinin-1; substance P has been implicated in itch pathways both as a local and global mediator. Case presentations We report a series of four patients, diagnosed with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, who experienced full body pruritus recalcitrant to standard therapies. All patients experienced rapid symptom improvement (within days) following aprepitant treatment. Conclusion Aprepitant has been shown in small studies to be efficacious for treating chronic and malignancy-associated pruritus. Prior studies have shown no change in clinical efficacy of chemotherapeutics with concurrent aprepitant administration. These cases further demonstrate that aprepitant can be considered as a therapeutic option in malignancy-associated pruritus and further support the need for larger clinical trials.

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer death and is responsible for more than one-quarter (27%) of all cancer deaths. Non-small-cell LC (NSCLC) is the main histological subtype of LC and is the leading cause of mortalities associated with cancer. This case report focused on a patient showing a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a NSCLC squamous cell carcinoma (single mass with a diameter of 8×7 cm, without metastasis). Due to the COPD, neither a surgical treatment (pneumonectomy) nor chemotherapy was possible. After 15 days following the diagnosis, the patient was treated for 45 days with radiotherapy and the neurokinin-1 receptor, aprepitant (compassionate use, 1,140 mg/day). Radiotherapy was administered to the right lung and mediastinum, reaching 50.4 Gy and then overprinted to 65 Gy. In each successive control, the tumor volume decreased and, after 6 months of treatment, the chest computed tomography scan showed that the tumor mass had disappeared. No side-effects were observed during the combination therapy; in contrast, the patient was in very good general health with a weight gain and showing no biochemical analytical alteration. This case report suggests a witness episode to the antitumor effect of aprepitant/radiotherapy against NSCLC. Urgent development is required for clinical trials to test the combination treatment (radiotherapy and aprepitant) as an antitumor therapy for patients with LC.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC), a helminth infection of the brain, is a major cause of seizures. The mediators responsible for seizures in NCC are unknown, and their management remains controversial. Substance P (SP) is a neuropeptide produced by neurons, endothelial cells and immunocytes. The current studies examined the hypothesis that SP mediates seizures in NCC. We demonstrated by immunostaining that 5 of 5 brain biopsies from NCC patients contained substance P (SP)-positive (+) cells adjacent to but not distant from degenerating worms; no SP+ cells were detected in uninfected brains. In a rodent model of NCC, seizures were induced after intrahippocampal injection of SP alone or after injection of extracts of cysticercosis granuloma obtained from infected wild type (WT), but not from infected SP precursor-deficient mice. Seizure activity correlated with SP levels within WT granuloma extracts and was prevented by intrahippocampal pre-injection of SP receptor antagonist. Furthermore, extracts of granulomas from WT mice caused seizures when injected into the hippocampus of WT mice, but not when injected into SP receptor (NK1R) deficient mice. These findings indicate that SP causes seizures in NCC, and, suggests that seizures in NCC in humans may be prevented and/or treated with SP-receptor antagonists.

Quedius (Raphirus) spencei Jacobs and Bergeron, new species, (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), is described based on specimens from two localities (type locality: 35 km. E Dixonville, Alberta, Canada) in the Boreal Forest. Male genitalia are illustrated, compared with congeners ( Smetana and Smetana) in the species group, and included in a slightly modified key to the species of .