OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether letrozole incorporated in a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist multiple dose protocol (MDP) improved controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) results in poor responders who underwent IVF treatment. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 103 consecutive IVF cycles that were performed during either the let...

Background: The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease is complex and multifactorial. Studies have led to the current concept that Toll-like receptors represent key mediators of innate host defense in the intestine, and they are involved in maintaining mucosal as well as commensal homeostasis. We studied the possibility of simvastatin and antagonist of receptors of interleukin-1 for pharmac...

The advent of recombinant technology has made the production of modified proteins with desired properties possible. Corifollitropin alfa is a successful example of the first available long-acting, follicle stimulating hormone. Corifollitropin alfa has prolonged half-life and a slower absorption rate, but has the same receptor-binding and biological activity as recombinant FSH (rFSH). Its applic...

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonists have potential in treating numerous hormone-dependent pathologies including cancers of the prostate, breast, and ovary, endometriosis, and fertility disorders. An unmet clinical need exists for an orally available GnRH receptor antagonist. Guided by structure-activity relationships, ligand-based targeted library designs, and biomarker m...

Introduction: Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist IVF protocols often induce a significant decrease in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels that may affect assisted reproductive technology cycle outcomes. However, supplementing all women undergoing antagonist cycles with recombinant LH does not improve clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of LH supplem...

BACKGROUND Mucosal delivery of therapeutic protein drugs or vaccines is actively investigated, in order to improve bioavailability and avoid side effects associated with systemic administration. Orally administered bacteria, engineered to produce anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IL-1Ra), have shown localised ameliorating effects in inflammatory gastro-intestinal conditions. However, the poss...

The allosteric enhancer PD 81,723, a 2-amino-3-benzoylthiophene derivative, has been shown to potentiate agonist binding to A1 adenosine receptors (A1AdoRs) and to enhance the functional effects of adenosine and adenosine analogs. The objective of this study was to determine whether the apparent agonist-independent effect of PD 81,723 observed in CHO cells stably expressing the recombinant huma...

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a well known neurotropic and neurotrophic agonist in the nervous system, which recently was shown to also induce angiogenic effects in endothelial cells (ECs). To measure NGF effects on the migration of cultured ECs, an important step in neoangiogenesis, we optimized an omnidirectional migration assay using human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and validated the as...