Expert opinion on biological therapy
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Expert Opin Biol Ther · Jul 2015
ReviewFecal microbiota transplantation for Clostridium difficile infection: back to the future.
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of diarrhea in the industrialized world. The estimated costs of this infection are impressive: over 3.2 billion dollars annually in the US. The introduction of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to clinical practice can be considered a Copernican Revolution. The rationale of this approach consists of correcting the imbalance of the organisms dwelling in the gut by reintroducing a normal flora. ⋯ Authoritative guidelines about the management of CDI strongly recommend FMT for multiple recurrent episodes of infection by C. difficile unresponsive to repeated antibiotic treatment. The cure rates are about 90%, with no serious adverse events having been reported. The main concerns are the long-term outcomes, lack of a standardized procedure for the delivery of donor material, and a cultural barrier to the transplantation of fecal microbiota. A promising solution to some of these problems could be the use of a more acceptable administration route of fecal material, namely, oral capsules.
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Expert Opin Biol Ther · Jul 2015
ReviewPlatelet-rich plasma in the treatment of skeletal muscle injuries.
Every year recreational and professional sports cause thousands of lesions to muscle, ligament and tendon. Critical progress in biological interventions could meet a pressing health need to help athletes resume their activity levels. ⋯ Currently, there is little clinical evidence to support the use of PRP in skeletal muscle injuries. The future of PRP therapies relies not only in finding the best products, most appropriate indications and application protocols, but also in conceiving combination products. Moreover, as our understanding of healing mechanisms progresses, off-the-shelf allogenic PRP products could be part of the solution for sport injuries.