Kyungpook National University

WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2024 -- Use of oral corticosteroids for >90 days during one year is associated with a slightly increased risk of adverse events (AEs), according to a study published online July 19 in JAMA Network Open . Yong Hyun Jang, M.D., Ph.D., from Kyungpook National University in Daegu, South Korea, and colleagues examined the association between long-term exposure to oral corticosteroids and occurrence of 11 AEs among adult patients with atopic dermatitis. Analysis included 164,809 cases and 328,303 controls. The researchers found that 3.4 percent of cases and 3.2 percent of controls were exposed to oral corticosteroids for >30 days, while 0.4 percent in both groups were exposed to oral corticosteroids for >90 days. There was no increased risk of AEs with use of oral corticosteroids for >30 days (adjusted odds ratio, 1.00; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.97 to 1.04). However, the risk was higher with use of oral corticosteroids for >90 days (adjusted odds ratio, 1.11; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.23). For each cumulative or consecutive year of ever long-term use, there was a small elevation of risk for experiencing an AE. "This study suggests that for patients with exacerbations of atopic dermatitis, limiting the duration of oral corticosteroid treatment to 90 days or less may limit adverse effects," the authors write. Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Abstract/Full Text Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

A collaborative team of researchers developed an implant coating triggering antibiotic release in response to bacterial infection. Degenerative arthritis is no longer exclusive to the elderly population. According to the National Health Insurance Service report covering the years from 2012 to 2022, there has been a 22.8% increase in the prevalence of degenerative arthritis among people in their 20s and 30s. This rise is attributed to prolonged periods of desk sitting and the excessive lifting of heavy sports equipment, both of which can lead to significant cartilage damage. While artificial joints are a common treatment, bacterial infections have posed challenges. However, a recent study has proposed an intriguing solution involving the use of mussels. A collaborative research team, comprising of Professor Hyung Joon Cha from the Department of Chemical Engineering and the School of Convergence Science and Technology and Dr. Hyun Sun Choi from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and Professor Yun Kee Jo from the Department of Biomedical Convergence Science and Technology of the College of Advanced Technology Convergence at the Kyungpook National University, has successfully developed a coating material for implants. This material, based on mussel adhesion proteins, is designed to release antibiotics in response to bacterial invasion. The research has been recently published in the online edition of Biomaterials, a prominent international journal in the field of biomaterials. In implant procedures, bacterial infections not only compromise the stability of the implant but also give rise to various complications. Moreover, highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria often lead to recurrent infections even after antibacterial treatment, requiring additional procedures. While there has been active exploration of implant coating materials with antibiotics, numerous challenges have emerged including physical damage to the material during the procedure and potential leakage of antibiotics inside. In this research, the team directed their attention to DOPA, one of the amino acids found in mussel adhesion proteins. DOPA, crucial for the robust adhesion observed in mussels, forms potent bonds with metal ions. Its interaction with ferrous metal ions is notable because it weakens as the acidity (pH) decreases. Recognizing that bacterial invasion alters the body's acidity, the team developed a novel implant coating material. This material contains antibiotics under normal conditions, but in the event of a bacterial infection and subsequent acidification, it releases 70 percent of the antibiotics within eight hours, effectively eliminating the bacteria. Notably, the material exhibits remarkable durability, showcasing immediate antibacterial efficacy even during the bone regeneration phase (approximately four weeks) following the implant procedure. The quantity of antibiotics discharged by the material corresponds to the extent of bacterial infection, and the researchers additionally validated the antibacterial efficacy of the coating material based on varying bacterial concentrations. Particularly, the bond between DOPA and iron ions showed remarkable resilience to external physical stimuli, rendering it resistant to abrasion and mechanical loads encountered during the implantation process. Professor Hyung Joon Cha of the POSTECH who led the study expressed his expectation by saying, "The immediate and sustained antimicrobial effect of the adhesive implant coating material has the potential to significantly enhance the success rate of implant procedures." Professor Yun Kee Jo of the Kyungpook National University added, explaining the significance of the research, "By releasing antibiotics selectively in response to actual need, this could represent a groundbreaking technology in preventing the emergence of superbacteria in the future." The research was conducted with support from the Korea Health Technology R&D Project and the Dentistry Technology R&D Project of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Mid-Career Research Program and the Young Researcher Program of the Ministry of Science and ICT, and POSCO Holdings.

Scientists have developed an osteogenic barrier coating material that maximizes the effect of guided bone regeneration (GBR) for implant placements. One of the key factors of success in a dental implant is the condition of the periodontium around the implant. A higher long-term success rate of dental implants requires sufficient and healthy alveolar bone. In those cases where lack of alveolar bone renders setting an implant difficult, the bone should be regenerated sufficiently to receive the implant, whether before or during the implant surgery. Development of osteogenic barrier coating material for implants by a Korean research team is expected to improve the success rate of alveolar bone grafting. Three research teams led by Professor Hyung Joon Cha of the Chemical Engineering Department at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Professor Yun Kee Jo of the School of Convergence at Kyungpook National University (KNU), and Professor Sang Ho Jun of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Korea University Anam Hospital together developed an osteogenic barrier coating material for dental implants that prevents the invasion of soft tissue cells, attracts osteo-progenitor cells including bone stem cells, and sustainably releases the loaded bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), significantly facilitating bone regeneration. GBR is widely used in dental implant placement. It maintains the space for bones to grow and prevents cells other than osteogenic cells, such as fibroblasts, from populating the bone defect sites, allowing the bone to grow without interference by non-osteogenic cells. However, the GBR approach is still less likely to be successful and requires longer treatment time for those patients with insufficient bone quantity and quality. Depending on the configurations of defect sites, preventing the invasion of the non-osteogenic cells by using barrier membranes alone is not enough to significantly facilitate the bone regeneration. The joint research team first loaded BMP-2 on top of the bioengineered material where RGD peptide, cell recognitive motif that is capable of attracting cells, is fused with mussel adhesive protein (MAP) that maintains strong adhesiveness in a wet environment. The team then coated the titanium mesh (Ti-mesh) membrane with it. According to the research findings, the coated barrier membrane exhibited cell occlusivity where fibroblasts could not permeate the membrane. The team also found that it induced a high level of bone differentiation in a short period of time inside the membrane by means of high growth of mesenchymal stem cells and release of BMP-2. Application of the developed MAP-based barrier coating for guided bone regeneration to a titanium membrane in a rat calvarial defect model showed that the coating roughly doubled the speed of bone tissue regeneration. Professor Hyung Joon Cha who led the research said, "This research was conducted based on long-term research cooperation of the joint research team in the area of bone regeneration for implant placement. Its findings revealed the possibility of improving the success rate of implant treatment regardless of the bone condition." He added that the research findings could also be applied to regenerate a variety of hard tissues. The research findings were published in the online edition of the Bioengineering & Translational Medicine, a distinguished journal in the field of bioengineering and regenerative medicine. The study was conducted as a part of the Dentistry Technology R&D Project under the Korea Health Technology R&D Project funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, the High Value-added Food Technology Development Program funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, and the BK21 Four Program by the National Research Foundation of Korea.