Drug discoveries & therapeutics最新文献

{"title":"Chemotherapy combined targeted therapy has a potential benefit on the survival of advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.","authors":"Jian Yang, Tengqian Tang, Rui Liao, Yan He, Hua Zhang","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01007","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The treatment strategies and outcomes for advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are restricted. The treatment modalities and effectiveness of local interventional chemotherapy and systemic chemotherapy remain indeterminate. The objective of this study is to explore and assess the influence of different chemotherapy methods on the prognosis of patients with advanced ICC. A retrospective investigation was carried out at two research centers. The recruited patients were divided into the systemic chemotherapy cohort and the local chemotherapy cohort (Transarterial Chemoembolization, TACE). The primary endpoint of this study was overall survival (OS), while the secondary endpoints encompassed progression free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), and adverse events (AE). From January 2014 to January 2024, a total of 124 patients were included. Systemic/local chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy exhibited superior survival performance compared to chemotherapy alone. Additionally, patients with lesions confined to the liver and large tumors (> 6 cm) obtained better survival benefits from systemic chemotherapy. There was no significant disparity in grade 3 or more severe adverse events between the two groups. Whether it is systemic chemotherapy or TACE, combining them with targeted therapy can confer significant therapeutic advantages to patients with advanced ICC. ICC patients with a higher tumor burden may attain better therapeutic outcomes by selecting systemic chemotherapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"155-164"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147795198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and safety of filgotinib versus tocilizumab in active rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized, open-label, multicenter study with clinical and musculoskeletal ultrasound evaluation (TRANSFORM study).","authors":"Toshimasa Shimizu, Shin-Ya Kawashiri, Tomohiro Koga, Rieko Kiya, Michiko Morita, Rina Kawasaki, Shohei Kuroda, Shigeki Tashiro, Shuntaro Sato, Moemi Yabe, Kenta Misaki, Shunichiro Hanai, Daiki Nakagomi, Michihiro Ogasawara, Naoto Tamura, Rina Watanabe, Hiroshi Kanazawa, Tatsuya Atsumi, Yukitaka Ueki, Tadashi Okano, Takahisa Suzuki, Hirokazu Takaoka, Hiroaki Hamada, Toshihiko Hidaka, Shunsuke Furuta, Naoki Hosogaya, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Atsushi Kawakami","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01008","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Janus kinase (JAK) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors are therapeutic options for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with inadequate response to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs); however, no randomized controlled trial has compared their efficacy and safety. Since both act through the JAK-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway, a comparative evaluation is warranted. We conducted a prospective, randomized, open-label trial at 55 centers in Japan, randomizing patients with active RA despite csDMARD therapy in a 1:1 ratio to receive 200 mg/day filgotinib or subcutaneous tocilizumab as monotherapy; the primary endpoint was American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 50 at week 12, and secondary endpoints included clinical disease activity indices, musculoskeletal ultrasonography scores, patient-reported outcomes, and serum biomarkers through 52 weeks. Twenty-six patients were enrolled (13 per group) before study termination due to insufficient recruitment, and descriptive analyses were performed. At week 12, ACR50 was achieved in 38.5% (5/13) patients in the filgotinib group and 46.2% (6/13) in the tocilizumab group (risk difference: -7.69%; 95% confidence interval: -42.26 to 28.8). Both groups showed early and sustained improvements in disease activity from week 2. The improvement in patient global assessment scores was greater with filgotinib at week 2 but the difference diminished thereafter, and serum IL-6 level decreased with filgotinib but increased with tocilizumab. Four serious adverse events occurred with filgotinib, including infections and cardiac events. Because this study was underpowered and the analysis was descriptive, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and define optimal use. (The study was registered in the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (https://jrct.niph.go.jp) as jRCTs071200107 and in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT05090410.).</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"175-189"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147794238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hypoalbuminemia and reduced sputum microbiome diversity associated with antibiotic treatment failure in nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia.","authors":"Naoki Hosogaya, Shoichi Fukui, Takahiro Takazono, Koki Fukushima, Ryosuke Morio, Satoshi Irifune, Shimpei Morimoto, Nana Nakada, Masataka Yoshida, Kazuaki Takeda, Shotaro Ide, Naoki Iwanaga, Kazuki Nemoto, Koichi Izumikawa, Kazuhiro Yatera, Katsunori Yanagihara, Hiroshi Mukae","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01005","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP) pose significant challenges in older populations, yet factors predicting antibiotic treatment failure remain elusive. This exploratory secondary analysis of a multicenter phase IV trial aimed to identify the clinical and microbiome predictors of treatment failure in patients with NHCAP treated with lascufloxacin. Among the 56 evaluable patients (median age 86 years; cured n = 44, not cured n = 12), paired sputum and tongue samples were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene clone library sequencing. Alpha diversity was assessed using the Shannon index, Simpson index, observed richness, and Pielou's evenness, whereas beta diversity was calculated using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and visualized by principal coordinate analysis. Serum albumin was significantly lower in not cured patients (3.0 vs. 3.5 g/dL, p = 0.0497) and emerged as the strongest predictor of treatment failure in univariate logistic regression (odds ratio 0.18, 95% confidence interval 0.05-0.73, p = 0.016). Sputum Pielou's evenness showed a comparable predictive ability (odds ratio 0.010, p = 0.047). The overall microbiome community composition did not differ according to the outcome. Notably, patients with hypoalbuminemia (< 2.85 g/dL) exhibited significantly reduced sputum alpha diversity (Shannon p = 0.034, Simpson p = 0.025, Pielou's evenness p = 0.010). A simple risk stratification combining hypoalbuminemia and denture use identified a high-risk subgroup with markedly elevated treatment failure rates (75.0% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.001). These findings suggest an interconnected pathophysiology linking nutritional status and respiratory microbiome stability in patients with NHCAP. Nutritional status and oral health may be modifiable targets for improving treatment outcomes in high-risk patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"165-174"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147597306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Janus kinase inhibition and interleukin 6 inhibition on serum cytokine/chemokine in idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease.","authors":"Shoichi Fukui, Remi Sumiyoshi, Tomohiro Koga, Naoki Hosogaya, Sawana Narita, Shimpei Morimoto, Osamu Kamisawa, Rieko Kiya, Atsushi Katsube, Shingo Yano, Atsushi Kawakami","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01000","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01000","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disease characterized by systemic inflammation. Although IL-6 receptor blockade with tocilizumab is an established treatment, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition may offer broader immunomodulation by targeting multiple cytokine signaling pathways. This comparative longitudinal study evaluated 41 serum cytokines/chemokines in 10 patients with plasma-cell-type iMCD (five treated with filgotinib (JAK1 preferential inhibitor) for 52 weeks and five treated with tocilizumab for a median of 28 months) to compare the cytokine/chemokine suppression profiles between these two mechanistically distinct therapies. Patient values were normalized to those of healthy controls (n = 101) using Z-scores. At baseline, both groups exhibited marked elevations in cytokines, including IL-12p70, IL-22, IFN-γ, and IL-6. Both treatments resulted in significant changes in multiple cytokines, with 12 cytokines showing significant changes in each group. Between-group comparison revealed only three cytokines with differential responses: IL-6 (receptor blockade artifact), IL-15 (greater suppression with filgotinib), and PDGF-AA (greater suppression with tocilizumab). Overall, cytokine suppression was equivalent between the treatments (median ΔZ-score: -0.32 (filgotinib) vs. -0.27 (tocilizumab), p = 0.74). Principal component analysis demonstrated parallel treatment trajectories toward normalization. These exploratory findings from this small-sample study suggest that JAK inhibition and IL-6 receptor blockade may achieve comparable broad-spectrum cytokine/chemokine suppression in iMCD, despite the different mechanisms of action. However, the discordance between cytokine suppression and clinical improvement with filgotinib suggests that complete IL-6 pathway blockade remains critical for the clinical response in iMCD, highlighting the need to identify additional pathogenic drivers beyond the measured cytokine network.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"190-198"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147596873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Amelioration of gastrointestinal motility and gut dysbiosis by acupoint application of Tongfu Powder to loperamide-induced constipation in mice.","authors":"Ke Wang, Pingping Cai, Lin Zhao, Zhixue Wang, Yuqi Wang, Fanghua Qi","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01009","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2026.01009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. It has an impact on daily life and poses a considerable economic burden. Tongfu Powder originated from the Xiaochengqi Decoction with the intent of promoting defecation. Acupoint application of Tongfu Powder has exhibited potentially beneficial effects in the treatment of constipation. However, the potential mechanisms by which acupoint application of Tongfu Powder regulates gastrointestinal motility and gut microbiota are still unclear. The current study sought to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of acupoint application of Tongfu Powder on loperamide-induced constipation in mice. The results demonstrated that acupoint application of Tongfu Powder significantly improved the overall defecation of constipated mice, including an increase in the number of fecal pellets, fecal weight, and water content, a decrease in gastric residual volume, and an increase in the intestinal propulsion rate. It also alleviated loperamide-induced colonic histopathological deterioration such as cellular infiltration and thinning of the muscular and mucosal layers in constipated mice. Acupoint application of Tongfu Powder significantly up-regulated the levels of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) markers (c-Kit and SCF) and it increased synthesis of intestinal 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and related proteins (TPH1, HTR4 and SERT). Acupoint application of Tongfu Powder promoted intestinal mucin-2 (MUC2) secretion and increased the expression of tight junction proteins (claudin-1 and occludin). 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that acupoint application of Tongfu Powder significantly increased the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, a bacterium known to be involved in regulating gut motility and intestinal barrier function, thereby alleviating intestinal dysfunction. In addition, it is worth noting that the therapeutic effect of Tongfu Powder acupoint application combined with lactulose is superior to that of either treatment alone. In conclusion, results revealed that acupoint application of Tongfu Powder might alleviate loperamide-induced constipation by regulating the intestinal barrier and gut microbiota.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"128-146"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147694545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A blended learning program sustains pharmacists' oral health support competency for 15 months: A longitudinal study.","authors":"Naoko Hayashi, Tomoyuki Goto, Yasuo Shiga, Mitsuhiro Okazaki, Atsuhiko Sano, Narumi Maida, Hiroki Iwata, Hikaru Matsui, Shingo Kondo, Noriko Kobayashi, Katsunori Yamaura","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01125","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The importance of oral health has gained increasing recognition in the recent years owing to its association with numerous systemic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dental checkups are crucial for maintaining and promoting oral health; however, in Japan, a relatively low uptake of dental checkups remains a challenge. Community pharmacists are expected to play a vital role in supporting the health and well-being of local residents; however, they have been observed to be reluctant to provide support in the oral health domain. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a blended learning training program on oral health support aimed at educating pharmacists working in health support pharmacies. The training, which involved online learning and on-site training, covered topics such as the importance of oral health, methods of oral health assessment, and the mechanisms of eating and swallowing. The participants, including a total of 39 pharmacists from across the country, completed surveys before and after the training, as well as at 9 months and 15 months posttraining. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the pharmacists' knowledge, explanatory abilities, and confidence in providing oral health support, and these effects were observed to persist for up to 15 months after the training had ended. In addition, the variety of oral health-related products in pharmacies increased. This blended learning program demonstrates the potential to redefine the role of pharmacists in promoting oral health and contribute to the improvement of oral health among local residents.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"56-62"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146169205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Three-dimensional imaging provides reliable size measurement of skin lesions associated with vascular anomalies: A comparison with two-dimensional photography.","authors":"Kana Sakai, Kayo Kunimoto, Yuna Noda, Yutaka Inaba, Yuki Yamamoto, Shiho Yasue, Akifumi Nozawa, Daichi Hayashi, Saori Endo, Michio Ozeki, Masatoshi Jinnin","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01104","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques enable accurate quantitative size measurement, and have been used to evaluate treatment effects on skin lesions such as ulcers, burns, and skin laxity. This study aimed to establish and validate a 3D imaging-based method to evaluate the surface area, area, and volume of cutaneous lesions associated with vascular anomalies (VA). We compared measurements obtained from two-dimensional (2D) photographs traced by three dermatologists with those obtained from 3D images traced by three company operators, and assessed inter- and intra-rater reliability. The procedure in the present study involves tracing lesion contours using photographs of VA captured by a 3D camera, followed by 3D processing of the images to measure lesion area, surface area, and volume. All patients provided written informed consent, and the study protocol was approved by the institutional review boards. Both 2D and 3D methods demonstrated high inter- and intra-rater reliability; however, better reliability was observed in the measurements obtained by company operators using 3D imaging. The findings indicate that 3D surface imaging provides more consistent and objective evaluation of lesion size than 2D photography and support the potential application of this method in clinical practice and clinical trials for VA. Accurate quantitative measurement of lesion size as an endpoint may facilitate the development of new treatment options for patients with VA.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"71-79"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147278063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microneedle patch-enhanced palatal anesthesia with benzocaine: Efficacy and safety in a randomized double-blind crossover trial.","authors":"Kensuke Kiriishi, Terumi Ayuse, Naomi Tanoue, Kaori Komeyama, Nobuaki Magata, Hanako Takahashi, Takashi Tominaga, Yuriko Hayashida, Hirotaka Imai, Takuro Sanuki, Takao Ayuse","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01133","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01133","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Needle-insertion pain during dental local anesthesia remains one of the strongest triggers of dental anxiety. Conventional topical anesthetics show limited penetration through the thick palatal mucosa and often provide insufficient suppression of insertion pain. Microneedle (MN) patches have emerged as a minimally invasive drug-delivery platform capable of enhancing transmucosal permeability and topical anesthetic efficacy. This randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of a benzocaine-loaded MN patch applied to the palatal mucosa prior to local anesthesia. Twenty adult patients requiring bilateral maxillary premolar scaling and root planing received MN or placebo patches in two study periods separated by a one-week washout. The primary outcome was the presence or absence of needle-insertion pain. Secondary outcomes included injection-phase pain assessed using a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS), numbness or discomfort at the application site, vital signs, and adverse events. Needle-insertion pain was reported in 2 of 20 cases (10%) under the MN patch condition, compared with 14 of 20 cases (70%) under the placebo patch condition, demonstrating a significantly lower incidence with the MN patch (p = 0.00049). In contrast, VAS scores for injection-phase pain did not differ significantly between conditions. No clinically relevant numbness, mucosal irritation, or MN-related adverse events were observed, and vital signs remained stable throughout both study periods. The benzocaine-loaded MN patch selectively attenuated superficial needle-insertion pain while maintaining an excellent safety profile. The absence of an effect on deeper injection-phase pain is likely attributable to the substantial thickness of the palatal mucosa. These findings support the clinical utility of MN-assisted transmucosal anesthesia as a novel drug-delivery modality in dentistry and provide a foundation for the development of minimally invasive analgesic systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"63-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146169229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule alleviates depression in post-stroke depression model rats via modulation of the gut microbiota-gut-brain axis.","authors":"Bowen Jin, Yuqian Wang, Zhaowei Zhang, Xuejin Fan, Yanjun Zhang, Pengwei Zhuang","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01120","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01120","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule (XFZY) demonstrated potential in alleviating post-stroke depression (PSD), a condition whose underlying mechanisms may involve the gut-brain axis. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of XFZY on PSD and its possible modulation of the gut microbiota-gut-brain axis in a rat model. Wistar rats were randomly assigned to sham, PSD, three XFZY dose (0.216, 0.432, 0.864 g/kg), and fluoxetine (1.80 mg/kg) groups (n = 12 per group). The PSD model was established using transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (t-MCAO) combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), followed by 28 days of XFZY administration. In a separate experiment, gut microbiota was depleted via antibiotic cocktails, with rats divided into sham, PSD, XFZY medium Dose (XFM), pseudo-germ-free (PGF) and PGF + XFM (PGFX) groups. Behavioral tests indicated that XFZY ameliorated depressive-like behaviors, with the medium dose (0.432 g/kg) showing the most significant effect. Histological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Nissl staining revealed that XFZY alleviated colonic and neuronal damage. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography revealed that XFZY modulated gut microbiota composition, increased species richness, and elevated levels of short-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) results showed that XFZY reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines - interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), while immunohistochemistry indicated enhanced intestinal barrier function and reduced neuroinflammation. Furthermore, after depletion of gut microbiota using antibiotic cocktails, these therapeutic effects of XFZY were abolished. In summary, XFZY may alleviate PSD by modulating the gut microbiota and regulating the gut-brain axis, offering a promising direction for future therapeutic research.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"42-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146204698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potworm (Enchytraeus japonensis) as a potential platform for drug screening in regenerative medicine.","authors":"Toshiyuki Fujita, Shinji Yamaguchi","doi":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01129","DOIUrl":"10.5582/ddt.2025.01129","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Regenerative medicine holds substantial promise for restoring the function of damaged or lost organs and tissues. However, the development of effective small-molecule drugs in this field has been limited, partially owing to the lack of suitable regenerative animal models for drug discovery. Enchytraeus japonensis, a small annelid with exceptional regenerative capacity, is emerging as a valuable model for regeneration research. E. japonensis regenerates in a shorter period, in only 4 days, than other major regenerative animal models. Moreover, novel experimental systems have recently been developed to enhance the utility of E. japonensis, including a soaking RNA interference system for easy, non-invasive gene knockdown, an imaging system for quantifying cell distribution in the blastema, and soaking-based pharmacological inhibition using small-molecule compounds. This review highlights E. japonensis as a potential platform for chemical screening in regenerative medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":520606,"journal":{"name":"Drug discoveries & therapeutics","volume":" ","pages":"7-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146204678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}