Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D.
Her nanoparticle research has many applications
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Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D. Her nanoparticle research has many applications |
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Is
celecoxib a safer alternative for preventing
pre-term labor? By Gila Z. Reckess The drug celecoxib may be a safer alternative for treating pre-term labor than traditional therapies, according to a preliminary study led by School of Medicine researchers.
Recent research suggests that celecoxib, also known as celebrex, may be a safer alternative. The study, which was published in a late September issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is the first clinical trial testing celecoxib in pregnant women. "Celecoxib appears to be safer, particularly for the fetus," said Yoel Sadovsky, M.D., director of the Division of Genetics, Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Ultrasound in the medical school. "These preliminary results also suggest that celecoxib is just as effective, and we are currently planning a larger trial to further examine its effectiveness." The study is a combined effort between Washington and North-western universities. Sadovsky, also associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of cell biology and physiology, led the study. The first authors are Gilad A. Gross, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University, and Catherine S. Stika, M.D., at Northwestern. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, about one in every 10 births in the United States occurs within the first 37 weeks of pregnancy and therefore is considered "pre-term." Pre-term labor is responsible for about 75 percent of newborn deaths not related to birth defects, and pre-term infants often experience lifelong complications. Indomethacin, one of the standard drugs used to treat pre-term labor, prevents the production of a type of protein called cyclo-oxygenase (COX), which is thought to play a critical role in the onset of pre-term labor. Recently, however, several research teams including the University group discovered that women in pre-term labor have abnormally high levels of only one type of COX protein, COX-2. The team therefore theorized that a drug like celecoxib, which influences only COX-2, may effectively treat pre-term labor with fewer side effects, since the drug only targets one protein. Twenty-four women who were older than 18 and who went into labor between 24-34 weeks of pregnancy were treated with either celecoxib or indomethacin. They all were admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital or to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The women were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups. The team examined the health of the mothers and fetuses until delivery. The team found the two drugs equally safe for mothers. But celecoxib was safer for fetuses than indomethacin. For example, indomethacin significantly increased the constriction of a major blood vessel in fetuses, while there was no significant change in the celecoxib group. Also, the volume of amniotic fluid in the indomethacin group was less than in the celecoxib group 24 hours and 48 hours after the first treatment. Blood tests confirmed that celecoxib interfered only with COX-2, while indomethacin also disrupted another COX protein. "If further testing verifies the safety and effectiveness of celecoxib, we could have a new drug to treat women who are at risk for pre-term delivery," Sadovsky said. |
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