Nanotechnology is an emerging branch of science for designing tools and devices of size 1 to 100 nm with unique function at the cellular, atomic and molecular levels. The concept of using nanotechnology in medical research and clinical practice is known as nanomedicine. Nanoparticles possess some novel properties not seen with the macro molecules and they can be manipulated by attaching therapeutic components to help in diagnosis and treatment. They can also be used to probe cellular movements and molecular changes associated with pathological states. Nanodevices like carbon nanotubes to locate and deliver anticancer drugs at the specific tumour site are under research. Nanotechnology promises construction of artificial cells, enzymes and genes. This will help in the replacement therapy of many disorders which are due to deficiency of enzymes, mutation of genes or any repair in the synthesis of proteins. Currently nanodevices like respirocytes, microbivores and probes encapsulated by biologically localized embedding have a greater application in treatment of anaemia and infections. Thus in the present scenario, nanotechnology is spreading its wings to address the key problems in the field of medicine. Hence this review discusses in detail the applications of nanotechnology in medicine with more emphasis on drug delivery and therapy.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a serious and potentially fatal adverse effect to therapeutic medications. The incidence of this condition varies among different ethnicities because of the difference in the genetic makeup. Though fever, rash and eosinophilia are essential features for the diagnosis of this syndrome, these vary from patient to patient along with the involvement of various organs such as liver, kidney, lungs, pancreas, etc. Some of the atypical features are dysphagia, agranulocytosis, and chylous ascites. Phenytoin, phenobarbitone, carbamazepine, and allopurinol are the most common drugs responsible for developing this syndrome, although the list is fairly long. Among the criteria used for the diagnosis of DRESS syndrome, European Registry of Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions to Drugs and Collection of Biological Samples (RegiSCAR) criteria is the most commonly used one. The management of this syndrome involves early removal of the causative agent and treatment with anti-histamines and emollients in the mild form, corticosteroids in the moderate form and plasmapheresis in the severe form along with other alternatives drugs. Healthcare professionals should be more vigilant about the early manifestations of this syndrome, as early diagnosis and treatment improve outcomes considerably.

BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common comorbidity with type 2 diabetes. The existing therapeutic options for NAFLD are not adequate. Hypocaloric diet and exercise is the cornerstone of therapy in NAFLD. Pioglitazone is the only drug recommended in diabetes patients with biopsy proven non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The frequent coexistence of NAFLD and type 2 diabetes with their combined adverse health consequences and inadequate therapeutic options makes it necessary to search for newer alternatives. AIM To assess the effect of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors on liver enzymes in type 2 diabetes patients with NAFLD. METHODS We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane library, Google scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov for the relevant articles to be included in this systematic review. Human studies done in type 2 diabetes patients with NAFLD treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors for at least 12 wk were included. Data from eight studies (four randomised controlled trials and four observational studies) were extracted and a narrative synthesis was done. A total of 214 patients were treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors in these studies (94 in randomised controlled trials and 120 in observational studies). RESULTS The primary outcome measure was change in serum alanine aminotransferase level. Out of eight studies, seven studies showed a significant decrease in serum alanine aminotransferase level. Most of the studies revealed reduction in serum level of other liver enzymes like aspartate aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transferase. Five studies that reported a change in hepatic fat exhibited a significant reduction in hepatic fat content in those treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Likewise, among the three studies that evaluated a change in indices of hepatic fibrosis, two studies revealed a significant improvement in liver fibrosis. Moreover, there was an improvement in obesity, insulin resistance, glycaemia, and lipid parameters in those subjects taking SGLT-2 inhibitors. The studies disclosed that about 17% (30/176) of the subjects taking SGLT-2 inhibitors developed adverse events and more than 40% (10/23) of them had genitourinary tract infections. CONCLUSION Based on low to moderate quality of evidence, SGLT-2 inhibitors improve the serum level of liver enzymes, decrease liver fat, and fibrosis with additional beneficial effects on various metabolic parameters in type 2 diabetes patients with NAFLD.

Background The causality assessment of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) remains a challenge, and none of the different available method of causality assessment used for assessing adverse reactions has been universally accepted as the gold standard. Objective To examine the agreement and correlation among three broad approaches for causality assessment of ADRs viz. World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) system, Naranjo algorithm, and updated Logistic method. Setting ADR monitoring centre (AMC) of a tertiary care teaching hospital in India. Method A total of 230 cases of ADR from April 2017 to August 2017 were retrospectively analyzed by each of these three methods. The agreement among the different methods was calculated by Cohen's kappa (κ), and Spearman's correlation was used to find the correlation among these methods. Main outcome measures Cohen's kappa value and Spearman's correlation coefficient for comparison among the different methods. Results The Cohen's κ used for analyzing the agreement between WHO-UMC system and Naranjo algorithm was 0.45, between WHO-UMC system and updated Logistic method was 0.405, and between Naranjo algorithm and updated Logistic method was 0.606. The Spearman's correlation coefficient was 0.793 for Naranjo algorithm vs. updated Logistic method, 0.735 for WHO-UMC system vs. Naranjo algorithm, and 0.696 for WHO-UMC system vs. updated Logistic method. Conclusion Causality assessment based on objective measurements (scores and probabilities) like updated Logistic method and Naranjo algorithm are less prone to subjective variations compared to the WHO-UMC system which is based on expert judgement.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization is safe and has been accepted worldwide as a routine practice. The target of such vaccination is to induce the immune response in the host, resulting in the prevention of replication of HBV. There are several immunological and clinical factors which determine the clinical efficacy and safety of the HBV vaccine. In this article we have highlighted the response of the host immune system to HBV vaccination (immunogenicity), efficacy, and safety of the vaccine, issues with booster dosing, paths of development (preclinical and clinical) of the HBV vaccine, novel and upcoming strategies for improvement of HBV vaccination, and the concept of therapeutic HBV vaccination. The different aspects and regulatory recommendations pertaining to HBV vaccine development are also discussed. The new strategies for improvement of HBV vaccination include pre-S1 and pre-S2 portions of the HBV surface antigen, increasing the antigen dose, accelerated vaccination schedules, alternative vaccination route, use of adjuvants like immunostimulatory DNA sequences, etc. Therapeutic vaccination is being explored for initiation of a multifunctional and multispecific T cell response against the major HBV antigens and also effective activation of humoral immunity for viral control.