Chimie médicale

Progresses made in “omics” research have fueled the collection and storage of large quantities of data. Now these data can be used for knowledge gaining. Systems biology aims at studying biological organisms as interconnected systems. Systems Medicine, by applying systems biology approaches, tries to understand illness in the context of altered regulatory circuitry. Studies in a Systems Medicine framework will enable a better understanding of diseases, and the delivery of a personalized healthcare, tailored on the specific phenotype of each single patient. In this relatively new discipline, the review describes those tools useful in this approach.

Solitary plasmocytoma is rarely located in the cranial vault. We report a case of a 46-year-old Moroccan man who consulted for a medial and paramedian frontal swelling. Clinical examination revealed a large soft mass in the region frontal. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extra-axial mass. The lesion was totally excised despite the bleeding tendency. Histology disclosed the presence of a plasmacytoma. On follow up examination 3 years later no tumor recurrence or multiple myeloma was detected.

A large number of reports have been published in recent years regarding the use of N-carboxymethyl rhodanines as antimicrobial agents. Molecules belonging to this structural class have been reported to exhibit good inhibitory activities towards various Gram-positive bacteria, including several multidrug-resistant strains such as methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus and quinolone-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In this mini-review, we have provided a summary of recent research directed towards the synthesis of N-carboxymethyl rhodanines, and their pharmacological evaluation as antimicrobial agents.