Navigating the future: Microfluidics charting new routes in drug delivery

Microfluidics has emerged as a transformative force in the field of drug delivery, offering innovative avenues to produce a diverse range of nano drug delivery systems. Thanks to its precise manipulation of small fluid volumes and its exceptional command over the physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles, this technology is notably able to enhance the pharmacokinetics of drugs. It has initiated a revolutionary phase in the domain of drug delivery, presenting a multitude of compelling advantages when it comes to developing nanocarriers tailored for the delivery of poorly soluble medications. These advantages represent a substantial departure from conventional drug delivery methodologies, marking a paradigm shift in pharmaceutical research and development. Furthermore, microfluidic platformsmay be strategically devised to facilitate targeted drug delivery with the objective of enhancing the localized bioavailability of pharmaceutical substances. In this paper, we have comprehensively investigated a range of significant microfluidic techniques used in the production of nanoscale drug delivery systems. This comprehensive review can serve as a valuable reference and offer insightful guidance for the development and optimization of numerous microfluidics-fabricated nanocarriers.

Computational study of inclusion complexes of V-type nerve agents (VE, VG, VM, VR and VX) with β-cyclodextrin

The effective detoxification of organophosphate (OP) nerve agents (OPNAs) is a challenging issue for scientists. The host-guest inclusion complexes of five V-type nerve agents (VE, VG, VM, VR and VX) with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) have been studied by combining quantum mechanical (QM) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The frontier molecular orbital (FMO) and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) have been analyzed to describe the reactivity parameters and electronic properties. The obtained results clearly reveal that stable complexes were formed in both vacuum and water media, and the complexation process occurred spontaneously. To understand non-covalent interactions, natural bond orbital (NBO) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) have been used. IR and Raman spectra have been calculated to confirm the formation of complexes and also thermodynamic parameters have been investigated. It was demonstrated that in addition to van der Waals interactions, the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonds enhances the stability of these complexes. Furthermore, MD simulations were carried out to get a better insight into the inclusion process of the above complexes. From MD simulations, all simulated systems reached full equilibration at 1000 ps and the V-agent molecules consistently remained in the β-CD cavity and only had vibrational motion inside the cavity. More importantly, MD simulations support the findings of QM calculations and indicate that hydrogen bonding can help the leaving groups of V-agents to be released and them to be hydrolyzed. All results have shown that the VR agent formed the most stable complex with β-CD molecule than that of other agents.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis of 4-Hydroxycoumarin-Based Triazoles/Oxadiazoles as Novel Anticancer Agents

A series of novel 3-substituted-4-hydroxycoumarins 7 and 8 containing (5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)thio or (4-amino-5-aryl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio moieties have been synthesized and evaluated as anticancer agents. The in vitro MTT assay of compounds against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), breast cancer (MCF7) cells, and a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line with epithelial morphology (HT29) indicated that the HepG2 cells had more susceptibility to the tested compounds. Indeed, all compounds (with the exception of 7b, 7c, 7g, and 8g) were more potent than the standard drug doxorubicin against HepG2 cells (IC₅₀ values=1.65-3.83 μM). Although, the better result was obtained with the oxadiazole analog 7h against HepG2 (IC₅₀ =1.65 μM), the N-amino-triazole derivatives 8c, 8e, 8f and, 8h with IC₅₀ values of 1.78-6.34 μM showed potent activity against all tested cell lines. The good drug-like properties and in vitro potency and selectivity of 4-hydroxycoumarins 8 make them as good leads for the development of new anticancer agents.

Identifying SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors by applying the computer screening of a large database of molecules

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the end of 2019 affected global health. Its infection agent was called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, and vaccination are effective ways to prevent infection of SARS-CoV-2, but none of them help infected people. Targeting the enzymes of SARS-CoV-2 is an effective way to stop the replication of the virus in infected people and treat COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 main protease is a therapeutic target which the inhibition of its enzymatic activity prevents from the replication of SARS-CoV-2. A large database of molecules has been searched to identify new inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme. At the first step, ligand screening based on similarity search was used to select similar compounds to known SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. Then molecules with better predicted pharmacokinetic properties were selected. Structure-based virtual screening based on the application of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation methods was used to select more effective inhibitors among selected molecules in previous step. Finally two compounds were considered as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors.

Correlation of Serum Levels of Interleukine-16, CCL27, Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand, and B-cell Activating Factor with Multiple Sclerosis Severity

The pathogenic roles of Interleukine-16 (IL-16), CCL27, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), and B-cell activating factor (BAFF) has been shown in some autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. We aimed to correlate the circulatory changes of such factors with the severity of disease in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This case-control study was conducted on 84 MS patients and 83 healthy controls. We measured the serum levels of IL-16, CCL27, TRAIL, and BAFF in all participants by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay. Using the expanded disability status scale (EDSS), we evaluated the severity of MS. Finally, we assessed the correlation between serum levels of such factors with the severity of MS. We found increased serum levels of CCL27, IL-16, and BAFF in patients with MS compared to those in healthy subjects. However, no difference was found in serum levels of TRAIL between the patients and controls. In addition, a significant positive correlation between serum levels of CCL27, IL-16, TRAIL, and BAFF with disease severity according to EDSS score was determined. We showed higher serum levels of CCL27, BAFF, TRAIL, and IL-16 in MS patients with more severe disabilities than mild forms. Such finding may represent their contribution to the pathogenesis of MS. Blocking such molecules may yield new treatments for MS.

Physics at the [Formula: see text] linear collider

A comprehensive review of physics at an [Formula: see text] linear collider in the energy range of [Formula: see text] GeV-3 TeV is presented in view of recent and expected LHC results, experiments from low-energy as well as astroparticle physics. The report focusses in particular on Higgs-boson, top-quark and electroweak precision physics, but also discusses several models of beyond the standard model physics such as supersymmetry, little Higgs models and extra gauge bosons. The connection to cosmology has been analysed as well.