Short-term, nonsurgical periodontal therapy boosts interleukin-12 levels and reduces oral cancer risk

BACKGROUND

Cytokines, including interleukin-12 (IL-12), are proteins that regulate cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and function. IL-12 is a heterodimeric proinflammatory cytokine. It possesses tumoricidal properties and promotes M1 macrophage polarization and IFN-γ production by T helper (Th1) cells, which in turn stimulates the antitumor cytotoxic cluster of eight positive (CD8+) and natural killer cells, therefore activating an effector immune response against tumor cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Herein, the IL-2 levels of 60 patients with generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP) were assessed. Plaque index, gingival index, pocket probing depth, bleeding on probing percentage (BOP %), and clinical attachment loss were the clinical indicators reported.

RESULTS

Patients with GCP in the pretreatment group had substantially lower mean IL-12 levels than those in the post-treatment group. Short-term, nonsurgical treatment (NST) considerably improved periodontal indices and increased IL-12 levels, thereby reducing oral cancer risk.

CONCLUSION

NST is a cost-effective and accessible cancer prevention procedure for general dentists.

Campesterol and dithymoquinone as a potent inhibitors of SARS cov-2 main proteases-promising drug candidates for targeting its novel variants

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has currently taken approximately 2.4 million lives, with no specific medication and fast-tracked tested vaccines for prevention. These vaccines have their own adverse effects, which have severely affected the global healthcare system. The discovery of the main protease structure of coronavirus (Mpro/Clpro) has resulted in the identification of compounds having antiviral potential, especially from the herbal system. In this study, the computer-associated drug design tools were utilised to analyze the reported phytoconstituents of Nigella sativa for their antiviral activity against the main protease. Fifty-eight compounds were subjected to pharmacological parameter analysis to determine their lead likeness in comparison to the standard drugs (chloroquine and nirmatrelvir) used in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Nearly 31 compounds were docked against five different SARS-CoV-2 main proteases, and all compounds showed better binding affinity and inhibition constant against the proteases. However, dithymoquinone and campesterol displayed the best binding scores and hence were further subjected to dynamics and MMPBSA study for 100 ns. The stability analysis shows that dithymoquinone and campesterol show less variation in fluctuation in residues compared to standard complexes. Moreover, dithymoquinone exhibited higher binding affinity and favorable interaction followed by campesterol as compared to the standard drug. The in silico computational analysis provides a promising hit for regulating the main proteases activity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Exploration of comprehensive marine natural products database against dengue viral non-structural protein 1 using high-throughput computational studies

Dengue virus (DENV) non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is a versatile quasi-protein essential for the multiplication of the virus. This study applied high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to detect the potential marine natural compounds against the NS1 of DENV. The structure of the NS1 protein was retrieved from Protein Data Bank with (PDB ID: 4O6B). Missing residues were added using modeler software. Molecular operating environment (MOE) programme was used to prepare the protein before docking. Virtual screening was performed on PyRx software to identify natural compounds retrieved from Comprehensive Marine Natural Products Database (CMNPD) against the NS1 protein, and best-docked compounds were examined by molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. Out of 31,561 marine compounds, the top 10 compounds showed docking scores lesser than -8.0 kcal/mol. One of the best hit compounds, CMNPD6802, was further analyzed using MD simulation study at 100 nanoseconds and Molecular Mechanics with Generalized Born and Surface Area Solvation (MM/GBSA). Based on its total binding energy, determined using the MM/GBSA approach, CMNPD6802 was ranked first. Its pharmacokinetic properties concerning the target protein NS1 were also evaluated. The results of the MD simulation showed that CMNPD6802 remained in close contact with the protein throughout the activation period, mapped using principal component analysis. These findings suggest that CMNPD6802 could serve as an NS1 inhibitor and may be a potential candidate for treating DENV infections.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Targeted Inhibition of Hsp90 in Combination with Metformin Modulates Programmed Cell Death Pathways in A549 Lung Cancer Cells

The pathophysiology of lung cancer is dependent on the dysregulation in the apoptotic and autophagic pathways. The intricate link between apoptosis and autophagy through shared signaling pathways complicates our understanding of how lung cancer pathophysiology is regulated. As drug resistance is the primary reason behind treatment failure, it is crucial to understand how cancer cells may respond to different therapies and integrate crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy in response to them, leading to cell death or survival. Thus, in this study, we have tried to evaluate the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cell line that could be modulated by employing a combination therapy of metformin (6 mM), an anti-diabetic drug, with gedunin (12 µM), an Hsp90 inhibitor, to provide insights into the development of new cancer therapeutics. Our results demonstrated that metformin and gedunin were cytotoxic to A549 lung cancer cells. Combination of metformin and gedunin generated ROS and promoted MMP loss and DNA damage. The combination further increased the expression of AMPKα1 and promoted the nuclear localization of AMPKα1/α2. The expression of Hsp90 was downregulated, further decreasing the expression of its clients, EGFR, PIK3CA, AKT1, and AKT3. Inhibition of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway upregulated TP53 and inhibited autophagy. The combination was promoting nuclear localization of p53; however, some cytoplasmic signals were also detected. Further increase in the expression of caspase 9 and caspase 3 was observed. Thus, we concluded that the combination of metformin and gedunin upregulates apoptosis by inhibiting the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway and autophagy in A549 lung cancer cells.

HDAC inhibition by Nigella sativa L. sprouts extract in hepatocellular carcinoma: an approach to study anti-cancer potential

A wide variety of natural products have been widely used in chemoprevention therapy because they have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. In the present study, we shed light on the 5th day germinated sprouts of N. sativa seeds and evaluated them against HDAC inhibition and antioxidant activity. The extract from the seed and sprout was extracted and characterised by LC-MS/MS, FTIR, and NMR to reveal its chemical composition, especially thymol (THY) and thymoquinone (TQ). Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health concern as it is a major lifestyle disease. Hence, incorporating herbal-based therapeutic compounds into everyday routines has become an attractive alternative for preventing hepatic diseases. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition (HDACi) is emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for managing various carcinomas including HCC. Therefore, the 5th day of N. sativa can be used as a potential anticancer agent by inhibiting HDAC activity, as it is reported to have an important role in the management of oxidative stress. The bioactive compound of N. sativa, i.e. thymoquinone, also showed a good binding affinity with the HDAC protein (3MAX) with a stable interaction in an in silico study as compared to the standard drug (Trichostatin A) and thymol.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Natural and synthetic drugs and formulations for intravaginal HPV clearance

BACKGROUND

Except for a few preventative Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, there is currently no cure for HPV infection. There are a number of cutting-edge strategies and potent medications or herbal formulations that can be applied topically for early clearance of HPV infection before HPV DNA gets integrated into host cell genome. This is facilitated due to cervical cancer having distinct and well-recognized long precancerous stages.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to outline every possible medication and formulation, both natural and synthetic, that can be applied topically as intravaginal application to help remove HPV infection at an early precancerous stage.

RESULTS

Several anti-HPV/HPV clearance compounds and formulations for high-grade lesions are undergoing clinical trials. However, the majority of compounds are still in the early stages of development and require additional research to become viable HPV clearance candidates. Synthetic drugs may be more promising because they may have a more targeted effect; however, they may also have significant adverse effects. On the other hand, natural medications are safer to use. They are less specific, but have minimal to no adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This article may serve as a valuable resource of information for managing and preventing precancerous carcinogenic HPV infections. Research could be directed toward developing candidate drugs to make evidence-based decisions about advancing them to clinical trials and, eventually, to the market for potential use in the prevention and control of cervical cancer, which is almost always preventable or even curable if detected early.

NADP/H binding nearly doubles the stability of a Mycobacterium drug target: an unfolding study

Mycobacterium Aspartate beta semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ASADH) was studied using various spectroscopic techniques and size exclusion chromatography to examine the unfolding of free (apo) and NADP/H-bound (holo) forms of ASADH. Non-cooperative guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl)-induced unfolding of the apo ASADH was discovered, and no partially folded intermediate structures were stabilized. On the other hand, it was observed that GdnHCl's unfolding of holoenzyme was a cooperative process without any stable intermediate structure. The native form of holoenzyme is found to be stable against the lower concentration of GdnHCl only (namely up to 1.25 M GdnHCl). The tryptophan environment appears to unfold cooperatively in case of the holoenzyme and is in well coordination with the overall unfolding of the holoenzyme. The presence of NADP/H shows a stabilizing effect on the tryptophan environment as well as on the native NADP/H-bound enzyme. Δ G Solvent o values reveal nearly two-fold (∼1.9) conformationally more stable folded holoenzyme compared to its native apo state. The Cm for the apo and holo forms of ASADH are 1.3 and 1.9 M, respectively. Novel drug leads targeting the NADP/H binding domain of ASADH could offer promising drugs against extremely infective Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Exploring the tumor immune microenvironment in ovarian cancer: a way-out to the therapeutic roadmap

INTRODUCTION

Despite cancer treatment strides, mortality due to ovarian cancer remains high globally. While immunotherapy has proven effective in treating cancers with low cure rates, it has limitations. Growing evidence suggests that both tumoral and non-tumoral components of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) play a significant role in cancer growth. Therefore, developing novel and focused therapy for ovarian cancer is critical. Studies indicate that TIME is involved in developing ovarian cancer, particularly genome-, transcriptome-, and proteome-wide studies. As a result, TIME may present a prospective therapeutic target for ovarian cancer patients.

AREAS COVERED

We examined several TIME-targeting medicines and the connection between TIME and ovarian cancer. The key protagonists and events in the TIME and therapeutic strategies that explicitly target these events in ovarian cancer are discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

We highlighted various targeted therapies against TIME in ovarian cancer, including anti-angiogenesis therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. While these therapies are in their infancy, they have shown promise in controlling ovarian cancer progression. The use of 'omics' technology is helping in better understanding of TIME in ovarian cancer and potentially identifying new therapeutic targets. TIME-targeted strategies could account for an additional treatment strategy when treating ovarian cancer.

Immunoinformatics Strategy to Develop a Novel Universal Multiple Epitope-Based COVID-19 Vaccine

Currently available COVID vaccines are effective in reducing mortality and severity but do not prevent transmission of the virus or reinfection by the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. There is an obvious need for better and longer-lasting effective vaccines for various prevailing strains and the evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus, necessitating the development of a broad-spectrum vaccine that can be used to prevent infection by reducing both the transmission rate and re-infection. During the initial phases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the nucleocapsid (N) protein is one of the most abundantly expressed proteins. Additionally, it has been identified as the most immunogenic protein of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, state-of-the-art bioinformatics techniques have been exploited to design novel multiple epitope vaccines using conserved regions of N proteins from prevalent strains of SARS-CoV-2 for the prediction of B- and T-cell epitopes. These epitopes were sorted based on their immunogenicity, antigenicity score, and toxicity. The most effective multi-epitope construct with possible immunogenic properties was created using epitope combinations. EAAAK, AAY, and GPGPG were used as linkers to connect epitopes. The developed vaccines have shown positive results in terms of overall population coverage and stimulation of the immune response. Potential expression of the chimeric protein construct was detected after it was cloned into the Pet28a/Cas9-cys vector for expression screening in Escherichia coli. The developed vaccine performed well in computer-based immune response simulation and covered a diverse allelic population worldwide. These computational findings are very encouraging for the further testing of our candidate vaccine, which could eventually aid in the control and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections globally.

Better Social-emotional Behavior in Young Nepali Children is Associated with Household Wealth, Child Age, and Family Participation in a Community Development Intervention

Background Mental health and behavior problems are under-recognized in low- and middleincome countries, especially in young children. Early identification of these problems could encourage governments to address the shortages of child mental health professionals and promote early intervention programs to help children achieve their full developmental potential. Objective Describe the social-emotional development of young rural Nepali children; explore risk factors for poor development. Method The study was embedded in a longitudinal intervention trial comparing control households with those who received training in family nutrition+livestock management (Partial Package) or family nutrition+livestock management+community mobilization (Full Package). At midline, enumerators completed a 145-item household questionnaire, child anthropometry, and Administered the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE) to all enrolled children age 33-47 months (n=310). Bivariate and regression analyses examined the relationship of child and household risk factors to administered the Ages and Stages QuestionnaireSocial-Emotional scores. Result Administered the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social-Emotional scores were below age cutoffs in 24% of children, suggesting worse social-emotional development. In bivariate analyses and the adjusted linear regression model, older child age, greater household wealth, and Full Package Intervention status were all associated with better social-emotional development scores. Partial Package Intervention status was associated with worse scores. Conclusion The Administered the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social-Emotional is a potential tool to assess child social-emotional development in the context of household and community level interventions. Further work is necessary to validate the administered the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social-Emotional and similar tools in Nepal, and to better understand the prevalence of challenges to optimal socialemotional development in young children in order to use this information to design and monitor needed interventions.

Computational modeling of cyanobacterial phytoconstituents against toll-like receptors of skin cancer

Melanoma is an extremely dangerous disease. The diagnosis and treatment of it may be difficult because of its diversity and complexity. More than 90% of the marine biomass (microflora and microalgae) constitutes the natural biodiversity reserves. TLR-related research developments indicate possible cancer therapeutic possibilities. In addition to its significant function in innate immunity, TLR activation is connected to the start of pyroptosis, apoptosis, or autophagy in malignance cells. For these reasons, TLR agonists are appealing candidates for the production of cancer medications. From the web databases, the ternary structures of the receptors (TLR3 and TLR4) and ligands are extracted. Sixty-nine compounds were subjected to a drug likeness filter, but only twenty-two were screened further for evaluating ADMET criteria, in which only seven compounds satisfied the pharmacological properties. These compounds are further analyzed for docking parameters against TLRs (TLR3 and TLR4) and molecular simulation investigation of the best cluster to evaluate the complex stability. Molecular docking methodology discovered that Scytonmein has a significant binding potential energy of -5.21 and -7.92 kcal/mol against TLR3 and TLR4, respectively, in comparison to the redock co-crystal structure (-3.98 and -4.30 kcal/mol, respectively). The simulation analysis demonstrates the significant stability of the Scytonemin and TLR4 complexes in terms of average RMSD and RMSF compared to the redock complex, while criteria like solvent-accessible surface area (SASA), gyration (Rg) and hydrogen bonding have further supported the significant interaction and stability of the conformations.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Assessment of key regulatory genes and identification of possible drug targets for Leprosy (Hansen's disease) using network-based approach

Leprosy is a major health concern and continues to be a source of fear and stigma among people worldwide. Despite remarkable achievements in the treatment, understanding of pathogenesis and transmission, epidemiology of leprosy still remains inadequate. The prolonged incubation period, slow rates of occurrence in those exposed and deceptive clinical presentation pose challenges to develop reliable strategies to stop transmission. Hence, there is a need for improved diagnostics and therapies to prevent mortality caused by leprosy. The objectives of this study are to identify significant genes from protein-protein interactions (PPIs) network of leprosy and to choose the most effective therapeutic targets. Fifty genes related with leprosy were discovered by literature mining. These genes were used to construct a primary network. Leading Eigen Vector method was used to break down the primary network into various sub-networks or communities. It was found that the primary network was divided into many sub-networks at the 6 levels. Seed genes were traced at each level till key regulatory genes were identified. Three seed genes, namely, GNAI3, NOTCH1, and HIF1A, were able to make their way till the final motif stage. These genes along with their interacting partners were considered key regulators of the leprosy network. This study provides leprosy-associated key genes which can lead to improved diagnosis and therapies for leprosy patients.

Evaluation of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Resulting Behavior Changes in Response to COVID-19 Among Students at the College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS), Jazan University, Saudi Arabia

Background

The emergence of COVID-19 posed a threat to millions of lives worldwide. The pandemic impacts extended to affect people's psychological well-being, resulting in significant behavioural change. This study was designed to assess the knowledge regarding COVID-19 precautions among the College of Applied Medical Science students at Jazan University and to evaluate the general, psychosocial, and behavioral changes due to COVID-19.

Methods

This is an observational study targeting 630 undergraduate students randomly selected during January 2020, using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Linear regression models were used to evaluate the predictors of three outcome measures: knowledge, attitudes, and practice scores.

Results

Knowledge of COVID-19 revealed that the students with correct answers ranged from 48.9 to 95%. Furthermore, significant gender differences are found regarding shortness of breath, fatigue, persistent chest discomfort, headache, and malaise (p < 0.05). Knowledge scores differed significantly across gender and academic level (p < 0.05) and so does attitude scores (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between practice scores according to socio-demographic background (p > 0.05). The linear regression model showed that females had significantly higher knowledge, attitudes, and practice scores (p < 0.05) as well as those within the 21-23 age group and above (p < 0.05). Students residing in urban and semi-urban places had significantly higher scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practice (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The results demonstrated moderate knowledge about COVID-19 among study participants, with significant differences between the responses of males and females and among the urban and rural populations. Outcomes suggest the need for interventions to bridge students' knowledge about COVID-19 and practice gaps. Students were concerned about basic life amenities and the inability to provide for their dear ones regarding behavioral changes.

Human Growth Hormone Fragment 176–191 Peptide Enhances the Toxicity of Doxorubicin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Introduction

Numerous drugs with potent toxicity against cancer cells are available for treating malignancies, but therapeutic efficacies are limited due to their inefficient tumor targeting and deleterious effects on non-cancerous tissue. Therefore, two improvements are mandatory for improved chemotherapy 1) novel delivery techniques that can target cancer cells to deliver anticancer drugs and 2) methods to specifically enhance drug efficacy within tumors. The loading of inert drug carriers with anticancer agents and peptides which are able to bind (target) tumor-related proteins to enhance tumor drug accumulation and local cytotoxicity is a most promising approach.

Objective

To evaluate the anticancer efficacy of Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with human growth hormone hGH fragment 176–191 peptide plus the clinical chemotherapeutic doxorubicin in comparison with Chitosan loaded with doxorubicin alone.

Methods

Two sets of in silico experiments were performed using molecular docking simulations to determine the influence of hGH fragment 176–191 peptide on the anticancer efficacy of doxorubicin 1) the binding affinities of hGH fragment 176–191 peptide to the breast cancer receptors, 2) the effects of hGH fragment 176–191 peptide binding on doxorubicin binding to these same receptors. Further, the influence of hGH fragment 176–191 peptide on the anticancer efficacy of doxorubicin was validated using viability assay in Human MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Results

In silico analysis suggested that addition of the hGH fragment to doxorubicin-loaded Chitosan nanoparticles can enhance doxorubicin binding to multiple breast cancer protein targets, while photon correlation spectroscopy revealed that the synthesized dual-loaded Chitosan nanoparticles possess clinically favorable particle size, polydispersity index, as well as zeta potential.

Conclusion

These dual-loaded Chitosan nanoparticles demonstrated greater anti-proliferative activity against a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) than doxorubicin-loaded Chitosan. This dual-loading strategy may enhance the anticancer potency of doxorubicin and reduce the clinical side effects associated with non-target tissue exposure.

Screening of Common Potential Inhibitors against Periodontitis and Alzheimer's Disease

Introduction: As the amyloid precursor protein performs a remarkable part in chronic periodontitis and the progression of Alzheimer's disease growth, discoveryof novelactive inhibitors of this protein can be of great standing in the treatment of periodontitis. Chronic periodontitis is one of the causative factors and metabolic stressor for diabetes control. In chronic periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease, some molecules have been proposed to inhibit proteins in past. Methods: This study was planned to find present potent inhibitors,A library of KDM compounds was obtained from Chem Div Database. Here, all complexes with goodglide score were short listed for analysis of protein-ligand interaction. Calculations were carried out to estimate the interaction of the ligands selected in complex with the beta amyloid protein. Results: Five top hits were found considering Curcuminas reference. Five small molecules have been proposed as possible inhibitors of this protein. Here in this study, we have focused on small molecule lead inhibitors for identification of Chronic Periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease.

Smoking May Increase the Risk of COVID-19 Infection: Evidence from In Silico Analysis

Introduction: SARS-CoV2, first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan as COVID-19 causing respiratory illness, rapidly evolved into a pandemic owing to its very high infectivity. There is insufficient evidence about if and how smoking affects the risk of COVID-19 infection, and the reports on whether smoking increases or reduces the risk of respiratory infections, are contradictory. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine the effects of nicotine consumption on the infectivity of COVID-19. Methods: We performed in silico computer simulation-based study. The structures of SARS-CoV2spike ectodomain, and its receptor ACE2, were obtained from PDB. The structure of nicotine and its metabolites NNK and NNAL were obtained from the PubChem chemical database. After optimization, they were interacted using AutoDock 4.2, to see the effect of nicotine, NNK, or NNAL presence on the docking of viral spike protein to its receptor ACE2. Results: ACE2 vs spike protein interaction results were used as a control (ZDOCK score 1498.484, with four hydrogen bonds). The NNK+ACE2 vs spike protein docking formed 10 hydrogen bonds with the highest ZDOCK score of 1515.564. NNAL+ ACE2 vs spike protein interaction formed eleven hydrogen bonds with the ZDOCK score of 1499.371. Nicotine+ACE2 vs spike protein docking showed the lowest ZDOCK score of 1496.302 and formed 8 hydrogen bonds. Whereas, NNK+spike vs ACE2 interaction had a ZDOCK score of 1498.490 and formed eight hydrogen bonds. NNAL+spike vs ACE2 docking formed eleven hydrogen bonds with a ZDOCK score of 1498.482. And Nicotine+spike vs ACE2 interaction showed a ZDOCK score of 1498.488 and formed 9 hydrogen bonds. Conclusions: The binding of nicotine to either spike of virus or its receptor ACE2 is not affecting the viral docking with the receptor. But binding of NNK, a metabolite of nicotine, is facilitating the viral docking with its receptor indicating that smoking may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Association between Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme- Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism and Diabetes Mellitus-2 in Saudi Population

Objectives:

The association of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been debated vigorously but still remains controversial. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine the possible association between ACE I/D polymorphism and T2DM and hypertension (HTN) in a population of Saudi Arabian participants.

Methods:

A total of 143 individuals were recruited for the study, consisting of 74 controls and 69 patients with T2DM. Genotyping was performed via polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

The genotype frequencies for DD, ID and II in controls were 52.7%, 39.2% and 8.1%, whereas in T2D patients it was 52.2%, 40.6% and 7.2% respectively. The DD frequency was highest out of the three genotypes in both the controls and the T2DM patients.

Conclusion:

There was no significant difference found in the genotype and allele frequencies between cases and controls, suggesting that insertion/deletion polymorphism in the ACE gene may not be associated with an increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in our study population.

IFN-γ +874 A>T (rs2430561) gene polymorphism and risk of pulmonary tuberculosis: a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The role of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) +874 A>T (rs2430561) gene polymorphism has been evaluated in different ethnicities with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) infection, and inconsistent results have been reported. In this study, a meta-analysis was performed to determine the precise association between IFN-γ +874 A>T gene polymorphism and PTB susceptibility.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 21 studies comprising 4281 confirmed PTB cases and 5186 healthy controls were included in this meta-analysis by searching the PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, and Google Scholar web-databases.

RESULTS

We observed reduced risk of PTB in allelic contrast (T vs. A: p = 0.001; OR = 0.818, 95% CI: 0.723-0.926), homozygous (TT vs. AA: p = 0.017; OR = 0.715, 95% CI: 0.543-0.941), heterozygous (AT vs. AA: p = 0.002; OR = 0.782, 95% CI: 0.667-0.917), dominant (TT+AT vs. AA: p = 0.002; OR = 0.768, 95% CI: 0.652-0.906), and recessive (TT vs. AA+AT: p = 0.042; OR = 0.802, 95% CI: 0.649-0.992) genetic models. In ethnicity-wise subgroup analysis, reduced risk of PTB was found in the Caucasian population. However, we did not find an association with any of the genetic models in the Asian population.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the IFN-γ +874 A>T gene polymorphism is significantly associated with reduced risk of PTB, showing a protective effect in the overall and in the Caucasian population. However, this polymorphism is not associated with PTB risk in the Asian population.

Link between MnSOD Ala16Val (rs4880) polymorphism and asthma risk is insignificant from sequential meta-analysis

The mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) enzyme protects lungs against oxidative stress by neutralizing the free radical superoxide produced in the respiratory function. This has relevance to asthma. Therefore, it is of interest to describe the potential effect of MnSOD Ala16Val genetic polymorphism to asthma risk. Known data in this context is inconclusive in nature. The possible link between MnSOD Ala16Val polymorphism and asthma is explored using sequence meta-analysis. Data from the pooled analysis of MnSOD Ala16Val polymorphism using five genetic models i.e., allelic (Val vs. Ala: p=0.846; OR=1.033, 95% CI=0.742 to 1.440) is discussed. Homozygous (Val Val vs. Ala Ala: p=0.517; OR=1.307, 95% CI=0.582 to 2.932) and heterozygous (Val Ala vs. Ala Ala: p=0.307; OR=1.138, 95% CI=0.888 to 1.459) data using the described models are documented. Data from the dominant model (Val Val + Val Ala vs. Ala Ala: p=0.301; OR=1.289, 95% CI=0.797 to 2.085) and the recessive model (Val Val vs. Val Ala + Ala Ala: p=0.761; OR=0.924, 95% CI=0.555 to 1.538) analyses for several ethnic subgroups in this context is reported.

Tobacco Smoke Carcinogens Induce DNA Repair Machinery Function Loss: Protection by Carbon Nanotubes

PURPOSE

DNA damage is a continuous process occurring within the cells caused by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, but it gets repaired regularly. If the DNA repair process is faulty, the incidences of damages/mutations can accumulate in cells resulting in cell transformation. It is hypothesized that the negative variations in DNA repair pathways in even at one point viz. genetic, translational or posttranslational stage may fairly be crucial for the beginning and development of carcinogenesis. Therefore, we investigated the potential of tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNs) related carcinogens to interact with the enzymes involved in DNA repair mechanisms in the current study.

METHODS

The derivatives of cigarettes' smoke like NNK and NNAL are very well known and recognized carcinogens. Therefore, almost 120 enzymes playing crucial role in the DNA repair process have been analysed for their reactivity with NNK and NNAL.

RESULTS

The molecular docking study helped to screen out,  07 possible DNA repair enzyme targets for NNK, and 12for NNAL. Present study revealed the loss of activity of DNA repair enzymes in the presence of NNK and NNAL, and this accumulation may induce the tendency of DNA damage which can lead the transformation of exposed normal cells in to cancerous cells. This study also demonstrated the protective potential of nanoparticles like SWCNTs/MWCNTs against TSN's induced toxicity; here SWCNT against NNK (-17.16 Kcal/Mol) and MWCNT against NNK -17.01 Kcal/Mol were showing maximum binding affinities than the known biomolecular target of NNK 1UGH (Uracil-DNA glycosylase,-7.82Kcal/Mol).

CONCLUSION

CNTs can be applied as chemo-preventive agents against environmental and tobacco induced carcinogens owing to their scavenging potential and warrants for in vivo and in vitro experimental validation of the results obtained from the present study.
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A trial sequential meta-analysis of IFN-γ +874 A>T (rs2430561) gene polymorphism and extrapulmonary tuberculosis risk

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) plays a crucial role in immunological responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection. The polymorphism at +874 A > T (rs2430561) influences the levels of IFN-γ, which may further influence the susceptibility to extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). This polymorphism has been investigated with respect to EPTB occurrence in different populations and provided contradictory and conflicting results. This study was performed to meta-statistically analyze the data and draw a more accurate conclusion regarding the association of IFN-γ +874 A > T gene polymorphism and EPTB susceptibility. A quantitative synthesis was executed for the pertinent studies retrieved from online web-databases viz. Google Scholar, PubMed/Medline and EMBASE. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated for all the genetic models by meta-analysis. A total of eight studies were retrieved which included 762 confirmed EPTB cases and 1341 controls. The meta-analysis results revealed reduced association of EPTB in allelic contrast (T vs. A: p = 0.001; OR = 0.668, 95% CI = 0.524 to 0.850), homozygous (TT vs. AA: p = 0.017; OR = 0.450, 95% CI = 0.234 to 0.868), heterozygous (AT vs. AA: p = 0.004; OR = 0.574, 95% CI = 0.395 to 0.835), dominant (TT + AT vs. AA: p = 0.003; OR = 0.536, 95% CI = 0.354 to 0.810) and recessive (TT vs. AA + AT: p = 0.039; OR = 0.662, 95% CI = 0.448 to 0.980) genetic models. Furthermore, re-sampling statistics also revealed reduced risk of EPTB in overall population and Asian subgroup. This meta-analysis concluded that IFN-γ +874 A > T gene polymorphism is meaningfully related with the reduced EPTB risk in overall and Asian population, and further necessitates larger studies to be conducted on this topic in other races.

Computational Outlook of Marine Compounds as Anti-Cancer Representatives Targeting BCL-2 and Survivin

INTRODUCTION

The regulation of apoptosis via compounds originated from marine organisms signifies a new wave in the field of drug discovery. Marine organisms produce potent compounds as they hold the phenomenal diversity in chemical structures. The main focus of drug development is anticancer therapy.

METHODS

Expertise on manifold activities of compounds helps in the discovery of their derivatives for preclinical and clinical experiment that promotes improved activity of compounds for cancer patients.

RESULTS

These marine derived compounds stimulate apoptosis in cancer cells by targeting Bcl-2 and Survivin, highlighting the fact that instantaneous targeting of these proteins by novel derivatives results in efficacious and selective killing of cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

Our study reports the identification of Aplysin and Haterumaimide J as Bcl-2 inhibitors and Cortistatin A as an inhibitor of survivin protein, from a sequential virtual screening approach.

Molecular Mechanism of Cancer Susceptibility Associated with Fok1 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism of VDR in Relation to Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women worldwide. It is a multi-factorial disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Vitamin D has been hypothesized to lower the risk of breast cancer via the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR). Genetic variants of these vitamin D metabolizing genes may alter the bioavailability of vitamin D, and hence modulate the risk of breast cancer.

Association of MBL2 gene polymorphisms with pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility: trial sequence meta-analysis as evidence

Background

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) or mannose-binding protein (MBP), encoded by MBL2 gene and secreted by the liver, activates complement system through lectin pathway in innate immunity against the host’s infection. Conflictingly, a number of MBL2 variants, rs1800450 (A>B), rs1800451 (A>C), rs5030737 (A>D), rs7096206 (Y>X), rs11003125 (H>L), and rs7095891 (P>Q) allele, have been found to be associated with compromised serum levels and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) susceptibility. The present meta-analysis study was performed to evaluate the potential association of these MBL2 gene variants with PTB susceptibility.

Materials and methods

A quantitative synthesis was performed on PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, and Google Scholar web database searches. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate the pooled odds ratios and 95% CIs for all the genetic models.

Results

A total of 14 eligible studies were included to analyze their pooled data for associations between alleles, genotypes, and minor allele carriers. The statistical analysis revealed the significant reduced PTB risk with homozygous variant genotype of rs1800451 polymorphism (CC vs AA: P=0.043; OR =0.828, 95% CI =0.689–0.994). Contrary to this, the variant allele of rs5030737 polymorphism showed association with increased PTB risk (D vs A: P=0.026; OR =1.563, 95% CI =1.054–2.317). However, the other genetic models of rs1800450 (A>B), rs7096206 (Y>X), and rs11003125 (H>L) MBL2 gene polymorphisms did not divulge any association with PTB susceptibility.

Conclusion

The current meta-analysis concludes that rs1800451 (A>C) and rs5030737 (A>D) polymorphisms of MBL2 gene play a significant role in PTB susceptibility. Further, well-designed epidemiological studies with larger sample size including consideration of environmental factors are warranted for the future.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Gene I/D Polymorphism Is Associated With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Susceptibility: An Updated Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene is indispensable for endothelial control and vascular tone regulatory systems, usually affected in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism may influence the progress of SLE. Earlier studies have investigated this association without any consistency in results. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the precise association between ACE I/D polymorphism and SLE susceptibility. The relevant studies were searched until December, 2017 using Medline (PubMed), Google-Scholar and EMBASE search engines. Twenty-five published studies involving 3,308 cases and 4,235 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Statistically significant increased risk was found for allelic (D vs. I: p = 0.007; OR = 1.202, 95% CI = 1.052–1.374), homozygous (DD vs. II: p = 0.025; OR = 1.347, 95% CI = 1.038–1.748), dominant (DD+ID vs. II: p = 0.002; OR = 1.195, 95% CI = 1.070–1.334), and recessive (DD vs. ID+II: p = 0.023; OR = 1.338, 95% CI = 1.042–1.718) genetic models. Subgroup analysis stratified by Asian ethnicity revealed significant risk of SLE in allelic (D vs. I: p = 0.045; OR = 1.238, 95% CI = 1.005–1.525) and marginal risk in dominant (DD+ID vs. II: p = 0.056; OR = 1.192, 95% CI = 0.995–1.428) models; whereas, no association was observed for Caucasian and African population. Publication bias was absent. In conclusion, ACE I/D polymorphism has significant role in overall SLE risk and it can be exploited as a prognostic marker for early SLE predisposition.

Marine Drugs: A Hidden Wealth and a New Epoch for Cancer Management

BACKGROUND

Malignant tumors are the leading cause of death in humans. Due to the tedious efforts and investigations made in the field of marine drug discovery, there is now a scientific bridge between marine and pharmaceutical sciences. However, currently only few marine drugs have been lined towards anticancer direction yet many more to are be established in future as well.

METHOD

This review gives an overview of present status of marine natural products MNPs both at the level of research and clinical stages. The authors haved summarized the detail information of diverse marine organisms that were reportedto be active or potentially active in cancer treatment in the last two decades. Interstingly, marine organisms are abundant producer of plenty of structurally incomparable bioactive metabolites that have unusual mode of actions and diverse biosynthetic pathways.

RESULTS

This review summarizes the associated anticancer properties of different classes of marine natural compounds based on their structural diversity, biological activity, and the molecular mechanisms of action. Emphasis has also be given to recent advances in clinical development of marine agents used in clinical trials.

CONCLUSIONS

The present review is summarising the various sources of marine chemicals and their exploration of anticancerous potential. There is justified hope for the discovery and development of new anticancer agents from the marine environment.

Decoding the antineoplastic efficacy of Aplysin targeting Bcl-2: A de novo perspective

The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins have been attributed to be the key regulators in programmed cell death and apoptosis with a prominent role in human cancer. Understanding the fundamental principles of cell survival and death have been the main cornerstone in cancer drug discovery for identification of novel anticancer agents. In this context the Bcl-2 family of anti-and pro-apoptotic proteins provide an excellent opportunity for development of anticancer agents, as blocking the Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL functionally promotes apoptosis in tumor cells and also sensitize them to chemo- and radiotherapies. The present study reports the identification of novel Aplysin analogs as BCL-2 inhibitors from a sequential virtual screening approach using drug-like, ADMET, docking, pharmacophore filters and molecular dynamics simulation. We identified promising Aplysin analogs that have a potential to be Bcl-2 inhibitors just like the standard drug Obatoclax. One of the compound analog 11 was identified to be a promising inhibitor of Bcl-2 in the docking, pharmacophore and simulation based models.The molecular modeling information provided here can be vital in designing of the novel Bcl-2 inhibitors.

Niacin deficiency modulates genes involved in cancer: Are smokers at higher risk?

The role of niacin's metabolite, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), in DNA repair via base-excision repair pathway is well documented. We evaluated if niacin deficiency results in genetic instability in normal human fetal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5), and further, does it leads to enhanced accumulation of cigarette smoke-induced genetic damage? MRC-5 cells were grown discretely in niacin-proficient/deficient media, and exposed to nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK, a cigarette smoke carcinogen). Niacin deficiency abated the NAD polymerization, augmented the spontaneous induction of micronuclei (MN) and chromosomal aberrations (CA) and raised the expression of 10 genes and suppressed 12 genes involved in different biological functions. NNK exposure resulted in genetic damage as measured by the induction of MN and CA in cells grown in niacin-proficient medium, but the damage became practically marked when niacin-deficient cells were exposed to NNK. NNK exposure raised the expression of 16 genes and suppressed the expression of 56 genes in cells grown in niacin-proficient medium. NNK exposure to niacin-deficient cells raised the expression of eight genes including genes crucial in promoting cancer such as FGFR3 and DUSP1 and suppressed the expression of 33 genes, including genes crucial in preventing the onset and progression of cancer like RASSF2, JUP, and IL24, in comparison with the cells grown in niacin-proficient medium. Overall, niacin deficiency interferes with the DNA damage repair process induced by chemical carcinogens like NNK, and niacin-deficient population are at the higher risk of genetic instability caused by cigarette smoke carcinogen NNK.

In silico CD4+, CD8+ & humoral immunity associated antigenic epitope prediction and HLA distribution analysis of HTLV-I

PURPOSE

The linkage of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) to fatal diseases is a well known fact for many years. However, there has been no significant progress in the field of the treatment that can lead to the development of a successful vaccine. Furthermore, there are no means of assessing the risk of disease and its prognosis in the infected people.

METHODS

The current study has taken the cognizance of the importance of host's immune response in reducing the risk of infectious diseases to carry out immunoinformatics driven epitope screening strategy of vaccine candidates against HTLV-1. In this study, a genetic variability and HLA distribution analysis among the documented HTLV-1 genotypes I, II, III, IV, V & VI was performed to ensure the coverage of the vast majority of population, where vaccine would be employed. The meticulous screening of effective dominant immunogens was done with the help of ABCPred and Immune Epitope Database.

RESULTS

The results showed that the identified epitopes might be protective immunogens with high conservancy and potential of inducing both protective neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses. The peptides "PSQLPPTAPPLLPHSNLDHI", "PCPNLVAYSSYHATY", and "YHATYSLYLF", were 100% conserved among different isolates from far and wide separated countries, suggesting negligible antigenic drift in HTLV-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the mentioned epitopes are soluble, non-toxic suitable candidates for the development of vaccine against HTLV-1 and warrant further investigation and experimental validation.

Bioengineered intravaginal isolate of Lactobacillus plantarum expresses algal lectin scytovirin demonstrating anti-HIV-1 activity

Efforts to develop preventatives against HIV infection through sexual route have identified, among many, algal lectins as the potent molecules for scaffolding HIV entry inhibition. Algal lectin scytovirin (SVN) from Scytonema varium, a cyanobacterium, has anti-HIV effects with the potential for use in sculpting HIV neutralization. We created a recombinant strain of human vaginal L. plantarum for extracellular expression of recombinant (r)SVN. The rSVN protein containing culture supernatant was analyzed for its binding with HIV-1 gp160, and for inhibiting infection with primary R5 and X4 HIV-1 strains in TZM-bl cells. The rSVN protein extant in recombinant L. plantarum culture supernatant binds to HIV-1 gp160 and reduces the HIV-induced cytopathic effect to nearly 56.67% and 86.47% in R5 and X4 HIV-1 infected TZM-bl cells, respectively. The fortified L. plantarum may be explored for its use as a live virucide in vaginal mucosa of high risk women to prevent HIV entry.

Impact of p53 arg72pro SNP on Breast Cancer Risk in North Indian Population

Background:

Genetic changes in p53 gene contribute to breast cancer susceptibility.

Objective and Methods:

A case-control study and a meta-analysis were performed to investigate the role of p53 codon72 SNP with breast cancer susceptibility in Indian women.

Results:

p53 heterozygous arginine variant was associated with decreased risk of breast cancer in total cohort. In meta-analysis, Allelic and GG vs. CC genetic comparison model were found to be associated with breast cancer risk. Moreover, recessive comparison model indicated a protective correlation with breast cancer occurrence.

Conclusion:

The findings of our case-control study and meta-analysis suggest a significant association between p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism and an increased risk of breast cancer in Indian population.

Developments in strategies for Quorum Sensing virulence factor inhibition to combat bacterial drug resistance

Quorum sensing (QS) is a complex bacterial intercellular communication system. It is mediated by molecules called auto-inducers (AIs) and allows coordinated responses to a variety of environmental signals by inducing alterations in gene expression. Communication through QS can tremendously stimulate the pathogenicity and virulence via multiple mechanisms in pathogenic bacteria. The present review explores the major types of multitudinous QS systems known in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and their roles in bacterial pathogenesis and drug resistance. Because bacterial resistance to antibiotics is increasingly becoming a significant clinical challenge to human health; alternate strategies to combat drug resistance are warranted. Targeting bacterial pathogenicity by interruptions in QS using natural QS inhibitors and synthetic quorum-quenching analogs are being increasingly considered for development of next generation antimicrobials. The review highlights the recent advancements in discovery of promising new QS modulators and their efficiency in controlling infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens.

Cytomegalovirus aggravates the autoimmune phenomenon in systemic autoimmune diseases

BACKGROUND

Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV), because of its ability to extensively manipulate host immunity during active infection, has been suggested to be involved in autoimmunity. However, its influence on T-cells and cytokines in systemic autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) is indistinct.

METHODS

We investigated the in-vitro response of T lymphocytes from SLE and SSc patients to CMV antigen. Functional activity of T lymphocytes was determined by estimating Th1 (IL-2 and IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines.

RESULTS

We observed that CMV antigen stimulation in-vitro resulted in significant increase in CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SLE and SSc patients; response dominated by CD4⁺ than CD8⁺ memory T-cells. SSc T-cell response was differentiated by aberrant increase in CD4⁺CD25⁺ T-cells. CMV antigen caused elevation in IL-4 and IFN-γ production in both patient PBMCs, whereas IL-2 was also raised in SLE PBMCs. The development of large pool of memory T-cells and overproduction of IFN-γ may result in flare-up of autoimmunity in these patients.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides an insight into the immunopathological potential of CMV-reactive immune cells to develop new potential strategies for targeted therapeutic intervention.

Inhibition of C298S mutant of human aldose reductase for antidiabetic applications: Evidence from in silico elementary mode analysis of biological network model

Human aldose reductase (hAR) is the key enzyme in sorbitol pathway of glucose utilization and is implicated in the etiology of secondary complications of diabetes, such as, cardiovascular complications, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, and cataract genesis. It reduces glucose to sorbitol in the presence of NADPH and the major cause of diabetes complications could be the change in the osmotic pressure due to the accumulation of sorbitol. An activated form of hAR (activated hAR or ahAR) poses a potential obstacle in the development of diabetes drugs as hAR-inhibitors are ineffective against ahAR. The therapeutic efficacy of such drugs is compromised when a large fraction of the enzyme (hAR) undergoes conversion to the activated ahAR form as has been observed in the diabetic tissues. In the present study, attempts have been made to employ systems biology strategies to identify the elementary nodes of human polyol metabolic pathway, responsible for normal metabolic states, followed by the identification of natural potent inhibitors of the activated form of hAR represented by the mutant C298S for possible antidiabetic applications. Quantum Mechanical Molecular Mechanical docking strategy was used to determine the probable inhibitors of ahAR. Rosmarinic acid was found as the most potent natural ahAR inhibitor and warrants for experimental validation in the near future.

Diagnostic Value of Circulating Free DNA Integrity and Global Methylation Status in Gall Bladder Carcinoma

The current study investigates the role of circulating free DNA (cfDNA) as a liquid biopsy in diagnosis gall bladder carcinoma (GBC) utilizing levels of long DNA fragments (ALU247) derived from tumor necrosis, short apoptotic fragments (ALU115) denoting total cfDNA and cfDNA integrity denoting ratio of ALU247 and ALU115. The global methylation status of cfDNA was also estimated with the hypothesis that these parameters provide a diagnostic distinction between cancer and non-cancer subjects, with higher or altered values favoring presence of malignancy. Study group included 60 cases of GBC and 36 controls including diseased controls (cholecystitis) and healthy subjects. Median levels of ALU115, ALU247 and cfDNA integrity were significantly different in GBC at 1790.88, 673.75, 0.4718 vs. controls at 840.73, 165.03, 0.1989 ng/ml respectively. Global DNA methylation was not significantly different between GBC at 0.679% and controls at 0.695%. The sensitivity and specificity of ALU 247 in discriminating GBC from controls was highest with a sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of 80.0%, 86.1% and 82.2% respectively. Global DNA methylation showed lowest sensitivity of 55.0% and specificity of 50.0%. Clinico-pathological parameters showing significant association with cfDNA integrity, on ROC curve analysis, showed significant diagnostic discrimination of the tumor stage, lymphovascular invasion, disease stage and grade histology. This is a first time analysis of ALU115, ALU247 and cfDNA integrity in the diagnosis of GBC and confirms that the combination of ALU247 and cfDNA integrity provides good sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy in discriminating GBC from controls as well correlates with aggressive disease parameters.

Meta-analysis reveals no correlation of caveolin-1 G14713A (G>A) gene polymorphism with increased cancer risk in Taiwanese population

OBJECTIVES

The role of caveolin-1 (CAV1)(G>A, rs3807987) polymorphism is still dubious in cancer causation in Taiwanese population. The present study is an effort to assess the above relation for precise conclusion.

METHODS

EMBASE and PubMed (MEDLINE) databases were explored for the pertinent case-control studies reporting the connection of CAV1 G14713A polymorphism to the vulnerability to cancer. A cumulative analysis using meta-analytic approach was accomplished and pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated for all the polymorphs.

RESULTS

Overall, 2549 subjects and 3161 controls were analyzed from six selected studies. Our study showed no confirmation of noteworthy risk between CAV1 G14713A polymorphism and susceptibility to cancer in any of the polymorph, for instance, allele (A vs. G: P = 0.165; OR = 1.252, 95% CI = 0.911-1.721), homozygous (AA vs. GG: P = 0.252; OR = 1.328, 95% CI = 0.817-2.157), heterozygous (AG vs. GG: P = 0.091; OR = 1.356, 95% CI = 0.952-1.930), dominant (AA vs. GG + AG: P = 0.345; OR = 1.191, 95% CI = 0.829-1.709), and recessive (AA + AG vs. GG: P = 0.125; OR = 1.344, 95% CI = 0.921-1.961).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that CAV1 G14713A polymorphism does not contribute as an independent predisposing risk factor for developing cancer in Taiwanese population.

Impact of LMP7 (rs2071543) gene polymorphism in increasing cancer risk: evidence from a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

Genetic variant LMP7 (low molecular weight polypeptide 7) –145 C > A may influence the function of immune surveillance of an individual and lead to cancer development. Various studies have investigated the relevance of LMP7 –145 C > A gene polymorphism with cancer risk; but, their results are conflicting and inconsistent. To obtain a comprehensive conclusion, a meta-analysis was performed by including eight eligible published studies retrieved from PubMed (Medline), EMBASE and Google Scholar web search until December 2016. Individuals with AA genotype (AA vs CC: p = 0.001; OR = 2.602, 95% CI = 1.780 to 3.803) of LMP7 -145 C > A were found to have 2 folds higher risk of cancer than those with CC genotype. The recessive genetic model (AA vs AC + CC) also indicated that individuals with AA genotype have 2 folds higher cancer risk than AC and CC genotypes (p = 0.001; OR = 2.216, 95% CI = 1.525 to 3.221). Also, significant increased cancer risk was observed in Asians but not in Caucasians. No publication bias was observed during the analysis. Trial sequential analysis also strengthened our current findings. These results suggest that genetic variant LMP7–145 C > A has significant role in increasing cancer risk in overall and Asian population, and could be useful as a prognostic marker for early cancer predisposition.

MIF -173 G > C (rs755622) Gene Polymorphism Modulates Tuberculosis Risk: Evidence from a Meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

The macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a cytokine that plays an important role in inhibiting the growth of pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) and regulates immune responses against M.tb pathogen. MIF -173 G > C gene polymorphism may affect immunity in an individual and leads to susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB). A large number of studies have investigated the relevance of this polymorphism with TB risk, but their results were inconclusive. To obtain a precise conclusion, a meta-analysis was performed by retrieving six eligible studies from Google Scholar, PubMed (Medline), and EMBASE online databases. Overall combined analysis suggested increased TB risk between MIF -173 G > C polymorphism and overall risk in four genetic models, i.e., allelic (C vs. G: p = 0.001; OR = 1.517, 95% CI = 1.312 to 1.753), homozygous (CC vs. GG: p = 0.026; OR = 1.874, 95% CI = 1.079 to 3.257), heterozygous (GC vs. GG: p = 0.001; OR = 1.542, 95% CI = 1.273 to 1.868) and dominant model (CC + GC vs. GG: p = 0.001; OR = 1.631, 95% CI = 1.362 to 1.955). Similarly, increased TB risk was observed in subgroup analysis of Asian ethnicity. No publication bias was observed. These results suggested that MIF -173 G > C variant is a significant risk factor for TB in overall and in Asian populations, and can be used as prognostic marker for TB susceptibility.

Molecular docking analysis of aplysin analogs targeting survivin protein

Survivin (IAP proteins) remains an important target for anticancer drug development as it is reported to be over-expressed in tumor cells to enhance resistance to apoptotic stimuli. The study focuses on virtual screening of marine compounds inhibiting survivin, a multifunctional protein, using a computational approach. Structures of compounds were prepared using ChemDraw Ultra 10. Software and converted into its 3D PDB structure and its energy was minimized using Discovery Studio client 2.5. The target protein, survivin was retrieved from RCSB PDB. Lipinski's rule and ADMET toxicity profiling was carried out on marine compounds and the filtered compounds were further promoted for molecular docking analysis and interaction studies using AutoDock Tools 4.0. Molecular docking results revealed that analog (AP 4) of Aplysin, showed very promising inhibitory potential against survivin with a binding energy of -8.75 kcal/mol and Ki 388.28 nM as compared to its known inhibitor, Celecoxib having binding energy of -6.65 kcal/mol and Ki 13.43 μM. AP 4. The analog depicted similarity in pattern when compared to standard. The result proposes AP 4, is an effective molecule exhibiting prominent potential to inhibit survivin and thus promoting apoptosis in tumor cells.

Vitamin D Receptor ApaI (rs7975232) Polymorphism Confers Decreased Risk of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Overall and African Population, but not in Asians: Evidence from a Meta-analysis

GOALS

The involvement of the VDR ApaI gene polymorphism in the development of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) has been reported by numerous published studies and yielded inconsistent results. The present meta-analysis evaluated the association of VDR ApaI polymorphism and risk of PTB occurrence.

PROCEDURES

PubMed (Medline), EMBASE and Google Scholar web-databases were searched and a meta-analysis was performed by calculating the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

RESULTS

This meta-analysis included a total of 14 eligible studies comprising of 1958 confirmed PTB cases and 2938 controls. We observed decreased risk of PTB in allelic (a vs. A: p=0.003; OR=0.873, 95% CI=0.798 to 0.955), homozygous (aa vs. AA: p=0.006; OR=0.761, 95% CI=0.626 to 0.924), dominant (aa+Aa vs. AA: p=0.039; OR=0.874, 95% CI=0.769 to 0.993) and recessive (aa vs. AA+Aa: p=0.025; OR=0.819, 95% CI=0.688 to 0.975) genetic models. During subgroup analysis, allele (a vs. A: p=0.005; OR=0.846, 95% CI=0.753 to 0.951), homozygous (aa vs. AA: p=0.002; OR=0.662, 95% CI=0.513 to 0.854) and recessive genetic models (aa vs. AA+Aa: p=0.003; OR=0.709, 95% CI=0.566 to 0.889) demonstrated decreased PTB risk in African population. However, no significant association was observed in Asian population.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, VDR ApaI polymorphism is significantly associated with decreased risk of PTB for in overall and African population, but not in Asians.

Fullerenes May Cause eIF Mediated Perturbation in Translational Machinery: Evidence from in-silico Analysis

GOALS

Fullerenes have tremendous potential for human biological studies which may further lead to their therapeutic applications. Hence, it has become necessary to explore the possibility of their interference with various important cellular processes. The current study was designed to explore how the presence of fullerenes can affect the binding of DNA with different enzymes and factors involved in transcription and translation process.

METHODS

Various bioinformatics approaches and software programs were used to study the effect of fullerenes on the binding pattern of DNA with different enzymes and factors involved in transcription and translation process.

RESULTS

Fullerenes of different molecular weights were interacted with various transcription enzymes and factors and no significant effects were observed on transcription machinery. On the contrary, the factors involved in translation process when docked with their functional partners in the presence/absence of fullerenes display reduced activity of eIF2, eIF4A, eIF4H, eIF4G, eIF4B, eIF5B, and eEF1 with fullerenes of different molecular weights.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that these molecules mostly control the translation of a number of genes. The reduced expression of these factors may cause a number of clinical pathological conditions including neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases.

Pembrolizumab's non-cross resistance mechanism of action successfully overthrown ipilimumab

The incidences of melanomas are increasing by leaps and bounds across the globe despite early detection and intervention. The numbers of patients dying from metastatic melanoma have been continually increased over the past thirty years. It has been considered as one of the most therapy-resistant malignancies due to the cross-resistant mechanism developed by the metastatic cells. With time, many new therapies came and they failed miserably. Ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody that works to activate the immune system by targeting CTLA-4 proved to be a boon for advance melanoma very recently. But it could not stand firmly against the resistant metastatic skin cancer cells. Now, the new skin cancer drug named pembrolizumab proved as a new miraculous molecule. It's a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks a biological pathway called programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), which melanoma cells activate to suppress the immune system. This antibody has surpassed ipilimumab at all the stages of clinical trials because of its non-cross resistant mechanism to malignant cells. The present review critically analyses the reasons of efficacy success of pembrolizumab over ipilizumab shown at various stages of clinical trials.

Proteome mining for the identification and in-silico characterization of putative drug targets of multi-drug resistant Clostridium difficile strain 630

Clostridium difficile is an enteric pathogen that causes approximately 20% to 30% of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. In recent years, there has been a substantial rise in the rate of C. difficile infections as well as the emergence of virulent and antibiotic resistant C. difficile strains. So, there is an urgent need for the identification of therapeutic potential targets and development of new drugs for the treatment and prevention of C. difficile infections. In the current study, we used a hybrid approach by combining sequence similarity-based approach and protein-protein interaction network topology-based approach to identify and characterize the potential drug targets of C. difficile. A total of 155 putative drug targets of C. difficile were identified and the metabolic pathway analysis of these putative drug targets using DAVID revealed that 46 of them are involved in 9 metabolic pathways. In-silico characterization of these proteins identified seven proteins involved in pathogen-specific peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathway. Three promising targets viz. homoserine dehydrogenase, aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase and aspartokinase etc. were found to be involved in multiple enzymatic pathways of the pathogen. These 3 drug targets are of particular interest as they can be used for developing effective drugs against multi-drug resistant C. difficile strain 630 in the near future.

Genotoxicity assessment of pulp and paper mill effluent before and after bacterial degradation using Allium cepa test

A lignin peroxidases-producing Serratia liquefaciens was used for bioremediation of pulp and paper (P&P) mill effluent. The treatment led to reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD), colour, lignin and phenolic content by 84%, 72%, 61% and 95%, respectively. The effluent detoxification was studied by genotoxicity assays using Allium cepa L. (onion) root tip cells. Genotoxicity studies included measuring mitotic index (MI), chromosomal aberrations (CA) and nuclear abnormalities (NA) in root tip cells following treatment with 25, 50, 75 and 100% (v/v) of effluent. The root tip cells grown in untreated effluent showed a significant decrease in MI from 69% (control) to 32%, 27%, 22% and 11% at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% effluent concentration, respectively. This indicated that the untreated effluent was highly cytotoxic in nature. Further, root tip cells, when treated with different concentrations of effluent showed various CA and NA including c-mitosis, stickiness, chromosome loss, chromosome break, anaphase bridge, multipolar anaphase, vagrant chromosomes, micronucleated and binucleated cells. The MI observed in root tip cells grown in bacterial treated effluents at similar concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100% v/v) showed an increase of 33%, 36%, 42% and 66%. CA showed a substantial decrease and in some instances, complete absence of CA was also observed. The findings suggest that S. liquefaciens culture could be a potential bacterial culture for bioremediation of P&P mill effluent, as it is effective in substantial lowering of pollutants load as well as reduces the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of effluent.

In silico CD4+, CD8+ T-cell and B-cell immunity associated immunogenic epitope prediction and HLA distribution analysis of Zika virus

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus distributed all over Africa, South America and Asia. The infection with the virus may cause acute febrile sickness that clinically resembles dengue fever, yet there is no vaccine, no satisfactory treatment, and no means of evaluating the risk of the disease or prognosis in the infected people. In the present study, the efficacy of the host's immune response in reducing the risk of infectious diseases was taken into account to carry out immuno-informatics driven epitope screening strategy of vaccine candidates against ZIKV. In this study, HLA distribution analysis was done to ensure the coverage of the vast majority of the population. Systematic screening of effective dominant immunogens was done with the help of Immune Epitope & ABCPred databases. The outcomes suggested that the predicted epitopes may be protective immunogens with highly conserved sequences and bear potential to induce both protective neutralizing antibodies, T & B cell responses. A total of 25 CD4+ and 16 CD8+ peptides were screened for T-cell mediated immunity. The predicted epitope "TGLDFSDLYYLTMNNKHWLV" was selected as a highly immunogenic epitope for humoral immunity. These peptides were further screened as non-toxic, immunogenic and non-mutated residues of envelop viral protein. The predicted epitope could work as suitable candidate(s) for peptide based vaccine development. Further, experimental validation of these epitopes is warranted to ensure the potential of B- and T-cells stimulation for their efficient use as vaccine candidates, and as diagnostic agents against ZIKV.

ER chaperone GRP78 regulates autophagy by modulation of p53 localization

GRP78 (glucose regulated protein 78) is a major Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) chaperone that plays a pivotal role in normal ER functioning. Its increased expression also works as an indicator of ER stress. Its anti-apoptotic and pro-autophagic activity makes it an intriguing target to study the relationship between GRP78 and p53, which is also a major regulator of apoptosis and autophagy. Here, we studied the effect of Rotenone and Parathion on human lung cancer cells (A549 cell line) specifically with respect to ER stress and its association with different cell death pathways. In our study, we observed that both compounds increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, down regulate mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and affect DNA integrity. Our results indicate that Parathion causes ER stress, up regulates the expression of GRP78, leads to nuclear localization of p53 and induces autophagy while Rotenone down regulates GRP78, causes cytoplasmic localization of p53 and inhibits autophagy. Therefore, it may be concluded that GRP78 affects p53 localization which in turn regulates autophagy.