Carbon Nanomaterials: Emerging Roles in Immuno-Oncology

Cancer immunotherapy has made breakthrough progress in cancer treatment. However, only a subset of patients benefits from immunotherapy. Given their unique structure, composition, and interactions with the immune system, carbon nanomaterials have recently attracted tremendous interest in their roles as modulators of antitumor immunity. Here, we focused on the latest advances in the immunological effects of carbon nanomaterials. We also reviewed the current preclinical applications of these materials in cancer therapy. Finally, we discussed the challenges to be overcome before the full potential of carbon nanomaterials can be utilized in cancer therapies to ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Blood Donation Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Azad Kashmir

Objective

To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate medical students of Poonch Medical College about blood donation.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was done using a 27-item, validated, interviewer-administered questionnaire involving undergraduate medical students from March to October 2018. Informed consent and ethical clearance were secured.

Results

A total of 318 undergraduate medical students (response rate of 63.6%) was included in this study. Most respondents knew the difference between whole blood and blood components (294; 92.5%) and they also believed that spreading knowledge of blood donation among the health workers is a necessity (306; 96.2%). There was a statistically significant correlation between knowledge and attitude (p .021). Overall knowledge was higher among the female students (p = .019).

Conclusion

The study revealed an overall good level of knowledge and attitude among medical students. However, there are still areas of improvement such as blood donation and vaccination-related knowledge. The study also identified important facilitators and barriers to blood donation.

Assessment and incidence of fish associated bacterial pathogens at hatcheries of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

Fish is the most indispensable source of proteins for individuals and have high nutritional value. On the other hand, the fish culturing raised issues of fish health due to close contact between the aquatic environment and the fish pathogens. So, the aim of the current study was to identify the bacterial pathogens and screen the injured Rainbow trout rearing in different trout hatcheries run under fisheries department of the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Seven bacterial pathogens such as Shigella flexneri, Enterobacter amnigenus, Salmonella Typhimurium, Serratia odorifera, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Bacillus cereus were isolated and identified. Results revealed that the injury of fish specimens was due to overcrowding. Instead of rainbow coloration, specimens have darker black in color. The water of ponds was not clean and clear and such conditions was because of the greater quantity of feed thrown in the water. It was concluded that poor hygienic water condition and overloading allowed the opportunistic bacterial contaminations to succeed which cause a serious threat to hatcheries.

Major Congenital Malformations of Gastrointestinal Tract Among Neonates Presenting to Tertiary Care

Background: Major congenital malformations of gastrointestinal tract (CMGIT), are usually manifested in early neonatal period by signs of intestinal obstruction and may be life threatening. A broad spectrum of Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) anomalies can be seen including both upper and lower GIT. As compared to other congenital anomalies, GIT anomalies are not well studied and till now very few studies have reported prevalence and pattern of GIT malformations. Objective: To determine different type of common gastrointestinal anomalies among neonates presenting at tertiary care hospital. Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study was done at National Institute of Child Health (NICH) Karachi over period of 6 months, from 1-8-17 to 31-1-18. All neonates presenting to emergency department and got hospitalized with CMGIT were enrolled. Results: There were 35 neonates enrolled with CMGIT. Out of these 16(45.7%) were male and 19(54.3%) were females. Mean age 9.4+3.82 (range 1-20) days. Mean weight was 2.5±0.98 (range 0.5-4.5) kg. Mean duration of symptoms was 5.8+1.72 (range 1-9) days. Among the CMGIT, 12 (34.3%) cases were of Anorectal malformation, persistent Vitelline duct was found in 6 (17.1%), Intestinal atresia in 4(11.4%), Intestinal stenosis in 5(14.3%), Hirshsprung disease in 4(11.4%) and Exomphalos in 4 (11.4%). Conclusion: Anorectal malformations were most common anomaly followed by persistent vitelline duct. Antenatal follow up and anomaly scan of all neonates should be done. Keywords: Gastrointestinal anomaly, Neonates, congenital anomaly.

Determination of the Impact of Nutrition Specialist-Led Treatments on Paediatric Weight Management Objectives Such as BMI, BMI Z Score, and Waist Circumference

Aim: The information that comes from nutrition experts to multicomponent pediatric weight maintenance intervention groups hasn't been assessed despite the fact that they are regarded as essential team members. This methodical study's objective was to determine the relative efficacy of interventions on pediatric weight maintenance results, such as body mass index, BMI z score, in addition waist circumference, for procedure teams that contain a nutrition specialist in comparison to procedure workgroups that do not contain the nutrition specialist. Methods: The outcomes of an extensive literature seek as well as a structured and more directed keep updating of that search were incorporated into the concept. These searches should include a search of controlled studies that had been accepted for publication among October 2020 and September 2022, which was carried out as part of the 2020 Nephrology Weight Management Notification Scheme of Institute of Education of Nutrition in addition Dietetics Possible to figure Library, as well as a notification of randomized trials that had been authored among October 2020 and September 2022 with only a concentrate based on a more selected demographic. In studies, participants ranged in age from 7 to 19 and were either overweight or obese. They were undergoing outpatient therapy for weight control. The extraction of data from each of the studies that were found was carried out utilizing a standardized tool. The information that was uncovered as a consequence of search and methodical update was combined. In all, 99 publications and 219 diverse research arms were taken into consideration for this research. An exploratory concept was undertaken utilizing alternate meta-analytic approaches that were developed for complex and heterogeneous treatments. The goal of this meta-analysis has been to assess the relative benefits made by each intervention source type at specified time points. In order to determine whether or not each provider category had substantial deviations from the reference group, the meta-regression analysis was carried out. Results: All across the course of the study, the categorization that consisted of neither nutrition specialists nor behavioralists led to smaller decreases in BMI z score when particularly in comparison to the nutrient consultant situation, the combined nutrition consultant and treat specific classification, and the categorization that consisted of neither nutrition specialists nor behavioralists. According to the results of a research study, the variation in BMI z score here among nutrition specialist-only classification and benchmark classification has been statically important at four different time points: between four and seven months, among eight and 1.5 years, and between one and two years (P140.02, P140.06, and P140.02, including both). This result is significant at the 4 to 7 months and 1-year to 2-years’ time periods (P140.002 and P140.06, correspondingly) for the nutrition specialist-only service set, where there were lower rises in BMI over time compared with the original categories. At no moment did we find any statistically significant variations in the body composition across the different provider groups. Conclusion: Indirect data suggested that the involvement of a nutrition expert in the provision of treatment led to improved results in pediatric weight managing in terms of BMI z score and BMI at chosen time periods. Keywords: Body Mass Index (BMI), Nutrition Specialist, multicomponent pediatric weight maintenance intervention groups.

Multiple Comprehensive Analyses Identify Lysine Demethylase KDM as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a challenging and heterogeneous disease with a high mortality rate. Despite advancements in treatment, the prognosis for PC patients remains poor, with a high chance of disease recurrence. Biomarkers are crucial for diagnosing cancer, predicting patient prognosis and selecting treatments. However, the current lack of effective biomarkers for PC could contribute to the insufficiency of existing treatments. These findings underscore the urgent need to develop novel strategies to fight this disease. This study utilized multiple comprehensive bioinformatic analyses to identify potential therapeutic target genes in PC, focusing on histone lysine demethylases (KDMs). We found that high expression levels of KDM family genes, particularly KDM1A, KDM5A and KDM5B, were associated with improved overall survival in the cohort. Furthermore, the infiltration of various immune cells, including B cells, neutrophils, CD8+ T cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages, was positively correlated with KDM1A, KDM5A, and KDM5B expression. Moreover, MetaCore pathway analysis revealed interesting connections between KDM1A and the cell cycle and proliferation, between KDM5A and DNA damage and double-strand break repair through homologous recombination, and between KDM5B and WNT/β-catenin signaling. These findings suggest that KDM1A, KDM5A and KDM5B may serve as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for PC, a disease of high importance due to its aggressive nature and urgent need for novel biomarkers to improve diagnosis and treatment.

What nature has to offer: Opportunities for immuno-oncology

Recent rapid development of cancer therapy has come about with the paradigm shift from the traditional goal of targeting cancer cells themselves, to reprograming the immune tumor microenvironment. Accumulating evidence shows that compounds that target epigenetic regulation, called epidrugs, play a crucial role in mediating the immunogenicity of cancer cells and in reshaping antitumor immunity. A large body of literature has recognized natural compounds as epigenetic modulators for their immunomodulatory effects and anticancer potential. Unifying our understanding of the role of these biologically active compounds in immuno-oncology may open new avenues for more effective cancer therapies. In this review, we explore how natural compounds modulate the epigenetic machinery to shape antitumor immune response, highlighting the promise offered by the Mother Nature that could be exploited therapeutically to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

Dissimilar Perspectives and Facts about Procedure of Amenorrhea between Fledgling Ladies

Objective: This investigation work aimed to find out the awareness and numerous perspectives towards the procedure of mensuration between ladies of fledgling age. Methodology: This descriptive investigation work carried out in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore and its remote areas from December 2017 to November 2018. The selection of the 500 ladies carried out from remote areas of hospital and students of this institute with the help of non-probability sampling method. Ladies present with the abnormalities in amenorrhea procedure or suffering from other gynecological problems were excluded from this investigation work. All the selected ladies were in their menstruating age regardless of their marriage and education stage. SPSS V. 22 was in use for the arithmetical exploration of the collected information. We recorded all the information of a well-organized Performa. Results: Out of total five hundred participants, 84.5% (n: 415) ladies stated that this procedure is beneficial for health; however, 18.5% (n: 85) felt that this incident was not healthy. Out of total five hundred ladies, 88.65% (n: 438) ladies regarded the procedure of amenorrhea as normal procedure, while 13.45% (n: 62) ladies thought this as God’s curse. Conclusion: Health education of the ladies particularly living in the rural areas is much necessary. Health education will prepare the ladies emotionally to face this procedure of amenorrhea with less adverse reactions. Faulty perception, un-acfactsment and unsecure practices about the procedure of amenorrhea are very common between ladies of fledgling age. Keywords: Arithmetical, exploration, unsecure, Sampling, amenorrhea, Performa, abnormalities.

Assessment of Post Stroke Dementia in a Sizable, Well-Defined Stroke Cohort

Introduction: In a sizable, clearly delineated stroke cohort, researchers aimed to investigate the clinical causes of post stroke dementia. Dementia after a stroke occurs frequently, and dementia danger after stroke is elevated. We still don't fully understand the stroke-related lifestyle factors for dementia. The purpose of our current research remained to discover pathological conditions that separate demented from no demented people in the great well-distinct stroke cohort Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 349 of 498 successive diagnosed patients with a diagnosis aged 58 to 87 years who underwent a thorough neurophysiological testing battery and MRI three months after the onset of the condition. The DSM-III dementia description remained applied. This battery included structured medical, neurological, also laboratory assessments; medical mental position examinations; undercover agent interviews; a comprehensive background of lifestyle factors. Results: When mixed Alzheimer's illness and vascular dementia were excluded, frequency of post-stroke dementia was 32.9 percent (112/349), stroke-related dementia was 29.5 percent (92/349), and dementia following a first stroke was 29.8 percent (82/279). Dysphasia ([OR], 6.7), main dominant stroke disorder (OR, 6.1), past of previous cerebrovascular illness (OR, 3.1), and low educational level were correlates of dementia in logistic regression investigation (OR, 2.2). The order of correlates persisted identical once researchers eliminated individuals having vascular disease and Alzheimer's illness or individuals having recurring stroke. When patients through dysphasia were excluded, main leading disorder (OR, 5.7) and a low level of education emerged as the strongly correlated (OR, 2.2). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the single clarification for post stroke dementia remains insufficient, but that the danger is instead influenced by a number of variables, such as injury features, host characteristics, and prior cerebrovascular disease. Keywords: Dementia, stroke, medical Causes.

Targeting ARID1A-Deficient Cancers: An Immune-Metabolic Perspective

Epigenetic remodeling and metabolic reprogramming, two well-known cancer hallmarks, are highly intertwined. In addition to their abilities to confer cancer cell growth advantage, these alterations play a critical role in dynamically shaping the tumor microenvironment and antitumor immunity. Recent studies point toward the interplay between epigenetic regulation and metabolic rewiring as a potentially targetable Achilles' heel in cancer. In this review, we explore the key metabolic mechanisms that underpin the immunomodulatory role of AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A), the most frequently mutated epigenetic regulator across human cancers. We will summarize the recent advances in targeting ARID1A-deficient cancers by harnessing immune-metabolic vulnerability elicited by ARID1A deficiency to stimulate antitumor immune response, and ultimately, to improve patient outcome.

Exploring the anticancer activities of novel bioactive compounds derived from endophytic fungi: mechanisms of action, current challenges and future perspectives

Cancer is the second leading cause of death all around the world. The natural compounds derived from the endophytic flora of fungi are possible solutions to cancer treatment because they are safe for health, cost-effective, biocompatible and have fewer toxicity issues. The active ingredients in endophytic fungi that are responsible for anti-cancer activities are alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides, saponin, peptides, steroids, phenols, quinones, and flavonoids. This review highlights the anti-cancer activities of entophytic fungus against human papillary thyroid carcinoma (IHH4), human pancreatic (PANC-1), ovarian (OVCAR-3), hepatic (HepG2), lung (A-549), human lymphoma (U937), human skin carcinoma (A431), breast (MCF-7), and Kaposi's sarcoma. The emerging evidence suggested that bioactive compounds isolated from endophytic fungi showed their anti-cancer activities by revealing the disturbance of the microtubule network caused by increased levels of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins that triggers cell cycle arrest at the G2-M phase, by inhibiting the DNA replication via binding with topoisomerase II, by regulating the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and NF-kB, by evaluating the levels of p21, p27, and cyclins B/D1/E that led to cell death by apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. This review will assist readers in better comprehending bioactive chemicals and the beneficial interaction between the fungal endophytes and medicinal plants.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anticancer properties of triptolide and its derived carbonized nanomaterials

The COVID-19 pandemic remains an ongoing global health threat, yet effective treatments are still lacking. This has led to a high demand for complementary/alternative medicine, such as Chinese herbal medicines for curbing the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the dual anticancer and antiviral activities of many herbal drugs, they may hold a multifaceted potential to tackle both cancer and SARS-CoV-2. Triptolide is the major bioactive compound isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF), a traditional Chinese medicinal herb recognized for its beneficial pharmacological properties in many diseases, including cancer and viral infection. However, its application in the clinic has been greatly limited due to its toxicity and poor water solubility. Here, from a screen of a natural compound library of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, we identified triptolide as a top candidate to inhibit cell entry of SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrated that triptolide robustly blocked viral entry at nanomolar concentrations in cellular models, with broad range activity against emerging Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2. Mechanistically, triptolide disrupted the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with its receptor ACE2. Furthermore, we synthesized water-soluble, triptolide-derived carbon quantum dots. Compared to triptolide, these highly biocompatible nanomaterials exhibited prominent antiviral capabilities against Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 with less cytotoxicity. Finally, we showed that triptolide-derived carbonized materials excelled in their anticancer properties compared to triptolide and Minnelide, a water-soluble analog of triptolide. Together, our results provide a rationale for the potential development of triptolide-carbonized derivatives as a promising antiviral candidate for the current pandemic and future outbreaks, as well as anticancer agents.