Clinical insights into nanomedicine and biosafety: advanced therapeutic approaches for common urological cancers.

Urological cancers including those of the prostate, bladder, and kidney, are prevalent and often lethal malignancies besides other less common ones like testicular and penile cancers. Current treatments have major limitations like side effects, recurrence, resistance, high costs, and poor quality of life. Nanotechnology offers promising solutions through enhanced diagnostic accuracy, targeted drug delivery, controlled release, and multimodal imaging. This review reflects clinical challenges and nanomedical advances across major urological cancers. In prostate cancer, nanoparticles improve delineation and radiosensitization in radiation therapy, enable fluorescent guidance in surgery, and enhance chemotherapy penetration in metastatic disease. Nanoparticles also overcome bladder permeability barriers to increase the residence time of intravesical therapy and chemotherapy agents. In renal cancer, nanocarriers potentiate tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy while gene vectors and zinc oxide nanoparticles demonstrate antiproliferative effects. Across modalities, urological applications of nanomedicine include polymeric, liposomal, and metal nanoparticles for targeted therapy, prodrug delivery, photodynamic therapy, and thermal ablation. Biosafety assessments reveal favorable profiles but clinical translation remains limited, necessitating further trials. In conclusion, nanotechnology holds significant potential for earlier detection, precise intervention, and tailored treatment of urological malignancies, warranting expanded research to transform patient outcomes.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells: A powerful fighter against colon cancer?

Colon cancer (CC) stands as one of the most common malignancies related to the gastrointestinal system, whose increasing incidence and death rates have been reported all over the world. Standard treatments for fighting cancers like CC comprise surgical approaches, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, which are suggested by clinicians according to patients' conditions and disease stages. However, patients who utilize these modalities may suffer from serious side effects and adverse outcomes, for example, toxicity and tumor recurrence, as well as a low 5-year survival rate. The present shreds of evidence showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can have a suitable capacity for treating different health problems, especially neoplasms. These multipotent stem cells can be isolated from several sources, such as the umbilical cord, bone marrow, adipose tissue, and placenta. Among these mesenchymal sources, umbilical cord-MSCs have gathered much attention in scientific societies due to their advantages (e.g., low immunogenicity, lack of ethical problems, and easy collection). These days, the efficacy of umbilical cord-MSCs and umbilical cord-MSCs-based strategies, such as conditioned medium, extracellular vesicles, and exosomes, on CC have been explored, and promising findings have been stated. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to summarize and debate evidence regarding the effects of UC-MSCs and their related products on CC with a focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in its treatment and pathogenesis of this malignant tumor.

MicroRNAs and angiosarcoma: are there promising reports?

In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have garnered increasing attention for their potential implications in cancer pathogenesis, functioning either as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Notably, angiosarcoma, along with various other cardiovascular tumors such as lipomas, rhabdomyomas, hemangiomas, and myxomas, has shown variations in the expression of specific miRNA subtypes. A substantial body of evidence underscores the pivotal involvement of miRNAs in the genesis of angiosarcoma and certain cardiovascular tumors. This review aims to delve into the current literature on miRNAs and their prospective applications in cardiovascular malignancies, with a specific focus on angiosarcoma. It comprehensively covers diagnostic methods, prognostic evaluations, and potential treatments while providing a recapitulation of angiosarcoma's risk factors and molecular pathogenesis, with an emphasis on the role of miRNAs. These insights can serve as the groundwork for designing randomized control trials, ultimately facilitating the translation of these findings into clinical applications. Moving forward, it is imperative for studies to thoroughly scrutinize the advantages and disadvantages of miRNAs compared to current diagnostic and prognostic approaches in angiosarcoma and other cardiovascular tumors. Closing these knowledge gaps will be crucial for harnessing the full potential of miRNAs in the realm of angiosarcoma and cardiovascular tumor research.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and lung cancer: We should be hopeful or hopeless?

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-caused death that possesses a poor prognosis and low survival rate worldwide. In general, LC is classified into small-cell (SCLC) and non-small-cell carcinoma (NSCLC) (involving 80% of patients). Although chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and molecular-targeted therapy are considered standard approaches for LC treatment, these options have low success with detrimental effects on the life quality of patients. Ergo, recommending treatment with maximum effectiveness and minimum side effects for LC patients has been a substantial challenge for researchers and clinicians in the present era. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based strategies have sparked much interest in preventing or treating numerous illnesses. These multipotent stem cells can be isolated from diverse sources, such as umbilical cord, bone marrow, and adipose tissue. Among these sources, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) have been in the spotlight of MSCs-based therapies thanks to their considerable advantages, such as high proliferation ability, low immune reactions and tumorigenesis, and easiness in collection and isolation. Some experimental studies have investigated the functionality of intact UC-MSCs and extracellular vesicles, exosomes, and conditioned medium derived from UC-MSCs, as well as genetically engineered UC-MSCs. In this review, we aimed to highlight the influences of these UMSCs-based methods in LC treatment with cellular and molecular insights.

Tanshinone IIA Against Cerebral Ischemic Stroke and Ischemia- Reperfusion Injury: A Review of the Current Documents.

Stroke is a well-known neurological disorder that carries significant morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Cerebral Ischemic Stroke (CIS), the most common subtype of stroke, occurs when thrombosis or emboli form elsewhere in the body and travel to the brain, leading to reduced blood perfusion. Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury (CIRI) is a common complication of CIS and arises when blood flow is rapidly restored to the brain tissue after a period of ischemia. The therapeutic approaches currently recognized for CIS, such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy, have notable side effects that limit their clinical application. Recently, there has been growing interest among researchers in exploring the potential of herbal agents for treating various disorders and malignancies. One such herbal agent with medicinal applications is tanshinone IIA, an active diterpene quinone extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Tanshinone IIA has shown several pharmacological benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and neuroprotective properties. Multiple studies have indicated the protective role of tanshinone IIA in CIS and CIRI. This literature review aims to summarize the current findings regarding the molecular mechanisms through which this herbal compound improves CIS and CIRI.

Noncoding RNAs and programmed cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma: Significant role of epigenetic modifications in prognosis, chemoresistance, and tumor recurrence rate.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer with a high death rate in the world. The molecular mechanisms related to the pathogenesis of HCC have not been precisely defined so far. Hence, this review aimed to address the potential cross-talk between noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and programmed cell death in HCC. All related papers in the English language up to June 2023 were collected and screened. The searched keywords in scientific databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar, were HCC, ncRNAs, Epigenetic, Programmed cell death, Autophagy, Apoptosis, Ferroptosis, Chemoresistance, Tumor recurrence, Prognosis, and Prediction. According to the reports, ncRNAs, comprising long ncRNAs, microRNAs, circular RNAs, and small nucleolar RNAs can affect cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis, as well as cell death-related processes, such as autophagy, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and apoptosis in HCC by regulating cancer-associated genes and signaling pathways, for example, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase/MAPK, and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathways. It seems that ncRNAs, as epigenetic regulators, can be utilized as biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis, survival and recurrence rates prediction, chemoresistance, and evaluation of therapeutic response in HCC patients. However, more scientific evidence is suggested to be accomplished to confirm these results.

Does crocin create new hope for the treatment of oral problems? A focus on periodontitis.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) reports, oral health has an indispensable role in the maintenance of human public health. However, oral problems, especially periodontitis, are known as bad players in this issue. Periodontitis, as the most prevalent oral disease, is a type of chronic illness mediated by bacterial pathogens and immune system reactions, which is linked with the destruction of tooth-protecting tissues, such as alveolar bone and periodontal ligament. Periodontitis has a high prevalence (over 40% in the United States) and can be associated with other systemic ailments, for instance, arthritis, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, cancer, respiratory diseases, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer's disease. The common treatments for periodontitis are classified into invasive (surgical) and noninvasive (antibiotic therapy, scaling, and root planning) methods; however, these therapies have not reflected enough effectiveness for related patients. New documents inform the beneficial effects of plant-based compounds in healing various disorders, like periodontitis. In conjunction with this subject, it has been revealed that crocin, as an active component of saffron, regulates the balance between osteoclasts and osteoblasts and has a stroking role in the accumulation of the most common collagen in teeth and bone (type 1 collagen). Besides, this carotenoid compound possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects, which can be associated with the therapeutic processes of crocin in this oral disease. Hence, this narrative review study was performed to reflect the reparative/regenerative aspects of crocin agonist periodontitis.

Mesenchymal stem cells and ovarian cancer: Is there promising news?

Ovarian cancer (OC) is described as a heterogeneous complex condition with high mortality, weak prognosis, and late-stage presentation. OC has several subgroups based on different indices, like the origin and histopathology. The current treatments against OC include surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy; however, these methods have represented diverse side effects without enough effectiveness on OC. Recently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy has acquired particular attention for treating diverse problems, such as cancer. These multipotent stem cells can be obtained from different sources, such as the umbilical cord, adipose tissues, bone marrow, and placenta, and their efficacy has been investigated against OC. Hence, in this narrative review, we aimed to review and discuss the present studies about the effects of various sources of MSCs on OC with a special focus on involved mechanisms.

Breast cancer prediction using different machine learning methods applying multi factors.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) is a multifactorial disease and is one of the most common cancers globally. This study aimed to compare different machine learning (ML) techniques to develop a comprehensive breast cancer risk prediction model based on features of various factors. METHODS: The population sample contained 810 records (115 cancer patients and 695 healthy individuals). 45 attributes out of 85 were selected based on the opinion of experts. These selected attributes are in genetic, biochemical, biomarker, gender, demographic and pathological factors. 13 Machine learning models were trained with proposed attributes and coefficient of attributes and internal relationships were calculated. RESULT: Compared to other methods random forest (RF) has higher performance (accuracy 99.26%, precision 99%, and area under the curve (AUC) 99%). The results of assessing the impact and correlation of variables using the RF method based on PCA indicated that pathology, biomarker, biochemistry, gene, and demographic factors with a coefficient of 0.35, 0.23, 0.15, 0.14, and 0.13 respectively, affected the risk of BC (r2 = 0.54). CONCLUSION: Breast cancer has several risk factors. Medical experts use these risk factors for early diagnosis. Therefore, identifying related risk factors and their effect can increase the accuracy of diagnosis. Considering the broad features for predicting breast cancer leads to the development of a comprehensive prediction model. In this study, using RF technique a breast cancer prediction model with 99.3% accuracy was developed based on multifactorial features.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells: Heralding an effective treatment against esophageal cancer?

Esophageal cancer (EC), as one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality, influences a remarkable population of subjects globally and is histologically divided into two types, comprising esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Although several therapeutic approaches are present for EC, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery, these options have low success with serious side effects, for example, gastrointestinal toxicity, esophagitis, and pulmonary complications. Thus, utilizing an effective tool with low side effects is urgent. Newly, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have received special interest for treating diverse diseases, such as cancer. Among different sources of MSCs, human umbilical cord MSCs have notable benefits, and reports expressed that they may be effective in EC treatment. For this purpose, in this review study, we aimed to summarize evidence regarding the effects of human umbilical cord MSCs on EC with a mechanistic insight.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and breast cancer: a good therapeutic candidate or not? A minireview.

Breast cancer (BC), as the most common cancer among women, affects a great number of subjects around the world. This heterogenic disease is divided into several types and subtypes, and each subtype has various phenotypes and genotypes. Against BC, several options have been proposed, such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapeutic agents. However, these approaches may have detrimental effects on health and life quality of patients. Hence, harnessing a therapeutic tool with high effectiveness and low side effects is required. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have created a new window to treat various disorders, like cancer, and among these, umbilical cord (UC)-derived MSCs have acquired much interest due to their advantages. Therefore, in this narrative review, the influences of UC-derived MSCs on BC were reviewed and summarized with a focus on the molecular mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis and treatment.

Quercetin and Osteoarthritis: A Mechanistic Review on the Present Documents.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA), as one of the chronic debilitating conditions, affects 15% of people globally and is linked with serious problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and autoimmune inflammatory disorders. The current therapeutic options for this disease include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, surgery, gene therapy, intrasynovial gel injection, and warm needle penetration. However, these approaches may be accompanied by considerable side effects, high costs, and some limitations for patients. Thus, using an alternative way is needed. SUMMARY: Presently, natural compounds based-therapies, like flavonoids, have acquired much attention in the current era. One of the compounds belonging to the flavonoid family is quercetin, and its therapeutic effects on disorders related to joints and cartilage have been addressed in vivo and in vitro studies. KEY MESSAGES: In this review, we summarized evidence indicating its curative capacity against OA with a mechanistic insight.

Can mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue and their conditioned medium improve ovarian functions? A mini-review.

Stable ovarian function is a key factor in the performance of the reproductive system. In contrast, some ovarian function-related diseases, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, premature ovarian failure (POF), and ovarian cancer, are the main cause of infertility and death of women around the world. Despite multiple attempts, there are no effective tools against these conditions; however, mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy, especially using adipose tissue, has attracted much attention in medicine in light of its advantages such as easy isolation and accessibility. Conversely, it has been suggested that MSC-conditioned medium (CM) can restore injured tissues and has high immunocompatibility. So, here, we will summarize the effects of administration of MSCs and CM derived from adipose tissue on ovarian functions and related diseases.

The Therapeutic Potential of Common Herbal and Nano-Based Herbal Formulations against Ovarian Cancer: New Insight into the Current Evidence.

Ovarian cancer (OCa) is characterized as one of the common reasons for cancer-associated death in women globally. This gynecological disorder is chiefly named the "silent killer" due to lacking an association between disease manifestations in the early stages and OCa. Because of the disease recurrence and resistance to common therapies, discovering an effective therapeutic way against the disease is a challenge. According to documents, some popular herbal formulations, such as curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol, can serve as an anti-cancer agent through different mechanisms. However, these herbal products may be accompanied by some pharmacological limitations, such as poor bioavailability, instability, and weak water solubility. On the contrary, using nano-based material, e.g., nanoparticles (NPs), micelles, liposomes, can significantly solve these limitations. Therefore, in the present study, we will summarize the anti-cancer aspects of these herbal and-nano-based herbal formulations with a focus on their mechanisms against OCa.

The expression levels of MicroRNA-146a, RANKL and OPG after non-surgical periodontal treatment.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNA-146a (miR-146a) is a regulator of inflammatory response. Periodontitis is a disease with immune pathophysiology of the periodontium in which the inflammation results in the destruction of the soft tissues and alveolar bone. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the expressions of miR-146a, OPG, and RANKL in diseased and healthy periodontal tissues to understand whether miR-146a expression level may associate with OPG and RANKL mRNA levels and OPG/RANKL ratio after non-surgical periodontal treatment. METHODS: The levels of miR-146a, RANKL, and OPG in gingival tissues from patients with generalized periodontitis stages II and III and grades A and B (n = 15, group A), patients with generalized periodontitis stages III and IV and grade C (n = 15, group B), and healthy individuals (n = 10) were determined by real-time PCR. The associations of miR-146a expression with OPG and RANKL levels were evaluated. RESULTS: The levels of miR-146a in two subgroups within periodontitis patients were significantly higher than healthy subjects (P < 0.0001). MiR-146a showed the increased level in group A of patients compared with group B (P < 0.05). Clinical parameters such as probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were significantly higher in patients than control group (P < 0.05). The levels of OPG and RANKL were increased in patients compared with healthy subjects, although the elevated levels were not statistically significant. MiR-146a was not associated with OPG and RANKL levels and OPG/RANKL ratio. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study failed to show the associations of miR-146a level with OPG and RANKL levels and OPG/RANKL ratio in periodontitis after non-surgical periodontal treatment.

T lymphocytes and preeclampsia: The potential role of T-cell subsets and related MicroRNAs in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Innate and adaptive immune systems have a crucial role in initiating and progressing some pregnancy disorders such as preeclampsia (PE), which is one of the pregnancy-specific disorders that could result in neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. The dysregulation of the spiral artery and inadequate trophoblast invasion lead to PE symptoms through producing various inflammatory cytokines and anti-angiogenic factors from the placenta. T lymphocytes play a special role in the epithelium and stroma of the human endometrium. CD4+ T helper (Th) cells, Th1/Th2, and Th17/T regulatory (Treg) balance mainly contribute to the establishment of a pregnancy-favorable environment. This review examined the dysregulation of some cytokines produced from T cells, the dysregulation of the transcription factors of Th cells, the expression of chemokine receptors on T cells, as well as the effects of some factors including vitamin D on the activity of T cells, and finally, the dysregulation of various miRNAs related to T cells, which could cause PE.

Programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1) gene haplotypes and susceptibility of patients to basal cell carcinoma.

Programmed death-1 (PD-1), as an immunoinhibitory receptor encoded by programmed cell death-1 (PDCD1) gene, has a pivotal role in tolerance to self-antigens. Mutations of PDCD1 may participate in susceptibility to basal cell carcinoma (BCC) as the most common of skin cancer. We studied the impacts of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within PDCD1 and their haplotypes in BCC susceptibility in an Iranian population. The blood samples were collected from 210 BCC and 220 healthy individuals. After the extraction of genomic DNA, the genotypes and alleles of PD1.1 G/A (rs36084323) and PD1.6 G/A (rs10204525) SNPs were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Four haplotypes were estimated by these SNPs. Our data revealed that genotype and allele frequencies of PD1.1 and PD1.6 polymorphisms in BCC patients were similar to those in healthy individuals. The results of estimated haplotypes for PDCD1 indicated that GG and AA haplotypes of PDCD1 had protective effects on BCC susceptibility (OR = 0.7, 95% CI = 0.51-0.96, p = 0.03 and OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.35-0.91, p = 0.02, respectively), while GA and AG haplotypes served as the risk factors for developing BCC (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.09-2.84, p = 0.02 and OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.95-7.69, p = <0.001, respectively). Based on these findings, frequency distributions of PDCD1 haplotypes have important roles in the determination of BCC development in the Iranian population. However, larger multicenter studies are required to confirm this conclusion.

Selective immunoglobulin M deficiency in a patient with celiac disease and recurrent pneumonia.

SIgMD is a rare immune disorder that occurs in a primary or secondary condition. Patients with recurrent infectious, cancers, and autoimmune disorders should be investigated to determine SIgMD.

Exosomal microRNAs derived from mesenchymal stem cells: cell-to-cell messages.

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles characterized by their size, source, release mechanism and contents. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single stranded non-coding RNAs transcribed from DNA. Exosomes and miRNAs are widespread in eukaryotic cells, especially in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs are used for tissue regeneration, and also exert paracrine, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. However, the use of MSCs is controversial, especially in the presence or after the remission of a tumor, due to their secretion of growth factors and their migration ability. Instead of intact MSCs, MSC-derived compartments or substances could be used as practical tools for diagnosis, follow up, management and monitoring of diseases. Herein, we discuss some aspects of exosomal miRNAs derived from MSCs in the progression, diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Video Abstract.