Exploring the role of cathepsin in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease which is marked by leukocytes infiltration inside synovial tissue, joints and also inside synovial fluid which causes progressive destruction of joint cartilage. There are numerous genetical and lifestyle factors, responsible for rheumatoid arthritis. One such factor can be cysteine cathepsins, which act as proteolytic enzymes. These proteolytic enzyme gets activated at acidic pH and are found in lysosomes and are also termed as cysteine proteases. These proteases belong to papain family and have their elucidated role in musculoskeletal disorders. Numerous cathepsins have their targeted role in rheumatoid arthritis. These proteases are secreted through various cell types which includes matrix metalloproteases and papain like cysteine proteases. These proteases can potentially lead to bone and cartilage destruction which causes an immune response in case of inflammatory arthritis.

Stem cells and growth factors-based delivery approaches for chronic wound repair and regeneration: A promise to heal from within.

The sophisticated chain of cellular and molecular episodes during wound healing includes cell migration, cell proliferation, deposition of extracellular matrix, and remodelling and are onerous to replicate. Encapsulation of growth factors (GFs) and Stem cell-based (SCs) has been proclaimed to accelerate healing by transforming every phase associated with wound healing to enhance skin regeneration. Therapeutic application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) provides aid in wound fixing, tissue integrity restoration and function of impaired tissue. Several scientific studies have established the essential role GFs in wound healing and their reduced degree in the chronic wound. The overall limitation includes half-life, unfriendly microhabitat abundant with protease, and inadequate delivery approaches results in decreased delivery of effective amounts in a suitable time-based fashion. Advancements in the area of reformative medicine as well as tissue engineering have offered techniques competent of dispensing SCs and GFs in site-oriented manner. The progress in nanotechnology-based approaches attracts researcher to study and evaluate the potential of this SCs and GFs based therapy in chronic wounds. These techniques embrace the polymeric regime viz., nano-formulations, hydrogels, liposomes, scaffolds, nanofibers, metallic nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles and dendrimers that have established better retort through targeting tissues when GFs and SCs are transported via these humans made devices. Assumed the current problems, improvements in delivery approaches and difficulties offered by chronic wounds, we hope to show that encapsulation of SCs and GFs loaded nanoformulations therapies is the rational next step in improving wound care.

Exploring the multifocal therapeutic approaches in COVID-19: A ray of hope.

The ongoing global pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is marked as one of the most challenging infectious diseases in the history of mankind with affliction of ~29,737,453 confirmed cases globally. Looking at the present scenario where there is a parallel increment in curve with time, there is an utmost emergency to discover a perennial solution to this life-threatening virus which has led the Human race in an unusual state of affair. The entire health care fraternity is engaged in endeavouring an ultimate way out to hit this pandemic but no such research made till now has been approved yet, to have the potential to bring an end to this fatal situation. Although a few possible treatment choices exist at the moment yet the requirement to search for a still better therapeutic option remains persistent. Global laboratories are working day and night in search for an effective vaccine, many are undergoing clinical trials but their commercialization is no less than a year away. The present review highlights the current potential therapies viz., vaccines, immunotherapies, convulsant plasma therapies, corticosteroids, antithrombotic, intravenous immunoglobulins, nocturnal oxygen therapy etc. that may prove beneficial in attenuating the pandemic situation. However, comparison and presentation of collective data on the therapeutic advancements in mitigating the pandemic situation needs further clinical investigations in order to prove boon to mankind.

Role of Nrf2 in rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis comprises the roots of 19th century and is an autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorder leading to progressive joint destruction. This erosive joint damage is linked with infiltration of leukocytes along with inflammatory destruction and blood cell formation within the synovial membrane, deprivation of cartilage and bone that leads to incapacitative pain. The changes in synovium include its proliferation that leads to pannus formation and this ultimately leads to the invasion and erosions causing the destruction of joints. It is also defined as the destructive or chronic disease with a longer time duration that takes articular consideration as a feature. OBJECTIVE: The factors that can lead to RA includes inflammatory cascades, increased levels of (TNF-α) tumor necrosis factor α, IL-1b and IL-17 (interleukins) along with reduced levels of Nrf2 factors (nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2). Nrf2 binds effectively to antioxidant response elements (ARE) that mainly encodes majority of the phase II antioxidant enzymes as well as stress receptive proteins including glutathione S-transferase (GSH), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), peroxiredoxin I, all these act by cellular defense mechanism and removes the cytotoxic electrophiles along with the ROS that is reactive oxygen species. Nrf2 also responds to the inflammatory stimulus and protect the tissues from the inflammatory tissues.

Inulin as a Delivery Vehicle for Targeting Colon-Specific Cancer.

Natural polysaccharides, as well as biopolymers, are now days widely developed for targeting colon cancer using various drug delivery systems. Currently, healing conformations are being explored that can efficiently play a multipurpose role. Owing to the capability of extravagance colonic diseases with the least adverse effects, biopolymers for site specific colon delivery have developed an increased curiosity over the past decades. Inulin (INU) was explored for its probable application as an entrapment material concerning its degradation by enzymes in the colonic microflora and its drug release behavior in a sustained and controlled manner. INU is a polysaccharide and it consists of 2 to 1 linkage having an extensive array of beneficial uses such as a carrier for delivery of therapeutic agents as an indicative/investigative utensil or as a dietary fiber with added well-being aids. In the main, limited research, as well as information, is available on the delivery of therapeutic agents using inulin specifically for colon cancer because of its capability to subsist in the stomach's acidic medium. This exceptional steadiness and robustness properties are exploited in numerous patterns to target drugs securely for the management of colonic cancer, where they effectively act and kills colonic tumor cells easily. In this review article, recent efforts and inulin-based nano-technological approaches for colon cancer targeting are presented and discussed.