Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Is Inversely Associated with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Hospital-Based Matched Case-Control Study in Malaysia.

Serum 25(OH)D deficiency consistently demonstrated molecular mechanisms through which chronic inflammation is associated with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to determine the association between serum 25(OH)D and NPC. A matched case-control study was conducted at two local hospitals. A total of 300 histologically confirmed NPC cases were matched with controls for age, gender, and ethnicity, and assessed for vitamin D status and other nutritional factors. Mean Vitamin D concentration was significantly lower among cases compared to controls (63.17 ± 19.15 nmol/L and 67.34 ± 23.06 nmol/L) (t = -2.41, p = 0.016). Multiple conditional logistic regression analysis indicated that higher levels of serum 25(OH)D were associated with reduced odds of NPC (AOR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.57-0.94, p = 0.016) controlling for confounders including BMI, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, consumption of food high in vitamin D, salted fish consumption, and family history of NPC. There was a significant association between inadequate serum 25(OH)D status with accumulation of four risk factors and increased odds of getting NPC using polynomial regression analysis. Increased NPC odds ratios were observed after sequential accumulation of additional risk factors with the presence of inadequate serum 25(OH)D status (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.27, 4.77, p = 0.322, OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.64, 1.72, p = 0.267, OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.73, 1.80, p = 0.067, OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.13, 3.31, p = 0.022, and OR = 5.55, 95% CI = 1.67, 10.3, p < 0.001 respectively). Future research in Malaysia should involve both prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials to confirm and further clarify the role of vitamin D in NPC outcomes.

Advancement in Biopolymer Assisted Cancer Theranostics.

Applications of nanotechnology have increased the importance of research and nanocarriers, which have revolutionized the method of drug delivery to treat several diseases, including cancer, in the past few years. Cancer, one of the world's fatal diseases, has drawn scientists' attention for its multidrug resistance to various chemotherapeutic drugs. To minimize the side effects of chemotherapeutic agents on healthy cells and to develop technological advancement in drug delivery systems, scientists have developed an alternative approach to delivering chemotherapeutic drugs at the targeted site by integrating it inside the nanocarriers like synthetic polymers, nanotubes, micelles, dendrimers, magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots (QDs), lipid nanoparticles, nano-biopolymeric substances, etc., which has shown promising results in both preclinical and clinical trials of cancer management. Besides that, nanocarriers, especially biopolymeric nanoparticles, have received much attention from researchers due to their cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, treatment efficacy, and ability to target drug delivery by crossing the blood-brain barrier. This review emphasizes the fabrication processes, the therapeutic and theragnostic applications, and the importance of different biopolymeric nanocarriers in targeting cancer both in vitro and in vivo, which conclude with the challenges and opportunities of future exploration using biopolymeric nanocarriers in onco-therapy with improved availability and reduced toxicity.

A Review on Natural Antioxidants for Their Role in the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

The neurodegenerative condition known as Parkinson's disease (PD) is brought on by the depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia, which is the brain region that controls body movement. PD occurs due to many factors, from which one of the acknowledged effects of oxidative stress is pathogenic pathways that play a role in the development of Parkinson's disease. Antioxidants, including flavonoids, vitamins E and C, and polyphenolic substances, help to reduce the oxidative stress brought on by free radicals. Consequently, this lowers the risk of neurodegenerative disorders in the long term. Although there is currently no cure for neurodegenerative illnesses, these conditions can be controlled. The treatment of this disease lessens its symptoms, which helps to preserve the patient's quality of life. Therefore, the use of naturally occurring antioxidants, such as polyphenols, which may be obtained through food or nutritional supplements and have a variety of positive effects, has emerged as an appealing alternative management strategy. This article will examine the extent of knowledge about antioxidants in the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses, as well as future directions for research. Additionally, an evaluation of the value of antioxidants as neuroprotective agents will be provided.

Carbon Dots: Opportunities and Challenges in Cancer Therapy.

Recently, carbon dots (CDs) have been actively studied and reported for their various properties. In particular, the specific characteristics of carbon dots have been considered as a possible technique for cancer diagnosis and therapy. This is also a cutting-edge technology that offers fresh ideas for treating various disorders. Though carbon dots are still in their infancy and have not yet shown their value to society, their discovery has already resulted in some noteworthy advancements. The application of CDs indicates conversion in natural imaging. Photography using CDs has demonstrated extraordinary appropriateness in bio-imaging, the discovery of novel drugs, the delivery of targeted genes, bio-sensing, photodynamic therapy, and diagnosis. This review seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of CDs, including their benefits, characteristics, applications, and mode of action. In this overview, many CD design strategies will be highlighted. In addition, we will discuss numerous studies on cytotoxic testing to demonstrate the safety of CDs. The current study will address the production method, mechanism, ongoing research, and application of CDs in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Nanocapsules: An Emerging Drug Delivery System.

BACKGROUND: Controlled drug release and site-specific delivery of drugs make nanocapsules the most approbative drug delivery system for various kinds of drugs, bioactive, protein, and peptide compounds. Nanocapsules (NCs) are spherical shape microscopic shells consisting of a core (solid or liquid) in which the drug is positioned in a cavity enclosed by a distinctive polymeric membrane. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the present patent study is to elaborate on various formulation techniques and methods of nanocapsules (NCs). The review also spotlights various biomedical applications as well as on the patents of NCs to date. METHODS: The review was extracted from the searches performed using various search engines such as PubMed, Google Patents, Medline, Google Scholars, etc. In order to emphasize the importance of NCs, some published patents of NCs have also been reported in the review. RESULTS: NCs are tiny magical shells having incredible reproducibility. Various techniques can be used to formulate NCs. The pharmaceutical performance of the formulated NCs can be judged by evaluating their shape, size, entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, etc., using different analytical techniques. Their main applications are found in the field of agrochemicals, genetic manipulation, cosmetics, hygiene items, strategic distribution of drugs to tumors, nanocapsule bandages to combat infection, and radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: In the present review, our team made a deliberate effort to summarize the recent advances in the field of NCs and focus on new patents related to the implementation of NCs delivery systems in the area of some life-threatening disorders like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

Multifunctional Patented Nanotherapeutics for Cancer Intervention: 2010- Onwards.

Even today, cancer is one of the prominent leading causes of death worldwide. However, there are a couple of treatment options available for management, but the adverse effects are more prominent as compared to therapeutic effects. Therefore, there is a need to design some midway that may help to bypass the negative effects or lower their severity. Nanotechnology has addressed many issues, still many miles are needed to cover before reaching the center stage. The developed nanoformulations can target distant organs owing to their multifunctionality and targeting potential. Stimuli-responsive nanomedicine is one of the most exploited formulations. They can encapsulate and release the drugs for a higher period. However, they release a burst mechanism. The other nanoformulations contain dendrimers, micelles, and lipid-based nano-formulations that have been developed and evaluated for their efficacy in cancer treatment. This review paper highlights some significant patents granted/applied in various patent offices around the globe to treat cancer using the nanotechnology. The Google Patent, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Escapenet, and many others were used as the search engine for patent search, and data were collected and analyzed. They used these patented technologies for diagnostic and treatment options, enhancing the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) profile of therapeutic molecules.

Smartphone Addiction among Students and its Harmful Effects on Mental Health, Oxidative Stress, and Neurodegeneration towards Future Modulation of Anti-Addiction Therapies: A Comprehensive Survey based on SLR, Research Questions, and Network Visualization Techniques.

BACKGROUND: Addiction is always harmful to the human body. Smartphone addiction also affects students' mental and physical health. AIM: This study aims to determine the research volume conducted on students who are affected by smartphone addiction and design a database. We intended to highlight critical problems for future research. In addition, this paper enterprises a comprehensive and opinion-based image of smartphone-addicted students. METHODOLOGY: We used two types of methods, such as systematic literature review and research questions based on the Scopus database to complete this study. We found 27 research articles and 11885 subjects (mean ±SD: 440.19 ± 513.58) using the PRISMA technique in this study. Additionally, we have deeply investigated evidence to retrieve the current understanding of smartphone addiction from physical changes, mental changes, behavioural changes, impact on performance, and significant concepts. Furthermore, the effect of this addiction has been linked to cancers, oxidative stress, and neurodegenerative disorders. RESULTS: This work has also revealed the future direction and research gap on smartphone addiction among students and has also tried to provide goals for upcoming research to be accomplished more significantly and scientifically. CONCLUSION: This study suggests future analysis towards identifying novel molecules and pathways for the treatment and decreasing the severity of mobile addiction.

Fungal Mushrooms: A Natural Compound With Therapeutic Applications.

Fungi are extremely diverse in terms of morphology, ecology, metabolism, and phylogeny. Approximately, 130 medicinal activities like antitumor, immunomodulation, antioxidant, radical scavenging, cardioprotective and antiviral actions are assumed to be produced by the various varieties of medicinal mushrooms. The polysaccharides, present in mushrooms like ß-glucans, micronutrients, antioxidants like glycoproteins, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and ergosterols can help establish natural resistance against infections and toxins.. Clinical trials have been performed on mushrooms like Agaricus blazei Murrill Kyowa for their anticancer effect, A. blazei Murrill for its antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects, and some other mushrooms had also been evaluated for their neurological effects. The human evaluation dose studies had been also performed and the toxicity dose was evaluated from the literature for number of mushrooms. All the mushrooms were found to be safe at a dose of 2000 mg/kg but some with mild side effects. The safety and therapeutic effectiveness of the fungal mushrooms had shifted the interest of biotechnologists toward fungal nanobiotechnology as the drug delivery system due to the vast advantages of nanotechnology systems. In complement to the vital nutritional significance of medicinal mushrooms, numerous species have been identified as sources of bioactive chemicals. Moreover, there are unanswered queries regarding its safety, efficacy, critical issues that affect the future mushroom medicine development, that could jeopardize its usage in the twenty-first century.

Identification of Linomide Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Therapeutics using Molecular Docking Studies.

12 analogs bearing a structural similarity to Linomide, a bonafide anticancer agent were synthesized wherein cyclization of substituted dianilides rendered 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-ones that were subjected to a Mannich reaction to yield 4-hydroxy-3-(substituted-1-ylmethyl) quinolin-2(1H)-one analogs. Characterization was performed using IR, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and 13C NMR spectral analysis. Subsequently, in vitro anticancer studies revealed that Compound 4b showed maximum cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 1.539 µM/ml and 1.732 µM/ml against A549 and K562 cell lines respectively. This, however, is lower in comparison with standard Paclitaxel (IC50 values of 0.3 µM/ml for both cell lines). Surprisingly, docking studies at the active site of EGFRK revealed Compound 4b possessed a MolDock Score of -110.2253 that is highly comparable to the standard 4-anilinoquinazoline (MolDock Score of -112.04). Our computational and biological data thus provides an insight on the cytotoxicity of these derivatives and warrants future research that can possibly lead to the development of potent anticancer therapeutics.

Multifaceted Effects of Intermittent Fasting on the Treatment and Prevention of Diabetes, Cancer, Obesity or Other Chronic Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and diabetes are global epidemics resulting in a range of comorbidities. Both have been linked to an increased risk of hormonal imbalance, cancer, and other significant disorders, which are a concerning trend for cancer rates in the backdrop of rising obesity and diabetes rates worldwide. Around 1 in 10 persons in the United States and Canada have serious illnesses correlated to type 2 diabetes and early death. It is believed that the US economy alone spends $245 billion annually due to this health burden. Lifestyle modification with intermittent fasting protocol and proper diet helps lower blood glucose level, maintain the body mass index, and reduce inflammation, which is the main cause of all chronic diseases. METHODS: We searched case series and clinical trials on type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, thyroid, cardiovascular disease, or other inflammatory diseases in response to intermittent fasting in the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases. OBJECTIVE: In this review, we have focused on intermittent fasting-based approaches that are becoming more widely accepted for improving health and reducing unwanted effects in patients with type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, obesity, thyroid, and hormonal imbalance; it is also contemplated whether intermittent fasting can be considered as a non-medicinal therapeutic option for persons suffering from chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: Intermittent fasting successfully reversed diabetes, thyroid, and high blood pressure, elevated lipid levels, and maintained the body mass index; also, studies have shown that it has been instructed to be followed for the treatment and prevention of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Role of Phytonutrients in Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Perspective in Curing Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common type of cancer and an important contributor to female mortality. Several genes and epigenetic modifications are involved in the development and progression of BC. Research in phytochemistry, nutrigenomics, and nutrigenetics has provided strong evidence that certain phytonutrients are able to modulate gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Such phytonutrients may also be beneficial to prevent and treat BC. In this review, we will focus on the nutrigenomic effects of various phytochemicals including polyphenols, phytosterols, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other compounds from different sources. Overall, these phytonutrients are found to inhibit BC cell proliferation, differentiation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and induce apoptotic cell death by targeting various molecular pathways. They also alter epigenetic mechanisms and enhance the chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity of cancer cells. Such phytochemicals may be used for the effective management of BC patients in the clinical setting in the future. The present article aims to summarize the specific molecular pathways involved in the genetic effects of phytochemicals in BC.

Curcumin Nanoparticles as Promising Therapeutic Agents for Drug Targets.

Curcuma longa is very well-known medicinal plant not only in the Asian hemisphere but also known across the globe for its therapeutic and medicinal benefits. The active moiety of Curcuma longa is curcumin and has gained importance in various treatments of various disorders such as antibacterial, antiprotozoal, cancer, obesity, diabetics and wound healing applications. Several techniques had been exploited as reported by researchers for increasing the therapeutic potential and its pharmacological activity. Here, the dictum is the new room for the development of physicochemical, as well as biological, studies for the efficacy in target specificity. Here, we discussed nanoformulation techniques, which lend support to upgrade the characters to the curcumin such as enhancing bioavailability, increasing solubility, modifying metabolisms, and target specificity, prolonged circulation, enhanced permeation. Our manuscript tried to seek the attention of the researcher by framing some solutions of some existing troubleshoots of this bioactive component for enhanced applications and making the formulations feasible at an industrial production scale. This manuscript focuses on recent inventions as well, which can further be implemented at the community level.

Natural bioactive molecules: An alternative approach to the treatment and control of glioblastoma multiforme.

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most deadly malignant tumors, with more than 10,000 cases recorded annually in the United States. Various clinical analyses and studies show that certain chronic diseases, including cancer, interact between cell-reactive radicals rise and pathogenesis. Reactive oxygen and nitrogenous sources include endogenous (physiological processes), and exogenous sources contain reactive oxygen and nitrogen (xenobiotic interaction). The cellular oxidation/reduction shifts to oxidative stress when the regulation mechanisms of antioxidants are surpassed, and this raises the ability to damage cellular lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. OBJECTIVE: This review is focused on how phytochemicals play crucial role against glioblastoma multiforme and to combat these, bioactive molecules and their derivatives are either used alone, in combination with anticancer drugs or as nanomedicine formulations for better cancer theranostics over the conventional approach. CONCLUSION: Bioactive molecules found in seeds, vegetables, and fruits have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties that may help cancer survivors feel better throughout chemotherapy or treatment. However, incorporating them into the nanocarrier-based drug delivery for the treatment of GBMs, which could be a promising therapeutic strategy for this tumor entity, increasing targeting effectiveness, increasing bioavailability, and reducing side effects with this target-specificity, drug internalization into cells is significantly improved, and off-target organ aggregation is reduced.

Methotrexate-Loaded Gelatin and Polyvinyl Alcohol (Gel/PVA) Hydrogel as a pH-Sensitive Matrix.

The aim was to formulate and evaluate Gel/PVA hydrogels as a pH-sensitive matrix to deliver methotrexate (MTX) to colon. The primed Gel/PVA hydrogels were subjected to evaluation for swelling behavior, diffusion coefficient, sol-gel characteristic and porosity using an acidic (pH 1.2) and phosphate buffer (PBS) (pH 6.8 & pH 7.4) media. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed to evaluate the chemical compatibility of the Gel/PVA hydrogel. The shape alteration and release of Gel/PVA hydrogel was conducted at pH 1.2, pH 6.8 and pH 7.4. The drug release kinetic mechanism was determined using various kinetic equations. The physicochemical evaluation tests and drug release profile results were found to be significant (p < 0.01). However, it was dependent on the polymers' concentration, the pH of the release media and the amount of the cross-linking agent. Hydrogels containing the maximum amount of gel showed a dynamic equilibrium of 10.09 ± 0.18 and drug release of 93.75 ± 0.13% at pH 1.2. The kinetic models showed the release of MTX from the Gel/PVA hydrogel was non-Fickian. The results confirmed that the newly formed Gel/PVA hydrogels are potential drug delivery systems for a controlled delivery of MTX to the colon.

Effect of natural leaf extracts as phytomedicine in curing geriatrics.

Old age is viewed as an unavoidable, undesirable, and problem-ridden phase of life. As people age, they become more susceptible to disease and disability due to various factors like low immunity, decreased functionality of cells, DNA damage, higher incidence of inflammation, etc. Healthy aging is very important. The nutrition and health of the elderly is often neglected. Nutritional interventions could play an important part in the prevention of degenerative conditions of the elderly and an improvement of their quality of life. The medicinal properties of plants are always believed for its therapeutic effect and its efficiency in treating many without adverse effects. The role of phytomedicine in aging is very crucial as it possesses important bioactive compounds and constituents (such as polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and others) which are considered to provide anti-aging properties as well as helps in reducing age-associated problems. Some natural leaves such as Moringa oleifera, curry leaves, guava leaves, green tea, olive leaves, Ginkgo biloba, thankuni leaves, grape leaves, vasaka leaves, and kulekhara leaves are found to have therapeutic effects against diseases like cancer, diabetes, immunosuppression, hepatic damage, and neurodegenerative disorders. Hence, this review aims at understanding the effectiveness of these natural products in curing the geriatric population and the mechanism by which the therapeutic effects are exerted by them.

A Review on Natural Sources Derived Protein Nanoparticles as Anticancer Agents.

Cancer notably carcinoma represents a prominent health challenge worldwide. A variety of chemotherapeutic agents are being used to deal with a variety of carcinomas. However, these delivering agents not only enter the targeted site but also affect normal tissues yielding poor therapeutic outcomes. Chemotherapeutic-associated problems are being attributed to drug non-specificity resulting from poor drug delivery systems. These problems are now being solved using nanomedicine, which entails using nanoparticles as drug delivery systems or nanocarriers. This nanoparticle-based drug delivery system enhances clinical outcomes by enabling targeted delivery, improving drug internalization, enhanced permeability, easy biodistribution, prolonged circulation and enhanced permeability rate, thereby improving the therapeutic effectiveness of several anticancer agents. Natural Protein-based Nanoparticles (PNPs) such as ferritin, lipoprotein, and lectins from natural sources have gained extensive importance at a scientific community level as nanovehicle for effective drug delivery and photo acoustic labeling replacing several synthetic nanocarriers that have shown limited therapeutic outcomes. The bioavailability of PNP, the chance of genetic engineering techniques to modify their biological properties made them one of the important raw material sources for drug delivery research. This current review highlighted different chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of some carcinomas. It also focused on the wide variety of natural protein sources derived nanoparticles (NPs) as anticancer delivery of agents for cancer therapy.

Resveratrol and Neuroprotection: Impact and Its Therapeutic Potential in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive cortex and hippocampal neurodegenerative disease which ultimately causes cognitively impaired decline in patients. The AD pathogen is a very complex process, including aggregation of Aß (ß-amyloid peptides), phosphorylation of tau-proteins, and chronic inflammation. Exactly, resveratrol, a polyphenol present in red wine, and many plants are indicated to show the neuroprotective effect on mechanisms mostly above. Resveratrol plays an important role in promotion of non-amyloidogenic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein. It also enhances the clearance of amyloid beta-peptides and reduces the damage of neurons. Most experimental research on AD and resveratrol has been performed in many species, both in vitro and in vivo, during the last few years. Nevertheless, resveratrol's effects are restricted by its bioavailability in the reservoir. Therefore, scientists have tried to improve its efficiency by using different methods. This review focuses on recent work done on the cell and animal cultures and also focuses on the neuroprotective molecular mechanisms of resveratrol. It also discusses about the therapeutic potential onto the treatment of AD.

Atypical CML with massive splenic infarct: an extremely rare presentation.

We report a case of a 47-year-old man who presented with hepatosplenomegaly, anaemia and massive splenic infarct. A series of investigations led us to a diagnosis of atypical chronic myeloid leucaemia, a rare variety of a mixed myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm. This is the first case of atypical CML presenting with massive splenic infarction.