CRaTER enrichment for on-target gene editing enables generation of variant libraries in hiPSCs.

Standard transgenic cell line generation requires screening 100-1000s of colonies to isolate correctly edited cells. We describe CRISPRa On-Target Editing Retrieval (CRaTER) which enriches for cells with on-target knock-in of a cDNA-fluorescent reporter transgene by transient activation of the targeted locus followed by flow sorting to recover edited cells. We show CRaTER recovers rare cells with heterozygous, biallelic-editing of the transcriptionally-inactive MYH7 locus in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), enriching on average 25-fold compared to standard antibiotic selection. We leveraged CRaTER to enrich for heterozygous knock-in of a library of variants in MYH7, a gene in which missense mutations cause cardiomyopathies, and recovered hiPSCs with 113 different variants. We differentiated these hiPSCs to cardiomyocytes and show MHC-ß fusion proteins can localize as expected. Additionally, single-cell contractility analyses revealed cardiomyocytes with a pathogenic, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-associated MYH7 variant exhibit salient HCM physiology relative to isogenic controls. Thus, CRaTER substantially reduces screening required for isolation of gene-edited cells, enabling generation of functional transgenic cell lines at unprecedented scale.

Combination Therapy of Clinically Approved Antifungal Drugs Is Enhanced by Conjugation with Silver Nanoparticles.

Silver nanoparticles (SN) have been recently developed as a new class of antimicrobial agents against numerous pathogenic microorganisms. SN have also been used as efficient drug delivery systems and have been linked with increasing drug potency. Here, we demonstrated the enhanced antifungal efficacy of nystatin (NYT) and fluconazole (FLU) after conjugation with SN. The antifungal bioactivity of NYT- and FLU-coated SN was evaluated against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC 16404 by the agar tube dilution method. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the antifungal efficacy of NYT and FLU with their SN and, finally, the combination of both nanoparticles as NYT-SN + FLU-SN against pathogenic fungi. The results indicated that all test samples showed a dose-dependent response against tested fungi. SN significantly enhanced the antifungal effects of NYT and FLU as compared to drugs alone. We observed a remarkable increase in the percent inhibition of both fungi (90-100%) when treated with a combination of both nanoparticles NYT-SN + FLU-SN at 200 µg/mL only. Furthermore, the morphological modifications occurred at the surface of fungal species were also analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). While tested against primary human cell line, all SN showed negligible cytotoxicity. Hence, these results suggest that the combination of SN with NYT and FLU may have clinical implications in the treatment of fungal infections. However, in vivo studies are needed before recommending the use of these nanoparticles safely in clinical situations.

Silver nanoparticle conjugation affects antiacanthamoebic activities of amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole.

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, killing more than 15 million people worldwide. This is despite our advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. Nanoparticles offer a promising technology to enhance drug efficacy and formation of effective vehicles for drug delivery. Here, we conjugated amphotericin B, nystatin (macrocyclic polyenes), and fluconazole (azole) with silver nanoparticles. Silver-conjugated drugs were synthesized successfully and characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Conjugated and unconjugated drugs were tested against Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype using amoebicidal assay and host cell cytotoxicity assay. Viability assays revealed that silver nanoparticles conjugated with amphotericin B (Amp-AgNPs) and nystatin (Nys-AgNPs) exhibited significant antiamoebic properties compared with drugs alone or AgNPs alone (P < 0.05) as determined by Trypan blue exclusion assay. In contrast, conjugation of fluconazole with AgNPs had limited effect on its antiamoebic properties. Notably, AgNP-coated drugs inhibited amoebae-mediated host cell cytotoxicity as determined by measuring lactate dehydrogenase release. Overall, here we present the development of a new formulation of more effective antiamoebic agents based on AgNPs coated with drugs that hold promise for future applications.

Multiplexed Functional Assessments of MYH7 Variants in Human Cardiomyocytes.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic autosomal-dominant missense variants in MYH7 (myosin heavy chain 7), which encodes the sarcomeric protein (ß-MHC [beta myosin heavy chain]) expressed in cardiac and skeletal myocytes, are a leading cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and are clinically actionable. However, ≈75% of MYH7 missense variants are of unknown significance. While human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be differentiated into cardiomyocytes to enable the interrogation of MYH7 variant effect in a disease-relevant context, deep mutational scanning has not been executed using diploid hiPSC derivates due to low hiPSC gene-editing efficiency. Moreover, multiplexable phenotypes enabling deep mutational scanning of MYH7 variant hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes are unknown. METHODS: To overcome these obstacles, we used CRISPRa On-Target Editing Retrieval enrichment to generate an hiPSC library containing 113 MYH7 codon variants suitable for deep mutational scanning. We first established that ß-MHC protein loss occurs in a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy human heart with a pathogenic MYH7 variant. We then differentiated the MYH7 missense variant hiPSC library to cardiomyocytes for multiplexed assessment of ß-MHC variant abundance by massively parallel sequencing and hiPSC-derived cardiomyocyte survival. RESULTS: Both the multiplexed assessment of ß-MHC abundance and hiPSC-derived cardiomyocyte survival accurately segregated all known pathogenic variants from synonymous variants. Functional data were generated for 4 variants of unknown significance and 58 additional MYH7 missense variants not yet detected in patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study leveraged hiPSC differentiation into disease-relevant cardiomyocytes to enable multiplexed assessments of MYH7 missense variants for the first time. Phenotyping strategies used here enable the application of deep mutational scanning to clinically actionable genes, which should reduce the burden of variants of unknown significance on patients and clinicians.

Biofabrication of silver nanoparticles using Spirulina platensis: In vitro anti-coagulant, thrombolytic and catalytic dye degradation activity.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an emerging field due to it's biosafety and promising results. Biological systems due to their biodiversity are employed in different production processes. In this study Spirulina platensis mediated silver nanoparticles (S-AgNPs) production was done. The Uv spectra, FTIR and SEM analysis was performed for the characterization of biosynthesized S-AgNPs. The biocompatibility evaluation of S-AgNPs was done through hemolysis analysis. S-AgNPs were also evaluated for anticoagulant and thrombolytic potential. In addition to the medical applications of S-AgNPs, silver nanoparticles have been known to show potential industrial applications among which one application is the utilization of silver nanoparticles in the degradation of toxic industrial dyes. Therefore, degradation assay of Eosin Y and Methylene Blue dyes was estimated. The SEM analysis of S-AgNPs showed the particle size of 50-65 nm, whereas the biocompatibility analysis showed that these S-AgNPs are biocompatible at ≤400 µM concentration. The S-AgNPs showed good anticoagulant potential and thrombolytic potential and were able to degrade 44% of the thrombus. The S-AgNPs significantly degraded 76% of Eosin Y within 30 min, whereas Methylene Blue was 80% degraded within 20 min (P-value ≤ .001). To the best of our knowledge, the dye degradation of Eosin Y, thrombolytic activity and anticoagulant activity of S-AgNPs produced from the biomass of Spirulina platensis has been reported for the first time. In the current study, we conclude that our biosynthesized S-AgNPs showed promising medical and industrial applications and these nanoparticles can be further evaluated and upscaled for large scale applications.

Hematological Findings among COVID-19 Patients Attending King Khalid Hospital at Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

COVID-19 is a global pandemic viral infection that has affected millions worldwide. Limited data is available on the effect of COVID-19 on hematological parameters in Saudi Arabia. This study is aimed at examining the role of hematological parameters among COVID-19 patients admitted to King Khalid Hospital in Najran, Saudi Arabia. This is a retrospective, hospital-based study of 514 cases who were recruited during August to October 2020. 257 COVID-19 patients formed the study group, and a further 257 negative subjects formed the control group. Anemia was significantly elevated in positive subjects over controls (respectively, 64.2% and 35.8%), with patients 2.5 times more likely to be anemic (p < 0.01). Thrombocytopenia was higher in patients over controls (respectively, 62% and 38%), with patients ~1.7 times more likely to be thrombocytopenic (p < 0.01). Moreover, leukopenia was significantly higher in patients over controls (respectively, 71% and 29%), with positive subjects ~2.6 times more likely to be leukopenic. Our study results indicate that mild anemia associated with leukopenia may have diagnostic value for COVID-19. Careful assessment of hematological parameters, at baseline and throughout the disease path, will assist physicians in formulating personalized approaches to treatment and promptly offer intensive care to those in greater need.

Wernicke's Encephalopathy Associated With Transient Gestational Hyperthyroidism and Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a potentially reversible yet severe neurological manifestation caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. It is commonly associated with heavy alcohol consumption. Other rare causes include severe and prolonged vomiting, starvation, and prolonged intravenous feeding. WE patients usually present with the triad of ocular signs, ataxia, and confusion. In non-alcoholic patients, the full classic triad develops in 10-16% of cases. Characteristic MRI findings and clinical response to thiamine confirm the diagnosis. In this report, we present a case of WE in the setting of transient gestational hyperthyroidism and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

Rutin and rutin-conjugated gold nanoparticles ameliorate collagen-induced arthritis in rats through inhibition of NF-κB and iNOS activation.

Numerous studies have suggested that nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) are important mediators of inflammatory response in human and animal models of arthritis. Besides, oxidative stress markers, nitric oxide (NO) and peroxide (PO) are also major contributors in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Over expression of these inflammatory mediators leads to the extracellular matrix degradation, and excessive cartilage and bone resorption, ultimately leading to the irreversible damage to joints. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-arthritic mechanism of bioflavonoids, rutin and rutin-conjugated gold nanoparticles (R-AuNPs) by determining their role in the modulation of NF-κB and iNOS expression in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model of rats. Arthritis was induced by the subcutaneous administration of bovine type II collagen. Treatment was started with rutin, indomethacin + rutin (I + R) and R-AuNPs on the day of CIA induction. The severity of arthritis was determined by measuring the arthritic score on alternate days until mean arthritic score of 4 was observed. The NO and PO levels were also analyzed in serum samples. NF-κB and iNOS expression levels were determined in spleen tissue samples by real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Marked reduction in the arthritic score as well as in the NO and PO levels was observed in the treated groups. A significant downregulation in the NF-κB and iNOS expression levels was also observed in the treatment groups compared to the arthritic control group. Collectively, the findings suggest potential clinical role of rutin and R-AuNPs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Silver Nanoparticle Conjugation-Enhanced Antibacterial Efficacy of Clinically Approved Drugs Cephradine and Vildagliptin.

This paper sets out to determine whether silver nanoparticles conjugation enhance the antibacterial efficacy of clinically approved drugs. Silver conjugated Cephradine and Vildagliptin were synthesized and thoroughly characterized by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic methods, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. Using antibacterial assays, the effects of drugs alone and drugs-conjugated with silver nanoparticles were tested against a variety of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria including neuropathogenic Escherichia coli K1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Cytopathogenicity assays were performed to determine whether pretreatment of bacteria with drugs inhibit bacterial-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. The UV-vis spectra of both silver-drug nanoconjugates showed a characteristic surface plasmon resonance band in the range of 400⁻450 nm. AFM further confirmed the morphology of nanoparticles and revealed the formation of spherical nanoparticles with size distribution of 30⁻80 nm. FT-IR analysis demonstrated the involvement of Hydroxyl groups in both drugs in the stabilization of silver nanoparticles. Antibacterial assays showed that silver nanoparticle conjugation enhanced antibacterial potential of both Cephradine and Vildagliptin compared to the drugs alone. Pretreatment of bacteria with drugs inhibited E. coli K1-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. In summary, conjugation with silver nanoparticle enhanced antibacterial effects of clinically approved Cephradine. These findings suggest that modifying and/or repurposing clinically approved drugs using nanotechnology is a feasible approach in our search for effective antibacterial molecules.

Size selectivity in antibiofilm activity of 3-(diphenylphosphino)propanoic acid coated gold nanomaterials against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans.

Biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria is one of the major threats in hospital related infections, hence inhibiting and eradicating biofilms has become a primary target for developing new anti-infection approaches. The present study was aimed to develop novel antibiofilm agents against two Gram-positive bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300) and Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) using gold nanomaterials conjugated with 3-(diphenylphosphino)propionic acid (Au-LPa). Gold nanomaterials with different sizes as 2-3 nm small and 9-90 nm (50 nm average size) large were stabilized by LPa via different chemical synthetic strategies. The nanomaterials were fully characterized using atomic force microscope (AFM), transmission electron microscope, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. Antibiofilm activity of Au-LPa nanomaterials was tested using LPa alone, Au-LPa and unprotected gold nanomaterials against the both biofilm-producing bacteria. The results showed that LPa alone did not inhibit biofilm formation to a significant extent below 0.025 mM, while conjugation with gold nanomaterials displayed manifold enhanced antibiofilm potential against both strains. Moreover, it was also observed that the antibiofilm potency of the Au-LPa nanomaterials varies with size variations of nanomaterials. AFM analysis of biofilms further complemented the assay results and provided morphological aspects of the antibiofilm action of Au-LPa nanomaterials.

Synthesis, characterization and Cu(2+) triggered selective fluorescence quenching of Bis-calix[4]arene tetra-triazole macrocycle.

A novel fluorescent bis-calix[4]arene macrocycle 9 incorporating metal-binding pockets was successfully prepared. The structure of macrocycle 9 and its precursors were characterized via EI-MS, MALDI-TOF-MS, ESI-MS, (1)H NMR, (13)CNMR, 2D NMR, and X-ray crystallography. The macrocycle 9 displayed selective fluorescence quenching after interacting with Cu(2+) in the presence competing metal cations including Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Ba(2+), Ag(+), Zn(2+), Ti(4+),Cd(2+), Hg(2+), Pb(2+), In(3+), La(3+), Cr(3+), Ni(2+), Sb(3+), V(5+), Fe(3+), Co(2+), Sn(2+), Sn(2+), and Tl(+). The Cu(2+) limit of detection was found to be 40 nM much lower than its threshold level (∼ 20 µM) in drinking water permitted by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Furthermore, drinking water samples from Karachi University (Pakistan) spiked with Cu(2+) were analysed with the sensing system and the results showed an excellent agreement with the fluorescence quenching phenomenon of macrocycle 9 examined in deionized water. Importantly, the chemosensor 9 could be used to detect Cu(2+) in living cells.

Combination Therapy of Clinically Approved Antifungal Drugs Is Enhanced by Conjugation with Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (SN) have been recently developed as a new class of antimicrobial agents against numerous pathogenic microorganisms. SN have also been used as efficient drug delivery systems and have been linked with increasing drug potency. Here, we demonstrated the enhanced antifungal efficacy of nystatin (NYT) and fluconazole (FLU) after conjugation with SN. The antifungal bioactivity of NYT- and FLU-coated SN was evaluated against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 and Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC 16404 by the agar tube dilution method. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the antifungal efficacy of NYT and FLU with their SN and, finally, the combination of both nanoparticles as NYT-SN + FLU-SN against pathogenic fungi. The results indicated that all test samples showed a dose-dependent response against tested fungi. SN significantly enhanced the antifungal effects of NYT and FLU as compared to drugs alone. We observed a remarkable increase in the percent inhibition of both fungi (90-100%) when treated with a combination of both nanoparticles NYT-SN + FLU-SN at 200 μg/mL only. Furthermore, the morphological modifications occurred at the surface of fungal species were also analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). While tested against primary human cell line, all SN showed negligible cytotoxicity. Hence, these results suggest that the combination of SN with NYT and FLU may have clinical implications in the treatment of fungal infections. However, in vivo studies are needed before recommending the use of these nanoparticles safely in clinical situations

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