NOTCH Signaling Pathway: Occurrence, Mechanism, and NOTCH-Directed Therapy for the Management of Cancer.

It is now well understood that many signaling pathways are vital in carrying out and controlling essential pro-survival and pro-growth cellular functions. The NOTCH signaling pathway, a highly conserved evolutionary signaling pathway, has been thoroughly studied since the discovery of NOTCH phenotypes about 100 years ago in Drosophila melanogaster. Abnormal NOTCH signaling has been linked to the pathophysiology of several diseases, notably cancer. In tumorigenesis, NOTCH plays the role of a "double-edged sword," that is, it may act as an oncogene or as a tumor suppressor gene depending on the nature of the context. However, its involvement in several cancers and inhibition of the same provides targeted therapy for the management of cancer. The use of gamma (γ)-secretase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment involved NOTCH receptors inhibition, leading to the possibility of a targeted approach for cancer treatment. Likewise, several natural compounds, including curcumin, resveratrol, diallyl sulfide, and genistein, also play a dynamic role in the management of cancer by inhibition of NOTCH receptors. This review outlines the functions and structure of NOTCH receptors and their associated ligands with the mechanism of the signaling pathway. In addition, it also emphasizes the role of NOTCH-targeted nanomedicine in various cancer treatment strategies.

A Mini-review on Recent Strategies and Applications of Nanomedicines to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance.

One of the key factors contributing to mortality and morbidity globally is infectious ailments. According to recent statistics from WHO, amplified antimicrobial resistance occurrence among bacteria signifies the utmost threat to global public health. Bacteria have developed various strategies to resist antimicrobials, including enzymatic inactivation of antibiotics, drug efflux, modifications of the antibiotic molecule or chemical alteration of the antibiotic, limited drug uptake, etc. Furthermore, the inefficiency of antimicrobial drugs against resistant bacteria due to low solubility, instability, and associated side effects augments challenges to combat these resistant pathogens. This has attracted the attention of researchers to create nano-delivery and targeting techniques. This review presents an overview of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), its various subtypes, as well as mechanisms involved in AMR. This review also describes current strategies and applications of various nanocarriers, including nanoparticles, liposomes, lipid-based nanoparticles, micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles.

Validation of a Novel Supercritical Fluid Extractor/Dryer Combo Instrument.

The current pharmaceutical manufacturing scenario involves different techniques for the processing of materials. For example, the extraction unit is one of the essential aspects of plant-based pharmaceuticals. Recently, various kinds of extraction techniques have been used for analytical and preparative scales; among them, a supercritical fluid extractor (SCFE) is the most widely used technique for extraction. It is used for an extensive range of crude drugs and can be possible with the help of SCFE by varying temperature/pressure. Notably, it uses carbon dioxide (CO2) for extraction instead of other solvents. Simultaneously, lyophilization is an important technique used at different processing steps along with other methods. In lyophilization, CO2 is used as a cooling agent in the shelves of lyophilized equipment. It behaves as a supercritical fluid at critical pressure (Pc) of 72.7 atm and critical temperature (Tc) of 31°C. Considering the criteria mentioned earlier, there is a possibility that liquid CO2 or supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) can be used as a cooling agent in a lyophilizer and extraction solvent in SCFE. This review presents a brief outline for the possible validation parameters of the proposed novel processor; that is, SCFE/Dryer combo instrument containing Design Qualification, Installation Qualification, Operational Qualification, and Performance Qualification.