Synthesized arsenic nanoparticles and their high potential in biomedical applications: A review.

Arsenic with the scientific name AS is an element that exists everywhere. It is the fourth among the abundant elements in water, the twelfth in the human body, and the twentieth in the earth's crust. This element exists in sulfide, carbonate, and elemental forms. Different names of arsenic are known as white arsenic (As2O3), yellow arsenic (As2S3), and red arsenic (As4S4). Nowadays, due to its unique properties, arsenic has received much attention from researchers for use in the synthesis of arsenic nanoparticles. According to various studies, arsenic nanoparticles are synthesized by various methods, including biological, physical, and chemical, and it has been shown that the synthetic method used is very important because it has a significant effect on their shape, size, and biological function. Arsenic nanoparticles are among the nanoparticles that have attracted the attention of researchers due to their particle potential as well as their anticancer, antitumor, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial applications. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate arsenic nanoparticles biosynthesized by different physical, biological, and chemical methods and their biomedical applications.

Biosynthesis of ZnO, Bi2O3 and ZnO-Bi2O3 bimetallic nanoparticles and their cytotoxic and antibacterial effects.

This work introduces an easy method for producing Bi2O3, ZnO, ZnO-Bi2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) by Biebersteinia Multifida extract. Our products have been characterized through the outcomes which recorded with using powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), Raman, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) techniques. The finding of SEM presented porous structure and spherical morphology for Bi2O3 and ZnO NPs, respectively. While FE-SEM image of bimetallic nanoparticles showed both porous and spherical morphologies for them; so that spherical particles of ZnO have sat on the porous structure of Bi2O3 NPs. According to the PXRD results, the crystallite sizes of Bi2O3, ZnO and ZnO-Bi2O3 NPs have been obtained 57.69, 21.93, and 43.42 nm, respectively. Antibacterial performance of NPs has been studied on Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, to distinguish the minimum microbial inhibitory concentration (MIC). Antimicrobial outcomes have showed a better effect for ZnO-Bi2O3 NPs. Besides, wondering about the cytotoxic action against cancer cell lines, the MTT results have verified the intense cytotoxic function versus breast cancer cells (MCF-7). According to these observations, obtained products can prosper medical and biological applications.

Engineered phage enzymes against drug-resistant pathogens: a review on advances and applications.

In recent decades, the expansion of multi and extensively drug-resistant (MDR and XDR) bacteria has reached an alarming rate, causing serious health concerns. Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria have been associated with morbidity and mortality, making tackling bacterial resistance an urgent and unmet challenge that needs to be addressed properly. Endolysins are phage-encoded enzymes that can specifically degrade the bacterial cell wall and lead to bacterial death. There is remarkable evidence that corroborates the unique ability of endolysins to rapidly digest the peptidoglycan particular bonds externally without the assistance of phage. Thus, their modulation in therapeutic approaches has opened new options for therapeutic applications in the fight against bacterial infections in the human and veterinary sectors, as well as within the agricultural and biotechnology areas. The use of genetically engineered phage enzymes (EPE) promises to generate endolysin variants with unique properties for prophylactic and therapeutic applications. These approaches have gained momentum to accelerate basic as well as translational phage research and the potential development of therapeutics in the near future. This review will focus on the novel knowledge into EPE and demonstrate that EPE has far better performance than natural endolysins and phages in dealing with antibiotic-resistant infections. Therefore, it provides essential information for clinical trials involving EPE.

The therapeutic effect of engineered phage, derived protein and enzymes against superbug bacteria.

Defending against antibiotic-resistant infections is similar to fighting a war with limited ammunition. As the new century unfolded, antibiotic resistance became a significant concern. In spite of the fact that phage treatment has been used as an effective means of fighting infections for more than a century, researchers have had to overcome many challenges of superbug bacteria by manipulating phages and producing engineered enzymes. New enzymes and phages with enhanced properties have a significant impact on the ability to fight antibiotic-resistant infections, which is considered a window of hope for the future. This review, therefore, illustrates not only the challenges caused by antibiotic resistance and superbug bacteria but also the engineered enzymes and phages that are being developed to solve these issues. Our study found that engineered phages, phage proteins, and enzymes can be effective in treating superbug bacteria and destroying the biofilm caused by them. Combining these engineered compounds with other antimicrobial substances can increase their effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, engineered phages, proteins, and enzymes can be used as a substitute for antibiotics or in combination with antibiotics to treat patients with superbug infections in the future.

Perturbations in Microbiota Composition as a Novel Mediator in Neuropsychiatric, Neurological and Mental Disorders: Preventive and Therapeutic Complementary Therapies to Balance the Change.

Although microbiology and neurology are separate disciplines, they are linked to some infectious and neurological diseases. Today, microbiome is considered as one of the biomarkers of health by many researchers. This has led to the association of microbiome changes with many neurological diseases. The natural microbiota has many beneficial properties. If disrupted and altered, it can lead to irreversible complications and many neurological diseases. Therefore, according to previous studies, some preventive and therapeutic complementary therapies can prevent or restore microbiome dysbiosis and inflammation in the nervous system. With our current perception of the microbiological basis for different neurological disorders, both aspects of drug treatment and control of perturbations of the microbiome should be considered, and targeting them simultaneously will likely help to attain favorable results.

A review on immunoglobulin Y (IgY) conjugated with metal nanoparticles and biomedical uses.

Today, the use of nanoparticles has attracted considerable attention in biomedical investigations and applications. Antibody-nanoparticle conjugates have proven to be useful tools for raising accuracy and sensitivity in in vitro diagnostics. IgY antibodies have benefits over different antibodies in terms of minimizing animal harm, reducing reactivity with mammalian factors, and cost-effective extraction. Metal nanoparticles are widely used for various medical and biological applications and are potential candidates for identifying pathogens and treating them, which can be mostly related to their special properties, including their shape and size. Avian IgY antibodies conjugated with nanoparticles have been widely used for the detection of parasitic, viral, and bacterial infections as well as allergens and toxicological and pharmaceutical molecules. This review aimed to investigate avian antibodies conjugated with metal nanoparticles and their biological applications.

The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in the modulation of hyperinflammation induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection: A perspective for COVID-19 therapy.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory disease caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that affects the lower and upper respiratory tract in humans. SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with the induction of a cascade of uncontrolled inflammatory responses in the host, ultimately leading to hyperinflammation or cytokine storm. Indeed, cytokine storm is a hallmark of SARS-CoV-2 immunopathogenesis, directly related to the severity of the disease and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Considering the lack of any definitive treatment for COVID-19, targeting key inflammatory factors to regulate the inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients could be a fundamental step to developing effective therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Currently, in addition to well-defined metabolic actions, especially lipid metabolism and glucose utilization, there is growing evidence of a central role of the ligand-dependent nuclear receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) including PPARα, PPARß/δ, and PPARγ in the control of inflammatory signals in various human inflammatory diseases. This makes them attractive targets for developing therapeutic approaches to control/suppress the hyperinflammatory response in patients with severe COVID-19. In this review, we (1) investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms mediated by PPARs and their ligands during SARS-CoV-2 infection, and (2) on the basis of the recent literature, highlight the importance of PPAR subtypes for the development of promising therapeutic approaches against the cytokine storm in severe COVID-19 patients.

Recent Advances in Nanotechnology for the Management of Klebsiella pneumoniae-Related Infections.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important human pathogen that causes diseases such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections, bacteremia, and sepsis. The rise of multidrug-resistant strains has severely limited the available treatments for K. pneumoniae infections. On the other hand, K. pneumoniae activity (and related infections) urgently requires improved management strategies. A growing number of medical applications are using nanotechnology, which uses materials with atomic or molecular dimensions, to diagnose, eliminate, or reduce the activity of different infections. In this review, we start with the traditional treatment and detection method for K. pneumoniae and then concentrate on selected studies (2015-2022) that investigated the application of nanoparticles separately and in combination with other techniques against K. pneumoniae.

Polyacrylic Acid Nanoplatforms: Antimicrobial, Tissue Engineering, and Cancer Theranostic Applications.

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is a non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer that gained lots of interest in recent years. PAA nano-derivatives can be obtained by chemical modification of carboxyl groups with superior chemical properties in comparison to unmodified PAA. For example, nano-particles produced from PAA derivatives can be used to deliver drugs due to their stability and biocompatibility. PAA and its nanoconjugates could also be regarded as stimuli-responsive platforms that make them ideal for drug delivery and antimicrobial applications. These properties make PAA a good candidate for conventional and novel drug carrier systems. Here, we started with synthesis approaches, structure characteristics, and other architectures of PAA nanoplatforms. Then, different conjugations of PAA/nanostructures and their potential in various fields of nanomedicine such as antimicrobial, anticancer, imaging, biosensor, and tissue engineering were discussed. Finally, biocompatibility and challenges of PAA nanoplatforms were highlighted. This review will provide fundamental knowledge and current information connected to the PAA nanoplatforms and their applications in biological fields for a broad audience of researchers, engineers, and newcomers. In this light, PAA nanoplatforms could have great potential for the research and development of new nano vaccines and nano drugs in the future.

Open removal of pediatric airway foreign body: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Foreign Body Aspiration is a common finding in children diagnosed based on clinical signs and radiological studies so that timely diagnosis and successful removal of the foreign body is essential to reduce complications and mortality. CASE PRESENTATION: In this study, we described a case of a 7-year old boy with a foreign airway body whose bronchoscopy was not successful in removing the foreign body, and the removal required open surgery. We also review the literature on Pediatric airway foreign bodies. DISCUSSION: The patient was discharged in good condition after being monitored and receiving antibiotics in the pediatric ward for seven days. CONCLUSION: Rigid bronchoscopy involves fewer complications and is more successful in removing the foreign body in children. However, a small percentage of children require open surgery for removal, which can be attributed to the size of the FB, its shape, how long the FB stays in the airways, and the changes that follow are involved and sufficient expertise in rigid bronchoscopy.

Transient positivity of anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA autoantibody in febrile children: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Fever is a physiological response activated by integrative interactions between the neuronal and immune systems. The association of fever with the development of autoantibodies against various self-antigens is controversial. We here evaluated if fever was associated with increased levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA autoreactive antibodies in children. METHODS: This was a case-control study performed the Amir-Al-Momenin Hospital of Zabol City from January to December 2018. Febrile children (N=135) and apparently healthy counterparts (N=135) were included. Total IgA and anti-tTG IgA were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: From 270 children evaluated, 144 (53.6%) and 126 (46.4%) were males and females, respectively. The mean age was 4.7 ± 2.6 years. The mean total IgA titer was 208 ± 100 mg/dl, and the mean anti-tTG IgA titer was 15.9 ± 68 mg/dl. There was a significant difference in the mean titer of anti-tTG IgA between apparently healthy controls (1.97 ± 1.12 mg/dl) and febrile children (30.2 ± 94.9 mg/dl, p=0.002). Positivity for anti-tTG IgA was observed in 16 (11.8%) out of 135 febrile children while no subject in the control group had positive results. One out of the 16 positive cases showed persistent elevated levels after fever disappearance. On biopsy examination, this child was confirmed to have celiac disease. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that fever can trigger the production of anti-tTG IgA autoantibody in children. It is recommended for pediatricians to be vigilant in interpreting anti-tTG IgA results during fever episodes and repeat positive cases after the cease of fever. It is also recommended to reassess anti-tTG IgA seropositivity in other clinical settings in future studies.