Virus-like Particle Vaccines and Platforms for Vaccine Development.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) have gained a lot of interest within the past two decades. The use of VLP-based vaccines to protect against three infectious agents-hepatitis B virus, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis E virus-has been approved; they are very efficacious and offer long-lasting immune responses. Besides these, VLPs from other viral infectious agents (that infect humans, animals, plants, and bacteria) are under development. These VLPs, especially those from human and animal viruses, serve as stand-alone vaccines to protect against viruses from which the VLPs were derived. Additionally, VLPs, including those derived from plant and bacterial viruses, serve as platforms upon which to display foreign peptide antigens from other infectious agents or metabolic diseases such as cancer, i.e., they can be used to develop chimeric VLPs. The goal of chimeric VLPs is to enhance the immunogenicity of foreign peptides displayed on VLPs and not necessarily the platforms. This review provides a summary of VLP vaccines for human and veterinary use that have been approved and those that are under development. Furthermore, this review summarizes chimeric VLP vaccines that have been developed and tested in pre-clinical studies. Finally, the review concludes with a snapshot of the advantages of VLP-based vaccines such as hybrid/mosaic VLPs over conventional vaccine approaches such as live-attenuated and inactivated vaccines.

Potential Applications of Thermophilic Bacteriophages in One Health.

Bacteriophages have a wide range of applications such as combating antibiotic resistance, preventing food contamination for food safety, and as biomarkers to indirectly assess the quality of water. Additionally, bacteriophage components (endolysins and coat proteins) have a lot of applications in food processing, vaccine design, and the delivery of cargo to the body. Therefore, bacteriophages/components have a multitude of applications in human, plant/veterinary, and environmental health (One Health). Despite their versatility, bacteriophage/component use is mostly limited to temperatures within 4-40 °C. This limits their applications (e.g., in food processing conditions, pasteurization, and vaccine design). Advances in thermophilic bacteriophage research have uncovered novel thermophilic endolysins (e.g., ΦGVE2 amidase and MMPphg) that can be used in food processing and in veterinary medicine. The endolysins are thermostable at temperatures > 65 °C and have broad antimicrobial activities. In addition to thermophilic endolysins, enzymes (DNA polymerase and ligases) derived from thermophages have different applications in molecular biology/biotechnology: to generate DNA libraries and develop diagnostics for human and animal pathogens. Furthermore, coat proteins from thermophages are being explored to develop virus-like particle platforms with versatile applications in human and animal health. Overall, bacteriophages, especially those that are thermophilic, have a plethora of applications in One Health.

Bariatric surgery outcomes following organ transplantation: A review study.

Weight gain is a frequent postoperative complication following a solid organ transplant which can be solved by bariatric surgery. The outcomes of bariatric surgery among patients with an organ transplant history are always a challengeable subject for surgeons and surgery candidates. In this review article, we aim to investigate the existence literature about the rates of morbidity and mortality, frequent complications in terms of graft function, remission in diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary and cardiovascular disorders, hepatic and renal functions, and immunosuppressive stability, as well as the safety of bariatric surgery among patients.

The changes in cognitive function following bariatric surgery considering the function of gut microbiome.

Background: There is a correlation between gut microbiota and cognitive function. The mechanisms and pathways explain why the incidence of Alzheimer's disease in subjects undergoing bariatric surgery is lower than in other people with obesity. Methods: In this review article, we aim to discuss the association of obesity, cognitive impairment, and physiological changes after bariatric surgery. Results: Bariatric surgery has a series of physiological benefits which may lead to an improvement in cognitive functions in individuals who are prone to later developing Alzheimer's disease. Also, taxonomical change in the gut microbiome profile provides a healthy condition for living with better levels of cognition without neuropathological damages in older ages. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a possible correlation between cognitive dysfunction and increased risk of cognitive dysfunction in people with a BMI higher than 40 kg/m2. Bariatric surgery may increase neurotransmitters and improve the gut bacteria, leading to a significant reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Changes in clinical depression following Sleeve Gastrectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Bariatric surgery is safe and efficient surgical method for weight loss, but it is not free from complications. We aim to evaluate the prevalence of depression after Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) in a narrow period of time on Iranian ethnicity. METHODS: 307 cases that underwent SG in Erfan Niayesh hospital were included. The questionnaire was based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes to define diagnoses. Screening follow-up period was 20 to 24 months. The level of statistical significance was set at p < .05. RESULTS: Of 307 subjects, preoperative depression was 30.2% and post-operative depression was 37.7% (p = .025). Besides, BMI, dyslipidaemia, good feelings about body size and weight loss were statistically significant at p < .05.There was an increased risk of depression following the procedure mainly in divorced cases. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of clinical depression after sleeve gastrectomy was statistically significant and dependent on other variables. We provided guidance for people considering SG and their clinicians in terms of evaluating potential risks and benefits of surgery.

The advantages and disadvantages of sleeve gastrectomy; clinical laboratory to bedside review.

Sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical technique and a leading method in metabolic surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy gained ever-increasing popularity among laparoscopic surgeons involved in bariatric surgery and has proved to be a successful method in achieving considerable weight loss in a short time. There are some disparate effects that patients may experience after sleeve gastrectomy including a reduction in BMI, weight, blood pressure, stroke, and cancer and also a significant remission in obesity-related diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D), Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD), cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and craniopharyngioma-related hypothalamic obesity as well as non-obesity-related diseases such as gout, musculoskeletal problems, ovarian disorders and urinary incontinence. The most common complications of sleeve gastrectomy are bleeding, nutrient deficiencies, and leakage. There are several studies on the impact of gender and ethnic disparities on post-operative complications. This study collects state of the art of reports on sleeve gastrectomy. The aim of this study was to analyze recent studies and review the advantages and disadvantages of sleeve gastrectomy.

Positional Vertigo and Unilateral Gradual Hearing Loss Following Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Case Report.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective treatment option in patients with morbid obesity, with rare long-term sideeffects. In this report, we present a 42-year-old woman who reported positional vertigo and unilateral gradual hearing loss plus continuous tinnitus after LSG. The patient had no signs or symptoms of mental health disorders and the results of the haematological and serum biochemical tests were normal. However, audiometric test revealed mild sensorineural hearing loss with magnitude in high-frequency tones. Also, acoustic reflex threshold showed neural pathway damage, particularly at high frequencies, with no reflex. Pure tone audiometry showed signs of nerve damage in the inner ear. One possible justification for these complications might be eustachian tube dysfunction due to muscle relaxation. Muscle relaxation itself may occur as a result of adipose tissue loss around the ear muscles. Further evidence, however, would be required to better determine whether these complications are attributable to LSG, and to illuminate exact underlying reasons for such complications.