Effects of folate-conjugated Fe2O3@Au core-shell nanoparticles on oxidative stress markers, DNA damage, and histopathological characteristics: evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies.

The aim of this work was to assess the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and histopathological effects of Fe2O3@Au-FA NPs using in vitro and in vivo models. Cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) by HUVECs were examined via 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and inductively coupled plasma-mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS). This safe dose was then used for cytotoxicity assays, including total protein, total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation, cell membrane integrity, reactive oxygen species, enzyme activity, and DNA damage. In the animal model, 32 Wistar rats were randomly categorized into 4 groups and received intraperitoneal injections of NPs. Blood samples for biochemical properties and histopathological changes were investigated. MTT results indicated 20 µg/ml as the safe dose for NPs. According to ICP-MS, treated cells showed significantly higher levels of the intracellular content of Fe (p < 0.001) and Au (p < 0.01) compared with the control group. In vitro tests did not show any significant cytotoxicity or genotoxicity at the safe dose of NPs. We found no significant elevation in intracellular γ-H2AX levels after treatment of HUVEC cells with Fe2O3@Au core-shell NPs (P > 0.05). As for the in vivo analysis, we observed no marked difference in serum biochemical parameters of rats treated with 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg doses of our NPs. Histopathological assessments indicated that liver, kidney, and testis tissues were not significantly affected at 50 mg/kg (liver), 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg (kidney and testis) on NPs administration. These findings imply that the nanotoxicity of Fe2O3@Au-FA NPs in HUVECs and animals depends largely on the administrated dose. Our study suggests that Fe2O3@Au-FA NPs at a safe dose could be considered as new candidates in nanobiomedicine.

SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses: Strategies to cope with coinfection and bioinformatics perspective.

Almost a century after the devastating pandemic of the Spanish flu, humankind is facing the relatively comparable global outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 with an unprecedented transmission pattern. In the face of the recent repercussions of COVID-19, many have argued that the clinical experience with influenza through the last century may have tremendous implications in the containment of this newly emerged viral disease. During the last 2 years, from the emergence of COVID-19, tremendous advances have been made in diagnosing and treating coinfections. Several approved vaccines are available now for the primary prevention of COVID-19 and specific treatments exist to alleviate symptoms. The present review article aims to discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus coinfection while delivering a bioinformatics-based insight into this subject matter.

Convalescent Blood: Current Perspective on the Efficacy of a Legacy Approach in COVID-19 Treatment.

Since early 2020, COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in many societies around the world. As of the present, the SARS-CoV-2-borne disease is propagating in almost all countries, affecting hundreds of thousands of people in an unprecedented way. As the name suggests, the novel coronavirus, widely known as SARS-CoV-2, is a new emerging human pathogen. A novel disease of relatively unknown origin, COVID-19 does not seem to be amenable to the currently available medicines since there is no specific cure for the disease. In the absence of any vaccine or effective antiviral medication, we have no tools at our disposal, but the method of quarantine, be it domestic or institutional, to hinder any further progression of this outbreak. However, there is a record of physicians in the past who practiced convalescent blood transfusion. To their awe, the method seemed to be useful. It is anticipated that these contemporary methods will outdo any other vaccination process in the time being, as blood transfusion is instead a cost-effective and time-friendly technique. Following a successful trial, this new approach of contemporary nature to a viral disease may serve as an emergency intervention to intercept infectious outbreaks and prevent an impending epidemic/pandemic. In this review, we document the most recent evidence regarding the efficiency of convalescent plasma and serum therapy on SARS, MERS, and particularly COVID-19, while discussing potential advantages and possible risks of such practice.

An Updated Review on Implications of Autophagy and Apoptosis in Tumorigenesis: Possible Alterations in Autophagy through Engineered Nanomaterials and Their Importance in Cancer Therapy.

Most commonly recognized as a catabolic pathway, autophagy is a perplexing mechanism through which a living cell can free itself of excess cytoplasmic components, i.e., organelles, by means of certain membranous vesicles or lysosomes filled with degrading enzymes. Upon exposure to external insult or internal stimuli, the cell might opt to activate such a pathway, through which it can gain control over the maintenance of intracellular components and thus sustain homeostasis by intercepting the formation of unnecessary structures or eliminating the already present dysfunctional or inutile organelles. Despite such appropriateness, autophagy might also be considered a frailty for the cell, as it has been said to have a rather complicated role in tumorigenesis. A merit in the early stages of tumor formation, autophagy appears to be salutary because of its tumor-suppressing effects. In fact, several investigations on tumorigenesis have reported diminished levels of autophagic activity in tumor cells, which might result in transition to malignancy. On the contrary, autophagy has been suggested to be a seemingly favorable mechanism to progressed malignancies, as it contributes to survival of such cells. Based on the recent literature, this mechanism might also be activated upon the entry of engineered nanomaterials inside a cell, supposedly protecting the host from foreign materials. Accordingly, there is a good chance that therapeutic interventions for modulating autophagy in malignant cells using nanoparticles may sensitize cancerous cells to certain treatment modalities, e.g., radiotherapy. In this review, we will discuss the signaling pathways involved in autophagy and the significance of the mechanism itself in apoptosis and tumorigenesis while shedding light on possible alterations in autophagy through engineered nanomaterials and their potential therapeutic applications in cancer. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Autophagy has been said to have a complicated role in tumorigenesis. In the early stages of tumor formation, autophagy appears to be salutary because of its tumor-suppressing effects. On the contrary, autophagy has been suggested to be a favorable mechanism to progressed malignancies. This mechanism might be affected upon the entry of nanomaterials inside a cell. Accordingly, therapeutic interventions for modulating autophagy using nanoparticles may sensitize cancerous cells to certain therapies.

Application of Nanobiotechnology for Early Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A most discussed topic of the new decade, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the recently discovered SARS-CoV-2. With an exceedingly high transmission rate, COVID-19 has affected almost all the countries in the world. Absent any vaccine or specific treatment, the humanity is left with nothing but the legacy method of quarantine. However, quarantine can only be effective when combined with early diagnosis of suspected cases. With their high sensitivity and unmatched specificity, biosensors have become an area of interest for development of novel diagnostic methods. Compared to the more traditional diagnostics, nanobiotechnology introduces biosensors as different diagnostics with greater versatility in application. Today, a growing number of analytes are being accurately identified by these nanoscopic sensing machines. Several reports of validated application with real samples further strengthen this idea. As of recent, there has been a rise in the number of studies on portable biosensors. Despite the slow progression, certain devices with embedded biosensors have managed to be of diagnostic value in several countries. The perceptible increase in development of mobile platforms has revolutionized the healthcare delivery system in the new millennium. The present article reviews the most recent advancements in development of diagnostic nanobiosensors and their application in the clinical fields. KEY POINTS: • There is no specific treatment for highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2. • Early diagnosis is critical for control of pandemic. • Highly sensitive/specific nanobiosensors are emerging assets against COVID-19.

COVID-19 under spotlight: A close look at the origin, transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of the 2019-nCoV disease.

Months after the outbreak of a new flu-like disease in China, the entire world is now in a state of caution. The subsequent less-anticipated propagation of the novel coronavirus disease, formally known as COVID-19, not only made it to headlines by an overwhelmingly high transmission rate and fatality reports, but also raised an alarm for the medical community all around the globe. Since the causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, is a recently discovered species, there is no specific medicine for downright treatment of the infection. This has led to an unprecedented societal fear of the newly born disease, adding a psychological aspect to the physical manifestation of the virus. Herein, the COVID-19 structure, epidemiology, pathogenesis, etiology, diagnosis, and therapy have been reviewed.

Electrochemical Nano-biosensors as Novel Approach for the Detection of Lung Cancer-related MicroRNAs.

In both men and women around the world, lung cancer accounts as the principal cause of cancer-related death after breast cancer. Therefore, early detection of the disease is a cardinal step in improving prognosis and survival of patients. Today, the newly-defined microRNAs regulate about 30 to 60 percent of the gene expression. Changes in microRNA Profiles are linked to numerous health conditions, making them sophisticated biomarkers for timely, if not early, detection of cancer. Though evaluation of microRNAs in real samples has proved to be rather challenging, which is largely attributable to the unique characteristics of these molecules. Short length, sequence similarity, and low concentration stand among the factors that define microRNAs. Recently, diagnostic technologies with a focus on wide-scale point of care have recently garnered attention as great candidates for early diagnosis of cancer. Electrochemical nano-biosensors have recently garnered much attention as a molecular method, showing great potential in terms of sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility, and last but not least, adaptability to point-of-care testing. Application of nanoscale materials in electrochemical devices as promising as it is, brings multiplexing potential for conducting simultaneous evaluations on multiple cancer biomarkers. Thanks to their enthralling properties, these materials can be used to improve the efficiency of cancer diagnostics, offer more accurate predictions of prognosis, and monitor response to therapy in a more efficacious way. This article presents a concise overview of recent advances in the expeditiously evolving area of electrochemical biosensors for microRNA detection in lung cancer.