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Background & Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system (CNS) and causes individuals to experience a variety of cognitive and physical problems. As proven by two decades of clinical experience with immunomodulatory therapies for MS, the disease progresses and relapses through several immunological pathways. New medicines aimed at remyelination and neurodegeneration are being developed; however, they need stronger evidence before being introduced into routine clinical care. The purpose of this study was a thorough assessment of MS immunopathology and predictive biomarkers. Methods: Immunotherapy, immunopathogenesis, and prognostic biomarkers were all parts of the search method. Only publications in English were considered for inclusion in the study. For that purpose, we went through the current state of knowledge around MS immunopathology and related biomarkers. Immunology, as well as the identification of increased inflammation as an important component of neurodegeneration, shaped our understanding of this disease aetiology. The relevant sources examined covered the years 2015-2021. Conclusion: We found biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood that might be used for the prediction and diagnosis of MS, as well as for measuring treatment response and adverse effects. Many variables, including the role of some infectious organisms and the impact of environmental and social factors, might contribute to the immunological dysfunctions seen in MS. Patients with MS may benefit from better therapy options if a better understanding of MS biomarkers and immune response mechanisms would be obtained.
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Although Hydroxyurea is one of the most widely used drugs in treating breast cancer, the use of it leads to some side effects. Hence, in order to reduce complications of treatment and increase its efficiency, drug delivery has been attracted more attention. Present study included three stages. The first stage was involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles-loaded Hydroxyurea that its characteristics were evaluated by using scanning electron microscopy and Zetasizer system. In the second stage, cultured MCF-7 cells were undergone treatments by Hydroxyurea and Nanoparticles-loaded Hydroxyurea in various concentrations. In the third stage, the MCF-7 was treated by IC50 of Hydroxyurea and nanoparticles-loaded Hydroxyurea which are in combination with radiation and hyperthermia. Afterward, the viable of cell, apoptosis, and levels of caspase-8 and-9 proteins were assessed. The average size and the potential surface of nanoparticles and nanoparticles-loaded Hydroxyurea were 26 nm, 48 nm, 3.86 mV, and -29.3 mV, respectively. Results of MTT assay and apoptosis represented that the percentage of cytotoxicity in the treated groups by in combination group and nanoparticles-loaded Hydroxyurea was significantly increased in comparison with Hydroxyurea. This increase was dependent on the concentration of nanoparticles-loaded Hydroxyurea. Nevertheless, the activity of caspase-8 shows any significant changes, the activity of caspase-9 was significantly increased in the control and treatment groups. We concluded that nanoparticles-loaded Hydroxyurea and it in combination with radiation and hyperthermia induces mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis by down-regulation of caspase-8 and up-regulation of caspase-9 expressions and have higher toxicity effect on MCF-7 cells in comparison with pure Hydroxyurea.
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The circle of Willis, an anastomotic polygon at the base of the brain, forms an important collateral network to maintain cerebral blood perfusion. The aim of this study was to investigate different anatomic variations of the circle of Willis and their prevalence. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 525 healthy participants including 205 men and 320 women. The mean age of the patients was 51.5 years. Three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D-TOF MRA) technique was used. Vascular variations in the anterior and posterior parts of the circle were evaluated. RESULTS: The findings show that the complete circle of Willis was visible in a small number of patients. The circle of Willis had a complete vascular structure in 20.9% of the patients. The anterior part of the circle of Willis had a complete structure in 80.95% of the cases, while the posterior part had a complete structure in 20.95% of the cases. CONCLUSION: We observed wide variations in the circle of Willis configuration in our study. Similar to other studies, most variations are related to the posterior part of the circle of Willis. Absence of bilateral posterior communicating artery variation is more common than other types of variations in this population.