Progress, evolving therapeutic/diagnostic approaches, and challenges in the management of hepatitis C virus infections.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are emerging as one of the foremost challenges in healthcare owing to its chronicity and the virus's quasispecies nature. Worldwide, over 170 million people are chronically infected with HCV, with an annual mortality of over 500,000 people across the world. The emerging pathophysiological evidence links HCV infections to a risk of developing liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite the great strides that have been made towards understanding the pathophysiology of disease progression, the tailored treatments of HCV infection remain to be established. The present review provides an update of the literature pertaining to evolving therapeutic approaches and prophylactic measures for the effective management of HCV infections. An extensive discussion of established and experimental immune prophylactic measures also sheds light on current developments in the design of vaccination strategies against HCV infection. We have also attempted to address the application of nanotechnology in formulating effective therapeutic interventions against HCV. Pointing out the limitations of the existing diagnostic methods and therapeutic approaches against HCV might inspire the design and development of novel, efficient, reliable, and cost-effective diagnostic technologies as well as novel therapeutic and immune prophylactic interventions for the effective management of HCV.

Correction: Prosopis juliflora (Sw.), DC induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in triple negative breast cancer cells: in vitro and in vivo investigations.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25717.].

Prosopis juliflora (Sw.), DC induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in triple negative breast cancer cells: in vitro and in vivo investigations.

Plant originated drugs/formulations are extensively prescribed by the physicians as a complementary therapy for treating various human ailments including cancer. In this study Prosopis juliflora leaves methanol extract was prepared and exposed to human breast cancer cell lines i.e. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 and human keratinocytes HaCaT as a representative of normal cells. Initially, a series of in vitro experiments like cell proliferation, migration, colony formation, cell cycle arrest and inhibition of angiogenesis. After confirmation of the efficient and selective activity against triple negative breast cancer cell line, we further evaluated the possible mechanism of inducing cell death and experiments like detection of reactive oxygen species, caspases and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage study and Annexin V assay were performed. We also evaluated in vivo anti tumorigenic activity of the P. juliflora leaves by using 4T1 cells (a triple negative mouse origin breast cancer cell line) and BALB/c xenograft mouse model. In vitro experiments revealed that methanol extract of Prosopis juliflora leaves possess impressive anti-breast cancer activity more specifically against triple negative breast cancer cells, while the in vivo studies demonstrated that P. juliflora leaves extract significantly suppressed the 4T1 induced tumor growth. Present investigations clearly focus the significance of P. juliflora as an important resource for finding novel leads against triple negative breast cancer. The results may also act as a ready reference towards developing P. juliflora based formulation as an alternative and complementary medicine for the management of breast cancer.

Epidemiology of viral hepatitis B and C infections in ibb city, yemen.

BACKGROUND: The global epidemic of hepatitis B and hepatitis C is a serious publichealth problem. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C are among the leading causes of preventable death worldwide. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to two billion people in the world have been infected with HBV; about 350 million people live with chronic HBV infection, and about 600,000 people die from HBV- related liver disease or HCC each year. The endemicity of infection is considered high in Yemen. Data for prevalence of HBsAg and HCV antibodies in Ibb city in Yemen is rare and inadequate. OBJECTIVES: The study was undertaken to study the epidemiology and prevalence of viral hepatitis (HBV) and (HCV) in Ibb city, Yemen. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 554 pre-designed questionnaires and sera samples were collected in July 2010. Sera were tested for HBsAg and HCV antibodies by ELISA quantitative technique. Each individual's data were collected in a pre-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of HBV in Ibb city was 1.81 %, whereas, the prevalence of HCV was 1.99 %. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed low level risk of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections. Inadequate information on the prevalence and risk determinants of viral hepatitis among the different population groups in Yemen are responsible about morbidity and mortality of HBV and HCV in Ibb city, Yemen.