Biosensors and nanotechnology for cancer diagnosis (lung and bronchus, breast, prostate, and colon): a systematic review.

The second cause of death in the world has been reported to be cancer, and it has been on the rise in recent years. As a result of the difficulties of cancer detection and its treatment, the survival rate of patients is unclear. The early detection of cancer is an important issue for its therapy. Cancer detection based on biomarkers may effectively enhance the early detection and subsequent treatment. Nanomaterial-based nanobiosensors for cancer biomarkers are excellent tools for the molecular detection and diagnosis of disease. This review reports the latest advancement and attainment in applying nanoparticles to the detection of cancer biomarkers. In this paper, the recent advances in the application of common nanomaterials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, Au, Ag, Pt, and Fe3O4together with newly emerged nanoparticles such as quantum dots, upconversion nanoparticles, inorganics (ZnO, MoS2), and metal-organic frameworks for the diagnosis of biomarkers related to lung, prostate, breast, and colon cancer are highlighted. Finally, the challenges, outlook, and closing remarks are given.

Magnetic bioactive glasses/Cisplatin loaded-chitosan (CS)-grafted- poly (ε-caprolactone) nanofibers against bone cancer treatment.

The bioactive glasses (BGs)/Cisplatin and magnetic bioactive glasses (MBGs)/Cisplatin were doped into the chitosan (CS)-grafted- poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers for controlled release of Cisplatin under various pH values and temperatures. The simultaneous effect of chemotherapy and hyperthermia was investigated against MG-63 osteosarcoma cells by treating of cells with Cs-g-PCL/MBGs/Cisplatin under an alternating magnetic field. The synthesized nanofibers were characterized using XRD, FTIR, 1H NMR, SEM, and EDX analysis. The bioactivity, and drug loading efficiency of fibers were investigated. There was no initial burst release of Cisplatin from BGs/Cisplatin and MBGs/Cisplatin loaded Cs-g-PCL/MBGs nanofibers and the Cisplatin release rate was accelerated under pH of 5.5 and temperature of 43 °C compared with physiological condition. The apoptotic/necrotic effect indicated that 100 µg mL-1 nanofibers was optimum for killing of MG-63 cells. The future researches could be focused on the application of nanofibers as an implantable device next to a bone tumor for bone cancer therapy in vivo.

The Antibacterial Activity of Cassia fistula Organic Extracts.

BACKGROUND: Cassia fistula, is a flowering plant and a member of Fabaceae family. Its leaves are compound of 4 - 8 pairs of opposite leaflets. There are many Cassia species around the world which are used in herbal medicine. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to examine in vitro anti-bacterial activity of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of C. fistula native to Khuzestan, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The microbial inhibitory effect of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of C. fistula was tested on 3 Gram positive: Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis and 5 Gram negative: Salmonella Typhi, Kelebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis bacterial species using disc diffusion method at various concentrations. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) were measured by the tube dilution assay. RESULTS: The extract of C. fistula was effective against B. cereus, S. aureus, S. epidermidis, E. coli and K. pneumoniae. The most susceptible microorganisms to ethanolic and methanolic extracts were E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively. Also B. cereus and S. aureus showed the least sensitivity to ethanolic and methanolic extracts, respectively. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration) of ethanolic extracts against S. aureus, E. coli, S. epidermidis and K. pneumoniae were also determined. CONCLUSIONS: With respect to the obtained results and regarding to the daily increase of the resistant microbial strains to the commercial antibiotics, it can be concluded that these extracts can be proper candidates of antibacterial substance against pathogenic bacterial species especially S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae and S. epidermidis.

Introducing Urtica dioica, A Native Plant of Khuzestan, As an Antibacterial Medicinal Plant.

BACKGROUND: Urtica dioica is a flowering plant with long history of use in folk medicine and as a food source. OBJECTIVES: This study examined in vitro antibacterial potential of alcoholic extracts of U. dioica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hydroalcoholic extracts from aerial parts were prepared using aqueous solution of ethanol and methanol and their inhibitory effects against clinical isolates was examined by disc diffusion method at different doses. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) indexes were also investigated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was also performed to find structural changes of affected bacteria consequent to exposing with extracts. RESULTS: Both extracts were active against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Escherichia coli with respectively 16, 10, 18, and 14 mm (methanolic) and 11, 9, 17, and 16 mm (ethanolic) inhibition zone. The MIC of ethanolic extract against S. epidermidis and E. coli was respectively 10 and 40 mg/mL. The MIC of methanolic extract against S. aureus and S. epidermidis was 40 and 10 mg/mL, respectively. The MBC was found only for S. epidermidis (20 mg/mL). In SEM analysis the round shape of S. epidermidis was changed and irregular shapes were appeared, which suggest that the main target of these extracts was cell wall. CONCLUSIONS: Extracts of U. dioica showed significant antibacterial effect against some clinically important pathogenic bacteria. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that U. dioica is useful as antibacterial and bactericidal agent in treating infectious diseases.