Journal of Advanced Biomedical Sciences
Volume:13 Issue: 4, Winter 2023

CRISPR is an extraordinarily powerful technique regulating any target gene across the genome with promising therapy intentions. CRISPR-Cas9 is a convenient tool for gene manipulation. Notwithstanding this, the broad consequence of human gene editing, particularly germinal genes, cannot be predicted. Firstly, once edited, the genes would be part of the human population for successive generations and may be impossible to remove from humanity; secondly, success is not guaranteed; thirdly, the fidelity of editing, as it could affect unrelated genes or unspecified segments of DNA; and last but not least, its influence on gene interaction, network, and signaling pathways could be difficult to be predicted. CRISPR-Cas9 mostly includes precise genome editing, rapidity and cost-effectiveness, creation of disease models, study of gene function, applications in gene therapy and translation research and wide diversity for species. The technique also ignited the moral and ethical concerns of scientific community.  Ethics and safety approval for gene modification in human cells is required by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH does not currently fund studies of CRISPR in human embryos and opposes the CRISPR utilization in germline cells because these alterations would be permanent and heritable. The technology has promised with the most profound implications for cancer therapy. Recent advances in CRISPR-based technology is redefining how cancer is studied and potentially improves anti-cancer therapies. One way to improve the technology is to use machine-learning approaches to comprehending CRISPR errors and predicting more specific edits and repairing outcomes.

HER2, a molecular biomarker, is routinely evaluated in breast cancer patients to guide therapeutic decisions. However, the concordance of HER2 status between core-needle biopsy (CNB) and surgical specimen (SS) samples is not always high, potentially affecting the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. This study aims to review recent studies assessing the agreement of HER2 status between CNB and SS samples in breast cancer patients.

A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases from January 2018 to August 2023 using the keywords: concordance, core needle biopsy, resection, HER2 status. Ten articles meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for this review.

The results demonstrated variable concordance rates of HER2 status between CNB and SS samples, ranging from 83.3% to 99.5%. The primary factors influencing discordance were tumor heterogeneity, preoperative treatment, sampling error, and differing testing methods. Discordance was more prevalent in HER2-negative and HER2-low tumors compared to HER2-positive tumors.

The concordance of HER2 status between CNB and SS samples is generally high but not perfect. Therefore, retesting HER2 status on SS samples is recommended to ensure optimal treatment decisions for breast cancer patients.

Candida species are one of the most common causes of otomycosis. Antifungal drugs commonly used in treatment often have a variety of side effects, including toxicity, cross-reactivity, and drug resistance. In recent years, along with the advances in nanotechnology and the motivation to find new antifungal drugs, there has been a growing interest in the use of nanoparticles such as nano-curcumin in the treatment of fungal infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal sensitivity of nano-curcumin on Candida species isolated from otomycosis.

  In this experimental study, 100 isolated Candida samples from patients with otomycosis were included. Synthesis of nano-curcumin using chitosan (CS) nanoparticles was performed by ionic gelation method. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using broth microdilution method according to CLSI-M27-S4 guidelines on all Candida isolates to miconazole, clotrimazole and nanocurcumin. Data were analyzed in SPSS 27 software with independent t-test and chi-squared tests.

Curcumin nanoparticles showed antifungal activity against all Candida species. However, the mean MIC of miconazole and clotrimazole for different Candida species was significantly lower than curcumin nanoparticles, indicating the lower antifungal effect of nano-curcumin than these two antifungals. Also, the mean MIC of nano-curcumin was not significantly different among Candida species (P < 0.05), whereas it was significantly different for miconazole and clotrimazole (P < 0.05).

 The results of the present study showed that nano-curcumin had a lower antifungal effect than miconazole and clotrimazole, but due to nano-curcumin's safety, it can be used as a potential antifungal drug for the treatment of otomycosis after further investigation.

Genetic factors play a major role in the development of male idiopathic infertility. Because of the multi-genetic base of this disease, not all genetic factors have been investigated. PIWI genes have been reported to be involved in the regulation of piRNAs in spermatogenesis. Our study assessed the association between HIWI3 rs11703684 (C>T) gene polymorphism with the risk of male idiopathic azoospermia/oligozoospermia in the Kurdish population of Kermanshah.

In this case-control investigation, we included two hundred individuals consisting of 100 men with idiopathic azoospermia/oligozoospermia and 100 fertile men as the control group. To determine genotypes of HIWI3 C>T polymorphism, we used the Tetra Arms-PCR technique and significant values were considered as p<0.05.

Our findings did not show a statistically significant difference in the genotype frequency of the recessive model (P = 0.118; OR = 0.158; CI, 0.019–1.339), dominant (P = 0.169; OR = 0.625; CI, 0.341–1.144) and co-dominant (P = 0.527; OR = 0.778; CI, 0.417–1.450). In addition, the results described a negative difference in allelic frequency of HIWI3 (rs11703684 C>T) in men with idiopathic azoospermia/oligozoospermia and control group (P = 0.288; OR = 0.749; CI, 0.463–1.212).

The current study does not indicate the probability effect of HIWI3 rs11703684 (C>T) gene polymorphism on the male idiopathic azoospermia/oligozoospermia in the Kurdish population of Kermanshah. The critical role of PIWI genes in spermatogenesis and as a candidate risk factor for male infertility remained unknown.

Oxidative stress is associated with the pathology of various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The aim of the study was to examine the impacts of the lavender aqueous extract (LAE) on the levels of oxidative stress markers in an animal model with chronic mild stress induced depression.

36 adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were haphazardly split into 6 groups (n=6). Rats in the test groups were put through five weeks of chronic mild stress. The sucrose preference test (SPT) confirmed depressive-like behaviors in the rats. Rats in both unstressed and stressed control groups received LAE (200 or 400 mg / kg) and distilled water respectively. The specific activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), malondialdehyde (MDA) and as well as the total content of glutathione (GSH) were examined in the serum, liver and prefrontal cortex (PFC) using colorimetric assays.

  The stress group experienced a significantly decreased level of GSH, SOD, GR, Gpx and CAT, and a statistically considerable augment in MDA level in in the serum, PFC and liver p<0.05.  LAE at both doses significantly reversed the depression-caused oxidative stress markers in all the studied tissues. No significant difference was observed between the two used dosages of LAE.

LAE is able to ameliorate depression-induced pathology possibly through anti-oxidant activity.

This study aimed to present a structural model of postpartum depression based on social support and marital satisfaction with the mediation of resilience.

The current research method was descriptive and type of structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the research included all mothers who had given birth and were referred to Jahrom University of Medical Sciences hospitals, and 415 mothers who referred for natural delivery and caesarean section using the available sampling method and completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale (EPDS), the Sherbourne and Stewart Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), the Enrich Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) four to eight weeks after delivery. Data analysis was done using the (AMOS) software version 24, and the reliability of the tools was checked by Cronbach's alpha method and with the help of SPSS software version 23.

The findings of the research showed that social support had a significant effect on postpartum depression only indirectly (β = -0.10, p = 0.02) through resilience. In addition, it was found that marital satisfaction can both directly (β = -0.36, p = 0.0001) and indirectly affect postpartum depression through resilience (β = -0.22, p = 0.009).

Resilience can be considered an anti-depressant factor in the postpartum period. Psychological interventions aimed at increasing resilience, social support and marital satisfaction, can play a significant role in preventing postpartum depression.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a high prevalent disease throughout the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the CRS patients.

A total of 241 CRS patients aged 15-70 years were recruited. The prevalence of allergic diseases and its association with CRS, disease severity, and quality of life (QoL) were assessed using GA2LEN and SNOT-22 questionnaires, respectively. Patients' clinical diagnoses and allergic comorbidities were evaluated using paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT), nasal endoscopy, and paraclinical tests (smell identification test, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), skin prick test (SPT), pulmonary function test (PFT)).

The mean (±SD) age of all participants was 40.1±11.1 years, with a gender distribution of 56% male and 44% female. Nasal polyps (NP) were diagnosed in 42.4% of patients. The total mean SNOT-22 scores and the mean scores of the nasal symptoms category were significantly higher in CRS patients with NP (CRSwNP) compared to CRS without NP (CRSsNP) (OR = 2.3, 95%CI = 9.6–0.55, P = 0.028). Furthermore, there was a significant association between CRSwNP and persistent allergic rhinitis comorbidity (P = 0.006). Finally, a significant association was found between CRSwNP and severe SPT reactivity to Dermatophagoides farina and date palm pollen (P = 0.04 and P < 0.001, respectively).

This study suggests that higher SNOT-22 scores may impact QoL in CRSwNP patients. Additionally, a significant association was found between CRS and respiratory allergic diseases.

Breast cancer, a significant threat to women's health, is associated with a high annual mortality rate. Oxidative stress, characterized by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, plays a pivotal role in cancer development. Ferula assafoetida, a traditional medicinal plant, has been widely used in cancer treatment. This study aims to compare the cytotoxic effects, phytochemical profiles, and antioxidant activities of Ferula assafoetida gum (FAGE) and leaf (FALE) extracts.

The herbal extracts from FAGE and FALE were prepared using the maceration method in 70% v/v ethanol. The phenolic content and radical scavenging activity of the extracts were assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu and diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, respectively.the cytotoxic effects of the extracts were examined on the MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines through the MTT assay. Additionally, the morphological changes of the cell lines were observed using an inverted microscope.

The phenolic content in FAGE (142.25± 19.35 µgGAE/mg) was significantly higher (P=0.01) than that in FALE (48.15± 3.01 µgGAE/mg). Additionally, the radical scavenging activity and cytotoxic effects of FAGE were also significantly stronger than those of FALE (P< 0.05). Regarding the cytotoxic effects of the extracts, FAGE exhibited IC50 values of 80.59± 10.98 and 59.39± 15.89 µg/mL for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively, after 72 hours of incubation.

FAGE exhibited a greater cytotoxic effect on the MDA-MB-231 cell line than on the MCF-7, possibly following an estrogen-independent pattern. It appears that FAGE holds significant potential in refining oxidative stress, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation.