مجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان
پیاپی 635 (هفته سوم مهر 1400)

The use of ultrasound waves in combination with chemotherapy drugs increases the effectiveness of the drug in low doses. Moreover, in the treatment process, cells that have not been directly treated undergo a variety of changes such as death; this phenomenon is known as the bystander effect. This study aimed to investigate the effect of combined treatment of ultrasound waves and cisplatin on the bystander cells in melanoma cells.

Melanoma A375 cells were first cultured in the laboratory. After culturing the cells, two target and bystander cell groups were considered for the experiments. After determining the optimal concentration of cisplatin for melanoma A375 cells by MTT test, the target group cells were treated with the optimal concentration of cisplatin and ultrasound with intensities of 0.5, 1, and 2 w/cm2 . After 24 hours, the culture medium of the target cells was collected and added to the bystander cells using the medium transfer technique. At 24 hours, MTT assay was used to measure cell viability.

The survival percentage of melanoma cells in the bystander group, which received the culture medium of the treated cells by combination of cisplatin and ultrasound waves with an intensity of 2 W/cm2 , had a significant decrease compared to the control group.

In combination therapies with ultrasound waves and chemotherapy drugs, the role of the bystander effect on the efficiency of treatment and cell survival should also be considered.

Diagnosis and remove of blood transmittable infections has a vital importance in blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to concurrently assess the presence of protozoan parasites plasmodium, toxoplasma, and babesia in samples of blood transfusion.

In this experimental study, the development of a triplex nested-Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for extol of blood transfusion process at 2020 in Isfahan City, Iran, was done. After selecting the genus specific primers, at the first step, nested PCRs were set up for each parasite specifically at the genus level using blood samples with a determined number of each parasite, and then multiplex nested PCR was set up.

The nested PCR triple reaction (TN-PCR) has a higher diagnostic validity compared to the microscopic and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were as 100%, 100%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, for detection Plasmodium, 100%, 91%, 92%, and 100%, for Toxoplasma, and 94%, 100%, 100%, and 89% for Babesia. The validity of this test for Plasmodium was the highest compared to the other two parasites.

Based on the results of this study, the TN-PCR method can simultaneously identify one, two or all three dangerous pathogens in biological samples as well as blood samples in the blood transfusion process.

Immunotherapy is a new strategy to prevent and treat cancers. Cancer-testis antigens has gained lots of attention as the target of anti-cancer immunotherapy. In this study, Brother of regulator of imprinted sites (BORIS) cancer-testis antigen was used to design a DNA vaccine using bioinformatics tools, and its efficacy was assessed in murine colon cancer model in Balb/C mice.

In our previous study, the immunodominant regions of the BORIS antigen were identified. They were used to design a DNA vaccine inside the pcDNA3.1 plasmid after appropriate modifications and reverse translation. The DNA vaccine was used to immunized BALB/c mice four times at weekly intervals. 14 days after the last injection, the levels of specific cytokines and antibodies were measured. Moreover, to evaluate the protective effect of the DNA vaccine, colorectal cancer cells (CT26) were injected into mice, and tumors’ growth progression evaluated for 28 days.

Vaccination with this multiepitope DNA vaccine increased the level of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin 4 (IL-4) cytokines (P < 0.001) and specific antibodies [immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), IgG2a, IgG total] (P < 0.001) compared to control groups [phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and pcDNA3.1-VAC]. Moreover, mean tumors volume significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in the DNA vaccine immunized group compared to control groups.

This study suggests that the use of a BORIS antigen-derived DNA vaccine can be used as a strategy to induce a significant anti-tumor immune response, and inhibit murine colon tumors growth.