Modern Medical Laboratory Journal
Volume:5 Issue: 2, Summer-Fall 2022

Colistin relates to the polymyxin group of antibiotics. This antibiotic is still used to destroy gram-negative bacteria as a last resort. However, resistance to this antibiotic has been reported and is appearing day by day. Not much information is available on the exact mechanisms of resistance to this antibiotic. Also, not enough information about pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics is available, so the optimal dose should be determined to use these antibiotics to prevent the toxic effects of this antibiotic. In current study, additionally to their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, we have presented current knowledge about the genes and two-component systems that may cause such resistance to polymyxin and colistin.

Enki or Ea. is the name of the god of wisdom, medicine and sea in the Mesopotamia Sumer and Elam. He is the ruler of the freshwater ocean, “Abzu”. Enki is represented by the rivers Euphrates and Tigris flowing from his shoulders. He has a bowl in his hand from which water flows. He is associated with his symbolic animals such as fish, goats and turtles. Boats and canes with ram heads are his tools. His special achievement was the creation of man and he is known in various epics as the creator of human beings. In addition, he owns the “ME” destiny tables on which the destinies of the gods and people are written. Enki has been recorded since the early Sumerian period and has been shown in various inscriptions to worship him as the god of fresh water and the god of the moisture of life. His main shrine was “Ayapsu” in the city of “Eridu”. Enki, as one of the most important deities in the Mesopotamia, had temples in many cities. As the influence of the city of “Erido” waned, his main shrine was moved to the city of “Uruk”, which is reflected in the legend of “Inana and Enki”. The physician in ancient Babylon was called “Asu”, which is derived from the Sumerian word “A-zu” and means a man who knows water (or oil). It is related to water prediction with the help of Enki. Enki's role in the medicine of Mesopotamian inscriptions has been repeated. In the legend of “Enki and Ninorsag”, the details of a story about medicinal plants, diseases and gods are written. This article reviews Enki's role in Mesopotamian medicine.

Stroke, is accounting for more than 34% of total healthcare spending globally. Ischemic stroke (IS) accounts for 62.4% of incident stroke cases. IS-related direct medical expenditures place a considerable burden on healthcare system. The burden is more prominent in developing countries where limitations in insurance coverage is a big concern. It would be less challenging in developed countries, where costs are covered by third parties. After introduction of advanced therapeutic medicinal products (ATMPs), a new line of treatments is proposed. Although the high prices of these treatments may cause financial concerns, they have encouraged scientists and provided acceptable results in a way that makes investment in this area reasonable for health experts. All ATMP-based therapies used in clinical trials for the treatment of IS are stem-cell-based or stem-cell-derivatives. The cost of stem-cell-based therapies are considerable like other alternative medical settings, e.g., thrombolysis and thrombectomy. However, the considerable recovery after prescription of ATMPs is expected to be cost-effective. Furthermore, various gene therapy approaches for the treatment of IS have been proposed. However, none has been qualified for clinical studies yet. If such a procedure is introduced in near future, it does not necessarily guarantee that these innovative treatments would be offered to the patients.   Application of ATMPs have many challenges particularly in developing countries. This is primarily related to exorbitant expenditures. Despite these challenges, the insurance systems in developed-countries supports stem-cell therapies as novel treatments. Significant improvements in the insurance systems of both developing and developed countries are necessary.

The treatment of prostate cancer patients usually starts with androgen ablation and followed by chemotherapy; however, in some cases the tumor develops resistant phenotype. Combination therapy is currently regarded as a cornerstone in cancer therapy to overcome the drug resistance. Herein, we investigated the combinatory effect of Docetaxel and Trastuzumab with a novel nanomedicine, BCc1. Also, we knocked down the expression of Heat shock factor-1, HSF1, in resistant Prostate Cancer cell line 3, PC3, using RNA interference, RNAi, to sensitize the cancer cells to the drug treatment. We observed down-regulation of Erb-B2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 3, ERBB3, B-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma 2, BCL2, and Heat Shock Protein 90, HSP90, in HSF1 knockdown PC3 cells.  Knockdown of HSF1 made PC3 cells more susceptible to Docetaxel treatment. Additionally, BCc1 nanomedicine was tested on prostate cancer cell line PC3 for the first time. It resulted in reduced metabolic activity in these cells.  We propose that a combination of the gene therapy and the chemotherapy gives more favorable results in the treatment of refractory prostate cancer.

Melorheostosis is a rare sclerosing hyperostosis that affects the appendicular skeleton more than the axial skeleton. This disorder also affects the cutaneous and soft tissues and leads to the formation of fibrosis and contracture. Due to the unique features of melorheostosis (dripping candle wax appearance), plain radiographs are often sufficient for diagnosis. Herein we report a case of melorheostosis in proximal phalanx and metacarpal bone. The case is a 21-year-old girl with intense pain in her left hand. She underwent conservative treatment and followed for five years. Outcome measures indicate pain reduction despite no significant changes in radiographs.

Infectious diseases are one of the main causes of death worldwide. This has driven scientists to invest in extraction and identification of antimicrobial agents from natural toxins and presentation of novel antibiotics and vaccines. The aim of the current study is to investigate the antibacterial and cytotoxicity effects of the protective antigen domain 4 (PAD4) from Bacillus anthracis as a strong immunogen and vaccine candidate for B. anthracis.

In this study, the antibacterial effect of the antigen was evaluated in concentrations of 0.28-4.5μg/ml using MTT reduction and MIC assays and the anticancer effect of the recombinant PAD4 on MCF-7 cell line was examined in concentrations of 0.5-2μg/ml via MTT, neutral red uptake, and comet assays. NO, GSH and catalase determination assays following the treatment with PAD4 was also evaluated.

According to the antibacterial results, PAD4 did not show any antibacterial effect against S. aureus, but very little inhibition on E. coli cells' growth was recorded. The results of MTT and neutral red assays showed that this antigen has a significant inhibiting effect on cancer cell growth. Comet assay results showed that PAD4 can cause death of breast cancer cells by apoptosis induction. NO, GSH and catalase determination assays did not show any significant fluctuations following the treatment with PAD4.

Our results showed that this antigen does not have any antibacterial effect but it can inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells, making PAD4 a candidate for producing antitumor drugs.