Atif Amin Baig

The first Malay database toward the ethnic-specific target molecular variation

BackgroundThe Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project (MyHVP) is one of the eighteen official Human Variome Project (HVP) country-specific nodes. Since its inception in 9th October 2010, MyHVP has attracted the significant number of Malaysian clinicians and researchers to participate and contribute their data to this project. MyHVP also act as the center of coordination for genotypic and phenotypic variation studies of the Malaysian population. A specialized database was developed to store and manage the data based on genetic variations which also associated with health and disease of Malaysian ethnic groups. This ethnic-specific database is called the Malaysian Node of the Human Variome Project database (MyHVPDb).FindingsCurrently, MyHVPDb provides only information about the genetic variations and mutations found in the Malays. In the near future, it will expand for the other Malaysian ethnics as well. The data sets are specified based on diseases or genetic mutation types which have three main subcategories: Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), Copy Number Variation (CNV) followed by the mutations which code for the common diseases among Malaysians. MyHVPDb has been open to the local researchers, academicians and students through the registration at the portal of MyHVP (http://hvpmalaysia.kk.usm.my/mhgvc/index.php?id=register).ConclusionsThis database would be useful for clinicians and researchers who are interested in doing a study on genomics population and genetic diseases in order to obtain up-to-date and accurate information regarding the population-specific variations and also useful for those in countries with similar ethnic background.

Honey as a Potential Natural Antioxidant Medicine: An Insight into Its Molecular Mechanisms of Action

Honey clasps several medicinal and health effects as a natural food supplement. It has been established as a potential therapeutic antioxidant agent for various biodiverse ailments. Data report that it exhibits strong wound healing, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, and antidiabetic effects. It also retains immunomodulatory, estrogenic regulatory, antimutagenic, anticancer, and numerous other vigor effects. Data also show that honey, as a conventional therapy, might be a novel antioxidant to abate many of the diseases directly or indirectly associated with oxidative stress. In this review, these wholesome effects have been thoroughly reviewed to underscore the mode of action of honey exploring various possible mechanisms. Evidence-based research intends that honey acts through a modulatory road of multiple signaling pathways and molecular targets. This road contemplates through various pathways such as induction of caspases in apoptosis; stimulation of TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IFNGR1, and p53; inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest; inhibition of lipoprotein oxidation, IL-1, IL-10, COX-2, and LOXs; and modulation of other diverse targets. The review highlights the research done as well as the apertures to be investigated. The literature suggests that honey administered alone or as adjuvant therapy might be a potential natural antioxidant medicinal agent warranting further experimental and clinical research.

Computational Characterization of the Promoter Region of SMN2 (Survival of Motor Neuron) Gene

SMN (Survival of Motor Neuron) has two isotypes; SMN1 and SMN2 encoding for FL-SMN protein (functional SMN) and ?7SMN protein (non functional). The lack of SMN1 produce spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and the increasing gene dosage of SMN2 have been shown to decrease the severity of the SMA. The core promoter region of the SMN genes is still not identified but previous literature have shown these genes to be regulated by a 4.6 kb region up stream of the transcription start site (TSS). There was a need of computational analysis of this region as the presence of important features can help to develop a strategy for gene therapy against spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In this analysis, the open reading frames, Pribnow box sequences, restriction sites and the transcriptional factor binding sites were identified. Important restriction sites were determined with in 15 open reading frames. Total of 15 ORFs and 24 nested ORFs were determined with 7 and 11 ORFs on the complementary strand. These ORFs contained 15 TATA box sequences reflecting the diverse function integrity of SMN promoter region. The whole data was used for the prediction of the promoter region of the SMN. Up to the best of our knowledge this is the first reported study in the literature reflecting the computational analysis of the ~4.6 kb expected promoter region of the SMN genes towards analyzing the core promoter region of the SMN genes in the future studies.

Short-term estrogen replacement therapy reduces platelet marker levels in Malaysian postmenopausal women

Objectives In healthy postmenopausal women (PMW) increased platelet activation has been associated with adverse cardiovascular events. There is much debate about the relationship between platelet function and serum estradiol level in PMW. This study assessed the effect of short-term oral estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) on platelet activation markers (CD62P and PAC-1) and its correlation with age and body mass index (BMI) among healthy PMW. Methods A prospective intervention study was conducted at Hospital University Sains Malaysia, involving 48 healthy PMW who were evaluated for platelet activation marker levels as determined by flow cytometry, before and after two weeks of oral ERT with 0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogen once daily. The pre- and post-ERT platelets activation markers difference was analysed by paired t-test. Results The pre-ERT, mean ± SD percentage levels of CD62P and PAC-1 were significantly reduced from 7.00 ± 5.91 and 41.75 ± 26.85 to 3.05 ± 2.47 and 20.86 ± 19.02, respectively, after two weeks of ERT (P value < 0.001). The correlation of platelet activation markers was significant with estradiol but not with age and BMI. Conclusion Short-term ERT leads to reduction in platelet activity, which might contribute to protection against cardiovascular diseases in healthy PMW.