Majid Rezayi

Therapeutic Potential of Targeting PI3K/AKT Pathway in Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: Rational and Progress: PI3K/AKT PATHWAY In CRC

PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is one of the key dysregulated pathways in different tumor types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Activation of this pathway is shown to be related with cellular transformation, tumor progression, cell survival, and drug resistance. There is growing body of data evaluating the value of PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors in CRC (e.g., BEZ235, NVP‐BEZ235, OSI‐027, everolimus, MK‐2206, KRX‐0401, BYL719, and BKM120). This report summarizes the current knowledge about PI3K/AKT pathway and its cross talk with ERK/MAPK and mTOR pathways with particular emphasis on the value of targeting this pathway as a potential therapeutic target in treatment of colorectal cancer. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 2460–2469, 2018.

The Response of Macrobenthic Communities to Environmental Variability in Tropical Coastal Waters

The relative contributions of spatial and temporal fluctuations are different in shaping natural communities in a tropical coastal/estuarine system. Understanding how coastal communities respond to these fluctuations is still equivocal, and thus, available data are rare. Here, multiple analytical approaches were used to identify key spatial and temporal factors, and to quantify their relative roles in shaping a macrobenthic community through space (contamination degree, physical parameters, and sediment characteristics) and time (climatic factors, season, and year). A dataset of eight sampling times was analyzed over a period of 2xa0years, in which macrobenthic species abundances were sampled. A total of 33 species were identified, including 18 bivalves, 5 gastropods, and 4 crustaceans. The other taxa were less diverse. The results show that there were no significant temporal changes of macrobenthic community structure, but spatial changes were significant and synchronized with environmental factors (i.e., sediment characteristics, water depth, and the distance from anthropogenic sources). This study demonstrates that spatial factors played a primary role in structuring of macrobenthic assemblages, whereas the influence of temporal factors appeared less across geographically distinct sites. Thus, temporal variation of a coastal macrobenthic community appears to be controlled by partly different processes at different scales.

A genetic variant in CDKN2A/2B locus was associated with poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: GHOBADI et al.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is among the leading causes of cancer related death. Despite of extensive efforts in identifying valid cancer prognostic biomarkers, only a very small number of markers have been identified. Several genetic variants in the 9p21 region have been identified that are associated with the risk of multiple cancers. Here, we explored the association of two genetic variants in the 9p21 region, CDKN2A/B, rs10811661, and rs1333049 for the first time in 273 subjects with, or without ESCC. We observed that the patients with ESCC had a higher frequency of a TT genotype for rs10811661 than individuals in the control group, and this polymorphism was also associated with tumor size. Moreover, a CC genotype for the rs1333049 polymorphism was associated with a reduced overall survival (OS) of patients with ESCC. In particular, patients with a CC (rs1333049) genotype had a significantly shorter OS (CC genotype: 34.5u2009±u20098.9 months vs. CG+GG: 47.7u2009±u20095.9 months; p valueu2009=u20090.03). We have also shown the association of a novel genetic variant in CDKN2B gene with clinical outcome of patients with ESCC. Further investigations are warranted in a larger population to explore the value of emerging markers as a risk stratification marker in ESCC.

The potential prognostic and therapeutic application of tissue and circulating microRNAs in cervical cancer: HASANZADEH et al.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a common malignancy in women and a major cause of cancer‐related mortality globally. Some novel biomarkers may enable the early diagnosis and monitoring of CC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that control gene translation at a posttranscriptional level. Hence the deregulation of these molecules can cause many diseases. There appears to be an association between aberrant miRNA expression and CC, but the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of CC remain unknown. The upregulation of some circulating miRNAs, for example, miRNA‐20a, miRNA‐203, miRNA‐21, miRNA‐205, miRNA‐218, and miR‐485‐5, as well as tissue‐specific miRNAs, for example, miR‐7, miR‐10a, miR‐17‐5p, miR‐135b, miR‐149, and miR‐203 have been found in patients with CC. There is also growing evidence for the importance of miRNAs in the development of drug resistance. This review therefore highlights recently published preclinical and clinical investigation performed on tissue specific and circulating miRNAs, as potential biomarkers for the detection of patients at early stages of CC, in the prediction of prognosis, and monitoring of their response to therapy.

Facile and greener hydrothermal honey-based synthesis of Fe3O4/Au core/shell nanoparticles for drug delivery applications: RASOULI et al.

In the present research, we report a greener, faster, and low‐cost synthesis of gold‐coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4/Au‐NPs) by different ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 molar ratio) of iron oxide and gold with natural honey (0.5% w/v) under hydrothermal conditions for 20u2009minutes. Honey was used as the reducing and stabilizing agent, respectively. The nanoparticles were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), UV‐visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). The XRD analysis indicated the presence of Fe3O4/Au‐NPs, while the TEM images showed the formation of Fe3O4/Au‐NPs with diameter range between 3.49u2009nm and 4.11u2009nm. The VSM study demonstrated that the magnetic properties were decreased in the Fe3O4/Au‐NPs compared with the Fe3O4‐NPs. The cytotoxicity threshold of Fe3O4/Au‐NPs in the WEHI164 cells was determined by using the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. It was demonstrated no significant toxicity in higher concentration up to 140.0u2009ppm which can become the main candidates for biological and biomedical applications, such as drug delivery.

High-density lipoprotein functionality and breast cancer: A potential therapeutic target: SAMADI et al.

Breast cancer is a major cause of death globally, and particularly in developed countries. Breast cancer is influenced by cholesterol membrane content, by affecting the signaling pathways modulating cell growth, adherence, and migration. Furthermore, steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol and these play a key role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Although most findings have reported an inverse association between serum high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐cholesterol level and the risk of breast cancer, there have been some reports of the opposite, and the association therefore remains unclear. HDL is principally known for participating in reverse cholesterol transport and has an inverse relationship with the cardiovascular risk. HDL is heterogeneous, with particles varying in composition, size, and structure, which can be altered under different circumstances, such as inflammation, aging, and certain diseases. It has also been proposed that HDL functionality might have a bearing on the breast cancer. Owing to the potential role of cholesterol in cancer, its reduction using statins, and particularly as an adjuvant during chemotherapy may be useful in the anticancer treatment, and may also be related to the decline in cancer mortality. Reconstituted HDLs have the ability to release chemotherapeutic drugs inside the cell. As a consequence, this may be a novel way to improve therapeutic targeting for the breast cancer on the basis of detrimental impacts of oxidized HDL on cancer development.

Application of water quality indices for evaluating water quality and anthropogenic impact assessment

Influences of different environmental variables are predicted to increase during the next century in association with abrupt changes in water quality. Determining the magnitude of such effects is difficult because variation of environmental variables is generally unpredictable, and thus, available data are rare. In this study, water quality monitoring was conducted based on new operational indicators and multi-metric indices to evaluate water quality status and biological response at temporal and spatial scales in west coastal water of Malaysia. The trophic state index ranged from 6 to 8 in temporal and spatial scales and suggested a highly productive system with a high trophic level, characteristic of a low-quality system. The eutrophication index varied from 0.65 to 4.45 and most of the samples had a bad (49%) or poor (45.5%) water quality, and only 5.3% of the water samples had a moderate productive system with a moderate trophic level. In West Port, anthropogenic sources and natural processes are likely to contribute to increase in nutrient concentrations and trophic level in the water column. During the study period, no secondary symptoms or eutrophication events occurred which could be due to water exchange and hydrodynamic turbulence, which prevented the eutrophication development at this region.

Health Risk Assessment for Human Exposure to Trace Metals and Arsenic via Consumption of Hen Egg Collected from Largest Poultry Industry in Iran

The relative contribution of foodstuffs to intake of heavy metal is still equivocal, and thus, available data are rare. Here, the concentration of ten heavy metals and arsenic were measured in the content of hen egg from five strains of commercial laying hens to evaluate contamination level and potential health risk among local and international consumers in Iran. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of all heavy metals was significantly lower than the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) and respective tolerable daily intake (TDI). The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk values for eating eggs were in the safe range for all consumers, indicating that the no health risk for consumers due to the daily intake of either arsenic or heavy metals. Therefore, intake of heavy metal exposure through the consumption of commercial egg product in Iran is completely safe for both national and international consumers.

Advancements in electrochemical DNA sensor for detection of human papilloma virus - A review

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted disease, transmitted through intimate skin contact or mucosal membrane. The HPV virus consists of a double-stranded circular DNA and the role of HPV virus in cervical cancer has been studied extensively. Thus it is critical to develop rapid identification method for early detection of the virus. A portable biosensing device could give rapid and reliable results for the identification and quantitative determination of the virus. The fabrication of electrochemical biosensors is one of the current techniques utilized to achieve this aim. In such electrochemical biosensors, a single-strand DNA is immobilized onto an electrically conducting surface and the changes in electrical parameters due to the hybridization on the electrode surface are measured. This review covers the recent developments in electrochemical DNA biosensors for the detection of HPV virus. Due to the several advantages of electrochemical DNA biosensors, their applications have witnessed an increased interest and research focus nowadays.