HERV-K np9 and HERV-R env: Two endogenous retrovirus products with potential Pathogenic roles in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Objectives: Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are integral components of the human genome, and their reactivation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of some malignancies. External viral co-infections are suspected to play a role in HERV transactivation. This study aimed to investigate the expression of HERV-K np9 elements and HERV-R env gene in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients.

Feature-Based Molecular Networking for the Exploration of the Metabolome Diversity of Common Egyptian Species in Relation to Their Cytotoxic Activity.

is a genus compromising over 250 herbaceous flowering species and is used traditionally to treat several ailments. Among the Egyptian species, was reported to be cytotoxic against multidrug-resistant cancer cells. In this context, we aimed to explore the metabolome of and compare it to other members of the genus in pursuance of identifying its bioactive principles.

Investigating causes and risk factors of pre-chemotherapy viremia in acute lymphoblastic leukemia pediatric patients.

Background: Leukemia patients are immune-compromised even before starting chemotherapy because the malignant cells invade the bone marrow and destroy WBC precursors. Leukemic patients are more susceptible to infection by a wide range of microorganisms. Viral infections and reactivations are common and may result in severe complications.

Plant cell cultures: An enzymatic tool for polyphenolic and flavonoid transformations.

Background: In the pharmaceutical sector, tissue culture techniques for large-scale production of natural chemicals can be a less expensive alternative to large-scale synthesis. Although recent biotransformation research have used plant cell cultures to target a wide range of bioactive compounds, more compiled information and synopses are needed to better understand metabolic pathways and improve biotransformation efficiencies.

Purpose: This report reviews the biochemical transformation of phenolic natural products by plant cell cultures in order to identify potential novel biotechnological approaches for ensuring more homogeneous and stable phenolic production year-round under controlled environmental conditions.

Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Dual Targeting PI3Kδ/BRD4 Inhibitor, SF2535, in B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

The PI3K/Akt pathway-and in particular PI3Kδ-is known for its role in drug resistant B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and it is often upregulated in refractory or relapsed B-ALL. Myc proteins are transcription factors responsible for transcribing pro-proliferative genes and c-Myc is often overexpressed in cancers. The chromatin regulator BRD4 is required for expression of c-Myc in hematologic malignancies including B-ALL.

A new grading system for female sexual dysfunction based on the female sexual function index in Egyptian women: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To provide a grading system that accurately reflects the grades of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) severity.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Assiut University Hospital. It included 500 women who answered the Arabic version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) after getting their consent.

Comparative Study on the Essential Oils from Five Wild Egyptian Species: Effective Extraction Techniques, Antimicrobial Activity and In-Silico Analyses.

The genus is recognized in folk medicine for anti-inflammatory, anti-itch, antitussive, purgative, astringent, and tonic activities. To study the chemical determinant for antimicrobial activity essential oils (EOs), five species were analyzed including: , , , and . Conventional hydro-distillation (HD) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), as new green technologies, were compared for the extraction of essential oils.

Minimal Residual Disease Detection in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) refers to a chemotherapy/radiotherapy-surviving leukemia cell population that gives rise to relapse of the disease. The detection of MRD is critical for predicting the outcome and for selecting the intensity of further treatment strategies. The development of various new diagnostic platforms, including next-generation sequencing (NGS), has introduced significant advances in the sensitivity of MRD diagnostics.

Terpenoid bio-transformations and applications via cell/organ cultures: a systematic review.

Structurally diverse natural products are valued for their targeted biological activity. The challenge of working with such metabolites is their low natural abundance and complex structure, often with multiple stereocenters, precludes large-scale or unsophisticated chemical synthesis. Since select plants contain the enzymatic machinery necessary to produce specialized compounds, tissue cultures can be used to achieve key transformations for large-scale chemical and/or pharmaceutical applications.

Integrin Antibody Decreases Deformability of Patient-Derived Pre-B Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells as Measured by High-Frequency Acoustic Tweezers.

Objectives: This article reports a study of cell mechanics in patient-derived (primary) B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) cells treated with antibodies against integrins. Leukemia cell adhesion to stromal cells mediates chemotherapeutic drug resistance, also known as cell adhesion-mediated chemotherapeutic drug resistance. We have previously shown that antibodies against integrin α and α adhesion molecules can de-adhere ALL cells from stromal cells or counter-receptors.

New antimicrobial metabolites from the medicinal herb .

is widely used in traditional medicines for the treatment of several diseases. From the aerial parts organic extract of , two new compounds, 1,3,8-trihydroxyeudesm-4-en-7,11H-12,6-olide () and 5--​-​glucopyranosyloxy​-​7-methoxy-​6H-​benzopyran-​2-​one (), respectively, together with five known metabolites: 3,8-dihydroxygermacr-4(15),9(10)-dien-7,11H,12,6-olide (), 1,8-dihydroxy-11,13-dihydrobalchanin (), 11-epiartapshin (), tomenin () and benzoic acid, -​(-​-​glucopyranosyloxy)​-​methyl ester (), were isolated and identified. The chemical structures were proven depending upon spectroscopic analysis, including 1 D/2D NMR as and ESI-MS.

Cytotoxicity of 40 Egyptian plant extracts targeting mechanisms of drug-resistant cancer cells.

Background: The multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype encounters a major challenge to the success of established chemotherapy in cancer patients. We hypothesized that cytotoxic medicinal plants with novel phytochemicals can overcome MDR and kill MDR-cells with similar efficacy as drug sensitive cells.

Purpose: We evaluated plant extracts from an unexplored ecosystem in Egypt with unusual climate and nutrient conditions for their activity against sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines.

Euphosantianane A⁻D: Antiproliferative Premyrsinane Diterpenoids from the Endemic Egyptian Plant .

species are rich in diterpenes. A solvent extraction of , a species indigenous to the Southern Sinai of Egypt, afforded several premyrsinane diterpenoids (⁻) as well as previously reported metabolites (⁻) that included three flavonoids. Isolated compounds were chemically characterized by spectroscopic analysis.

Differentiation of pityriasis rubra pilaris from plaque psoriasis by dermoscopy.

Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) and plaque psoriasis (PP) are two distinctive erythemato-squamous skin diseases that often have to be differentiated from each other and from other similar dermatoses. Dermoscopy has been proven to aid the clinical diagnosis of several inflammatory disorders, minimizing the need for skin biopsy. Our aim was to determine the dermoscopic patterns of PRP compared to PP and to assess the significance of certain dermoscopic criteria in the diagnosis of PRP.

Strategies to Fight Hidden Hunger in Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan and Tunisia.

The four countries, Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, and Tunisia, face different nutrition challenges and have different experiences and policies in place to combat hunger. Stunting rates among children below 5 years are highest in Ethiopia and Sudan (38%) compared to Sudan and Tunisia (21 and 11-9%). Children below 5 years in Egypt and Tunisia also suffer from higher risks to become overweight and obese; 14-16% are considered overweight.

Potency of extracts from selected Egyptian plants as inducers of the Nrf2-dependent chemopreventive enzyme NQO1.

Unlabelled: Medicinal plants from the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula are widely used in traditional Bedouin medicine to treat a range of conditions including cancer, and as such are a promising resource for novel anti-cancer compounds. To achieve scientific justification of traditional use and/or to recommend the use of those plants as medicinal herbs for cancer chemoprevention, a group of 11 Sinai plants of different species that belong to 3 families (Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Euphorbiaceae) were biologically screened for cancer preventive activity using the chemoprevention marker enzyme

Nad(p)h: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Among the fractions assayed, a solvent extract from Pulicaria incisa had potent NQO1 inducing activity.

A possible general mechanism for ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) suggested from the results of UAE of chlorogenic acid from Cynara scolymus L. (artichoke) leaves.

The use of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for the extraction of chlorogenic acid (CA) from Cynara scolymus L., (artichoke) leaves using 80% methanol at room temperature over 15 min gave a significant increase in yield (up to a 50%) compared with maceration at room temperature and close to that obtained by boiling over the same time period. A note of caution is introduced when comparing UAE with Soxhlet extraction because, in the latter case, the liquid entering the Soxhlet extractor is more concentrated in methanol (nearly 100%) that the solvent in the reservoir (80% methanol) due to fractionation during distillation.

Sesquiterpene Lactones from Cynara cornigera: Acetyl Cholinesterase Inhibition and In Silico Ligand Docking.

Wild artichoke (Cynara cornigera), a thistle-like perennial belonging to the Asteraceae family, is native to the Mediterranean region, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. While the pleasant, albeit bitter, taste of the leaves and flowers is attributed to the sesquiterpene lactones cynaropicrin and cynarin, a comprehensive phytochemical investigation still needs to be reported. In this study seven sesquiterpene lactones were isolated from an aqueous methanol plant extract, including a new halogenated metabolite (1), the naturally isolated compound sibthorpine (2), and five metabolites isolated for the first time from C.

A new steroid from the Red Sea soft coral Lobophytum lobophytum.

Chemical investigation of the soft coral Lobophytum lobophytum collected from the Red Sea led to the isolation of a new compound gorgostan-5,25-dien-3β-ol (1), and two known compounds gorgosterol (2), and alismol (3). Structures were elucidated by employing extensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS experiments.

Microbial biotransformation as a tool for drug development based on natural products from mevalonic acid pathway: A review.

Natural products are structurally and biologically interesting metabolites, but they have been isolated in minute amounts. The syntheses of such natural products help in obtaining them in bulk amounts. The recognition of microbial biotransformation as important manufacturing tool has increased in chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Evaluation of the essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare Mill (fennel) fruits extracted by three different extraction methods by GC/MS.

Background: Hydrodistillation (HD) and steam-distillation, or solvent extraction methods of essential oils have some disadvantages like thermal decomposition of extracts, its contamination with solvent or solvent residues and the pollution of residual vegetal material with solvent which can be also an environmental problem. Thus, new green techniques, such as supercritical fluid extraction and microwave assisted techniques, are potential solutions to overcome these disadvantages.

Materials And Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate the essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare subsp.

Isolation and characterization of antineoplastic alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus L. Don. cultivated in Egypt.

Vinblastine and vincristine (the antileukemic agents) were isolated, in a pure form, from Catharanthus roseus L. Don., cultivated in Egypt, by several chromatographic techniques.

Chemical Investigation of Some Capparis Species Growing in Egypt and their Antioxidant Activity.

Capparis cartilaginea and C. deserti growing in Egypt were investigated for their glucosiolates and rutin content. From Capparis cartilaginea four isothiocynates were isolated and identified using GC and EI/MS techniques.

Naphthaquinones of Alkanna orientalis (L.) Boiss.

The roots of Alkanna orientalis (L.) Boiss yielded alpha-methyl-n-butyl alkannin (compound 1) and alkannin acetate (compound 2). The compounds were identified by UV, MS, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR.