Publications by authors named "Firzan Nainu"

Drug repurposing is a promising approach to identify new pharmacological indications for drugs that have already been established. However, there is still a limitation in the availability of a high-throughput preclinical system that is suitable for screening and investigating new pharmacological indications. The aim of this study was to introduce the application of larvae as an platform to screen drug candidates with anti-aging and immunomodulatory activities.

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Enteropathy is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by inflammation in the small intestine and one of the causes of enteropathy is the side effects of certain drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The mechanism of NSAIDs, such as indomethacin, could inhibit prostaglandin synthesis, leading to a decrease in mucus production and small intestine integrity. To test the effects of a drug, it is necessary to undergo preclinical testing using animal models.

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  • Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can damage skin, leading to collagen breakdown and reduced enzyme activity, contributing to photoaging.
  • Fucoidan (FUC) has promising antiaging benefits, like promoting collagen production and inhibiting enzyme activity, but its large molecular size makes it difficult to penetrate skin when applied topically.
  • A new delivery system combining thermoresponsive gel (TRG) with solid microneedles (SMNs) effectively enhances FUC's skin absorption, showing significant antiaging effects in tests on rats after UV exposure.
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  • * These models have provided insight into various viruses' replication, tissue targeting, and immune evasion, while also allowing for the testing of antiviral drugs and compounds against current threats like COVID-19 and Zika.
  • * Despite some challenges, zebrafish offer unique benefits, such as being cost-effective and suitable for high-throughput screening, making them an important tool in viral research alongside traditional animal models.
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In the present work, phytoconstituents from Citrus limon are computationally tested against SARS-CoV-2 target protein such as Mpro - (5R82.pdb), Spike - (6YZ5.pdb) &RdRp - (7BTF.

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Respiratory diseases are the most common and severe health complication and a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment, few safe and effective therapeutics have been reported. Phytochemicals are gaining popularity due to their beneficial effects and low toxicity.

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Neurodegeneration, the decline of nerve cells in the brain, is a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). Oxidative stress, a key factor in NDDs such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease can lead to neuronal cell death, mitochondria impairment, excitotoxicity, and Ca stress. Environmental factors compromising stress response lead to cell damage, necessitating novel therapeutics for preventing or treating brain disorders in older individuals and an aging population.

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Aging is commonly characterized by a decline in the physiological functioning of the body organs, with one hallmark being the impairment of intestinal function, leading to increased intestinal permeability known as leaky gut. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of curcumin to prevent the development of leaky gut in utilizing the smurf fly method. In this study, flies aged 3-5 days underwent a 10-day dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) treatment to induce intestinal permeability, followed by a smurf assay using brilliant blue dye and locomotor testing the next day.

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It is widely acknowledged that smoking exacerbates the severity of infectious diseases. A presumed mechanism involves the damage inflicted by tobacco smoke on the organs of host organisms. In this study, an alternative hypothesis was explored: smoking enhances the virulence of bacteria.

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Recent studies have demonstrated that cytokine dysregulation has a critical role in the pathogenesis of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between tumor necrosis factor (TNF- α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and interleukin 17 (IL-17) with infection status, and severity of dengue. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospitals in Gianyar regency and Denpasar municipality, Bali, Indonesia, from June to December 2022.

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This study delved into the consequences of prolonged administration of vitamin D on innate immune systems, particularly NF-κB and JAK/STAT, in . The outcomes indicated that vitamin D treatment exhibited a notable capacity to improve the survival of adult flies with compromised immune functions, a condition induced by the loss of PGRP-LB, particularly when the flies were exposed to heat-killed . The mutant line that was treated with heat-killed experienced reduced survival.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The authors identified errors in a specific part of their paper, particularly in Section 6.17, which discusses the antidiarrheal effect.
  • - These mistakes also affected the data presented in the related table of effects.
  • - The authors were initially unaware of these errors before reviewing the paper.
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The anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities of plant secondary metabolites are due to their diverse mechanisms of action against multifarious molecular targets such as modulation of the complex immune system associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This review discussed and critically analyzed the potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects of several phytochemicals and their underlying mechanisms in association with RA in experimental studies, including preliminary clinical studies of some of them. A wide range of phytochemicals including phenols, flavonoids, chalcones, xanthones, terpenoids, alkaloids, and glycosides have shown significant immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activities in experimental RA models and a few have undergone clinical trials for their efficacy and safety in reducing RA symptoms and improve patient outcomes.

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Neurodegeneration, which manifests as several chronic and incurable diseases, is an age-related condition that affects the central nervous system (CNS) and poses a significant threat to the public's health for the elderly. Recent decades have experienced an alarming increase in the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), a severe public health issue due to the ongoing development of people living in modern civilizations. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading trigger of age-related dementia.

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Curcumin, a dietary polyphenol derived from turmeric's rhizome, exhibits a range of pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory effects. It has been investigated for its therapeutic potential in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to its ability to inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), modulate oxidative stress, impact cell viability, and regulate gene expression. However, most studies have been limited to in vitro conditions.

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Viruses are infectious entities that make use of the replication machinery of their hosts to produce more progenies, causing disease and sometimes death. To counter viral infection, metazoan hosts are equipped with various defense mechanisms, from the rapid-evoking innate immune responses to the most advanced adaptive immune responses. Previous research demonstrated that cells in fruit flies and mice infected with Drosophila C virus and influenza, respectively, undergo apoptosis, which triggers the engulfment of apoptotic virus-infected cells by phagocytes.

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The genus belongs to the family Araceae. Plants belonging to this genus are available worldwide and have been used in traditional medicines since ancient times, mainly in Ayurveda and Unani medical practices. species are an abundant source of polyphenolic compounds; these are accountable for their pharmacological properties, such as their analgesic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, antiobesity, and immunomodulatory effects, as well as their ability to prevent gastrointestinal disturbance and reduce blood glucose.

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  • The study investigates how HIV infection affects the skin microbiome, particularly in Cameroonian individuals, highlighting potential changes in skin health.
  • Findings indicate that HIV-infected individuals exhibited higher alpha-diversity but significantly altered beta-diversity in their skin microbiome compared to healthy individuals.
  • The research suggests that specific skin microbes were affected by HIV, pointing to early changes that may influence skin diseases, even independent of CD4 T cell counts, paving the way for new treatments for skin-related microbial disorders.
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The increasing occurrence and prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have led to a growing interest in researching available treatment alternatives. , a native plant species of North Sulawesi, has been a focus of ethnopharmacological studies due to its significance contributions to drug development, particularly its potential antidiabetic properties. This study investigated the pharmacological potential of (CM) leaf extract for managing type-2 diabetes (T2DM) using a network pharmacology approach.

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Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people throughout the world. There are many signaling pathways associated with cancerous diseases, from which the Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway performs a significant role in this regard. Apoptosis and proliferation are correlated with MAPK signaling pathways.

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Honokiol is a neolignan biphenol found in aerial parts of the Magnolia plant species. The Magnolia plant species traditionally belong to China and have been used for centuries to treat many pathological conditions. Honokiol mitigates the severity of several pathological conditions and has the potential to work as an anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, anticancer, antioxidant, and neurotherapeutic agent.

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Polyphenols are a class of secondary metabolic products found in plants that have been extensively studied for how well they regulate biological processes, such as the proliferation of cells, autophagy, and apoptosis. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated signaling cascade is currently identified as a crucial pro-inflammatory pathway that plays a significant role in the development of neuroinflammation. This process has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of several neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), CNS damage, and cerebral ischemia.

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Pineapple has been recognized for its potential to enhance health and well-being. This study aimed to gain molecular insights into the anti-inflammatory properties of fermented pineapple juice using multimodal computational studies. In this study, pineapple juice was fermented using Lactobacillus paracasei, and the solution underwent liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

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The primary approaches to treat cancerous diseases include drug treatment, surgical procedures, biotherapy, and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy has been the primary treatment for cancer for a long time, but its main drawback is that it kills cancerous cells along with healthy ones, leading to deadly adverse health effects. However, genitourinary cancer has become a concern in recent years as it is more common in middle-aged people.

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