Analysis of differential gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the nasopharyngeal milieu of mild & severe COVID-19 cases.

Introduction: A subset of individuals with COVID-19 can suffer from a severe form of the disease requiring breathing support for respiratory failure and even death due to disease complications. COVID-19 disease severity can be attributed to numerous factors, where several studies have associated changes in the expression of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines with disease severity. However, very few studies have associated the changes in expression of pro-inflammatory changes in the nasopharyngeal milieu with disease severity.

Analysis of the Antimicrobial and Anti-Biofilm Activity of Natural Compounds and Their Analogues against Isolates.

(1) Background: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the most frequent causes of biofilm-associated infections. With the emergence of antibiotic-resistant, especially methicillin-resistant S.

CMV and EBV Co-Infection in HIV-Infected Children: Infection Rates and Analysis of Differential Expression of Cytokines in HIV Mono- and HIV-CMV-EBV Co-Infected Groups.

(1) Background: CMV and EBV co-infections can affect the HIV disease progression by modulating the immune system. The disease dynamics can differ in HIV-positive adults and children. In Pakistan, HIV is rapidly expanding, especially in children; however, the prevalence of CMV and EBV co-infection and the effect on immune modulation in HIV-positive children are not known.

Association between the baseline gene expression profile in periapical granuloma and periapical wound healing after surgical endodontic treatment.

In this study, we have investigated the association between the baseline gene expression profile in periapical granuloma and periapical wound healing after surgical endodontic treatment. Twenty-seven patients aged between 15 and 57 years underwent periapical surgery. The retrieved periapical tissue sample was used for mRNA expression analysis of COL1A1, VTN, ITGA5, IL-4, TNF, ANGPT, VEGFA, and CTGF.

Baseline MMP expression in periapical granuloma and its relationship with periapical wound healing after surgical endodontic treatment.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) catalyzes the degradation of the extracellular matrix components and have a major role in many physiological processes including wound healing. In the current study, we examined the correlation of baseline MMPs 1, 2, 7, and 9 expressions with periapical wound healing after surgical endodontic treatment.

Methods: 27 patients aged between 15 and 57 years presenting with chronic apical periodontitis or chronic apical abscess of an anterior tooth with previously attempted or failed root canal treatment were included in this study.

'Targeting the feast of a sleeping beast': Nutrient and mineral dependencies of encysted Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Acanthamoeba spp. cause a corneal infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), and a cerebral infection, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). Though aggressive chemotherapy has been able to kill the active trophozoite form of Acanthamoeba, the encysted form of this parasite has remained problematic to resist physiological concentrations of drugs.

Future Oncotargets: Targeting Overexpressed Conserved Protein Targets in Androgen Independent Prostate Cancer Cell Lines.

Background: Targeting evolutionarily conserved proteins in malignant cells and the adapter proteins involved in signalling that generates from such proteins may play a cardinal role in the selection of anti-cancer drugs. Drugs targeting these proteins could be of importance in developing anti-cancer drugs.

Objectives: We inferred that drugs like loperamide and promethazine that act as antagonists of proteins conserved in cancer cells like voltage-gated Calcium channels (Cav), Calmodulin (CaM) and drug efflux (ABCB1) pump may have the potential to be re-purposed as an anti-cancer agent in Prostate Cancer (PCa).

Targeting CNS Related Protist Pathogens: Calcium Ion Dependency in the Brain-Eating Amoebae.

Of the free-living amoebae (FLA) , , and spp. are known to cause encephalitis. Coined with the term "brain-eating amoebae" (BEA), infection of the central nervous system with FLA has a high mortality rate.

Neuroleptic Drug Targets a Brain-Eating Amoeba: Effects of Promethazine on Neurotropic Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Acanthamoeba spp. has recently been reported to express diverse group of ion channels and receptors that are expressed by human cells which bind drugs that are used in noninfectious diseases. Bioinformatics computational tools, growth assays, and 3D structural modeling have enabled the discovery of primitive muscarinic receptors, voltage-gated calcium channels, and ion transport pumps such as Na-K ATPase in this protist pathogen.