Publications by authors named "Iraj Sharifi"

The use of conventional drugs is not a satisfactory treatment for the disease. Therefore, there is a crucial need for alternative therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to investigate the potential anti-leishmanial activity of Gossypium hirsutum niosomes against cutaneous leishmaniasis in a murine model and evaluate their effectiveness by assessing parasite burden, immunomodulatory gene expression, and histopathological profile.

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Dogs are the primary reservoirs of Leishmania infantum (L. infantum), but Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) infection is also possible in dogs and can transmitted to humans.

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Currently, no safe vaccine against leishmaniasis is available. So far, different control strategies against numerous reservoir hosts and biological vectors have not been environment-friendly and feasible. Hence, employing medicinal components and conventional drugs could be a promising approach to developing novel therapeutic alternatives.

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  • * Experiments showed that the combination of 6-shogaol and MA has multiple beneficial effects, including strong leishmanicidal activity, antioxidant benefits, and promotion of immune responses.
  • * Findings indicate that 6-shogaol enhances nitric oxide production and affects cell division and apoptosis in leishmaniasis-infected cells, paving the way for further research on these treatments.
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Leishmaniasis is a disease of poverty that imposes a devastating medical, social, and economic burden on over 1 billion people nationwide. To date, no in-depth study to analyze the major global challenges and needs assessment has been carried out. This investigation aimed to explore a comprehensive narrative review of leishmaniasis's main challenges and initially highlight obstacles that might impede the implementation of control measures.

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  • - The study investigates the effects of Miltefosine (MIL) and its modified version, liposomal Miltefosine (NMIL), on fetal organs in the context of leishmaniasis treatment, combining computational predictions and chicken embryo experiments.
  • - Using in silico analysis, researchers evaluated the interaction of these drugs with important proteins related to leishmaniasis, and validated their predictions through practical tests that examined gene expression and tissue changes in treated embryos.
  • - Findings indicate that NMIL is more effective than MIL in targeting critical leishmaniasis-related proteins and causes fewer harmful effects on vascular growth and increases in degenerative changes, suggesting it may be a safer treatment option for pregnant patients.
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Introduction: Emerging infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2 can cause pandemics and create a critical risk for humans. In a previous pilot study, we reported that the immunological responses induced by cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) could decrease the incidence and severity of COVID-19. In this large-scale case-control study, we assessed the possible relationship between mortality and morbidity of COVID-19 in healed CL persons suffering scars compared to cases without CL history.

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Leishmaniasis is a complex disease. Any change in weather conditions affects the humans' social and agricultural expansion and, consequently, the parasite's life cycle in terms of ecology, biodiversity, social stigma, and exclusion. This population-based prospective longitudinal investigation was conducted between 1991 and 2021 in a well-defined CL (cutaneous leishmaniasis) focus in Bam County, southeastern Iran.

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Establishing a balance between Th1 and Th2 subsets and M1- and M2-type macrophages is essential for the control of Leishmania infection. The suppressors of cytokine secretion (SOCS) proteins, particularly SOCS1 and SOCS3, play a significant role in regulating cytokine-triggered signaling pathways, thereby impacting the macrophage-and effector T-cell mediated antileishmanial immune response. In addition to the pro-inflammatory cytokines, Leishmania-derived lipophosphoglycan (LPG) and CpG-DNA interact with TLR2 and TLR9 to trigger SOCS expression.

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  • Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a significant health issue in Bam County, Iran, which is heavily affected by environmental factors; this study explores how these factors influence the disease's distribution.
  • The research analyzed data from 847 CL patients and identified key demographic trends, including a higher prevalence in younger age groups and urban settings, while confirming 66 impacted villages out of 561 surveyed.
  • Results highlighted that urban areas, agricultural land, and certain temperature ranges increased CL risk, whereas higher altitude and other climatic conditions showed a negative correlation with the disease's occurrence.
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  • Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a serious neglected tropical disease, with a study conducted in 10 provinces of Iran from 2013 to 2022 assessing its prevalence in humans and dogs.
  • A total of 21,281 human and 5,610 canine serum samples were analyzed, revealing a 2.1% seroprevalence in humans and a 20.1% seroprevalence in domestic dogs, with higher rates found in specific regions of Iran.
  • Despite a decline in human cases over the past decade, the significant prevalence of canine VL indicates ongoing public health concerns.
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  • Advancements in nanoscience have highlighted the use of polymeric mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) as potential carriers for the oral administration of insulin to help manage diabetes.
  • The study tested various MSN samples on diabetic rats, resulting in a significant reduction in blood glucose levels and showing characteristics such as safety, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency in delivering insulin.
  • Docking studies indicated strong interactions between MSN and insulin, particularly with Co-grafted MSN, which had the highest binding affinity, making it a promising candidate for improving oral insulin delivery systems.
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This study aimed to investigate the in vitro and in silico antileishmanial activity of azacitidine (AZA) on Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes. The in silico method was used to evaluate the possibility of the interaction of AZA into the binding pocket of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a leading defensive oxidative metabolite. Following that, in vitro anti-promastigote, and anti-amastigote activity of AZA was determined using an MTT assay and a macrophage model, respectively.

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A significant barrier to optimal antileishmanial treatment is low efficacy and the emergence of drug resistance. Multiple approaches were used to monitor and assess crocin (a central component of saffron) mixed with amphotericin B (AmpB) potential in silico and in vitro consequences. The binding behavior of crocin and iNOS was the purpose of molecular docking.

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Microbiological monitoring of the air hospital is essential for prevention and control, due to the possible airborne route of infection transmission, especially in high-risk wards. This study aimed to monitor the airborne fungi during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in selected wards of the biggest university educational hospital in Kerman, southeastern Iran. This study was conducted in 11 different wards, separated into the patient room and nursing station, of the Afzalipour hospital from May to August 2021.

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Iran has invariably been under the growing public health threat of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), a significant barrier to local development that hinders the prevention and control efforts toward eliminating the disease. So far, no comprehensive and in-depth epidemiological analysis of the CL situation has been carried out nationwide. This study aimed to employ advanced statistical models to analyze the data collected through the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention of Communicable Diseases during 1989-2020.

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Leishmaniasis caused by the protozoan Leishmania presents a severe illness, principally in tropical and subtropical areas. Antileishmanial metal complexes, like Glucantime® with proven activity, are routinely studied to probe their potency. We investigated the effects of a Cu (II) homoleptic complex coordinated by two dimethyl-bipyridine ligands against Leishmania major stages in silico and in vitro.

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Leishmaniasis as a widespread neglected vector-borne protozoan disease is a major public health concern in endemic areas due to 12 million people affected worldwide and 60,000 deaths annually. Several problems and side effects in using current chemotherapies leads to progression of new drug delivery systems against leishmaniasis. For instance, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) so-called anionic clays due to their proper characteristics, have been considered recently.

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Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer is very common in women and causes hundreds of deaths per year worldwide. Chemotherapy drugs including cisplatin have adverse effects on patients' health. Complementary treatments and the use of herbal medicines can help improve the performance of medicine.

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The goal of this study was to analyze the antileishmanial and antibacterial activity of green seed biosynthesize silver nanoparticles ( AgNPs), as well as cytotoxicity and cytokine gene expression. UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR, and FESEM methods used to examine the AgNPs. MTT test was used to assess the antileishmanial and cytotoxicity effects.

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Background: GP63, also known as Leishmanolysin, is a multifunctional virulence factor abundant on the surface of spp. small peptides with anticancer capabilities that are selective and toxic to cancer cells are known as anticancer peptides. We aimed to demonstrate the activity of GP63 and its anticancer properties on melanoma using a range of tools and screening methods to identify predicted and designed anticancer peptides.

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Leishmaniasis is an overlooked, poverty-stricken, and complex disease with growing social and public health problems. In general, leishmaniasis is a curable disease; however, there is an expansion of unresponsive cases to treatment in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). One of the effective and ignored determinants in the treatment outcome of CL is poor treatment adherence (PTA).

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Purpose: Cuminaldehyde (CA), an oxidized aldehyde monoterpene, is a major essential oil component in cumin seeds, which has shown different promising medical effects. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the antileishmanial potential of Bunium persicum (Boiss) B. Fedtsch (Apiaceae) and one of its main essential oil constituents, CA, focus on the mechanisms of action.

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Aim: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), is a common fungal infection that remains a global concern. The objectives of this study were molecular identification and assessment of the antifungal susceptibility profile of Candida species, causing VVC in southeast Iran.

Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was carried out on 119 nonpregnant females suspected of VVC between February 2019 and May 2021.

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As effector innate immune cells and as a host to the protozoan parasite Leishmania, macrophages play a dual role in antileishmanial immunoregulation. The 2 key players in this immunoregulation are the macrophage-expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and the macrophage-secreted cytokines. miRNAs, as small noncoding RNAs, play vital roles in macrophage functions including cytokines and chemokines production.

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