Publications by authors named "Kaveh Baghaei"

Pulmonary fibrosis leads to increased mortality but is poorly understood. Fibrotic progression is associated with abnormal wound repair and an increase in myofibroblast cell populations. Here we investigate how the myofibroblast population is impacted by unique compression-induced apoptosis derived from mechanical strain characteristic of asthma.

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Photobiomodulation (PBM) and have been shown to be effective in improving inflammatory conditions with positive effects on increasing the population of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages (MQs). In this study, gliadin-stimulated THP-1 derived MQs were treated with and PBM to evaluate their effects on promoting the polarization of M2 MQs. The human monocyte cell line (THP-1) was differentiated to MQs.

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Exosomes (Exos), natural nanovesicles released by various cell types, show potential as an effective drug delivery platform due to their intrinsic role as transporters of biomolecules between different cells. However, Exos functionalization with targeting ligands is a critical step to enhance their targeting capability, which could be challenging. In this study, Exos were modified to specifically bind to CD44-positive cells by anchoring chondroitin sulfate (CS) to their surface.

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Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (30-150 nm) that are formed by endocytosis containing complex RNA as well as protein structures and are vital in intercellular communication and can be used in gene therapy and drug delivery. According to the cell sources of origin and the environmental conditions they are exposed to, these nanovesicles are very heterogeneous and dynamic in terms of content (cargo), size and membrane composition. Exosomes are released under physiological and pathological conditions and influence the pathogenesis of cancers through various mechanisms, including angiogenesis, metastasis, immune dysregulation, drug resistance, and tumor growth/development.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent form of liver malignancy, and curing it is very challenging. Restoring tumor suppressor microRNAs could trigger the initiation of cellular anticancer mechanisms. Exosomes are nanosized biocarriers capable of fusing with cell membranes and delivering their cargo.

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Background: The isolation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) from various tissues is possible, with the umbilical cord emerging as a competitive alternative to bone marrow. In order to fulfill the demands of cell therapy, it is essential to generate stem cells on a clinical scale while minimizing time, cost, and contamination. Here is a simple and effective protocol for isolating MSC from Wharton's Jelly (WJ-MSC) using the explant method with various supplements.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver diseases, affecting more than one-quarter of people worldwide. Hepatic steatosis can progress to more severe forms of NAFLD, including NASH and cirrhosis. It also may develop secondary diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

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Celiac Disease (CeD) is an autoimmune disorder with various symptoms upon gluten exposure. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in gliadin-induced inflammation. Vitamin A (retinol; Ret) and its metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), along with tryptophan (Trp) and its metabolite, kynurenic acid (KYNA), are known to influence the immune function of DCs and enhance their tolerogenicity.

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Background: One of the main reasons for cancer resistance to chemotherapy is the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in cancer tissues. It is also believed that CSCs are the unique originators of all tumor cells. On the other hand, the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition pathway (EMT) can act as the main agent of metastasis.

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Individuals with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) may show no symptoms to moderate or severe complications. This variation may be due to differences in the strength of the immune response, including a delayed interferon (IFN) response in asymptomatic patients and higher IFN levels in severe patients. Some long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as regulators of the IFN pathway, may contribute to the emergence of different COVID-19 symptoms.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gastric cancer is a complicated disease with various molecular subtypes that affect treatment and prognosis, with high mortality and limited therapies available.
  • Microsatellite instability (MSI) is identified as a favorable subgroup in gastric cancer, particularly noted for its good prognosis, but there is little data regarding its prevalence in the Middle East, especially Iran.
  • A study analyzing 53 Iranian gastric cancer samples revealed that about 7.5% exhibited high MSI, primarily among older patients, females, and those with specific tumor characteristics, such as larger size and distal location.
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End-stage of liver fibrosis as a precancerous state could lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma which liver transplantation is the only effective treatment. Previous studies have indicated that farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists, such as obeticholic acid (OCA) protect against hepatic injuries. However, free OCA administration results in side effects in clinical trials that could be alleviated by applying bio carriers such as MSC-derived exosomes (Exo) with the potential to mimic the biological regenerative effect of their parent cells, as proposed in this study.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has recently emerged as a major public health concern worldwide due to its rapidly rising prevalence and its potential to progress into end-stage liver disease. While the precise pathophysiology underlying NAFLD remains incompletely understood, it is strongly associated with various environmental triggers and other metabolic disorders. Epigenetics examines changes in gene expression that are not caused by alterations in the DNA sequence itself.

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Introduction: Gastric cancer is one of the most commonly known malignancies and is the fifth cancer-related death globally. Whereas natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in tumor elimination; therefore, adoptive NK cell therapy has become a promising approach in cancer cytotherapy. Hence, this study investigated the chemo-immune cell therapy in MKN-45 derived xenograft gastric cancer model.

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Introduction: The maturation faith of dendritic cells is restrained by the inflammatory environment and cytokines, such as interleukin-6 and its downstream component. Therefore, introducing the suitable antigen to dendritic cells is crucial. However, reducing the severity of the suppressive tumor microenvironment is indispensable.

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Background: Helicobacter pylori outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nano-sized structures, which have been recently suggested to play a crucial role in H. pylori pathogenesis. There are growing evidence indicating the relationship of H.

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Article Synopsis
  • Liver fibrosis occurs when there's too much accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, making early diagnosis challenging due to a lack of accurate non-invasive tests and the invasive nature of liver biopsies.
  • The study evaluates the diagnostic potential of specific circulating miRNAs (miR-146b, -194, -214) found in the blood of NAFLD patients and examines their role in the development of liver fibrosis.
  • Results indicated that miR-146b and miR-214 levels were significantly higher in NAFLD patients, while miR-194 was lower, suggesting these miRNAs could be used as non-invasive biomarkers for early liver fibrosis diagnosis and highlighting pathways like NF-κB activation and autophagy in their functioning.
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Background: Treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has become challenging following the development of primary antibiotic resistance. A primary therapeutic regimen for H.

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The pentaspan transmembrane glycoprotein CD133, prominin-1, is expressed in cancer stem cells in many tumors and is promising as a novel target for the delivery of cytotoxic drugs to cancer-initiating cells. In this study, we prepared a mouse library of single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies using mRNAs isolated from mice immunized with the third extracellular domain of a recombinant CD133 (D-EC3). First, the scFvs were directly exposed to D-EC3 to select a new specific scFv with high affinity against CD133 using the ribosome display method.

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Liver fibrosis is characterized by the excessive deposition and accumulation of extracellular matrix components, mainly collagens, and occurs in response to a broad spectrum of triggers with different etiologies. Under stress conditions, autophagy serves as a highly conserved homeostatic system for cell survival and is importantly involved in various biological processes. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has emerged as a central cytokine in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and is the main mediator of liver fibrosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Liver fibrosis is a major health issue without an approved treatment, but previous studies show Imatinib can potentially reverse it despite its high side effects and required dosage due to conventional administration methods.
  • A new pH-sensitive polymer-based nanotherapeutic system has been developed using Vitamin A-modified Imatinib-loaded nanoparticles that release the drug effectively in the intestine while preventing premature release in the acidic stomach environment.
  • In experiments on mice with liver fibrosis, these targeted nanoparticles showed a strong accumulation in the liver, significantly improved liver enzyme levels, decreased collagen expression, and improved overall liver structure as assessed by various histological techniques.
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Article Synopsis
  • Liver fibrosis causes significant health issues and is challenging to treat, prompting research into anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory therapies like miR-124 delivered through stem cell-derived exosomes.
  • In a mouse model, administering hWJMSC-Exo and miR-124-3p-enriched exosomes for three weeks showed a reduction in fibrosis and inflammation compared to untreated controls.
  • The study found that ExomiR-124 was more effective than hWJMSC-Exo in reducing collagen accumulation and altering immune response, indicating its potential as a therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis.
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Purpose: Non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by the accumulation of excess fat in the liver, chronic inflammation, and cell death, ranging from simple steatosis to fibrosis, and finally leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The effect of Fibroblast growth factor 2 on apoptosis and ER stress inhibition has been investigated in many studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of FGF2 on the NAFLD in-vitro model in the HepG2 cell line.

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising drug delivery vehicle candidate because of their natural origin and intrinsic function of transporting various molecules between different cells. Several advantages of the EV delivery platform include enhanced permeability and retention effect, efficient interaction with recipient cells, the ability to traverse biological barriers, high biocompatibility, high biodegradability, and low immunogenicity. Furthermore, EV membranes share approximately similar structures and contents to the cell membrane, which allows surface modification of EVs, an approach to enable specific targeting.

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