Publications by authors named "Mohammad-Hadi Sekhavati"

Lactoferrin is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) playing a pivotal role in numerous biological processes. The primary antimicrobial efficacy of lactoferrin is associated with its N-terminal end, which contains various peptides, such as lactoferricin and lactoferrampin. In this context, our research team has developed a refined chimeric 42-mer peptide known as cLF36 over the past few years.

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Immunomodulatory peptides, while exhibiting potential antimicrobial, antifungal, and/or antiviral properties, can play a role in stimulating or suppressing the immune system, especially in pathological conditions like breast cancer (BC). Thus, deregulation of these peptides may serve as an immunotherapeutic strategy to enhance the immune response. In this meta-analysis, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing data and known therapeutic peptides to investigate the deregulation of these peptides in malignant versus normal human breast epithelial cells.

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Background: Lactoferrin is a versatile protein with important modulatory functions in inflammation and immune response. This glycoprotein can bind and sequester iron and LPS, thereby intervening in certain signaling pathways and biological processes. In the present meta-analysis, we aimed to pool experimental data regarding the immunomodulatory effects of lactoferrin and its derived peptides on the NF-κB signaling pathway.

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Clostridium perfringens-induced necrotic enteritis (NE) is an economically important disease of broiler chickens. The present study evaluated the effect of C. perfringens on the intestinal histomorphometry, enteric microbial colonization, and host immune responses using 3 experimental NE reproduction methods.

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The use of anticancer peptides (ACPs) as an alternative/complementary strategy to conventional chemotherapy treatments has been shown to decrease drug resistance and/or severe side effects. However, the efficacy of the positively-charged ACP is inhibited by elevated levels of negatively-charged cell-surface components which trap the peptides and prevent their contact with the cell membrane. Consequently, this decreases ACP-mediated membrane pore formation and cell lysis.

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Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 4 treatments of 6 replicates to evaluate the effects of cLFchimera, a recombinant antimicrobial peptide (AMP), on gut health attributes of broiler chickens under necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge. Treatments were as follows: (T1) unchallenged group fed with corn-soybean meal (CSM) without NE challenge and additives (NC); (T2) group fed with CSM and challenged with NE without any additives (PC); (T3) PC group supplemented with 20 mg cLFchimera/kg diet (AMP); (T4) PC group supplemented with 45 mg antibiotic (bacitracin methylene disalicylate)/kg diet (antibiotic). Birds were sampled for villi morphology, ileal microbiota, and jejunal gene expression of cytokines, tight junctions proteins, and mucin.

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Since Brucella infection mostly occurs through the mucosal surfaces, immune response induced by vaccine that is delivered by a way of mucosal route can be drastically enhanced to control the brucellosis. Omp31is the major outer membrane protein of Brucella, and is considered as a protective antigen against Brucella infection. Accordingly, Lactococcus lactis has been used as an antigen-delivering vector to develop a vaccine-induced mucosal response for having a safer vaccination against brucellosis.

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Background: Foodborne pathogens and their biofilms are considered as one of the most serious problems in human health and food industry. Moreover, safety of foods is a main global concern because of the increasing use of chemical food additives. Ensuring food safety enhances interest in discovery of new alternative compounds such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which can be used as bio-preservatives in the food industry.

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Background: Lactoferrampin (LFampin), Lactoferricin (LFcin), and LFchimera are three well-known antimicrobial peptides derived from Lactoferrin and proposed as alternatives for antibiotics. Although the intracellular activity of these peptides has been previously demonstrated, their mode of action is not yet fully understood. Here, we performed a molecular dynamics simulation study to understand the molecular interactions between camel Lactoferrin derived peptides, including CLFampin, CLFcin, and CLFchimera, and DNA as an important intracellular target.

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Background: Designing a potent recombinant vaccine, using the appropriate subunits with the greatest effect on stimulating the immune system, especially in the case of intracellular pathogens such as gram negative Brucella Melitensis bacteria, is of great importance. In this study, three repeats of 27 amino acids of the immunogenic epitope derived from OMP31 antigen (3E) from the Brucella melitensis, in a protective manner against Brucellosis have been used. To fortify the delivery system of recombinant antigens, IL-2 cytokine as a molecular adjuvant was fused to recombinant constructs.

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This study investigated the effects of an antimicrobial peptide (AMP), cLF36, on growth performance and the histophysiological changes of the intestine in E. coli-challenged broiler chickens. A total number of 360 day old male chicks were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 6 replicates as follows: T1) negative control diet based on corn-soybean meal without E.

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Objectives: Brucellosis is a common infectious disease among animals and humans. While subunit vaccines could be used as an efficient strategy against pathogens, they usually seem to be less immunogenic than live or killed vaccines. However, the use of a suitable adjuvant accompanied by subunit vaccines can be a good alternative to enhance the immune response.

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Nowadays, cancer remains a major cause of death affecting millions of people. Currently, the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as potent anticancer therapeutic agents offer specificity and low levels of side effects in cancer therapy. In the present study, a cationic chimeric peptide (cLFchimera), derived from camel lactoferrin, was expressed as a secretory peptide using P170 expression system in L.

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Objectives: Vaccination is one of the most effective means to protect humans and animals against brucellosis. Live attenuated Brucella vaccines are considered effective in animals but they may be potentially infectious to humans, so it is vital to improve the immunoprotective effects and safety of vaccines against Brucella. This study was designed to evaluate the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines encoding outer membrane proteins (Omp25 and Omp31) against Rev1 in a mouse model.

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Over the last decade, global increase in antibiotic consumption is a major concern in the word. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) known as potential alternative and were considered as a safe antimicrobial agent. However, current approaches for production and purification of AMPs are costly and time-consuming.

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Over the last decades, poultry industry faced to the rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria as a global concern. Antimicrobial peptide (AMPs) known as potential antibiotic alternative and were considered as a new antimicrobial agent. Current methods of production and purification of AMPs have several limitations such as: costly, time-consuming and killing the producing host cells in recombinant form.

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Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms and have long been used in food production as well as health promotion products. Bioengineered probiotics are used to express and transfer native or recombinant molecules to the mucosal surface of the digestive tract to improve feed efficiency and promote health. Lactococcus lactis is a potential probiotic candidate to produce useful biological proteins.

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Lactoferrin is the most dominant protein in milk after casein. This protein plays a crucial role in many biological processes including the regulation of iron metabolism, induction and modulation of the immune system, the primary defense against microorganisms, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and presenting antimicrobial activity against various pathogens such as parasites, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. The major antimicrobial effect of lactoferrin is related to its N-terminal tail where different peptides for instance lactoferricin and lactoferrampin which are important for their antimicrobial abilities are present.

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Objectives: The Streptomyces phage phiC31 integrase offers a sequence-specific method of transgenesis with a robust long-term gene expression. PhiC31 has been successfully developed in a variety of tissues and organs for purpose of in vivo gene therapy. The objective of the present experiment was to evaluate PhiC31-based site-specific transgenesis system for production of transgenic bovine embryos by somatic cell nuclear transfer and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

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Brucellosis is one the serious infectious diseases caused deleterious health and economic losses. Vaccination with subunit vaccines is the efficient alternative way than live attenuated vaccines against infectious diseases. Herein a new chimeric OMP25-BLS antigen emulsified in Chitosan Nanoparticles was designed and its immune responses were compared with control groups.

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Brucellosis caused by the bacterium Brucella affects various domestic and wild species. The outer membrane proteins 25 and 31 play key roles on stimulation of cell-mediated immune response against Brucella. GroEL as one of the major Brucella antigens stimulates the immune system and increases intracellular survival of bacteria.

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Brucellosis is a well-known domestic animal infectious disease, which is caused by Brucella bacterium. The outer membrane protein 25 kDa (Omp25) gene plays an important role in simulating of TNF-α, IFN-α, macrophage, and cytokines cells. In the current study molecular cloning and expression analysis of Omp25 gene for designing a subunit vaccine against Brucella was investigated.

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Background: Selection of sperm for intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is usually considered as the ultimate technique to alleviate male-factor infertility. In routine ICSI, selection is based on morphology and viability which does not necessarily preclude the chance injection of DNA-damaged or apoptotic sperm into the oocyte. Sperm with high negative surface electrical charge, named "Zeta potential", are mature and more likely to have intact chromatin.

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Objectives: Brucellosis is a well-known domestic animal infectious disease, which is caused by Brucella bacterium. GroEL antigen increases Brucella survival and is one of the major antigens that stimulates the immune system. Hence, the objective of the present study was cloning and bioinformatics analysis of GroEL gene.

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Objective: The aim of present study was cloning and expression of phiC31 integrase cDNA in a bacterial expression vector. Thus, an intra molecular assay vector was applied to show in vitro activity of recombinant protein.

Materials And Methods: In this experimental study, phiC31 cDNA was subcloned into a prokaryotic expression vector and transformed into E.

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