Saffron as a Promising Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory illness of the gastrointestinal tract (GI), characterized by recurrent episodes of inflammation and tissue destruction. It affects an increasing number of individuals worldwide who suffer from Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). Despite substantial advances in understanding the underlying causes of IBD, the available treatments remain restricted and are sometimes accompanied by severe consequences.

High-throughput sequencing and in-silico analysis confirm pathogenicity of novel MSH3 variants in African American colorectal cancer.

The maintenance of DNA sequence integrity is critical to avoid accumulation of cancer-causing mutations. Inactivation of DNA Mismatch Repair (MMR) genes (e.g.

Mechanism of Antitumor Effects of Saffron in Human Prostate Cancer Cells.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the USA. Several studies have demonstrated the antitumor properties of saffron in different types of cancers, including prostate cancer. The oral administration of saffron extract has been reported to have antitumor effects on aggressive prostate-cancer-cell-line-derived xenografts in nude male mice.

Gastrointestinal Manifestations and Their Association with Neurologic and Sleep Problems in Long COVID-19 Minority Patients: A Prospective Follow-Up Study.

Background: Long-COVID is a condition post SARS-CoV-2 infection with persistent or recurring symptoms affecting multiple organs, and may involve viral persistence, changes to the microbiome, coagulopathies, and alterations to neuro-immune interactions. These factors can disrupt the Gut-Brain Axis, which is a complex system involving bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal (GI) system. As a result of these disruptions, individuals with long-COVID may develop post-infectious functional GI disorders, which can cause a range of symptoms affecting the digestive system.

Exploring the Incidence and Associated Risk Factors of Barrett's Esophagus in African Americans: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The prevalence of Barrett's esophagus (BE) in African Americans (AA) is uncertain. However, several potential risk factors, includes family history, male sex, ethnicity, chronic heartburn and acid reflux, age over 60, current or past smoking, and obesity are associated with BE. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of BE in AA patients who underwent Esophageal Gastro Endoscopy (EGD).

Management of tibial plateau fractures: a fresh review.

Tibial plateau fractures are complex injuries which carry significant morbidity and economic burden. They can present complex geometry depending upon the direction of the force and position of the limb and are often associated with significant soft-tissue injury. While the goals of adequate reduction, stable fixation, and early mobilization remain unchanged, the management of these injuries can be challenging even to experienced orthopaedic surgeons.

Microbiomic and Metabolomic Analyses Unveil the Protective Effect of Saffron in a Mouse Colitis Model.

Despite the existence of effective drugs used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), many patients fail to respond or lose response over time. Further, many drugs can carry serious adverse effects, including increased risk of infections and malignancies. Saffron () has been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties.

High Prevalence of Diabetes Among Hospitalized COVID-19 Minority Patients: Data from a Single Tertiary Hospital.

Background And Aim: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common comorbidity in the minority population and is associated with poor outcomes in COVID-19 patients. We hypothesized that COVID-19 patients with pre-existing diabetes mellitus are prone to fatal outcomes compared to non-diabetic patients. We aimed to illustrate the characteristics and outcomes and identify the risk factors for in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients with DM.

Saffron, Its Active Components, and Their Association with DNA and Histone Modification: A Narrative Review of Current Knowledge.

Intensive screening for better and safer medications to treat diseases such as cancer and inflammatory diseases continue, and some phytochemicals have been discovered to have anti-cancer and many therapeutical activities. Among the traditionally used spices, (saffron) and its principal bioactive constituents have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chemopreventive properties against multiple malignancies. Early reports have shown that the epigenetic profiles of healthy and tumor cells vary significantly in the context of different epigenetic factors.

A Phagosomally Expressed Gene, rv0428c, of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Demonstrates Acetyl Transferase Activity and Plays a Protective Role Under Stress Conditions.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome is composed of several hypothetical gene products that need to be characterized for understanding the physiology of bacteria. Rv0428c was one of the 11 proteins exclusively identified within the phagosomal compartment of macrophages infected with mycobacteria and marked as hypothetical. The expression of rv0428c gene was upregulated under acidic and nutritive stress conditions in M.

RPS13, a potential universal reference gene for normalisation of gene expression in multiple human normal and cancer tissue samples.

Background: Reference genes are considered stable genes and are used for normalizing the gene expression profile across different cell types; as well as, in normal and diseased samples. However, these gene associates with different biological processes, and hence expression vary in different pathological conditions. Therefore, in the present study, eight different reference genes were used and compared to identify common reference gene usable for an array of different cell types and human cancers.

DNA methylation mediated downregulation of histone H3 variant H3.3 affects cell proliferation contributing to the development of HCC.

Chromatin alterations brought by histone variants and modifications potentially regulate gene transcription from tumor initiation to progression. Histone H3.3 variant is one such epigenetic player important for disease progression and development.

Analysis of Chromatin Modifiers and Profiling of Histone Deacetylases (HDAC's) in Human Oral Cancer.

Histone modifications have been demonstrated to play a significant role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) epigenetic regulation. An analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) of various histone acetyl transferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) suggested that HATs do not differ between normal and tumor samples whereas HDAC2 and HDAC1 change maximally and marginally respectively between normal and tumor patients with no change being noted in HDAC6 expression. Hence, this investigation was carried out to validate the expression states of HDAC 1, 2 and 6 mRNAs in buccal mucosa and tongue SCC samples in an Indian cohort.

Tumor-specific overexpression of histone gene, H3C14 in gastric cancer is mediated through EGFR-FOXC1 axis.

Incorporation of different H3 histone isoforms/variants have been reported to differentially regulate gene expression via alteration in chromatin organization during diverse cellular processes. However, the differential expression of highly conserved histone H3.2 genes, H3C14 and H3C13 in human cancer has not been delineated.

HISTome2: a database of histone proteins, modifiers for multiple organisms and epidrugs.

Background: Epigenetics research is progressing in basic, pre-clinical and clinical studies using various model systems. Hence, updating the knowledge and integration of biological data emerging from in silico, in vitro and in vivo studies for different epigenetic factors is essential. Moreover, new drugs are being discovered which target various epigenetic proteins, tested in pre-clinical studies, clinical trials and approved by the FDA.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor pre-treatment enhances the efficacy of DNA-interacting chemotherapeutic drugs in gastric cancer.

Background: The prognosis of gastric cancer continues to remain poor, and epigenetic drugs like histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have been envisaged as potential therapeutic agents. Nevertheless, clinical trials are facing issues with toxicity and efficacy against solid tumors, which may be partly due to the lack of patient stratification for effective treatments.

Aim: To study the need of patient stratification before HDACi treatment, and the efficacy of pre-treatment of HDACi as a chemotherapeutic drug sensitizer.

Histone H2A isoforms: Potential implications in epigenome plasticity and diseases in eukaryotes.

Epigenetic mechanisms including the post-translational modifications of histones, incorporation of histone variants and DNA methylation have been suggested to play an important role in genome plasticity by allowing the cellular environment to define gene expression and the phenotype of an organism. Studies over the past decade have elucidated how these epigenetic mechanisms are significant in orchestrating various biological processes and contribute to different pathophysiological states. However, the role of histone isoforms and their impact on different phenotypes and physiological processes associated with diseases are not fully clear.

Elevated HDAC activity and altered histone phospho-acetylation confer acquired radio-resistant phenotype to breast cancer cells.

Background: Poor-responsiveness of tumors to radiotherapy is a major clinical problem. Owing to the dynamic nature of the epigenome, the identification and targeting of potential epigenetic modifiers may be helpful to curb radio-resistance. This requires a detailed exploration of the epigenetic changes that occur during the acquirement of radio-resistance.

Establishing a correlation between RIN and A along with the multivariate evaluation of factors affecting the quality of RNA in cryopreserved cancer bio-specimen.

Biomarkers are biological characteristic to measure and evaluate normal and pathological states. To define expression-based molecular biomarkers, high-quality tissue samples are a prerequisite for the preparation of standard RNA. It is already known that RIN number defines the RNA quality, however its relation with A ratio and Ct value is not defined clearly; therefore, understanding an association will provide a reliable method for describing RNA quality.

Comparisons of Neuromuscular Training Versus Quadriceps Training on Gait and WOMAC Index in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis and Varus Malalignment.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of neuromuscular training (NMT) and quadriceps training (QT) on the altered gait patterns and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and varus malalignment.

Methods: Sixty-six patients with knee pain ≥2 on 100-mm visual analog scale, radiographic knee OA changes ≥2 on Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale, and genu varum were allocated randomly into either the neuromuscular training group or quadriceps training group. Twelve weeks of supervised exercise protocol was given to the participants of both groups, which included 3 sessions per week.