The suppressive effects of crocin from saffron on allergic airway inflammation through Drp1/Nfr1/Mfn2/Pgc1-alpha signaling pathway in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Saffron is derived from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L., which was considered by ancient nations for food and medicinal purposes. In traditional medicine, the therapeutic use of Crocus sativus includes antispasmodic, antitussive and expectorant.

The role of Nrf2 signaling in parasitic diseases and its therapeutic potential.

In response to invading parasites, one of the principal arms of innate immunity is oxidative stress, caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, oxidative stresses play dual functions in the disease, whereby free radicals promote pathogen removal, but they can also trigger inflammation, resulting in tissue injuries. A growing body of evidence has strongly supported the notion that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF) signaling is one of the main antioxidant pathways to combat this oxidative burst against parasites.

The common bisulfite-conversion-based techniques to analyze DNA methylation in human cancers.

DNA methylation is an important molecular modification that plays a key role in the expression of cancer genes. Evaluation of epigenetic changes, hypomethylation and hypermethylation, in specific genes are applied for cancer diagnosis. Numerous studies have concentrated on describing DNA methylation patterns as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis monitoring and predicting response to cancer therapy.

The interplay between microRNAs and Nrf2 signaling in human cancers.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as a class of nonprotein-coding RNAs, post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of target genes by base pairing to 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs). Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has been identified as a critical component of the antioxidant defense mechanism. Dysregulation is associated with chemoresistance and radioresistance in cancerous cells.

In vitro Evaluation of the Potent Antileishmanial Activity of Alone or in Combination with Shark Cartilage Extract Against the Standard Iranian Strain of (MRHO/IR/75/ER).

Background: The available drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis are highly toxic and extremely expensive, with low efficiency; therefore, the development of effective therapeutic compounds is essential.

Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the antileishmanial effects of ethyl acetate extract, methanol extract, and fractions 1-4 (F1-F4) of , alone or in combination with shark cartilage extract (ShCE), on in vitro.

Methods: In this study, ethyl acetate, methanol, and n-hexane extracts were extracted from the aerial roots of by the maceration method.

A novel compound heterozygous of β-thalassemia with HbG-Coushatta: case report of Iran.

A 30-year-old male couple from Ardabil city, Iran, were admitted for premarital screening. An abnormal band in HbS/D regions with high levels of HbF and HbA 2 led us to suspect the possibility of a compound heterozygous state of β-thalassemia in our affected proband. Therefore, beta globin chain sequencing of proband discovered a heterozygote combination of the Hb G-Coushatta [b22 (B4) Glu>Ala, HBB: c.

An update of Nrf2 activators and inhibitors in cancer prevention/promotion.

NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein is a basic-region leucine zipper transcription factor that defends against endogenous or exogenous stressors. By inducing several cytoprotective and detoxifying gene expressions, Nrf2 can increase the sensitivity of the cells to oxidants and electrophiles. Transient Nrf2 activation, by its specific activators, has protective roles against carcinogenesis and cancer development.

Cellular immunotherapy in gastric cancer: adoptive cell therapy and dendritic cell-based vaccination.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies. Recent studies have highlighted cellular immunotherapy (CI) as a promising approach for treating this disease. Among the CI-based approaches, adoptive cell therapy and dendritic cell-based vaccination are commonly studied in preclinical and clinical trials.

Reduced Levels of miR-28 and miR-200a Act as Predictor Biomarkers of Aggressive Clinicopathological Characteristics in Gastric Cancer Patients.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in different pathological processes including cancer development and progression. To find novel molecular diagnostic and prognostic markers and promising therapeutic tools for gastric cancer (GC), we aimed to investigate the relationship of the expression levels of miR-28-5p or miR-200a-3p with the clinicopathological criteria and to explore their impacts on the progression of human GC.

Materials And Methods: Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to analyze miR-28 and miR-200a expression in 60 GC and 60 non-GC tissue samples.

Biomimetic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Matricaria chamomilla extract and their potential anticancer activity against human lung cancer cells.

Herbs having various natural substances can be utilized for the biosynthesis of Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and act as a stable, reliable and biocompatible alternative instead of the current physical and chemical approaches. It has been reported that Matricaria chamomilla possesses unique properties, especially anti-cancerous effects. The objective of the current work was to assess the chemical characteristics and anticancer effects of biosynthesized AgNPs applying aqueous extracts of M.

Nrf2/P-glycoprotein axis is associated with clinicopathological characteristics in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Activation of ABCB1 gene and its main product, P-glycoprotein, is the common reason for chemoresistance. The nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor2 (Nrf2) is directly regulated by Kelch like ECH-associated protein1 (Keap1).

Nrf2 overexpression is associated with P-glycoprotein upregulation in gastric cancer.

The efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents remains very poor in gastric cancer (GC) patients due to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), is a pivotal transcriptional factor that regulates phase II detoxifying enzymes, antioxidants and efflux transporters including P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of Nrf2 and P-gp and their correlations with clinicopathological criteria in GC patients.

Comparison of genome-wide analysis techniques to DNA methylation analysis in human cancer.

DNA methylation was the first epigenetic modification to be detected in human cancers with specific relation to aberrant gene expression. Herein, DNA methylation analysis explains how epigenetic patterns affect gene expression level. Hypermethylation at tumor suppressor gene loci leads to increased tumorigenesis due to tumor suppressor gene silencing, whereas global hypomethylation of CpG islands (CGIs) is followed by genomic instability and aberrant activation of multiple oncogenes.

The role of Nrf2-Keap1 axis in colorectal cancer, progression, and chemoresistance.

Colorectal cancer is the third common cancer after lung and genital cancers worldwide with more than 1.2 million new cases diagnosed annually. Although extensive progress has been made in the treatment of colorectal cancer, finding novel targets for early diagnosis and effective treatment of these patients is an urgent need.

Contradictory roles of Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway in cancer prevention/promotion and chemoresistance.

NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein is a cytosolic transcription factor that regulates antioxidant and stress-related enzymes. Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) binds Nrf2 and accelerates ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of Nrf2. Nrf2 modifies the sensitivity of the cell environment to electrophiles and oxidants by inducing the transcriptional activation of more than 100 detoxification and cytoprotective genes.

Hydatid Cyst Protoscolices Induce Cell Death in WEHI-164 Fibrosarcoma Cells and Inhibit the Proliferation of Baby Hamster Kidney Fibroblasts In Vitro.

Both in vitro and in vivo models have demonstrated that some parasites can interfere with tumor cell growth. The present study investigates the anticancer activity of hydatid cyst protoscolices on WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cells and baby hamster kidney (BHK) fibroblast cells in vitro. Those above two cell types were treated with live hydatid cyst protoscolices or left untreated for control groups.