Publications by authors named "Sahib G Afridi"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the genetic diversity of malaria parasites, specifically focusing on the Pfmsp1 and Pfmsp2 genes in Plasmodium falciparum and the Pvmsp-3α gene in Plasmodium vivax from Nowshera District, Pakistan.
  • Blood samples from 124 malaria patients were collected and analyzed using genomic techniques, uncovering numerous distinct alleles and variants in both P. falciparum (21 alleles) and P. vivax (4 allelic variants).
  • The findings indicate moderate to high allelic diversity among the malaria parasites in the area, marking the first molecular characterization of these genotypes in this specific region.
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Article Synopsis
  • PvDBP is essential for the malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax to invade red blood cells by binding to a receptor called DARC, and its amino-terminal region II (PvDBPII) shows potential as a vaccine target.
  • A study of 118 P. vivax isolates from Pakistan identified 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), mainly in subdomains II and III of PvDBPII, with a notable 22 being nonsynonymous, indicating significant genetic variation.
  • Despite variation in amino acid changes between countries, both nucleotide diversity and patterns of natural selection in the Pakistan isolates align with those found globally, providing critical insights for developing effective vaccines against vivax malaria.
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Plasmodium vivax variant interspersed repeats (vir) refer to the key protein used for escaping the host immune system. Knowledge in the genetic variation of vir genes can be used for the development of vaccines or diagnostic methods. Therefore, we evaluated the genetic diversity of the vir genes of P.

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  • * A study analyzed the genetic diversity of the pfama-1 gene in P. falciparum isolates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, revealing 58 amino acid changes, particularly in specific domains.
  • * The research found both familiar genetic variations and 13 new changes unique to the region, indicating that KP-Pakistan pfama-1 had a similar level of diversity as the global strains, with signs of natural selection and recombination.
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Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP-3), is an intracellular sensor that is involved in inflammasome activation, and the aberrant expression of NLRP3 is responsible for diabetes mellitus, its complications, and many other inflammatory diseases. NLRP3 is considered a promising drug target for novel drug design. Here, a pharmacophore model was generated from the most potent inhibitor, and its validation was performed by the Gunner-Henry scoring method.

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Background: Naswar, a smokeless tobacco product, commonly consumed in Pakistan, is associated with a 10-fold increase in the risk of oral cancer. However, little is known about Naswar's underlying toxicity mechanisms.

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the effects of Naswar use on oral health and salivary parameters.

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Liver fibrosis is currently one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. Stem cells transplantation using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is an alternative therapy which is used in the place of organ transplant, due to the incapacity of stem cells to endure oxidative stress in the damage site, thus affecting the healing process. The present study aimed to enhance the therapeutic potential of MSCs using combined therapy, along with the novel synthetic compounds of benzimidazol derivatives.

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Clinical epidemiological studies have reported that viral infections cause autoimmune pathology in humans. Host-pathogen protein sequences and structure-based molecular mimicry cause autoreactive T cells to cross-activate. The aim of the current study was to implement immunoinformatics approaches to infer sequence- and structure-based molecular mimicry between viral and human proteomic datasets.

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Article Synopsis
  • Plasmodium vivax apical membrane antigen-1 (pvama-1) is a key target for malaria vaccine development, and understanding its genetic variation is essential for effective vaccine design.
  • A study analyzed blood samples from 84 malaria patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, revealing 57 haplotypes of pvama-1, with notable prevalence of H-14 and H-5 haplotypes, and some geographical genetic distinctions.
  • The findings indicated population expansion and potential immune response modulation due to novel genetic variations, highlighting the importance of genetic assessment for vaccine strategies against malaria.
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Autoimmune diseases develop when the immune system targets healthy cells and tissues of an individual. In developing countries, S. typhi (a gram-negative pathogenic bacteria) remains a major public health issue.

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Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are common genetic variations implicated in human diseases. The non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) affect the proteins' structures and their molecular interactions with other interacting proteins during the accomplishment of biochemical processes. This ultimately causes proteins functional perturbation and disease phenotypes.

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Introduction: The genomic miscellany of malaria parasites can help inform the intensity of malaria transmission and identify potential deficiencies in malaria control programs. This study was aimed at investigating the genomic miscellany, allele frequencies, and MOI of P. falciparum infection.

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Maxim., an alpine plant, is traditionally used for several medicinal purposes. Here, both chloroplast DNA sequences and nuclear low copy sequence markers were used to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of .

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Pyrazinoic acid-resistant tuberculosis is a severe chronic disorder. First-line drugs specifically target the ribosomal protein subunit-1 (RpsA) and stop trans-translation in the wild-type bacterium, causing bacterial cell death. In mutant bacterial strain, the deletion of ala438 does not let the pyrazinoic acid to bind to the active site of RpsA and ensures that the bacterium survives.

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Plant species represent the hierarchical expression of vegetation as it is affected by various environmental gradients. We explored the plant species composition, distribution pattern, communities formation and their respective indicators under the influence of various environmental factors in the Dhirkot region, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It was hypothesized that different environmental factors were responsible for the formation of various plant communities each with a distinct indicator.

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Chlamydia trachomatis is involved in most sexually transmitted diseases. The species has emerged as a major public health threat due to its multidrug-resistant capabilities, and new therapeutic target inferences have become indispensable to combat its pathogenesis. However, no commercial vaccine is yet available to treat the C.

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Background: Plasmodium falciparum is an obligate intracellular parasite of humans that causes malaria. Falciparum malaria is a major public health threat to human life responsible for high mortality. Currently, the risk of multi-drug resistance of P.

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Liver dysfunction is a major health problem worldwide. Stem cells therapy has opened up new avenues for researches to treat liver diseases due to their multi lineage differentiation. As mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be differentiated into hepatic lineages in the presence of different exogenous factors, the current study aimed to investigate the impact of carbon tetrachloride (CCl) induced liver injured mice serum on MSCs differentiation toward hepatocytes in vitro.

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Objective: To determine the frequency of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and associated factors among pregnant women.

Methods: The hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2016 to March 2017 at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Peshawar, District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ), Mardan, and District Headquarter Hospital, Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, and comprised data of 146 pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum. Data was compiled using pre-designed proforma.

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Background: Cancer is characterized by overexpression of p53 associated proteins, which down-regulate P53 signaling pathway. In cancer therapy, p53 activity can be restored by inhibiting the interaction of MDMX (2N0W) and MDM2 (4JGR) proteins with P53 protein.

Objective: In the current, study in silico approaches were adapted to use a natural product as a source of cancer therapy.

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The Brucella melitensis chronic infection and drug resistance emerged as a severe health problem in humans and domestic cattle. The pathogens fast genome sequences availability fetched the possibility to address novel therapeutics targets in a rationale way. We acquired the core genes set from 56 B.

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The present study aimed to gain insight into the genetic origin of the Shina population from Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. We partially performed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of healthy unrelated individuals of Shina tribe residing in the remote area of Gilgit-Baltistan to investigate their maternal lineages. The present study is the first report about Shina's genetic structure, origin, and relationship with the surrounding north-western Pakistani population.

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This study investigated the phytochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity in leaves, roots, stem, flower, and seed parts of The study also assessed the heavy metal (Cr, Mn, Zn, and Cu) accumulation in each part of the plant. Among the phytochemicals, alkaloids were found only in leaves while tannins, flavonoids, and phenols were present in all parts of the plant. For antioxidant activity, free radical scavenging assay for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was performed using ascorbic acid as the standard.

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The Mayaro virus (MAYV) belongs to genus "Alphavirus" and family "Togaviridae". MAYV has distribution in the Amazonia, Central and Northeastern regions of Brazil. The abundance of mosquito vector Haemagogus janthinomys has major role in the outbreaks of arthralgia disease in Brazil.

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The Kho population speaking Khowar language reside since long ago in Chitral District of North-western Pakistan. So far, no report is available about their genetic structure and relationship with surrounding population groups. We partially sequenced the mitochondrial DNA control region from 16 unrelated Kho male and female individuals of different ages.

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