Contribution of Travelers to Malaria in South West Delhi, India: Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: India is committed to malaria elimination by the year 2030. According to the classification of malaria endemicity, the National Capital Territory of Delhi falls under category 1, with an annual parasite incidence of <1, and was targeted for elimination by 2022. Among others, population movement across states is one of the key challenges for malaria control, as it can result in imported malaria, thus introducing local transmission in an area nearing elimination.

Effectiveness of the primary Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine against the risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease: a meta-analysis of individual participant data.

Background: Tuberculosis vaccine trials using disease as the primary endpoint are large, time consuming, and expensive. An earlier immunological measure of the protection against disease would accelerate tuberculosis vaccine development. We aimed to assess whether the effectiveness of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for prevention of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was consistent with that for prevention of tuberculosis disease.

Differential associations of anti-cytomegalovirus antibodies and soluble CD14 levels with immunosenescence in people living with HIV on long term antiretroviral therapy.

Background: People living with HIV (PLHIV) demonstrate accelerated aging and immunosenescence in spite of immune-restoration following long-term antiretroviral treatment (ART). Low level inflammation leading to inflammaging plays an important role in mediating premature immunosenescence. Ongoing viral replication, antiretrovirals and subclinical infections with the common viruses like Cytomegalovirus (CMV) are known to induce inflammaging.

Sorcin: mechanisms of action in cancer hallmarks, drug resistance and opportunities in therapeutics.

Soluble resistant related calcium binding protein (Sorcin) plays an important role in tumor progression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and multidrug resistance. Differential expression of Sorcin across different cancers significantly correlates with key clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes, underscoring its potential as a prognostic marker. Its involvement in drug-resistant cancers further advert Sorcin as a promising therapeutic target.

A Future Avenue of Treatment Ulcerative Colitis Targeting Macrophage Polarization: A Phytochemical Application.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a prevalent inflammatory bowel disease primarily impacting the mucosa of the colon. It is characterized by recurring and incurable symptoms and causes immense suffering and significant economic burden due to limited treatment options. Typical symptoms of UC include diarrhea, alterations in bowel patterns, bleeding from the rectum, rectal pain or urgency, anemia, and tiredness.

Performance characteristics of the point-of-care tests for HPV-based cervical cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: We aimed to conduct an updated and comprehensive summary of the sensitivity and specificity of three human papillomavirus (HPV) point-of-care (POC) tests (careHPV™, oncoE6™ cervical test, Xpert® HPV) to guide resource-constrained countries for their implementation in cervical cancer screening.

Methods: Databases including Medline, Embase, Web of Science and cumulated index in nursing and allied health literature (CINAHL) were searched between January 2004 and October 2024. Observational studies analyzing the three tests for cervical cancer screening were included.

Adult vaccination in India: A rapid review of current status & implementation challenges.

Background & objectives The expanded programme on immunization launched in India in 1978, with its focus on preventing six diseases in children (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, poliomyelitis, typhoid, and childhood tuberculosis), was widened in its scope in 1985-86. This new avtaar, the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), incorporated measles vaccine for children and rubella and adult diphtheria vaccines for pregnant women. We conducted this rapid review on adult immunization relevant for India, as recent COVID-19 experience revealed how newly emergent or re-emergent pathogens could have their onslaughts on the elderly and adults with comorbidities.

Impact of combinatorial immunotherapies in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Breast cancer has the highest mortality rate among all cancers affecting females worldwide. Several new effective therapeutic strategies are being developed to minimize the number of breast cancer-related deaths and improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients. However, resistance to conventional therapies in breast cancer patients remains a challenge which could be due to several reasons, including changes in the tumor microenvironment.

Gender-Neutral HPV Vaccine in India; Requisite for a Healthy Community: A Review.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) affects approximately 80% of individuals, irrespective of gender, and is implicated in various cancers. Existing HPV vaccines, while safe and effective, do not sufficiently protect males when administered solely to females. This review, triggered by the urgent need to address this gap and reduce the associated stigma, aims to evaluate the introduction of a gender-neutral HPV vaccine, GARDASIL-9, in India.

Maximal clique centrality and bottleneck genes as novel biomarkers in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is second most common form of gynaecological cancer world wide . In this study, we collected and analyzed three ovarian cancer microarray raw datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus, NCBI, and identified a total of 1806 significant DEGs (Differentially expressed genes). The functional analysis of the DEGs showed that the 885 upregulated DEGs were mostly enriched in protein-binding activity, while the downregulated 796 genes were mostly enriched in retinal dehydrogenase activity and GABA receptor binding.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Indicating Curcumin to Enhance the Synergistic Potential of Paclitaxel and Reduce Cell Viability, Tumor Volume, and Drug Resistance in Different Cancers.

Background: To treat diseases like cancer, conventional Paclitaxel (PTX)- based monotherapy treatment regimens are becoming less effective due to the development of resistance. In this aspect, the phytomolecule curcumin (Cur), having ethnopharmacological importance in traditional South Asian remedies, like Ayurveda and Chinese traditional medicine, has been studied as a promising chemo-sensitizing and synergistic partner of PTX.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the combined effect of PTX and Cur compared to PTX therapy alone in the in vitro and in vivo environments.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer: Current knowledge and future perspectives.

MDSCs (myeloid-derived suppressor cells) are crucial for immune system evasion in cancer. They accumulate in peripheral blood and tumor microenvironment, suppressing immune cells like T-cells, natural killer cells and dendritic cells. They promote tumor angiogenesis and metastasis by secreting cytokines and growth factors and contribute to a tumor-promoting environment.

ISCCM Position Statement for Improving Gender Balance in Critical Care Medicine.

Unlabelled: Gender disparity in Critical Care Medicine (CCM) persists globally, with women being underrepresented. Female Intensivists remain a minority, facing challenges in academic and leadership positions at the workplace and within academic societies. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) recognized the need for addressing issues related to gender parity and constituted its first Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee in 2023.

Fibrosis and Hepatocarcinogenesis: Role of Gene-Environment Interactions in Liver Disease Progression.

The liver is a complex organ that performs vital functions in the body. Despite its extraordinary regenerative capacity compared to other organs, exposure to chemical, infectious, metabolic and immunologic insults and toxins renders the liver vulnerable to inflammation, degeneration and fibrosis. Abnormal wound healing response mediated by aberrant signaling pathways causes chronic activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Epigenetic orchestration of the DNA damage response: Insights into the regulatory mechanisms.

The DNA damage response (DDR) is a critical cellular mechanism that safeguards genome integrity and prevents the accumulation of harmful DNA lesions. Increasing evidence highlights the intersection between DDR signaling and epigenetic regulation, offering profound insights into various aspects of cellular function including oncogenesis. This comprehensive review explores the intricate relationship between the epigenetic modifications and DDR activation, with a specific focus on the impact of viral infections.

Genomic landscape of gallbladder cancer: insights from whole exome sequencing.

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a common gastrointestinal malignancy noted for its aggressive characteristics and poor prognosis, which is mostly caused by delayed detection. However, the scarcity of information regarding somatic mutations in Indian patients with GBC has hampered the development of efficient therapeutic options. In the present study, the authors attempted to bridge this gap by revealing the mutational profile of GBC.

Somatic mutational landscape across Indian breast cancer cases by whole exome sequencing.

Breast cancer (BC) has emerged as the most common malignancy among females. The genomic profile of BC is diverse in nature and complex due to heterogeneity among various geographically different ethnic groups. The primary objective of this study was to carry out a comprehensive mutational analysis of Indian BC cases by performing whole exome sequencing.