Adeno-associated virus as a gene therapy vector: strategies to neutralize the neutralizing antibodies

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-derived vectors are currently the most common type of viral vectors used in gene therapy clinical trials. The presence of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against wild-type AAVs in the host body is one of the limitations for the successful use of AAV vectors. AAV capsid manipulation, by which recombinant vectors lose their ability to interact with NAbs, can help overcome this obstacle. Various methods can be used for this purpose, including directed evolution as well as conjugation of certain chemical groups to AAV epitopes. The present review concisely explains the use of AAV vectors in the clinic for gene therapy of some diseases, their limitations, and solutions to these limitations. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Potential drugs used in the antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) architecture for cancer therapy

Cytotoxic small-molecule drugs have a major influence on the fate of antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs). An ideal cytotoxic agent should be highly potent, remain stable while linked to ADCs, kill the targeted tumor cell upon internalization and release from the ADCs, and maintain its activity in multidrug-resistant tumor cells. Lessons learned from successful and failed experiences in ADC development resulted in remarkable progress in the discovery and development of novel highly potent small molecules. A better understanding of such small-molecule drugs is important for development of effective ADCs. The present review discusses requirements making a payload appropriate for antitumor ADCs and focuses on the main characteristics of commonly-used cytotoxic payloads that showed acceptable results in clinical trials. In addition, the present study represents emerging trends and recent advances of payloads used in ADCs currently under clinical trials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Development of a novel explant culture method for the isolation of mesenchymal stem cells from human breast tumor

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were isolated from various sources, including various types of tumors. However choosing an appropriate isolation method is an important step in obtaining cells with optimal quality and yield in companion with economical considerations. The purpose of this study was to isolate more pure MSCs from human breast tumor tissue by a modified explant culture method. Methods and Materials: The tumor tissues (n = 8) were cut into 1 to 3-mm cube-like pieces (explant). Each explant was placed in a well of 24-well format plates, cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM), and maintained at 37°C with 5 humidified incubator. Morphological phenotypes of the cells were surveyed by an inverted microscope and wells with rather homogenous fibroblast-like morphology cell were considered as positive and selected for more expansion and characterization. Results: A total of 185 wells, 63.7 of wells were positive that were chosen for expansion. Flowcytometry analysis demonstrated that isolated cells were positive for CD73, CD44, CD29, CD105, and CD90 but negative for CD11b, CD45, CD34, and HLA‑DR. In addition, cells possessed the capability of multipotential differentiation into osteoblasts and adipocytes. © 2018 Taylor & Franci

The inhibitory effect of Tamarix hispida mediated silver nanoparticles on Cyclin D1 protein expression of human cancer cells line

Nanoparticles are known to have a distinctive interaction at the molecular level with biological systems and widely used in cancer treatment. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was characterized by UV-visible, XRD and TEM. The phytochemical screening was performed to study the plant chemical compounds. The cytotoxic properties of AgNPs on breast cancer cells (MCF-7 line) have obtained using MTT assay. The potent inhibitory effects of nanoparticles on Cyclin-D1 gene expression were demonstrated by western blotting. The AgNPs (7-10 nm) were synthesized using Tamarix hispida. The phytochemical analysis showed that T. hispida is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and alkaloids. The western blot analysis showed that the AgNPs inhibits the Cyclin D1 expression and decreases cell proliferation. In conclusion, the results provide a promising approach for designing a new AgNPs-mediated drug delivery study due to the remarkable exhibition of cytotoxicity activity for cancer therapy. © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Metallic SPIONP/AgNP synthesis using a novel natural source and their antifungal activities

The green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is important because of the favorable potential of plant biomolecules involved in the synthesis of NPs. This study aimed to provide a fast, easy, cheap, and environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs (SPIONP) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Stachys lavandulifolia and an evaluation of their use as antifungal agents against Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani. The physicochemical properties of AgNPs and SPIONPs were studied using FESEM, HRTEM, XRD, VSM, UV-Vis, and EDX spectroscopy. The sizes and morphologies of the AgNPs and SPIONPs, measured via electron microscopy, were 12.57 nm and 10.70 nm, respectively. Nanoparticles have previously been shown to have antifungal activities, and SPIONPs and AgNPs can show antifungal resistance. These NPs can be used as a substitute for widely used toxic fungicides to promote food safety and public health. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry

Corrigendum to �IL-21 and IL-21-producing T cells are involved in multiple sclerosis severity and progression� Immunol. Lett. 216 (2019) 12�20(S0165247819301749)(10.1016/j.imlet.2019.09.003)

The authors regret the exclusion of tracking code in the Acknowledgment Section of the original article. The corrected text is presented below: �Acknowledgment: This work was financially supported by the Student's Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Tracking code: 58833.� The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. © 2020 European Federation of Immunological Societie

Calcium carbonate nanowires: Greener biosynthesis and their leishmanicidal activity

The synthesis of inorganic rod shape nanostructures is important in chromatography, dentistry, and medical applications such as bone implants, and drug and gene delivery systems. Herein, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanowires were synthesized using a plant extract and the ensuing nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FESEM, and HR-TEM. Then, the leishmanicidal effects of biogenic calcium carbonate nanowires were investigated against Leishmania major including the toxicity of varying concentrations of nanoparticles, and the percentage of viable and apoptotic cells based on flow cytometry analysis. Based on the results, the IC50 of these polymorphs were calculated to be 800 μg mL-1. An ecofriendly, inexpensive, and novel biogenic method for the production of a new advanced inorganic nanostructure, CaCO3 nanowires, is described without using hazardous chemicals; calcium carbonate nanowires maybe used as a smart drug carrier. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry