International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences REVIEW ARTICLE NANOTECHNOLOGY NANOTECHNOLOGY A PATH TO NANOVACCINE

Nanotechnology has gained importance in medicine and is referred to as nanomedicine.Various tools of nanomaterials have been investigated for their application in imaging, diagnosis and therapy; these are carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, cantilevers, liposomes, quantum dots, nanoshells, nanoparticles, dendrimers etc. Antigens/epitopes can be tagged to nanomaterials for immunization/vaccination. Different routes of administration have been tried for nanovaccines which include oral, nasal, intradermal and microneedle patches. Due to their small size and large surface area these nanoparticles are useful as nanovaccines. To enhance the immunogenicity of small peptides/epitopes in nanovaccines polymers, immune stimulating complexes (ISCOMs), virus-like particles (VLPs), nanobeads and nanocarriers have been used as adjuvants. These adjuvants are safeand enhance the immune response. Although nanoparticles have numerous advantages, they have certain drawbacks as well. Therefore, study of toxicity of nanoparticles is essential. In vitro systems and in vivo models have been developed to answer the safety of the nanoparticles/nanodevices. This article can be downloaded from www.ijpbs.ne

Potential researchable areas in ARTs—Oocyte maturation and embryo development

1-10<span style="font-size: 14.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">In fertility is a commonly encountered situation occurring equally in both sexes. In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and other assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have enhanced the possibilities for successful treatment to tackle in fertility. However, ARTs currently face limitations due to the fact that although success rate is high for the initial stages such as ovulation induction and fertilization, it dwindles progressively so that the success rate of a take home baby is as low as 15-20%. Research centred around various stages in an IVF programme is therefore necessary to devise protocols that ensure a higher success rate. This review takes a look at the potential areas currently under research in the field of ARTs, such as, in vitro oocyte maturation, oocyte/embryo cryopreservation, embryo culture, preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Their applications, in clinical conditions such as cancer, have been discussed. </span

Application of nanotechnology in biomedicine

160-165Nanotechnology is the development of engineered devices at the atomic, molecular and macromolecular level in nanometer range. Nanoparticles have potential application in medical field including diagnostics and therapeutics. Nanotechnology devices are being developed for diagnosis of cancer and infectious diseases which can help in early detection of the disease. Advances in nanotechnology also proved beneficial in therapeutic field such as drug discovery, drug delivery and gene/protein delivery. Nanoparticles can be constructed by various methodology so that effect can be targeted at desired site. In this review, some of the applications of nanoparticles in medicine as diagnostics and therapeutics which can be employed safely at the clinical level have been described. On other hand, as the particles become generally smaller their likehood of causing harm to the lung increases. Therefore, there is a need to study safety of nanoparticles

Circulating auto-antibodies against the zona pellucida and thyroid microsomal antigen in women with premature ovarian failure

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a disorder of multicausal etiology leading to infertility in women. Development of ovarian auto-antibodies is a causative factor in most POF cases, but no consensus on the ovarian antigenic determinants has been reached till date. In the present study, sera from 15 POF cases, seven normally cycling women and eight menopausal women were studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the presence of anti-ovarian antibodies. 10 of the 15 POF sera (66.6%) presented with anti-ovarian antibodies (Ao). Of these, two demonstrated antibodies to the zona pellucida (ZP) as well as strong immunoreactivity to granulosa cells (Azg), while the remaining eight exhibited anti-ZP antibodies with negligible staining in granulosa cells (Az). The antibodies showed cross-reactivity with ZP from various species such as human, sheep, marmoset, pig and mouse. Among various murine tissues, the antibodies cross-reacted only with thyroid and not with uterus, spleen, kidney, liver, adrenal, pancreas and pituitary. Five of the eight Az individuals presented with significant titres of anti-thyroid antibodies (Azt). In the control group, one menopausal control presented with reactivity to both ZP and GC, the autoimmunity possibly being a consequence of surgical trauma; while one normally cycling woman tested positive for anti-thyroid antibodies. The IHC results were confirmed by ELISA using heat-solubilized isolated ZP (SIZP) as the antigen. Out of seven Ao samples assessed by ELISA, five reacted with SIZP. Preincubation of these five samples with varying concentrations of SIZP demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease in reactivity in ELISA and abolished staining in IHC, confirming the specificity of auto-antibodies to ZP in the POF group. Our results thus suggest that ZP is an important ovarian antigen in autoimmune POF