SARS-CoV 9b protein diffuses into nucleus, undergoes active Crm1 mediated nucleocytoplasmic export and triggers apoptosis when retained in the nucleus

10.1371/journal.pone.0019436PLoS ONE65

Potential use of plasma focus radiation sources in superficial cancer therapy

The new multidisciplinary field of plasma medicine combines plasma physics, electrical engineering, life sciences and clinical medicine. Here we explore potential uses in medicine, most particularly cancer therapy, the plasma source being brought out of the field of industrial applications into the life sciences, the focus being on superficial cancer radiotherapy strategies. Existing radiotherapy practices for such cancers rely on the use of rather large facilities, most popularly the electron linear accelerator and X-ray tube-based devices. Conversely, a compact plasma radiation source can be housed in a relatively small space, there being considerable promise for such devices to produce the fluence requirements of radiotherapy for treatment of skin cancers. The present study of feasibility investigates the plasma focus device, with the emission produced by a single discharge shown to generate an X-ray dose of few tens of mGy. The X-ray dose is the integration of emission in the discharge durations of less than a μs, it is therefore possible using these devices to build up fractional irradiation dose through repetitive operation of the discharge system

Mini Review: Biologically synthesized nanoparticles as antifungal agents

Fungal infections are affecting millions of people in the world every year. Severity of infections range from superficial mycoses to more chronic systemic mycoses. As more fungi species evolve, emergence of drug resistant strains is becoming a serious concern to the public health. There is now less number of effective antifungal drugs available in the market for treatment of invasive fungal infections. In an effort to combat this escalating issue, the use of nanoparticles as antifungal agent has been proposed and explored. Versatility of nanoparticles and its unique physico-chemical properties are proven beneficial for developing new therapeutic methods in treatment of fungal infections. Nanoparticles produced from biological synthesis have attracted keen interests from researchers, as they are more environmentally friendly, sustainable, cost-effective, and biocompatible. This mini review will provide an insight on the current antifungal studies and discuss the theory behind mechanism of actions of nanoparticles

Matriptase activation of gq drives epithelial disruption and inflammation via RSK and DUOX

Epithelial tissues are primed to respond to insults by activating epithelial cell motility and rapid inflammation. Such responses are also elicited upon overexpression of the membrane-bound protease, Matriptase, or mutation of its inhibitor, Hai1. Unrestricted Matriptase activity also predisposes to carcinoma. How Matriptase leads to these cellular outcomes is unknown. We demonstrate that zebrafish hai1a mutants show increased H2O2, NfκB signalling, and IP3R -mediated calcium flashes, and that these promote inflammation, but do not generate epithelial cell motility. In contrast, inhibition of the Gq subunit in hai1a mutants rescues both the inflammation and epithelial phenotypes, with the latter recapitulated by the DAG analogue, PMA. We demonstrate that hai1a has elevated MAPK pathway activity, inhibition of which rescues the epidermal defects. Finally, we identify RSK kinases as MAPK targets disrupting adherens junctions in hai1a mutants. Our work maps novel signalling cascades mediating the potent effects of Matriptase on epithelia, with implications for tissue damage response and carcinoma progression

Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities of plant-mediated synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using Punica granatum (pomegranate) fruit peels extract

The unique properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) produced using plant extract make them attractive for use in medical as well as industrial applications, and it is necessary to develop environmentally friendly methods for their synthesis. This can be accomplished by replacing the traditional chemical compounds for the reduction of the zinc ions to ZnO-NPs during synthesis with natural plant extracts. Here, the biosynthesis of ZnO-NPs using Punica granatum (P. granatum) fruit peels extract was investigated as the reducing and stabilizing agent. The P. granatum/ZnO-NPs with spherical and hexagonal shapes were biosynthesized at different annealing temperatures. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the synthesis of highly pure ZnO-NPs with increasing crystallinity in higher annealing temperatures. The ZnO-NPs displayed characteristic absorption peaks between 370 and 378 nm in the UV–vis spectra. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging showed the formation of mostly spherical and hexagonal-shaped ZnO-NPs in the mean size of 32.98 nm and 81.84 nm at 600 °C and 700 °C respectively. According to FTIR spectrum, strong absorption bands in the range of 462–487 cm−1 corresponding to ZnO bond stretching can be seen. Antibacterial activities of P. granatum/ZnO-NPs against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) were investigated and compared. Results obtained show that smaller-sized P. granatum/ZnO-NPs are more effective in inhibiting growth of both bacteria. In addition, cytotoxicity assays were performed for P. granatum/ZnO-NPs against human colon normal and cancerous cells. P. granatum/ZnO-NPs exhibited similar killing activities of both cell lines at the concentration of ≥31.25 μg/mL. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs could offer potential applications in bio-medical field

Short Review: Phytofabrication of zinc oxide nanoparticles for anticancer applications

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are one of the most well-known materials in the field of nanotechnology. Adopting a more environmentally friendly synthesis methods of ZnO NPs have been the focus in the last few decades. Of all green synthesis methods of ZnO NPs, fabrication with the help of plant extracts has been the most popular due to its many benefits. The use of phytofabricated ZnO NPs in anticancer studies has been conducted increasingly over the last decade because of its high inhibition activity against various types of cancerous cells. This short review article will present the current update on the phytofabrication of ZnO NPs in recent years and discuss on their cytotoxicity mechanism against cancer cells

Antibacterial and cytotoxic effect of honey mediated copper nanoparticles synthesized using ultrasonic assistance

In this study, a comparative study of effect using honey on copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) via simple, environmentally friendly process and inexpensive route was reported. Honey and ascorbic acid act as stabilizing and reducing agents with the assistance of sonochemical method. The products were characterized using UV–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The reddish brown colour demonstrated the formation of Cu-NPs and UV–visible proved the plasmon resonance of Cu-NPs. XRD also confirmed a highly pure Cu-NPs obtained with absence of copper oxide in which the structure is crystalline. The spherical size of the Cu-NPs was acquire in the presence of honey which is 3.68 ± 0.78 nm with narrow particle distribution. The antibacterial activity was seen against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria which are Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). At higher concentration of Cu-NPs, they were more effective in killing both bacteria. The Cu-NPs without and with honey exhibited toxicities toward normal and cancerous cells. However, Cu-NPs without honey showed more potent killing activity against normal and cancer cells

Development of polymer-assisted nanoparticles and nanogels for cancer therapy: an update

With cancer remaining as one of the main causes of deaths worldwide, many studies are undergoing the effort to look for a novel and potent anticancer drug. Nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the rising fields in research for anticancer drug development. One of the key advantages of using NPs for cancer therapy is its high flexibility for modification, hence additional properties can be added to the NPs in order to improve its anticancer action. Polymer has attracted considerable attention to be used as a material to enhance the bioactivity of the NPs. Nanogels, which are NPs cross-linked with hydrophilic polymer network have also exhibited benefits in anticancer application. The characteristics of these nanomaterials include non-toxic, environment-friendly, and variable physiochemical properties. Some other unique properties of polymers are also attributed by diverse methods of polymer synthesis. This then contributes to the unique properties of the nanodrugs. This review article provides an in-depth update on the development of polymer-assisted NPs and nanogels for cancer therapy. Topics such as the synthesis, usage, and properties of the nanomaterials are discussed along with their mechanisms and functions in anticancer application. The advantages and limitations are also discussed in this article