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Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 2021Cancer is the most devastating disease in the present scenario, killing millions of people every year. Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and timely treatment are...
Cancer is the most devastating disease in the present scenario, killing millions of people every year. Early detection, accurate diagnosis, and timely treatment are considered to be the most effective ways to control this disease. Rapid and efficient detection of cancer at their earliest stage is one of the most significant challenges in cancer detection and cure. Numerous diagnostic modules have been developed to detect cancer cells early. As nucleic acid equivalent to antibodies, aptamers emerge as a new class of molecular probes that can identify cancer-related biomarkers or circulating rare cancer/ tumor cells with very high specificity and sensitivity. The amalgamation of aptamers with the biosensing platforms gave birth to "Aptasensors." The advent of highly sensitive aptasensors has opened up many new promising point-of-care diagnostics for cancer. This comprehensive review focuses on the newly developed aptasensors for cancer diagnostics.
Topics: Aptamers, Nucleotide; Biomarkers, Tumor; Biosensing Techniques; Early Detection of Cancer; Humans; Nanostructures; Neoplasms
PubMed: 32957883
DOI: 10.2174/1389201021999200918152721 -
Briefings in Bioinformatics Jan 2022Since the first report of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, over 100 million people have been infected by COVID-19, millions...
Since the first report of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, over 100 million people have been infected by COVID-19, millions of whom have died. In the latest year, a large number of omics data have sprung up and helped researchers broadly study the sequence, chemical structure and function of SARS-CoV-2, as well as molecular abnormal mechanisms of COVID-19 patients. Though some successes have been achieved in these areas, it is necessary to analyze and mine omics data for comprehensively understanding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Hence, we reviewed the current advantages and limitations of the integration of omics data herein. Firstly, we sorted out the sequence resources and database resources of SARS-CoV-2, including protein chemical structure, potential drug information and research literature resources. Next, we collected omics data of the COVID-19 hosts, including genomics, transcriptomics, microbiology and potential drug information data. And subsequently, based on the integration of omics data, we summarized the existing data analysis methods and the related research results of COVID-19 multi-omics data in recent years. Finally, we put forward SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) multi-omics data integration research direction and gave a case study to mine deeper for the disease mechanisms of COVID-19.
Topics: Antiviral Agents; COVID-19; Genomics; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 34718395
DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab446 -
Nature Communications Jun 2023Chemical probes have reached a prominent role in biomedical research, but their impact is governed by experimental design. To gain insight into the use of chemical...
Chemical probes have reached a prominent role in biomedical research, but their impact is governed by experimental design. To gain insight into the use of chemical probes, we conducted a systematic review of 662 publications, understood here as primary research articles, employing eight different chemical probes in cell-based research. We summarised (i) concentration(s) at which chemical probes were used in cell-based assays, (ii) inclusion of structurally matched target-inactive control compounds and (iii) orthogonal chemical probes. Here, we show that only 4% of analysed eligible publications used chemical probes within the recommended concentration range and included inactive compounds as well as orthogonal chemical probes. These findings indicate that the best practice with chemical probes is yet to be implemented in biomedical research. To achieve this, we propose 'the rule of two': At least two chemical probes (either orthogonal target-engaging probes, and/or a pair of a chemical probe and matched target-inactive compound) to be employed at recommended concentrations in every study.
Topics: Biomedical Research; Molecular Probes
PubMed: 37270653
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38952-1 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021premutation is defined by 55-200 CGG repeats in the Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 () gene. premutation carriers are at risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease...
premutation is defined by 55-200 CGG repeats in the Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 () gene. premutation carriers are at risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease called fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI) in adulthood. In the last years an increasingly board spectrum of clinical manifestations including psychiatric disorders have been described as occurring at a greater frequency among premutation carriers. Herein, we reviewed the neuroimaging findings reported in relation with psychiatric symptomatology in adult premutation carriers. A structured electronic literature search was conducted on premutation and neuroimaging yielding a total of 3,229 articles examined. Of these, 7 articles were analyzed and are included in this review. The results showed that the main radiological findings among adult premutation carriers presenting neuropsychiatric disorders were found on the amygdala and hippocampus, being the functional abnormalities more consistent and the volumetric changes more inconsistent among studies. From a molecular perspective, CGG repeat size, mRNA and FMRP levels have been investigated in relation with the neuroimaging findings. Based on the published results, FMRP might play a key role in the pathophysiology of the psychiatric symptoms described among premutation carriers. However, additional studies including further probes of brain function and a broader scope of psychiatric symptom measurement are required in order to obtain a comprehensive landscape of the neuropsychiatric phenotype associated with the premutation.
PubMed: 34721105
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.728952 -
Acta Reumatologica Portuguesa 2019Ultrasound (US) is a relatively cheap, easily available and reliable method to improve the care of rheumatic patients. However, its use in rheumatology practice is very...
INTRODUCTION
Ultrasound (US) is a relatively cheap, easily available and reliable method to improve the care of rheumatic patients. However, its use in rheumatology practice is very heterogeneous and needs to be standardized.
OBJECTIVES
To develop recommendations for the use of US in rheumatic diseases endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology.
METHODS
A systematic literature review of the available recommendations on the use of ultrasound in rheumatic diseases was performed and presented in a Portuguese Society of Rheumatology meeting to a subgroup of rheumatologists and rheumatology trainees with special interest in the subject. The most important topics to be addressed were selected and assigned to subgroups for literature review and draft recommendations. Following an iterative process of consensus, the final recommendations were developed, and their level of agreement voted anonymously online. A recommendation was approved when the average level of agreement was ≥ 7.5 in a 10-point Likert scale.
RESULTS
Fourteen recommendations were produced regarding nine rheumatology topics: rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, connective tissue diseases, polymyalgia rheumatica, vasculitis, crystal-deposition diseases, soft tissue rheumatism, osteoarthritis and ultrasound-guided procedures.
CONCLUSION
We developed an up-to-date guidance in the form of recommendations for the use of US in nine different areas of rheumatology. As ultrasound is an important imaging modality with increasing use in the rheumatology setting, and there are frequent technological advances in the ultrasound machines and probes, in parallel with continuous associated research, these recommendations should be regularly updated.
Topics: Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Humans; Joint Diseases; Portugal; Rheumatic Diseases; Rheumatology; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 31249273
DOI: No ID Found -
Experimental Parasitology Dec 2019Studies of the primers that were designed to detect New World Leishmania were systematically reviewed to report the characteristics of each target, detection limit,...
Studies of the primers that were designed to detect New World Leishmania were systematically reviewed to report the characteristics of each target, detection limit, specificity of the primers designed and diagnostic sensibility. The papers identified in the databases PubMed and Web of Science involved 50 studies. Minicircle is the most applied target in molecular research for diagnosis, due to its high sensitivity in detecting Leishmania in different clinical samples, a characteristic that can be partially attributed to the higher number of copies of the minicircle per cell. The other molecular targets shown in this review were less sensitive to diagnostic use because of the lower number of copies of the target gene per cell, but more specific for identification of the subgenus and/or species. The choice of the best target is an important step towards the result of the research. The target allows the design of primers that are specific to the genus, subgenus or a particular species and also imparts sensitivity to the method for diagnosis. The findings of this systematic review provide the advantages and disadvantages of the main molecular targets and primers designed for New World Leishmania, offering information so that the researcher can choose the PCR system best suited to their research need. This is a timely and extremely thorough review of the primers designed for New World Leishmania.
Topics: DNA Primers; DNA, Protozoan; Humans; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Limit of Detection; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 31605671
DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107773 -
Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2020Recently, manipulation of gene expression and switching genes on or off highlight the potential of nucleic acid-based therapies (NA-BTs). Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Recently, manipulation of gene expression and switching genes on or off highlight the potential of nucleic acid-based therapies (NA-BTs). Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a common devastating neurodegenerative disease (NDs) responsible for 60-80% of all cases of dementia and predicted as a main public health concern among aged populations. The aim of this study was to outline the current research in the field of NA-BTs for the treatment of AD disabilities, including strategies to suppress the memory and learning defects, to promote recovery processes, and to reinforce social relationships in these patients. This review was performed via evaluating PubMed reported studies from January 2010 to November 2019. Also, reference lists were checked to find additional studies. All intermediation or complementarity of animal models, case-control and cohort studies, and controlled trials (CTs) on specific NA-BTs to AD were acceptable, although in vitro studies were excluded due to the considerable diversities and heterogeneities. After removing the duplicates according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) instruction, we merged remaining titles across search databases. There are 48 ongoing studies related to the application of nucleic acids in the treatment and diagnosis of AD where more consideration is given to DNA targeting strategies (18 targets for vectors and aptamers), antisense oligonucleotides (10 targets), micro-RNAs mimics (7 targets), antagomiRs (6 targets), small interferences-RNAs (5 targets), as well as mRNAs (2 targets) respectively. All of these targets are grouped into 4 categories according to their role in molecular pathways where amyloid-β (18 targets), neural survival (11 targets), memory and cognition (8 targets), and tau (3 targets) are more targeted pathways, respectively. With recent successes in the systemic delivery of nucleic acids via intravenous injection; it is worth investing in the production of new-generation medicines. There are still several challenges for NA-BTs including, their delivery to the effective modulators, mass production at low cost, sustaining efficacy and minimizing off-target effects. Regarding miRNA-based therapies, given the obvious involvement of miRNAs in numerous facets of brain disease, and the many sophisticated techniques for delivery to the brain, miRNA-based therapies will make new hope for the treatment of neurological diseases such as AD.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Antagomirs; Aptamers, Nucleotide; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Humans; MicroRNAs; Nucleic Acids; Oligonucleotides, Antisense; RNA, Small Interfering
PubMed: 32400332
DOI: 10.2174/1389557520666200513122357 -
Surgical Infections 2018Conventional antibiotic agents are overused, leading to decreased efficacy because of a rising incidence in antimicrobial resistance. Further, conventional antibiotic...
Conventional antibiotic agents are overused, leading to decreased efficacy because of a rising incidence in antimicrobial resistance. Further, conventional antibiotic agents result in widespread effects to human microbiota, which can lead directly to adverse events such as infection. This review provides a narrative summary of anti-sense therapies, an approach to managing bacterial infections by pursuing specific molecular targets that disrupt the flow of information from deoxyribonucleic acid to ribonucleic acid to protein, leading to the loss of bacterial functions. Included in this article is the rationale for this approach, the current data supporting its further investigation, and the challenges and future directions in this area of research. There is a compelling proof-of-concept against both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms to commend the use of modified anti-sense oligonucleotides as antimicrobial therapy. There are data demonstrating that anti-sense therapies are capable of killing bacteria, silencing antimicrobial resistance mechanisms to restore sensitivity to conventional antibiotic agents, and to target virulence pathways such as biofilm production. Further, these drugs have a significantly greater degree of organismal specificity, limiting antibiotic-associated diarrhea and lowering the risk of antibiotic-related infections such as infection. Anti-sense therapies show promise as a new class of antibiotic agents, providing molecular precision that leads to specific targeting of bacterial species and bacterial functions, including virulence mechanisms beyond the reach of current antibiotic agents. Further, changing the sequence of an anti-sense oligonucleotide provides a method of dealing with antimicrobial resistance that is more time- and cost-flexible than the available options with current conventional antibiotic agents.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Infections; Biomedical Research; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Oligonucleotides, Antisense
PubMed: 30256744
DOI: 10.1089/sur.2018.200 -
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases Dec 2018Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare disease most commonly seen in Caucasians. Only a few Chinese CF patients have been described in literature, taking into account the large...
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare disease most commonly seen in Caucasians. Only a few Chinese CF patients have been described in literature, taking into account the large population of China. In this systematic review, we collected the clinical and genetic information of 71 Chinese CF patients based on all available data. Compared with Caucasians, Chinese CF patients often present atypical symptoms, mainly displaying symptoms of pulmonary infection with fewer digestive symptoms. An ethnicity-specific CFTR variant spectrum was also observed in CF patients of Chinese origin, with p.Gly970Asp as the most common mutation while p.Phe508del, the most common pathogenic mutation in CF patients of Caucasian origin, is rare, suggesting the necessity of a Chinese-specific CFTR variant screening panel. Besides, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis should be routinely considered, especially for those with unidentified mutations. Potential under-diagnosis of CF in Chinese patients might be caused by a combination of atypical clinical features and genetic heterogeneity in Chinese CF patients, the inaccessibility of sweat and genetic testing facilities, and the one-child policy in China. With the approval of promising small molecule correctors and potentiators, molecular characterization of Chinese-specific CFTR mutations will help to realize more precise treatment for Chinese CF patients.
Topics: Asian People; Cystic Fibrosis; Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator; Humans; Phenotype
PubMed: 30558651
DOI: 10.1186/s13023-018-0968-2 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2020Intrinsic resistance to ionizing radiation is the major impediment in the treatment and clinical management of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), leading to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Intrinsic resistance to ionizing radiation is the major impediment in the treatment and clinical management of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), leading to tumor relapse and poor prognosis. Although several biological and molecular mechanisms are responsible for resistance to radiotherapy in ESCC, the molecule(s) involved in predicting radiotherapy response and prognosis are still lacking, thus requiring a detailed understanding. Recent studies have demonstrated an imperative correlation amongst several long non-coding RNAs and their involvement in complex cellular networks like DNA damage and repair, cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, accumulating evidence has suggested abnormal expression of lncRNAs in malignant tumor cells before and after radiotherapy effects in tumor cells' sensitivity. Thus, lncRNAs indeed represent unique molecules that can influence tumor cell susceptibility for various clinical interventions. On this note, herein, we have summarized the current status of lncRNAs in augmenting resistance/sensitivity in ESCC against radiotherapy. In addition, we have also discussed various strategies to increase the radiosensitivity in ESCC cells under clinical settings.
Topics: DNA Damage; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic Therapy; Humans; MicroRNAs; Molecular Targeted Therapy; RNA, Antisense; RNA, Long Noncoding; RNA, Neoplasm; Radiation Tolerance
PubMed: 32947897
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186787