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Background:: There is an urgent need to devise improved alternatives for the efficient delivery of drugs to develop improved therapeutic interventions against cancers. Nanotechnology based drug delivery vehicles are in-use with obvious issues of toxicity and bio-distribution. Therefore, green synthetic routes are being deployed to replace the conventional nanoparticle formulations for effective drug delivery aiming at developing interventional strategies against cancer. Objective:: A simple, viable and fast approach was used for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf-extract of Viburnum nervosum (VN) and to explore the anti-cancer potential of the crude extract of VN. Methods:: Silver NPs were synthesized by reacting silver nitrate (AgNO3) with leaf extract of VN. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize the AgNPs. Finally, the anti-cancer potential of VN was observed when delivered through AgNPs. Results:: The surface plasmon spectra for AgNPs exhibited absorbance peak at 445 nm, and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy investigation revealed presence of biomolecules acting as an effective reducing and capping agent for converting silver nitrate to AgNPs. Further, our results suggest the spherical size of synthesized AgNPs ranging from 12-17 nm. Moreover, in vitro studies conducted for VN extract with breast (MCF-7) and epidermal carcinoma (A431) cells showed biocompatibility. Conclusion:: Doxorubicin loaded AgNPs documented an increased bioavailability of drug compared to the free drug, suggesting the use of AgNPs as “novel drug delivery vectors”.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the major global health threats and delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis continues to fuel the global epidemic. The conventional diagnostic approaches have shortcomings that might hinder the process of diagnosis of the disease and ultimately affect the prognosis.Area covered: We emphasize on the process of the synthesis of liposomes, its physicochemical properties affecting the formulation and their utilization in the field of molecular diagnostics for TB. The review also sheds a light on other nanoparticle-based molecular diagnostic approaches for TB. Despite the advent of science, we are yet to have a diagnostic tool that is simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific, and most importantly, one that enables us to demarcate patients with active tuberculosis from those with quiescent lesions, prior vaccination, or other diseases.Expert opinion: The utility of liposomes for diagnostic purposes has been attempted so as to overcome the challenges posed by conventional diagnostic tools for TB. Through this review, we present insights into liposome formulation and selection processes, various studies that report the use of liposome-based diagnostic tools for TB, as well as the limitations associated with the same that can be improvised to make the technology more efficient.

Introduction: Intermediate covalent complex of DNA-Topoisomerase II enzyme is the most promising target of the anticancer drugs to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Currently, anticancer drug and chemotherapy are facing major challenges i.e., drug resistance, chemical instability and, dose-limiting side effect. Therefore, in this study, natural therapeutic agents (series of Ganoderic acids) were used for the molecular docking simulation against Human DNATopoisomerase II beta complex (PDB ID:3QX3). Methods: Molecular docking studies were performed on a 50 series of ganoderic acids reported in the NCBI-PubChem database and FDA approved anti-cancer drugs, to find out binding energy, an interacting residue at the active site of Human DNA-Topoisomerase II beta and compare with the molecular arrangements of the interacting residue of etoposide with the Human DNA topoisomerase II beta. The autodock 4.2 was used for the molecular docking and pharmacokinetic and toxicity studies were performed for the analysis of physicochemical properties and to check the toxicity effects. Discovery studio software was used for the visualization and analysis of docked pose. Results and Conclusion: Ganoderic acids (GS-1, A and DM) were found to be a more suitable competitor inhibitor among the ganoderic acid series with appropriate binding energy, pharmacokinetic profile and no toxicity effects. The interacting residue (Met782, DC-8, DC-11 and DA-12) shared a chemical resemblance with the interacting residue of etoposide present at the active site of human topoisomerase II beta receptor.

A wide array of therapeutic strategies has been implemented against cancers, yet their clinical benefit is limited. The lack of clinical efficacy of the conventional treatment options might be due to the inept immune competency of the patients. Dendritic cells (DCs) have a vital role in initiating and directing immune responses and have been frequently used as delivery vehicles in clinical research. The recent clinical data suggest the potential use of DCs pulsed with nucleic acid, especially with RNA holds a great potential as an immunotherapeutic measure with compare to other cancer therapeutics. This review mainly deals with the DCs and their role in transfection with RNA in cancer immunotherapy.

Background Breast cancer demands safe adjuvant to overcome the side effects of standard drug tamoxifen. Diet derived bioactive compounds are reported to exhibit modulation of cancer growth leading to cell death. Chickpea is a protein rich edible legume with several bioactive compounds that includes lectin as well. Characterization of chickpea lectin for its effect against cancer cells has been investigated in this study. Method Cicer arietinum L. lectin (CAL) agglutinating trypsin-treated rabbit blood cells was purified employing DEAE-cellulose and SP-sephadex ion exchange chromatography. The lectin was characterized for its biological activity vis-a-vis antiproliferative and apoptotic effects through cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Result There is a significant inhibition of the survival of breast cancer cells due to chickpea lectin in a dose dependent manner for 24 hr. Lectin treated cells revealed distinct features of apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis at 80 µg/ml of lectin induced S and G2 phase cell cycle arrest. CAL induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells associated with lactate dehydrogenase leakage, cell cycle arrest and reactive oxygen species generation. Conclusion Our studies show that chickpea lectin exerted anticancer activity and could be exploited as an essential source for medicine leading to the treatment of breast cancer.

With the interventions of globalization, the human race is lagging behind in its health management. Some of the major health risks involved are cardiac arrest, loss of sleep, lack of concentration, regular muscular pain, arthritis, etc. Arthritis and its various forms lead to regular joint pain and are hampering the daily lives of human beings. Garlic is reported to be one of the best natural medicines for arthritis. The pungency of garlic is due to its various sulfur compounds. Studies have been carried out in determining the effect of these sulfur compounds as antiinflammatory compounds and their role in the signaling pathways of arthritis. Also, there is a scope for advanced level research such as incorporation of nanotechnology and biotechnology for exploiting the potential of this wonder drug garlic for the treatment of arthritis.

The advent of new drugs has resulted in cures for many neural, cancerous, muscular, musculoskeletal, cardiac, and pulmonary diseases that were found incurable in earlier times. Still, from ancient times through today, natural products have been seen as the best way to cure diseases. On the same path, for many decades curcumin has been reported as an alternative cure for various diseases, the major one being arthritis. In this chapter, we have compiled and discussed the potential and prospect of curcumin in alleviating arthritis. The promising results of curcumin's effect on arthritis signaling pathways have been experimentally proved on various natural and induced animal models, paving the way for clinical trials and finally reaching patients. The incorporation of nanotechnology with curcumin administration has increased both the bioavailability and absorption into the patient's body. Curcumin's derivatives and analogs also seem to play a vital role in strengthening the backbone of arthritis treatment.

Background Survivin expression is often associated with aggressive tumor behavior and therapy resistance. In this study, we investigated the effect of survivin knockdown by survivin-siRNA lentiviral vector (Svv-Lent) on the response of HNSCC to chemo-radiotherapy, tumor growth and metastasis. Methods Four human HNSCC (OSC19, Cal27, Cal33 and FaDu) and one normal HOK cell lines were included in the study, and survivin knockdown was achieved with Svv-Lent treatment. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by MTT and TUNEL assay, respectively. Transwell assays were performed to measure in vitro cell migration and matrigel invasion. Xenograft tumors were developed in nude mice by injecting Cal27 cells subcutaneously and following tail-vein injection of lung and liver metastasis. Results Knockdown of survivin significantly suppressed HNSCC cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro . Survivin inhibition could also significantly reduce in vitro cell migration and matrigel invasion that might be due to inactivation of matrix metalloproteinases. In vivo studies showed significant repression of Cal27 xenograft tumor growth and tissue metastasis leading to improvement in mice survival in the Svv-Lent treated group compared to controls. Our data indicated that survivin expression in HNSCC cells contributed to chemo-radioresistance, and its down-regulation increased anti-cancer effects of paclitaxel, cisplatin and radiation. Conclusions Our findings suggest that sustained survivin expression facilitates HNSCC tumor growth and confers resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. Svv-Lent therapy may be able to enhance the cytotoxic effect of commonly used anticancer drugs such as cisplatin and paclitaxel, and radiotherapy that could provide a promising strategy for the effective control of resistant head and neck cancer.

The advent of various health care policies and digital revolution has fuelled interest in the direction of food supplements, and as preventive or curative drug containing live non-pathogenic bacteria, probiotics. The widespread usage of probiotics by consumers and in clinical practice has emphatically made to understand the benefits associated with these products. The probiotic products are now being marketed worldwide by several multinational companies. Present review attempts to overview the health benefits of probiotics in impeding various lifestyle or metabolic associated disorders, clinical significance, their efficacy and influence on immune system.

The current study was undertaken to study the effect of Spirulina platensis (Spirulina) extract on enhanced oxidative stress during high glucose induced cell death in H9c2 cells. H9c2 cultured under high glucose (33 mM) conditions resulted in a noteworthy increase in oxidative stress (free radical species) accompanied by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c, increase in caspase activity and pro-apoptotic protein (Bax). Spirulina extract (1 μg/mL), considerably inhibited increased ROS and RNS levels, reduction in cytochrome c release, raise in mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased the over expression of proapoptotic protein Bax and suppressed the Bax/Bcl2 ratio with induced apoptosis without affecting cell viability. Overall results suggest that Spirulina extract plays preventing role against enhanced oxidative stress during high glucose induced apoptosis in cardiomyoblasts as well as related dysfunction in H9c2 cells. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10616-017-0121-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nanodentistry has evolved as a new science of nanotechnology that helps in diagnosing, treating, preventing oral and dental disease, and improving dental health by using nanomaterials. These nanomaterials include clusters of atoms, grains, fibers, films, crystals, and nanoholes. The orientation of these nanomaterials can be in one dimension, for example, nanofilms and foils; two-dimensional, for example, carbon nanotubes or three-dimensional, for example, quantum dots; nanoshells, and dendrimers. The characteristic nanoscale pattern present on the surface and within the nanomaterials determines their dedicated functionalities. These nanostructures have wide applications in oral diagnosis and therapeutics, which can reduce dosage and side effects of drugs. Dentifrices with hydroxyapetite crystals provide protective coating on tooth enamel and restores surface of damaged teeth. Currently, dental materials have been replaced by nature-analog, surface-engineered dental implants, and anisotropic tooth restorations. Remineralization of damaged teeth has been achieved by using “sensitive” toothpastes containing nanoparticles. Nanostructure Ti products are used in dental implants because of high biocompatibility especially Grade 4 titanium. It has been shown that fabricating a nanostructured titanium implant can regulate the macrophage inflammatory response and improve the performance of the implant. The unique property of dendrimers and nanoshells make them promising tools to be used as therapeutics for oral cancer treatment. Graphene/zinc oxide nanocomposite (GZNC) acts as an effective coating agent for dental implants by inhibiting Streptococcus mutans , which is the primary agent in dental caries. A significant reduction in the formation of oral biofilms was found in the presence of GZNC. This chapter focuses on the role of nanostructures to keep teeth and oral tissues healthy and functioning. The challenges faced by this technology for the betterment of human health have also been discussed.

Hepatotoxicity associated with isoniazid and rifampicin is one of the major impediments in antituberculosis therapy. The present study explored the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies of Spirulina maxima in isoniazid and rifampicin induced hepatic damage in a rat model. Hepatic damage induced in Wistar rats by isoniazid and rifampicin resulted in significant alterations in biomarkers of liver function, namely, bilirubin, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Co-administration of Spirulina maxima along with antituberculosis drugs protected liver from hepatotoxicity due to isoniazid and rifampicin. Administration of Spirulina maxima consecutively for 2 weeks to hepatodamaged animals resulted in restoration of hepatic function as evident from normalization of serum markers of liver function. Thus, the present study revealed remarkable prophylactic and therapeutic potential of Spirulina maxima. Co-administration of Spirulina maxima and antituberculosis drugs is advantageous as it provides extra nutritional benefit.

The study validated the antidyslipidemic, antioxidant, and antihyperglycemic effects of Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract in human subjects with dyslipidemia along with subjects of normal health. A total of 200 mL of freshly prepared Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract was administered daily on empty stomach for 90 days. Significant reductions ( P < .01) were found in triglycerides and total cholesterol levels in blood. Cardiac risk ratio, atherogenic coefficient, and atherogenicity index of plasma were also improved. Appreciable reductions in body mass index ( P < .01) and blood pressure (systolic P < .01, diastolic P < .05) along with a significant reduction ( P < .05) in fasting blood glucose levels were also observed in these subjects. Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity in dyslipidemic subjects as evident from elevations in SOD ( P < .05) and GSH levels ( P < .01) with marked improvement in catalase ( P < .01) and TBARS levels ( P < .05). Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds. Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract serves as dietary adjunct in treatment of human dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.

The use of probiotic bacterial cultures stimulates the growth of preferred microorganisms, crowds out potentially harmful bacteria, and reinforces the body's natural defence mechanisms. Streptococcus thermophilus has been exploited industrially for making cheese as well as yogurt. One of the most important properties of this bacterium which is being used is production of lactase, an enzyme that converts lactose (milk sugar) into a simple sugar, which helps people who are lactose intolerant to digest milk. So consumption of this microbe has facilitated to alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance and other gastrointestinal problems. Due to this unique feature of the microbe, it has been added to several health supplements along with other bacteria with similar properties. Over and above, it also produces a variety of antagonistic factors that include metabolic end products, antibiotic-like substances and bactericidal proteins, termed bacteriocins which assist to prevent several types of infections from various pathogenic microbes. In addition, the bacterium is endowed with enormous important beneficial properties. The following review will discuss with some beneficial aspects of S. thermophilus.

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. The development of cancer takes place in a multi-step process during which cells acquire a series of mutations that eventually lead to unrestrained cell growth and division, inhibition of cell differentiation, and evasion of cell death. Dysregulation of oncoapoptotic genes, growth factors, receptors and their downstream signaling pathway components represent a central driving force in tumor development. The detailed studies of signal transduction pathways for mechanisms of cell growth and apoptosis have significantly advanced our understanding of human cancers, subsequently leading to more effective treatments. Oral squamous cell carcinoma represents a classic example of multi-stage carcinogenesis. It gradually evolves through transitional precursor lesions from normal epithelium to a full-blown metastatic phenotype. Genetic alterations in many genes encoding crucial proteins, which regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and apoptosis, have been implicated in oral cancer. As like other solid tumors, in oral cancer these genes include the ones coding for cell cycle regulators or oncoproteins (e.g. Ras, Myc, cyclins, CDKs, and CKIs), tumor suppressors (e.g. p53 and pRb), pro-survival proteins (e.g. telomerase, growth factors or their receptors), anti-apoptotic proteins (e.g. Bcl2 family, IAPs, and NF-kB), pro-apoptotic proteins (e.g. Bax and BH-3 family, Fas, TNF-R, and caspases), and the genes encoding key transcription factors or elements for signal transduction leading to cell growth and apoptosis. Here we discuss the current knowledge of oncoapoptotic regulation in human cancers with special reference to oral cancers.

Survivin is known to be highly-expressed in various carcinomas; and is associated with their biologically aggressive characteristics and drug resistance. We have previously reported survivin as an important anti-apototic protein involved in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumorigenesis and providing resistance to conventional cancer therapies. The purpose of present study was to investigate the potential of survivin as a therapeutic target in HNSCC. This study was designed to explore the effect(s) of survivin-siRNA therapy on the apoptosis in HNSCC cells, and its influence on cisplatin-sensitivity. Lentivirus vector was developed to deliver survivin specific siRNA into cancer cells. The data indicates that silencing of survivin-mediated by Lentivirus-siRNA therapy effectively suppressed cancer cell proliferation and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in HNSCC cells. The study also shows that the response of HNSCC cells to cisplatin drug treatment at clinically relevant level was limited. We observed survivin to be a key factor involved in this cisplatin-resistance mechanism, and down-regulation of survivin significantly increased sensitivity of cancer cells to cisplatin-mediated apoptosis. Thus, this combination therapy acts as a multimodality regimen with significant potential to improve clinical outcomes in head and neck cancers.

TB is a worldwide pandemic. India has the highest burden of TB, with WHO statistics for 2013 giving an estimated incidence figure of 2.1 million cases for India out of a global incidence of 9 million. Microbiota have been shown to be associated with many disease conditions; however, only few studies have been reported for microbiota associated with TB infection. For the first time, we characterized the composition of microbiota of TB patients of India, using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and compared it with healthy controls. Phylum-level analysis showed that the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria was significantly higher in TB samples and Neisseria and Veillonella were two dominant genera after Streptococcus. In our study, significantly different core genera in TB and normal population were found as compared with the reported studies. Also, the presence of diverse opportunistic pathogenic microbiota in TB patients increases the complexity and diversity of sputum microbiota. Characterization of the sputum microbiome is likely to provide important pathogenic insights into pulmonary tuberculosis.

The screening for the management of diabetes mellitus must be included into regular HIV clinical care and clinicians must consider the metabolic effects of combinatorial drug therapy for HIV infection and its outcome. Studies are desirable to conclude the pathophysiologic explanation for the high prevalence of diabetes among HIVinfected who are on ART, and cohort studies with significant sample size are required to support.

The spread of cancer in high intensity is a major cause of concern globally. It is developing in an alarming rate irrespective of age, sex, racial/ethnic group, geographic location and tissue invaded. It is marked by uncontrolled division of cells with the ability to invade other tissues, either by direct growth into the adjacent tissue through invasion, or by the migration into the distant sites by metastasis. According to the latest cancer statistics, there were 14.1 million new cancer related deaths which is expected to rise by 70% over the next two decades with nearly 22 million cases. The rate of cancer related incidence is almost 25% higher in men than in women

Lagenaria siceraria, commonly known as bottle gourd, is extensively grown in India and other tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. The bottle gourd is rich in a number of phytoconstituents, minerals, vitamins, fibre etc. with potent neutraceutical and therapeutic functions. Leaves and roots are used as emetic to reduce baldness and to relieve headache. Flowers are used as antidote in certain kinds of poisons. L. siceraria is reported to exhibit cardioprotective, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective functions in human subjects as well as in experimental models. The bottle gourd is proved to be a potential source of prophylactic and therapeutic neutraceuticals and can serve as ‘medicinal food’ particularly in metabolic disorders associated with carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms. The objective of this article is to work out the ethnopharmacological and other medicinal applications of L. siceraria along with phytochemical and biochemical composition.

Background Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis, is overexpressed in cancer. It has been implicated in both prevention of apoptosis and cell cycle regulation. We investigated the distribution of antiapoptotic protein survivin in 29 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and 16 oral premalignant lesions. It has been suggested that wild-type p53 represses survivin expression. Therefore, we investigated the status of p53 in relation to survivin to determine the potential involvement in oral tumorigenesis. Methods Oral cancer tissues were freshly obtained at the time of surgery and classified as per general rules of head and neck cancer (TNM classification). Immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction were conducted to study the expression of survivin and p53. The Fisher's exact test was employed to determine the association of survivin and p53 with clinicopathologic parameters of the subjects being studied. Results Positive staining for survivin was found in 72% OSCC and 44% oral premalignant lesions with no immunoreactions in the corresponding normal tissues. For p53, 59% OSCC, 38% premalignant lesions, and 14% normal tissues were positive. Importantly, about half of the p53-positive OSCC and premalignant tissues also showed survivin positivity (28% OSCC and 18% premalignant lesions). Further, it is observed that the number of survivin positive cells was significantly higher in the p53-positive group. Survivin is expressed in a varying proportion of cells, and in majority of patients it was localized in cytoplasm, whereas p53 is strictly restricted to the nucleus. The survivin expression levels in both primary OSCC and premalignant lesions were significantly higher than in normal oral tissues (OSCC, p < .0008; premalignant lesions, p < .04). No significant correlations between survivin and p53 expression with clinicopathologic parameters were found. Conclusions Frequent overexpression of apoptosis regulators, survivin and p53, in OSCC as well as in oral premalignant lesions were found. Overexpression of these 2 markers in premalignant lesions suggest a role in early stages of oral carcinogenesis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009

Spirulina is a photosynthetic, filamentous, spiral-shaped and multicellular edible microbe. It is the nature's rich- est and most complete source of nutrition. Spirulina has a unique blend of nutrients that no single source can offer. The alga contains a wide spectrum of prophylactic and therapeutic nutrients that include B-complex vitamins, minerals, pro- teins, � -linolenic acid and the super anti-oxidants such as � -carotene, vitamin E, trace elements and a number of unex- plored bioactive compounds. Because of its apparent ability to stimulate whole human physiology, Spirulina exhibits therapeutic functions such as antioxidant, anti-bacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti- diabetic and plethora of beneficial functions. Spirulina consumption appears to promote the growth of intestinal micro flora as well. The review discusses the potential of Spirulina in health care management.

Oral cancer is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths in South-Asian countries. There are very limited treatment options available for oral cancer. Research endeavors focused on discovery and development of novel therapies for oral cancer, is necessary to control the ever rising oral cancer related mortalities. We mined the large pool of compounds from the publicly available compound databases, to identify potential therapeutic compounds for oral cancer. Over 84 million compounds were screened for the possible anti-cancer activity by custom build SVM classifier. The molecular targets of the predicted anti-cancer compounds were mined from reliable sources like experimental bioassays studies associated with the compound, and from protein-compound interaction databases. Therapeutic compounds from DrugBank, and a list of natural anti-cancer compounds derived from literature mining of published studies, were used for building partial least squares regression model. The regression model thus built, was used for the estimation of oral cancer specific weights based on the molecular targets. These weights were used to compute scores for screening the predicted anti-cancer compounds for their potential to treat oral cancer. The list of potential compounds was annotated with corresponding physicochemical properties, cancer specific bioactivity evidences, and literature evidences. In all, 288 compounds with the potential to treat oral cancer were identified in the current study. The majority of the compounds in this list are natural products, which are well-tolerated and have minimal side-effects compared to the synthetic counterparts. Some of the potential therapeutic compounds identified in the current study are resveratrol, nimbolide, lovastatin, bortezomib, vorinostat, berberine, pterostilbene, deguelin, andrographolide, and colchicine.

A recombinant DNA strategy was applied to analyze and screen the shotgun expression library from a clinically confirmed local virulent isolate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with sera from tuberculosis patients, which led to expression and purification of highly immunoreactive and specific mycobacterial antigens expressed during the course of active disease which could be of diagnostic significance. An enzyme-linked immunoassay for diagnosis of tuberculosis was devised by using a shotgun immunoexpression library in the λgt11 vector. DNA from a virulent M. tuberculosis patient isolate (TBW-33) confirmed with the BACTEC 460 system was sheared and expressed to generate shotgun polypeptides. β-Galactosidase fusion proteins capable of demarcating active tuberculosis infections from Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated healthy subjects or people harboring environmental mycobacteria were selected by comparative immunoreactivity studies. Promising mycobacterial DNA cassettes were subcloned and expressed into the glutathione S -transferase (GST) fusion vector pGEX-5X-1 with a strong tac promoter and were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. These fusion proteins were severed at a built-in factor Xa recognition site to separate the GST tags and were utilized in an indirect enzyme-linked immunoassay for serodiagnosis of patients with active tuberculosis. The system offered a clear demarcation between BCG-vaccinated healthy subjects and patients with active tuberculosis and proved to be effective in detecting pulmonary as well as extrapulmonary tuberculosis, with an overall sensitivity of 84.33% and an overall specificity of 93.62%.

Oral cancer is one of the most commonly found cancers in many South-Asian underdeveloped countries, especially among men in comparison to women. When considering the mortality rate among all types of existing cancers, in India oral cancer is the primary reason for death in men. Some of the major reasons contributing to the high mortality rate are late diagnosis, lack of treatment options and high prevalence of tobacco consumption. Oral cancer is often diagnosed at a stage when cancer cells have already become aggressive and become resistant to standard therapeutic options. Progression, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis and invasion behold great capability to treat and detect cancer at the molecular level. Dysregulation of apoptosis is one of the most common molecular events known to be associated with the development of oral cancer. In this review, we discuss key apoptotic markers which can be used as prognostic and/or therapeutic targets in oral cancer.

Corresponding author: Prakash S Bisen, School of Studies in Biotechnology, Jiwaji University, India, Tel: +91 751 2462500; Fax: +91 751 4043850; E-mail:psbisen@gmail.comRec date: Nov 24 2014; Acc date: Nov 24 2014; Pub date: Nov 26 2014Copyright: © 2014 Bisen PS. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

In India, oral cancer has consistently ranked among top three causes of cancer-related deaths, and it has emerged as a top cause for the cancer-related deaths among men. Lack of effective therapeutic options is one of the main challenges in clinical management of oral cancer patients. We interrogated large pool of samples from oral cancer gene expression studies to identify potential therapeutic targets that are involved in multiple cancer hallmark events. Therapeutic strategies directed towards such targets can be expected to effectively control cancer cells. Datasets from different gene expression studies were integrated by removing batch-effects and was used for downstream analyses, including differential expression analysis. Dependency network analysis was done to identify genes that undergo marked topological changes in oral cancer samples when compared with control samples. Causal reasoning analysis was carried out to identify significant hypotheses, which can explain gene expression profiles observed in oral cancer samples. Text-mining based approach was used to detect cancer hallmarks associated with genes significantly expressed in oral cancer. In all, 2365 genes were detected to be differentially expressed genes, which includes some of the highly differentially expressed genes like matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1/3/10/13), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligands (IL8, CXCL-10/-11), PTHLH, SERPINE1, NELL2, S100A7A, MAL, CRNN, TGM3, CLCA4, keratins (KRT-3/4/13/76/78), SERPINB11 and serine peptidase inhibitors (SPINK-5/7). XIST, TCEAL2, NRAS and FGFR2 are some of the important genes detected by dependency and causal network analysis. Literature mining analysis annotated 1014 genes, out of which 841 genes were statistically significantly annotated. The integration of output of various analyses, resulted in the list of potential therapeutic targets for oral cancer, which included targets such as ADM, TP53, EGFR, LYN, CTLA4, SKIL, CTGF and CD70.

Stem cells have self-renewal potential and ability to differentiate into one or more specialized cell types. An ideal candidate for developing stem cell based therapies would be readily available, easy to expand in culture, possess an acceptable long term safety profile and be autologous in nature, in order to avoid the need to modulate the host immune response and prevent rejection. Unfortunately, a cell type that fulfils all these criteria remains elusive, however, current research is directed towards a limited number of cell types which themselves exhibit certain advantages or disadvantages. Such cell populations may be sourced from three broad categories: embryonic or foetal tissue, adult tissue and reprogrammed cells. There are two broad types of stem cells, embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and adult stem cells. ESCs are isolated from inner cell mass of blastocyst which can transdifferentiate into cells of all three germ layers. Unlike ESCs, adult stem cells show restricted proliferation and lineage differentiation. Embryonic and adult stem cells offer the opportunity to transplant a live source for self-regeneration. Bone marrow transplants (BMT) are a well-known clinical application of adult stem cell transplantation for cancer patients. BMTs can repopulate the marrow and restore the blood’s different cell types after high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, which are used to eliminate cancer cells. An alternative for ESC are stem cells obtained from tissue after birth. Adult tissue-derived stem cells offer an alternative for the development of cell based therapies which circumvents the ethical controversies surrounding foetal and embryonic tissue. For instance, neural progenitor cells have been harvested from adult brain and spinal cord. However, adult stem cells are less plastic than ESCs and divide less frequently in culture. Also, their differentiation potential may decrease in time. This makes them a possible but somewhat limited alternative for ESCs. On the other hand, they offer the advantage that they can be transplanted without genetic modifications or pretreatments. The most common way of thinking about stem cells treating disease is through a stem cell transplant. Embryonic stem cells are differentiated into the necessary cell type, and then those mature cells replace tissue that is damaged by disease or injury. This type of treatment could be used to replace neurons damaged by spinal cord injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or other neurological problems. Cells grown to produce insulin could treat people with diabetes and heart muscle cells could repair damage after a heart attack. This list could conceivably include any tissue that is injured or diseased [1,2].

The aim of study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) ATPIII Criteria, International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions were used in quantifying the metabolic syndrome and also the concordance between these three criteria’s used for identifying metabolic syndrome. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 700 type 2 diabetic subjects from the urban areas of Gwalior Chambal region (Central India). Subjects in the age group of 28- 87 yrs were included in the study. Type I diabetics, pregnant ladies and those with chronic viral and bacterial infections and serious metabolic disorders were excluded from the study. Fasting blood glucose, Blood lipids (T-cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol) were assessed and anthropometry blood pressure were measured from all the subjects. Results: The Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was found to be 45.8%, 57.7% and 28% following NCEP-ATPIII Criteria, IDF and WHO definitions, respectively. Using all the three definitions the prevalence was higher in women in all age groups. ATP III and IDF criteria showed good agreement (k 0.68) compared to ATP III with WHO (k 0.54) and IDF with WHO (k 0.34) criteria. Highest prevalence was observed following IDF definition. Conclusions: A good agreement was observed between ATPIII and IDF criteria. Maximum prevalence of Metabolic syndrome was recorded when IDF criteria was followed. NCEP-ATPIII criteria for the diagnosis of MetS and this criterion reflected equal importance to the every variable and showed a good agreement between the different criteria used.

Antioxidants play a very crucial role in terms of disease incidence and its complications. Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are now more prevalent than any other disorder. In this regard this study focuses on type 2 diabetic subjects with MetS having highest incidence of cardiovascular disease. Hence the aim of the study was to reveal the level of antioxidants and lipid peroxidation in MetS and non-MetS groups of type 2 diabetic subjects characterized by three different criteria.Present study was based on 70 type 2 diabetic subjects and 20 healthy controls. The metabolic syndrome criteria were defined by National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)-Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and World Health Organization (WHO). The selected subjects were of similar age group. The participants were selected from a diabetic camp being run in the University Campus. The antioxidant enzymes estimated were reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) while Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) measured as a marker of lipid peroxidation.The level of GSH, CAT, SOD decreases in non-MetS and MetS subjects as compared to normal. When comparison was made for GSHSOD in the mentioned groups resulted a significant differences in non-MetS and MetS compared with normal subjects. TBARS levels was increased in non-MetS and MetS group of subjects. The results indicate reduction in antioxidant enzymes and elevation of lipid peroxidation in type 2 diabetic subjects with or without MetS defined by using any of the International criteria.The study revealed that absolute reduction of antioxidant and involvement of lipid peroxidation in MetS group may lead to progressive intensification of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetic subjects irrespective of using any criteria.

The landmark decision to rejection of patent to anti-cancer drug 'Glivec' by Indian Supreme Court has catalysed range of debates around importance of innovation in research and development. The patent plea by Novartis for beta crystalline for of imanitib (i.e. glivec) was considered as an attempt to extend period of market exclusivity by filing patent for minor modification of molecule for which US patent was already been granted on 1996. Novartis has firmly stated court's ruling as a setback to patent protection for its years of research invested in development of more stable and bioavailable form of imanitib, and offended by this decision they have issued host of statements about not investing in drug discovery RD however after reviewing history of imanitib and its subsequent refinement into glivec, one cannot avoid thinking about it as a typical case of patent evergreening (1-3). The cause of disagreement in this patent war is section 3(d) of Indian Patent Act, which limits scope of incremental innovation by recognizing only those incremental inventive steps, which are associated with significant increase in efficacy of drug; this section was added with an intention to curb evergreening. The importance of controlling patent evergreening cannot be denied, especially for developing and underdeveloped nations, which cannot afford to buy patented drugs at premium price to meet their health care requirements and are heavily dependent on generic version of the drug, as is evident from the impact of availability of low cost generic version of anti-retroviral drugs. At the same time, we cannot deny importance of incremental innovation in making effective and safer drug.

century, there were other diseases like cholera, plague etc., which took lives of millions of people around the world, because of absence of proper medical facility [1]. Life expectancy in those times was much less than that of today’s because of absence of proper medical facility, and other factors like war. Simplicity in life style, food habits, was also responsible for keeping a check on cancer related incidences. In the last couple of centuries, we have witnessed tremendous progress in medical science and healthcare, because of which average life expectancy has increased. Owing to increased life expectancy, there are more chances for age related malignancies like cancer to appear in the life time of an individual. The so called ‘modern life’ is often accompanied by various vices like processed food, sedentary life style, smoking, drinking etc. which are known to trigger cancer initiation [2]. Cancer has become one of the biggest killers of our time, which ranks second only to deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. The huge mortality and economic burden associated with cancer, has brought it into prominence for policy makers, pharmaceutical companies, researchers with the common objective to control mortality and improve survival of the affected persons. The economic burden due to cancer incidences is increasing every day, according to an estimate the amount of money spent on cancer treatment has doubled in past two decades. The mental agony it puts on cancer patients, and their near and dear ones cannot be enumerated by any statistics [3]. The multifactorial role of cancer is established beyond any doubt, which necessitates devising treatment and detection strategies which address these factors. Cancer research is moving towards establishing strength of causality for various factors, which contribute in various phases of cancer (initiation, progression, tumorigenesis). The cancer research started with a reductionist approach, wherein scientific experiments were designed to understand the role of individual factor (gene/protein) in causing cancer. The knowledge gained through such reductionist approach has helped to get the basic understanding of biological complexity of cancer. Since the nature of cancer is multifactorial, it is logical to search for medicinal compound, which have the capability of modulating multiple factors at a same time. It also explains why combination therapy works in case of cancer treatment. The combination therapy is designed to address these multiple factors and bring about synergistic effect [4-6]. Timely detection of cancer in its nascent stages can be regarded as one of most effective method, to control mortalities due to cancer. The majority of the cancers are detected on the basis of appearance of some overt symptoms. The detection of cancer at more advanced stages makes management of cancer more complex, with a little hope of recovery with existing treatment options. Incorrect identification of cancer subtype is also one of the reasons why cancer patient doesn’t respond to drugs designed for specific class of cancer. With the current advances in technologies like next generation sequencing, now it is possible to accurately characterise, cancer related features like stage, subtype, resistance to certain drugs etc. It is more than obvious that cancer is predominately man-made malignancy, which means our concerted and sincere efforts can bear fruit by eradication of causal factors like tobacco, alcohol, harmful chemicals, and other carcinogens. Adapting health life-style and diet can also help tremendously in preventing us from cancer. We are living in fast changing world with path-breaking technological advancements as a norm of the day. With these advancements, it should not be the over-optimistic expectation to believe that cancer would be treated as routine diseases like flu, infection etc. I firmly believe that this would be possible by effective diagnosis and treatment strategy tailored to address phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity associated with cancer. The availability of therapeutic targets is most important pre-condition for rational drug discovery and equally the effective treatment options are highly desirable for management of oral cancer. Gene expression profiling through microarrays is regarded as promising tool to understand transcriptional changes linked with cancer formation [7].

Gymnema sylvestre (Asclepiadaceae) also known as ‘gurmar’ or ‘sugar destroyer’ is a woody, climbing traditional medicinal herb which has many therapeutic applications in Ayurvedic system of medicine. It is used for lowering serum cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose level (hypoglycemic or antihyperglycemic), hypolipidaemic, weight loss, stomach ailments, constipation, water retention and liver diseases, either high or low blood pressure, tachycardia or arrhythmias, and used as aperitive, purgative, in eye troubles, antiinflammatory, smooth muscle relaxant, prevention of dental caries, cataract and as anticancer-cytotoxic agent. Its flowers, leaves, and fruits contains alkaloids, flavones, saponins, sapogenins, anthraquinones, hentri-acontane, pentatriacontane, α and β-chlorophylls, phytin, resins, d-quercitol, tartaric acid, formic acid, butyric acid, lupeol, β-amyrin related glycosides and stigmasterol having main principle bioactive compunds viz. gymnemic acids, gymnemasides, gymnemagenin, gurmarin, gymnemosides, gymnemanol, gymnemasins, gypenoside, and conduritol which act as therapeutic agent and play vital role in many therapeutic applications. Gymnemic acids are thought to be responsible for its antidiabetic activity and it is the major component of an extract shown to stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Another anti-sweet agent gumarin is utilized as a pharmacological tool in the study of sweet-taste transduction. The commercial exploitation of this plant and their secondary metabolites are some of the major prospective of this rare medicinal herb. The focus of the present review is to achieve the potential of therapeutic value of this herb and mechanism and action of their secondary metabolites.