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Over the last few decades, there have been several global outbreaks of severe respiratory infections. The causes of these outbreaks were coronaviruses that had infected birds, mammals and humans. The outbreaks predominantly caused respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract symptoms and other mild to very severe clinical signs. The current coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a rapidly spreading illness affecting millions of people worldwide. Among the countries most affected by the disease are the United States of America (USA), India, Brazil, and Russia, with France recording the highest infection, morbidity, and mortality rates. Since early January 2021, thousands of articles have been published on COVID-19. Most of these articles were consistent with the reports on the mode of transmission, spread, duration, and severity of the sickness. Thus, this review comprehensively discusses the most critical aspects of COVID-19, including etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, transmission, pathological changes, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control, and vaccination.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is widely used to treat anemia in patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancers. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of rHuEPO on the response of spheroid breast cancer, MCF-7, cells to tamoxifen treatment. The MCF-7 spheroids were treated with 10 mg/mL tamoxifen in combination with either 0, 10, 100 or 200 IU/mL rHuEPO for 24, 48 or 72 h. The viability of the MCF-7 cells was determined using the annexin-V, cell cycle, caspases activation and acridine orange/propidium iodide staining. rHuEPO-tamoxifen combination significantly (p greater than 0.05) increased the number of spheroid MCF-7 cells entering early apoptotic phase after 12 h and late apoptotic phase after 24 h of treatment; primarily the result of the antiproliferative effect tamoxifen. Tamoxifen alone significantly (p

Zerumbone, a natural lipophilic compound from Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm., Zingiberaceae, has anti-inflammatory effects. The study investigated the healing effects of zerumbone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel on excisional wounds in rats. Zerumbone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel was prepared using the Carbopol 940 as the gelling agent. The wounds were topically treated with 0.2 ml of zerumbone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel (0.5 mg/ml) once daily for 15 days. Silver sulfadiazine 1% w/w cream (0.2 ml) and nanostructured lipid carrier gel (0.2 ml) were used for comparison. Tissue samples were subjected to histopathology, the determination of cytokine concentrations, and cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression. Zerumbone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and degeneration, and increased granulation in the healing wound tissues. Anti-inflammatory effect was also observed by the increase of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10, and decreased the pro-inflammatory tissue necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 concentrations, and downregulated cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression. Zerumbone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel was more effective than silver sulfadiazine cream at inducing wounds healing. In conclusion, zerumbone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel promotes wound healing and scarless tissue repairment by increasing production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and downregulating pro-inflammatory gene expression.

Aim: To prepare, physicochemically characterize and determine the anticancer effects of palladium-doped magnesia (Pd/MgO) nanoparticles. Materials & methods: Pd/MgO nanoparticles were prepared by the co-precipitation method from the aqueous solution of Mg(NO3)2.6H2O using K2CO3 and the impregnation of MgO into palladium acetylacetonate. Results: Pd/MgO nanoparticles were between 47 and 70 nm in size, cuboid in shape, and tended to form aggregates. Nanoparticles were more antiproliferative toward cancer than the normal cells. In cancer cells, Pd/MgO nanoparticles induced apoptosis by increasing caspase activities and stimulating cytochrome C release. The anticancer effects of Pd/MgO nanoparticles were accentuated by the upregulation of Bax and p53 and downregulation of Bcl-2 protein expressions. Conclusion: Pd/MgO nanoparticles have potential to be developed as an anticancer compound.

Rahman H, Rasedee A, How CW, et al. Int J Nanomedicine. 2015;10(1):1649-1666. The Editor and Publisher of International Journal of Nanomedicine wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised regarding the alleged manipulation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images in Figure 8. The authors responded to our queries and were able to provide the original TEM images. The authors explained that the images had intentionally been modified to clear away artefacts created during sample processing. While the journal accepted the original TEM images were available, they were considerably different to those in the published article, and this raised doubts over the validity of the reported results. The decision was made to retract the article and the authors do not agree with this ruling. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”. This retraction relates to this paper

Azizi S, Mahdavi Shahri M, Rahman HS, Rahim RA, Rasedee A, Mohamad R. Int J Nanomedicine. 2017;12:8841–8853. The Editor and Publisher of International Journal of Nanomedicine wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised regarding the alleged duplication and manipulation of images shown in Figure 8. The authors responded to our queries and could not provide the original data but agreed that no features within the images shown should appear duplicated. The authors wish to apologize for this error and agree with the decision to retract the article. Our decision-making was informed by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retraction. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”. This retraction relates to this paper

In this study, we formulated Thymoquinone-loaded nanocomposites (TQ-NCs) using high-pressure homogenizer without sodium tripolyphosphate. The TQ-NCs were characterized and their anti-inflammatory determined by the response of the LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in the production of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β. The physicochemical properties of TQ-NC were determined using different machines. TQ was fully incorporated in the highly thermal stable nanoparticles. The nanoparticles showed rapid release of TQ in the acidic medium of the gastric juice. In medium of pH 6.8, TQ-NC exhibited sustained release of TQ over a period of 100 h. The results suggest that TQ-NC nanoparticles have potential application as parenterally administered therapeutic compound. TQ-NC effectively reduce production of inflammatory cytokines by the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that they have anti-inflammatory properties. In conclusion, TQ-NC nanoparticles have the characteristics of efficient carrier for TQ and an effective anti-inflammatory therapeutic compound.

The aim of this study was to prepare, characterize, and determine the in vitro anticancer effects of platinum-doped magnesia (Pt/MgO) nanoparticles. The chemical compositions, functional groups, and size of nanoparticles were determined using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Pt/MgO nanoparticles were cuboid and in the nanosize range of 30–50 nm. The cytotoxicity of Pt/MgO nanoparticles was determined via the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)−2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay on the human lung and colonic cancer cells (A549 and HT29 respectively) and normal human lung and colonic fibroblasts cells (MRC-5 and CCD-18Co repectively). The Pt/MgO nanoparticles were relatively innocuous to normal cells. Pt/MgO nanoparticles downregulated Bcl-2 and upregulated Bax and p53 tumor suppressor proteins in the cancer cells. Pt/MgO nanoparticles also induced production of reactive oxygen species, decreased cellular glutathione level, and increased lipid peroxidation. Thus, the anticancer effects of Pt/MgO nanoparticles were attributed to the induction of oxidative stress and apoptosis. The study showed the potential of Pt/MgO nanoparticles as an anti-cancer compound.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is the erythropoiesis-stimulating hormone that is being used concurrently with chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of anemia of cancer. The effect of rHuEPO on cancer cells in 3-dimensional (3D) cultures is not known. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of rHuEPO on the viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells from 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D cell cultures. The monolayer MCF-7 cells from 2D culture and MCF-7 cell from 3D culture generated by ultra-low adhesive microplate technique, were treated with 0, 0.1, 10, 100 or 200 IU/mL rHuEPO for 24, 48 or 72 h. The effects of rHuEPO on MCF-7 cell viability and proliferation were determined using the (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay (MTT), neutral red retention time (NRRT), trypan blue exclusion assay (TBE), DNA fragmentation, acridine orange/propidium iodide staining (AO/PI) assays. The MCF-7 cells for 3D culture were also subjected to caspase assays and cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry. rHuEPO appeared to have greater effect at lowering the viability of MCF-7 cells from 3D than 2D cultures. rHuEPO significantly (p

Fatin Hannani Zakarial Ansar,1 Saiful Yazan Latifah,1,2 Wan Hamirul Bahrin Wan Kamal,3 Khei Choong Khong,3 Yen Ng,3 Jia Ning Foong,1 Banulata Gopalsamy,2 Wei Keat Ng,1 Chee Wun How,4 Yong Sze Ong,1 Rasedee Abdullah,2,5 Mohd Yusmaidie Aziz6 1Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 2Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 3Laboratory of Preclinical Study, Block 24, Medical Technology Division, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia; 4Laboratory of Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 6Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, University of Science Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, MalaysiaCorrespondence: Saiful Yazan Latifah; Wan Hamirul Bahrin Wan Kamal Tel +60 3 89472308Fax +60 3 89436178Email latifahsy@upm.edu.my; mirul@nuclearmalaysia.gov.myBackground: Thymoquinone (TQ), an active compound isolated from Nigella sativa, has been proven to exhibit various biological properties such as antioxidant. Although oral delivery of TQ is valuable, it is limited by poor oral bioavailability and low solubility. Recently, TQ-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (TQ-NLC) was formulated with the aim of overcoming the limitations. TQ-NLC was successfully synthesized by the high-pressure homogenization method with remarkable physiochemical properties whereby the particle size is less than 100 nm, improved encapsulation efficiency and is stable up to 24 months of storage. Nevertheless, the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of TQ-NLC have not been studied. This study determined the bioavailability of oral and intravenous administration of thymoquinone-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (TQ-NLC) in rats and its distribution to organs.Materials and Methods: TQ-NLC was radiolabeled with technetium-99m before the administration to the rats. The biodistribution and pharmacokinetics parameters were then evaluated at various time points. The rats were imaged at time intervals and the percentage of the injected dose/gram (%ID/g) in blood and each organ was analyzed.Results: Oral administration of TQ-NLC exhibited greater relative bioavailability compared to intravenous administration. It is postulated that the movement of TQ-NLC through the intestinal lymphatic system bypasses the first metabolism and therefore enhances the relative bioavailability. However, oral administration has a slower absorption rate compared to intravenous administration where the AUC0-∞ was 4.539 times lower than the latter.Conclusion: TQ-NLC had better absorption when administered intravenously compared to oral administration. However, oral administration showed greater bioavailability compared to the intravenous route. This study provides the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution profile of TQ-NLC in vivo which is useful to assist researchers in clinical use.Keywords: thymoquinone, nanostructured lipid carrier, bioavailability, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics

Angiogenesis is a crucial area in scientific research because it involves many important physiological and pathological processes. Indeed, angiogenesis is critical for normal physiological processes, including wound healing and embryonic development, as well as being a component of many disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and diabetic retinopathies. Investigations of angiogenic mechanisms require assays that can activate the critical steps of angiogenesis as well as provide a tool for assessing the efficacy of therapeutic agents. Thus, angiogenesis assays are key tools for studying the mechanisms of angiogenesis and identifying the potential therapeutic strategies to modulate neovascularization. However, the regulation of angiogenesis is highly complex and not fully understood. Difficulties in assessing the regulators of angiogenic response have necessitated the development of an alternative approach. In this paper, we review the standard models for the study of tumor angiogenesis on the macroscopic scale that include in vitro, in vivo, and computational models. We also highlight the differences in several modeling approaches and describe key advances in understanding the computational models that contributed to the knowledge base of the field.

The current study was conducted on 50 Alectoris chukar subspecies Kurdestanica that was collected from Sulaymaniyah Province, Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq, during the period of April to the end of September 2016. Samples of liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, heart, lungs, gizzard, breast, and thigh muscle tissues were tested for bacterial isolates. Preliminary characterization of the isolated bacteria was carried out by morphological and biochemical methods. The VITEK 2® system was used to confirm the isolated species, while the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection of the resistance gene in the bacterial isolates. As a result, tested samples showed the presence of Staphylococcus sciuri and Escherichia coli. Additionally, antimicrobial susceptibility test was done to determine the bacterial susceptibility to various antibiotics and as a result; E. coli showed 100% susceptibility to penicillin, azithromycin, tetracycline, and doxycycline and 75% susceptibility to streptomycin. On the other hand, S. sciuri exhibited 75% susceptibility to azithromycin, penicillin, and doxycycline, 50% susceptibility to streptomycin, and 25% susceptibility to tetracycline. Molecular identification showed that only the S. sciuri isolates carried the methicillin-resistant mecA gene. To our knowledge, this is the first record of isolation of the S. sciuri methicillin-resistant mecA gene from A. chukar subspecies Kurdestanica.