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Many malignant cancers have an increased demand for lipoprotein due to the requirement for lipids for the rapid proliferation of the tumours and which is met by the increased availability of LDL through upregulation of LDL transporters. This unique phenomenon is the basis for the use of LDL based nanoparticles for cell imaging. In this study, a novel MR-active LDL nanoparticle was synthesised as the MRI probes. This MR-active LDL was characterised by using different techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The intracellular uptake of Gd3+ and cytotoxicity was measured by ICP-AES and MTT assay respectively. Results suggest that this nanoprobe with spherical shape and size of 55 nm has reduced relaxation time compared to commercial contrast agent and is introduced as an appropriate imaging probe. The amount of reabsorption of nanoprobe increased up to 6 h and given that the connection of the chelator does not have an effect on reabsorption proves that entry through transporter of APO section has done. This study lays the basis for exploring a personalised medicine strategy by directing a patient's own LDL to cancer cell imaging in the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was isolation and characterization of a crude oil degrader and biosurfactant-producing bacterium, along with optimization of conditions for crude oil degradation. Among 11 isolates, 5 were able to emulsify crude oil in Minimal Salt Medium (MSM) among which one isolate, named KA1, showed the highest potency for growth rate and biodegradation. The isolate was identified as Dietzia cinnamea KA1 using morphological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The optimal conditions were 510 mM NaCl, pH 9.0, 35 °C, and minimal requirement of 46.5 mM NH4Cl and 2.10 mM NaH2PO4. Gravimetric test and Gas chromatography-Mass spectroscopy technique (GC-MS) showed that Dietzia cinnamea KA1 was able to utilize and degrade 95.7% of the crude oil after 5 days, under the optimal conditions. The isolate was able to grow and produce biosurfactant when cultured in MSM supplemented with crude oil, glycerol or whey as the sole carbon sources, but bacterial growth was occurred using molasses with no biosurfactant production. This is the first report of biosurfactant production by D. cinnamea using crude oil, glycerol and whey and the first study to report a species of Dietzia degrading a wide range of hydrocarbons in a short time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Suspension cultures of Linum album Kotschy ex Boiss. (Linaceae) accumulate podophyllotoxin (an anticancer agent) and could therefore serve as an alternative source of this important aryltetralin lactone lignan. Objective: The present work compared four podophyllotoxin extraction methods and optimization of the best one by using single factor experiments. Materials and methods: Linum album cell cultures were established from in vitro plantlets and subcultured in MS medium with hormones every 7-8 days. Four podophyllotoxin extraction methods were assayed and the best one was optimized by single factor experiments, studying the effect of methanol concentration, extraction time, and sonication time. Results: Cell cultures accumulated enough podophyllotoxin to be analyzed by HPLC. The methanol/dichloromethane and buffer extraction methods were found to be the best. Methanol alone and hot ethanol were not effective for extracting podophyllotoxin. Discussion and conclusion: The optimized method based on methanol/dichloromethane extraction combined with HPLC quantification was able to determine small amounts of podophyllotoxin in Linum album cell cultures, showing that this system could constitute a possible alternative source of podophyllotoxin to Podophyllum (Berberidaceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the significant progress in the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in children, it still remains as one of the most challenging malignancies in adults. Identification of new biomarkers may improve the management of adult ALL. Proteins expressed on the cell surface can be considered as disease-associated biomarkers with potential for diagnosis and targeted therapies. Thus, membrane proteome studies give essential information about the disease-related biomarkers. Methods: We applied 2-dimensional blue-native SDS-PAGE technique followed by MALDI-TOF/TOF-mass spectrometry to study the cell membrane proteome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of adult B-ALL patients in comparison to that of the healthy controls. Results: Sixty seven differentially expressed protein spots were detected, among them 52 proteins were found to be up-regulated but the other 15 proteins were downregulated in B-ALL. Five differentially expressed proteins, involved in energy metabolism pathways, were detected in B-ALL patients compared to the healthy control group. Conclusion: Differentially expressed proteins provide an insight into the molecular biology of B-ALL. Further studies must be done to confirm our data to be considered as potential targets for detection and treatment of B-ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells is a strategy to meet high proliferation rates, invasion, and metastasis. Also, several researchers indicated that the cellular metabolism changed during the resistance to chemotherapy. Since glycolytic enzymes play a prominent role in these alterations, the ability to reduce resistance to chemotherapy drugs is promising for cancer patients. Oscillating gene expression of these enzymes was involved in the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. This review discussed the roles of some glycolytic enzymes associated with cancer progression and resistance to chemotherapy in the various cancer types., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Unhealthy lifestyles have given rise to a growing epidemic of metabolic liver diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NAFLD often occurs as a consequence of obesity, and currently, there is no FDA-approved drug for its treatment. However, therapeutic oligonucleotides, such as RNA interference (RNAi), represent a promising class of pharmacotherapy that can target previously untreatable conditions. The potential significance of RNAi in maintaining physiological homeostasis, understanding pathogenesis, and improving metabolic liver diseases, including NAFLD, is discussed in this article. We explore why NAFLD/NASH is an ideal target for therapeutic oligonucleotides and provide insights into the delivery platforms of RNAi and its therapeutic role in addressing NAFLD/NASH., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)