Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/ CRISPR associated protein 9-mediated editing of Schistosoma mansoni genes: Identifying genes for immunologically potent drug and vaccine development

ABSTRACT Schistosomiasis is a neglected acute and chronic tropical disease caused by intestinal (Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum) and urogenital (Schistosoma haematobium) helminth parasites (blood flukes or digenetic trematodes). It afflicts over 250 million people worldwide, the majority of whom reside in impoverished tropical and subtropical regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Schistosomiasis is the second most common devastating parasitic disease in the world after malaria and causes over 200,000 deaths annually. Currently, there is no effective and approved vaccine available for human use, and treatment strongly relies on praziquantel drug therapy, which is ineffective in killing immature larval schistosomula stages and eggs already lodged in the tissues. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9)-mediated gene editing tool is used to deactivate a gene of interest to scrutinize its role in health and disease, and to identify genes for vaccine and drug targeting. The present review aims to summarize the major findings from the current literature reporting the usage of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to inactivate genes in S. mansoni (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), T2 ribonuclease omega-1 (ω1), sulfotransferase oxamniquine resistance protein (SULT-OR), and α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (SmNAGAL)), and freshwater gastropod snails, Biomphalaria glabrata (allograft inflammatory factor (BgAIF)), an obligatory component of the life cycle of S. mansoni, to identify their roles in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis, and to highlight the importance of such studies in identifying and developing drugs and vaccines with high therapeutic efficacy.

Understanding Obesity: How and Why?

@#Obesity is now recognised as a chronic disease which needs chronic treatment to treat or prevent obesity related complications. This article discusses the biology of weight regulation as a basis to understanding obesity as a disease, and to appreciate the complex and multifactorial nature of the obesity problem. Finally, the article highlights the dietary approaches as part of the multi-pronged approach to treating obesity and gives a brief update on intermittent fasting.

Genetic and genomic perspective to understand the molecular pathogenesis of keratoconus.

Keratoconus (KC; Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) 14830) is a bilateral, progressive corneal defect affecting all ethnic groups around the world. It is the leading cause of corneal transplantation. The age of onset is at puberty, and the disorder is progressive until the 3rd–4th decade of life when it usually arrests. It is one of the major ocular problems with significant social and economic impacts as the disease affects young generation. Although genetic and environmental factors are associated with KC, but the precise etiology is still elusive. Results from complex segregation analysis suggests that genetic abnormalities may play an essential role in the susceptibility to KC. Due to genetic heterogeneity, a recent study revealed 17 different genomic loci identified in KC families by linkage mapping in various populations. The focus of this review is to provide a concise update on the current knowledge of the genetic basis of KC and genomic approaches to understand the disease pathogenesis.

Correlation of Traditional Chinese Medical Syndrome Patterns with Endothelial Damage,Inflammation and Platelet Activation in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective The differences of von Willebrand factor(vWF),hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) and soluble P-selectin CD62P were observed in coronary heart disease(CHD) patients with different syndrome patterns,and the correlation of traditional Chinese medical(TCM) syndrome patterns with endothelial damage,inflammation and platelet activation in CHD patients was investigated.Methods One hundred and eighty-six CHD patients were differentiated as the syndromes of blockage of heart-blood-stasis,phlegm blocking heart vessels,deficiency of heart and kidney yin,deficiency of both yin and Qi,and deficiency of yang and Qi.Thirty healthy volunteers served as normal control.The blood levels of vWF,hs-CRP and CD62P were detected in the CHD patients and the normal controls.Results Blood vWF level in CHD patients was higher than that in the normal controls(P0.05).Blood CD62P in the syndrome pattern of deficiency of yang and Qi was higher than the other patterns(P

TCM Syndrome Analysis of Restenosis after Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty / 广州中医药大学学报

One hundred and twenty cases of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) were subjected to TCM syndrome analysis.PTCA and support implantation were performed by routine method. The standard of TCM syndrome differentiation is subordinated to Professor Deng Tietao. The results showed that 78 cases (65%) were differentiated as Qi deficiency with phlegm-blood stasis, 13(11%) as yin deficiency with phlegm-blood stasis and 29 (24%)as phlegm-blood stagnation. It is indicated that Qi deficiency with phlegm-blood stasis is the main syndrome and reinforcing Qi dissipating phlegm and activating blood-flow may be a reasonable way of preventing and treating restenosis.

Multiple-factor Analysis of Phlegm Blood-stasis Syndrome of Coronary Heart Disease / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To study the correlation of multiple factors with phlegm blood-stasis syndrome(PBSS) of coronary heart disease(CHD),and to explore the objective evidence for the clinical research.Methods A total of 135 cases was enrolled,which were divided into PBSS group(N=87) and non-PBSS group(N=48).Meanwhile,28 healthy volunteers served as the normal control.Five aspects including symptom scoring,hazard factor,basic laboratory examination,inflammatory factors and the result of coronarography were compared in the three groups.Results PBSS was the dominated syndrome of CHD.Symptom score in PBSS was higher.The analysis results of hazard factors of CHD showed that the body weight index,hypertension and the abnormal level of blood lipid were closely related with PBSS of CHD.The incidence of PBSS of CHD had a close relationship with the increased levels of total cholesterol(TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) in blood lipid examination.Of the inflammatory factors,C-reactive protein(CRP),tumor necrosis factor ?(TNF-?),interleukin 6(IL-6),soluble CD40 ligand(SCD40L) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM-1) levels were closely related with PBSS of CHD.The pathological changes of coronary artery of PBSS involved multiple vessels,and were severe.Conclusion Phlegm blood-stasis syndrome of coronary heart disease is relevant with multiple factors.