Bcl-2 expression in cell lines breast cancer and death program.

Breast cancer is a hormone-dependence and heterogenic disease. Drug resistance is the main reason for the failure of breast cancer treatment. Combinatory medications are methods for treatment but they are not sufficient in action. However, new approaches like molecular therapy reveal a new insight into cancer treatment. Studies show that Bcl-2 gene family inhibitors and ER blockers cause the improvement of recovery. Interfering molecules such as antisense ones can inhibit the expression of Bcl-2 and push the cancer cells to apoptosis. Our team designed a new Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) based on Antisense oligo G3139. MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines were used to evaluate cellular proliferation. Liposomes and cationic nano-complex (Niosome) are used to increase the cellular delivery of ASO and Tamoxifen. We also investigated the cytotoxicity and apoptotic effects of Tamoxifen, naked ASO and Nano-packed ASO. The results indicated significant down-regulation of the Bcl-2 gene and inhibition of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cellular proliferation. Flow-cytometry showed early apoptosis in all cell groups. The newly designed ASO reduced the expression of the Bcl-2 gene. It also had a synergistic effect with the Tamoxifen. The cationic nano-complex (Niosome) was more efficient than the liposome in delivering designed oligo antisense Bcl-2 in the cancer cells.

A recombinant chimeric protein of protective antigen and lethal factor from Bacillus anthracis in polymeric nanocapsules showed a strong immune response in mice: a potential high efficacy vaccine against anthrax.

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, rod-shaped gram-positive bacteria. The disease infects both humans and animals and causes severe illness.  Many vaccines have been developed for anthrax, but the vaccine with very high efficacy is yet to be developed. To overcome the problems of efficacy posed by the existing vaccines, a recombinant chimeric fusion protein containing domain 1 of lethal factor (LFD1) and domain 4 of Bacillus anthracis protective antigen (PA4) was used as antigen in copolymeric nanocapsules (NCs). Accordingly, the solvent evaporation double emulsion method was used to produce NCs containing recombinant chimeric fusion protein (LFD1-PA4). Zeta sizer and potential of nanoparticles, nanoparticle loading efficiency, release pattern of recombinant protein, and the possible effect of polylactic acid-polyethylene glycol (PLA-PEG) nanoparticle production method were investigated. Mice were used to test and evaluate the immune response. The mean titer of antibody produced against loaded LFD1-PA4 compared to free form showed a significant difference. The difference in antibody titer between the groups of once injected, twice injected, and free antigen was significant, and the highest antibody titer was found in the mice twice injected. In addition, a single-time loaded injection showed significantly higher antibodies than the free form injection indicating that loaded LFD1-PA4 into PLA-PEG nanoparticles elicits a stronger immune response. This study showed that LFD1-PA4 fusion protein from Bacillus anthracis served as an active antigen in mice. Also, the nanocarrier (PLA-PEG) containing the antigen can stimulate the immune system in the mice, owing to their controlled release property.

Risk assessment of gastric cancer in the presence of Helicobacter pylori cagA and hopQII genes.

Helicobacter pylori bacterium is one of the most common bacterial infections globally and is the leading cause of indigestion, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and gastric cancer. This bacterium can escape the antibacterial effects of stomach acid by adapting to the inner layers of the stomach. It combines with the natural sugars in the gastric mucosa. The compound is so effective that it makes bacterium resistant. For genes related to the pathogenesis of H. pylori, using the existence of genes such as cagA, hopQI, and hopQII, PCR is performed on some of these genes to amplify fragments of different lengths. One of the less-studied cases is that two or more pathogenic genes are simultaneously associated with H. pylori. This study examined the frequency of diseases and healthy individuals infected with H. pylori and cagA and hopQII genotypes. To diagnose H. pylori infection in healthy and stomach cancer patients, the PCR products are electrophoresed on the agarose gel after glmM gene amplification by PCR. To this aim, stomach tissue biopsies were used for patients, and saliva was used for healthy individuals. For this purpose, 150 gastric biopsy samples from stomach cancer patients and 150 saliva samples from healthy people were collected. Data showed a significant relationship between the coexistence of two genes, cagA and hopQII, and stomach cancer. 34.2% of patients and 10.1% of healthy individuals showed two genotypes, while other healthy people (89.9%) infected with H. pylori did not have this genotype. Therefore, the simultaneous presence of these two bacterial genes in human societies can be an essential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Chemical and morphological characteristics of common bean seed and evaluating genetic advance in commercial classes.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulagris L.) is a nutritionally important food crop with prospective health benefits in the world. The current study was evaluated the chemical components, morphological characteristics, and genetic advance of 22 common bean cultivars/lines seeds from three commercial classes (white, red, pinto beans) adapted to different climates of Iran. The results showed significant variations among 22 common bean cultivars/lines for all studied seed traits. The commercial group comparisons showed that pinto beans were the best in terms of seed morphological characteristics but red beans were superior for seed protein percentage and zinc content. White beans had high amounts of iron, calcium and magnesium, and also presented high amounts of starch and uronic acid as anti-nutritional factors. Among the chemical components, crude fat had the highest genetic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, whereas starch percentage showed the lowest values. The genetic advance over the mean ranged from 6.73% (starch percentage) to 66.31% (100-seed weight), and high heritability was estimated for calcium content (0.99). AND1007 Line demonstrated the high seed protein, iron and zinc contents. To confirm the results, a genotype-by-trait biplot was done. These results could help to achieve a common bean cultivar with a high amount of nutritional value of seeds and appropriate seed characteristics with a low amount of anti-nutritional factors.