Challenges in liver cancer and possible treatment approaches.

With an increase in antibiotic resistance, a growing interest in developing new antimicrobial agents has gained popularity. Metal‐ and metal‐oxide‐based nanoparticles, surface‐to‐volume is able to distinguish bacterial cells from mammalian cells and can provide long‐term antibacterial and biofilm prevention. These nanoparticles elicit bactericidal properties through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are able to target physical structures, metabolic pathways, and DNA synthesis of prokaryotic cells leading to cell death. In this progress report, a critical analysis of current literature on antimicrobial effect of metal and metal‐oxide nanoparticles are examined. Specifically, the antimicrobial mechanisms of metal ions and metal nanomaterials are discussed. Antimicrobial efficiency of nanomaterials is correlated with the structural and physical properties, such as size, shape, and/or zeta potential. A critical analysis of the current state of metal and metal‐oxide nanomaterial research advances our understanding to overcome antibiotic resistance and provide alternatives to combat bacterial infections. Finally, emerging approaches to identify and minimize metallic poisoning, specifically for biomedical applications, are examined.

Antimicrobial Activity of Metal and Metal‐Oxide Based Nanoparticles

Fighting bacterial resistance is one of the concerns in modern days, as antibiotics remain the main resource of bacterial control. Data shows that for every antibiotic developed, there is a microorganism that becomes resistant to it. Natural polymers, as the source of antibacterial agents, offer a new way to fight bacterial infection. The advantage over conventional synthetic antibiotics is that natural antimicrobial agents are biocompatible, non-toxic, and inexpensive. Chitosan is one of the natural polymers that represent a very promising source for the development of antimicrobial agents. In addition, chitosan is biodegradable, non-toxic, and most importantly, promotes wound healing, features that makes it suitable as a starting material for wound dressings. This paper reviews the antimicrobial properties of chitosan and describes the mechanisms of action toward microbial cells as well as the interactions with mammalian cells in terms of wound healing process. Finally, the applications of chitosan as a wound-dressing material are discussed along with the current status of chitosan-based wound dressings existing on the market.

Chitosan as a Wound Dressing Starting Material: Antimicrobial Properties and Mode of Action

A variety of organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and plants, produce secondary metabolites, also known as natural products. Natural products have been a prolific source and an inspiration for numerous medical agents with widely divergent chemical structures and biological activities, including antimicrobial, immunosuppressive, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities, many of which have been developed as treatments and have potential therapeutic applications for human diseases. Aside from natural products, the recent development of recombinant DNA technology has sparked the development of a wide array of biopharmaceutical products, such as recombinant proteins, offering significant advances in treating a broad spectrum of medical illnesses and conditions. Herein, we will introduce the structures and diverse biological activities of natural products and recombinant proteins that have been exploited as valuable molecules in medicine, agriculture and insect control. In addition, we will explore past and ongoing efforts along with achievements in the development of robust and promising microorganisms as cell factories to produce biologically active molecules. Furthermore, we will review multi-disciplinary and comprehensive engineering approaches directed at improving yields of microbial production of natural products and proteins and generating novel molecules. Throughout this article, we will suggest ways in which microbial-derived biologically active molecular entities and their analogs could continue to inspire the development of new therapeutic agents in academia and industry.

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A Review of the Microbial Production of Bioactive Natural Products and Biologics.

Dendritic Fe3O4@Poly(dopamine)@PAMAM Nanocomposite as Controllable NO-Releasing Material: A Synergistic Photothermal and NO Antibacterial Study

A biofilm is a group of microorganisms, that causes health problems for the patients with indwelling medical devices via attachment of cells to the surface matrix. It increases the resistance of a microorganism for antimicrobial agents and developed the human infection. Current strategies are removed or prevent the microbial colonies from the medical devices, which are attached to the surfaces. This will improve the clinical outcomes in favor of the patients suffering from serious infectious diseases. Moreover, the identification and inhibition of genes, which have the major role in biofilm formation, could be the effective approach for health care systems. In a current review article, we are highlighting the biofilm matrix and molecular mechanism of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial biofilms.

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Understanding the mechanism of bacterial biofilms resistance to antimicrobial agents

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. The controlled release of drugs to the precise site of the disease using a nanocarrier vehicle increases the therapeutic efficiency of the drugs. Nanotechnology-based approaches used to endorse clinical improvement from a disease also help to understand the interaction of malignant cells with their microenvironment. Receptor-based targeting is another approach for drug delivery which is undergoing clinical trials. Nanoparticles (NPs) delivery has been proven to promise high loading capacity, less toxicity, and stability of the drugs or biomolecules compared to traditional chemotherapeutic drugs. The goal of this review is to present the current problems of breast cancer therapy and discuss the NP-based targeting to overcome the hurdles of conventional drug therapy approach.

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Drug delivery approaches for breast cancer.

Objective : To study the frequency of various causes of short stature and their etiological contribution in a referral endocrinology and metabolism clinic at a tertiary care hospital.Methods : 352 children with growth retardation attending endocrine clinic between Feb 1999 to Mar 2001 were investigated for etiology of short stature. Agrawal’s growth chart was used for percentiles and height velocity. Various relevant radiological, biochemical and hormonal investigations were performed.Results : Normal variant short stature was the most common cause of short stature followed by endocrine causes.Conclusion : In males most common cause of short stature was constitutional growth delay, while in females most common cause of short stature was familial short stature.

Etiological Profile of Short Stature

Pituitary adenomas are common tumors composed of adenohypophysial cells.Although they usually arise in the sella turcica, they may occasionally be ectopic. Pituitary adenomas are rarely diagnosed in. childhood and adolescence, but their mass effect and endocrine abnormalities can compromise both quality and length of life. Many signs or symptoms of pituitary adenoma, complained of in adulthood, not became evident during adolescence, suggesting true prevalence of this tumor in teenagers is higher than expected. Pititury adenoma occuring during adolescence are associated with features or therapeutic needs sometimes different from those occuring in adulthood. At the onset of disease, delay in growth was rarely observed in teenagers with pituitary adenomas. Many girls complain of oligoamenorrhoea and galactorrhoea, while heActache and delay in pubertal development are the most commons features in boys. Hypopituitarism is occasionally encountered in adolescence. Early diagnosis and appropriate choice of therapy are necessary to avoid permanent endocrine complications of disease and its treatment.

S. K. Singh

Papers

Challenges in liver cancer and possible treatment approaches.

Understanding the mechanism of bacterial biofilms resistance to antimicrobial agents

Drug delivery approaches for breast cancer.

Etiological Profile of Short Stature

Pituitary adenomas in childhood.