Biomedicine 

About: Biomedicine is an academic journal published by EDP Sciences. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Internal medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 2211-8020. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 467 publications have been published receiving 100 citations. The journal is also known as: Biomedicine (Duitsland) & Biomedicine (Taiwan).

Molecular identification of intracellular survival related Brucella melitensis virulence factors

Abstract: Introduction and Aim: Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by Brucella spp. which is an intracellular gram-negative bacterium. Brucella melitensis lacks the "traditional" virulence factors such as exotoxins or cytolysins, but is capable of persisting intracellularly and evading the immune system. This study aims to identify B. melitensis using PCR and discover genes associated with its severity for early detection and therapy. Materials and Methods: Ten ml of unclotted blood sample was collected from each patient (n=100) suspected to be infected with brucellosis. The Castaneda technique was used to inoculate blood samples onto Brucella Basel agar with a selective supplement and tryptone soy broth in a diphasic flask. Biochemical tests were used in identifying the isolated colonies. B. melitensis isolates were further confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using, primers targeting a specific region (IS711 gene) of the genome. Multiplex PCR was used to determine the four virulence related genes (lps B, mgtA, omp25, CBG) in all positive samples. Results: Brucella melitensis was detected in 9% (9/100) of the blood samples. Among the virulence factors, LpsB and mgtA, were detected in all the isolates while, the genes omp25 and CBG were detected in 66.6% and 55.5% of the isolates, respectively. Conclusion: Brucellosis could be diagnosed rapidly using molecular techniques. PCR technique could also be used in identifying the Brucella virulence related genes lpsB, mgtA, CBG, and omp25 that are crucial to the bacterium's pathogenicity in the intracellular environment.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1-bound extracellular vesicle as novel therapy for osteoarthritis

Abstract: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint condition that causes significant impairment of the chondrocyte. The gradual degradation of the cartilage lining of one or more freely moving joints, as well as persistent inflammation, are the causes of osteoarthritis. Current medications focus on alleviating symptoms rather than curing the condition. The aim of this review is to evaluate the potential use of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1-bound extracellular vesicle as novel therapy for osteoarthritis. This review article was completed by searching for the keywords “Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1”, “Extracellular Vesicle”, and “Osteoarthritis” in various journals in several search engines. Of the 102 scientific articles found, 95 were found suitable to be used as material in the making of this article. The upregulated amount of FGFR1 (fibroblast growth factor receptors) signalling suggesting the progression of degenerative cartilage that commonly seen in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Several studies showed that the involvement of extracellular vesicles (EV) derived from MSCs could enhance cartilage repair and protect the cartilage from degradation. EVs have the potential to deliver effects to specific cell types through ligand-receptor interactions and several pathway mechanisms related with the FGFR1. EVs and FGFR1-bound Evs have been postulated in recent years as possible therapeutic targets in human articular cartilage. The protective benefits on both chondrocytes and synoviocytes in OA patients can be achieved by administering the MSC-EVs that may also stimulate chondrocyte proliferation and migration EVs have a promising potential to become a novel therapy for treating patients with OA. However, further researches are need to be conducted to discover further the application of this therapy.

Anti-herpes virus activity of lactobacillus’ postbiotics

Abstract: Background Recently various lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their post-metabolites have shown many positive effects on human and animal welfare. They appear to be beneficial in different disorders and pathological conditions, including in a broad-spectrum of infectious diseases. Aim To estimate in vitro the anti-herpes simplex activity of 11 postbiotic samples (lysates or cell-free supernatants - CFS) produced during the fermentation of six candidate-probiotic Lactobacillus strains isolated from Bulgarian fermented milk products. Materials and methods In vitro protocols for assessment of different LAB samples on the Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) replication, adsorption and virucidal effects were applied using MDBK cells. Results Four of the studied LAB samples expressed a statistically significant inhibition of the replication of HSV-1. The highest selective index (79.75) was calculated for the post-metabolites of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, followed by a high molecular fraction of cell-derived fragments of Limosilactobacillus fermentum culture (S6) (SI = 34.63), CFS from late exponential L. plantarum (SI = 28.26) and neutralized CFS from L. fermentum (SI = 28.11). Pronounced virucidal activities of the postbiotics S1, S11 (L. fermentum), S3 (L. plantarum) and S6 (L. fermentum) were recorded, too. The inhibitory effect of the majority of the samples on the stage of adsorption of the virus to MDBK cells was remarkable. In addition, almost all of the postbiotics exerted a protective effect on healthy cells and significantly reduced viral yield at subsequent infection. Conclusion Pre-selected Lactobacillus strains demonstrated strain-specific effects against HSV-1. These postbiotics influence different stages of viral infection in cell cultures and their promising characteristics are currently evaluated.

Is autologous platelet activation the key step in ovarian therapy for fertility recovery and menopause reversal?

Abstract: Summary Platelets are a uniquely mammalian physiologic feature. As the only non-marine vertebrates to experience menopause, humans have a substantial post-reproductive lifespan and are believed to have a limited, non-renewable oocyte supply. Ovarian reserve typically declines after about age 35yrs, marking losses which cannot be recovered by available fertility medications. When in vitro fertilization fails due to low or absent ovarian response, gonadotropin adjustments are often ineffectual and if additional oocytes are occasionally harvested, egg quality is usually poor. This problem was confronted by Greek researchers who developed a new surgical method to insert autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into ovaries; the first ovarian PRP success to improve reproductive outcomes was published from Athens in 2016. This innovation influenced later research with condensed platelet-derived growth factors, leading to correction of oocyte ploidy error, normal blastocyst development, and additional term livebirths. Yet women’s health was among the last clinical domains to explore PRP, and its role in ‘ovarian rejuvenation’ remains unsettled. One critical aspect in this procedure is platelet activation, a commonly overlooked step in the cytokine release cascade considered essential for successful transition of undifferentiated ovarian stem cells to an oocyte lineage. Poor activation of platelets thus becomes an unforced error, potentially diminishing or even negating post-treatment ovarian follicular response. To answer this query, relevant theory, current disagreements, and new data on platelet activation are presented, along with clinical challenges for regenerative fertility practice.

Applying artificial neural-network model to predict psychiatric symptoms

Abstract: Introduction Mental disorders result in mental disabilities and discomfort in the affected person as they affect both thinking and behavior. Therefore, more vulnerable people must first be identified to improve the psychological level of society. Aim This study aims to determine the importance of gender, employment, education, place of residence, and age in predicting mental disorders using artificial neural network modeling. Methods The pattern held between variables in this study will be identified using multilayer feed-forward back-propagation neural networks with five inputs and 10 outputs. To determine the neural network with the least sum of square errors, we evaluated the performance of all neural networks with varying algorithms and different numbers of neurons in the hidden layer. Data were analyzed for 380 people aged 10–82 years using the SPSS software. Results The optimal neural network model was effective in predicting mental disorders. In this model, the variables of the place of residence, education, age, gender, and employment were important in fitting the optimal model with 34.08, 20.11, 18.93, 14.55, and 12.33%, respectively. The accuracy rate for the neural network model was 99.2%. Conclusion To achieve further results in improving mental health problems, it is better to focus more on employed, rural, and younger people with a non-tertiary education level.