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Nouh RA, Kamal A, Oyewole O, Abbas WA, Abib B, Omar A, Mansour ST, Abdelnaser A. Unveiling the Potential of Cannabinoids in Multiple Sclerosis and the Dawn of Nano-Cannabinoid Medicine. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:241. [PMID: 38399295 PMCID: PMC10891830 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis is the predominant autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system in adolescents and adults. Specific treatments are categorized as disease-modifying, whereas others are symptomatic treatments to alleviate painful symptoms. Currently, no singular conventional therapy is universally effective for all patients across all stages of the illness. Nevertheless, cannabinoids exhibit significant promise in their capacity for neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, and immunosuppression. This review will examine the traditional treatment for multiple sclerosis, the increasing interest in using cannabis as a treatment method, its role in protecting the nervous system and regulating the immune system, commercially available therapeutic cannabinoids, and the emerging use of cannabis in nanomedicine. In conclusion, cannabinoids exhibit potential as a disease-modifying treatment rather than merely symptomatic relief. However, further research is necessary to unveil their role and establish the safety and advancements in nano-cannabinoid medicine, offering the potential for reduced toxicity and fewer adverse effects, thereby maximizing the benefits of cannabinoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roua A. Nouh
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (R.A.N.); (O.O.); (W.A.A.); (A.O.)
| | - Ahmed Kamal
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, P.O. Box 43221, Suez 43533, Egypt;
| | - Oluwaseyi Oyewole
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (R.A.N.); (O.O.); (W.A.A.); (A.O.)
| | - Walaa A. Abbas
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (R.A.N.); (O.O.); (W.A.A.); (A.O.)
| | - Bishoy Abib
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (B.A.); (S.T.M.)
| | - Abdelrouf Omar
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (R.A.N.); (O.O.); (W.A.A.); (A.O.)
| | - Somaia T. Mansour
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (B.A.); (S.T.M.)
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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2
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Mugwanya M, Kimera F, Abdelnaser A, Sewilam H. Coping with Water Stress: Ameliorative Effects of Combined Treatments of Salicylic Acid and Glycine Betaine on the Biometric Traits and Water-Use Efficiency of Onion ( Allium cepa) Cultivated under Deficit Drip Irrigation. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1634. [PMID: 38002316 PMCID: PMC10669905 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Freshwater scarcity is a major global challenge threatening food security. Agriculture requires huge quantities of water to feed the ever-increasing human population. Sustainable irrigation techniques such as deficit drip irrigation (DDI) are warranted to increase efficiency and maximize yield. However, DDI has been reported to cause water stress in plants. The study aimed to investigate the influence of the exogenous application of salicylic acid alone (SA) or in combination with glycine betaine (GB) on the growth, yield quality, and water-use efficiency of onions under different DDI treatments (100%, 70%, and 40% field capacity (FC)). Spray treatments (sub-treatments) were as follows: T1: (distilled water), T2: (1.09 mM SA), T3: (1.09 mM SA + 25 mM GB), T4: (1.09 mM SA + 50 mM GB), and T5: (1.09 mM SA + 100 mM GB). Our results indicated that T2 slightly ameliorated the effects of water stress by improved plant heights, leaf number, pseudostem diameter, bulb quality, and nutrient content of onion bulbs, especially under the 70% FC treatment. However, T3 recorded the poorest results on leaf number, pseudostem diameter, and bulb quality under the 70% and 40% FC treatments. Generally, our results indicated that onions could tolerate moderate water stress (70% FC) without severely affecting the growth and yield of onion. In conditions where freshwater is a limiting factor, a DDI treatment of 40% FC is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muziri Mugwanya
- Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES), School of Science and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (M.M.); (F.K.)
| | - Fahad Kimera
- Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES), School of Science and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (M.M.); (F.K.)
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Public Health, School of Science and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt;
| | - Hani Sewilam
- Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES), School of Science and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (M.M.); (F.K.)
- UNESCO Chair in Hydrological Changes and Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
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3
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Fahmy S, Nasr S, Ramzy A, Dawood AS, Abdelnaser A, Azzazy HMES. Cytotoxic and Antioxidative Effects of Geranium Oil and Ascorbic Acid Coloaded in Niosomes against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells. ACS Omega 2023; 8:22774-22782. [PMID: 37396262 PMCID: PMC10308595 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Geranium oil (GO) has antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Ascorbic acid (AA) is reported to inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species, sensitize cancer cells, and induce apoptosis. In this context, AA, GO, and AA-GO were loaded into niosomal nanovesicles to ameliorate the physicochemical properties of GO and improve its cytotoxic effects using the thin-film hydration technique. The prepared nanovesicles had a spherical shape with average diameters ranging from 200 to 300 nm and exhibited outstanding surface negative charges, high entrapment efficiencies, and a controlled sustained release over 72 h. Entrapping AA and GO in niosomes resulted in a lower IC50 value than free AA and GO when tested on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In addition, flow cytometry analysis showed higher apoptotic cells in the late apoptotic stage upon treating the MCF-7 breast cancer cells with AA-GO niosomal vesicles compared to treatments with free AA, free GO, and AA or GO loaded into niosomal nanovesicles. Assessing the antioxidant effect of the free drugs and loaded niosomal nanovesicles showed enhanced antioxidant activity of AA-GO niosomal vesicles. These findings suggest the AA-GO niosomal vesicles as a potential treatment strategy against breast cancer, possibly through scavenging free radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif
Ashraf Fahmy
- Chemistry
Department, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Hosted by Global Academic Foundation, R5 New Garden City, New Administrative
Capital, Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Soad Nasr
- Institute
of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Asmaa Ramzy
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Abdelhameed S. Dawood
- Institute
of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute
of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Hassan Mohamed El-Said Azzazy
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Department
of Nanobiophotonics, Leibniz Institute for
Photonic Technology, Albert Einstein Str. 9, Jena 07745, Germany
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Dawood AS, Sedeek MS, Farag MA, Abdelnaser A. Terfezia boudieri and Terfezia claveryi inhibit the LPS/IFN-γ-mediated inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages through an Nrf2-independent mechanism. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10106. [PMID: 37344506 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35612-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Desert truffles have been used as traditional treatments for numerous inflammatory disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 macrophages have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of two main desert truffles, Terfezia boudieri and T. claveryi, and the underlying mechanisms associated with their anti-inflammatory activities in RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide/interferon-gamma (LPS/IFN-γ). Our results demonstrated that treatment with T. boudieri and T. claveryi extracts effectively suppressed the inflammatory response in LPS/IFN-γ-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Specifically, T. boudieri extract was found to reduce the production of nitric oxide and inhibit the expression of various pro-inflammatory markers, including inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) at both the mRNA and protein levels. Similarly, T. claveryi extract exhibited comparable inhibitory effects, except for the expression of IL-6 and COX-2 at the protein level, where no significant effect was observed. Moreover, both studied extracts significantly downregulated the microRNA expression levels of miR-21, miR-146a, and miR-155, suggesting that T. boudieri and T. claveryi suppress the inflammatory response in LPS/IFN-γ-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells through an epigenetic mechanism. Furthermore, our study reveals a new mechanism for the anti-inflammatory properties of desert truffle extracts. We show for the first time that Terfezia extracts do not rely on the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway, previously linked to anti-inflammatory responses. This expands our understanding of natural product anti-inflammatory mechanisms and could have important implications for developing new therapies. To account for differences in truffle effects, extracts prepared were subjected to secondary metabolites profiling using UPLC-MS. UPLC-MS led to the annotation of 87 secondary metabolites belonging to various classes, including amino acids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, amides, fatty acids, sterols, and phenolic compounds. Therefore, these results indicate that T. boudieri and T. claveryi exhibit anti-inflammatory activities through suppressing multiple inflammatory mediators and cytokines and may be potential anti-inflammatory agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelhameed S Dawood
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt
| | - Mohamed S Sedeek
- Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El Aini St., Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A Farag
- Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El Aini St., Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
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5
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Gamal M, Tallima H, Azzazy HME, Abdelnaser A. Impact of HepG2 Cells Glutathione Depletion on Neutral Sphingomyelinases mRNA Levels and Activity. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:5005-5017. [PMID: 37367067 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45060318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is a prevalent form of cancer worldwide. While research has shown that increasing sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis by activating the cell surface membrane-associated neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) can control cell proliferation and apoptosis, the role of total glutathione depletion in inducing tumor cell apoptosis via nSMase2 activation is still under investigation. Conversely, glutathione-mediated inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation is necessary for the enzymatic activity of nSMase1 and nSMase3, increased ceramide levels, and cell apoptosis. This study evaluated the effects of depleting total glutathione in HepG2 cells using buthionine sulfoximine (BSO). The study assessed nSMases RNA levels and activities, intracellular ceramide levels, and cell proliferation using RT-qPCR, Amplex red neutral sphingomyelinase fluorescence assay, and colorimetric assays, respectively. The results indicated a lack of nSMase2 mRNA expression in treated and untreated HepG2 cells. Depletion of total glutathione resulted in a significant increase in mRNA levels but a dramatic reduction in the enzymatic activity of nSMase1 and nSMase3, a rise in ROS levels, a decrease in intracellular levels of ceramide, and an increase in cell proliferation. These findings suggest that total glutathione depletion may exacerbate liver cancer (HCC) and not support using total glutathione-depleting agents in HCC management. It is important to note that these results are limited to HepG2 cells, and further studies are necessary to determine if these effects will also occur in other cell lines. Additional research is necessary to explore the role of total glutathione depletion in inducing tumor cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Gamal
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Hatem Tallima
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Hassan M E Azzazy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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6
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Nouh RA, Kamal A, Abdelnaser A. Cannabinoids and Multiple Sclerosis: A Critical Analysis of Therapeutic Potentials and Safety Concerns. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15041151. [PMID: 37111637 PMCID: PMC10146800 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complicated condition in which the immune system attacks myelinated axons in the central nervous system (CNS), destroying both myelin and axons to varying degrees. Several environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors influence the risk of developing the disease and how well it responds to treatment. Cannabinoids have recently sparked renewed interest in their therapeutic applications, with growing evidence for their role in symptom control in MS. Cannabinoids exert their roles through the endogenous cannabinoid (ECB) system, with some reports shedding light on the molecular biology of this system and lending credence to some anecdotal medical claims. The double nature of cannabinoids, which cause both positive and negative effects, comes from their actions on the same receptor. Several mechanisms have been adopted to evade this effect. However, there are still numerous limitations to using cannabinoids to treat MS patients. In this review, we will explore and discuss the molecular effect of cannabinoids on the ECB system, the various factors that affect the response to cannabinoids in the body, including the role of gene polymorphism and its relation to dosage, assessing the positive over the adverse effects of cannabinoids in MS, and finally, exploring the possible functional mechanism of cannabinoids in MS and the current and future progress of cannabinoid therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roua A. Nouh
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Kamal
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, P.O. Box 43518, Suez 43533, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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7
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Abdelaziz MH, El Sawy EN, Abdelnaser A. A Novel Electrochemical Differentiation between Exosomal-RNA of Breast Cancer MCF7 and MCF7/ADR-Resistant Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040540. [PMID: 37111297 PMCID: PMC10145523 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is considered one of the most burdensome diseases affecting lives and, hence, the economy. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Patients with breast cancer are divided into two groups: one group responds to the chemotherapy, and the other group resists the chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the group which resists the chemotherapy is still suffering the pain associated with the severe side effects of the chemotherapy. Therefore, there is a critical need for a method to differentiate between both groups before the administration of the chemotherapy. Exosomes, the recently discovered nano-vesicles, are often used as cancer diagnostic biomarkers as their unique composition allows them to represent their parental cells, which makes them promising indicators for tumor prognosis. Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and RNA that exist in most body fluids and are expelled by multiple cell types, including cancer cells. Furthermore, exosomal RNA has been significantly used as a promising biomarker for tumor prognosis. Herein, we have developed an electrochemical system that could successfully differentiate between MCF7 and MCF7/ADR depending on the exosomal RNA. The high sensitivity of the proposed electrochemical assay opens the door for further investigation that will address the other type of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed H Abdelaziz
- Chemistry Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ehab N El Sawy
- Chemistry Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
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8
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Bokhtia RM, Panda SS, Girgis AS, Samir N, Said MF, Abdelnaser A, Nasr S, Bekheit MS, Dawood AS, Sharma H, Wade M, Sharma SK, Ghanim AM. New NSAID Conjugates as Potent and Selective COX-2 Inhibitors: Synthesis, Molecular Modeling and Biological Investigation. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28041945. [PMID: 36838932 PMCID: PMC9965125 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
New sets of ibuprofen and indomethacin conjugates comprising triazolyl heterocycle were synthesized via click chemistry, adopting an optimized protocol through the molecular hybridization approach affording the targeted agents in good yields. The new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) conjugates were designed and synthesized and could be considered as potential drug candidates for the treatment of pain and inflammation. The anti-inflammatory properties were investigated for all the synthesized conjugates. Among 14 synthesized conjugates, four (5a, 5b, 5d, and 5e) were found to have significant anti-inflammatory properties potency 117.6%, 116.5%, 93.8%, and 109.1% in comparison to reference drugs ibuprofen (97.2%) and indomethacin (100%) in the rat paw edema carrageenan test without any ulcerogenic liability. The suppression effect of cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS in addition to NO in the LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells supports the promising anti-inflammatory properties observed in the ibuprofen conjugates. In addition, several conjugates showed promising peripheral and central analgesic activity. The selectivity index (SI) of compound 5a (23.096) indicates the significant efficacy and selectivity for COX-2 over COX-1. Molecular modeling (docking and QSAR) studies described the observed biological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riham M. Bokhtia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Siva S. Panda
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Correspondence: or
| | - Adel S. Girgis
- Department of Pesticide Chemistry, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Nermin Samir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Mona F. Said
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Soad Nasr
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Mohamed S. Bekheit
- Department of Pesticide Chemistry, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Abdelhameed S. Dawood
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Horrick Sharma
- College of Pharmacy, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, OK 73096, USA
| | - Margaret Wade
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Swapnil K. Sharma
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Amany M. Ghanim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Azzazy HMES, Abdelnaser A, Al Mulla H, Sawy AM, Shamma SN, Elhusseiny M, Alwahibi S, Mahdy NK, Fahmy SA. Essential Oils Extracted from Boswellia sacra Oleo Gum Resin Loaded into PLGA-PCL Nanoparticles: Enhanced Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects against Breast Cancer Cells. ACS Omega 2023; 8:1017-1025. [PMID: 36643489 PMCID: PMC9835537 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This work aims to develop and optimize blended polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone, PCL) loaded with Boswellia sacra oil (BO) to improve BO's physicochemical properties and anti-breast cancer effects via enhancing apoptosis. In this context, BO was extracted from B. sacra oleo gum resins (BO) via hydrodistillation and chemically characterized by evaluating its essential oil's composition using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Then, BO/PLGA-PCL NPs were formulated using the emulsion (O/W) solvent evaporation technique using a PLGA-PCL mixture at five different ratios (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 1:2, and 1:3, respectively). The optimized NPs had a spherical morphology with no agglomerations and the lowest hydrodynamic size (230.3 ± 3.7 nm) and polydispersity index (0.13 ± 0.03) and the highest ζ potential (-20.36 ± 4.89 mV), as compared to the rest of the formulas. PLGA-PCL NPs could entrap 80.59 ± 3.37% of the BO and exhibited a controlled, sustained release of BO (83.74 ± 3.34%) over 72 h. Encapsulating BO in the form of BO/PLGA-PCL NPs resulted in a lower IC50 value as assessed by the MTT assay. Furthermore and upon assessing the apoptotic effect of both BO and BO/PLGA-PCL NPs, there was an increase in the percentage of apoptotic and necrotic cell percentages compared to the control and free BO. Encapsulation of BO in PLGA-PCL NPs doubled the percentage of apoptotic and necrotic cells exerted by free BO. These findings support the potential use of BO/PLGA-PCL NPs in treating breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Mohamed El-Said Azzazy
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
- Department
of Nanobiophotonics, Leibniz Institute for
Photonic Technology, Jena07745, Germany
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute
of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O.
Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
| | - Hadeer Al Mulla
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
| | - Amany M. Sawy
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
| | - Samir N. Shamma
- Institute
of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O.
Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Elhusseiny
- Institute
of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O.
Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
| | | | - Noha Khalil Mahdy
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
| | - Sherif Ashraf Fahmy
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo11835, Egypt
- Chemistry
Department, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Hosted by Global Academic Foundation, R5 New Garden City, New Administrative
Capital, AL109AB, Cairo11835, Egypt
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10
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Elghzaly AA, Sun C, Looger LL, Hirose M, Salama M, Khalil NM, Behiry ME, Hegazy MT, Hussein MA, Salem MN, Eltoraby E, Tawhid Z, Alwasefy M, Allam W, El-Shiekh I, Elserafy M, Abdelnaser A, Hashish S, Shebl N, Shahba AA, Elgirby A, Hassab A, Refay K, El-Touchy HM, Youssef A, Shabacy F, Hashim AA, Abdelzaher A, Alshebini E, Fayez D, El-Bakry SA, Elzohri MH, Abdelsalam EN, El-Khamisy SF, Ibrahim S, Ragab G, Nath SK. Genome-wide association study for systemic lupus erythematosus in an egyptian population. Front Genet 2022; 13:948505. [PMID: 36324510 PMCID: PMC9619055 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.948505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility has a strong genetic component. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) across trans-ancestral populations show both common and distinct genetic variants of susceptibility across European and Asian ancestries, while many other ethnic populations remain underexplored. We conducted the first SLE GWAS on Egyptians-an admixed North African/Middle Eastern population-using 537 patients and 883 controls. To identify novel susceptibility loci and replicate previously known loci, we performed imputation-based association analysis with 6,382,276 SNPs while accounting for individual admixture. We validated the association analysis using adaptive permutation tests (n = 109). We identified a novel genome-wide significant locus near IRS1/miR-5702 (Pcorrected = 1.98 × 10-8) and eight novel suggestive loci (Pcorrected < 1.0 × 10-5). We also replicated (Pperm < 0.01) 97 previously known loci with at least one associated nearby SNP, with ITGAM, DEF6-PPARD and IRF5 the top three replicated loci. SNPs correlated (r 2 > 0.8) with lead SNPs from four suggestive loci (ARMC9, DIAPH3, IFLDT1, and ENTPD3) were associated with differential gene expression (3.5 × 10-95 < p < 1.0 × 10-2) across diverse tissues. These loci are involved in cellular proliferation and invasion-pathways prominent in lupus and nephritis. Our study highlights the utility of GWAS in an admixed Egyptian population for delineating new genetic associations and for understanding SLE pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf A. Elghzaly
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Celi Sun
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Loren L. Looger
- Department of Neurosciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Misa Hirose
- Division of Genetics, Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Mohamed Salama
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha M. Khalil
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mervat Essam Behiry
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Tharwat Hegazy
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Ahmed Hussein
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamad Nabil Salem
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt
| | - Ehab Eltoraby
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ziyad Tawhid
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Mona Alwasefy
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, El-Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Walaa Allam
- Center for Genomics, Helmy Institute for Medical Sciences, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Iman El-Shiekh
- Center for Genomics, Helmy Institute for Medical Sciences, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Menattallah Elserafy
- Center for Genomics, Helmy Institute for Medical Sciences, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sara Hashish
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
| | - Nourhan Shebl
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Amira Elgirby
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Bab Sharqi, Egypt
| | - Amina Hassab
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Bab Sharqi, Egypt
| | - Khalida Refay
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Ali Youssef
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University Hospital, Benha, Egypt
| | - Fatma Shabacy
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University Hospital, Benha, Egypt
| | | | - Asmaa Abdelzaher
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Emad Alshebini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Al Minufiyah, Egypt
| | - Dalia Fayez
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samah A. El-Bakry
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mona H. Elzohri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Asyut, Egypt
| | | | - Sherif F. El-Khamisy
- Center for Genomics, Helmy Institute for Medical Sciences, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
- The Healthy Lifespan Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
| | - Saleh Ibrahim
- Division of Genetics, Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Gaafar Ragab
- Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Swapan K. Nath
- Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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11
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Abdelzaher H, Tawfik SM, Nour A, Abdelkader S, Elbalkiny ST, Abdelkader M, Abbas WA, Abdelnaser A. Climate change, human health, and the exposome: Utilizing OMIC technologies to navigate an era of uncertainty. Front Public Health 2022; 10:973000. [PMID: 36211706 PMCID: PMC9533016 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.973000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is an anthropogenic phenomenon that is alarming scientists and non-scientists alike. The emission of greenhouse gases is causing the temperature of the earth to rise and this increase is accompanied by a multitude of climate change-induced environmental exposures with potential health impacts. Tracking human exposure has been a major research interest of scientists worldwide. This has led to the development of exposome studies that examine internal and external individual exposures over their lifetime and correlate them to health. The monitoring of health has also benefited from significant technological advances in the field of "omics" technologies that analyze physiological changes on the nucleic acid, protein, and metabolism levels, among others. In this review, we discuss various climate change-induced environmental exposures and their potential health implications. We also highlight the potential integration of the technological advancements in the fields of exposome tracking, climate monitoring, and omics technologies shedding light on important questions that need to be answered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
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12
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Dabbish AM, Abdelzaher HM, Abohawya M, Shamma S, Mahmoud YH, Maged A, Manaa M, Hassany M, Kobeissy F, Bazgir O, El-Fawal H, Azzazy HME, Abdelnaser A. Prognostic MicroRNA Panel for HCV-Associated HCC: Integrating Computational Biology and Clinical Validation. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3036. [PMID: 35804809 PMCID: PMC9265118 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) will reduce morbidity and mortality rates of this widely spread disease. Dysregulation in microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with HCC progression. The objective is to identify a panel of differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) to enhance HCC early prediction in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. Candidate miRNAs were selected using a bioinformatic analysis of microarray and RNA-sequencing datasets, resulting in nine DE-miRNAs (miR-142, miR-150, miR-183, miR-199a, miR-215, miR-217, miR-224, miR-424, and miR-3607). Their expressions were validated in the serum of 44 healthy individuals, 62 non-cirrhotic HCV patients, 67 cirrhotic-HCV, and 72 HCV-associated-HCC patients using real-time PCR (qPCR). There was a significant increase in serum concentrations of the nine-candidate miRNAs in HCC and HCV patients relative to healthy individuals. MiR-424, miR-199a, miR-142, and miR-224 expressions were significantly altered in HCC compared to non-cirrhotic patients. A panel of five miRNAs improved sensitivity and specificity of HCC detection to 100% and 95.12% relative to healthy controls. Distinguishing HCC from HCV-treated patients was achieved by 70.8% sensitivity and 61.9% specificity using the combined panel, compared to alpha-fetoprotein (51.4% sensitivity and 60.67% specificity). These preliminary data show that the novel miRNAs panel (miR-150, miR-199a, miR-224, miR-424, and miR-3607) could serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker for HCC early prediction in chronic HCV patients. Further prospective studies on a larger cohort of patients should be conducted to assess the potential prognostic ability of the miRNAs panel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areeg M. Dabbish
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (A.M.D.); (M.A.)
| | - Hana M. Abdelzaher
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (IGHHE), The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (H.M.A.); (S.S.); (H.E.-F.)
| | - Moustafa Abohawya
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (A.M.D.); (M.A.)
| | - Samir Shamma
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (IGHHE), The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (H.M.A.); (S.S.); (H.E.-F.)
| | - Yosra H. Mahmoud
- Fellow of Clinical Pathology, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI), Cairo 11562, Egypt;
| | - Amr Maged
- Tropical Medicine Department, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI), Cairo 11562, Egypt; (A.M.); (M.M.); (M.H.)
| | - Mohamed Manaa
- Tropical Medicine Department, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI), Cairo 11562, Egypt; (A.M.); (M.M.); (M.H.)
| | - Mohamed Hassany
- Tropical Medicine Department, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI), Cairo 11562, Egypt; (A.M.); (M.M.); (M.H.)
| | - Firas Kobeissy
- Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics & Biomarkers Research, Departments of Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon
| | - Omid Bazgir
- Modeling and Simulation/Clinical Pharmacology, Genentech, CA 94080, USA;
| | - Hassan El-Fawal
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (IGHHE), The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (H.M.A.); (S.S.); (H.E.-F.)
| | - Hassan M. E. Azzazy
- Department of Chemistry, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt;
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (IGHHE), The American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (H.M.A.); (S.S.); (H.E.-F.)
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13
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Seliem IA, Panda SS, Girgis AS, Tran QL, Said MF, Bekheit MS, Abdelnaser A, Nasr S, Fayad W, Soliman AAF, Sakhuja R, Ibrahim TS, Abdel-Samii Z, Al-Mahmoudy AMM. Development of isatin-based Schiff bases targeting VEGFR2 inhibition: Synthesis, characterization, antiproliferative properties, and QSAR studies. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200164. [PMID: 35511203 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Three sets of isatin-based Schiff bases were synthesized utilizing the molecular hybridization approach. Some of the synthesized Schiff bases show significant to moderate antiproliferative properties against MCF7 (breast), HCT116 (colon), and PaCa2 (pancreatic) cancer cell line with potency compared to reference drugs 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and sunitinib. Among all, compound 17f (3-((1,5-dimethyl-3-oxo-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)imino)-1-((1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl)-5-methylindolin-2-one) exhibits promising antiproliferative properties against the MCF7 cancer cell line with 2.1-fold more potency than sunitinib. However, among all the synthesized compounds three (5-methylisatin derivatives) were the most effective against HCT116 in comparison to 5-FU. Compound 17f exhibited the highest anti-angiogenic effect on the vasculature as it significantly reduced BV from 43 mm to 2 mm in comparison to 5.7 mm for Sunitinib and flow cytometry supports the arrest of the cell cycle at G1/S phases. In addition, compound 17f also showed high VEGFR-2 inhibition properties against breast cancer cell lines. Robust 2D-QSAR studies supported the biological data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israa A Seliem
- Zagazig University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, EGYPT
| | - Siva S Panda
- Augusta University, Chemistry & Physics, 1120 15th Street, 30912, Augusta, UNITED STATES
| | - Adel S Girgis
- National Dental Centre, Department of Pesticide Chemistry, EGYPT
| | - Queen L Tran
- Augusta University, Department of Chemistry and Physics, UNITED STATES
| | - Mona F Said
- Cairo University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, EGYPT
| | | | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- The American University in Cairo, Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, EGYPT
| | - Soad Nasr
- The American University in Cairo, Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, EGYPT
| | - Walid Fayad
- National Research Centre, Pharmacognosy Department, EGYPT
| | | | - Rajeev Sakhuja
- BITS: Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Department of Chemistry, INDIA
| | - Tarek S Ibrahim
- King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SAUDI ARABIA
| | - Zakaria Abdel-Samii
- Zagazig University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, EGYPT
| | - Amany M M Al-Mahmoudy
- Zagazig University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, EGYPT
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14
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Tawfik SM, Abdollah MRA, Elmazar MM, El-Fawal HAN, Abdelnaser A. Effects of Metformin Combined With Antifolates on HepG2 Cell Metabolism and Cellular Proliferation. Front Oncol 2022; 12:828988. [PMID: 35186762 PMCID: PMC8851913 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.828988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most prevalent types of cancers worldwide, continues to maintain high levels of resistance to standard therapy. As clinical data revealed poor response rates, the need for developing new methods has increased to improve the overall wellbeing of patients with HCC. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence shows that cancer metabolic changes are a key feature of many types of human malignancies. Metabolic reprogramming refers to cancer cells’ ability to change their metabolism in order to meet the increased energy demand caused by continuous growth, rapid proliferation, and other neoplastic cell characteristics. For these reasons, metabolic pathways may become new therapeutic and chemopreventive targets. The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolic alterations associated with metformin (MET), an anti-diabetic agent when combined with two antifolate drugs: trimethoprim (TMP) or methotrexate (MTX), and how metabolic changes within the cancer cell may be used to increase cellular death. In this study, single drugs and combinations were investigated using in vitro assays including cytotoxicity assay (MTT), RT-qPCR, annexin V/PI apoptosis assay, scratch wound assay and Seahorse XF analysis, on a human HCC cell line, HepG2. The cytotoxicity assay showed that the IC50 of MET as single therapy was 44.08 mM that was reduced to 22.73 mM and 29.29 mM when combined with TMP and MTX, respectively. The co-treatment of both drugs increased p53 and Bax apoptotic markers, while decreased the anti-apoptotic marker; Bcl-2. Both combinations increased the percentage of apoptotic cells and halted cancer cell migration when compared to MET alone. Furthermore, both combinations decreased the MET-induced increase in glycolysis, while also inducing mitochondrial damage, altering cancer cell bioenergetics. These findings provide an exciting insight into the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of MET and anti-folates on HepG2 cells, and how in combination, may potentially combat the aggressiveness of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherouk M Tawfik
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.,Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt (BUE), Cairo, Egypt.,The Center for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt (BUE), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Maha R A Abdollah
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt (BUE), Cairo, Egypt.,The Center for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt (BUE), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohey M Elmazar
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt (BUE), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hassan A N El-Fawal
- Institute of Global Public Health, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Public Health, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
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15
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Fahmy SA, Ramzy A, Mandour AA, Nasr S, Abdelnaser A, Bakowsky U, Azzazy HMES. PEGylated Chitosan Nanoparticles Encapsulating Ascorbic Acid and Oxaliplatin Exhibit Dramatic Apoptotic Effects against Breast Cancer Cells. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14020407. [PMID: 35214139 PMCID: PMC8874531 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to design a pH-responsive dual-loaded nanosystem based on PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles loaded with ascorbic acid (AA) and oxaliplatin (OX) for the effective treatment of breast cancer. In this regard, non-PEGylated and PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) loaded with either ascorbic acid (AA), oxaliplatin (OX), or dual-loaded with AA-OX were fabricated using the ionotropic gelation method. The hydrodynamic diameters of the fabricated AA/CS NPs, OX/CS NPs, and AA-OX/CS NPs were 157.20 ± 2.40, 188.10 ± 9.70, and 261.10 ± 9.19 nm, respectively. While the hydrodynamic diameters of the designed AA/PEG-CS NPs, OX/PEG-CS NPs, and AA-OX/PEG-CS NPs were 152.20 ± 2.40, 156.60 ± 4.82, and 176.00 ± 4.21 nm, respectively. The ζ-potential of the prepared nanoparticles demonstrated high positive surface charges of +22.02 ± 1.50, +22.58 ± 1.85 and +40.4 ± 2.71 mV for AA/CS NPs, OX/CS NPs, and AA-OX/CS NPs, respectively. The ζ-potential of the PEGylated CS NPs was reduced owing to the shielding of the positive charges by the PEG chains. Additionally, all the prepared nanoparticles exhibited high entrapment efficiencies (EE%) and spherical-shaped morphology. The chemical features of the prepared nanoparticles were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Release studies showed the capability of the prepared non-PEGylated and PEGylated chitosan NPs to release their cargo in the acidic environment of cancer tissue (pH 5.5). Furthermore, the AA/CS NPs, AA/PEG-CS NPs, OX/CS NPs, OX/PEG-CS NPs, AA-OX/CS NPs and AA-OX/PEG-CS NPs exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activities against breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells with IC50 values of 44.87 ± 11.49, 23.3 ± 3.73, 23.88 ± 6.29, 17.98 ± 3.99, 18.69 ± 2.22, and 7.5 ± 0.69 µg/mL, respectively; as compared to free AA and OX (IC50 of 150.80 ± 26.50 and 147.70 ± 63.91 µg/mL, respectively). Additionally, treatment of MCF-7 cells with IC50 concentrations of AA, AA/CS NPs, AA/PEG-CS NPs, OX, OX/CS NPs, OX/PEG-CS NPs, AA-OX/CS NPs or AA-OX/PEG-CS NPs increased the percentages of early apoptotic cells to 5.28%, 9.53%, 11.20%, 5.27%, 13.80%, 8.43%, 2.32%, and 10.10%, respectively, and increased the percentages of late apoptotic cells to 0.98%, 0.37%, 2.41%, 2.06%, 0.97%, 9.66%, 56%, and 81.50%, respectively. These results clearly indicate that PEGylation enhances the apoptotic effect of AA and OX alone, in addition to potentiating the apoptotic effect of AA and OX when combined on MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, PEGylated chitosan nanoparticles encapsulating AA, OX, or AA and OX represent an effective formula for induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif Ashraf Fahmy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (S.A.F.); (A.R.)
| | - Asmaa Ramzy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (S.A.F.); (A.R.)
| | - Asmaa A. Mandour
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Future University in Egypt, Cairo 11835, Egypt;
| | - Soad Nasr
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (S.N.); (A.A.)
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (S.N.); (A.A.)
| | - Udo Bakowsky
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, University of Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 4, 35037 Marburg, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (H.M.E.-S.A.); Tel.: +49-(0)-6421-28-2-58-84 (U.B.); +2-02-2615-2559 (H.M.E.-S.A.); Fax: +2-02-2795-7565 (H.M.E.-S.A.)
| | - Hassan Mohamed El-Said Azzazy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences & Engineering, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt; (S.A.F.); (A.R.)
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (H.M.E.-S.A.); Tel.: +49-(0)-6421-28-2-58-84 (U.B.); +2-02-2615-2559 (H.M.E.-S.A.); Fax: +2-02-2795-7565 (H.M.E.-S.A.)
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16
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Yousef MH, Salama M, El-Fawal HAN, Abdelnaser A. Selective GSK3β Inhibition Mediates an Nrf2-Independent Anti-inflammatory Microglial Response. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:5591-5611. [PMID: 35739410 PMCID: PMC9395457 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02923-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is associated with the proinflammatory phenotype of microglia and has been shown to act in concert with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). GSK3 is also a suppressor of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), the principal regulator of redox homeostasis. Agreeing with the oxidative paradigm of aging, Nrf2 is often deregulated in parainflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we aimed to explore a multimodal disease-modifying utility of GSK3 inhibition, beyond neuronal proteopathologies. Furthermore, we aimed to underscore the difference in therapeutic value between the two GSK3 paralogs by isoform-selective chemical inhibition. The anti-inflammatory effects of paralog-selective GSK3 inhibitors were evaluated as a function of the reductive capacity of each to mitigate LPS-induced activation of SIM-A9 microglia. The Griess method was employed to detect the nitrate-lowering capacity of selective GSK3 inhibition. Real-time PCR was used to assess post-treatment expression levels of pro-inflammatory markers and antioxidant genes; pro-inflammatory cytokines were assayed by ELISA. Nuclear lysates of treated cells were examined for Nrf2 and NF-κB accumulation by immunoblotting. Finally, to infer whether the counter-inflammatory activity of GSK3 inhibition was Nrf2-dependent, DsiRNA-mediated knockdown of Nrf2 was attempted. Results from our experiments reveal a superior anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative efficacy for GSK3β-selective inhibition, compared to GSK3α-selective and non-selective pan-inhibition; hence, use of selective GSK3β inhibitors is likely to be more propitious than non-selective dual inhibitors administered at comparable doses. Moreover, our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of GSK3 inhibition are not Nrf2 dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed H Yousef
- School of Sciences and Engineering, Biotechnology Graduate Program, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Salama
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hassan A N El-Fawal
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, Cairo, Egypt.
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Ghanim AM, Girgis AS, Kariuki BM, Samir N, Said MF, Abdelnaser A, Nasr S, Bekheit MS, Abdelhameed MF, Almalki AJ, Ibrahim TS, Panda SS. Design and synthesis of ibuprofen-quinoline conjugates as potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug candidates. Bioorg Chem 2021; 119:105557. [PMID: 34952242 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
A new set of ibuprofen-quinoline conjugates comprising quinolinyl heterocycle and ibuprofen moieties linked by an alkyl chain were synthesized in good yields utilizing an optimized reaction procedure in a molecular hybridization approach to overcome the drawbacks of the current non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The synthesized conjugates were screened for their anti-inflammatory, and ulcerogenic properties. Several conjugates were found to have significant anti-inflammatory properties in the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test without showing any ulcerogenic liability. In addition, most conjugates showed promising peripheral analgesic activity in the acetic acid-induced writhing test as well as central analgesic properties in the in vivo hot plate test. The most promising conjugates were the unsubstituted and 6-substituted fluoro- and chloro-derivatives of 2-(trifluoromethyl)quinoline linked to ibuprofen by a propyl chain. Their anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated against LPS-stimulated inflammatory reactions in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. In this regard, it was found that most of the conjugates were able to significantly reduce the release and production of nitric oxide in the LPS-stimulated macrophages. The secretion and expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were also significantly suppressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amany M Ghanim
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, 44519 Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Adel S Girgis
- Department of Pesticide Chemistry, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Benson M Kariuki
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Nermin Samir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Mona F Said
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Soad Nasr
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Cairo 11835, Egypt; Institute of Pharmacology of Natural Products & Clinical Pharmacology, Ulm University, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Mohamed S Bekheit
- Department of Pesticide Chemistry, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | | | - Ahmad J Almalki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of Excellence for Drug Research and Pharmaceutical Industries, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tarek S Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Siva S Panda
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
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Saleh HA, Yousef MH, Abdelnaser A. The Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Phytochemicals and Their Effects on Epigenetic Mechanisms Involved in TLR4/NF-κB-Mediated Inflammation. Front Immunol 2021; 12:606069. [PMID: 33868227 PMCID: PMC8044831 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.606069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immune response induces positive inflammatory transducers and regulators in order to attack pathogens, while simultaneously negative signaling regulators are transcribed to maintain innate immune homeostasis and to avoid persistent inflammatory immune responses. The gene expression of many of these regulators is controlled by different epigenetic modifications. The remarkable impact of epigenetic changes in inducing or suppressing inflammatory signaling is being increasingly recognized. Several studies have highlighted the interplay of histone modification, DNA methylation, and post-transcriptional miRNA-mediated modifications in inflammatory diseases, and inflammation-mediated tumorigenesis. Targeting these epigenetic alterations affords the opportunity of attenuating different inflammatory dysregulations. In this regard, many studies have identified the significant anti-inflammatory properties of distinct naturally-derived phytochemicals, and revealed their regulatory capacity. In the current review, we demonstrate the signaling cascade during the immune response and the epigenetic modifications that take place during inflammation. Moreover, we also provide an updated overview of phytochemicals that target these mechanisms in macrophages and other experimental models, and go on to illustrate the effects of these phytochemicals in regulating epigenetic mechanisms and attenuating aberrant inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidy A. Saleh
- Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, The British University in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed H. Yousef
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Public Health, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
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Abstract
This review paper investigates a specific environmental-disease interaction between mercury exposure and Alzheimer's disease hallmarks. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting predominantly the memory of the affected individual. It prevails mostly in the elderly, rendering many factors as possible causative agents, which potentially contribute to the disease pathogenicity cumulatively. Alzheimer's disease affects nearly 50 million people worldwide and is considered one the most devastating diseases not only for the patient, but also for their families and caregivers. Mercury is a common environmental toxin, found in the atmosphere mostly due to human activity, such as coal burning for heating and cooking. Natural release of mercury into the atmosphere occurs by volcanic eruptions, in the form of vapor, or weathering rocks. The most toxic form of mercury to humans is methylmercury, to which humans are exposed to by ingestion of fish. Methylmercury was found to exert its toxic effects on different parts of the human body, with predominance on the brain. There is no safe concentration for mercury in the atmosphere, even trace amounts can elicit harm to humans in the long term. Mercury's effect on Alzheimer's disease hallmarks formation, extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, has been widely studied. This review demonstrates the involvement of mercury, in its different forms, in the pathway of amyloid beta deposition and tau tangles formation. It aims to understand the link between mercury exposure and Alzheimer's disease so that, in the future, prevention strategies can be applied to halt the progression of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihan Azar
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, New Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed H Yousef
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hassan A N El-Fawal
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, New Cairo, Egypt
| | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, P.O. Box: 74, New Cairo, Egypt.
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Abdelzaher H, Saleh BM, Ismail HA, Hafiz M, Gabal MA, Mahmoud M, Hashish S, Gawad RMA, Gharieb RY, Abdelnaser A. COVID-19 Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors: A Look at the Evidence. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:579415. [PMID: 33117174 PMCID: PMC7577231 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.579415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic is with no doubt the biggest health crisis of the 21st century. The disease is caused by a virus of the Coronaviridae family and is closely related to the virus responsible for the severe acute respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Since December 2019, the virus has continued to spread way beyond the location of the first recorded cases (Wuhan, China). As of now, over 5 million cases have been diagnosed with the disease worldwide and over 300 thousand have died. COVID-19 patients suffer from respiratory symptoms that can rapidly turn into potentially fatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a portion of patients. Although many drugs and vaccines are currently under clinical trials, there is no currently approved treatment or vaccine. It is therefore critical to correctly identify risk factors that lead to the exacerbation of symptoms in highly susceptible groups. Groups that are at high risk include those aged 55 or older especially those with underlying conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. Certain ethnicities such as African-Americans have been found to be at a higher risk and males seem to be higher both in numbers as well as severity of cases. It is hypothesized that these groups are at risk as their molecular landscape is more permissive of viral infection and growth. Different occupations, especially those related to health-care as well as populations that do not cultivate a mask-wearing culture are at higher risk due to environmental exposure. In this article, we examine the evidence regarding different groups that are more sensitive to the disease and review hypotheses pertaining to COVID-19 infection and prognosis. Risk factors that can be related to the molecular landscape of COVID-19 infection as well as those related to environmental and occupational conditions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anwar Abdelnaser
- School of Science and Engineering, Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
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22
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Zamzam D, Salem A, Abdelnaser A, Tork M, Abdelhafeez M, Swelam M, Fouad M. Season of Birth as a Risk Factor for Multiple Sclerosis in Egypt. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2018.10.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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