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• Activation of latent and asymptomatic BKPyV and JCPyV infection in humans as a consequence of immunosuppression. • BKPyV and JCPyV infections are associated with multiple human malignancies and other pathological conditions. • With a frequency of 80–90 %, 4 subtypes of BKPyV and 14 of JCPyV are widely distributed across the globe. • Previously, high occurrence of BKPyV (upto 66.7 %, in Korea) and JCPyV (upto 88 %, in Taiwan) has been reported in Asian populations. Polyomaviridae family consists of small circular dsDNA viruses. Out of the 14 human polyomaviruses described so far, BKPyV and JCPyV have been studied extensively since their discovery in 1971. Reportedly, both BKPyV and JCPyV are widely distributed across the globe with the frequency of 80–90 % in different populations. The primary infection of these viruses is usually asymptomatic and latent which is activated as a consequence of immunosuppression. Activated BKPyV and JCPyV viruses lead to the development of BK Virus Associated Nephropathy and Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, respectively. Immense progress has been made during the last few decades regarding the molecular understanding of polyomaviruses. Epidemiology of polyomaviruses has also been studied extensively. However, most of the epidemiological studies have focused on European and American populations. Therefore, limited data is available regarding the geographical distribution of these potentially oncogenic viruses in Asian countries. In this article, we have presented a compendium of latest advances in the molecular understanding of polyomaviruses and their pathobiology. We also present a comprehensive review of published literature regarding the epidemiology and prevalence of BKPyV and JCPyV in Asian regions. For this purpose, a thorough search of available online resources was performed. As a result, we retrieved 24 studies for BKPyV and 22 studies for JCPyV, that describe their prevalence in Asia. These studies unanimously report high occurrence of both BKPyV and JCPyV in Asian populations. The available data from these studies was categorized into two groups: on the basis of prevalence (low, medium and high) and disease development (healthy and diseased). Altogether, Korean population hasbeen evidenced to possess highest frequency of BKPyV (66.7 %), while JCPyV was found to be most prevalent in Taiwan (88 %). Due to high and ubiquitous distribution of these viruses, frequent studies are required to develop a better understanding regarding the epidemiology and pathobiology of these viruses in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Typhoid fever is a fatal disease in humans that is caused by Salmonella typhi. S. typhi infections need immediate antibiotic therapy, and their extensive use has led to multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. The use of bacteriophages is becoming a new way to treat these resistant bacteria. This research was directed to bacteriophage isolation against S. typhi and to determine phage-antibiotic synergism., Aims: To isolate bacteriophages targeting S. typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever, and investigate their potential synergistic effects when combined with antibiotics., Study Design: A cross-sectional study., Methods: The Widal test was positive; twenty diarrheal stool samples were taken, and for confirmation of S. typhi, different biochemical tests were performed. The disc-diffusion technique was used to determine antimicrobial resistance, and the double agar overlay method was used for bacteriophage isolation from sewage water against S. typhi. To test antibiotic-phage synergism, the S. typhi bacteria was treated by phages together with varying antibiotic concentrations., Results: Eleven samples were positive for S. typhi with black colonies on SS-agar. These were catalase and MR positive with alkali butt on TSI. Clear plaques were observed after the agar overlay. Isolated phages were stable at various pH and temperature levels. Synergism was observed on agar plate. The zone was enlarged when phages were combined with bacterial lawn culture and ciprofloxacin disk. Bacterial growth inhibition had a significant p-value of 0.03 in titration plates, with the phage-ciprofloxacin combination being more effective than the phage and antibiotic alone., Conclusion: The study highlights the synergistic effects of isolated bacteriophages with antibiotics, which are not only effective against S. typhi infection but also decrease antibiotic resistance., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.)

Metastasis is the most devastating attribute of breast cancer (BC) that leads to high mortality. It is a complex process of tumor cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the effect of ERA on BC metastasis and BC progression in vivo. The transwell invasion/migration and wound healing assays showed that ERA treatment significantly reduced the invasion and migration of BC cell lines. The expression of mesenchymal (E-cadherin and N-cadherin), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2, MMP9), and stemness markers (Oct3) were down-regulated by ERA. Furthermore, ERA down-regulated angiogenic chemokines (CXCL1/2/3, CXCL5, and CXCL12) expression in the highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 cell line. The clonogenic survival of BC cells was also reduced by ERA treatment. Strikingly, ERA prevented DMBA-induced tumor growth in Swiss albino mice as depicted by a high animal survival rate (84%) in the ERA group and histopathological analysis. Conclusively, this study revealed that ERA possesses anti-metastatic potential and also reduces the growth of BC in vivo. Moreover, the GC-MS data revealed the presence of biologically active compounds (Lupeol, Phytol, phytosterol) and some rare (9, 19-Cyclolanost) phyto metabolites in ERA extract. However, further studies are suggestive to identify and isolate the therapeutic agents from ERA to combat BC and metastasis., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Cerium (Ce 3+ ) substitution in Cu-Cd spinel nanoferrites with the compositional formula Cu 0.5 Cd 0.5 Fe 2- x Ce x O 4 ( x = 0.0, 0.0125, 0.0250, 0.0375, 0.050) was performed by the hydrothermal route. The structural, morphological, optical, electrical, and dielectric properties of Ce-substituted Cu-Cd ferrites were explored. X-ray diffraction revealed the single-phase cubic structure of all nanoferrites. The average crystallite size (72.42-11.61 nm) and lattice constant (8.419-8.449 Å) were observed for the synthesized ferrites. The surface shapes of particles were determined by scanning electron microscopy. The substitution was also verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The semiconducting behavior of ferrites was determined from their electrical properties, such as direct current (DC) electrical resistivity. The Curie temperature was observed at 523 K temperature for all nanoferrites. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss significantly indicated the reducing behavior with an increase in the cerium concentration. The sample Cu 0.5 Cd 0.5 Fe 1.975 Ce 0.025 O 4 resulted in the lowest optical bandgap energy, DC resistivity, and dielectric losses. The nature of the electrical resistivity and dielectric constants indicate that the designed materials are highly appropriate for the design of microwave gadgets., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Dilute magnetic semiconductor Zn 1-x Cu x O (x = 0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5%) nanorods were prepared by hydrothermal method. The impact of dopant concentration on the physical properties was investigated along with the anti-bacterial and photocatalytic activities. Synthesis of ZnO nanorods was confirmed by the characteristic band at 380 nm in UV-Visible spectra of the synthesized samples. A red shift in absorbance spectra was observed from 380 to 465 nm with an increase in dopant concentration. The hexagonal wurtzite geometry and rod-like morphology of Cu-doped ZnO nanorods having an average size of 29 nm were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. An increase in the crystallinity of the material was observed with an increase in the dopant (Cu) ratio without any alteration in geometry. EDX analysis was used to confirm the purity of samples. FTIR spectra were recorded to explore the functional group present in samples. The hysteresis loop drawn by a vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) was utilized to analyze the ferromagnetic behavior. As-synthesized pure and Cu-ZnO nanorods were evaluated for their photocatalytic behavior for the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) dye. Zn 1 - x Cu x O with x = 4.5%, pH 3, and catalyst dosage of 0.5 g has shown the maximum efficiency. Results elucidated > 81% degradation of MO dye with a rate constant (k) value of - 1.930 × 10 -2  min -1 in just 90 min of exposure to a visible light source. ZnO nanorods have also exhibited anti-bacterial potential against gram-positive and gram-negative strains of bacteria. However, smaller size nanorods were found more effective to suppress the growth of gram-negative bacteria. A slight decrease (11%) in catalytic potential was observed in the 5th cycle during recycling and reuse experiments., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A series of Cd- and Er-doped bismuth ferrites were synthesized using a simple microemulsion technique. The influence of Cd and Er doping on the structural, ferroelectric, photocatalytic, and dielectric properties of bismuth ferrite (BFO) was examined in this research. The prepared materials were examined by X-ray diffraction, Raman, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis techniques. The XRD patterns reflected the formation of a monophasic rhombohedral structure with the space group R 3 - c and an average crystallite size calculated to be in the range of 29 to 32 nm. The saturation polarization ( P s ), coercivity ( H c ), and retentivity ( P r ) of the materials were investigated by a hysteresis loop (P-E), and it was perceived that increasing the dopant contents improved the P s and P r values, which may be due to the variation of metal cation valence states. In accordance with the photoluminescence (PL) spectra, a highly substituted material displayed lower recombination and increased charge separation rate (e - -h + ), which eventually contributed to a higher photocatalytic degradation performance of the prepared NMs. Furthermore, as the frequency and dopant concentration increased, the dielectric loss decreased, which could be due to different types of polarization. Bi 1 -  x Cd x Fe 1 -  y Er y O 3 showed well-saturated hysteresis loops (P-E) with enhanced saturation polarization near 9.7 × 10 -4 μC·cm -2 . The remnant polarization of the BFO and BFOCE NPs was 2.26 × 10 -4 and 8.11 × 10 -4 μC·cm -2 , respectively, under a maximum electric field, which may be due to the variation of the metal cation valence states. The improved ferroelectric and dielectric properties of Bi 1 -  x Cd x Fe 1 -  y Er y O 3 NPs are attributed to the reduced concentration of defects, the different domain behavior, and the valence state of Cd and Er ions. The electrochemical (crystal violet (CV) and I - V ) properties of Bi 1 -  x Cd x Fe 1 -  y Er y O 3 were all influenced by the dopant concentrations (Cd and Er). The synergistic effects of Cd and Er on the substituted material enhanced the specific capacitance in comparison to undoped BiFeO 3 . The photocatalytic activity to degrade CV under visible irradiation increased in BFOCE as the dopant ( x , y ) concentration increased from 0 to 0.25 by showing 84% dye degradation in comparison to pristine BiFeO 3 (53% only) within 120 min under visible light. Moreover, the stability of these prepared nanoparticles was confirmed using recycling experiments, with the results indicating that the synthesized nanomaterials demonstrated promising stability and reusability., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Persistence and prevalence of microbial diseases (pandemics, epidemics) is the most alarming threats to the human resulting in huge health and economic losses. Rapid detection and understanding of the disease dynamics by molecular biotechnology tools allow for robust reporting, treatment and control of diseases. As per WHO, the optimal diagnostic approach should be quick, specific, sensitive, without a stringed instrument, and low cost. The drawbacks of traditional detection techniques promote the use of CRISPR-mediated nucleic acid detection methods such as SHERLOCK as detection method. It takes advantage of the unexpected in vitro features of CRISPR-Cas system to develop field-deployable sensitive detection tools. Previously, CRISPR-mediated diagnostic methods have extensively been reviewed particularly for SARS-COV-2 detection, but it fails to provide the insight into advances of this technique. This study is the first attempt to review the advances of SHERLOCK approach as diagnostic tool for viral diseases detection. Variations of SHERLOCK mechanism for improved efficiency are discussed. Particularly integrated SHERLOCK approaches in terms of extraction-free assay and Bluetooth-enabled detection are reviewed to access their feasibility for the development of simpler and cost-effective diagnostic toolkits. Insight in to perks and limitations of diagnostic methods indicates its potential as ultimate diagnostic instrument for disease management., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Methotrexate (MTX), the first-line drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), can cause considerable toxicity, which limits effective dosage regimens. Moreover, it has rapid clearance, which leads to poor patient compliance. To mitigate such challenges, this study aimed to validate the use of MTX-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) in treating Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) arthritis in rats. Healthy Wistar rats (n = 30) were divided into five groups. The first group served as healthy control, while the second group served as arthritic control. Group 3 was administered methotrexate, while groups 4 and 5 were MTX-loaded NP-treated groups. NPs were prepared by solvent evaporation method and characterized by zeta size, potential, polydispersity index (PDI), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. NPs were 190 nm in size, and PDI was 0.25, confirming the uniform distribution of NPs. A significant increase in paw thickness was noted up to the 21st day of the study, which was reversed by a high dose of MTX-loaded NPs. MTX NPs significantly reduced the level of pro-inflammatory markers, including TNF-α and IL-6, along with improving control of oxidative stress biomarkers. The findings of biochemical, haematological, radiological, and histopathological investigations further confirmed amelioration of necrosis and cellular infiltration. It can be concluded that MTX-loaded chitosan NPs are promising candidates for treating FCA-induced arthritis in a rat model., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Introduction: The mounting incidence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains and the dearth of novel antibiotics demand alternate therapies to manage the infections caused by resistant superbugs. Bacteriophages and phage=derived proteins are considered as potential alternates to treat such infections, and have several applications in health care systems. The aim of this review is to explore the hidden potential of bacteriophage proteins which may be a practical alternative approach to manage the threat of antibiotic resistance., Results: Clinical trials are in progress for the use of phage therapy as a tool for routine medical use; however, the existing regulations may hamper their development of routine antimicrobial agents. The advancement of molecular techniques and the advent of sequencing have opened new potentials for the design of engineered bacteriophages as well as recombinant bacteriophage proteins. The phage enzymes and proteins encoded by the lysis cassette genes, especially endolysins, holins, and spanins, have shown plausible potentials as therapeutic candidates., Conclusion: This review offers an integrated viewpoint that aims to decipher the insights and abilities of bacteriophages and their derived proteins as potential alternatives to antibiotics., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Intense livestock farming practices enforcing the farmers to use antibiotics as food supplements on a routine basis. Aberrant use of antibiotics is associated with the emergence of antibiotics resistance and resistant superbugs. Keeping in view the current scenario, the present study was designed for the first time from Pakistan with a specific aim to estimate the prevalence of the carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in veterinary settings and the waste in Pakistan., Methods: A total of 138 samples from various veterinary sources were collected by employing a nonprobability sampling technique. Isolation and phenotypic identification of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae were performed according to the CLSI standard. Molecular detection of various antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was done through PCR by using specific primers against each ARG. According to the pasture scheme, the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to characterize the K. pneumoniae sequence types (STs)., Results: According to the results of the study, overall 9.4% (13/138) isolates were confirmed carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae . Among various carbapenem ARGs particularly, the bla NDM-1 was found in 92.3% (12/13) isolates followed by bla OXA-48 84.6% (11/13). MLST results revealed that overall 3 STs were found in the study which includes ST29, ST11, and ST258. Taking together, this is the first study to our best knowledge which demonstrated the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae and its various STs prevalent in veterinary settings and the waste of Pakistan., Conclusion: Based on the above-mentioned facts, we suggested that veterinary settings and waste are the potential source and reservoir of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae , which may be disseminated to the environment and ultimately can affect the public and companion livestock health., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare for this work., (© 2020 Chaudhry et al.)

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important pathogen that causes pneumonia and bloodstream infections, especially in neonates and intensive care patients. The carbapenems remain an important therapeutic option for clinicians, particularly against cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. This increased use of carbapenems at clinics has resulted in the evolution and spread of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae . In this study, we isolated six bla K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing strains belonging to sequence type 258 (ST258) from clinical, environmental, and veterinary sources. Antibiotic susceptibility was performed on these isolates and the genes responsible for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and metallo-beta-lactamase production were screened. The molecular typing was done using multilocus sequence typing. Isolated strains were resistant to various antibiotic classes, including carbapenems, and carried the carbapenem-resistant gene, blaKPC. All strains were susceptible to tigecycline and colistin. This is the first report detecting K. pneumoniae ST258 strains in Pakistan.

The present study aimed to decipher the bacterial infections in diabetic foot human patients in Pakistan and the anti-microbial susceptibility for clinical relevance. A total of 30 samples were collected from hospitalized type 2 diabetic patients (men and women) having foot ulcers. The collected samples were cultured on mannitol salt agar, Blood agar and MacConkey's agar and cetrimide agar. Gram staining and specific biochemical tests were performed to identify the invading bacteria. Antibiotic sensitivity and resistance pattern was performed for isolated bacteria by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. In diabetic foot ulcers, most prevalent bacteria were S. aureus with percent positivity of 83% followed by E. coli (66%), K. pneumoniae (40%) and P. aeruginosa (16%). The infected ulcer with poly-microorganisms was 83.4% and the infected ulcer with single isolates was 16.6%. Imipenem was found to be most sensitive antibiotic against Gram positive as well as Gram negative bacterial isolates from diabetic foot ulcer human patients. Gram negative isolates from diabetic foot showed resistance to ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, cefotaxime/clavulanate, metronidazole. The diabetic foot ulcers of human patients revealed high prevalence of S. aureus followed by E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa respectively. Imipenem was found to be the most sensitive antibiotic for all the bacterial isolates from foot ulcers of type 2 diabetic patients. This study suggests imipenem as effective antibiotic for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers against bacteria.

The IL-33/ST2 axis plays a protective role in T-cell-mediated hepatitis, but little is known about the functional impact of endogenous IL-33 on liver immunopathology. We used IL-33-deficient mice to investigate the functional effect of endogenous IL-33 in concanavalin A (Con A)-hepatitis. IL-33(-/-) mice displayed more severe Con A liver injury than wild-type (WT) mice, consistent with a hepatoprotective effect of IL-33. The more severe hepatic injury in IL-33(-/-) mice was associated with significantly higher levels of TNF-α and IL-1β and a larger number of NK cells infiltrating the liver. The expression of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) and IL-17 was not significantly varied between WT and IL-33(-/-) mice following Con A-hepatitis. The percentage of CD25(+) NK cells was significantly higher in the livers of IL-33(-/-) mice than in WT mice in association with upregulated expression of CXCR3 in the liver. Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) strongly infiltrated the liver in both WT and IL-33(-/-) mice, but Con A treatment increased their membrane expression of ST2 and CD25 only in WT mice. In vitro, IL-33 had a significant survival effect, increasing the total number of splenocytes, including B cells, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and the frequency of ST2(+) Treg cells. In conclusion, IL-33 acts as a potent immune modulator protecting the liver through activation of ST2(+) Treg cells and control of NK cells., (Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.)

Interleukin (IL)-33 is crucially involved in liver pathology and drives hepatoprotective functions. However, the regulation of IL-33 by cytokines of the IL-6 family, including oncostatin M (OSM) and IL-6, is not well studied. The aim of the present study was to determine whether OSM mediates regulation of IL-33 expression in liver cells. Intramuscular administration in mice of an adenovirus encoding OSM (AdOSM) leads to increase in expression of OSM in muscles, liver, and serum of AdOSM-infected mice compared with control mice. The increase of circulating OSM markedly regulated mRNA of genes associated with blood vessel biology, chemotaxis, cellular death, induction of cell adhesion molecules, and the alarmin cytokine IL-33 in liver. Steady-state IL-33 mRNA was upregulated by OSM at an early phase (8 h) following AdOSM infection. At the protein level, the expression of IL-33 was significantly induced in liver endothelial cells [liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) and vascular endothelial cells] with a peak at 8 days post-AdOSM infection in mice. In addition, we found OSM-stimulated human microvascular endothelial HMEC-1 cells and human LSEC/TRP3 cells showed a significant increase in expression of IL-33 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner in cell culture. The OSM-mediated overexpression of IL-33 was associated with the activation/enrichment of CD4(+)ST2(+) cells in liver of AdOSM-infected mice compared with adenovirus encoding green fluorescent protein-treated control mice. In summary, these data suggest that the cytokine OSM regulates the IL-33 expression in liver endothelial cells in vivo and in HMEC-1/TRP3 cells in vitro and may specifically expand the target CD4(+)ST2(+) cells in liver., (Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.)