You're using an outdated browser. Please upgrade to a modern browser for the best experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Nucleic Acid-Based COVID-19 Therapy Targeting Cytokine Storms
One of the promising therapeutic strategies to combat COVID-19 is nucleic acid-based therapeutic approaches, including microRNAs (miRNAs). Nucleic acid-based therapeutics (miRNAs included) have a latent ability to break the COVID-19 infection in general and quell the cytokine storm in particular.
  • 809
  • 25 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Xenobiotic-Metabolizing Enzymes in Trematodes
Trematode infections occur worldwide causing considerable deterioration of human health and placing a substantial financial burden on the livestock industry. The hundreds of millions of people afflicted with trematode infections rely entirely on only two drugs (praziquantel and triclabendazole) for treatment. An understanding of anthelmintic biotransformation pathways in parasites should clarify factors that can modulate therapeutic potency of anthelmintics in use and may lead to the discovery of synergistic compounds for combination treatments.
  • 808
  • 09 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Strategies to Mitigate Against Pathogenic Drug Resistant Fungi
Antifungal resistance, antifungal drug tolerance, and biofilm formation directly contribute to rising cases of fungal morbidity and mortality. As with all of the infectious diseases, prevention is the optimal way to mitigate disease outbreak and transmission. The application of effective disinfection and sterilization regimes, particularly in hospital settings, is vitally important, where a focus on fungal biofilm formation on indwelling medical devices is important. Preventing the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi on foods through the performance of appropriate end-to-end processes is advisable, as mycotoxins are recalcitrant and challenging to eliminate once they have been formed. Adopting the OneHealth approach will support and enable solutions to address this complex societal challenge.
  • 808
  • 31 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Guillain-Barré Syndrome in COVID-19 Pandemic
Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is considered as one of the peripheral nervous system diseases usually present with lower motor neuron lesion signs: muscle atrophy, weakness, fasciculation, hypotonia, and hyporeflexia. COVID-19 is a systemic disorder that typically presents with fever and respiratory symptoms. Numerous case reports have indicated an association between the incidence of GBS and previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, which preceded GBS onset by up to four weeks. Therefore, a postinfectious dysregulation of the immune system, caused by SARS-CoV2, was found to be the most probable trigger.
  • 805
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
γδ T Cells in Staphylococcus aureus Infections
The growth of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections necessitates focusing on host-derived immunotherapies. γδ T cells are an unconventional T cell subset, making up a relatively small portion of healthy circulating lymphocytes but a substantially increased proportion in mucosal and epithelial tissues. γδ T cells are activated and expanded in response to bacterial infection, having the capability to produce proinflammatory cytokines to recruit neutrophils and clear infection. They also play a significant role in dampening immune response to control inflammation and protecting the host against secondary challenge, making them promising targets when developing immunotherapy. Importantly, γδ T cells have differential metabolic states influencing their cytokine profile and subsequent inflammatory capacity.
  • 805
  • 05 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Nanocarriers in Tuberculosis Treatment
The World Health Organization identifies tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a leading infectious killer. Although conventional treatments for TB exist, they come with challenges such as a heavy pill regimen, prolonged treatment duration, and a strict schedule, leading to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains. Nanocarriers, such as lipid nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, liposomes, and polymeric micelles, facilitate targeted delivery of anti-TB drugs. The benefits of nanocarriers include reduced drug doses, fewer side effects, improved drug solubility, better bioavailability, and improved patient compliance, speeding up recovery.
  • 804
  • 08 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Autophagy Pharmacological Modulators and COVID-19
The family of coronaviruses (CoVs) uses the autophagy machinery of host cells to promote their growth and replication. Pharmacological or pharmacogenomics tools might be used to modulate autofaphy, and these processes stand out potential targets to combat COVID-19.
  • 803
  • 24 May 2021
Topic Review
Diagnosis of Fungal Keratitis
Fungal keratitis (FK) is one of the most devastating corneal infectious diseases caused by opportunistic infection of fungi. FK has an abysmal visual prognosis, potentially leading to blindness, and thus requires accurate diagnosis. 
  • 802
  • 01 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Insight into Prevention of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococcus) and Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) are important global pathogens which cause the sexually transmitted diseases gonorrhea and meningitis, respectively, as well as sepsis. Non-B meningococcal serogroups showed that the 4CMenB vaccine could potentially offer some level of protection against non-B meningococcal serogroups and N. gonorrhoeae. The assessment of the potential protection conferred by 4CMenB is further challenged by the fact that further studies are still needed to fully understand natural immune responses against gonococcal infections. A further limitation could be the potential differences between the protection mechanisms against N. gonorrhoeae, which causes local infections, and the protection mechanisms against N. meningitidis, which causes systemic infections.
  • 797
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
COVID-19 Inflammation and Blood Coagulation Biomarkers
In general, an individual who experiences the symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2 infection is declared as recovered after 2 weeks. However, approximately 10–20% of these survivors have been reported to encounter long-term health problems, defined as ‘long COVID-19’, e.g., blood coagulation which leads to stroke with an estimated incidence of 3%, and pulmonary embolism with 5% incidence. At the time of infection, the immune response produces pro-inflammatory cytokines that stimulate stromal cells to produce pro-hepatocyte growth factor (pro-HGF) and eventually is activated into hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which helps the coagulation process in endothelial and epithelial cells. HGF is a marker that appears as an inflammatory response that leads to coagulation.
  • 797
  • 20 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Synthetic mRNAs
The structure of synthetic mRNAs as used in vaccination against cancer and infectious diseases contain specifically designed caps followed by sequences of the 5′ untranslated repeats of β-globin gene. The strategy for successful design of synthetic mRNAs by chemically modifying their caps aims to increase resistance to the enzymatic deccapping complex, offer a higher affinity for binding to the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (elF4E) protein and enforce increased translation of their encoded proteins. However, the cellular homeostasis is finely balanced and obeys to specific laws of thermodynamics conferring balance between complexity and growth rate in evolution. An overwhelming and forced translation even under alarming conditions of the cell during a concurrent viral infection, or when molecular pathways are trying to circumvent precursor events that lead to autoimmunity and cancer, may cause the recipient cells to ignore their differential sensitivities which are essential for keeping normal conditions. The elF4E which is a powerful RNA regulon and a potent oncogene governing cell cycle progression and proliferation at a post-transcriptional level, may then be a great contributor to disease development. This Fact Sheet underscores the basic elements from within the official text of publication to highlight the hallmarks of disease progression due to synthetic mRNAs stability structures (analogue caps, 5’ untranlslated repeats of β-globin gene and poly A tails) fundamentally used in design of all synthetic mRNAs to promote the efficiency of translation of their encoded sequences by the human cell and therefore the organism. Specific bullet points in bold mean for urgency of further toxicity evaluation studies that need to be overtaken in order to ensure for safety of mRNAs in vaccines at current stages of development.
  • 796
  • 01 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Psoriasis and Risk of Infectious Disease
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated skin and joint disease, with a plethora of comorbidities, characterized by a certain genetic predisposition, and a complex pathogenesis based on the IL-23/IL-17 pathway.
  • 793
  • 14 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Gas6/TAM Axis Involvement in COVID-19 Patients
Gas6 (growth arrest-specific gene 6) is a widely expressed vitamin K-dependent protein that is involved in many biological processes such as homeostatic regulation, inflammation and repair/fibrotic processes. It is known that it is the main ligand of TAMs, a tyrosine kinase receptor family of three members, namely MerTK, Tyro-3 and Axl, for which it displays the highest affinity. Gas6/TAM axis activation is known to be involved in modulating inflammatory responses as well as fibrotic evolution in many different pathological conditions. The Axl is a SARS-CoV-2 infection driver, the use of existing Axl inhibitors is beneficial for COVID-19 management. 
  • 793
  • 12 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Nanotechnology in γ-Herpesviruses Treatments
Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) and Kaposi’s sarcoma associated-herpesvirus (KSHV) are γ-herpesviruses that belong to the Herpesviridae family. In the last decade, many studies conducted by scientists and clinicians have indicated that nanotechnology and nanomedicine could improve the outcome of several treatments in γ-herpesvirus-associated diseases. 
  • 792
  • 26 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Hepatitis B Viral Protein HBx
With 296 million cases estimated worldwide, chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV-encoded oncogene X protein (HBx), a key multifunctional regulatory protein, drives viral replication and interferes with several cellular signalling pathways that drive virus-associated hepatocarcinogenesis.
  • 792
  • 07 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Th22 Cells in Infectious Diseases
T helper 22 (Th22) cells, a newly defined CD4+ T-cell lineage, are characterized by their distinct cytokine profile, which primarily consists of IL-13, IL-22 and TNF-α. Th22 cells express a wide spectrum of chemokine receptors, such as CCR4, CCR6 and CCR10. The main effector molecule secreted by Th22 cells is IL-22, a member of the IL-10 family, which acts by binding to IL-22R and triggering a complex downstream signaling system. Th22 cells and IL-22 have been found to play variable roles in human immunity. In preventing the progression of infections such as HIV and influenza, Th22/IL-22 exhibited protective anti-inflammatory characteristics, and their deleterious proinflammatory activities have been demonstrated to exacerbate other illnesses, including hepatitis B and Helicobacter pylori infection.
  • 792
  • 17 Feb 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Clinical Applications of Isothermal Diagnosis for Human Schistosomiasis
About 250 million people affected, 779 million people at risk of infection, and 440 million people with residual morbidity are globally attributable to schistosomiasis. Highly sensitive and specific, simple and fast to perform diagnostics are required for detecting trace infections, and applications in resource-poor settings and large-scale assessments. Research assessing isothermal diagnoses of S. japonicum, S. haematobium, S. mansoni, mixed infections, and schistosomal hybrids among clinical human specimens was investigated. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and combined techniques were identified. Both, LAMP and RPA reached species-dependent 100% sensitivity, and detection levels within femtogram and nanogram amounts for pure and hybridale breeds. Cross-reactivity among Schistosoma species and co-endemic pathogens was rare though research on diagnostic markers and primer optimization should continue. Operating with ready-to-use lyophilized reagents, simplified and inexpensive nucleic acid extraction, tolerability to likely inhibitors, and enzyme stability at ambient temperature is advantageous. RPA performed optimal at 35–39ºC within 5–10 minutes while LAMP operated at 61–65ºC for up to 120 minutes; properties are preferable over assays requiring expensive laboratory equipment. DNA degradation could be prevented by stabilizing substances. A limitation throughout warranting future research is the small sample size reaching a few hundred participants at the maximum. Isothermal diagnostics are highly valuable in detecting trace infections seen subsequent to chemotherapeutic treatment, and among apparently healthy individuals, both constituting likely sources of ongoing pathogen transmission. Its expansion to the vaccine field for assessing parasitological trial endpoints could be considered.
  • 791
  • 26 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Tuberculosis and Autoimmunity
It is long-established that pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases is mainly promoted by inadequate immune responses to bacterial agents, among them Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a multifaceted process having many different outcomes and complications. Autoimmunity is one of the processes characteristic of tuberculosis; the presence of autoantibodies was documented by a large amount of evidence. The role of autoantibodies in pathogenesis of tuberculosis is not quite clear and widely disputed. They are regarded as: (1) a result of imbalanced immune response being reactive in nature, (2) a critical part of TB pathogenicity, (3) a beginning of autoimmune disease, (4) a protective mechanism helping to eliminate microbes and infected cells, and (5) playing dual role, pathogenic and protective. There is no single autoimmunity-mechanism development in tuberculosis; different pathways may be suggested. It may be excessive cell death and insufficient clearance of dead cells, impaired autophagy, enhanced activation of macrophages and dendritic cells, environmental influences such as vitamin D insufficiency, and genetic polymorphism, both of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and host.
  • 790
  • 19 Sep 2022
Topic Review
COVID-19 and Gastrointestinal Tract
Since its first report in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, COVID-19 has become a pandemic, affecting millions of people worldwide. Although the virus primarily affects the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal symptoms are also common.
  • 789
  • 30 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Nanotechnology for the Management of Klebsiella pneumoniae
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important human pathogen that causes diseases such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections, bacteremia, and sepsis. The rise of multidrug-resistant strains has severely limited the available treatments for K. pneumoniae infections. On the other hand, K. pneumoniae activity (and related infections) urgently requires improved management strategies. A growing number of medical applications are using nanotechnology, which uses materials with atomic or molecular dimensions, to diagnose, eliminate, or reduce the activity of different infections.
  • 788
  • 26 Dec 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 32
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Academic Video Service
Feedback