Interdisciplinary Collaboration between Bench and Bedside in the COVID-19 Pandemic 2 2 The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 on 11 March 2020 1. SARS-CoV-2 primarily affects the human respiratory system cells. Nonetheless, it has been revealed that other systems, such as the gastrointestinal tract, kidney system, liver, pancreas, eyes, and brain are affected by the virus 2. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has about 79% and 50% similarity to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV 3. However, it caused millions due to the extremely high transmission rate. The complexity of COVID-19 treatment strategies, as compared to SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, led to a global crisis. As of February 2023, more than 750 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6.8 million deaths have been reported (https://covid19.who.int/). Extremely high rates of death along with no definitive treatment prompted governments and health institutes around the world to establish strict health and social guidelines and develop and mass-produce COVID-19 vaccines in a very short amount of time, leading to a stark reduction in mortality and morbidity due to COVID-19. The experience from COVID-19 containment and vaccination highlights the important role of interdisciplinary collaboration between bench (virologist, immunologist, epidemiologist, etc.) and bedside (healthcare providers and clinicians) 4. Interdisciplinarity is generally defined as when different disciplines investigate a shared topic/object from different perspectives so that each discipline accents a different aspect of that topic. One of the successful interdisciplinary example is the collaboration between psychiatry and neuroscience 5-10. We, herein, use the example of the COVID-19 pandemic and its containment using vaccination and clinical guidelines to highlight the role of collaboration between basic and clinical sciences. Various disciplines, such as clinicians, virologists, immunologist, epidemiologists, physicists, and economists have collaborated closely to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the diagnostic tests for confirmation of COVID-19 by clinicians were developed and produced by virologists, whereas clinicians deal with how the virus affect the organs of the human host. Clinicians and immunologists investigated new mechanisms of damage to the lungs and blood clotting in patients with COVID-19, and existing interventions were modified to handle the new virus. While the clinicians were saving lives in hospitals, preventive measures were implemented by epidemiologists and politicians to impede the most probable routes of transmission. These measures included wearing face masks, washing hands, coughing into elbows, avoiding handshakes, and social distancing. In this regard, physicists investigated what distance would be enough, given the behavior of fluids, to block the transmission of virus. On the other hand, biomedical researchers at research institutes and pharmaceutical companies produced the fastest-developed vaccines in history. Multiple vaccines with different mechanisms of action, such as messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, vector vaccine, and protein subunit vaccine were generated in a short period of time, mass-produced, and distributed among the population 11. Vaccination of the population led to a stark decrease in mortality and morbidity. In addition to vaccines, several pharmacological interventions such as remdesivir and convalescent plasma were crafted by biomedical researchers, which significantly helped clinicians in their fight against COVID-19. These experiences confirm that close collaboration between different disciplines helped the community to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic with the least possible cost, mortality, and morbidity. 66 67 Hossein Sanjari Moghaddam Psychiatric Research Center, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Psychiatric Research Center, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iran Shahin Akhondzadeh Editorial 60531.pdf Shivanika C, Kumar D, Ragunathan V, Tiwari P, Sumitha A. Molecular docking, validation, dynamics simulations, and pharmacokinetic prediction of natural compounds against the SARS-CoV-2 main-protease. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022 Feb;40(2):585-611.##Tang N, Bai H, Chen X, Gong J, Li D, Sun Z. Anticoagulant treatment is associated with decreased mortality in severe coronavirus disease 2019 patients with coagulopathy. J Thromb Haemost 2020 May;18(5):1094-1099.##Lai C-C, Shih T-P, Ko W-C, Tang H-J, Hsueh P-R. 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Cell Surface Vimentin Detection in Cancer Cells by Peptide-Based Monoclonal Antibody 2 2 Background: Vimentin is a prominent Intermediate Filaments (IFs) protein expressed in different mesenchymal origin cell types. Besides a wide range of cellular function roles associated with vimentin expression, its dysregulation and cell surface expression in the induction of malignancy properties have been reported extensively, making it a promising cancer-specific target. Therefore, this study aimed to generate and characterize anti-vimentin monoclonal antibodies. Methods: A 14-mer synthetic peptide from vimentin was conjugated to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) and used for immunization of Blab/C mice and monoclonal production by conventional hybridoma technology. The monoclonal antibody was purified using affinity chromatography of supernatants from the selected hybridoma cells. ELISA, Immunoprecipitation-Western blotting (IP-WB), Immunocytochemistry (ICC), and flow cytometry were employed to characterize the produced monoclonal antibody in terms of interaction with vimentin immunizing peptide as well as vimentin protein. Results: Amid the several obtained producing anti-vimentin antibody hybridomas, the 7C11-D9 clone (IgG1 isotype with kappa light chain) showed higher reactivity with the immunizing peptide, and led to its selection for purification and characterization. The purified antibody could detect vimentin protein in IP-WB, ICC and flow cytometry of the normal and cancerous cells with different origin. No vimentin expression was found in normal healthy Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC). Conclusion: Taken together, 7C11-D9 anti-vimentin monoclonal antibody might be used as immune diagnostic or immune therapeutic tool where detection or targeting of vimentin in a wide range of organisms is required. 68 75 Niloufar Sadeghi Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Ghazaleh Fazli Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Ali Ahmad Bayat Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Raminasadat Fatemi Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Nasim Ebrahimnejhad Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Ali Salimi Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR Iran Omid Zarei Hodjattallah Rabbani AntibodyCancerPeptideTargeted therapyVimentin 60532.pdf Chou YH, Goldman RD. Intermediate filaments on the move. 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Effects of Dental Pulp Stem Cell Preconditioning on Osteogenesis using Conditioned Media of Probiotics Bacteria 2 2 Background: Stem cells are used to treat numerous diseases; however, their lifespan is rather short. Factors such as probiotics affect and improve various cell lineage efficacies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotics-conditioned media on dental pulp stem cell potentials in osteogenesis. Methods: The experiment was initiated by culturing Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus probiotics as well as DPS-7 cells. Bacterial supernatants were separated and concentrated as the conditioned media. The DPS-7 cells were treated with various concentrations of the conditioned media. Furthermore, MTT assay and alkaline phosphatase activity were used. The mRNA expression of three genes (bFGF, EGF-β and BMP-2) involved in osteogenesis was analyzed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The response of dental pulp stem cells to probiotics preconditioning promoted cell proliferation, increased alkaline phosphatase activity and upregulated bFGF and BMP-2 gene expression. Increased expression was significant for BMP-2 and moderate for bFGF; however, it was non-significant for EGF-β. The use of the two probiotics was the most effective. Conclusion: In general, synergism of the combined probiotics preconditioning induces differentiation of DPS-7 cells into osteoblasts most effectively. 76 83 Fatemeh Amini School of Dentistry, Shahed University of Medical Sciences School of Dentistry, Shahed University of Medical Sciences Iran Mohammad Bagher Rezvani Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Shahed University Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Shahed University Iran Ronak Bakhtiari Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iran Elham Tabatabaei Ghomsheh Dental cariesOsteogenesisProbioticsStem cells 60533.pdf Shi S, Bartold P, Miura M, Seo B, Robey P, Gronthos S. The efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells to regenerate and repair dental structures. Orthod Craniofac Res 2005;8(3):191-9.##Seo Y, Shin T-H, Kim H-S. 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Targeted Overexpression of NDRG2 using Survivin Promoter Reduces Viability and Invasiveness of A549 Cell Line 2 2 Background: Anti-tumor effects of N-myc Downstream Regulated Gene2 (NDRG2) have been demonstrated in many tumors. In the present study, NDRG2 was specifically overexpressed in lung cancer cell line using Survivin Promoter (Sur-P). Then, the effects of NDRG2 overexpression on viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of A549 cells were evaluated. Methods: Recombinant pAdenoVator-Sur-P-NDRG2-IRES-GFP plasmid harboring NDRG2 gene under transcriptional control of Sur-P and mock plasmid were constructed. A549 lung tumor cells and LX-2 cells (non-tumor cell line) were transfected with pAdenoVator-Sur-P-NDRG2-IRES-GFP, pAdenoVator-CMV-NDRG2-IRES-GFP, or mock plasmids. Tumor specificity of Sur-P was evaluated using fluorescent microscopy for GFP expression. The effects of NDRG2 overexpression on cell viability, apoptosis, and migration of A549 cells were measured using MTT, annexinV/7-AAD flow cytometry, and transwell migration assay, respectively. NDRG2 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression were measured using real time- PCR. Results: pAdenoVator-Sur-P-NDRG2-IRES-GFP transfection resulted in a huge GFP expression in A549 cells, but not in LX-2 cells. The results of real time-PCR analysis also showed that pAdenoVator-Sur-P-NDRG2-IRES-GFP transfection led to an abundant NDRG2 expression in A549 cells. NDRG2 overexpression decreased A549 cell viability through increasing cell apoptosis. In addition, migration, invasion, and MMP-2 expression decreased following NDRG2 overexpression in A549 cells. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the targeted overexpression of NDRG2 using Sur-P can reduce the viability and invasiveness of A549 cells, suggesting possible benefits of this approach in lung cancer therapy. 84 90 Maryam Fanian Division of Medical Biotechnology, Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Division of Medical Biotechnology, Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon IranChina Gholamreza Rafiei Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Iran Marzieh Alizadeh Zarei Division of Medical Biotechnology, Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Division of Medical Biotechnology, Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Iran Mohammad Ali Takhshid Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Iran A549 cellsApoptosisLung cancerMatrix metalloproteinase 2MetastasisSurvivin 60534.pdf Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. 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Survivin as a novel target protein for reducing the proliferation of cancer cells. Biomed Rep 2018;8(5):399-406.##Shamsabadi FT, Eidgahi MRA, Mehrbod P, Daneshvar N, Allaudin ZN, Yamchi A, et al. Survivin, a promising gene for targeted cancer treatment. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2016;17(8):3711-9.##Chen Y-Q, Zhao C-L, Li W. Effect of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α on transcription of survivin in non-small cell lung cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2009;28(1):1-8.##Chen Y, Wang X, Li W, Zhang H, Zhao C, Li Y, et al. Sp1 upregulates survivin expression in adenocarcinoma of lung cell line A549. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2011;294(5):774-80.##Li S-j, Wang W-y, Li B, Chen B, Zhang B, Wang X, et al. Expression of NDRG2 in human lung cancer and its correlation with prognosis. Med Oncol 2013;30(1):1-8.##Wang H, Wang W, Wang X, Cai K, Wu H, Ju Q, et al. Reduced N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 expression is associated with CD24 upregulation and poor prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Med Oncol 2012;29(5):3162-8.##Faraji SN, Mojtahedi Z, Ghalamfarsa G, Takhshid MA. N-myc downstream regulated gene 2 overexpression reduces matrix metalloproteinase-2 and-9 activities and cell invasion of A549 lung cancer cell line in vitro. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2015;18(8):773.##Yang L, Cao Z, Li F, Post D, Van Meir E, Zhong H, et al. Tumor-specific gene expression using the survivin promoter is further increased by hypoxia. Gene Ther 2004;11(15):1215-23.##Hashemi ZS, Moghadam MF, Farokhimanesh S, Rajabibazl M, Sadroddiny E. Inhibition of breast cancer metastasis by co-transfection of miR-31/193b-mimics. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2018;21(4):427-33.##Hashemi ZS, Moghadam MF, Sadroddiny E. Varying miR-193b-3p expression patterns in breast cancer cell Lines indicates its potential for cancer management strategies. International Journal of Cancer Management 2018 Aug 31;11(8):e63540.##Martínez‐García D, Manero‐Rupérez N, Quesada R, Korrodi‐Gregório L, Soto‐Cerrato V. Therapeutic strategies involving survivin inhibition in cancer. Med Res Rev 2019;39(3):887-909.##Zhu ZB, Makhija SK, Lu B, Wang M, Kaliberova L, Liu B, et al. Transcriptional targeting of tumors with a novel tumor-specific survivin promoter. Cancer Gene Ther 2004;11(4):256-62.##Bao R, Connolly DC, Murphy M, Green J, Weinstein JK, Pisarcik DA, et al. Activation of cancer-specific gene expression by the survivin promoter. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002;94(7):522-8.##Mohammadi V, Behbahani AB, Rafiee GR, Hosseini SY, Zarei MA, Okhovat MA, et al. The effects of specific expression of apoptin under the control of PSES and PSA promoter on cell death and apoptosis of LNCaP cells. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2017;20(12):1354-9.##Darayee M, Geramizadeh B, Tabei SMB, Rezvani A, Soleimanian S, Rahimi A. Suggesting Tissue-Specific MSMB Gene Promoter as a Novel Approach for Prostate Targeted Gene Therapy. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2022;23(6):1993-2000.##Chen X-L, Lei L, Hong L-L, Ling Z-Q. Potential role of NDRG2 in reprogramming cancer metabolism and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Histol Histopathol 2017;33(7):655-63.##Golestan A, Mojtahedi Z, Ghalamfarsa G, Hamidinia M, Takhshid MA. The effects of NDRG2 overexpression on cell proliferation and invasiveness of SW48 colorectal cancer cell line. Iran J Med Sci 2015;40(5):430.##Zarei MA, Dehbidi GR, Takhshid MA. Combination of NDRG2 overexpression, X-ray radiation and docetaxel enhances apoptosis and inhibits invasiveness properties of LNCaP cells. Urol Oncol 2020 Nov;38(11):849.e1-849.e9.##Farokhinejad F, Behbahani AB, Dehbidi GRR, Takhshid MA. Expression and purification of TAT-NDRG2 recombinant protein and evaluation of its anti-proliferative effect on LNCaP cell line. Protein Expr Purif 2017;138:25-33.##Zarei MA, Takhshid M, Behbahani AB, Hosseini S, Okhovat M, Dehbidi GRR, et al. Synergistic effects of NDRG2 overexpression and radiotherapy on cell death of human prostate LNCaP cells. 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Is Formulary of Maranta Arundinacea Clarias Gariepinus (F-MaCg) a Potential Immunostimulant? 2 2 Background: External factors have the potential to act as immunostimulants in order to influence the body's protection from many foreign antigens. We intended to investigate the ethanol extract Formulary of F-MaCg effect as an immunostimulant.  Methods: A purely experimental with a completely randomized design was used on twenty-four white male rats. They were divided into four groups:1) G0 [given aquades (5 ml)]; 2) G1 [given F-MaCg-75 mg/gr BW (Body Weight)]; 3) G2 (F-MaCg -150 mg/gr plus Hepatitis B vaccine at the beginning and the end of treatment); and 4) G3 (F-MaCg -300 mg/gr BW plus hepatitis B vaccine at the end of treatment). The rat's spleen lymphocyte blast transformation was evaluated on the 15th and 37th days. Lymphocytes were examined using microtetrazolium assays. Optical Density (OD) was measured using an ELISA reader [493 nμ (nanomicro)]. Observation of lymphocyte viability by a counting chamber using a light microscope and trypan blue 1 % before being cultured with Phytohaemoaglutinin. Results: Lymphocyte cell viability in the hepatitis B vaccine-induced group on the 15th day showed the highest average value in the G2 (1,484/mcl of blood); on the 37th day, it was in G3 (1,578/mcl of blood). The proliferative activity of spleen lymphocytes indicated by the difference in the OD values of the four treatment groups was 0.467, 0.913, 1.619, and 1.473 nμ, respectively. Histological observations of the spleen showed differences at all given formulary dose concentrations.  Conclusion: F-MaCg could be an immunostimulant because of its ability to trigger a cellular immune response. 91 99 Zulkifli Zulkifli Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala Indonesia Darmawi Darmawi Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala Indonesia Said Usman Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala Indonesia Kurnia Fitri Jamil AdjuvantEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assayImmunologicLymphocyte activationLymphocytesMalePlant extractsRats 60535.pdf Shintu P, Radhakrishnan V, Mohanan K. Pharmacognostic standardisation of Maranta arundinacea L. - An important ethnomedicine. 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Jurnal Veteriner [S.l] 2015;16(3):439-47.##Okomoda V, Tiamiyu L, Ricketts A, Oladimeji S, Agbara A, Ikhwanuddin M, et al. Hydrothermal processing of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) filets: insights on the nutritive value and organoleptic parameters. Vet Sci 2020 Sep 11;7(3):133.##Amrinola W. Asam Lemak Essensial dan Fungsinya bagi Kesehatan [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2022 May 29]. Available from: https://foodtech.binus.ac.id/2015/10/12/asam-lemak-essensial-dan-fungsinya-bagi-kesehatan/##Kumalasari ID, Harmayani E, Lestari LA, Raharjo S, Asmara W, Nishi K, et al. Evaluation of immunostimulatory effect of the arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea. L) in vitro and in vivo. Cytotechnology 2012 Mar;64(2):131-7.##Abesinghe N, Vidanarachchi J. The effect of Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) extract on the survival of probiotic bacteria in set yoghurt. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 2012;2(5).##Skene CD, Sutton P. Saponin-adjuvanted particulate vaccines for clinical use. Methods 2006 Sep;40(1):53-9.##Rajashekhara N, Shukla VJ, Ravishankar B, Sharma PP. Comparative physico-chemical profiles of Tugaksheeree (Curcuma angustifolia Roxb. and Maranta arundinacea Linn.). Ayu 2013 Oct;34(4):401-5.##Lingga P. Bertanam Ubi-Ubian. Penebar Swadaya; 1989.##Nurliyani, Julia M, Harmayani E. Effect of arrowroot (Marantha arundinacea) cookies intervention on fecal secretory immunoglobulin A and physical properties of children under five years. International Research Journal of Microbiology 2013;4(1):21–8.##Rosa N. Pengaruh Penambahan Umbi Garut (Maranta arundinaceae L) dalam bentuk tepung dan pati sebagai Prebiotik pada Yoghurt sebagai Produk Sinbiotik terhadap Daya Hambat Bakteri Escherichia coli. Diponogoro University (UNDIP-IR) [Internet]. 2010; Available from: http://eprints.undip.ac.id/24598##Ramadhani MR, Bachri MS, Widyaningsih W. 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Development of a High Sensitive Multiplex Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFIA) System for Rapid Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) 2 2 Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a worldwide concern as an epidemic bacterium and a cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. One of the major problems in the prevention and treatment of infections caused by MRSA strains is their multi-drug resistant trait, which causes the spread of infections and increases the mortality rate. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method is needed to identify MRSA strains, initiate appropriate antibiotic therapy, and control its infection. The aim of this study was to develop a twin lateral flow immunoassay system to detect methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods: First, BSA blocked AuNPs-anti-peptidoglycan antibody and AuNPs-anti-BSA antibody were used to detect Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Then, AuNPs-anti-PBP2a antibody was used to specifically detect MRSA. Sensitivity, specificity and limit of detection of this twin immunoassay system were assessed using MRSA, methicillin susceptible S. aureus and clinical samples. Results were compared to those of cefoxitin disc diffusion (FOX30) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as gold standards. Results: The Limit of Detection (LOD) of this twin system were 103 and 104 CFU/ml for the first and second strips, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of this innovative assay in detecting MRSA were 92.30 and 97.36%, compared to FOX30 and PCR, respectively. Conclusion: High rates of sensitivity and specificity of this initiative system show its high potentials for rapid and accurate detection of MRSA. 100 107 Masoomeh Amini Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iran Mohammad Reza Pourmand Reza Faridi-Majidi DiagnosticMethicillin-ResistantNanoparticlesReagent kitsStaphylococcus aureus 60536.pdf Garoy EY, Gebreab YB, Achila OO, Tekeste DG, Kesete R, Ghirmay R, Kiflay R, Tesfu T. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity pattern among patients—a multicenter study in Asmara, Eritrea. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol 2019;8321834.##AM Che Hamzah, Yeo CC, Puah SM , Chua KH, Chew CH. Staphylococcus aureus infections in Malaysia: A review of antimicrobial resistance and characteristics of the clinical isolates. Antibiotics (Basel) 2019 Aug 26;8(3):128.##Moghadam SO, Yaghooti MM, Pourramezan N, Pourmand MR. Molecular characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility of the CA-MRSA isolated from healthcare workers, Tehran, Iran. Microb Pathog 2017;107:409-12.##Liang Y, Tu Ch, Tan C, Mohamed Abd SA, Dai M , Xia Y, et al. Antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes profiling and molecular relatedness of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from hospitalized patients in guangdong Province, china. Infect Drug Resist 2019 Feb 25;12:447-59.##Pourmand MR, Hassanzadeh S, Mashhadi R, Askari E. Comparison of four diagnostic methods for detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Iran J Microbiol 2014 Oct;6(5):341-4.##Abdolmaleki Z, Mashak Z, Safarpoor Dehkordi F. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance in the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from hospital cockroaches. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2019 Mar 13;8:54.##Ohadian Moghadam S, Pourmand MR , Mahmoudi M, Sadighian H . Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: characterization of major clones and emergence of epidemic clones of sequence type (ST) 36 and ST 121 in Tehran, Iran. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2015;362(8):fnv043.##Banerjee R, Jaiswal A. Recent advances in nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassay as a point-of-care diagnostic tool for infectious agents and diseases. Analyst 2018;143(9):1970-96.##Matsui H, Hanaki H, Inoue M, Akama H, Nakae T, Sunakawa K, Omura S. Development of an immunochromatographic strip for simple detection of penicillin-binding protein 2′. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2011 Feb;18(2):248-53.##Niu K, Zheng X, Huang Ch, Xul K, Zhi Y, Shen H, et al. A colloidal gold nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic test strip for rapid and convenient detection of Staphylococcus aureus. 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Study of DACH1 Expression and its Epigenetic Regulators as Possible Breast Cancer-Related Biomarkers 2 2 Background: Breast carcinogenesis involves both genetic and epigenetic changes. DNA methylation, as well as micro-RNA regulations, are the significant epigenetic phenomena dysregulated in breast cancer. Herein, the expression of DACH1 as a tumor suppressor gene and its promoter methylation status was analyzed in breast cancer tumors. Also, the expression of three micro RNAs (miR-217, miR-6807-3p, and miR-552), which had been previously reported to target DACH1, was assessed.  Methods: The SYBR green-based Real-Time reverse transcription-PCR was used to determine DACH1 and micro-RNAs (miR-217, miR-6807-3p, and miR-552) expression in 120 ductal breast cancer tumors compared with standard control. Also, the promoter methylation pattern of DACH1 was investigated using the Methylation-specific PCR technique. Results: DACH1 expression was significantly down-regulated in breast tumors (p< 0.05). About 33.5% of tumors showed DACH1 promoter hyper-methylation. The studied micro-RNAs, expression was negatively correlated with DACH1 expression. The highest expressions of miRNAs and higher DACH1 promoter methylation were observed in advanced cancer situations. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated that the overall survival was significantly poor in higher miRNAs and lower DACH1 expression in breast cancer patients (p<0.002). Conclusion: DACH1 down-regulation may be associated with a poor breast cancer prognosis. The DACH1 down-regulation may be due to epigenetic regulations such as promoter methylation, especially in triple-negative cases. Other factors, such as micro-RNAs (miR-217, miR-6807-3p, and miR-552), may also have an impact. The elevated expression of miR-217, miR-6807-3p, and miR-552, maybe candidates as possible poor prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer management for further consideration. 108 117 Mohammad Hossein Nasirpour Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Iran Mahdieh Salimi Faezeh Majidi Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University Iran Zarrin Minuchehr Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology (IIEB), National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB) Iran Hossein Mozdarani Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University Iran Breast cancerDACH1MethylationmiR-217miR-552miR-6807-3p 60537.pdf Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A. 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MicroRNA-552 promotes tumor cell proliferation and migration by directly targeting DACH1 via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in colorectal cancer. Oncol Lett 2017;14(3):3795-3802.##Zhang Q, Yuan Y, Cui J, Xiao T, Jiang D. MiR-217 oromotes tumor oroliferation in breast cancer via targeting DACH1. J Cancer 2015;6(2):184-91.##Lu GF, Geng F, Xiao Z, Chen YS, Han Y, You CY, et al. MicroRNA-6807-3p promotes the tumorigenesis of glioma by targeting downstream DACH1. Brain Res 2019;1708:47-57. ##Su J, Wang Q, Liu Y, Zhong M. miR-217 inhibits invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through direct suppression of E2F3. Mol Cell Biochem 2014;392(1-2):289-96.##Chen G, Yang Z, Feng M, Wang Z. microRNA-217 suppressed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition through targeting PTPN14 in gastric cancer. Biosci Rep 2020;40(1):BSR20193176.##Zhou W, Song F, Wu Q, Liu R, Wang L, Liu C, et al. miR-217 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion through targeting KLF5. 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Human T2R38 Bitter Taste Receptor Expression and COVID-19: From Immunity to Prognosis 2 2 Background: Bitter taste-sensing type 2 receptor (T2Rs or TAS2Rs) found on ciliated epithelial cells and solitary chemosensory cells have a role in respiratory tract immunity. T2Rs have shown protection against SARS-CoV-2 by enhancing the innate immune response. The purpose of this review is to outline the current sphere of knowledge regarding this association. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was done by searching (T2R38 OR bitter taste receptor) AND (COVID-19 OR SARS-CoV-2) keywords in PubMed and google scholar. Results: T2R38, an isoform of T2Rs encoded by the TAS2R38 gene, may have a potential association between phenotypic expression of T2R38 and prognosis of COVID-19. Current studies suggest that due to different genotypes and widespread distributions of T2Rs within the respiratory tract and their role in innate immunity, treatment protocols for COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases may change accordingly. Based on the phenotypic expression of T2R38, it varies in innate immunity and host response to respiratory infection, systemic symptoms and hospitalization. Conclusion: This review reveals that patients’ innate immune response to SARS-COV-2 could be influenced by T2R38 receptor allelic variations. 118 123 Lakshmi Deepak Bethineedi Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam India Hediyeh Baghsheikhi Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences IranIran Afsaneh Soltani Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences IranIran Zahedeh Mafi Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences IranIran Noosha Samieefar Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesUSERN Office, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences IranIran Shaikh Sanjid Seraj Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, Walsall Manor Hospital United Kingdom Mohammad Amin Khazeei Tabari USERN Office, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences USERN Office, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Iran Bitter taste receptors (T2Rs)Coronavirus diseaseCOVID-19InfectionT2R38 60538.pdf Barham HP, Taha MA, Broyles ST, Stevenson MM, Zito BA, Hall CA. 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Analysis of SLC26A4 Gene in Individuals with Non Syndromic Hearing Impairment in Relation with GJB2 Associated Mutations 2 2 Background: Hearing Loss (HL) is the most common sensory disorder. HL commonly ranges from mild to severe. Persons with HL face difficulty in hearing conversations or sounds through one ear or both ears, which impacts one’s ability to interact with others. Hence it is a communicable disorder that makes people socially isolated, lonely, and frustrated. HL in children severely affects language development. The people who are referred to as 'Deaf' with very little or no hearing capabilities, are considered as having profound hearing loss. More than 124 genes are causative for Non-Syndromic HL (NSHL) with varying inheritance, among which the SLC26A4 mutations are the second commonest cause of hereditary HL across the globe. Methods: Samples from 70 NSHL patients were analyzed through Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and generated five pathogenic variants [N246fs (rs918684449), K564fs (rs746427774), F122fs, V239D (rs111033256), T721M (rs121908363)] each with frequency of 1.42%. Three missense variants [S399P (rs747431002), L597S (rs55638457), and G6V (rs111033423)] were reported under the "uncertain" category. All the collected samples were further genotyped to look for the possibility of having GJB2 and HL-associated mutations. Results: Out of five SLC26A4 pathogenic mutations N246fs (rs918684449) and K564fs (rs746427774) were observed in samples which were positive for GJB2-HL associated candidate mutations [W24X (rs104894396), Q124X (rs397516874) and W77X (rs80338944)]. Similarly, pathogenic variants F122fs, V239D (rs111033256) and T721M (rs121908363) were observed in patient samples which were negative for GJB2-HL associated mutations. Conclusion: Our data will expand the list of variants underlying NSHL and encourage further genotype SLC26A4 gene concerning the south Indian population with a large sample size. 124 127 Krishna Rajalakshmi Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, ManasagangothriSchool of Rehabilitation and Behavioral Sciences, VMRF (DU) Aarupadai Veedu Medical College Pondicherry, Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, ManasagangothriSchool of Rehabilitation and Behavioral Sciences, VMRF (DU) Aarupadai Veedu Medical College Pondicherry, IndiaIndia Jayakumar Thirunavukkarasu Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri India Meenu Ambika Vikraman Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, ManasagangothriDepartment of Audiology Taluk Head Quarters Hospital, Kottarakara India Department of Audiology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri IndiaIndia Santosh Maruthy Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri India Charles Sylvester Unit for Human Genetics, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri Unit for Human Genetics, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Naimisham Campus, Manasagangothri India Rajesh Kundapur ChildGenotypeHearing lossHigh-throughput nucleotide sequencingHumansMutation 60539.pdf www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss (visited on 20th September 2022).##Morton CC, Nance WE. 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