Article
Infectious Diseases
Alvie Loufouma Mbouaka, David Leitsch, Martina Koehsler, Julia Walochnik
Summary: Acanthamoebae are opportunistic pathogens that can cause serious infections, including keratitis and encephalitis, and auranofin has shown potent antimicrobial activity against Acanthamoeba spp. in vitro, potentially aiding in the prevention and control of infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Maria E. Ferreiro, Geoffrey J. Faulkner
Summary: By using TDP-43 fly models, Chang and Dubnau found that the endogenous retrovirus mdg4 can initiate and transmit TDP-43 proteinopathy in vivo, suggesting a potential target for future ALS therapies.
TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karolina Kot, Natalia Lanocha-Arendarczyk, Danuta Kosik-Bogacka
Summary: Free-living amoebas, including Acanthamoeba spp., are capable of causing various infections such as Acanthamoeba pneumonia and encephalitis, with high mortality rates in immunosuppressed hosts. Limited understanding of pathophysiology, pathogenesis, and host immune response hinders progress in diagnostics and treatment of Acanthamoeba infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shoji Suzuki, Norio Kurosawa
Summary: The study of DNA repair in hyperthermophiles can uncover the mechanisms of genome integrity maintenance systems in extreme conditions. Previous studies have shown that the single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB) from Sulfolobus is involved in maintaining genome integrity, including mutation avoidance, homologous recombination, and repair of helix-distorting DNA lesions. In this study, the mutant phenotypes of the SSB-deleted strain Delta ssb in S. acidocaldarius were characterized, revealing an increase in mutation rate and a defect in homologous recombination. This study expands our understanding of the impact of SSB on genome integrity and identifies key proteins involved in repair mechanisms in hyperthermophilic archaea.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Allison Campolo, Reed Pifer, Rhonda Walters, Megan Thomas, Elise Miller, Valerie Harris, Jamie King, Christopher A. Rice, Paul Shannon, Brian Patterson, Monica Crary
Summary: This study found that certain contact lens materials can promote the aggregation and encystment of Acanthamoeba, and that Acanthamoeba spheroids obstruct the disinfection action of multi-purpose solutions.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ryo Matsuda, Shoji Suzuki, Norio Kurosawa
Summary: The importance of homologous recombination (HR) and the functional relationship of HR-processing proteins in hyperthermophilic archaea have not been fully understood. In this study, knockout strains of the thermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius were constructed to investigate the functions of Hjm, PINA, and HJ resolvases. The results showed that PINA and HJ resolvases are important for cellular growth at lower temperatures, while Hjm is essential for repairing stalled replication forks.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ruben L. Rodriguez-Exposito, Ines Sifaoui, Maria Reyes-Batlle, Sutherland K. Maciver, Jose E. Pinero, Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
Summary: This study evaluated the in vitro antiamoebic activity of three third-generation statins against Acanthamoeba. The results showed that the tested statins were able to induce programmed cell death in the treated amoebae. Additionally, they caused DNA condensation, collapse in the mitochondrial membrane potential, reduction in ATP levels, and disorganization of the cytoskeleton.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marie Rieux, Melanie Alpaugh, Giacomo Sciacca, Martine Saint-Pierre, Maria Masnata, Helena L. Denis, Sebastien A. Levesque, Frank Herrmann, Chantal Bazenet, Alexandre P. Garneau, Paul Isenring, Ray Truant, Abid Oueslati, Peter Gould, Anne Ast, Erich E. Wanker, Steve Lacroix, Francesca Cicchetti
Summary: Huntington's disease is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene, with evidence suggesting that the mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) can spread through the bloodstream and induce pathology. Through a parabiosis approach, it was observed that mHTT can propagate and cause pathological changes in normal mice, while healthy blood can attenuate pathology. These findings have implications for the development of therapies for HD.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Daniele Corsaro
Summary: Group 1 acanthamoebae are morphologically and phylogenetically distinct from other Acanthamoeba species. They have been recently found in cases of human keratitis and encephalitis, although their pathogenic importance is likely minor compared to species in Groups 2 and 3. Identifying genotypes using molecular methods may present difficulties and lead to misidentifications.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Angela Chong, James D. Foster, Wilfred Goldmann, Lorenzo Gonzalez, Martin Jeffrey, Matthew J. O'Connor, Keith Bishop, Ben C. Maddison, E. Fiona Houston, Kevin C. Gough, Nora Hunter
Summary: The study reports on mixed-prion infections in sheep with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie. The results showed that VRQ/ARQ sheep challenged with mixed infections developed scrapie-like incubation periods, while VRQ/VRQ sheep challenged with BSE showed scrapie-like incubation periods.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Binod Rayamajhee, Nathan L. R. Williams, Nachshon Siboni, Kiri Rodgers, Mark Willcox, Fiona L. Henriquez, Justin R. Seymour, Jaimie Potts, Colin Johnson, Peter Scanes, Nicole Carnt
Summary: This study investigated the incidence and seasonal variation of pathogenic Acanthamoeba in coastal lagoons in Australia. It found that water abiotic factors and bacterial species were associated with Acanthamoeba incidence. The study highlights the need for public awareness and preventive measures to mitigate the risk of amoebic keratitis.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Amal Fahmi, Melanie Brugger, Thomas Demoulins, Beatrice Zumkehr, Blandina I. Oliveira Esteves, Lisamaria Bracher, Carlos Wotzkow, Fabian Blank, Volker Thiel, David Baud, Marco P. Alves
Summary: The study found that SARS-CoV-2 can infect and replicate in human placenta, with susceptibility depending on ACE2 expression levels. While infection does not cause cytotoxicity or pro-inflammatory cytokine response, there is an upregulation of interferon type III transcripts by one order of magnitude.
CELL REPORTS MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Jibran Sualeh Muhammad, Ahmad M. Alharbi, Hasan Alfahemi, Naveed Ahmed Khan
Summary: Acanthamoeba is known to house a variety of microorganisms and may facilitate viral transmission to susceptible hosts. The discovery of mimivirus from Acanthamoeba suggests that it may also harbor monkeypox virus. Additionally, animals may act as a mixing vessel between ubiquitously distributed Acanthamoeba and monkeypox virus, in addition to the environmental habitat that facilitates interactions between diverse microorganisms and the host.
Article
Neurosciences
Muthumeenakshi Subramanian, Chia-Chu Chiang, Nicholas H. Couturier, Dominique M. Durand
Summary: The study demonstrates that electric field coupling can propagate various types of neural signals, including interictal spikes, theta waves, and seizures, through a volume conductor in vivo. The propagation speed is not affected by transection, and the amplitude and duration of the signals influence the probability of propagation.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Marcin Padzik, Lidia Chomicz, Julita Bluszcz, Karolina Maleszewska, Jaroslaw Grobelny, David Bruce Conn, Edyta B. Hendiger
Summary: Acanthamoeba spp. can cause Acanthamoeba keratitis, particularly in contact lens wearers. It has been found that silver nanoparticles combined with tannic acid-modified contact lens solutions can enhance their anti-adhesion activity with low cytotoxicity.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Naveed Ahmed Khan
Article
Microbiology
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Jibran Sualeh Muhammad, Ahmad M. Alharbi, Hasan Alfahemi, Naveed Ahmed Khan
Summary: Acanthamoeba is known to house a variety of microorganisms and may facilitate viral transmission to susceptible hosts. The discovery of mimivirus from Acanthamoeba suggests that it may also harbor monkeypox virus. Additionally, animals may act as a mixing vessel between ubiquitously distributed Acanthamoeba and monkeypox virus, in addition to the environmental habitat that facilitates interactions between diverse microorganisms and the host.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Mutasem Rawas-Qalaji, Mohammed I. El-Gamal, Sreedevi Sajeev, Jayalakshmi Jagal, Seyed-Omar Zaraei, Rawan M. Sbenati, Hanan S. Anbar, Wolfgang Dohle, Barry V. L. Potter, Naveed Ahmed Khan
Summary: In this study, the effects of anticancer drugs Irosustat and STX140, as well as their nanoformulations, on pathogenic Acanthamoeba were evaluated. It was found that Irosustat significantly inhibited the growth and pathogenicity of Acanthamoeba, and also inhibited the transformation of amoebae cysts. Therefore, Irosustat has the potential to be developed as an anti-Acanthamoeba drug.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Tooba Jabri, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Zinb Makhlouf, Noor Akbar, Jasra Gul, Muhammad Raza Shah, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui
Summary: The emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains is a major concern, and finding new antibacterials or enhancing the potency of existing medications using nanotechnology is necessary. In this study, the antibacterial efficacy of two-dimensional glucosamine functionalized graphene-based nanocarriers loaded with sulfamethoxazole and ethacridine lactate was examined. The nanoformulations demonstrated significant antibacterial properties against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and showed limited toxicity effects on human cells.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sumayah Abdelnasir, Mohammad Ridwane Mungroo, Jactty Chew, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Naveed Ahmed Khan, Irfan Ahmad, Syed Shahabuddin, Ayaz Anwar
Summary: In this study, a conducting polymer-based nanocomposite including polyaniline (PANI) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) was synthesized and its anti-trophozoite and anti-cyst potentials against Acanthamoeba castellanii and Naegleria fowleri were explored. The 1:2 and 1:5 ratios of PANI/MoS2 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL demonstrated significant anti-amoebic effects, which were mediated by the generation of reactive oxygen species and physical alterations to amoeba morphology. Additionally, the nanocomposite showed cytocompatibility with human keratinocyte skin cells and primary human corneal epithelial cells.
Editorial Material
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Naveed Ahmed Khan
THERAPEUTIC DELIVERY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Naveed Ahmed Khan
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Noor Akbar, Nelson Cruz Soares, Hamza Mohammad Al-Hroub, Mohammad Harb Semreen, Sutherland K. Maciver, Naveed Ahmed Khan
Summary: Gut bacteria of crocodiles produce potent antibacterial substances and have the potential to be utilized as probiotics/antibiotics for human health. Further research is needed to fully explore this possibility.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Anania Boghossian, Muhammad Kawish, Tooba Jabri, Muhammad Raza Shah, Tengku Shahrul Anuar, Zainab Al-Shareef, Naveed Ahmed Khan
Summary: This study evaluated the anti-amoebic efficacy of novel nanocarriers conjugated with two anti-parasitic drugs (AmB and curcumin) against Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri. The results showed that nanocarrier-conjugated AmB and curcumin exhibited enhanced cidal effects compared with the drugs alone. The nanoformulated drugs also reduced parasite-mediated host cellular death and decreased the cytotoxic effects of AmB on human cells. These findings suggest the potential of nanocarriers as a delivery method for medicine against parasitic infections.
