Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sajad Najafi, Shing Cheng Tan, Shahin Aghamiri, Pourya Raee, Zahra Ebrahimi, Zahra Kargar Jahromi, Yazdan Rahmati, Javid Sadri Nahand, Ahmad Piroozmand, Vahid Jajarmi, Hamed Mirzaei
Summary: The article reviews the research progress of CRISPR-Cas technology in treating viral infections, discusses delivery strategies and challenges, and proposes future research directions.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
C. Acuti Martellucci, S. Nomura, D. Yoneoka, P. Ueda, J. M. L. Brotherton, K. Canfell, M. Palmer, L. Manzoli, P. Giorgi Rossi, A. De Togni, C. Palmonari, A. Califano, E. Saito, M. Hashizume, K. Shibuya
Summary: This retrospective cohort study in Italy assessed the effectiveness of an HPV vaccination programme in reducing the risk of cervical abnormalities detected during subsequent screenings. Results showed that women who received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine were significantly less likely to have abnormal cervical cytology. Overall, catch-up HPV vaccination almost halved the risk of cytological abnormalities in organized cervical screening programmes.
BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Yu Ota, Kyoko Nomura, Nozomi Fujita, Tomoya Suzuki, Makoto Kamatsuka, Natsuya Sakata, Kengo Nagashima, Junko Hirayama, Naoko Fujita, Kuniko Shiga, Noriaki Oyama, Yukihiro Terada
Summary: In a trial conducted among university students in Japan, it was found that the use of LINE-assisted provision of information effectively improved HPV vaccine intention. Although it did not directly increase intention compared to conventional methods, the intervention had a significant impact on increasing vaccine intention among the students.
Article
Immunology
Takeo Shibata, Sumit Shah, Teresa Evans, Hannah Coleman, Benjamin J. Lieblong, Horace J. Spencer, Charles M. Quick, Toshiyuki Sasagawa, Owen W. Stephens, Erich Peterson, Donald Johann, Yong-Chen Lu, Mayumi Nakagawa
Summary: The use of high-throughput sequencing has shown that HPV vaccine can induce specific T cell expansion in both peripheral blood and cervical tissue. This approach not only confirms the presence of vaccine-specific T cells in the body, but also provides a novel method to assess vaccine-specific responses in various anatomical areas.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alan R. Hinman, Walter A. Orenstein
Summary: Lessons learned from prior efforts to eliminate cervical cancer include the necessity of political will, specific targets with a time frame, surveillance to guide program efforts, accountability at all levels, and ongoing research. Success in elimination efforts will prevent millions of deaths due to cervical cancer.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Muhammad Naeem, Mubasher Zahir Hoque, Muhammad Ovais, Chanbasha Basheer, Irshad Ahmad
Summary: The innovative CRISPR-Cas technology has enabled genetic engineers to manipulate genomes effectively, but barriers in clinical applications remain, including efficient delivery and off-target effects. Various viral and non-viral vectors are designed to address these issues, but challenges such as immune response and lack of specificity persist.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Jacqueline M. Mix, Mona Saraiya, Trevor D. Thompson, Troy D. Querec, April Greek, Thomas C. Tucker, Edward S. Peters, Charles F. Lynch, Brenda Y. Hernandez, Glenn Copeland, Marc T. Goodman, Elizabeth R. Unger
Summary: The study compared HPV prevalence among high-grade cervical precancers and invasive cervical cancers before and after HPV vaccine availability. No significant reduction in vaccine-type prevalence was observed between the two studies, likely due to low HPV vaccination coverage among women in the postvaccine study. Monitoring HPV-type prevalence through population-based strategies remains important for evaluating the impact of the HPV vaccine.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Suzanne M. Garland, Manjula Anagani, Neerja Bhatla, Sukanta Chatterjee, Sanjay Lalwani, Cecil Ross, Thomas Group, Jianxin Lin, Alain Luxembourg, Anuj Walia, Yingmei Tu
Summary: The quadrivalent and 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccines have shown efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety in clinical trials conducted in India. They induced robust antibody responses and were well tolerated by the participants.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Virology
Andreia Rosario, Ana Sousa, Joana Marinho-Dias, Rui Medeiros, Claudia Lobo, Luis Leca, Nuno Coimbra, Fernando Tavares, Ines Baldaque, Gabriela Martins, Paula Monteiro, Rui Henrique, Hugo Sousa
Summary: A study on cervical cancer screening in the Northern Region of Portugal revealed a 12.50% prevalence rate of high-risk human papillomavirus (Hr-HPV) infection. The most common Hr-HPV genotypes identified were HPV-68, HPV-31, HPV-51, HPV-16, and HPV-39. Hr-HPV infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing > HSIL. These findings provide important data for the future of vaccination and cervical cancer screening strategies.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ilkka Kalliala, Tiina Eriksson, Karoliina Aro, Mari Hokkanen, Matti Lehtinen, Mika Gissler, Pekka Nieminen
Summary: The study found that the rates of preterm birth, especially early preterm birth, were lower among women who received HPV vaccination, indicating that prophylactic HPV vaccination may help reduce preterm birth rates.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Peijie Zhou, Wei Liu, Yong Cheng, Dong Qian
Summary: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of gynecological tumor related deaths worldwide, and traditional treatment methods are limited. Nanomaterials are considered promising delivery carriers with advantages of reduced toxicity and improved biocompatibility in cervical cancer treatment.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Natalia Ryczek, Magdalena Hryhorowicz, Joanna Zeyland, Daniel Lipinski, Ryszard Slomski
Summary: The CRISPR/Cas technology revolutionizes genetic engineering research, allowing precise study of biological functions and mechanisms as well as the creation of genetically modified organisms. It plays a crucial role in pig-to-human xenotransplantation research, but careful evaluation of barriers and limitations is necessary before experiments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Coralie Lemaire, Brice Le Gallou, Philippe Lanotte, Laurent Mereghetti, Adeline Pastuszka
Summary: This review focuses on the distribution, diversity, and roles of CRISPR-Cas systems in main pathogenic streptococci. CRISPR-Cas systems act as adaptive immune systems and have applications in genome editing and analyzing bacterial interactions with the environment and evolution.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Kyungmin Kang, Youngjae Song, Inho Kim, Tae-Jung Kim
Summary: The CRISPR-Cas system has revolutionized genetic engineering due to its simplicity, stability, and precision. It has found applications in various fields, including basic research, medical diagnosis and treatment. This review focuses on medical applications, discussing the latest treatment trends and limitations, with a particular emphasis on CRISPR-based therapies for infectious disease, oncology, and genetic disease, as well as diagnostics, screening, immunotherapy, and cell therapy.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Carlos R. Oliveira, Linda M. Niccolai
Summary: Post-licensure monitoring of HPV vaccines is crucial for tracking progress towards cervical cancer elimination, especially in preventing cervical infections and precancers. As the effectiveness of the vaccines in preventing cervical cancer begins to emerge, their potential appearance in other countries in the near future is anticipated.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Zohreh Fattahi, Marzieh Mohseni, Khadijeh Jalalvand, Fatemeh Aghakhani Moghadam, Azam Ghaziasadi, Fatemeh Keshavarzi, Jila Yavarian, Ali Jafarpour, Seyedeh Elham Mortazavi, Fatemeh Ghodratpour, Hanieh Behravan, Mohammad Khazeni, Seyed Amir Momeni, Issa Jahanzad, Abdolvahab Moradi, Alijan Tabarraei, Sadegh Ali Azimi, Ebrahim Kord, Seyed Mohammad Hashemi-Shahri, Azarakhsh Azaran, Farid Yousefi, Zakiye Mokhames, Alireza Soleimani, Shokouh Ghafari, Masood Ziaee, Shahram Habibzadeh, Farhad Jeddi, Azar Hadadi, Alireza Abdollahi, Gholam Abbas Kaydani, Saber Soltani, Talat Mokhtari-Azad, Reza Najafipour, Reza Malekzadeh, Kimia Kahrizi, Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri, Hossein Najmabadi
Summary: This study provided 50 whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 viral isolates from different geographical locations in Iran during March-July 2020. Analysis revealed at least two introductions of the virus into the country, leading to the dominance of B.4 lineage in the early epidemic followed by an increase in frequency of D614G mutation and B.1* lineages from mid-May onwards, indicating a rapid viral transmission that could lead to drastic changes in the circulating viral lineages in the country.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Arash Nikyar, Azam Bolhassani, Fatemeh Rouhollah, Masoumeh Heshmati
Summary: This study investigates the ability of LL-37 to deliver a potential immunogenic fusion construct comprising HIV-1 nef and vpr genes into a mammalian cell line. LL-37 forms stable complexes with the fusion construct, protecting against degradation. The LL-37/DNA complexes have a high transfection efficiency without significant cytotoxic effect. The findings suggest the potential use of LL-37 in gene delivery strategies and vaccine design.
CURRENT DRUG DELIVERY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Seyed Amir Sadeghi Najafabadi, Azam Bolhassani, Mohammad Reza Aghasadeghi
Summary: Whole tumor cell-based vaccines are a promising strategy for tumor immunotherapy as they include all potential antigen-rich cell lysates to target specific types of tumors without the need for finding the best antigen candidates. Various methods, such as modified tumor cells, tumor cell-derived exosomes, autologous tumor cell-derived ribonucleic acid, and personalized mutanome-derived tumor antigen, have shown promise in immunotherapeutic approaches. Autologous dendritic cells loaded with tumor-associated antigens also induce immune response and show potential in cancer treatment.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Arash Nikyar, Azam Bolhassani, Elnaz Agi
Summary: This study demonstrated that the use of LL-37 for DNA delivery, Montanide 720 as an adjuvant, and heterologous DNA prime/protein boost strategy could significantly enhance immune responses and maintain cytokine secretion. Therefore, the heterologous DNA + LL-37 prime/protein + Montanide boost regimen can be considered as a potent strategy for the development of therapeutic HIV vaccines.
BIOTECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Niloofar Khairkhah, Ali Namvar, Azam Bolhassani
Summary: Novel effective drugs or therapeutic vaccines have been developed to combat viral infections. Non-viral carriers, such as cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), are being used for efficient drug delivery to target cells. CPPs have shown potential for cargo delivery, but there are limitations such as lack of tissue specificity and stability, hindering their clinical applications. Various strategies are being explored to improve the properties of CPPs.
MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Azam Bolhassani
Summary: Lipidic carriers play a crucial role in vaccine and therapeutic strategies by effectively delivering various molecules, improving protective potency, and providing multiple functions. They have broad potential in local tissue distribution, antigen processing, and nanoparticle delivery.
MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Elahe Akbari, Masoud Seyedinkhorasani, Azam Bolhassani
Summary: Despite the success of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in preventing HIV-1 progression, therapeutic vaccination is being explored as an alternative approach to control the virus and eliminate the need for lifelong ART. By targeting preferred HIV-1 epitopes, novel immunogens can induce broad coverage of global HIV-1 strains and HLA alleles, while preventing immune induction to undesirable epitopes.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Reza Najafipour, Davood Mohammadi, Abdolmabood Momeni, Sahar Moghbelinejad
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the different mechanisms involved in the expression regulation of ACE-2 gene among COVID-19 patients. The results showed a significant increase in ACE-2 gene expression and a significant decrease in ACE-2 gene methylation in ARDS patients. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between deficiency of B9 and B12 vitamins and hypo-methylation of the ACE-2 gene.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Virology
Niloofar Khairkhah, Azam Bolhassani, Farzad Rajaei, Reza Najafipour
Summary: Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 is the most common sexually transmitted virus associated with cervical cancer. In this study, optimal gRNA sequences targeting HPV16 E5, E6, E7, and p97 promoter for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing were designed. The E6 + E7-treated group showed the best treatment efficacy, with a high percentage of cleaved caspase-3 positive cells (45.75%) and a low mitotic index of 2-3. Additionally, the potential of LL-37 peptide to overcome the CRISPR/Cas9 delivery challenge was demonstrated for the first time. Overall, the study suggests that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing is an effective, specific, and nontoxic treatment for pre-existing tumors, and the future of precise gene therapy in cancer patients is very promising.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fatemeh Rezaei, Ali Namvar, Elahe Akbari, Fatemeh Heidarnejad, Azam Bolhassani
Summary: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) can improve the presentation of tumor antigens and have potential for use in therapeutic vaccine design. In this study, in silico analyses and molecular docking were performed to compare different vaccine constructs linking human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 E7 protein to Hsp27 or Hsp70. The results showed that the whole sequence of Hsp27 had a better interaction with receptors and higher immunogenicity than Hsp70, suggesting its potential as a vaccine candidate against HPV-related cancers.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alireza Milani, Elahe Akbari, Parisa Moradi Pordanjani, Fateme Jamshidi, Shahrzad Ghayoumi, Seyed Amir Sadeghi, Azam Bolhassani
Summary: This study demonstrated the importance of Hsps in enhancing antigen-specific immunity, with the C-Hsp70 region showing better adjuvant properties for inducing cellular immunity in the improvement of HIV-1 therapeutic vaccines. The findings suggest that HSPs may be effective adjuvants for enhancing immune responses against pathogens.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Zohreh Fattahi, Marzieh Mohseni, Maryam Beheshtian, Ali Jafarpour, Khadijeh Jalalvand, Fatemeh Keshavarzi, Hanieh Behravan, Fatemeh Ghodratpour, Farzane Zare Ashrafi, Marzieh Kalhor, Maryam Azad, Mahdieh Koshki, Azam Ghaziasadi, Mohamad Soveyzi, Alireza Abdollahi, Seyed Jalal Kiani, Angila Ataei-Pirkooh, Iman Rezaeiazhar, Farah Bokharaei-Salim, Mohammad Reza Haghshenas, Farhang Babamahmoodi, Zakiye Mokhames, Alireza Soleimani, Zohreh Elahi, Masood Ziaee, Davod Javanmard, Shokouh Ghafari, Akram Ezani, Alireza Ansari Moghaddam, Fariba Shahraki-Sanavi, Seyed Mohammad Hashemi Shahri, Azarakhsh Azaran, Farid Yousefi, Afagh Moattari, Mohsen Moghadami, Hamed Fakhim, Behrooz Ataei, Elahe Nasri, Vahdat Poortahmasebi, Mojtaba Varshochi, Ali Mojtahedi, Farid Jalilian, Mohammad Khazeni, Abdolvahab Moradi, Alijan Tabarraei, Ahmad Piroozmand, Yousef Yahyapour, Masoumeh Bayani, Fatemeh Tavangar, Mahmood Yaghoubi, Fariba Keramat, Mahsa Tavakoli, Tahmineh Jalali, Mohammad Hassan Pouriayevali, Mostafa Salehi-Vaziri, Hamid Reza Khorram Khorshid, Reza Najafipour, Reza Malekzadeh, Kimia Kahrizi, Seyed Mohammad Jazayeri, Hossein Najmabadi
Summary: This study provides a real-time and comprehensive picture of the SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity in Iran, shedding light on the transmission and circulation of the virus in the region.
ARCHIVES OF IRANIAN MEDICINE
(2022)
