Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 69 in total

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  1. Fulltext Knowledge, attitude and practice towards religious obligations among healthcare workers in hospital Langkawi, Malaysia
    Hafiz J., Dzulkhairi, M.R., Shamsir, M.A., Abu, N.
    International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2016;15(2):3-6.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Islamic prayers involve certain physical movements and positions. These positions may be
    difficult to achieve in Muslim patients who suffer from any illness that limit their physical movements.
    Therefore, Islam introduced the concept of Rukhsah or exemptions. The objective of this study was to
    assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers related to performing prayers during
    illness. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 121 healthcare workers in
    Hospital Langkawi, between 22nd to 24th April 2014. Simple random sampling method was used to select the
    participants among healthcare workers in Hospital Langkawi to attend a workshop on Rukhsah Ibadah. The
    participants were given a set of questionnaire to answer and all the data were collected just before the talk
    began. Results: The majority of the participants 108 (89.3%) were female and more than half of them 74
    (61.2%) were staff nurses. The mean age for the participants was 32.4 (SD: 9.42) years. About 73 (60.3%) of
    the participants have good knowledge, 62 (51.2%) have good attitude and 73 (60.3%) have good practice
    towards religious obligations and Rukhsah. Bivariate analysis shows no correlation between age and
    knowledge, attitude and practice score. There was also no correlation seen between knowledge, attitude
    and practice score. Conclusion: Almost half of the participants have good knowledge, attitude and practice
    on performing prayers during illness. By conducting proper training and coaching, it is hoped that their level
    of understanding towards Rukhsah can be improved.
  2. Fulltext COVID-19 outbreak and sectoral performance of the Australian stock market: An event study analysis
    Alam MM, Wei H, Wahid ANM
    Aust Econ Pap, 2020 Nov 27.
    PMID: 33349733 DOI: 10.1111/1467-8454.12215
    The outbreak of COVID-19 has weakened the economy of Australia and its capital market since early 2020. The overall stock market has declined. However, some sectors become highly vulnerable while others continue to perform well even in the crisis period. Given this new reality, we seek to investigate the initial volatility and the sectoral return. In this study, we analyse data for eight sectors such as, transportation, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, energy, food, real estate, telecommunications and technology of the Australian stock market. In doing so, we obtain data from Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and analysed them based on 'Event Study' method. Here, we use the 10-days window for the event of official announcement of the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia on 27 February 2020. The findings of the study show that on the day of announcement, the indices for food, pharmaceuticals and healthcare exhibit impressive positive returns. Following the announcement, the telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors exhibit good performance, while poor performance is demonstrated by the transportation industry. The findings are vital for investors, market participants, companies, private and public policymakers and governments to develop recovery action plans for vulnerable sectors and enable investors to regain their confidence to make better investment decisions.
  3. Circular RNAs as Promising Biomarkers: A Mini-Review
    Abu N, Jamal R
    Front Physiol, 2016;7:355.
    PMID: 27588005 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00355
    The interest in circular RNAs has resurfaced in the past few years. What was considered as "junk" for nearly two decades is now one of the most interesting molecules. Circular RNAs are non-coding RNAs that are formed by back-splicing events and have covalently closed loops with no poly-adenylated tails. The regulation of circular RNAs is distinctive and they are selectively abundant in different types of tissues. Based on the current knowledge of circular RNAs, these molecules have the potential to be the "next big thing" especially as biomarkers for different diseases. This mini-review attempts to concisely look at the biology of circular RNAs, the putative functional activities, the prevalence of circular RNAs, and the possible role of circular RNA as biomarkers for diagnosis or measuring drug response.
  4. Fulltext Cancer-Derived Exosomes as Effectors of Key Inflammation-Related Players
    Othman N, Jamal R, Abu N
    Front Immunol, 2019;10:2103.
    PMID: 31555295 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02103
    Exosomes, a category of small lipid bilayer extracellular vesicles that are naturally secreted by many cells (both healthy and diseased), carry cargo made up of proteins, lipids, DNAs, and RNAs; all of which are functional when transferred to their recipient cells. Numerous studies have demonstrated the powerful role that exosomes play in the mediation of cell-to-cell communication to induce a pro-tumoral environment to encourage tumor progression and survival. Recently, considerable interest has developed in regard to the role that exosomes play in immunity; with studies demonstrating the ability of exosomes to either metabolically alter immune players such as dendritic cells, T cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells. In this review, we summarize the recent literature on the function of exosomes in regulating a key process that has long been associated with the progression of cancer-inflammation and immunity.
  5. The potential immune-eliciting cancer testis antigens in colorectal cancer
    Chi Soh JE, Abu N, Jamal R
    Immunotherapy, 2018 09;10(12):1093-1104.
    PMID: 30185136 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2018-0044
    The identification of cancer testis antigens (CTAs) has been an important finding in the search of potential targets for cancer immunotherapy. CTA is one of the subfamilies of the large tumor-associated antigens groups. It is aberrantly expressed in various types of human tumors but is absent in normal tissues except for the testis and placenta. This CTAs-restricted pattern of expression in human malignancies together with its potential immunogenic properties, has stirred the interest of many researchers to use CTAs as one of the ideal targets in cancer immunotherapy. To date, multiple studies have shown that CTAs-based vaccines can elicit clinical and immunological responses in different tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). This review details our current understanding of CTAs and CRC in regard to the expression and immunological responses as well as some of the critical hurdles in CTAs-based immunotherapy.
  6. The interweaving relationship between extracellular vesicles and T cells in cancer
    Abu N, Rus Bakarurraini NAA
    Cancer Lett, 2022 Apr 01;530:1-7.
    PMID: 34906625 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.12.007
    The interdependency between cancer cells and immune cells is an important link in understanding cancer pathogenesis. T cells are important immune cells that are able to either impede or promote tumor growth. Extracellular vesicles or EVs are membrane-encapsulated vesicles that are released by both cancer and immune cells that can act as communicators. Studies have shown that tumor-derived EVs can interact with immune cells, particularly T cells. Vice versa, T cells-derived EVs have also been shown to possess immunomodulatory roles. Therefore, the purpose of this mini-review is to understand the role of tumor-derived EVs and T-cells derived EVs on cancer immunosuppression especially the interweaving role of different types of EVs and how it affects tumor immunity. We also discuss the role of EVs in different types of T cells namely CD8+, CD4+ Th17 and Treg cells. More importantly, we include the limitations and future directions involving this type of research. This will further elucidate our understanding of the important functions of these tiny mediators.
  7. Fulltext Editorial: The effects of chemotherapy towards the tumor microenvironment
    Abu N, Turdo A, Garcia-Sanz JA
    Front Oncol, 2022;12:1069561.
    PMID: 36387092 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1069561
  8. Maternal and neonatal effects of Acinetobacter colonisation in preterm premature rupture of membrane and term labour
    Sood M, Mohd Zain Z, Abu NA, Chee SC, Mohd Nor NS
    Med J Malaysia, 2019 02;74(1):40-44.
    PMID: 30846661
    INTRODUCTION: Some anecdotal reports suggest that maternal colonisation with Acinetobacter baumannii during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal effects, including preterm premature rupture of membrane (PPROM). The objective of this study was to compare the maternal and neonatal effects of A. baumannii colonisation in cases with PPROM and those with spontaneous onset of labour at term.

    METHODS: The recruitment of participants' was carried out at Selayang Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia. Vaginal swabs were prospectively taken from 104 patients of PPROM and 111 with spontaneous onset of labour at term. Swabs were also taken from the axillae and ears of their babies. These swabs were cultured to isolate A. baumannii. Maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes were documented.

    RESULTS: Sixteen mothers were A. baumannii positive, eight from each group respectively. None of the cases developed chorioamnionitis or sepsis. Those positive were four cases of PPROM and two babies of term labour. None of the babies developed sepsis.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support the suggestion that A. baumannii colonisation during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

  9. Fulltext The Landscape of Tumor-Specific Antigens in Colorectal Cancer
    Rus Bakarurraini NAA, Ab Mutalib NS, Jamal R, Abu N
    Vaccines (Basel), 2020 Jul 10;8(3).
    PMID: 32664247 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030371
    Over the last few decades, major efforts in cancer research and treatment have intensified. Apart from standard chemotherapy approaches, immunotherapy has gained substantial traction. Personalized immunotherapy has become an important tool for cancer therapy with the discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Traditionally, tumor-associated antigens are used in immunotherapy-based treatments. Nevertheless, these antigens lack specificity and may have increased toxicity. With the advent of next-generation technologies, the identification of new tumor-specific antigens is becoming more important. In colorectal cancer, several tumor-specific antigens were identified and functionally validated. Multiple clinical trials from vaccine-based and adoptive cell therapy utilizing tumor-specific antigens have commenced. Herein, we will summarize the current landscape of tumor-specific antigens particularly in colorectal cancer.
  10. Integrative meta-analysis for the identification of hub genes in chemoresistant colorectal cancer
    Abu N, Othman N, W Hon K, Nazarie WF, Jamal R
    Biomark Med, 2020 05;14(7):525-537.
    PMID: 32462912 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2019-0241
    Background: Finding a new target or a new drug to overcome chemoresistance is difficult due to the heterogenous nature of cancer. Meta-analysis was performed to combine the analysis of different microarray studies to get a robust discovery. Materials & methods: Herein, we analyzed three microarray datasets on combination of folinic acid, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin drugs (FOLFOX) resistance that fit our inclusion/exclusion criteria and performed a meta-analysis using the OmiCC system. Results: We identified several deregulated genes and we discovered HNF4A as a hub gene. We performed functional validation and observed that by targeting HNF4A, HCT116 cells were more sensitive toward both oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil significantly. Conclusion: Our findings show that HNF4A could be a potential target in overcoming FOLFOX chemoresistance in colorectal cancer.
  11. Fulltext miRNAs and lncRNAs as Predictive Biomarkers of Response to FOLFOX Therapy in Colorectal Cancer
    Hon KW, Abu N, Ab Mutalib NS, Jamal R
    Front Pharmacol, 2018;9:846.
    PMID: 30127741 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00846
    Chemotherapy is one of the options for cancer treatment. FOLFOX is one of the widely used chemotherapeutic regimens used to treat primarily colorectal cancer and other cancers as well. However, the emergence of chemo-resistance clones during cancer treatment has become a critical challenge in the clinical setting. It is crucial to identify the potential biomarkers and therapeutics targets which could lead to an improvement in the success rate of the proposed therapies. Since non-coding RNAs have been known to be important players in the cellular system, the interest in their functional roles has intensified. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as regulators at the post-transcriptional level could be very promising to provide insights in overcoming chemo-resistance to FOLFOX. Hence, this mini review attempts to summarize the potential of ncRNAs correlating with chemo-sensitivity/resistance to FOLFOX.
  12. Long noncoding RNAs as biotargets in cisplatin-based drug resistance
    Abu N, Hon KW, Jeyaraman S, Jamal R
    Future Oncol, 2018 Dec;14(29):3085-3095.
    PMID: 30468082 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2018-0303
    Since its discovery, cisplatin has become the key drug in chemotherapy for cancers. Nevertheless, chemoresistance in cancers has become an impediment in using cisplatin for cancer treatment. The resistance toward cisplatin is multifaceted as it involves multiple cellular pathways. Ever since the knowledge of long noncoding RNAs as modulators of various molecular pathways came to light, the interest in the biological function of lncRNAs as biomarkers has increased dramatically. Numerous studies have reported the link between the dysregulation of lncRNAs and drug resistance in cancers. More importantly, several lncRNAs were found to be vital in regulating cisplatin resistance. Therefore, this review summarizes the recent efforts in linking between cisplatin resistance and different types of lncRNAs.
  13. Fulltext Bromelain Enhances the Anti-tumor Effects of Cisplatin on 4T1 Breast Tumor Model In Vivo
    Mohamad NE, Abu N, Yeap SK, Alitheen NB
    Integr Cancer Ther, 2019 11 23;18:1534735419880258.
    PMID: 31752555 DOI: 10.1177/1534735419880258
    Background: This study aimed to evaluate the antitumor enhancing effect of bromelain consumption on 4T1-challenged mice treated with cisplatin. Methods: Mice challenged with 4T1 triple-negative breast cancer cells received water, bromelain, cisplatin, or bromelain + cisplatin treatment for 28 days. Tumor size was measured, and lung metastasis was evaluated by clonogenic assay. Expression of tumor inflammatory genes of the harvested tumor was quantified by polymerase chain reaction array and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Results: All treatments significantly reduced the size of tumor and lung metastasis, with combination treatment showing the best effect. Also, bromelain alone and combination treatment showed downregulation of the expression of tumor inflammatory genes (Gremlin [GREM1], interleukin 1β [IL-1β], interleukin-4 [IL-4], nuclear factor κB subunit 1 [NFκB1], and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 [PTGS2]), tumor nitric oxide level, and serum IL-1β, and IL-4 levels. On the other hand, cisplatin treatment increased the expression of selected inflammatory markers. Conclusion: This study suggests that bromelain treatment could potentiate the antitumor effect of cisplatin on triple-negative breast cancer 4T1 cells through modulating the tumor environmental inflammation.
  14. Fulltext Impact of Chemotherapy on Extracellular Vesicles: Understanding the Chemo-EVs
    Ab Razak NS, Ab Mutalib NS, Mohtar MA, Abu N
    Front Oncol, 2019;9:1113.
    PMID: 31803605 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01113
    Chemotherapy is the standard go-to treatment for cancer besides surgery and radiation. It has recently come to light that the interaction between chemotherapy and the immune system is important in maintaining tumor immunity as well as influencing the efficacy of the therapy. However, ample preclinical studies have shown that in addition to direct cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, a fraction of chemotherapeutic agents may promote immunogenic cell death, and alter the inflammatory milieu of the tumor microenvironment. Extracellular vesicles (EV) have been shown to interact with the tumor microenvironment by delivering alterative signals to the surrounding cells; as a result, this results in interference with each cell's capability to eradicate tumors or gives advantages to cancer cells so as to survive therapy. Chemotherapy-induced extracellular vesicles (chemo-EVs) have been theorized to be carrying different cargo loads than non-chemotherapy-induced EVs. Aside from chemoresistance, there is growing evidence to suggest that chemo-EVs could dictate tumor behavior, especially in terms of metastasis, immune response, and cancer stemness. This mini-review attempts to summarize and evaluate recent developments on the role of chemo-EVs in other aspects of tumor-related processes.
  15. Fulltext Regulation of signal transduction pathways in colorectal cancer: implications for therapeutic resistance
    Yeoh Y, Low TY, Abu N, Lee PY
    PeerJ, 2021;9:e12338.
    PMID: 34733591 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12338
    Resistance to anti-cancer treatments is a critical and widespread health issue that has brought serious impacts on lives, the economy and public policies. Mounting research has suggested that a selected spectrum of patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) tend to respond poorly to both chemotherapeutic and targeted therapeutic regimens. Drug resistance in tumours can occur in an intrinsic or acquired manner, rendering cancer cells insensitive to the treatment of anti-cancer therapies. Multiple factors have been associated with drug resistance. The most well-established factors are the emergence of cancer stem cell-like properties and overexpression of ABC transporters that mediate drug efflux. Besides, there is emerging evidence that signalling pathways that modulate cell survival and drug metabolism play major roles in the maintenance of multidrug resistance in CRC. This article reviews drug resistance in CRC as a result of alterations in the MAPK, PI3K/PKB, Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways.
  16. Fulltext Extracellular Vesicles and DAMPs in Cancer: A Mini-Review
    Abu N, Rus Bakarurraini NAA, Nasir SN
    Front Immunol, 2021;12:740548.
    PMID: 34721407 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.740548
    Certain cancer therapy has been shown to induce immunogenic cell death in cancer cells and may promote tumor progression instead. The external stress or stimuli may induce cell death and contribute toward the secretion of pro inflammatory molecules. The release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) upon induction of therapy or cell death has been shown to induce an inflammatory response. Nevertheless, the mechanism as to how the DAMPs are released and engage in such activity needs further in-depth investigation. Interestingly, some studies have shown that DAMPs can be released through extracellular vesicles (EVs) and can bind to receptors such as toll-like receptors (TCRs). Ample pre-clinical studies have shown that cancer-derived EVs are able to modulate immune responses within the tumor microenvironment. However, the information on the presence of such DAMPs within EVs is still elusive. Therefore, this mini-review attempts to summarize and appraise studies that have shown the presence of DAMPs within cancer-EVs and how it affects the downstream cellular process.
  17. Fulltext Exosomes As Potential Biomarkers and Targeted Therapy in Colorectal Cancer: A Mini-Review
    Hon KW, Abu N, Ab Mutalib NS, Jamal R
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:583.
    PMID: 28894420 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00583
    The number of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases have increased gradually year by year. In fact, CRC is one of the most widely diagnosed cancer in men and women today. This disease is usually diagnosed at a later stage of the development, and by then, the chance of survival has declined significantly. Even though substantial progress has been made in understanding the basic molecular mechanism of CRC, there is still a lack of understanding in using the available information for diagnosing CRC effectively. Liquid biopsies are minimally invasive and have become the epitome of a good screening source for stage-specific diagnosis, measuring drug response and severity of the disease. There are various circulating entities that can be found in biological fluids, and among them, exosomes, have been gaining considerable attention. Exosomes can be found in almost all biological fluids including serum, urine, saliva, and breast milk. Furthermore, exosomes carry valuable molecular information such as proteins and nucleic acids that directly reflects the source of the cells. Nevertheless, the inconsistent yield and isolation process and the difficulty in obtaining pure exosomes have become major obstacles that need to be addressed. The potential usage of exosomes as biomarkers have not been fully validated and explored yet. This review attempts to uncover the potential molecules that can be derived from CRC-exosomes as promising biomarkers or molecular targets for effective diagnosing of CRC.
  18. Fulltext Immunomodulatory effects of extracellular vesicles in glioblastoma
    Low JJW, Sulaiman SA, Johdi NA, Abu N
    Front Cell Dev Biol, 2022;10:996805.
    PMID: 36467419 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.996805
    Glioblastoma (GB) is a type of brain cancer that can be considered aggressive. Glioblastoma treatment has significant challenges due to the immune privilege site of the brain and the presentation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-secreted nanosized vesicles that engage in intercellular communication via delivery of cargo that may cause downstream effects such as tumor progression and recipient cell modulation. Although the roles of extracellular vesicles in cancer progression are well documented, their immunomodulatory effects are less defined. Herein, we focus on glioblastoma and explain the immunomodulatory effects of extracellular vesicles secreted by both tumor and immune cells in detail. The tumor to immune cells, immune cells to the tumor, and intra-immune cells extracellular vesicles crosstalks are involved in various immunomodulatory effects. This includes the promotion of immunosuppressive phenotypes, apoptosis, and inactivation of immune cell subtypes, which affects the central nervous system and peripheral immune system response, aiding in its survival and progression in the brain.
  19. Fulltext Microsatellite Instability in Colorectal Cancer Liquid Biopsy-Current Updates on Its Potential in Non-Invasive Detection, Prognosis and as a Predictive Marker
    Tieng FYF, Abu N, Lee LH, Ab Mutalib NS
    Diagnostics (Basel), 2021 Mar 18;11(3).
    PMID: 33803882 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11030544
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly-diagnosed cancer in the world and ranked second for cancer-related mortality in humans. Microsatellite instability (MSI) is an indicator for Lynch syndrome (LS), an inherited cancer predisposition, and a prognostic marker which predicts the response to immunotherapy. A recent trend in immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment to provide medical alternatives that have not existed before. It is believed that MSI-high (MSI-H) CRC patients would benefit from immunotherapy due to their increased immune infiltration and higher neo-antigenic loads. MSI testing such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and PCR MSI assay has historically been a tissue-based procedure that involves the testing of adequate tissue with a high concentration of cancer cells, in addition to the requirement for paired normal tissues. The invasive nature and specific prerequisite of such tests might hinder its application when surgery is not an option or when the tissues are insufficient. The application of next-generation sequencing, which is highly sensitive, in combination with liquid biopsy, therefore, presents an interesting possibility worth exploring. This review aimed to discuss the current body of evidence supporting the potential of liquid biopsy as a tool for MSI testing in CRC.
  20. In vitro characterization and mechanical properties of β-calcium silicate/POC composite as a bone fixation device
    Shirazi FS, Moghaddam E, Mehrali M, Oshkour AA, Metselaar HS, Kadri NA, et al.
    J Biomed Mater Res A, 2014 Nov;102(11):3973-85.
    PMID: 24376053 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.35074
    Calcium silicate (CS, CaSiO3 ) is a bioactive, degradable, and biocompatible ceramic and has been considered for its potential in the field of orthopedic surgery. The objective of this study is the fabrication and characterization of the β-CS/poly(1.8-octanediol citrate) (POC) biocomposite, with the goals of controlling its weight loss and improving its biological and mechanical properties. POC is one of the most biocompatible polymers, and it is widely used in biomedical engineering applications. The degradation and bioactivity of the composites were determined by soaking the composites in phosphate-buffered saline and simulated body fluid, respectively. Human osteoblast cells were cultured on the composites to determine their cell proliferation and adhesion. The results illustrated that the flexural and compressive strengths were significantly enhanced by a modification of 40% POC. It was also concluded that the degradation bioactivity and amelioration of cell proliferation increased significantly with an increasing β-CS content.
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