Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are neurons of the visual system that are responsible for transmitting signals from the retina to the brain via the optic nerve. Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by apoptotic loss of RGCs and degeneration of optic nerve fibers. Risk factors such as elevated intraocular pressure and vascular dysregulation trigger the injury that culminates in RGC apoptosis. In the event of injury, the survival of RGCs is facilitated by neurotrophic factors (NTFs), the most widely studied of which is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Its production is regulated locally in the retina, but transport of BDNF retrogradely from the brain to retina is also crucial. Not only that the interruption of this retrograde transport has been detected in the early stages of glaucoma, but significantly low levels of BDNF have also been detected in the sera and ocular fluids of glaucoma patients, supporting the notion that neurotrophic deprivation is a likely mechanism of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Moreover, exogenous NTF including BDNF administration was shown reduce neuronal loss in animal models of various neurodegenerative diseases, indicating the possibility that exogenous BDNF may be a treatment option in glaucoma. Current literature provides an extensive insight not only into the sources, transport, and target sites of BDNF but also the intracellular signaling pathways, other pathways that influence BDNF signaling and a wide range of its functions. In this review, the authors discuss the neuroprotective role of BDNF in promoting the survival of RGCs and its possible application as a therapeutic tool to meet the challenges in glaucoma management. We also highlight the possibility of using BDNF as a biomarker in neurodegenerative disease such as glaucoma. Further we discuss the challenges and future strategies to explore the utility of BDNF in the management of glaucoma.
The enhanced permeability and retention effect allows for passive targeting of solid tumours by nanoparticles carrying anticancer drugs. However, active targeting by incorporation of various ligands onto nanoparticles can provide for a more selective and enhanced chemotherapeutic effect and complement the deficiencies of the passive targeting approach. Here we report on the design of the carboxyl-terminated PEGylated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), their functionalization with anti-CD133 monoclonal antibody (mAb) via a crosslinking reaction, and subsequent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) drug loading. The synthesized products in the form of stable colloids were characterised using a range of physicochemical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Conjugation of anti-CD133 mAb onto PEGylated AuNPs was confirmed with the use of UV-Vis, BCA protein assay and fluorescence microscopy. HCT116 colorectal cancer cells abundantly expressed CD133: 92.4 ± 1.3%, as measured by flow cytometry. Whereas PEGylated AuNPs not conjugated with anti-CD133 mAb accumulated mainly at the cellular membrane, nanoparticles conjugated with anti-CD133 mAb were contained within the nuclear region of the cells. Anti-CD133 mAb conjugation facilitated the specific intracellular uptake due to specific antigen-antibody binding interaction. In vitro cytotoxicity studies on HCT116 cells showed that PEGylated AuNPs and PEGylated AuNPs-CD133 did not elicit any toxicity at any of the tested concentrations. Meanwhile, 5-FU-PEGylated AuNPs-CD133 significantly reduced the cell viability relative to the treatment with 5-FU-PEGylated AuNPs without anti-CD133 mAb conjugates (p < 0.0001). This study shows that the conjugation of nanocarriers with the anti-CD133 antibody improves the specific targeting of 5-FU against colorectal cancer cells. These results demonstrate that simultaneous functionalisation of PEGylated AuNPs with antibodies and chemotherapeutic drugs is a viable strategy to combat cancer through targeted drug delivery.
Unlike pandemics in the past, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which rapidly spread worldwide, was met with a different approach to control and measures implemented across affected countries. The lack of understanding of the fundamental nature of the outbreak continues to make COVID-19 challenging to manage for both healthcare practitioners and the scientific community. Challenges to vaccine development and evaluation, current therapeutic options, convalescent plasma therapy, herd immunity, and the emergence of reinfection and new variants remain the major obstacles to combating COVID-19. This review discusses these challenges in the management of COVID-19 at length and highlights the mechanisms needed to provide better understanding of this pandemic.
Antibiotic resistance is a global public health concern, posing a significant threat to the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. The accurate and timely detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is crucial for implementing appropriate treatment strategies and preventing the spread of resistant strains. This manuscript provides an overview of the current and emerging technologies used for the detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We discuss traditional culture-based methods, molecular techniques, and innovative approaches, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and potential future applications. By understanding the strengths and limitations of these technologies, researchers and healthcare professionals can make informed decisions in combating antibiotic resistance and improving patient outcomes.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in December 2019 and caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, took the world by surprise with an unprecedented public health emergency. Since this pandemic began, extraordinary efforts have been made by scientists to understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and to fight the infection by providing various preventive, diagnostic and treatment opportunities based on either novel hypotheses or past experiences. Despite all the achievements, COVID-19 continues to be an accelerating health threat with no specifically approved vaccine or therapy. This review highlights the recent advances in COVID-19 infection, with a particular emphasis on nanomedicine applications that can help in the development of effective vaccines or therapeutics against COVID-19. A novel future perspective has been proposed in this review based on utilizing polymersome nano-objects for effectively suppressing the cytokine storm, which may reduce the severity of COVID-19 infection.