Background: Adoptive T-cell therapy is a promising treatment strategy for cancer immunotherapy. The ability of immunotherapy based on the adoptive cell transfer of genetically modified T cells to generate powerful clinical responses has been highlighted by recent clinical success. Techniques which are used to expand large numbers of T cells from different sources are critical in adoptive cell therapy. In this study, we evaluated the expansion, proliferation, activation of T lymphocytes, in the presence of various concentrations of interleukin-2, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and insulin. Materials and Methods: The effect of different supplemented culture media on T cell expansion was evaluated using MTT assay. The expression level of the Ki-67 proliferation marker was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, flow cytometry analysis was performed to access T cell subpopulations. Results: Our results showed that supplemented culture media with an optimized concentration of PHA and interleukin-2 increased total fold expansion of T cells up to 500-fold with approximately 90% cell viability over 7 days. The quantitative assessment of Ki-67 in expanded T cells showed a significant elevation of this proliferation marker. Flow cytometry was also used to assess the proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ cells, and the main expanded population was CD3+ CD8+ cells. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we introduced a low-cost and rapid method to support the efficient expansion of T cells for adoptive cell therapy and other in vivo experiments.

Background: Anbarnesa is the female donkey dung typically collected after the labor and in early springtime. Materials and Methods: The chemical composition of the smoke collected from Anbarnesa was evaluated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and its antiviral activity was analyzed based on 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results: As a result, twenty-two constituents representing 97.1% of the Anbarnesa smoke could be identified. Hexadecanoic acid (29.4%), cis-9-octadecenoic acid (17.7%), and octadecanoic acid (10.8%) were the smoke's main constituents, respectively. Antiviral activity was evaluated using MTT assay. The CC₅₀ value of the compound on Hep2 and Verro cells was 2271.2 μg/mL and 5077.5 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the 50% inhibitory concentration value on adenovirus and herpes simplex type-1 was 802.55 μg/mL and >5077.5, respectively. Conclusions: it was revealed that Anbarnesa was nontoxic in 1/64, 1/128, and 1/256 dilutions, while the toxicity was detected in 1/32 dilution after 72 h. In addition, in 1/8 and 1/16 dilutions, cell toxicity was identified in the first hour.

Background: Isoprenoids and their derivatives are building blocks for the synthesis of biomolecules with important biological functions such as cholesterol in eukaryotes and lipid carrier undecaprenol, which is involved in cell wall biosynthesis in bacteria. With the global threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria, there is a need for finding new metabolic targets for killing bacteria. In the present study, we examined the impact of eukaryotic sterol biosynthesis inhibitors on the growth of four pathogenic bacteria. Materials and Methods: Antibacterial effect of HMG CoA reductase inhibitor (simvastatin), farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase inhibitor (alendronate), squalene epoxidase inhibitor (terbinafine), and lanosterol demethylase inhibitor (ketoconazole) were studied against four pathogenic bacteria: two gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis and two gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Broth microdilution method was used for assessing the antibacterial susceptibility of the components using 96 well plats. MIC and MBC were determined visibly. Results: MIC of Ketoconazole for Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis were 0.166 and 1 mg/mL, respectively. Terbinafine had a weak inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 8 mg/mL). Ketoconazole and terbinafine had no inhibitory effect on gram-negative bacteria. MBC of Simvastatin for both Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis was 0.5 mg/mL and of Alendronate for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 6.6 mg/mL. Conclusion: Our results show that farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase and class II HMG-CoA reductases inhibitors (ketoconazole and simvastatin) have reasonable antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria. These two enzymes provide suitable targets for designing new antibiotics based on modifying the chemical structure of currently used drugs to obtain maximum activity.

Background: Renal insufficiency is one of the inevitable complications in patients with Wilms tumor (WT). The purpose of this study was to assess the renal function in children with WT at baseline and every 3 months to 2 years. Materials and Methods: In a descriptive-analytical study from 2018 to 2020, 48 children with WT were included in the study. Urine creatinine (U_Cr), serum calcium (S_Cr), blood pressure (BP), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urinary protein (U_Pro) were evaluated at baseline and every 3 months during the study. Spot U_Ca/U_Cr and spot U_Pro/U_Cr ratio were calculated. Kidney ultrasonography was used in all patients. Independent Sample t-test and Chi-square tests were utilized to compare age and sex, respectively. Results: The mean age of patients at follow-up was 7.3 years. There was no significant difference in mean U_Cr, S_Cr, eGFR, 24-h U_Pro, U_Ca/U_Cr ratio, and spot U_Pro/U_Cr ratio at baseline and end of study (P_baseline > 0.05, P_{end of study} > 0.05). Analysis of kidney size showed a statistical association with tumor stage (P < 0.05). Comparison of the kidney size in patients showed that there is a statistically significant difference (P < 0.0001) at baseline and end of the study. Conclusion: This study showed that as WT progressed, the size of the kidneys increases without any renal insufficiency. Therefore, it seems that urinalysis of patients with WT along with sonography is necessary to determine renal insufficiency and the use of ultrasound alone to determine kidney insufficiency is not recommended.

Background: Management of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in humans depends on the availability of vaccines or effective drugs. Studies have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is responsible for binding the viral spike glycoproteins to human cells. Melittin from the bee venom of Apis melifera is a peptide with antimicrobial activities. Materials and Methods: In this study, important amino acid residues of ACE2 interacting with spike glycoproteins of the virus were described based on the ACE2-spike–glycoprotein interface. This has been previously analyzed by Robson in crystal structures of the receptors and ligands. Flexible linkers and 31 amino acid residues from N-terminal of ACE2 as coronavirus spike binding domains (SBDs) were added to 17 N-terminal amino acids of melittin (the hydrophobic motif) to construct a hybrid peptide or M-ACE2SBD. Then, secondary and tertiary structures of the peptide were predicted. Results: Docking of the hybrid peptide and coronavirus SBDs was carried out as well. Previous studies showed that toxicity and hemolytic activity of the melittin hydrophobic motif decreased in comparison to native melittin due to the lack of peptide binding to the exposed anionic lipids of the human cell membranes and hence the novel peptide can be recommended as an appropriate drug for clinical uses. Conclusion: This study has hypothesized that 17 N-terminal amino acids of the mutant melittin used in M-ACE2SBD design are potentially hydrophobic and attached coronavirus-2 through lipid envelope of the virus.

Background and Aim: The current study aimed to, first, investigate the frequency of cancer patients who receive complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), separated by the type of the disease, and second, to study their incentives and causes of use. Materials and Methods: Following a cross-sectional design, cancer cases referred to referral centers of cancer in Isfahan province were studied. Data were collected using a researcher-developed checklist that included type of the disease, complementary medicine, and causes of a tendency to use CAM. Results: A total of 256 patients were studied. One hundred and sixty-three patients (63.7%) had a history of receiving CAM. Sixty-five percent of the patients were satisfied with their CAM treatment. Patients with breast cancer had the highest prevalence of CAM use (72.2%), which was more than other types of cancers (P = 0.046). There was no significant association between the frequency of CAM use and the patient characteristics such as age, level of education, marital status, and gender (P > 0.05). Conclusion: It is evident that the majority of patients with cancer are using CAM modulates and are satisfied with it. They want to try every possible way to cure. Physicians should consider the likelihood that their patient is taking CAM and adopt appropriate strategies to address the issue.

Background: Neonatal jaundice indicates the presence of pigment in the skin and sclera. Vitamin E is an important component of the cellular antioxidant defense system. Here in the present study, we aimed to evaluate and investigate these therapeutic effects. Materials and Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial performed on 100 premature neonates. Group 1 received 10 units of Vitamin E daily for 5 days. The other group received placebo. Amount of bilirubin was measured at the time of 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after birth. Results: Mean bilirubin in Vitamin E group was increasing until the 2^nd day and then got a decreasing trend. In the control group, the increasing trend of bilirubin was going on till the 3^rd day. Mean bilirubin increased significantly during the follow-up in both Vitamin E and control groups (χ² [df] = 20.23 (1), P < 0.001). Although both groups showed an increasing trend in mean bilirubin, on the last day of follow-up, the average amount of increase was lower in Vitamin E group (5.06 ± 2.25 vs. 6.23 ± 3.98). Also in the 3^rd and 4^th days, mean bilirubin was lower in Vitamin E group. Conclusion: This study supports the usage of oral Vitamin E therapies on reducing the bilirubin levels in neonates. We also showed that this reduced trend occurs after day 3 of life, but in the follow-ups, neonates who were treated with Vitamin E had lower bilirubin levels compared to the placebo group.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (HPY) provokes gastrointestinal disorders and gastric cancer. We supposed that HPY disrupts the 25-OH-Vitamin-D3 (Vit.D3) absorption. We evaluated the association between Vit.D3 and anti-HPY immunoglobulins (Igs) and the Vit.D3 potency as a predictive biomarker for HPY infection. Materials and Methods: 603 patients' raw data were gathered from a private clinical laboratory. Anti-HPY Igs including serum IgG, IgA, and IgM, in addition to HPY-stool antigen, were assessed by the immunoassay methods. Vit.D3 was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Correlations, ordinal comparisons, cutoff points (COP), and odds ratio (OR) were estimated. Results: The age mean ± standard deviation was 39.83 ± 18.426 for female and 38.82 ± 16.937 for male participants (P = 0.521). Significant correlations existed after age and gender adjustment between Vit.D3 serum levels and the HPY IgG (R = 0.298) and IgA (R = 0.271) but not for IgM (R = −0.103). Approximately, 48% of males and 36% of females had insufficient/deficient Vit.D3 serum levels (male/female OR: 1.65; 1.16–2.33; P = 0.0051). After age and gender adjustment, the best COP of Vit.D3 to predict an HPY IgG-positive patient was Vit.D3 >32.80 ng/mL with 66.23% diagnostic accuracy (DAAC), 30.43% specificity (SPC), and 90.41% sensitivity (SEN). For the HPY IgA, the values were Vit.D3 >37.83 ng/mL, DAAC = 60.45%, SPC = 58.82%, SEN = 64.20%. For HPY IgM, the values were Vit.D3 >37.32 ng/mL, DAAC = 58.97%, SPC = 57.33%, and SEN = 100%. Conclusions: Vit.D3 had a good association with anti-HPY Igs and may be a good biomarker for immunity competence against HPY infection if the patient's age and gender are considered when interpreting the laboratory results.

Background: In patients with β-thalassemia major (TM), one of the long-term complications of regular blood transfusion is renal dysfunction. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the renal function in TM patients receiving Exjade^® dispersible tablets and a new film-coated tablet formulation of deferasirox (Nanojade^®). Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 80 TM patients aged 11–48-year-old entered the study. Patients received 20–30 mg/kg/d (single dose) Exjade® (Exjade group, n = 40) and Nanojade® (Nanojade group, n = 40) orally. To evaluated renal function, serum creatinine (S_Cr), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), 24-h urine protein (U_Pro), U_Ca/U_Cr, spot U_Pro/U_Cr ratio, and serum ferritin were calculated at baseline and every 3 months to 9 months. Results: There was no significant difference in S_Cr, BUN, eGFR, 24-h U_Pro, U_Pro/U_Cr ratio, U_Ca/U_Cr ratio, and serum ferritin between groups at baseline and end of study (P_baseline > 0.05, P_{end of study} > 0.05). There was no significant difference in proteinuria between groups at baseline and end of study (P_baseline > 0.05, P_{end of study} > 0.05). Conclusions: The proportion of S_Cr, BUN, eGFR, 24-h U_Pro, U_Pro/U_Cr ratio, and U_Ca/U_Cr ratio was not significantly different in TM patients treated with Nanojade^® compared to patients' received Exjade^®. Nanojade^® had similar effects to Exjade^®, and therefore, the use of Nanojade^® is safe in TM patients and does not seem to be associated with increased renal failure, proteinuria, and hypercalciuria.