afshan shirkavand

Prostate cancer is known as the second common cancer among men, and is introduced as the fifth cause of death. Apoptosis known as “Programmed Cell Death”, can be measured as a defense mechanism in response to cell damage, caused by diseases or exposure to toxic material, and has an important role in controlling cell population. For this, researchers are interested in studying cancer treatment for inducing apoptosis. Flaxseed, Linum usitassimum, has numerous benefits among other oilseeds. It contains a large amount of α-Linoleic Acid (ALA), dietary fiber, proteins, and Phytoestrogen.

The main goal of this research was to evaluate the expression of apoptotic genes induced with flaxseed extract in human prostate cancer cells in order to find out the cell death pathway induced by flaxseed extract.

In this study, PC-3 prostate cancer cells were cultured and the treatments were done using the flaxseed extract. The MTT test, IC50 calculations, Flowcytometry, and Real-Time PCR test for apoptotic genes were done and all the results underwent analysis.

The IC50 dose was obtained at 809 µg/ml (P < 0.05). Flowcytometry test was done for 600, 800, and 1000 µg/ml of extraction, and the result showed that most of the cells underwent necrosis. The Flowcytometry result was confirmed by qPCR test and showed the overexpression of TNF gene (P < 0.05).

The results showed the overexpression of all the studied genes after treatment by flaxseed extract. The Flowcytometry result was confirmed by qPCR and showed that the TNF gene was overexpressed.

International Day of Light, May 26, is celebrated annually due to the invention of the first laser on this day by the famous physicist "Theodore Maiman" has been named International Day of Light by UNESCO.
The International Day of Light is a global initiative supported by UNESCO to continue to celebrate the place of light in science, technology, culture and art, education and sustainable development. This day is a call to strengthen scientific cooperation and use its potential to strengthen peace and sustainable development.
Laser has played a key role in the place in science and technology, and after the advent of laser, the century of science and technology was already named based on light. Today, we see that light plays an important role in various fields such as medicine and health, communication, energy, industry, intelligent systems, etc.
One of the important features of science and technology based on light is the variety of topics and applications that make this field more attractive and universal. IDL is an opportunity to show the importance of light-based science and technology in which many countries and related centers in the world participate.
The wide range of topics and applications related to light that covers many different parts of society from science, technology, art and culture may be a platform for the development of global communication. One of the important features of science and technology based on light is the variety of topics and applications, which makes this field more attractive and universal.
IDL is an opportunity to show the importance of light-based science and technology in which many countries and related centers in the world participate.
One of the important goals of holding IDL is to create a bridge between scientific, educational and artistic programs in response to the basic need for interdisciplinary interactions and the development of dialogue between society, scientists, decision makers, industrialists and policy makers and non-governmental institutions.
IDL is valuable by emphasizing the place of light in people's lives to improve their quality of life in the world and move towards sustainable development.
ACECR is proud to have established the first medical laser research center and the first quarterly scientific research in the Persian language of Laser Medicine in Iran in the last two decades by using light in biological, medical and health applications for research. It is hoped that with the publication of a variety of basic and clinical sciences, elite researchers, professors, and students throughout the country choose this scientific platform to publish their excellent clinical and research activities, and with this choice, share science in the scientific community

Viruses are sub-microscopic infectious agents that cause many diseases in humans, including several fatal infections that have emerged in the recent past. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of viral infections in the early stages is crucial in preventing the emergence of the pathogen. However, most of the currently available diagnostic methods are laborious, time-consuming, and less sensitive. On the other hand, the limited availability of antiviral treatments and the adverse effects associated with traditional antiviral drugs suggest the necessity of developing new therapeutic strategies to combat viral infections. In recent years, various types of nanomaterials have been investigated for the diagnosis and treatment of viral infections. In this review article, some of the nanotechnology-based approaches that have been developed for rapid and high-quality detection of viral infections, as well as antiviral therapeutic strategies related to nanomaterials, are also discussed with examples. Viral infections have emerged as a major threat to global health, especially in recent years. However, only a limited number of diagnostic tools and antiviral treatments are available to combat these viral infections. New approaches based on nanotechnology can provide a better platform for detecting viral infections in a short time with high sensitivity compared to existing viral detection methods. Also, nanomaterials may help overcome issues such as low solubility and bioavailability, rapid release, development of resistance, and adverse effects often associated with conventional antiviral therapies. Therefore, nanotechnology appears as a new and promising tool in the effective management of viral infections in future medicine.

Nowadays, the presence of antibiotics in the environment has increasingly caused concern. Antibiotic contamination in the environment leads to the formation of antibiotic-resistant genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The discharge of hospital, industrial, agricultural and local wastewater is the main route of antibiotic entry into the environment. Studies show that the conventional water treatment processes are not efficient and specifically designed to remove these polar compounds, which are mostly water-soluble, non-volatile and non-biodegradable. To destroy these pollutions, many researchers have paid attention to various technologies based on abundant sources and clean energy, such as photocatalysis, Photo-Fenton, UV-H2O2, ozonation, sonolysis and sonocatalysis. Although the contaminated water is very turbid and obscure in many areas that light can hardly penetrate into the contaminated water and limits the photocatalytic ability. Semiconductor-based sonocatalysis has many advantages in antibiotic removal applications. Because the ultrasound waves can spread well in any aqueous environment and play a sonocatalytic effect. The effectiveness of photocatalytic and sonocatalytic processes is related to factors such as irradiation time, photocatalyst dose, pH, etc. Semiconductors such as TiO2, ZnO, SnO2, and ZrO2 participate in sonocatalytic processes due to their ability to promote the valence band electron to the conduction band, leaving the hole behind, and produce free radicals for the oxidation of organic compounds. In this article, we try to provide an overview of the sonocatalytic applications of nanoparticles in the degradation of antibiotics.

Due to the increasing importance of repairing and rejuvenating different tissues, it is necessary to pay attention to the development of treatment methods to improve treatment results. Low-level lasers are currently used to repair skin tissues. The carboxytherapy method has become particularly important due to its non-invasive treatment. In this method, some carbon dioxide is injected into the tissue.
It is produced naturally by the cells of the body, but when the amount of CO2 becomes too much, it forces the body to respond. When carbon dioxide enters the body, the circulatory system in the treated area is stimulated. And then tries to control the condition using blood vessels. Due to the clinical effects of low-level laser and also the carboxytherapy method, it is necessary to study carboxy effects and simultaneously the low-level laser at the cellular level.
In this study, the proliferation and viability of Adipose Mesenchymal Stem cells (MSC) have been studied under Laser and carboxy therapy treatments to help develop more effective protocols.

Adipose Mesenchymal Stem cells were cultured in DMEM F12 + 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 100 U/ml penicillin and 100 mg/ml streptomycin. The cells were placed in an incubator with 5% CO2 humidified atmosphere at 37°C. MSC stem cells were irradiated by low-level laser with various doses of 2,3,5 and 7 J/cm2 and also cells were exposed to carboxy with different concentrations (with speeds and Different volumes) by Carboxy Therapy device. viability of cells were done by MTT test.

The results of this study illustrated the viability and proliferation of cells under the laser and carboxy therapy increased and at the simultaneous laser and carboxy treatment showed further increase than the control group.

Based on the findings of this study, the use of carboxytherapy as well as the simultaneous use of laser with an optimal dose can be used as an alternative method in skin repair.

In recent years, some non-invasive methods have been developed to assess the state of health and disease of the skin and tissues. The evaluation of patients by the doctor in terms of skin complications and recovery after laser treatment is done visually and based on experience. Therefore, it is suggested to use quantitative and instrumental methods along with the visual evaluation dependent on the doctor. This research is designed with the aim of providing an optical system based on spectroscopy and the use of mobile phones to investigate the distinction between healthy and unhealthy tissue in order to monitor and investigate the process of skin disease.

Methods & Materials: 

Diffuse reflection spectrometry and spectrum-based imaging methods have been used in this research. Analysis of spectroscopic data from a skin lesion of blood vessels as a study, a spectroscopic imaging method is presented.

spectral data of the skin were analyzed and the difference between the absorption peak of the lesion with healthy skin and the skin with lesion was determined. In the following, using this distinction, the imaging system was proposed based on the results obtained from spectroscopy. This imaging system is a primary optical arrangement to obtain an image without mirror reflection and also to remove environmental factors such as ambient light. In fact, by choosing the index wavelength and lighting the lesion, it is possible to show a better distinction between that lesion and the surrounding healthy area. Also, in this system, a mobile camera is used as a detector.

After recording the image of the lesion and the healthy skin around it simultaneously in one image, image processing and quantification can be used to detect and check tissue changes.

 Thalassemia is a genetic disorder that leads to chronic anemia and requires frequent blood transfusions. With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, thalassemia patients are at increased risk of disease.

 We aimed to study the epidemiology of COVID-19 in thalassemia patients and its mortality to determine the disease severity.

 This cross-section study was conducted in the first year of the pandemic. Provincial information was collected. A questionnaire was developed to collect demographic, clinical, and paraclinical data and outcomes using history, examination, and laboratory tests. The patients' data were analyzed statistically using SPSS (v. 21).

 The number of thalassemia patients was 19 387, of whom 442 were infected by COVID-19 (50.9% female and 49.1% male), with a mean age of 36.98 years (16 - 67). Of them, 419 had a positive PCR test, and 23 had no positive test. Also, 98% of patients complained of fever, and 54% had cough. Of 442 patients, 14 (3.2%) died, four having a ferritin level > 5000. There was a significant relationship between COVID-19 mortality and increased pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) (P value = 0.003). Also, there was a correlation between COVID-19 mortality and ferritin level (P value = 0.005), while there were no significant correlations between COVID-19 mortality and respiratory symptoms (P value = 0.30), PCR test result (P value = 0.74), and diabetes (P value = 0.47).

 Thalassemia patients are more prone to COVID-19. Comparing familial and thalassemia patients statistics, the prevalence and percentage of COVID-19 mortality were higher among the patients.

Multi-organ iron load is prevalent crucial side effect in thalassemic patients due to repeated transfusions, and high intestinal iron absorption. MRI T2* has demonstrated its potency as a non-invasive technique for the imaging of hemosiderosis in thalassemia. We aim to investigate the iron load of adrenal glands and kidneys using MRI T2* in adult thalassemia patients and evaluate the serum ferritin correlation of with kidneys, heart, liver, and adrenal glands’ iron load. Thirty-five thalassemia major (TM) and thalassemia intermediate (TI) patients (age range 18-50 years) from Zafar thalassemia Clinic, were recruited in this survey from September 2019 to October 2020. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to map iron overload in several organs’ regions of interest (ROIs) using fast-gradient-echo multi echo T2*sequences protocol. T-test and chi-square analysis were done. Nine (25.7%) patients had left Kidney T2* less than 36ms which could indicate abnormal renal iron load while this was 8 (22.9%) for the right kidney. In the left and right adrenal glands, these numbers were 31 (88.6%) and 29 (82.9%), respectively, below the normal threshold. Adrenal gland and renal iron overloads were detected in MRI images of thalassemic patients. Correlation for serum ferritin levels and kidney and adrenal glands T2* was found weakly negative. Non-invasive monitoring of the internal organs’ hemosiderosis using MRI T2* was found to be beneficial for iron-chelating optimization and preventing irreversible tissue damage.

Thalassemia consists of a variety of genetic hemoglobinopathies. Thalassemia-major causes anemia in early age. Those suffering from thalassemia need frequent life-long blood transfusions to survive, resulting in iron overload in the body and many health problems. Much improvement has occurred in predicting the course of Thalassemia major thanks to iron chelation therapy. Edible iron chelating agents are the standard of the chelating process. Deferasirox is a newly developed orally active iron chelating tablet which is used on a daily basis. Th present case study investigated severe dermatopathological reactions to the Iranian made product of Deferasirox.

We present a case of adverse drug reactions in a thalassemic patient who was started on Deferasirox orally after receiving Deferoxamine injections for several years with no serious reactions. The patient experiences generalized maculopapular, deep red- blue partially purpuric itchy skin rashes throughout her body. The histopathological biopsy found superficial perivascular or dermatitis with low-grade vasculopathy, few eosinophils, and mild psoriasis form-supraglotticlichenoid epidermal reactions associated with Drug Reaction diagnosis.

With regard to inherent features, caution must be applied to start the original Deferasirox for the patients who will undergo the oral chelation process with a smooth increase in the daily dosage for a few weeks in order to create improved tolerance.

Introduction:

Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (COM) is a prominent complication of chemotherapy (CT). Non-thermal CO2 laser therapy (NTCLT) has been demonstrated as an innovative and safe photobiomodulative approach in some kinds of painful oral lesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the palliative effects of one session of NTCLT on COM lesions.

Methods:

Patients with painful COM (WHO grade: ≥ 2) were included in this before-after clinical trial based on the eligibility criteria. The oral lesions were irradiated with a CO2 laser (power: 1 W, scanning the lesions with the rapid circular motion of the defocused handpiece) through a thick layer (3-4 mm) of a transparent gel containing a high-water content. The severity of pain in the lesions was self-assessed using a 0-to-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) for 7 consecutive days. The evaluating physician visited the patients on the 3rd and 7th days in search of any kind of complications.

Results: 

Seventeen adult patients with 35 patches of OM due to chemotherapy of solid tumors completed the trial. Immediately after NTCLT, the mean for non-contact VAS pain scores of the lesions significantly declined from 4.91 ± 2.356 to 0.29 ± 0.622 (P < 0.001) and the mean for contact VAS pain scores from 7.77 ± 1.57 to 1.31 ± 1.18 (P < 0.001). The mean VAS pain scores of the lesions showed statistically significant differences between the follow-up periods compared to the baseline (P < 0.001). The process was completely pain-free and required no anesthesia. After NTCLT, no kind of thermal adverse effects such as irritation, destruction, aggravation and even erythema were observed.

Conclusion:

Based on the results of this before-after clinical trial, NTCLT has the potential to be considered as a non-invasive and safe palliative option for the pain management of patchy OM due to chemotherapy of solid tumors.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), also called Photobiomodulation, has gained widespread acceptance as a mainstream modality, particularly in the form of photobiostimulation (PBM). Here in our review, we aim to present the application of LLLT to help with depression, explore potential action mechanisms and pathways, discuss existing limitations, and address the challenges associated with its clinical implementation.

In biological systems, the visible light with a wavelength range of 400–700 nm activates photoreceptors involved in vision and circadian rhythm regulation. The near-infrared (NIR) light with a wavelength range of 800-1100 nm exhibits superior tissue penetration capabilities compared to the visible light, which enables the non-invasive application of LLLT to various tissues.

By enhancing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production using the respiratory chain, LLLT is able to enhance blood flow, reduce inflammation, support repair and healing, and enhance stem cell growth and proliferation. Preclinical studies using animal models have shown promising neuroprotective effects of the LLLT method on central nervous system (CNS) diseases, suggesting potential improvements in brain function for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, it helps Parkinson’s patients with their movement problems and ameliorates mental disorders in individuals with depression.

patients’ quality of life can be significantly enhanced. A comprehensive understanding of the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of LLLT will facilitate its therapeutic application in the future.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a demonstrated therapeutic method for basal cellcarcinoma (BCC), which is the most common human cancer. Here, we present a case report about systemic PDT with chlorine e6 as a photosensitizer (PS) for BCC treatment. 

Case Report:

A 78-year-old man was diagnosed with a history of a 4-year nodular BCC in the nasal area. The patient was under control and treatment for hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Chlorine e6 was injected intravenously at a 0.08 mg/kg dosage in 500 cc normal saline within 20 minutes. Three hours after injection, laser irradiation was performed with a wavelength of 665 nm, a dosage of 150 J/cm2, and an irradiance value of 150 mW/cm2. His nodular BCC was completely cured without any side effects after one session of PDT with chlorine e6.

Systemic PDT with chlorine e6 as a PS may be safe and effective in removing BCC lesions due to the data obtained in a two-month follow-up.

Today, despite scientific developments and important medical advances, the supply of healthy and sufficient blood is still one of the biggest concerns of the health system, and one of the most important needs of health and treatment centers and many victims of accidents, war wounded, and needy patients. The issue of supplying blood and blood products in the important wars of the contemporary era has been a big challenge for the countries involved in the war and many injured people have lost their lives due to the lack of timely supply of blood. With the beginning of the invasion of the Iraqi Baath army on 31st of September 1359 against the land of dear Iran, the need for blood for the treatment of the wounded increased greatly, and in addition to the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, the Red Crescent Society has also made significant efforts in this field. By forming a joint relief and treatment committee, this population played a significant role in providing blood in addition to medical and relief measures. However, the main role of blood supply at this time was the responsibility of the blood transfusion organization, and practically, the centers of the Red Crescent population alone were not able to respond to the significant reception of the people. This study was conducted using the method of reviewing and analyzing the content of the published papers and official reports by related bibliography and websites.

There have been two coronavirus-related pandemics during the past 18 years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV andMiddle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV in 2002 and 2012, respectively. In 2019, Seven years after the emergence of MERS, a new coronavirus (i.e., SARS-CoV-2) was detected in several patients. SARS-CoV-2 spread widely, and its high prevalence enabled the virus to start a new pandemic in 2020. It is believed that the higher infectivity of the virus in comparison to that of SARS-CoV is related to its molecular interaction affinity of transmembrane spike glycoprotein and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) cell receptors. Moreover, the primary reason for the high case fatality rate (CFR) is the cytokine storm and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) because of the immune system response to the invaders. Hence, a solid understanding of the components involved in the mechanism of viral entry and immune system response is crucial for finding approaches to disrupt the virus-cell interplay and neutralizing its impacts on the host immune system. In this review, we investigated the molecular aspect and potential therapeutic targets associated with cell receptors and downstream signaling cascades.

A systematic search was implemented on several online databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus during 2019-2021 using the following keywords: "SARS-CoV-2", "COVID-19", "ACE-2", "Therapeutic Targets", "Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome", and "Cytokine Storm".

Various internal or external agents are responsible for the virus infectivity and stimulating acute immune system response. Since currently there is no cure for the treatment of COVID-19, several repurposed drugs can be employed to disrupt the process of viral entry and mitigate the symptoms raised by the cytokine storm. Inhibition of several agents, including signal transduction mediators and TMPRSS2 may be momentous.

Despite the increase in the CFR, no drugs were developed with significant efficacy. Understanding the virus entry mechanism and the immune system’s role could help us surmount the problems in developing a promising drug or employing the repurposed ones.

Advancements in cancer imaging are rapidly moving from the detection and size measurement of a lesion to the quantitative assessment of metabolic processes and cellular and molecular interactions. Tumor stroma as an important factor in tumor pathophysiology plays an important role in treatment strategies and targeting the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, successful cancer control requires the study of complex cellular and molecular interactions in cancer tissue. The integration of advances in molecular biology, synthetic chemistry, and imaging techniques has shifted imaging-based diagnosis to molecular function. Therefore, imaging science seeks to find applications in basic science, preclinical, and translational research in cancer. Positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, optical imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging are the primary tools being developed for oncologic imaging. These techniques are being developed due to the development of molecular probes that have recently been improved to record in vivo molecular and physiological properties. Herein, we review molecular imaging techniques and common probes in preclinical studies, as well as their application strategies.

Skin cancer is one of the most common types of malignancy worldwide. Human skin naturally contains several endogenous fluorophores, as potential sources can emit inherent fluorescence, called intrinsic autofluorescence (AF). The melanin endogenous fluorophore in the basal cell layer of the epidermis seems to have a strong autofluorescence signal among other ones in the skin.This pilot study aimed to investigate the feasibility of the detection of autofluorescence signals in the A375 human melanoma cell line in the cell culture stage using the FluoVision optical imaging system.

The human skin melanoma cell line (A375) donated as a gift from Switzerland (University Hospital Basel) was cultured. For the imaging of the A375 human melanoma cell sample in this pilot study, the FluoVision optical imaging device (Tajhiz Afarinan Noori Parseh Co) was applied. The proposed clustering image processing code was developed based on the K-mean segmentation method, using MATLAB software (version 16).

The quantification of color pixels in the color bar along with the intensity score of the autofluorescence signal ranged between 0 and 70 was written in the image processing code execution and a threshold higher than 40%, proportional to the ratio of autofluorescent cells. The percentage of the signal of A375 autofluorescent melanoma cells in the 3 studied cell samples was calculated as 3.11%±0.6.

This imaging method has the advantage of no need for fluorophore labels over the existing fluorescence imaging methods, and it can be regarded as one of the important choices of label-free imaging for this A375 melanoma cell line containing the intrinsic endogenous fluorophore in cell studies.

ntroduction: The cytotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs is a significant challenge in the way of surmounting cancer. Liposomal drug delivery has proven to be efficacious in increasing the function of the drugs. Its potential to accumulate drugs in the target site and enhance the efficiency of anti-cancer agents with lower doses hinders their cytotoxicity on normal healthy cells. Since the release of drugs from liposomes is not generally on a controlled basis, several studies have suggested that external stimuli including lasers could be used to induce controlled release and boost the efficiency of liposomal drug delivery systems (LDDSs).

TheA375 cancer cell line was used and exposed to the liposomes containing doxorubicin in the presence of a low-level laser beam to investigate its effect on the liposomal stimuli-responsiveness release and its toxicity on cancer cells. So as to achieve that goal, Annexin V/PI was employed to analyze the number of cells that underwent apoptosis and necrosis.

Here, we report the effect of laser irradiation on LDDSs. According to the results obtained from the annexin V/PI assay, the pattern of viability status has shifted, so that the number of pre-apoptotic cells treated with liposomal doxorubicin and a laser beam was more than that of cells treated with only liposomal doxorubicin.

The use of stimuli-responsive LDDSs, in this case, laser-responsive, has led to favorable circumstances in the treatment of cancer, offering enhanced cancer cell cytotoxicity.

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a debilitating and chronic vasculitis which can affect multiple organs. Recurrent oral aphthosis is the most common clinical feature of BD. The remarkable pain associated with painful oral ulcers can exert a major impact on the patients’ quality of life. Relieving pain of these oral ulcers is an essential approach in the management of mucocutaneous lesions of BD.Non-thermal CO2 laser therapy (NTCLT) as a novel photobiomodulative approach has recently been used for significant and immediate pain reduction of some types of painful oral lesions such as recurrent aphthous stomatitis, pemphigus vulgaris, and so on. In this procedure by some considerations, the conventional CO2 laser is used as a non-surgical, non- thermal, photobiomodulative laser without any visible thermal adverse effects. In this article, we report our experiences about the analgesic effects of NTCLT on painful oral aphthous ulcers of BD.

We report four cases of BD, whose painful oral aphthous ulcers were irradiated with NTCLT. Immediately after NTCLT, the pain of the lesions was significantly relieved with no visible complications.

The results of this study suggest that NTCLT could be proposed as a hopeful procedure for significant and instant pain relief of oral aphthous ulcers of BD without any visible thermal adverse effects.

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic, relapsing, systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Oral and genital aphthous ulcers are considered as the hallmarks of BD. The genital ulcers of BD may be extremely painful and often refractory to multiple treatments. In addition, they exert a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life. Some investigations have demonstrated the significant and immediate pain-relieving effects of NTCLT (non-thermal CO2 laser therapy) on some oral lesions with no visible adverse effects. In this paper, we report a case of BD whose painful genital ulcers were irradiated with NTCLT and the patient’s pain caused by the ulcers relieved immediately and significantly with no visible complications.