Personalized Medicine Journal
Volume:5 Issue: 18, Summer 2020

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy adversely affect spermatogenesis, a consequence that is particularly relevant to young men who have yet to establish families. The harmful effects of chemotherapy on spermatogenesis are variable, depending on the type and dosage of chemotherapeutic agents used. The current study assessed the effect of cancer therapy on sperm DNA fragmentation by Comet assay. Sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated in cured cancer patients. The results showed a significant relationship between chemotherapy and double-stranded and single-stranded sperm DNA fragmentation.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and its frequency is rising in countries with low and middle incomes. The influence of diet on mammary carcinogenesis has been clearly demonstrated in animal models. Inadequate folate intake has been associated with several cancers, and low levels of serum folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 have been associated with increased breast cancer risk. The levels of folic acid, B6, and B12 in the plasma of 85 people with breast cancer were measured and compared with healthy people. A significant inverse trend was observed between folate intake (p-value=0.004) and vitamin B6 intake (p-value=0.0001) and breast cancer risk. Data from this study suggests that B vitamins, including folate, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12, may confer little or no reduction in overall risk of developing breast cancer.

The miRNAs produced predominantly in the placenta are probably involved in placental differentiation and maintenance of pregnancy. One of the important functions of miR-126 is its involvement in angiogenesis by enhancing the expression of VEGF. Abnormalities of placental vasculature may result in several gestational complications, including pregnancy loss. The current study compared the expression of miR-126 in the plasma of women with recurrent miscarriages and women with healthy pregnancies by Realtime qRT-PCR. The results indicated that the expression difference of miR-21 between the pregnant patients and the controls was statistically significant (p=0.002). This microRNA can be used as a biomarker in diagnosis and progression.

Lung cancer is still the most common cancer worldwide in terms of the number of newly diagnosed cases and mortality rate. The expression of miR-146a was reduced in mesenchymal-like lung cancer cell lines. The overexpression of miR-146a induced a marked reduction of the mesenchymal marker and increase in the epithelial marker in lung cancer cell lines. The current study investigated the association of miR-146a genotypes and lung susceptibility in a Tehran population to determine the visibility of using RFLP-PCR genotype. The results revealed a significantly higher frequency of miR-146a CG and CC genotypes (p =0.01 and p=0.008, respectively) in patients compared with the control group. Those with the miR-146a GC and CC genotypes had an increased risk for developing lung cancer (OR=1.9; 95% CI: 1.1-3.3 and OR=4.1; 95% CI: 1.5-12.3, respectively). Moreover, the frequency rates of miR-146a CC genotype and C allele were significantly higher in patients than in the controls (p =0.006 and p=0.000, respectively).

Metachromatic leukodystrophyis a kind of lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency in the ARSA enzyme, which is involved in the metabolism of membrane sulfatides into galactosylceramide. ARSA gene mutation analysis is likely to be in increasing demand for the accurate detection of heterozygous carriers and for prenatal diagnosis in families with a metachromatic leukodystrophy proband. This study examined the sequence of the ARSA gene in 7 patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy by exon Sanger sequencing. Eleven mutations were found in the ARSA gene. It was further found that five mutations were probably damaging to the protein activity with a high score and specificity. The results pave the way to a more effective method for career detection , genetic diagnosis, and the counseling of Iranian patients with MLD disorder.

Vitamin C plays is a cofactor for enzymes involved in many processes and has effects that are important for cancer transformation, such as antioxidant defense, transcription, and epigenetic regulation of gene expression.Angiogenesis is a normal process required for normal tissue repair and growth. Pathological angiogenesis is characterized by the persistent proliferation of endothelial cells and formation of blood vessels.The current study evaluated the effect of ascorbic acid on angiogenesis by investigating the expression of genes related to angiogenesis after treatment with different doses of ascorbic acid. By changing the concentration and administration time of ascorbic acid, a positive effect on the growth and metastasis of cancer cells in the group injected with ascorbic acid prior to having cancer cells injected into the abdominal cavity .

The roles of miRNAs in autoimmunity are only beginning to be explored; they may be involved in regulating immune responses against self-tissues.miRNAs may contribute to disease progression and response to treatment in MS patients. Several studies on MS have analyzed the role or profile of miRNAs in different tissues including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).The current study evaluated mir-21 and mir-146a in CSF samples of patients with multiple sclerosis. Differential expression of the two miRNAs was detected in at least 80% of the CSF samples;however, additional functional studies and analyses of larger cohorts are needed to validate these results and to elucidate the real role of these miRNAs in the context of MS.