Vazquezjoyce7120
Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.This study was designed to identify novel circular RNAs and the related regulatory axis to provide research targets for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The circular RNA expression microarray "GSE101123" related to breast cancer was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed circular RNAs between tumor and normal samples were screened using Limma package. The targeted microRNAs of the differentially expressed circular RNAs and the targeted messenger RNAs of the microRNAs were predicted using miRanda and miRWalk, respectively, and a circular RNAs-microRNAs-messenger RNAs network was constructed. Then, functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction network construction, and drug-gene interaction analysis were conducted for the messenger RNAs. A total of 11 differentially expressed circular RNAs were identified between the breast cancer and normal samples, of which 3 were upregulated, while 8 were downregulated. The circular RNA-microRNA-messenger RNA network contained 1 circular RNA (hsa_circ_0000376), 2 microRNAs (miR-1285-3p and miR-1286), and 353 messenger RNAs. The protein-protein interaction network contained 150 nodes and 240 interactions. The hub genes in the protein-protein interaction network were all targeted messenger RNAs of miR-1285-3p that were significantly enriched in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest-related pathways, and cancer-related pathways involving SMAD specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1, β-transducin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase, tumor protein P53 among others. Twenty-two drugs were predicted to target 4 messenger RNAs, including tumor protein P53. A novel circular RNA, hsa_circ_0000376, was identified in breast cancer that may act as a sponge targeting miR-1285-3p expression which through its target genes, SMURF1, BTRC, and TP53, may further regulate tumorigenesis.SARS-CoV-2 is causative agent of COVID-19, which is responsible for severe social and economic disruption globally. Lack of vaccine or antiviral drug with clinical efficacy suggested that drug repurposing approach may provide a quick therapeutic solution to COVID-19. Nonstructural protein-15 (NSP15) encodes for an uridylate-specific endoribonuclease (EndoU) enzyme, essential for virus life cycle and an attractive target for drug development. We have performed in silico based virtual screening of FDA approved compounds targeting EndoU in search of COVID-19 drugs from commercially available approved molecules. Two drugs Glisoxepide and Idarubicin used for treatment for diabetes and leukemia, respectively, were selected as stronger binder of EndoU. Both the drugs bound to the active site of the viral endonuclease by forming attractive intermolecular interactions with catalytically essential amino acid residues, His235, His250, and Lys290. Molecular dynamics simulation studies showed stable conformation dynamics upon drugs binding to endoU. selleck compound The binding free energies for Glisoxepide and Idarubicin were calculated to be -141 ± 11 and -136 ± 16 kJ/mol, respectively. The IC50 were predicted to be 9.2 µM and 30 µM for Glisoxepide and Idarubicin, respectively. Comparative structural analysis showed the stronger binding of EndoU to Glisoxepide and Idarubicin than to uridine monophosphate (UMP). Surface area calculations showed buried are of 361.8Å2 by Glisoxepide which is almost double of the area occupied by UMP suggesting stronger binding of the drug than the ribonucleotide. However, further studies on these drugs for evaluation of their clinical efficacy and dose formulations may be required, which may provide a quick therapeutic option to treat COVID-19. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.Multi-stimuli- responsive mechanical strong stretchable hydrogel has grabbed extensive attention in recent years. Here, a novel stretchable conductive biocompatible near-infrared light(NIR)-/thermal-/pH-/ionic concentration- responsive carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCTs)/graphene oxide (GO)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAm) nanocomposite double network hydrogel was fabricated through a simple one-pot in situ free radical polymerization, which is initiated by ultraviolet (UV) light and using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N-ethylcarbodiimidehydrochloride (EDC) and N,N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) as cross-linkers respectively, instead of toxic organic molecules. When the concentration of CMCTs, GO, EDC and BAC is 22.50, 0.103, 7.50 and 0.467 mg/mL respectively, the obtained hydrogel sample owns the highest tensile strength of 1046 kPa at failure strain of 1286% and a corresponding compressive stress of 2.37 MPa at deformation of 90%. Besides, these hydrogels have an obvious pH-/thermal-/ionic concentration-responsive properties depending on the concentration of the above mentioned factors, and their good conductive property makes them as candidate material for healthcare biosensors. Finally, we attempt to design a novel thermal-/NIR-responsive double network structure bilayer hydrogel, which has the potential use as remote actuator in dangerous places in the future.Prior research on nanotechnologies in diagnostics, prevention and treatment of coronavirus infections is reviewed. Gold nanoparticles and semiconductor quantum dots in colorimetric and immunochromatographic assays, silica nanoparticles in a polymerase chain reaction and spike protein nanospheres as antigen carriers and adjuvants in vaccine formulations present notable examples in diagnostics and prevention, while uses of nanoparticles in coronavirus infection treatments have been merely sporadic. The current absence of antiviral therapeutics that specifically target human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, might be largely due to the underuse of nanotechnologies. Elucidating the interface between nanoparticles and coronaviruses is timely, but presents the only route to the rational design of precisely targeted therapeutics for coronavirus infections. Such a fundamental approach is also a viable prophylaxis against future pandemics of this type.Bringing a new drug to the market costs an average of US$2.6 billion and takes more than 10 years from discovery to regulatory approval. Despite the need to reduce cost and time to increase productivity, pharma companies tend to crowd their efforts in the same indications and drug targets. This results in the commercialization of drugs that share the same mechanism of action (MoA) and, in many cases, equivalent efficacies among them-an outcome that helps neither patients nor the balance sheet of the companies trying to bring therapeutics to the same patient population. Indeed, the discovery of new therapeutic targets, based on a deeper understanding of the disease biology, would likely provide more innovative MoAs and potentially greater drug efficacies. It would also bring better chances for identifying appropriate treatments according to the patient's genetic stratification. Nowadays, we count with an enormous amount of unprocessed information on potential disease targets that could be extracted from omics data obtained from patient samples.