Research in Molecular Medicine Res Mol Med (RMM) Medical Sciences http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir 1 admin 2322-1348 2322-133X 10.29252/rmm en jalali 1404 5 1 gregorian 2025 8 1 13 3 online 1 fulltext

en زیست شناسی مولکولی Molecular biology review review <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females. The treatment of this cancer is one of the challenges facing the world&rsquo;s health system. Metastasis and cancer cell invasion are the reasons for the difficulty in treating this cancer. Also, the formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, facilitates metastasis in cancer patients. Therefore, researchers are seeking new therapeutic drugs. One of the important factors in the processes of angiogenesis and metastasis is vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor. Agents that can inhibit this molecule and its receptor will have helpful therapeutic potential for treating breast cancer. Apatinib is a drug that has drawn the attention of cancer researchers in the last decade, and many studies have been conducted on its effectiveness in cancer treatment, especially breast cancer. In this review article, we aimed to summarize the therapeutic potential of apatinib in vivo and animal models, with a focus on clinical trials.</span></span></span></p> Apatinib, Breast cancer, Clinical trials, Metastasis 141 152 http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1357-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mohammad Naderi Alizadeh m.biochem76@gmil.com 100319475328460013632 100319475328460013632 No Functional Neurosurgey Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Comprehensive Neurosurgical Center of Excellence, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Ehsan Rahimlou erahimlou@yahoo.com 100319475328460013633 100319475328460013633 No Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, MAR.C., Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran. Elham Rahimlou e.rahimloo@yahoo.com 100319475328460013634 100319475328460013634 No Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, MAR.C., Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran. Vahid Vahedian vahid.vahedian@gmail.com 100319475328460013635 100319475328460013635 No Division of Hematology and Cellular Therapy/LIM-31, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Hospital, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Mahdi Gharibi mahdi.gharibi@yahoo.com 100319475328460013636 0009-0005-2164-8580 No Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey. Nahal Soltani nahalsoltani1399@gmail.com 100319475328460013637 100319475328460013637 No Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, MAR.C., Islamic Azad University, Marand, Iran. Nazila Fathi Maroufi n.fathi6788@gmail.com 100319475328460013638 100319475328460013638 Yes Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey.

en بیوانفورماتیک Bioinformatic پژوهشي Research <strong>Background</strong>: Gastric cancer is among the most prevalent and fatal malignancies worldwide. Although radical surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are standard treatment strategies, the accurate diagnosis and effective management of gastric cancer remain challenging. Therefore, identifying reliable biomarkers is of great importance. Increasing evidence has highlighted the critical role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. In this study, we explored interactions among lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs using the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) data and identified novel candidate biomarkers with significant diagnostic and prognostic potential.<br> <strong>Materials and Methods: </strong>RNAseq, miRNAseq, and corresponding clinical data were obtained from the TCGA database. Differential expression analysis was performed using the limma package in R. A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed based on the STAR database. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were conducted to explore functional enrichment. The diagnostic and prognostic significance of candidate biomarkers was evaluated using the Kaplan&ndash;Meier survival analysis with the log-rank test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: Differential expression analysis identified 2127 differentially expressed mRNAs in gastric cancer, of which 935 were upregulated, and 1192 were downregulated. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that these mRNAs were significantly enriched in key biological processes and cancer-related signaling pathways. Construction of the ceRNA network demonstrated that the lncRNA MAGI2AS3 plays a pivotal role in gastric cancer initiation and progression. Moreover, survival and ROC analyses indicated that MAGI2AS3 has strong potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for patients with gastric cancer.<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: In summary, this study elucidates the interactions among lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs and identifies regulatory networks that may serve as promising therapeutic targets and biomarkers in gastric cancer. Stomach adenocarcinoma, Tumorigenesis, Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), MicroRNA 153 166 http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1284-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Arash Poursheikhani poursheikhania961@mums.ac.ir, arash7p@gmail.com 100319475328460013639 100319475328460013639 Yes Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Naser Ajami 100319475328460013640 100319475328460013640 No Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Negin Nokhandani 100319475328460013641 100319475328460013641 No Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. Reza Shaghaghi 100319475328460013642 100319475328460013642 No Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Science, Yazd, Iran. Mohammad Mofidi 100319475328460013643 100319475328460013643 No Department of Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.

en ايمونولوژي Immunology پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background</strong>: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), formerly known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, is a common hematologic disorder that affects a wide range of people but is more prevalent in children and older people. Evaluation and measurement of inflammatory markers in patients with ITP are costly and time-consuming. Considering the importance of inflammation in ITP, the reduction of blood cells, and the occurrence of thrombocytopenia and anemia, the use of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and hemoglobin-to-platelet ratio (HPR) indices can be effective in ITP management due to their relevance to clinical symptoms, low cost, and availability. Therefore, we investigated these indices in this study.<br> <strong>Materials and Methods</strong>: This is a retrospective, descriptive, and epidemiological study conducted at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Baqaei Hospital, Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2020 and 2021. In this study, 250 ITP patients comprised the case group, and 70 healthy individuals comprised the control group.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: The results showed that the mean PLR was lower in patients (1.29&plusmn;2.24) than in controls (69.88&plusmn;33.01), while the mean NLR (2.146&plusmn;2.16 vs 0.966&plusmn;0.919) and HPR (0.752&plusmn;0.707 vs 0.049&plusmn;0.017) in patients were significantly higher than in healthy individuals (P=0.0001). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P=0.584) and white blood cell (WBC) (P=0.943) indices between the two groups. To evaluate the diagnostic value of PLR, NLR, and HPR indices, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used, and area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated. The AUC for NLR was about 71%, while for PLR and HPR it was 100% and 98%, respectively.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: In general, PLR, NLR, and HPR indices have diagnostic and prognostic value in the management of ITP.</div> Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), Hemoglobin-to-platelet ratio (HPR), Immune thrombocytopenic purpura 167 174 http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1394-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Arash Alqasi arashalqa@yahoo.com 100319475328460013644 100319475328460013644 No Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Bahareh Moghimian-Boroujeni bahar.moghimian.74@gmail.com 100319475328460013645 100319475328460013645 No Thalassemia and Hemoglobinopathy Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Mohammad Reza Javan javaneee@gmail.com 100319475328460013646 100319475328460013646 No High Institute for Education and Research in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran. Mehran Amrovani e.amrovani@gmail.com 100319475328460013647 100319475328460013647 No High Institute for Education and Research in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran. Hadi Rezaeeyan hadi.rezaeeyan@yahoo.com 100319475328460013648 100319475328460013648 Yes High Institute for Education and Research in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran.

en ميکروبيولوژي Microbiology پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> Klebsiella pneumoniae, a leading opportunistic pathogen, exhibits increasing multidrug resistance (MDR) and biofilm formation, posing significant challenges in hospital environments, especially in developing regions, such as Iran. This study aimed to characterize the antibiotic resistance profiles, biofilm-formation capacity, and expression levels of immune evasion genes (fimH-1, mrkD, traT) in K. pneumoniae isolates from patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia.<br> <strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> A total of K. pneumoniae isolates were obtained from sputum samples of patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Biofilm formation was quantified by a crystal violet assay. The presence and expression of immune evasion genes were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: High resistance rates were observed: 100% to ampicillin-sulbactam, 96.66% to ciprofloxacin, 93.33% to cefepime, and 83.33% to imipenem. About 50% of isolates were strong biofilm formers, 33.3% moderate, and 16.7% weak. mrkD and fimH-1 genes were detected in 100% and 96.66% of isolates, respectively, while traT was present in 30%. Gene expression analysis revealed significant upregulation of fimH-1 (P=0.005) and mrkD (P<0.0001), while traT expression showed no significant change (P=0.2803). No significant correlation was found between the prevalence of immune evasion genes and biofilm production (P>0.05).<br> <strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae isolates with strong biofilm formation and upregulated immune evasion genes among patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. The significant upregulation of fimH-1 and mrkD suggests enhanced adaptation for persistence in the face of host defenses. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to control K. pneumoniae infections amid the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.</div> Klebsiella pneumoniae, Antibiotic resistance, Biofilm, Virulence genes, Immune evasion, Ventilator-associated pneumonia 175 186 http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1445-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Babak Beikzadeh b.beikzadeh@bio.ui.ac.ir 100319475328460013649 100319475328460013649 No Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. Marjan Gerami marjangeramiii99@gmail.com 100319475328460013650 100319475328460013650 No Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. Mahshid Azizi mahshid.azizi111298@gmail.com 100319475328460013651 0009-0000-4701-5021 No Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. Hafez Mozayyan Esfahani hafezmozayyan@gmail.com 100319475328460013652 0009-0006-6788-8923 No Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. Soodabeh Rostami srostami1876@gmail.com, s.rostami@med.mui.ac.ir 100319475328460013653 100319475328460013653 Yes Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

en بیوشیمی Biochemistry پژوهشي Research <strong>Background</strong>: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that can impair male reproductive function by inducing oxidative stress, testicular damage, and hormonal imbalance. Eugenol, a bioactive component of clove, has shown antioxidant and protective effects in various tissues. This study aimed to investigate the effects of eugenol on testicular histology, spermatogenesis, sperm parameters, and reproductive hormone levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.<br> <strong>Materials and Methods</strong>: Thirty-two adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (each with 8 rats): Control, diabetic control, diabetic+eugenol (4 mg/kg/d via gavage for 8 weeks), and eugenol alone. Diabetes was induced with a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). Fasting blood glucose and serum insulin levels of the rats were monitored during the study. At the end of the study, testicular tissues were collected for histopathology and Johnsen scoring. Also, epididymal sperm were analyzed for count, morphology, and motility. Serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were also measured by ELISA.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: Diabetic rats exhibited significant hyperglycemia, reduced serum insulin, disrupted testicular architecture, decreased Johnsen scores, reduced seminiferous tubule diameter and epithelial thickness, impaired sperm parameters, and lower reproductive hormone levels (P<0.05). Eugenol treatment significantly ameliorated fasting blood glucose; improved insulin levels; restored testicular histology; increased Johnsen scores; and enhanced sperm count, motility, and morphology. Furthermore, serum testosterone, LH, and FSH levels were significantly elevated in the diabetic+eugenol group compared to diabetic controls (P<0.05), approaching levels observed in healthy controls.<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Eugenol effectively mitigates diabetes-induced testicular damage, improves spermatogenesis, and restores reproductive hormone levels in diabetic rats. These findings suggest that eugenol may have therapeutic potential for protecting male reproductive function under diabetic conditions. Diabetes mellitus (DM), Eugenol, Testicular histology, Spermatogenesis, Sperm parameters, Reproductive hormones 187 198 http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1446-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Maryam Shaeghi Rad maryamshayeghirad@gmail.com 100319475328460013654 0009-0005-8932-1189 No Department of Biology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Nasim Hayati Roodbari nasimhayati@yahoo.com 100319475328460013655 100319475328460013655 Yes Department of Biology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Amir Afshin Khaki dr.aakhaki@yahoo.com 100319475328460013656 100319475328460013656 No Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Akram Eidi akram_eidi@yahoo.com 100319475328460013657 100319475328460013657 No Department of Biology, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Fardin Amidi amidifardin@yahoo.com 100319475328460013658 100319475328460013658 No Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

en بیوانفورماتیک Bioinformatic پژوهشي Research <strong>Background</strong>: Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and LIF receptor (LIFR) are critical mediators of cellular processes, including immune regulation, stem cell maintenance, and tumor progression. In Oncology, aberrant LIF/LIFR signaling promotes tumor survival and immune evasion. This study presents the computational design of a novel chimeric vaccine targeting immunogenic epitopes derived from human LIF and LIFR.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Materials and Methods</strong>: We employed comprehensive in silico methods to investigate the biochemical characteristics, immunogenic epitopes, and potential functional domains of LIF and LIFR. After identifying suitable regions and designing a chimeric vaccine, physicochemical properties and 3D structure were predicted using various bioinformatics tools, both individually and in combination.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Results</strong>: The results showed highly antigenic B-cell and T-cell epitopes within LIF (amino acids 70-100) and LIFR (amino acids 700-780), as indicated by a VaxiJen score of 0.9737. A multi-epitope construct was engineered by fusing selected epitopes with flexible GGGGS linkers to enhance immunogenicity and structural stability.&nbsp;<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: A computationally designed chimeric vaccine targeting LIF and LIFR is a promising cancer immunotherapy strategy. Also, success requires rigorous in vivo validation and optimization, highlighting computational biology&rsquo;s role in cancer treatment innovation and targeting key pathways. Bioinformatics, Cancer immunotherapy, Chimeric vaccine, Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)/LIF receptor® 199 212 http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1453-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Zahra Ghanei Z.Ghanei@alzahra.ac.ir 100319475328460013659 100319475328460013659 Yes Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran. Fatemeh Sefid sefid.fateme@yahoo.com 100319475328460013660 100319475328460013660 No Department of Biology Sciences, School of Materials Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.