maryam
@arakmu.ac.ir
Arak university of medical science
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Farzaneh Aghababaei, Majid Nejati, Hadi Karami, Maryam Darvish, and Hamed Mirzaei
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Farzaneh Aghababaei, Majid Nejati, Hadi Karami, Maryam Darvish, and Hamed Mirzaei
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Maryam Darvish and Mahshid Shahverdi
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Abstract: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related death worldwide. EC is usually diagnosed at a late stage, and despite aggressive therapy, the five-year survival rate of patients remains poor. Exosomes play important roles in cancer biology. Indeed, exosomes are implicated in tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, and invasion. They contain bioactive molecules such as lipids, proteins, and non-coding RNAs. Exosome research has recently concentrated on microRNAs, which are tiny noncoding endogenous RNAs that can alter gene expression and are linked to nearly all physiological and pathological processes, including cancer. It is suggested that deregulation of miRNAs results in cancer progression and directly induces tumor initiation. In esophageal cancer, miRNA dysregulation plays an important role in cancer prognosis and patients’ responsiveness to therapy, indicating that miRNAs are important in tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the impact of exosomal miRNAs on esophageal cancer pathogenesis and their potential applications for EC diagnosis and therapy.
Elham Norouz Dolatabadi, Vahid Asghariazar, Maryam Darvish, and Kazem Nejati-Koshki
Elsevier BV
Fatemeh Shahabi Nejad, Hadi Karami, and Maryam Darvish
EpiSmart Science Vector Ltd
INTRODUCTION
Due to the pivotal role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in cancers, interfering with its function can cause the accumulation of unfolded proteins, which ultimately leads to the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathway and apoptosis. Therefore, the use of plant compounds such as tannic acid with UPR-inducing properties can be proposed as a possible treatment method for cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of tannic acid on cell migration, colony formation, growth, and UPR-induced apoptosis in the SW48 colorectal cancer cell line.
METHODS
The MTT assay was performed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of tannic acid. We performed the qPCR method to elucidate the effect of tannic acid on the expression of Bim, MMP-9, Bcl-xL, cyclin D1, CHOP, and ATF4 genes. We also used the colony formation and migration experiments to investigate the effect of this compound on the colony formation and migration ability of tumor cells. Finally, we used Hoechst staining to measure cell apoptosis.
RESULTS
Tannic acid inhibited the cell survival, clonogenic, and migration of colon cancer cells. This compound increased the expression of ER stress-mediated UPR genes, ATF4 and CHOP. Moreover; tannic acid increased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins like Bim, while at the same time causing a sharp decline in the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL. A decline in MMP-9 expression confirmed the anti-metastatic role of this compound.
CONCLUSION
Taken together, tannic acid can induce apoptosis via ER stress-mediated UPR pathway, and has a suppressive effect on cell viability, growth, migration, colony formation, and metastasis, suggesting it may be a potential drug in colorectal cancer treatment.
Hossein Tarrahimofrad, Javad Zamani, Michael R. Hamblin, Maryam Darvish, and Hamed Mirzaei
Elsevier BV
Mohsen Karami Fath, Sasan Pourbagher Benam, Kiana Salmani, Sina Naderi, Zahra Fahham, Shamim Ghiabi, Seyed Armin Houshmand Kia, Malihe Naderi, Maryam Darvish, and Ghasem Barati
Elsevier BV
Javid Sadri Nahand, Nikta Rabiei, Reza Fathazam, Mohammad Taghizadieh, Mohammad Saeid Ebrahimi, Maryam Mahjoubin-Tehran, Hossein Bannazadeh Baghi, AliReza Khatami, Mohammad Abbasi-Kolli, Hamid Reza Mirzaei,et al.
Elsevier BV
Chemoresistance is often referred to as a major leading reason for cancer therapy failure, causing cancer relapse and further metastasis. As a result, an urgent need has been raised to reach a full comprehension of chemoresistance-associated molecular pathways, thereby designing new therapy methods. Many of metastatic tumor masses are found to be related with a viral cause. Although combined therapy is perceived as the model role therapy in such cases, chemoresistant features, which is more common in viral carcinogenesis, often get into way of this kind of therapy, minimizing the chance of survival. Some investigations indicate that the infecting virus dominates other leading factors, i.e., genetic alternations and tumor microenvironment, in development of cancer cell chemoresistance. Herein, we have gathered the available evidence on the mechanisms under which oncogenic viruses cause drug-resistance in chemotherapy.
Mahshid Shahverdi and Maryam Darvish
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a highly pathogenic and transmissible viral disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which originated in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, Central China and spread quickly around the world. The genome sequence of SARSCoV- 2 is phylogenetically related to bat-derived severe acute respiratory syndrome-like (SARS-like) coronaviruses; therefore bats could be the possible primary reservoirs. At present, there are no clinically approved vaccines or specific antiviral drugs for COVID- 19. However, several broad-spectrum antiviral drugs have been evaluated against COVID-19 in clinical studies and resulted in the improvement of patients. In this regard, other therapies such as antiviral drugs, antibodies, stem cells and plasma therapy are being studied. In the current study, we reviewed the emergence, pathogenicity and the genome structure of COVID-19 infection. The main focus of this study is on the therapeutic approaches that may be effective against SARS-CoV-2.
Mohammad Hossein Pourhanifeh, Maryam Darvish, Javad Tabatabaeian, Mahboobeh Rabbani Fard, Reza Mottaghi, Mohammad Javad Azadchehr, Moghaddaseh Jahanshahi, Amirhossein Sahebkar, and Hamed Mirzaei
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Abstract Gynecological cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. While the number of cases are rising, current therapeutic approaches are not efficient enough. There are considerable side-effects as well as treatment resistant types. In addition, which all make the treatment complicated for afflicted cases. Therefore, in order to improve efficacy of the treatment process and patients’ quality of life, searching for novel adjuvant treatments is highly warranted. Curcumin, a promising natural compound, is endowed with numerous therapeutic potentials including significant anticancer effects. Recently, various investigations have demonstrated the anticancer effects of curcumin and its novel analogues on gynecological cancers. Moreover, novel formulations of curcumin have resulted in further propitious effects. This review discusses these studies and highlights the possible underlying mechanisms of the observed effects.
Amirhossein Davoodvandi, Maryam Darvish, Sarina Borran, Majid Nejati, Samaneh Mazaheri, Omid Reza Tamtaji, Micheal R. Hamblin, Nahid Masoudian, and Hamed Mirzaei
Elsevier BV
Resveratrol is an anticancer phytochemical polyphenol isolated from a natural origin, without any significant side effects. Resveratrol was investigated in immunocompetent mice with regards to its possible effect on lung cancer metastasis. Cytotoxicity was assessed in three melanoma cell lines (B16F10, B6, and A375) by administration of 20 and 40 μM resveratrol. B16F10 cells were transfected with pT-tdTomato vector to express red fluorescent protein (RFP). RFP-B16F10 cells were injected IV into 3 groups of 20 C57BL/6 mice (ten for tests and others for survival). The three groups include PBS, no treatment, and resveratrol 40 mg/kg IP (4X/week for 3 weeks). Lung tissues were analyzed by TUNEL assay, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. The in vitro growth of all melanoma cell lines was significantly suppressed by 40 μM resveratrol for 3 days. The mean survival rate of mice was enhanced and the lung tumor growth was inhibited by in vivo IP injection of 40 mg/kg resveratrol. Increased CXCL10 and IFN-γ levels and decreased angiogenesis and less tumor infiltration by Tregs were found in the lung tumors. In conclusion, lung metastasis of melanoma was effectively inhibited by resveratrol treatment.
Milad Ashrafizadeh, Mohammad Reza Bakhoda, Zahra Bahmanpour, Khandan Ilkhani, Ali Zarrabi, Pooyan Makvandi, Haroon Khan, Samaneh Mazaheri, Maryam Darvish, and Hamed Mirzaei
Frontiers Media SA
Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract. Due to its propensity for early local and distant spread, affected patients possess extremely poor prognosis. Currently applied treatments are not effective enough to eradicate all cancer cells, and minimize their migration. Besides, these treatments are associated with adverse effects on normal cells and organs. These therapies are not able to increase the overall survival rate of patients; hence, finding novel adjuvants or alternatives is so essential. Up to now, medicinal herbs were utilized for therapeutic goals. Herbal-based medicine, as traditional biotherapeutics, were employed for cancer treatment. Of them, apigenin, as a bioactive flavonoid that possesses numerous biological properties (e.g., anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects), has shown substantial anticancer activity. It seems that apigenin is capable of suppressing the proliferation of cancer cells via the induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Besides, apigenin inhibits metastasis via down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases and the Akt signaling pathway. In pancreatic cancer cells, apigenin sensitizes cells in chemotherapy, and affects molecular pathways such as the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1). Herein, the biotherapeutic activity of apigenin and its mechanisms toward cancer cells are presented in the current review to shed some light on anti-tumor activity of apigenin in different cancers, with an emphasis on pancreatic cancer.
Maryam Islami, Zahra Payandeh, Elaheh Dalir Abdolahinia, Ehsan Saburi, Fatemeh Soleimanifar, Mousa Kehtari, Yousef Mortazavi, Samad Nadri, and Maryam Darvish
Wiley
Despite the advantages of transplantation of umbilical cord blood's (UCB's) hematopoietic stem cells (uHSCs) for hematologic malignancy treatment, there are two major challenges in using them: (a) Insufficient amount of uHSCs in a UCB unit; (b) a defect in uHSCs homing to bone marrow (BM) due to loose binding of their surface glycan ligands to BM's endothelium selectin receptors. To overcome these limitations, after poly l‐lactic acid (PLLA) scaffold establishment and incubation of uHSCs with fucosyltransferase‐VI and GDP‐fucose, ex vivo expansion of these cells on selectin‐coated scaffold was done. The characteristics of the cultured fucosylated and nonfucosylated cells on a two‐dimensional culture system, PLLA, and a selectin‐coated scaffold were evaluated by flow cytometry, 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, colony‐forming unit (CFU) assay, and CXCR4 expression at the messenger RNA and protein levels. According to the findings of this study, optimized attachment to the scaffold in scanning electron microscopy micrograph, maximum count of CFU, and the highest 570 nm absorption were observed in fucosylated cells expanded on selectin‐coated scaffolds. Furthermore, real‐time polymerase chain reaction showed the highest expression of the CXCR4 gene, and immunocytochemistry data confirmed that the CXCR4 protein was functional in this group compared with the other groups. Considered together, the results showed that selectin‐coated scaffold could be a supportive structure for fucosylated uHSC expansion and homing by nanotopography. Fucosylated cells placed on the selectin‐coated scaffold serve as a basal surface for cell–cell interaction and more homing potential of uHSCs. Accordingly, this procedure can also be considered as a promising technique for the hematological disorder treatment and tissue engineering applications.
Fateme Sefid, Armina Alagheband Bahrami, Maryam Darvish, Robab Nazarpour, and Zahra Payandeh
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
The iron ion is an essential element in biological processes. Many of biological activities in cells, such as peroxide reduction, nucleotide biosynthesis, and electron transport, are helped via iron ions. Extra-intestinal localities have few iron content; so that, during the infection period, the ExPEC strain attempts to pick up iron from the host. The ireA gene is an iron-regulated gene and is involved in iron attainment in human pathogenic E. coli isolates. A better understanding of the essence of ireA as well as its role in serious E. coli infections will help to provide a new and more effective treatment for E. coli infections. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of proteins can contribute to the fraction of their function, as well as their interactions with other compounds such as ligands. In addition, rational modification and protein engineering depend on identification of their 3D structures. Thereafter, various bioinformatics tools were employed to predict their immunological, biochemical and functional properties. Our results indicated that this modeled protein form common beta barrel structures. Our immunological, biochemical and functional analysis have led us to select a region of each antigen harboring the highest immunogenic properties. Our strategy to employ 3D structure prediction and epitope prediction results could be deemed as an amenable approach for efficient vaccine design. Our strategy could pave the way for further structural, functional and therapeutic studies in the context of vaccine design investigations.
Ali Mirzaei, Abbas Shapouri Moghadam, Mohamad Foad Abazari, Fatemeh Nejati, Sepehr Torabinejad, Mohamad Kaabi, Seyed Ehsan Enderami, Abdolreza Ardeshirylajimi, Maryam Darvish, Fatemeh Soleimanifar,et al.
Wiley
In recent decades, tissue engineering has been the most contributor for introducing 2D and 3D biocompatible osteoinductive scaffolds as bone implants. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), due to the unique mechanical strength and piezoelectric properties, can be a good choice for making a bone bioimplant. In the present study, PVDF nanofibers and film were fabricated as 3D and 2D scaffolds, and then, osteogenic differentiation potential of the human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) was investigated when grown on the scaffolds by evaluating the common osteogenic markers in comparison with tissue culture plate. Biocompatibility of the fabricated scaffolds was confirmed qualitatively and quantitatively by the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide and scanning electron microscopy assays. Human iPSCs cultured on PVDF nanofibers showed a significantly higher alkaline phosphate activity and calcium content compared with the iPSCs cultured on PVDF film. Osteogenic‐related genes and proteins were also expressed in the iPSCs seeded on PVDF nanofibers significantly higher than iPSCs seeded on PVDF film, when investigated by real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. According to the results, the PVDF nanofibrous scaffold showed a greater osteoinductive property compared with the PVDF film and due to the material similarity of the scaffolds, it could be concluded that the 3D structure could lead to better bone differentiation. Taken together, the obtained results demonstrated that human iPSC‐seeded PVDF nanofibrous scaffold could be considered as a promising candidate for use in bone tissue engineering applications.
Maryam Fakhrieh, Maryam Darvish, Abdolreza Ardeshirylajimi, Mohammad Taheri, and Mir Davood Omrani
Wiley
Reconstruction of the bladder wall plays an important role in improving its function in patients with urinary bladder dysfunction. Tissue engineering has been trying to introduce biocompatible nanofibers as scaffolds for bladder wall matrix substitutes. In this study a composite nanofibrous scaffold was fabricated from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) blend by electrospinning method and then its morphological and mechanical characteristics was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile, and 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. Then smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation supportive capacity of PAN‐PEO nanofibers was investigated by culturing of human adipose tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT‐MSCs) on this scaffold and then its differentiation potential in different groups was investigated using SMC‐related gene and protein markers. SEM and MTT results demonstrated that PAN‐PEO supported AT‐MSCs attachment, growth and proliferation, especially at early times after cell seeding. The obtained results from real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed that collagen‐I‐α1, collagen‐III‐α1, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), calponin1, SM22α, caldesmon1, elastin, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) genes were expressed in AT‐MSCs cultured on PAN‐PEO significantly higher than those stem cells that cultured on the culture plate as a control. In addition α‐SMA and MHC proteins were also expressed in AT‐MSCs cultured on PAN‐PEO significantly higher than control. According to the results PAN‐PEO nanofibrous scaffold showed a positive AT‐MSCs‐seeded PAN‐PEO has a great promising potential to use in bladder tissue engineering applications.
Ali Ganji, Maryam Islami, Mostafa Ejtehadifar, Ehsan Zarei-Mehrvarz, and Maryam Darvish
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Maryam Darvish, Zahra Payandeh, Fatemeh Soleimanifar, Behnaz Taheri, Masoud Soleimani, and Maryam Islami
Wiley
Umbilical cord blood (UCB) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) transplantation (HSCTs) is considered as a therapeutic strategy for malignant and nonmalignant hematologic disorders. Nevertheless, the low number of HSCs obtained from each unit of UCB can be a major challenge for using these cells in adults. In addition, UCB is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) creating hopes for nonaggressive and painless treatment in tissue engineering compared with bone marrow MSCs. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of UCB‐MSCs application in UCB‐HSCs expansion on the nanoscaffold that mimics the cell's natural niche. To achieve this goal, after flow cytometry confirmation of isolated HSCs from UCB, they were expanded on three‐dimensional (3D) poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLLA) scaffolds fabricated by electrospinning and two‐dimensional (2D)‐culture systems, such as (1) HSCs‐MSCs culturing on the scaffold, (2) HSCs culturing on the scaffold, (3) HSCs‐MSCs culturing on 2D, and (4) HSCs culturing on 2D. After 7 days, real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to evaluate the CXCR4 gene expression in the mentioned groups. Moreover, for the next validation, the number of total HSCs, 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, scanning electron microscopy imaging, and colony‐forming unit assay were evaluated as well. The results of the study indicated that UCB‐MSCs interaction with HSCs in 3D‐culture systems led to the highest expansion of UCB‐HSCs on day 7. Flow cytometry results showed the highest purity of HSCs cocultured with MSCs. Real‐time PCR showed a significant increase in gene expression of CXCR4 in the mentioned group. The highest viability and clonogenicity were detected in the mentioned group too. Considered together, our results suggest that UCB‐HSCs and MSCs coculturing on PLLA scaffold could provide a proper microenvironment that efficiently promotes UCB‐HSCs expansion and UCB‐MSCs can also be considered as a promising candidate for UCB‐HSCTs.
Maryam Darvish, Soltan Ahmad Ebrahimi, Delavar Shahbazzadeh, Kamran-Pooshang Bagheri, Mahdi Behdani, and Mohammad Ali Shokrgozar
Elsevier BV
Scorpion envenoming is a serious health problem which can cause a variety of clinical toxic effects. Of the many scorpion species native to Iran, Hottentotta saulcyi is important because its venom can produce toxic effects in man. Nowadays, antivenom derived from hyper immune horses is the only effective treatment for sever scorpion stings. Current limitations of immunotherapy urgently require an efficient alternative with high safety, target affinity and more promising venom neutralizing capability. Recently, heavy chain-only antibodies (HC-Abs) found naturally in camelid serum met the above mentioned advantages. In this study, immuno-reactivities of polyclonal antibodies were tested after successful immunization of camel using H. saulcyi scorpion crude venom. The lethal potency of scorpion venom in C57BL/6 mice injected intraperitoneally was determined to be 2.7 mg/kg. These results were followed by the efficient neutralization of lethal activity of H. saulcyi scorpion venom by injection of antivenom and purified IgG fractions into mice intraperitonelly or intravenously, respectively. HC-Ab camelid antivenom could be considered as a useful serotherapeutics instead of present treatment for scorpion envenomation.
Maryam Darvish, Mahdi Behdani, Mohammad Ali Shokrgozar, Kamran Pooshang-Bagheri, and Delavar Shahbazzadeh
Elsevier BV
Hottentotta saulcyi, medically important scorpion species, causes some of harmful toxic exposure in Iran. Administrated, conventional antivenom-based immunotherapy is still limited and hardly meet ideal characteristic of effective treatment for scorpion envenomation. In this study we aimed to develop a neutralizing agent directed against scorpion venom based on VHH, variable domain of the Camelidae heavy chain antibody or Nanobody. This promising biomolecule is well-established as an advantageous tool for therapeutic purposes due to its small size, stability, monomeric performance and less immunogenicity. In this study, a large Nb library was constructed and phage displayed after successful camel immunization using H. saulcyi scorpion crude venom. After a series of biopanning rounds on Sephadex G50 purified venom fraction and screening by monoclonal phage ELISA, the best reactive Nb was retrieved and designated Nb12. The selected Nb was then expressed as soluble protein in Escherichia coli, purified and confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis and western blotting. The lead candidate Nb12 bound scorpion venom with Kaff value of 5×10(7)M(-1). Nb12 was shown to be capable of neutralizing 2 LD50 of whole venom of scorpion toxin when injected in the ratio of the Nb/toxin of 1.4:1 into C57BL/6 mice. In challenge experiment, Nb succeeded to rescue all i.p. lethal dose injected mice even when administrated i.v., 20min after envenoming. These results with ease of production and superior neutralizing activity make Nb a suitable anti-toxin candidate for treatment of scorpion envenoming.
M. Darvish, S.A. Ebrahimi, and P. Ghadam
Science Alert
Phenylketonuria (PKU) and Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) are two inborn metabolic diseases which are carried by autosomal recessive genes in man. These genetic errors result in accumulation of phenylalanine (in PKU) or valine, leucine and isoluecin (in MSUD). At high concentrations, amongst other problems, these amino acids cause mental retardation. However if detected early after birth, using special diets and other forms of therapy, mental abnormalities can be prevented. As a result in many countries screening of infants for MSUD and PKU, by measuring plasma amino acids has become a routine neonatal test. Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) assays have a number of advantages over the traditional chromatography techniques (such as GC or HPLC). These include low cost, high speed of analysis and high resolution. These characteristics, make CE an ideal method for the screening of inborn errors of metabolism. We developed a CE assay based on pre-column derivatisation of amino acids with phenylisothiocyanate. This conjugate has strong absorbance at 254 nm. CE was carried out using a Spectraphoresis 1000 instrument, fitted with 40 cm of a 25 microm capillary, at 17 degrees C. A running voltage of 18KV was used to separate the amino acid mixture in an electrophoretic buffer containing 45 mM imidazole, 6 mM borate and 208 mM SDS, fixed at pH 9 with 2-N-morpholino ethane sulfonic acid. The assay was calibrated using various concentrations of amino acid standards. LOD, LOQ, recovery, inter-day and intra-day variations of the assay were determined. Also, levels of the 4 amino acids in normal and abnormal plasma were determined and compared with HPLC.