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American University in Cairo

2021

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Articles 1 - 15 of 15

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Identifying Micrornas Panel Associated With Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Serum Of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients, Areeg Dabbish Dec 2021

Identifying Micrornas Panel Associated With Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Serum Of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients, Areeg Dabbish

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) will reduce morbidity and mortality rates of this poorly diagnosed widely-spread disease. Dysregulation in microRNA (miRNAs) expression is associated with HCC progression. Objective: Is to identify a panel of differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) to enhance HCC early prediction in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. Methodology: Candidate miRNAs were selected using bioinformatic analysis of microarray and RNA-sequencing datasets, resulting in nine DE- miRNAs (miR-142, miR-150, miR-183, miR-199a, miR-215, miR-217, miR-224, miR-424 and miR-3607). Their expressions were validated in the serum of 44 healthy individuals, 62 non-cirrhotic HCV patients, 67 cirrhotic-HCV and 72 HCV-associated …


Developing Core-Shell Silver/Polymeric Nano-Composites As Drug Nano-Carriers For Breast Cancer Therapy, Nancy Mohamed El-Baz Dec 2021

Developing Core-Shell Silver/Polymeric Nano-Composites As Drug Nano-Carriers For Breast Cancer Therapy, Nancy Mohamed El-Baz

Archived Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to find an effective cancer therapy, nanotherapeutics comes onto the scene as a new therapeutic approach, which is emerging both nanotechnology and biotechnology. Nanotherapeutics offer tremendous advantages over conventional cancer therapy including prolonged drug systemic circulation half-life, targeted drug delivery and nanoparticles-based combination therapy, which result in improving drug pharmacokinetic profile and efficacy/toxicity balance. Recently, ongoing studies regarding cancer therapy are focusing on the anticancer action of various inorganic nanoparticles such as gold (AuNPs) and silver (AgNPs) nanoparticles. In fact, AgNPs have proven a potent anticancer action on different cancer types.


Using Culture Independent Approaches To Gain Insights Into Human Urinary Tract Microbiome In Healthy Male And Female Individuals, Sarah Hussein El-Alawi Nov 2021

Using Culture Independent Approaches To Gain Insights Into Human Urinary Tract Microbiome In Healthy Male And Female Individuals, Sarah Hussein El-Alawi

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Impact Of Intracellular Glutathione Depletion On Neutral Sphingomyelinase In Human Hepatoma Hepg2 Cells, Marie Tanios Jun 2021

Impact Of Intracellular Glutathione Depletion On Neutral Sphingomyelinase In Human Hepatoma Hepg2 Cells, Marie Tanios

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing dramaticallyandliver cancer is the fifth most common cancer globally. Increasing sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis via activation of the cell surface membrane-associated neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase) has been linked to cell proliferation and apoptosis. Glutathione (GSH) depletion was reported to mediate induction of apoptosis via nSMase activation. On the other hand, other studies reported that GSH protected cancer cells against apoptosis. We hypothesized that GSH synthesis inhibition with buthioninesulfoximine (BSO) increases HepG2 cell proliferation. Objectives: The aim of the current study wasto investigate the effect of GSH depletion using BSO on HepG2 cell proliferation …


Formulation Of Coffee Extract As Polymeric Nanoparticles And Studying Their Potential Biological Activities, Nouran Sharaf Jun 2021

Formulation Of Coffee Extract As Polymeric Nanoparticles And Studying Their Potential Biological Activities, Nouran Sharaf

Theses and Dissertations

Coffee extract was prepared and optimized (by solvent extraction) and subsequently entrapped into PLGA nanoparticles using single emulsion-solvent evaporation method (using Design Expert software). Dynamic Light Scattering, Scanning Electron Microscope, Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy and Folin Ciocalteau assay were used to characterize the NPs and to aid in selecting the optimum formulation conditions. The optimized NPs were in-vitro evaluated for their antimicrobial (by agar-well diffusion method), antioxidant (by DPPH assay) and anticancer (by MTT assay) activities. Finally, the release rate study was conducted for the NP sample showing the highly promising results.

The succeeded NP sample, in terms of the most …


Metabolites Profiling Of Coffee Seeds In Context To Their Origin, Processing And Gut Microbiota Interaction, Amr Abdelwareth May 2021

Metabolites Profiling Of Coffee Seeds In Context To Their Origin, Processing And Gut Microbiota Interaction, Amr Abdelwareth

Theses and Dissertations

Coffee is among the most consumed beverages worldwide, with the present study to focus on the aroma and non-volatiles composition associated with coffee seeds processing, brewing methods and gut microbiota interaction. The study uncovered a large number of primary and secondary metabolites in diverse coffee products consumed in the Middle East in the context of its origin, roasting, and blends and microbiota mediated biotransformation products. First, aroma of authentic coffee specimens of Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta alongside with commercial products consumed in the Middle East were analyzed using HS-SPME coupled to GC-MS and modelled using multivariate data analyses (MVA). …


Analysis Of Single Cell Rna-Seq Data Revealed Interferon Gamma Signaling Alteration In Severe Covid Patients, Ahmed Elbaz May 2021

Analysis Of Single Cell Rna-Seq Data Revealed Interferon Gamma Signaling Alteration In Severe Covid Patients, Ahmed Elbaz

Theses and Dissertations

Background: SARS-COV2 virus detected in December 2019, and was considered a pandemic in March 2020 by the WHO. Symptoms range from asymptomatic to life threatening ones. Studying cell-cell interactions in patients' blood samples may lead to novel diagnosis and treatment approaches.

Aim: This study aims to analyze single-cell RNA sequencing data to identify differences in cell-cell communications between healthy and COVID patients and differentially expressed T-cells genes that contributed to immune system antiviral activity.

Materials and methods: Single-Cell RNA sequencing data from seven COVID patients and five healthy individuals were collected from (GEO accession GSE155673). Cell types were identified and …


Herbal Extracts As Neuroprotective Agents In An In-Vitro Model Of Aluminum Neurotoxicity, Nada Ezzelarab Apr 2021

Herbal Extracts As Neuroprotective Agents In An In-Vitro Model Of Aluminum Neurotoxicity, Nada Ezzelarab

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Aluminum toxicity due to environmental or industrial exposure, medical applications, or from cooking utensils is a serious medical problem. The current study aims to investigate three herbal extracts: pomegranate peel extract, Achillea fragrantissima extract, and papaya fruit extract to combat this neurotoxicity.

Methods: Chemical characterization of the three extracts were evaluated using HPLC MS while their neuroprotective activity was assayed using MTT assay on SHSY5Y cells and nitric oxide levels.

Results: Using HPLC-MS chromatography, we have identified twenty-one compounds in the hydro-alcoholic Achillea fragrantissima, seventeen were determined in the pomegranate peel, eleven were assessed in the Carica papaya …


Autophagic Reprogramming Of Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages, Mayada Mahmoud Zaki Mohamed Mazher Feb 2021

Autophagic Reprogramming Of Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages, Mayada Mahmoud Zaki Mohamed Mazher

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Background: Macroautophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process among eukaryotes. Autophagosome is a piece of double-membrane machinery that fuses with lysosomes during macroautophagy to form autolysosomes. Autolysosome degrades organelles and organizes the pathogen engulfment during phagocytosis in innate immunity. Macrophages are highly dynamic immune cells that orchestrate the host-pathogen interaction. Interestingly, autophagy is implicated in disease pathophysiologies such as Crohn’s disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we studied the interplay between autophagy and macrophage polarization (activation) through two approaches: 1- Systems biology approach to construct the genetic regulatory network and pathway analysis. And to predict the target proteins that …


Evaluation Of The Anticancer Potential Of Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract Against Human Neuroblastoma Cells, Yomna Moqidem Feb 2021

Evaluation Of The Anticancer Potential Of Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract Against Human Neuroblastoma Cells, Yomna Moqidem

Theses and Dissertations

Neuroblastoma is one of the most challenging pediatric tumors that present heterogeneity in prognosis and survival despite intensive treatment protocols. Therefore, there is an urge to develop novel and more potent anticancer drugs. Medicinal plants have recently gained worldwide attention due to their variable activities, wide availability, and cost-efficiency. Accordingly, this study attempted to identify novel plant extracts that could show potential anticancer properties against neuroblastoma. In this study, Alchemilla vulgaris (A.vulgaris) ethyl acetate extract was prepared and evaluated for its anticancer potential against SH-SY5Y Human neuroblastoma cell line. The Phenolic content of the prepared extract was characterized …


Employment Security In Egypt In Light Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Rethinking Policies And Practices, Heba M. Khalil, Kareem Megahed Jan 2021

Employment Security In Egypt In Light Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Rethinking Policies And Practices, Heba M. Khalil, Kareem Megahed

Faculty Journal Articles

Crises such as COVID-19’s have inequitable impacts on different countries, various population groups and diverse sectors of society and the economy. Areas of work and employment were met with a lot of challenges worldwide, and in particular in countries like Egypt with a large sector of vulnerable and precarious workers. This policy paper addresses the question of employment security both in response to crises such as COVID-19, and on the long term. To do so, the research maps ‘vulnerable work’, including informal labor, labor in the gig economy, self-employed and other types of precarious work. It then assesses Egypt’s policy …


Executive Summary- Social Protection In Egypt: Mitigating The Socio-Economic Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Vulnerable Employment, Dina Makram-Ebeid, Amr Adly, Nadine Sika, Hania M Sholkamy, Samer Atallah Jan 2021

Executive Summary- Social Protection In Egypt: Mitigating The Socio-Economic Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Vulnerable Employment, Dina Makram-Ebeid, Amr Adly, Nadine Sika, Hania M Sholkamy, Samer Atallah

Faculty Journal Articles

This is the executive summary of an interdisciplinary project between the fields of development economics, political economy, labor sociology, development anthropology and public health. It reviews the social protection available to vulnerable employees and their households in Egypt and suggests ways to adapt them in light of the COVID 19 pandemic. The research focuses on four areas a) employment security b) social assistance c) health insurance d) gendered mitigations. The project will map the impact of the crisis on vulnerable employees and their households and propose policy interventions to alleviate the socio-economic effects of the pandemic through the publication of …


Role Of Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated In The Repair Of Magnetite Nanoparticles Induced Double Strand Breaks Associated With Heterochromatin, Mie Mohamed Mounir Jan 2021

Role Of Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated In The Repair Of Magnetite Nanoparticles Induced Double Strand Breaks Associated With Heterochromatin, Mie Mohamed Mounir

Theses and Dissertations

Magnetite nanoparticles particulate matter pollution is escalating in large cities like New Mexico, Manchester city, Cairo, and New Delhi. Combustion derived Magnetite nanoparticles was found deposited in internal vital organs of deceased residents of urban areas. A great deal of research focused on the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of Magnetite Nanoparticles (MNPs). In our work we focus on the mechanisms employed in DNA repair of higher chromatin structures. We employed the sensitive analysis of anti γ-H2AX to detect and monitor the repair of DSBs following exposure to MNPs. A 2- fold delay in the repair of heterochromatin associated DSBs in …


The Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Activities Of Cornsilk Extract Encapsulated In Polysaccharide Nanoparticles, Maryam Mady Jan 2021

The Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Activities Of Cornsilk Extract Encapsulated In Polysaccharide Nanoparticles, Maryam Mady

Theses and Dissertations

Corn silk possess antibacterial and antioxidant activities due to its phenolic compounds but they are of low bioavailability that requires some innovative techniques to develop such active ingredients in a safe and less toxic manner. Accordingly, silk extract SE was encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles CS NPs, which is a natural and abundant polymer derived from chitin. Among 15 experimental trials via design expert software, the optimum formula of SE x\CS NPs was prepared at 800 rpm, 5hrs. on magnetic stirrer, and by CS: TPP ratio was 2.5:1. Then SEM showed the majority of particles size diameter in the range of …


Nanoencapsulation Of Jania Rubens’ Phytochemicals: Antioxidant Properties For Food Applications, Yasmin R. Maghraby Jan 2021

Nanoencapsulation Of Jania Rubens’ Phytochemicals: Antioxidant Properties For Food Applications, Yasmin R. Maghraby

Theses and Dissertations

The development of natural antioxidants that can mitigate oxidation reactions in food products is on the rise. Several antioxidants have been developed from natural terrestrial plants, with less emphasis on marine seaweeds.Rancidity is a major degradative reaction limiting the shelf-life and deteriorating the quality of lipid containing food products. The goal of this study is to evaluate the ability of Jania rubens algal extract encapsulated by chitosan-tripolyphosphate in retarding lipid oxidation reactions in vegetable oils as a food model system. Phytochemicals were extracted from the seaweeds’ matrices by means of an organic solvent. The antioxidant efficacy of the Jania rubens …