Drug repurposing is a strategic endeavor that entails the identification of novel therapeutic applications for pharmaceuticals that are already available in the market. Despite the advantageous nature of implementing this particular strategy owing to its cost-effectiveness and efficiency in reducing the time required for the drug discovery process, it is essential to bear in mind that there are various factors that must be meticulously considered and taken into account. Up to this point, there has been a noticeable absence of comprehensive analyses that shed light on the limitations of repurposing drugs. The primary aim of this review is to conduct a thorough illustration of the various challenges that arise when contemplating drug repurposing from a clinical perspective in three major fields—cardiovascular, cancer, and diabetes—and to further underscore the potential risks associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) when employing repurposed antibiotics for the treatment of noninfectious and infectious diseases. The process of developing repurposed medications necessitates the application of creativity and innovation in designing the development program, as the body of evidence may differ for each specific case. In order to effectively repurpose drugs, it is crucial to consider the clinical implications and potential drawbacks that may arise during this process. By comprehensively analyzing these challenges, we can attain a deeper comprehension of the intricacies involved in drug repurposing, which will ultimately lead to the development of more efficacious and safe therapeutic approaches.

There exists a multitude of pathogens that pose a threat to human and public healthcare, collectively referred to as ESKAPE pathogens. These pathogens are capable of producing biofilm, which proves to be quite resistant to elimination. Strains of A. baumannii, identified by the “A” in the acronym ESKAPE, exhibit significant resistance to amoxicillin in vivo due to their ability to form biofilm. This study aims to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation, evaluate novel silica nanoparticles’ effectiveness in inhibiting biofilm, and compare their effectiveness. Amoxicillin was utilized as a positive control, with a concentration exceeding twice that when combined with silica NPs. Treatments included pure silica NPs, silica NPs modified with copper oxide (CuO.SiO₂), sodium hydroxide (NaOH.SiO₂), and phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄.SiO₂). The characterization of NPs was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while safety testing against normal fibroblast cells was employed by MTT assay. The microtiter plate biofilm formation assay was utilized to construct biofilm, with evaluations conducted using three broth media types: brain heart infusion (BHI) with 2% glucose and 2% sucrose, Loria broth (LB) with and without glucose and sucrose, and Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium/nutrient (DMEN/M). Concentrations ranging from 1.0 mg/mL to 0.06 µg/mL were tested using a microdilution assay. Results from SEM showed that pure silica NPs were mesoporous, but in the amorphous shape of the CuO and NaOH treatments, these pores were disrupted, while H₃PO₄ was composed of sheets. Silica NPs were able to target Acinetobacter biofilms without harming normal cells, with viability rates ranging from 61–73%. The best biofilm formation was achieved using a BHI medium with sugar supplementation, with an absorbance value of 0.35. Biofilms treated with 5.0 mg/mL of amoxicillin as a positive control alongside 1.0 mg/mL of each of the four silica treatments in isolation, resulting in the inhibition of absorbance values of 0.04, 0.13, 0.07, 0.09, and 0.08, for SiO₂, CuO.SiO₂, NaOH.SiO₂ and H₃PO₄.SiO₂, respectively. When amoxicillin was combined, inhibition increased from 0.3 to 0.04; NaOH with amoxicillin resulted in the lowest minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC), 0.25 µg/mL, compared to all treatments and amoxicillin, whereas pure silica and composite had the highest MBIC, even when combined with amoxicillin, compared to all treatments, but performed better than that of the amoxicillin alone which gave the MBIC at 625 µg/mL. The absorbance values of MBIC of each treatment showed no significant differences in relation to amoxicillin absorbance value and relation to each other. Our study showed that smaller amoxicillin doses combined with the novel silica nanoparticles may reduce toxic side effects and inhibit biofilm formation, making them viable alternatives to high-concentration dosages. Further investigation is needed to evaluate in vivo activity.

Background/Objectives: Hepcidin is a negative regulator of iron absorption that is released by hepatocytes. It is one of the main contributors to hypoferremia and anemia in inflammatory and oncological disorders that are mediated by the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6/STAT3 pathway. Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic compound with pleiotropic biological activities, including anti-inflammatory activity. However, its effect on hepcidin secretion is still unknown. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of FA on hepcidin levels and the underlying mechanism. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with different log percentages of FA, and their viability was determined via the MTT assay. The relative expression of IL-6 and HAMP in treated and untreated cells was measured via qRT-PCR, and the protein levels of hepcidin, IL-6 and STAT3 were measured using ELISA. Results: The MTT test showed an inverse relationship between FA concentrations and HepG2 cell proliferation; FA’s IC₅₀ value was 0.07669%. The expression levels of IL-6 and HAMP were significantly increased in HepG2 cells following 24 h of culture with 4 μg/mL LPS. Meanwhile, the addition of FA significantly decreased the relative expression levels of these two genes and the secretion levels of IL-6, STAT3 and hepcidin compared to the cells treated with LPS alone. Conclusions: Overall, these findings show that FA modifies inflammatory pathways, affecting hepcidin levels via the IL-6/STAT3 pathway. Thus, this suggests FA as a potential therapeutic agent against the hypoferremia and anemia developed due to dysregulated hepcidin levels in diseases such as inflammatory and oncological disorders.

Natural dyes, obtained without the use of chemical treatment, are derived from naturally occurring sources, such as plants, animals, insects, and minerals. The usage of natural substances and their medicinal properties dates back to the origins of human civilization. The purpose of this review is to highlight the medicinal importance of selected natural colors, which sheds light on the critical role played by these dyes in the pharmaceutical industry. The objective is to showcase the health benefits of each color that can be obtained from nature for medicinal purposes based on their chemical structure. The review presents the reasons for utilizing natural resources in addressing various health issues, with a focus on three specific problems: microbial infections, cancer, and oxidative stress. Our review highlights the potential of natural resource structures, particularly anthocyanins, genipin, carotenoids, phycocyanin, and chlorophylls, in combating these ailments, emphasizing the need to explore their resources further for medicinal purposes. While most reviews provide a survey about colorful crude plant extracts in relation to one or a few categories of human health, our review focuses on the specific chromophore extracted not only from plants but also from any natural resource to provide a specific chromophore effect in a whole resource. The review highlights the significant role performed by organic pigments in the medicinal domain, with organic colorants acting as an essential element of the pharmaceutical sector’s weaponry. Hence, it is of paramount significance to actively promote and stress the adoptions of naturally existing chromophores in diverse everyday commodities, while simultaneously acknowledging and valuing their substantial importance and worth in the vast realm of the pharmaceutical industry.

Introduction: β-Thalassemia is a genetic disorder characterized by a quantitative defect in β-globin synthesis caused by genetic and epigenetic alterations. However, the expression patterns of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) and their relationship with genes and proteins involved in iron metabolism and erythropoiesis remain largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the expression of LncRNAs and their correlation with iron and erythropoiesis regulatory proteins in patients with transfusion dependent-β-Thalassemia (TDβ-T).Material and methods: Whole blood samples and clinical records were collected from 60 patients with TDβ-T and 20 healthy controls. Expression levels of selected LncRNAs were measured using qRT-PCR. Iron metabolism and erythropoiesis-related proteins were quantified using ELISA.Results: TDβ-T patients exhibited significantly elevated levels of iron and erythropoiesis-regulating proteins, as well as increased expression of HAMP, GDF-15, FAM132B, and SLC40A1 compared to controls. Additionally, LncRNAs ANRIL, H9, LINCO133, MIAT, and NEAT1 were markedly upregulated, while LncRNA GAS5 was downregulated in patients with TDβ-T. Among these, LncRNAs NEAT1 and GAS5 showed the strongest diagnostic performance. A significant correlation was observed between the expression of HAMP and FAM132B and LncRNAs ANRIL, H19, LINCO133, and MIAT. Furthermore, LncRNA NEAT1 expression correlated positively with SLC40A1 and negatively with urea levels, whereas LncRNA GAS5 was inversely correlated with HAMP expression.Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate altered LncRNA expression patterns and their associations with iron metabolism, erythropoiesis-regulating proteins, and urea levels in patients with TDβ-T. These findings provide new insights for future research and potential therapeutic targets.

The green synthesis of nanoparticles offers a solution to control pesticide-resistant pests while minimizing environmental and health risks. Thrips tabaci is an injurious pest that attacks garlic crops and spreads the Iris yellow spot virus. The present research was performed to evaluate the synergistic effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized by Teucrium polium with Spinosad against T. tabaci and assess their impact on garlic photosynthetic pigments. The characterization of the prepared nanoparticles was carried out by SEM, XRD, and Malvern zeta sizer. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using microdilution. Photosynthetic pigments were measured with a spectrophotometer after treating garlic cloves with four different concentrations of AgNPs and Spinosad mixture along with positive control (Spinosad) and negative control (tap water). Toxic bioassays were conducted under laboratory, greenhouse, and open field conditions. The results indicate all treatments, except for the 100% AgNPs, resulted in 100% second instar larvae and adult mortality after 72 h in the laboratory. In greenhouse conditions, the 50% Spinosad–50% AgNPs achieved 93.85% larvae mortality, and the 75% Spinosad–25% AgNPs achieved 100% adult mortality after a week. In open field conditions, the combination 50% Spinosad–50% AgNPs showed high efficacy, resulting in 65.97% mortality of larvae and 73.06% mortality of adults after 72 h. This study reveals that AgNPs have active pesticide properties against T. tabaci with minimal environmental and health risks.