Monotherapy for triple−negative breast cancer (TNBC) is often ineffective. This study aimed to investigate the effect of calcitriol and talazoparib combination on cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and cell cycle in TNBC cell lines. Monotherapies and their combination were studied for (i.) antiproliferative effect (using real−time cell analyzer assay), (ii.) cell migration (CIM−Plate assay), and (iii.) apoptosis and cell cycle analysis (flow cytometry) in MDA−MB−468 and BT−20 cell lines. The optimal antiproliferative concentration of talazoparib and calcitriol in BT−20 was 91.6 and 10 µM, respectively, and in MDA−MB−468, it was 1 mM and 10 µM. Combined treatment significantly increased inhibition of cell migration in both cell lines. The combined treatment in BT−20 significantly increased late apoptosis (89.05 vs. control 0.63%) and S and G2/M populations (31.95 and 24.29% vs. control (18.62 and 12.09%)). Combined treatment in MDA−MB−468 significantly increased the S population (45.72%) and decreased G0/G1 (45.86%) vs. the control (26.79 and 59.78%, respectively). In MDA−MB−468, combined treatment significantly increased necrosis, early and late apoptosis (7.13, 33.53 and 47.1% vs. control (1.5, 3.1 and 2.83%, respectively)). Talazoparib and calcitriol combination significantly affected cell proliferation and migration, induction of apoptosis and necrosis in TNBC cell lines. This combination could be useful as a formulation to treat TNBC.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women globally. In low- and middle-income countries, the use of appropriate breast cancer genetics services for screening and personalized treatments is severely lacking. This review is aimed to assess and summarize the reported mutation profiles of Malaysian BC patients. Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar from 2002 to 2019 using a set of keywords and MESH terms. Results: Data from 14 eligible studies are presented here. A total of 28 genes were studied in Malaysian BC patients in which 445 genetic alterations (229 deleterious, 209 variants with unknown clinical significance (VUC), and seven protective variants) have been reported, with 73 being novel (16% novel). The frequency ranged from 0.2% to 76% for VUC and 2.1 to 15% for deleterious variations. Only BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, APOBEC3B, and P53 have been associated with BC risk in Malaysian patients. Nine of these studies were conducted using the overlapped source of patients, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to the whole population of Malaysia. Conclusion: Information on the genetic basis of BC in the Malaysian population is scant. Multidisciplinary efforts with appropriate sample selection techniques and study design with multicenter collaboration are needed to address this issue. Out of thirteen high- and moderated-penetrance pathogenic mutations for BC, only five have been linked to Malaysians’ BC susceptibility. The findings from this review is valuable for decision-makers, researchers, and physicians, to enhance the research plans and utility of genetic services for screening and prevention.

Aquaponics is an integrated production system of aquaculture and hydroponics. Beneficial bacteria convert the ammonia and solid wastes produced by fish in the aquaculture component into essential nutrients for plant growth in hydroponics. The objective of the present study was to identify the bacteria community in the aquaponics system. This study was set by using barb fish and basils as organisms of cultivation. The fish tank (aquaculture) water was pumped into the treatment tank containing bio-ring functions as nitrifying bacteria by converting ammonia to nitrates. The nutrient-rich water from the treatment tank was then pumped into the hydroponics containing lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) and plants. Water samples from the treatment tank and hydroponics were pipetted and transferred onto different agar plates for colony growth. Another set of soil growth plant was used for comparison in bacteria community between aquaponics and conventional land agriculture. RapID system and 16S rRNA gene were used to identify gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria respectively. The identified bacteria species from the hydroponics (LECA) and treatment tank (Bio-ring) were Moellerella wisconsensis, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, Bacillus cereus, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Bacillus sp. respectively whereas the bacteria species isolated from soil were Bacillus sp. and Bacillus pumilus.