Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Several treatments are available for cancer treatment, but many treatment methods are ineffective against multidrug-resistant cancer. Multidrug resistance (MDR) represents a major obstacle to effective therapeutic interventions against cancer. This review describes the known MDR mechanisms in cancer cells and discusses ongoing laboratory approaches and novel therapeutic strategies that aim to inhibit, circumvent, or reverse MDR development in various cancer types. In this review, we discuss both intrinsic and acquired drug resistance, in addition to highlighting hypoxia- and autophagy-mediated drug resistance mechanisms. Several factors, including individual genetic differences, such as mutations, altered epigenetics, enhanced drug efflux, cell death inhibition, and various other molecular and cellular mechanisms, are responsible for the development of resistance against anticancer agents. Drug resistance can also depend on cellular autophagic and hypoxic status. The expression of drug-resistant genes and the regulatory mechanisms that determine drug resistance are also discussed. Methods to circumvent MDR, including immunoprevention, the use of microparticles and nanomedicine might result in better strategies for fighting cancer.

Marburg virus (MARV) has been a major concern since 1967, with two major outbreaks occurring in 1998 and 2004. Infection from MARV results in severe hemorrhagic fever, causing organ dysfunction and death. Exposure to fruit bats in caves and mines, and human-to-human transmission had major roles in the amplification of MARV outbreaks in African countries. The high fatality rate of up to 90% demands the broad study of MARV diseases (MVD) that correspond with MARV infection. Since large outbreaks are rare for MARV, clinical investigations are often inadequate for providing the substantial data necessary to determine the treatment of MARV disease. Therefore, an overall review may contribute to minimizing the limitations associated with future medical research and improve the clinical management of MVD. In this review, we sought to analyze and amalgamate significant information regarding MARV disease epidemics, pathophysiology, and management approaches to provide a better understanding of this deadly virus and the associated infection.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern and poses a significant threat to public health. The emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms, including Escherichia coli, also presents a risk of transmission to humans through the food chain, including milk. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of E. coli in raw milk in the Chattogram metropolitan area (CMA) of Bangladesh and their phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance patterns. A total of 450 raw cow milk samples were collected from 18 farms within the CMA. The isolation and identification of E. coli were performed following standard bacteriological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was conducted using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Molecular detection of E. coli and antimicrobial resistance genes was performed using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This study found 134 (29.77%) milk samples that tested positive for E. coli. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) revealed the highest resistance rates (69.40%) to be for ampicillin, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, cephalothin, and cephalexin, with the lowest resistance (21.64%) being for norfloxacin. A significant correlation (r = 1) was observed between ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime resistance among the antimicrobials tested. All E. coli isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR), being resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes, with a multiple resistance index >0.2. PCR amplification showed that the bla_TEM gene had the highest prevalence (74.19%) among the ESBL and antimicrobial resistance genes tested. In contrast, the bla_CMY-1 gene had a lower prevalence (6.45%) among the ESBL genes, while the tetD gene had the lowest prevalence (2.9%) among the resistance genes tested. Positive correlations were observed between antimicrobial resistance and the presence of these resistance genes. This study emphasises the high prevalence of MDR E. coli in raw cow milk and its significant potential impact on public health. It underscores the urgent need for strategic interventions to effectively manage and mitigate AMR in the Bangladeshi dairy sector, focusing on the prudent use of antimicrobials and implementing enhanced AMR surveillance.

Dried fish holds a significant place in the Bangladeshi diet particularly for people living in coastal regions. However, there is a growing concern regarding its adverse effects on human health, as it contains high levels of illegal preservatives, heavy metals, and other harmful substances. In this study, we aimed to explore the current knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding health hazards due to unsafe dried fish consumption among people across the country. We conducted a cross-sectional study among consumers to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices about the health risks associated with consuming hazardous dried fish. We interviewed a total of 415 participants, of whom 52.8% were male; the majority were students (55.9%), aged between 18 and 30 years (63.9%), and living in urban areas (81.7%). Most of the participants (60.7%) had less accurate knowledge of the health hazards of unsafe dry fish, 92.8% had more positive attitudes to buying safe dry fish, and 26.8% used unsafe dry fish more frequently. Many respondents were unaware of the presence of harmful substances in dried fish, such as illegal pesticides (66.5%), microplastics (77.6%), and heavy metals (67.4%). A significant number of participants (13%) reported that they had a history of cancer in any of their family members. Many individuals (57.4%) were not familiar with the proper storage and preparation methods of dry fish. The majority of participants (81.4%) strongly prefer packed dried fish. Most of the respondents (67.7%) agreed to participate in awareness programs. Female consumers were more likely to have more accurate knowledge (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.03–2.29, p = 0.0.37) than males, and participants whose present residence were in rural were more likely to have accurate knowledge (AOR = 2.64; 95% CI = 1.30–5.36, p = 0.007) than those whose present residence were in urban or semi-urban areas. A targeted education campaign focused on improving awareness of the risks associated with eating unsafe dry fish is needed, particularly in coastal areas.

Amaranthus spinosus has long been cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, especially in South Asia. It is well accepted by the people for its nutritional, pharmacological, phytochemical, and therapeutic functions in the human body. Tender stems, leaves, shoots, grains and sometimes the whole part of A. spinosus are eaten by humans or fed to farm animals, which contain carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibers, vitamins, minerals and many other phytochemicals. This review aims to represent the nutritional and pharmacological activities of A. spinosus. To have a better understanding, we have discussed the nutritional status of A. spinosus, its available phytochemicals and their functional properties. Further, we demonstrated the potentiality of A. spinosus in various disease condition by discussing its functional activities, which includes antioxidant, antidiabetic, immuno-modulatory, hematological, gastrointestinal, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antimicrobial, antimalarial, anti-ulcer, antipyretic, and antigenic activity. The availability of various important phytochemicals along with their functional properties make Amaranthus spinosus valuable for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals industry.

During the increasing spread of COVID-19 occurrences in Chattogram Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Bangladesh, a series of measures were taken to control the transmission. These measures greatly influenced the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the population on their dietary behavior. However, there are no current studies demonstrating the KAP of the CMA citizens regarding their dietary habit that can boost the immunity. In this study, we appraised KAP in regard to immunity boosting dietary behavior from April 26, 2021 to November 17, 2021 during implementation of lockdown measures by the government of Bangladesh. Apart from the basic knowledge and attitudes toward immunity boosting dietary behavior, we have also aimed to assess the practices of the population by whether the nutrients, especially vitamin A, B₆, B₉, B₁₂, C, D, E, and trace minerals such as zinc, selenium, and iron were included in their diet and in what frequency. This study is a cross-sectional study, and the participants were recruited using both online platforms during the lockdown and through in-person interviews after the withdrawal of lockdown. After obtaining the proper consent from the participants, their sociodemographic variables, and KAP towards immunity boosting dietary behavior were assessed. Total 400 participants were included in this study and a non-probability sampling technique named purposive sampling has been followed for participants recruitment. Among the 400 participants, the majority of them (64.3%) were male, most of them (62.7%) were students, unmarried (69.5%), aged between 18–35 years (82.5%), had a bachelor’s degree (50.0%), and had a monthly family income between 10000–30000 BDT (35.5%). This study indicated that 82.8% of the populations had the correct knowledge, 71.3% had favorable attitudes, and 44% had good practices regarding immunity boosting diet during COVID-19. The majority (79.3%) of the participants had an idea about nutrition, most of them (78.5%) knew the nutrients needed to strengthen their immune system, almost all (98.5%) washed fruits and vegetables purchased from the market before eating them, 78% did not often purchase food online, and 53% often ate junk food. In a binary logistic regression, correct knowledge was significantly associated with the females, having HSC or bachelor’s degree, being in the occupation of business, laborer or others, and having a monthly family income between 50000–100000 or >100000. The favorable attitudes were significantly associated with having a master’s degree or above, and for government job holders. However, the good practices did not show any significant association with the sociodemographic factors in binary logistic regression. Moreover, the study found the presence of bad or unhealthy practices among the populations despite having correct knowledge and favorable attitudes. Thus, this study could identify the variables, such as gender differences, education, monthly family income, and occupation on which emphasis should be given during public health campaigns or training programs to improve the KAP regarding immunity boosting diet.