SAID SHEHATA

Following the scheduling of pregabalin, gabapentin (GBP) misuse and abuse had been escalated in Egypt over the past ten years. Pregabalin negative effects had been shown in numerous studies; however those of GBP are negligible. The goal of this research is studying and assessing the neurotoxic and potential addictive mechanisms of subchronic high doses of GBP.

Following the scheduling of pregabalin, gabapentin (GBP) misuse and abuse had been escalated in Egypt over the past ten years. Pregabalin negative effects had been shown in numerous studies; however those of GBP are negligible. The goal of this research is studying and assessing the neurotoxic and potential addictive mechanisms of subchronic high doses of GBP.

Udder morphology is a critical factor influencing both milk production efficiency and udder health in livestock. However, its genetic basis remains largely unexplored in Egyptian goat populations. Integrating genomic data with pedigree information in smallholder farming systems in Egypt offers a promising approach for identifying genetic markers, thereby enhancing breeding programs. This study applied a single-step genome-wide association study (ss-GWAS) to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with udder conformation traits in three Egyptian goat breeds: Nubian, Damascus, and Barki. Using GoatSNP50 Illumina Bead Chips, 23 genomic windows were identified across multiple chromosomes. The top 10 windows per trait, explaining the highest proportion of genetic variance, were used for gene annotation. Several functionally relevant genes were identified, such as ABCG2, SPP1, LCORL, FAM13A, and SIRT1, which are known to possess pleiotropic effects on milk production, composition and udder health. Additionally, gene enrichment analysis revealed 15 significantly enriched biological pathways (FDR < 0.05), highlighting key processes such as biomineralization, immune response, and regulatory T-cell differentiation. Network analysis further supported functional clustering among genes involved in extracellular matrix organization and immune modulation. These findings highlight genomic regions and candidate genes associated with udder morphology in Egyptian goats, including loci with known pleiotropic effects on milk production and udder health. Although further validation is needed, the identified loci offer a starting point for incorporating genomic selection approaches aimed at improving milk production, udder health and related functional traits in breeding programs.

Background: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized clonazepam (CZP) in 1976 as an antiepileptic medication to treat a variety of seizures. There is a significant risk of abuse, tolerance, physical dependency, and eventually addiction with clonazepam. The negative effects of clonazepam are negligible, despite several studies confirming the negative effects of other antiepileptics such as carbamazepine and Valproic acid. This study is to evaluate the protective function of alpha-tocopherol, commonly referred to as &quot;vitamin E&quot; (Vit E), as well as the neurotoxic effects of sub chronic high-dose clonazepam administration. Methods: Forty male albino rats in good health were used in the investigation. Four equal groups of ten rats each were randomly assigned to them: group I received normal saline; group II received CZP misuse; group III received vitamin E in corn oil; and group IV received CZP plus vitamin E. For 50 days, all rats were given the prescribed medications. Hippocampal tissues were gathered to examine the gene expression of dopamine receptors and perform immunohistochemical and histological analyses. Results: At the conclusion of the research, the groups that received medication had gained a significant amount of weight. There were more damaged cells and detrimental effects on hippocampus tissues in the group that abused CZP. Also, there was a greater degree of up-regulation of dopamine-2 receptors (D2Rs) and down-regulation of dopamine-1 receptors (D1Rs). Conclusions: Excessive levels of CZP caused neurotoxicity, hippocampus tissue disruption, and an increase in the number of degenerated cells, as well as disturbance in dopamine receptor gene expression. Treatment with alpha-tocopherol considerably reduced the harmful effects caused by CZP.

BACKGROUND: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, leading to progressive neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Although classically defined as a brain-restricted disorder marked by striatal and cortical degeneration, increasing evidence suggests HD as a multisystem disease involving both central and peripheral pathological alterations.

OBJECTIVE: This review aims to provide an integrated overview of neuronal and non-neuronal mechanisms underlying HD, focusing on systemic alterations that influence disease onset, progression, and clinical variability. This review also aims to connect neuropharmacology with pharmaceutical formulation strategies, particularly emphasizing the therapeutic and drug-delivery challenges and nanotechnology-based solutions.

METHODS: A structured literature review was conducted using databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus. Using the appropriate keywords, original articles, clinical studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and high-quality reviews were selected based on their relevance to HD pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies.

RESULTS: HD manifests with motor, cognitive, and psychiatric disturbances; however, this review highlights that peripheral immune activation, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and multiorgan pathology are not merely secondary features but interact with neural circuits, contributing to disease heterogeneity and progression. Current therapeutic approaches are largely symptomatic, achieving minimal effectiveness in disease modification due to challenges such as poor blood-brain barrier penetration, limited target selectivity, and inter-individual variability. New strategies, such as nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, biologics, and gene editing tools, offer advantages and support a deeper understanding of therapeutic limitations and disease mechanisms, yet their translational applicability remains constrained by limited clinical validation, safety concerns, and scalability problems.

CONCLUSION: Reconceptualizing HD as a multisystem disorder provides a more comprehensive framework for therapeutic development. Integrating central and peripheral disease mechanisms with advances in targeted drug delivery and patient stratification approaches, such as sex differences, hormonal influences, and environmental factors, is essential for translational progress toward personalized therapeutic approaches. Future research should prioritize interdisciplinary approaches to bridge the gap between mechanistic discoveries and effective disease-modifying interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is one of the most common fungal infections requiring more effective and patient-friendly therapies. This study introduces repurposed Ketoprofen (KPN) Quatsomes (QS) as a novel nano-platform for localized antifungal treatment.

METHODS: KPN-QS were prepared using quaternary ammonium surfactants and cholesterol via probe sonication and optimized through a 3 × 2 mixed factorial design using Design-Expert software. The effects of quaternary ammonium surfactant type (factor A), amount of vesicle-forming materials (factor B), and cholesterol-to-surfactant ratio (factor C) were evaluated to maximize entrapment efficiency and zeta potential, while minimizing particle size.

RESULTS: The optimized QS exhibited spherical nano-sized vesicles (113.7 nm) with high entrapment efficiency (96.8%) and strong positive zeta potential (72.5 mV), ensuring stability and enhanced mucosal adhesion. TEM confirmed the spherical morphology, and release showed biphasic behaviour with 86.5% release after 8 h, alongside excellent storage stability. Repurposing KPN as an antifungal agent significantly enhanced both and microbiological efficacy. The formulation displayed promising MIC values against and markedly improved antifungal performance VVC model. The KPN-QS group exhibited 4.807 and 2.941 log reductions in fungal count compared to the negative control and KPN suspension, respectively, with complete eradication in three rats after 72 h. Histopathological analysis confirmed the safety of QS on vaginal mucosa.

CONCLUSION: Collectively, repurposed KPN-QS constitute a stable, biocompatible nanocarrier for targeted vaginal delivery, demonstrating superior antifungal activity and therapeutic potential in VVC.

The West Africa region faces a growing threat from land degradation and climate change, both of which are deeply interconnected. The region is highly vulnerable due to its dependence on rain-fed agriculture, rapid population growth, and fragile ecosystems such as the Sahel. This paper assesses land degradation and deforestation in West African lands, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable agricultural development. The paper also discusses the role of human activities, such as deforestation, in exacerbating these issues. The study utilizes moderate resolution images spectrophotometer (MODIS) imagery processing techniques and spatial distribution in remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) environment based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) as a computing cloud to evaluate land degradation levels, incorporating various environmental variables such as precipitation, elevation, and soil properties Landcover changes of the investigated area, West Africa, were extracted using MODIS data over four time series (2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020). Results showed that the many regions of West Africa are seeing significant changes in land-cover at spatial and temporal scales as a result of human activity and climate variability, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for studied area over four times (2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020) which created using MODIS data, is classified into none, low, and moderate vegetation cover in addition to the findings reveal that land degradation processes can be categorized into physical, chemical, and biological degradation, each contributing to the decline in soil health and agricultural output. The analysis indicates that understanding land cover dynamics over time is essential for identifying rapidly changing regions, which could be targeted for future conservation efforts. The study underscores that a thorough understanding of land degradation requires investigating the mechanisms behind vegetation changes and the interactions within human-environmental systems. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of understanding coupled-environmental systems to effectively address land degradation and enhance ecosystem services. The study concludes with recommendations for integrated land management strategies that promote restoration and sustainability in West Africa’s agricultural landscapes.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a post-infectious hyperinflammatory condition that develops after SARS-CoV-2 infection and may involve multiple organ systems, including the cardiovascular, hematologic, neurologic, and gastrointestinal systems. Because MIS-C is characterized by immune dysregulation, genetic factors affecting inflammasome pathways may contribute to disease susceptibility or phenotypic variation.

IntroductionPlant viruses inflict annual economic losses exceeding $30 billion and pose a significant threat to global food security. Discovering reliable antiviral targets is therefore essential to developing effective agents that can substantially reduce these agricultural losses. Despite ongoing efforts, the rapid discovery of such antiviral targets remains a significant challenge.
Objectives
This study employs an accelerated framework that integrates a machine learning-driven (MLD) approach with bioinformatics and in silico chemical screening to rapidly predict essential plant viral genes and validate novel antiviral targets.
Methods
A MLD web-based prediction tool, Vgep, was developed to predict the viral essential gene. Subsequent phylogenetic, structural, and target-likeness analyses assessed the targetability of the essential protein it encodes. Finally, in silico virtual screening, biological activity evaluation, virus morphology observation, gene expression analysis, and molecular simulations were employed to identify a chemical probe for evaluating the druggability of the essential protein.
Results
Using the created Vgep tool, we predicted viral essential genes and identified the viral helicase as a key target in tobamoviruses. Viral helicase reveals high conservation and similarity to benchmark antiviral targets. The chemical probe Amidoca, identified through virtual screening exhibits strong binding affinity (Kd = 4.59 µM) to tobacco mosaic virus helicase. In antiviral bioassays, Amidoca outperformed Ribavirin, exhibiting EC50 values of 155.85 mg/L (inactive), 244.32 mg/L (curative), and 344.59 mg/L (protective), thereby confirming the druggability of the tobamovirus helicase. Mechanistic studies revealed that Amidoca may competitively bind at the helicase’s NTP-binding site. This interaction may interfere with the energy release required for unwinding viral dsRNA and lead to a dramatic reduction in helicase accumulation by nearly 95%.
Conclusion
This work establishes a systematic framework for the rapid discovery and validation of next-generation targets in plant virus therapies, highlighting RNA helicase as a promising antiviral candidate and advancing antiviral agent development efforts.

IntroductionPlant viruses inflict annual economic losses exceeding $30 billion and pose a significant threat to global food security. Discovering reliable antiviral targets is therefore essential to developing effective agents that can substantially reduce these agricultural losses. Despite ongoing efforts, the rapid discovery of such antiviral targets remains a significant challenge.
Objectives
This study employs an accelerated framework that integrates a machine learning-driven (MLD) approach with bioinformatics and in silico chemical screening to rapidly predict essential plant viral genes and validate novel antiviral targets.
Methods
A MLD web-based prediction tool, Vgep, was developed to predict the viral essential gene. Subsequent phylogenetic, structural, and target-likeness analyses assessed the targetability of the essential protein it encodes. Finally, in silico virtual screening, biological activity evaluation, virus morphology observation, gene expression analysis, and molecular simulations were employed to identify a chemical probe for evaluating the druggability of the essential protein.
Results
Using the created Vgep tool, we predicted viral essential genes and identified the viral helicase as a key target in tobamoviruses. Viral helicase reveals high conservation and similarity to benchmark antiviral targets. The chemical probe Amidoca, identified through virtual screening exhibits strong binding affinity (Kd = 4.59 µM) to tobacco mosaic virus helicase. In antiviral bioassays, Amidoca outperformed Ribavirin, exhibiting EC50 values of 155.85 mg/L (inactive), 244.32 mg/L (curative), and 344.59 mg/L (protective), thereby confirming the druggability of the tobamovirus helicase. Mechanistic studies revealed that Amidoca may competitively bind at the helicase’s NTP-binding site. This interaction may interfere with the energy release required for unwinding viral dsRNA and lead to a dramatic reduction in helicase accumulation by nearly 95%.
Conclusion
This work establishes a systematic framework for the rapid discovery and validation of next-generation targets in plant virus therapies, highlighting RNA helicase as a promising antiviral candidate and advancing antiviral agent development efforts.

Marine algae polysaccharides are gaining attention in anticancer drug delivery because they are biocompatible, demonstrate unique biological activities, and are multifunctional. These are naturally derived polysaccharides that come from various sea algae species and include alginates, fucoidans, carrageenans, ulvans, and agars. The polysaccharides have their own inherent anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Given that they can form hydrogels, nanoparticles, and capsules, marine algae polysaccharides can lead to controlled and sustained drug release, which is advantageous for treatment efficacy while reducing potential toxicity. Marine algae also respond dynamically to environmental stimuli (pH and enzymes), which enhances targeted delivery to the tumor site while avoiding off-target effects. Although there are potential challenges related to scalability and structural complexity, improvements and advancements in extraction and biotechnological development continue to diminish these challenges. Overall, marine algae polysaccharides represent a novel and more organic strategy to enhance the safety and efficacy of anticancer drug therapy, with development avenues toward further integration into personalized medicine and the creation of combination therapies.