Metwally, S. E., H. A. Farrag, H. A. A. El-Rehim, R. N. Shamma, A. E. Ali, and O. M. N. E. Y. A. M. HELMY, "The antimicrobial peptide EM86 loaded to gamma-irradiated sodium alginate/polyvinyl alcohol electrospun nanofibrous dressing treated multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infections in BALB/c mice", Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, vol. 14, 04/ 2026.
Abdel-Moniem, Y., K. A. Ibrahim, O. M. N. E. Y. A. M. HELMY, and M. O. N. A. T. KASHEF, "A Potential Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus Plantarum Isolate from Egyptian Cottage Cheese Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome Manifestations: In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization.", Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins, 2026 Jan 24. Abstract

Isolation of beneficial probiotics from traditional foods is a priority in functional food research. We isolated and characterized a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) probiotic strain from Egyptian cuisine, with therapeutic applications for alleviating the manifestations of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and obesity. LAB (n = 10) were isolated from 12 food and juice samples, identified and assessed in vitro for glucose- and cholesterol-lowering capabilities. The most promising isolate underwent probiotic characterization, including gastrointestinal tolerance, surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, and milk fermentation capacity. Other beneficial properties, such as exopolysaccharide production and antimicrobial activity, were also tested. The selected isolate was evaluated for a hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effect using a high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced hypercholesterolemia and diabetes model in Wistar rats. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Y, isolated from Egyptian cottage cheese, reduced glucose and cholesterol levels in vitro by 53 ± 0.47% and 98 ± 0.18%. It showed good probiotic characteristics: minimal viability loss in simulated gastrointestinal conditions (0.07 and 0.08 log CFU/mL), good hydrophobicity (> 70%), high auto-aggregation (82.6 ± 0.86% after 24 h), positive exopolysaccharide production, milk fermentation capability with 21-day storage stability, and an antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella enterica ATCC 14028, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 10031, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. In vivo administration of L. plantarum Y in a MetS rat model resulted in significant hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-obesity effects. In conclusion, L. plantarum Y is a promising probiotic for managing MetS manifestations. Further clinical investigations for use as a therapeutic intervention are highly recommended.

Fawzy, A. A., M. M. Raafat, R. Mahmoud, and O. M. N. E. Y. A. M. HELMY, "Quorum quenching by endophytic Bacillus cereus AL1: a lactonase-based anti-virulence strategy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.", BMC microbiology, vol. 25, issue 1, pp. 669, 2025 Oct 21. Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are often challenging to treat due to multiple drug resistance, besides the development of biofilms and a plethora of virulence factors regulated by quorum sensing. Quorum-quenching enzymes, such as N-acyl homoserine lactonases, represent a promising anti-virulence strategy by disrupting this signaling mechanism without exerting selective pressure, leading to resistance. This study aimed to screen endophyte and epiphyte isolates for lactonase activity and evaluate their potential to inhibit virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

RESULTS: Fifty-two bacterial isolates (42 endophyte and 10 epiphyte) were isolated from ten plants. The aiiA gene encoding lactonase enzyme was detected in 11 endophytes and one epiphyte isolate, among which nine showed complete degradation (100%) of the quorum sensing signal molecule N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone. The partially purified lactonase enzyme from the endophyte Bacillus cereus AL1 isolate exhibited significant anti-virulence activity, reducing biofilm formation, swarming motility, and pyocyanin production against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. Sequence alignment of the Bacillus cereus AL1 lactonase protein revealed close similarity to the homologous lactonase from Bacillus cereus. The quorum quenching activity of the partially purified lactonase AL1 provided protection in a Galleria mellonella infection model.

CONCLUSION: The study highlights the potential of Bacillus cereus AL1 lactonase as an effective anti-virulence agent against Pseudomonas aeruginosa without the pressure for resistance development.

Gawad, W. E., Y. I. Nagy, T. M. Samir, A. M. I. Mansour, and O. M. N. E. Y. A. M. HELMY, "Cyclic di AMP phosphodiesterase nanovaccine elicits protective immunity against Burkholderia cenocepacia infection in mice.", NPJ vaccines, vol. 10, issue 1, pp. 22, 2025 Feb 01. Abstract

Burkholderia cenocepacia causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Treatment is challenging due to intrinsic antibiotic multiresistance, so vaccination provides an alternative approach. We aimed to identify vaccine candidates using reverse vaccinology and evaluate their efficacy as protein-loaded chitosan: pectin nanoparticles (C:P NPs) in a vaccine model. Applying strict subtractive channels, three proteins were shortlisted: WP_006481710.1 (LY), WP_012493605.1 (KT), and WP_006492970.1 (BD). Proteins were cloned, purified as His-tagged proteins, and loaded onto C:P NPs. Vaccinated mice had significantly higher systemic IgG and mucosal IgA antibody responses and induced IL-6 and IL-17A. 6x-His-LY-CS:P NPs and 6x-His-KT-CS:P NPs vaccines induced TNF-α. Vaccines conferred significant protection against B. cenocepacia intranasal infections. In conclusion, cyclic-di-AMP phosphodiesterase (WP_012493605.1) is a promising vaccine candidate that elicited IgG and IgA antibodies, Th1, Th2, and Th17 cellular immunity in BALB/c mice and protected against B. cenocepacia infection. This provides hope for saving lives of people at high risk of infection.

Ibrahim, K. A., M. K. El-Ashrey, M. O. N. A. T. KASHEF, and O. M. N. E. Y. A. M. HELMY, "Alanine racemase a promising Helicobacter pylori drug target inhibited by propanoic acid.", Microbes and infection, vol. 25, issue 7, pp. 105167, 2023. Abstract

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori, the class 1 carcinogen, faces several obstacles, which demand alternative options to conventional drug development methods. Alanine racemase (Alr) was proposed as H. pylori drug target, inhibited by propanoic acid (PA), in a previous in silico study. We investigated the possible treatment of H. pylori infection through Alr inhibition. A new model of H. pylori Alr was built, validated, and the binding of PA to the active site was modelled via molecular docking with a good docking score. PA minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against H. pylori ATCC 43504 and six H. pylori clinical isolates ranged from 312.5 to 416.7 ± 180 μg/ml and remained unchanged after 14 serial passages in increasing PA concentrations. The minimum bactericidal concentration of PA was 625 μg/ml. Selective Alr inhibition was confirmed by a significant PA MIC increase with increasing d-alanine concentrations. Similar PA MIC in other tested pathogens was recorded (312.5-625 μg/ml). PA lacked cytotoxicity in tested cell lines and efficiently eradicated H. pylori in a rat infection model. In conclusion, Alr is a promising broad-spectrum drug target, inhibited by PA without resistance development by repeated exposure for 14 serial passages.

AlEraky, D. M., H. M. Abuohashish, A. S. Bugshan, M. M. Abdelsalam, H. A. AlHawaj, T. T. AlKhamis, F. A. AlDossary, N. M. Alrayes, Y. M. Ragab, Z. AbdelKhalek, et al., "Potential Antigenic Candidates for the Development of Peptide-Based Vaccines to Induce Immunization against Infection in BALB/c Mice.", International journal of molecular sciences, vol. 23, issue 21, 2022. Abstract
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() has been identified as a group-1 definite carcinogen. As of yet, there is no available vaccine for this microorganism. Our study aimed to identify antigenic peptides in using an in silico proteomic approach, and to evaluate their effectiveness as potential vaccine candidates. Four different peptide sequences were prioritized using the reverse vaccinology, namely, CagA, CagA, VacA, and SabA. Peptides emulsified with Freunde's adjuvant were used to immunize BALB/C mice. Subcutaneously immunized mice were challenged by oral administration of IgG, IgA, IL4, and IL17 were detected in mice sera. Histopathology of the dissected stomach of vaccinated and control mice were assessed using H&E stain. IgG was significantly higher in mice vaccinated with SabA. IL-4 was significantly increased in CagA, CagA, VacA, and SabA vaccinated mice compared to the adjuvant group. Additionally, histopathological examination of gastric tissue showed a protective effect in the vaccinated groups compared to adjuvant and PBS groups. Our findings indicate a promising effect of the tested epitopes, particularly the SabA antigen, to induce an immune response against .

Ibrahim, K. A., M. O. N. A. T. KASHEF, T. R. Elkhamissy, M. A. Ramadan, and O. M. N. E. Y. A. M. HELMY, "Aspartate α-decarboxylase a new therapeutic target in the fight against infection.", Frontiers in microbiology, vol. 13, pp. 1019666, 2022. Abstract
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Effective eradication therapy for is a worldwide demand. Aspartate α-decarboxylase (ADC) was reported as a drug target in . , in an study, with malonic acid (MA) as its inhibitor. We evaluated eradicating . infection through ADC inhibition and the possibility of resistance development. MA binding to ADC was modeled molecular docking. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of MA were determined against . ATCC 43504, and a clinical . isolate. To confirm selective ADC inhibition, we redetermined the MIC in the presence of products of the inhibited enzymatic pathway: β-alanine and pantothenate. HPLC was used to assay the enzymatic activity of . 6x-his tagged ADC in the presence of different MA concentrations. . strains were serially exposed to MA for 14 passages, and the MICs were determined. Cytotoxicity in different cell lines was tested. The efficiency of ADC inhibition in treating . infections was evaluated using a Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat infection model. MA spectrum of activity was determined in different pathogens. MA binds to . ADC active site with a good docking score. The MIC of MA against . ranged from 0.5 to 0.75 mg/mL with MBC of 1.5 mg/mL. Increasing β-alanine and pantothenate concentrations proportionally increased MA MIC. The 6x-his tagged ADC activity decreased by increasing MA concentration. No resistance to ADC inhibition was recorded after 14 passages; MA lacked cytotoxicity in all tested cell lines. ADC inhibition effectively eradicated . infection in SD rats. MA had MIC between 0.625 to 1.25 mg/mL against the tested bacterial pathogens. In conclusion, ADC is a promising target for effectively eradicating . infection that is not affected by resistance development, besides being of broad-spectrum presence in different pathogens. MA provides a lead molecule for the development of an anti-helicobacter ADC inhibitor. This provides hope for saving the lives of those at high risk of infection with the carcinogenic . .

Taha, A. M., M. M. Aboulwafa, H. Zedan, and O. M. N. E. Y. A. M. HELMY, "Ramucirumab combination with sorafenib enhances the inhibitory efect of sorafenib on HepG2 cancer cells", Scientific reports, vol. 12, pp. 1-16, 2022. s41598-022-21582-w.pdf
Hallol, M., O. Helmy, A. - E. Shawky, A. El-Batal, and M. R. O. A. - A. P. L. B. I. I. of by a paramycoides and on Chitosan, "Optimization of Alpha-Amylase Production by a Local Bacillus paramycoides Isolate and Immobilization on Chitosan-Loaded Barium Ferrite Nanoparticles", Fermentation, vol. 8, issue 5, 2022. fermentation-08-00241-v2.pdf
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