Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Thus, it is important to find newer, more selective, and more effective therapies for this disease. One of these methods that have attracted many researchers is using anticancer peptides regarding their specificity, lower side effects, and higher effectiveness on the cancer cells. One type of anticancer peptides is antimicrobial peptides. Although they have already been studied and introduced as potential agents to fight infectious diseases, only recently they have been used as a new way of cancer treatment. For decades, antimicrobial peptides have been considered a component of the native immune system; however, they can also be used as anticancer peptides due to their mechanisms and properties. This new therapeutic approach can provide a promising pathway for optimal cancer treatment with fewer side effects.

Background and Aim We need the next-generation of whole-inactivated influenza vaccines to create stronger cross-protection against different influenza subtypes. This research aimed to apply the inactivation process of the influenza virus through gamma radiation as a candidate for the development of whole-inactivated vaccines.
Methods and Materials The influenza virus strain A/PR/8/34 (A/Puerto Rico/8/34 [H1N1]) was propagated in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells. After ultrafiltration, the virus infectivity titer was calculated by 50% Tissue Culture Infectious Dose (TCID 50%) method based on the Karber formula. Alternatively, the gamma cell-220 was applied for virus inactivation via gamma rays. The D10 value factor and optimum dose of virus inactivation were calculated based on the dose/survival curve and the initial viral titer. In addition, antigenic properties of irradiated viruses compared to un-irradiated viruses and complete inactivation of the irradiated samples with optimum dose were also evaluated by hemagglutination assay and safety test, respectively.
Ethical Considerations The Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Iran approved this study (Code: IR.IAU.TMU.REC.1397.309).
Results According to the concentrated virus titer (TCID50: 105.75/ml) and dose/survival curve, the D10 value factor and optimum dose of virus inactivation were calculated at 4.878 and 28.048 kGy, respectively. On the other hand, owing to the results obtained from the safety test and hemagglutination assay, the optimum dose of virus inactivation was determined to be 28 kGy by maintaining the antigenic properties.
Conclusion Gamma radiation appears to be a good candidate for vaccine development through maintaining the antigenic structures.

Background and Aim Periodontal diseases are among the most prevalent inflammatory diseases caused by oral bacteria. Expansion of oral biofilm causes various diseases such as gingival inflammation and periodontitis. The Satureja plant has various species, all of which are aromatic. This plant is traditionally used for the treatment of some diseases. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Satureja essential oil on periodontal pathogens.
Methods and Materials In this study, we evaluated four pathogens; Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus sanguinis, Eikenella corrodens, and Actinomyces viscosus. We also used the disk diffusion test and broth microdilution method to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Satureja essential oil. Finally, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration.
Ethical Considerations The Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences approved this study (Code: IR.ARAKMU.REC.1397.67).
Results In concentration of 0.1 g/mL of Satureja plant, Actinomyces viscosus, Streptococcus sanguinis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Eikenella corrodens were found to be sensible to resistance. The Satureja essential oil had the highest effect on Eikenella corrodens. Results obtained from the biofilm test showed no biofilm in a concentration of 12.5 mg/mL and higher of Satureja plant.
Conclusion The Satureja plant was found to have an antibacterial and inhibitory effect on biofilm growth and formation in the oral cavity. 

Background and Aim Among nano-pharmaceutical materials, nanoemulsions are an important tool in the field of nanotechnology. They have been designed for clinical and therapeutic applications. Since the therapeutic efficacy of cancer is measured by the ability of the drug to reduce and eliminate tumors without damaging healthy tissues, nanoemulsions can be useful as a targeted drug carrier. Therefore, we are going to study the antioxidant and anticancer effects of nanoemulsions prepared using dill essential oil.
Methods and Materials Evaluate the antioxidant properties, we used DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid]) tests. We also applied MTT assay for the evaluation of induced cytotoxicity in liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells and normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
Ethical Considerations The Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University (Mashhad Branch) approved this study (Code: IR.IAU.MSHD.REC.1398.027).
Results Nanoemulsions prepared using dill essential oil has a good potential for inhibiting DPPH (IC50=500 μg/mL) and ABTS (IC50=420 μg/mL) radicals. Nanoemulsions also caused a little toxicity to both cell lines. Nanoemulsions reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner and the cytotoxicity induced to cancer cells was higher than normal cells. 
Conclusion The present study indicates that nanoemulsions prepared by dill essential oil will have the potential to become a therapeutic strategy for diseases caused by oxidative stress.

Background and Aim The flavin reductase DszD enzyme is a key enzyme for providing required reduction potential in the bacterial desulfurization process. Considering the low speed of desulfurization process because of low catalytic power of this enzyme, it is necessary to increase the catalytic power of flavin reductase for industrial use of this enzyme as biocatalyst.
Methods & Materials The three-dimensional structure of the flavin reductase DszD enzyme was predicted by a CPHmodel server and its amino acid sequence was searched in the protein data bank to identify the homologue molecules. Based on the alignment of the amino acid sequence and the model molecules, the key residues at the flavin mononucleotide substrate were identified. The key residue of asparagine at position 77 was replaced with phenylalanine using the site-directed mutagenesis method. 
Ethical Considerations This study with research ethics code IR.NIGEB.EC.1398.6.24 A has been approved by research ethics committee at National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran.
Results The cloning and expression of each of the wild-type and mutant genes were performed separately. The catalytic power of the produced wild-type and mutant enzymes were compared. The catalytic activity measurements showed that the mutant enzyme had a 2.5 fold increase in catalytic power.
Conclusion Replacing phenylalanine with asparagine at position 77 of flavin reductase DszD enzyme leads to an increase in enzyme catalytic power to increase the speed of bacterial desulfurization process.

Background and Aim recombinant DNA technique is a powerful and appropriate method for the production of protein biopolymers with specificity in amino acid sequence and spatial chemistry. Elastin-Like Polypeptide (ELP) is a biocompatible, biodegradable and non-immunological biopolymer used in various biotechnology studies. The ELP tag is a cheap, fast and non-chromatographic technique for purifying target proteins. In this study, pET expression vector was designed for the combination of ELP gene sequences and target recombinant protein in order to produce recombinant fusion protein with the ELP tag.
Methods & Materials MOD gene was transformed to E. coli-BL21 (DE3) cells after designing and synthesis among the XbaI and XhoI restriction sites in the pET-32a (+) vector of the clone. Then, colonies were isolated based on plasmid size and examined by cutting using restriction enzymes. The final recombinant colonies was verified using polymerase chain reaction method and DNA sequencing.
Ethical Considerations The Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences approved all ethical considerations ofworking on laboratory animals (Code: 92-146-11).
Results Replacing the MOD sequence in the pET-32a vector (+) eliminated the components expressing the fusion tags (Thioredoxin, Histidine, and S-tag), the identification site of protease enzyme (tobacco etch virus), and multiple cloning site. In addition, it added specific restriction enzyme identification sequences of ELP gene and target gene. As a result, in the optimized pET-MODvector, 466 nucleotides reduced in size and the secondary structure was improved.
Conclusion Considering the improvement of spatial structure and reduction of pET-MOD vector size, as well as the possibility of the fusion of recombinant protein with the ELP tag, it is possible to use this vector for ELPyation of the target protein.

Background and Aim Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most commonly occurring leukemia in adults, accounting for about 30-25% of total leukemia. One of the important etiological causes of this leukemia is the disruption of the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-kB) signaling pathway. The two proteins of Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (APRIL) and B-Cell Activating Factor (BAFF) play a role in the pathogenesis of this leukemia by affecting the NF-kB signaling pathway. In this study, due to the effect of miRNAs in regulating many cellular processes, the prediction of the prominent miRNAs targeting APRIL and BAFF transcripts in B-cell CLL patients was evaluated using specific and different bioinformatics programs.
Methods & Materials Afterwards retrieving the sequences of APRIL and BAFF proteins from the NCBI website, by using several programs including miRanda, TargetScan, miRWalk, DIANA and miRDB with different algorithms, the prediction of miRNAs targeting these genes was investigated.
Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences.
Results Based on the scoring system of bioinformatics programs, “hsa-miR-145-5p” and “hsa-miR-185-5p” were identified as miRNAs targeting APRIL gene, while “hsa-miR-424” and “hsa-miR-497”were miRNAs targeting BAFF gene. They were suggested for the practical studies in future.
Conclusion Based on the important role of APRIL and BAFF genes in the normal process of cell death and B-cell evolution, it seems that the mi-RNAs predicted by bioinformatics programs using different algorithms can be used as a diagnostic molecular biomarker to identify B-cell CLL patients.

Background and Aim Gentamicin antibiotic has some side effects such as nephrotoxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the post-treatment effects of using hydroethanolic extract of Origanum Vulgare (OV) on nephrotoxicity caused by gentamicin.
Methods & Materials In this study, 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of control (n=8), gentamicin (n=8; 100 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for 8 days and gavage of distilled water for 2 days), OV extract group (intraperitoneal injection of normal saline for 8 days and using 40 mg/kg OV extract by gavage for 2 days), and gentamicin+ OV extract (intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin 100 mg/kg/day for 8 days and using 40 mg/kg OV extract by gavage for 2 days). The concentration of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium and osmolarity were measured in plasma and urine samples. The right kidney was used to measure Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP).
Ethical Considerations This article was obtained from a research proposal approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code:IR.ARAKMU.REC. 1394.284)
Results Post-treatment administration of hydroethanolic extract of OV significantly decreased the concentration of urea, creatinine, absolute sodium excretion, relative sodium and potassium excretion, and MDA levels but significantly increased creatinine, urine osmolality and FRAP levels. 
Conclusion Oral administration of OV extract as post-treatment method improved nephrotoxicity caused by gentamicin use by reducing oxidative stress of oxygen free radicals and lipid peroxidation in the affected kidneys. 

Background and Aim: Thyroid gland makes thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormones. These hormones are really effective in regulating and control of basal metabolism. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Terfezia Boundary (TB) on the serum level of thyroid hormones.
Methods & Materials: In this experimental study, 30 male Wistar rats (weighing 200±10 g) were selected and divided into five groups of 6 including control, sham (received normal saline) and three experimental groups received TB with 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg doses via intraperitoneal injection for 14 days. Samples from all groups were collected at the end of the 14th day directly from the heart to evaluate thyroid hormone. The data were statistically analyzed in SPSS v. 12.
Ethical Considerations: This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences (code: IR.ARUMS.REC.1396.48).
Results: The results of this study showed that the T3 and T4 levels in the experimental groups 2 (150 mg/kg) and 3 (300 mg/kg) increased significantly compared to the control group (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively). The Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) level in the experimental groups 1 (75 mg/kg), 2 (150 mg/kg) and 3 (300 mg/kg) decreased significantly compared to the control group (P<0.05, P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively). 
Conclusion: Hydroalcoholic extract of TB can increase the serum levels of thyroid hormones and reduce TSH level.

Background and Aim: Human Serum Albumin (HSA) is one of the most abundant proteins in the blood vascular system which regulates the transportation of many chemical compounds and molecules. The purpose of this study is to review the studies about the effects of three groups of pesticides (Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) on the molecular structure of HSA protein. 
Methods & Materials: This systematic review covers 35 studies of biophysical studies of the effect of pesticides on HSA protein. These papers were searched in PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science databases and using Google Scholar search engine among those published from 1980 to 2019. 
Ethical Considerations: In this study, all ethical principles were considered.
Results: Given the close relationship between biological activities of HSA and its secondary structure, the most of the reviewed articles analyzed the secondary structures of the HSA using various biophysical methods such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Circular Dichroism (CD) and computational analysis. In general, HSA-pesticides interactions can cause a reduction in α-helix structure and an increase in other secondary structures including β-sheet, β-anti, and random coils. In the most reports, it has been proven that the pesticides interact with HSA through hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. These interactions take place in the IIA subdomain (Site 1) of HSA. The binding constants of these interactions were in the range of 10 ³ to 10 ⁶ M^-1.
Conclusion : The changes around the single important tryptophan residue of HSA (Trp-214) induce conformational deformity in the IIA subdomain of this protein which causes the loss of its native structure and leads to a decrease in free HSA concentrations which subsequently interrupts the transport of the essential compounds like drugs and hormones in the blood vascular system.

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the stimulatory and protective effects of Methylphenidate (MPD) on the experimental epilepsy induced by intraperitoneal injection of Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) in adult male rats.
Methods & Materials: In this study, 15 male rats (weight, 200-250 gr) dividied into one control group (n=5) received normal saline and two treatment groups; the first group (n=5) received MPD with a dose of 2.5 mg/kg and the second group (n=5) received MPD with a dose of 5 mg/kg by gavage. After anesthesia with ketamine-xylazin combination and animal skull surgery, the recorded electrodes were inserted into the cranium in the stratum striatum layer of the CA1 region of the hippocampus, and epileptic activity was induced by intraperitoneal injection of PTZ (80 mg/kg) and the epileptiform activity was evaluated in terms of the number of spikes per time unit and their amplitudes by eTrace software.
Ethical Considerations: This study with an ethics code of FVMT.REC.1397.67 was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at University of Tabriz. 
Results: Oral MPD at 2.5 and 5 mg/kg doses increased the number of spikes up to 576 and 613, respectively, compared to the control group (330 spikes), which were statistically significant. Amplitude of PTZ-induced epileptic activity after treatment with 2.5 and 5 mg/kg MPD reached 1254 and 1085 respectively compared to control group (1051), which were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The doses of oral MPD used in this study potentiate seizure activity. Therefore, the use of this drug in people with a background of seizure or suffering from some types of seizure should be cautious, and the evaluation of its effect in these patients need further studies.

Background and Aim: Alzheimer’s disease is the most common causes of dementia among the elderly people. The aim of this study was to evaluate the synergistic effects of memantine and vitamin D on spatial learning and memory impairment in adult male rat model of Alzheimer's disease.
Methods & Materials: In this experimental study, male Wistar rats were randomly divided into nine groups (n=7): 1= Control, 2= NBM lesion (received bilateral electric lesion of NBM), 3= Sham (the electrode was entered into the NBM with no electric lesion), 4= NBM lesion+ Vehicle Memantine (received saline), 5= NBM lesion+ Vehicle Vitamin D (received saline), 6= NBM lesion+ Vehicle Memantine+ Vehicle Vitamin D (received saline plus sesame oil), 7= NBM lesion+ Vitamin D; 8= NBM lesion+Memantine, and 9= NBM lesion+Vitamin D+Memantine. After one week, the rats were trained to perform the Y-maze task for five days. Twenty five days after training, a retention test was performed to evaluate their long-term memory.
Ethical Considerations: This study with research ethics code of “EE/ 97, 24, 3061243/scu.ac.ir” was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz In Iran.
Results: Bilateral NBM lesion reduced spatial learning in comparison with control and sham groups. No effect on spatial learning was observed in NBM lesion+ Vehicle Memantine and NBM lesion+ Vehicle Vitamin D groups compared to the NBM lesion group. Spatial learning and memory in NBM lesion +Vitamin D+Memantine group (P<0.001) was significantly improved compared to NBM lesion+Vitamin D (P<0.01) and NBM lesion+Memantine (P<0.05) groups. Moreover, no significant difference was observed between the results in the 5th day of training and the memory retention at the 30th day. 
Conclusion: Co-administration of memantine and vitamin D is more effective than memantine or vitamin D alone in spatial learning and memory improvement in rat model of Alzheimer's disease. 

Background and Aim: The most important problem in the production of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic cells is the disruption of the function of these proteins due to their altered natural structure. The aim of present study is to identify the best chemicals dialysis buffer additives in order to improve the protein structure of recombinant Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)
Methods & Materials: In this experimental study, different chemicals additives were selected using relevant software. After adding these additives to the recombinant VEGF dialysis buffer, their effect on the refolding of recombinant proteins and the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells was assessed by flow cytometry method.
Ethical Considerations: This study obtained its ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences (Code: ARAKMU. REC.1394.199).
Results: The results showed that the addition of arginine, cysteine and dithiothreitol (DTT) to dialysis buffer increases the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells. With the presence of sodium chloride (NaCl), cysteine, arginine and DTT in treated cells, the rate of specific Cluster Differentiation (CD) markers of endothelial cell (CD31/144) was at the highest level. 
Conclusion: Adding cysteine, arginine, DTT and NaCl to the dialysis buffer of recombinant VEGF had the greatest effect on the mesenchymal cell differentiation into endothelial cells.