Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular degradative function that is important for liver homeostasis.Accumulating evidence suggests that autophagy is deregulated during the progression and development of alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases.Impaired autophagy prevents the clearance of excessive lipid droplets(LDs),damaged mitochondria,and toxic protein aggregates,which can be generated during the progression of various liver diseases,thus contributing to the development of steatosis,injury,steatohepatitis,fibrosis,and tumors.In this review,we look at the status of hepatic autophagy during the pathogenesis of alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases.We also examine the mechanisms of defects in autophagy,and the hepato-protective roles of autophagy in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)and alcoholic liver disease(ALD),focusing mainly on steatosis and liver injury.Finally,we discuss the therapeutic potential of autophagy modulating agents for the treatment of these two common liver diseases.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are the small noncoding RNA molecules which regulate target gene expression posttranscriptionally. They are known to regulate key cellular processes like inflammation, cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and cell apoptosis across various ocular diseases. Due to their easier access, recent focus has been laid on the investigation of miRNA expression and their involvement in several conjunctival diseases. The aim of this narrative review is to provide understanding of the miRNAs and describe the current role of miRNAs as the mediators of the various conjunctival diseases. A literature search was made using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for studies involving miRNAs in the conjunctival pathological conditions. Original articles in the last 10 years involving both human and animal models were included. Literature search retrieved 27 studies matching our criteria. Pertaining to the numerous literatures, there is a strong correlation between miRNA and the various pathological conditions that occur in the conjunctiva. miRNAs are involved in various physiological processes such as cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, development, and inflammation by regulating various signaling pathways, genes, proteins, and mediators. Pterygium was the most studied conjunctival disease for miRNA involvement, whereas miRNA research in allergic conjunctivitis is still in its early stages. Our review provides deep insights into the various miRNAs playing an important role in the various conjunctival diseases. miRNAs do have the potential to serve as noninvasive biomarkers with diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications. However, multitudinous studies are required to validate miRNAs as the reliable biomarkers in conjunctival pathologies and its targeted therapy.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcribed RNA molecules with the lengths exceeding 200 nucleotides, are not translated into protein. They can modulate protein-coding genes by controlling transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes. The dysregulation of lncRNAs has been related to various pathological disorders. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of lncRNAs and their implications in the pathogenesis of three common liver diseases: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Future studies to further define the role of lncRNAs and their mechanisms in various types of liver diseases should be explored. An improved understanding from these studies will provide us a useful perspective leading to mechanism-based intervention by targeting specific lncRNAs for the treatment of liver diseases.

Cancer organoids are three-dimensional mini-organ analogues derived from cancer tissues and have been proposed as models capable of simulating the structure and function of human organs and tissues in vitro. We sought to establish gastric cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from tissues obtained by endoscopic biopsies. Gastric cancer-PDOs were successfully established and cultured from cancer tissues with gastric adenocarcinoma by endoscopic biopsies. To confirm that gastric cancer-PDOs were derived from cancer tissue, the consistency of the original cancer tissue was assessed by histopathological examination.As a result, it was confirmed that the shape and internal structure of gastric cancer-PDO were derived from the original gastric cancer cells, and the tumor specificity of gastric cancerPDO was confirmed through Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and polyclonal carcinoembryonic antigen antibody staining. These results demonstrate that gastric cancer-PDO models show the characteristics of primary tumors and have potential for drug screening and providing a personalized medicine platform.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pathogens in urinary tract and their antimicrobial susceptibilities, based on extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC beta-lactamase production in Bangladesh. Methodology and results: The prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms in urinary tract and their antimicrobial resistance patterns were identified in 200 isolates from patients with urinary tract infections. Combined disc diffusion was performed to identify the presence of ESBL-producing strains. Moreover, disc approximation assay, disc potentiation test and double disc synergy test were performed to determine the presence of AmpC beta-lactamase producing bacterial strains. This study demonstrated a higher prevalence of UTIs in females (83.5%) than in males (16.5%). The most common pathogen was found Escherichia coli (44.5%), followed by Enterococcus fecalis (24%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.5%) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (4.5%). ESBL and AmpC beta-lactamase production occurred more frequently in E. coli (25.84%) and P. aeruginosa (100%) respectively. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The result of this study would provide physicians with important information which help them to make a judicious choice of antibiotics for therapeutic purposes. However, it is emphasized that continuous surveillance of antibiogram of medically important organisms causing UTI is necessary for adopting a rational antibiotic policy in the country.