Roohina Ali - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Roohina Ali
Alternatives to Laboratory Animals
Stem cell-based therapy presents an attractive alternative to conventional therapies for degenera... more Stem cell-based therapy presents an attractive alternative to conventional therapies for degenerative diseases. Numerous studies have investigated the capability of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) to contribute to the regeneration of cardiomyocytes, and the results have encouraged further basic and clinical studies on the MSC-based treatment of cardiomyopathies. This study aimed to determine the potential of cardiomyogenic transcription factors in differentiating hUC-MSCs into cardiac-like cells in vitro. MSCs were isolated from umbilical cord tissue and were transduced with the transcription factor genes, GATA-4 and Nkx 2.5, via infection with lentiviruses, to promote differentiation into the cardiomyogenic lineage. Gene and protein expression were analysed with qPCR and immunocytochemical staining. After transduction, differentiated cardiac-like cells showed significant expression of cardiac genes and proteins, namely GATA-4, Nkx-2.5, cardiac troponi...
Recent advancement in nanomedicine has provided a diverse array of applications for modulating st... more Recent advancement in nanomedicine has provided a diverse array of applications for modulating stem cell behavior and fate for their therapeutic applications. Stem cells based tissue regeneration faces several challenges including inability of the cells to proliferate and differentiate in response to mechanical and chemical inducers, as well as inefficient and insufficient production of factors that are essential for stem cell growth and differentiation. The field of nanotechnology provides unique nanomaterials with significant clinical applications in the area of regenerative medicine. This chapter highlights the link between nanomedicine and tissue engineering, reviewing current literatures on the interactions between metallic nanoparticles (NPs) and stem cells, effects of NPs on stem cell differentiation into different lineages, and their potential therapeutic applications. In addition, the plausible mechanisms through which NPs could regulate the spatiotemporal release and kinet...
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 2020
Small molecules are widely used to induce stem cell differentiation. 2′-deoxycytidine (2-DC) belo... more Small molecules are widely used to induce stem cell differentiation. 2′-deoxycytidine (2-DC) belongs to the cytidine family. It stimulates the expression of cardiac-specific genes and proteins, and directs mesenchymal stem cells towards cardiomyogenic differentiation. We aim to investigate the role of 2-DC-treated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) into myogenic lineage and explore their application in regeneration of infarcted myocardium. UC-MSCs were treated with 5, 10, 20, and 40 µM 2-DC following optimization by cytotoxicity analysis. Rat model of myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by ligating left anterior descending coronary artery. Normal, and 2-DC treated UC-MSCs were transplanted in the left ventricular wall immediately after ligation. Echocardiographic measurements were performed to assess cardiac function. Tissue architecture of the myocardium was examined by histological analysis to determine fate of the transplanted cells. MSCs were successfully isolated from human umbilical cord tissue. 2-DC treatment did not produce any significant cytotoxic effect in UC-MSCs at all concentrations. qPCR analysis of treated UC-MSCs showed induction of myogenic differentiation, which is more pronounced at 20 μM concentration. Fluorescently labeled 2-DC-treated UC-MSCs showed significant (**P < 0.01) homing in the infarcted myocardium as compared to normal UC-MSCs. Hearts transplanted with 2-DC-treated UC-MSCs significantly (***P < 0.001) improved the cardiac systolic and diastolic functions and pumping ability as compared to normal UC-MSCs and MI groups. Fibrotic area and left ventricular wall thickness were significantly improved (***P < 0.001) in 2-DC-treated group as compared to normal UC-MSCs. Immunohistochemical staining showed co-localization of fluorescently labeled cells and patches of differentiated myocytes which were stained for cardiac proteins in the infarct zone implying that the treated UC-MSCs regenerated cardiomyocytes. We report for the first time that 2-DC induces cardiac differentiation in UC-MSCs. Transplanted cells differentiated into functional cardiomyocytes and significantly improved cardiac performance. These pre-differentiated cardiac progenitors showed better survival, homing, and distribution in the infarcted zone. 2-DC treated cells not only improved cardiac function, but also restored tissue homeostasis, suggesting a better therapeutic option for the regeneration of cardiac tissue in the clinical setup.
Sri Lankan Journal of Biology, 2017
The cytotoxicty of Alpinia calcarata rhizome and leaf extracts, fractions and essential oils were... more The cytotoxicty of Alpinia calcarata rhizome and leaf extracts, fractions and essential oils were evaluated in vitro against human lung NCI-H460 and cervical HeLa cancer cell lines using sulphorhodamine-B assay. Although an array of bioactivities of A. calcarata rhizome have been reported previously, no attempt has been made to study the cytotoxicity of rhizome in human lung NCI-H460 and cervical HeLa cancer cell lines. In the present study, both the leaf and rhizome extracts (ethanolic and water) along with their fractions (hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, butanol and water) and essential oils against human lung (NCI-H460) and human cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines were investigated. Fresh rhizomes and leaves of Alpinia calcarata, collected from Western Province of Sri Lanka were used to obtain the extracts. The essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation. All the samples were stored at 4 °C. The extracts, fractions and essential oils demonstrated a varying degree of ...
Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2015
Extracts, fractions and gastrointestinal-resistant protein hydrolysates (GRPH) from rice bran (RB... more Extracts, fractions and gastrointestinal-resistant protein hydrolysates (GRPH) from rice bran (RB) of four Sri Lankan traditional varieties were studied for growth inhibition (GI) and cytotoxicity against human lung cancer (NCI-H460), cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines and effect on glutathione S-transferase (GST) in vitro. RB extracts showed significantly high (P < 0.05) GI (GI50 μg/mL: HeLa: 19.24 ± 3.47 to 112.58 ± 0.05; NCI-H460: 54.63 ± 4.89 to 170.31 ± 4.71) and cytotoxicity (LC50 μg/mL: HeLa: 240.12 ± 9.23 to 476.22 ± 0.05; NCI-H460: 255.36 ± 1.81 to 412.07 ± 17.73) compared with GRPH. Highest GI (GI50: 30.63 ± 9.19 to 44.40 ± 5.34 μg/mL) and cytotoxicity (LC50: 141.31 ± 14.47 to 169.51 ± 2.04 μg/mL) was evident in nonpolar fractions (dichloromethane: Goda Heeneti and Sudu Heeneti; hexane: Dik Wee and Sudu Heeneti). No cytotoxicity was evident to normal cells. All RB extracts had high GST inhibition. Properties observed indicate its usefulness in managing lung and cervical cancers. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Lung and cervical cancers are two of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men and women, respectively, and leading causes of mortality. Although numerous potent chemotherapeutic drugs are available for management, most of these drugs are very expensive and are associated with numerous side effects. Further, anticancer drugs containing electrophilic centers can easily form a conjugate with glutathione, which is facilitated by glutathione S-transferase (GST) and excreted from the body resulting in lower efficacy. Therefore, GST inhibitors are used as adjuvants during cancer chemotherapy. The selected rice varieties in this study claimed to possess health-enhancing properties according to Sri Lankan ethnomedicine. The findings of this study clearly showed that bran extracts, fractions and gastrointestinal-resistant protein hydrolysates of selected rice varieties had growth inhibition and cytotoxicity against both lung and cervical cancers. Further, all of these selected varieties had high GST inhibition. Therefore, selected rice brans may be useful in the management of lung and cervical cancers. bs_bs_banner
Alternatives to Laboratory Animals
Stem cell-based therapy presents an attractive alternative to conventional therapies for degenera... more Stem cell-based therapy presents an attractive alternative to conventional therapies for degenerative diseases. Numerous studies have investigated the capability of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) to contribute to the regeneration of cardiomyocytes, and the results have encouraged further basic and clinical studies on the MSC-based treatment of cardiomyopathies. This study aimed to determine the potential of cardiomyogenic transcription factors in differentiating hUC-MSCs into cardiac-like cells in vitro. MSCs were isolated from umbilical cord tissue and were transduced with the transcription factor genes, GATA-4 and Nkx 2.5, via infection with lentiviruses, to promote differentiation into the cardiomyogenic lineage. Gene and protein expression were analysed with qPCR and immunocytochemical staining. After transduction, differentiated cardiac-like cells showed significant expression of cardiac genes and proteins, namely GATA-4, Nkx-2.5, cardiac troponi...
Recent advancement in nanomedicine has provided a diverse array of applications for modulating st... more Recent advancement in nanomedicine has provided a diverse array of applications for modulating stem cell behavior and fate for their therapeutic applications. Stem cells based tissue regeneration faces several challenges including inability of the cells to proliferate and differentiate in response to mechanical and chemical inducers, as well as inefficient and insufficient production of factors that are essential for stem cell growth and differentiation. The field of nanotechnology provides unique nanomaterials with significant clinical applications in the area of regenerative medicine. This chapter highlights the link between nanomedicine and tissue engineering, reviewing current literatures on the interactions between metallic nanoparticles (NPs) and stem cells, effects of NPs on stem cell differentiation into different lineages, and their potential therapeutic applications. In addition, the plausible mechanisms through which NPs could regulate the spatiotemporal release and kinet...
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 2020
Small molecules are widely used to induce stem cell differentiation. 2′-deoxycytidine (2-DC) belo... more Small molecules are widely used to induce stem cell differentiation. 2′-deoxycytidine (2-DC) belongs to the cytidine family. It stimulates the expression of cardiac-specific genes and proteins, and directs mesenchymal stem cells towards cardiomyogenic differentiation. We aim to investigate the role of 2-DC-treated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) into myogenic lineage and explore their application in regeneration of infarcted myocardium. UC-MSCs were treated with 5, 10, 20, and 40 µM 2-DC following optimization by cytotoxicity analysis. Rat model of myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by ligating left anterior descending coronary artery. Normal, and 2-DC treated UC-MSCs were transplanted in the left ventricular wall immediately after ligation. Echocardiographic measurements were performed to assess cardiac function. Tissue architecture of the myocardium was examined by histological analysis to determine fate of the transplanted cells. MSCs were successfully isolated from human umbilical cord tissue. 2-DC treatment did not produce any significant cytotoxic effect in UC-MSCs at all concentrations. qPCR analysis of treated UC-MSCs showed induction of myogenic differentiation, which is more pronounced at 20 μM concentration. Fluorescently labeled 2-DC-treated UC-MSCs showed significant (**P < 0.01) homing in the infarcted myocardium as compared to normal UC-MSCs. Hearts transplanted with 2-DC-treated UC-MSCs significantly (***P < 0.001) improved the cardiac systolic and diastolic functions and pumping ability as compared to normal UC-MSCs and MI groups. Fibrotic area and left ventricular wall thickness were significantly improved (***P < 0.001) in 2-DC-treated group as compared to normal UC-MSCs. Immunohistochemical staining showed co-localization of fluorescently labeled cells and patches of differentiated myocytes which were stained for cardiac proteins in the infarct zone implying that the treated UC-MSCs regenerated cardiomyocytes. We report for the first time that 2-DC induces cardiac differentiation in UC-MSCs. Transplanted cells differentiated into functional cardiomyocytes and significantly improved cardiac performance. These pre-differentiated cardiac progenitors showed better survival, homing, and distribution in the infarcted zone. 2-DC treated cells not only improved cardiac function, but also restored tissue homeostasis, suggesting a better therapeutic option for the regeneration of cardiac tissue in the clinical setup.
Sri Lankan Journal of Biology, 2017
The cytotoxicty of Alpinia calcarata rhizome and leaf extracts, fractions and essential oils were... more The cytotoxicty of Alpinia calcarata rhizome and leaf extracts, fractions and essential oils were evaluated in vitro against human lung NCI-H460 and cervical HeLa cancer cell lines using sulphorhodamine-B assay. Although an array of bioactivities of A. calcarata rhizome have been reported previously, no attempt has been made to study the cytotoxicity of rhizome in human lung NCI-H460 and cervical HeLa cancer cell lines. In the present study, both the leaf and rhizome extracts (ethanolic and water) along with their fractions (hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, butanol and water) and essential oils against human lung (NCI-H460) and human cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines were investigated. Fresh rhizomes and leaves of Alpinia calcarata, collected from Western Province of Sri Lanka were used to obtain the extracts. The essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation. All the samples were stored at 4 °C. The extracts, fractions and essential oils demonstrated a varying degree of ...
Journal of Food Biochemistry, 2015
Extracts, fractions and gastrointestinal-resistant protein hydrolysates (GRPH) from rice bran (RB... more Extracts, fractions and gastrointestinal-resistant protein hydrolysates (GRPH) from rice bran (RB) of four Sri Lankan traditional varieties were studied for growth inhibition (GI) and cytotoxicity against human lung cancer (NCI-H460), cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines and effect on glutathione S-transferase (GST) in vitro. RB extracts showed significantly high (P < 0.05) GI (GI50 μg/mL: HeLa: 19.24 ± 3.47 to 112.58 ± 0.05; NCI-H460: 54.63 ± 4.89 to 170.31 ± 4.71) and cytotoxicity (LC50 μg/mL: HeLa: 240.12 ± 9.23 to 476.22 ± 0.05; NCI-H460: 255.36 ± 1.81 to 412.07 ± 17.73) compared with GRPH. Highest GI (GI50: 30.63 ± 9.19 to 44.40 ± 5.34 μg/mL) and cytotoxicity (LC50: 141.31 ± 14.47 to 169.51 ± 2.04 μg/mL) was evident in nonpolar fractions (dichloromethane: Goda Heeneti and Sudu Heeneti; hexane: Dik Wee and Sudu Heeneti). No cytotoxicity was evident to normal cells. All RB extracts had high GST inhibition. Properties observed indicate its usefulness in managing lung and cervical cancers. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Lung and cervical cancers are two of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men and women, respectively, and leading causes of mortality. Although numerous potent chemotherapeutic drugs are available for management, most of these drugs are very expensive and are associated with numerous side effects. Further, anticancer drugs containing electrophilic centers can easily form a conjugate with glutathione, which is facilitated by glutathione S-transferase (GST) and excreted from the body resulting in lower efficacy. Therefore, GST inhibitors are used as adjuvants during cancer chemotherapy. The selected rice varieties in this study claimed to possess health-enhancing properties according to Sri Lankan ethnomedicine. The findings of this study clearly showed that bran extracts, fractions and gastrointestinal-resistant protein hydrolysates of selected rice varieties had growth inhibition and cytotoxicity against both lung and cervical cancers. Further, all of these selected varieties had high GST inhibition. Therefore, selected rice brans may be useful in the management of lung and cervical cancers. bs_bs_banner