Browsing by Author "Amir, S"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Blood brain barrier-on-a-chip to model neurological diseases
    (Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 2023-02) Reshma, S; Megha, KB; Amir, S; Rukhiya, S; Mohanan, PV
    The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a vital and unique multi-dimensional selective barrier that helps maintain brain homeostasis. BBB is a complex and dynamic structure responsible for regulating the transport of ions and molecules. BBB contains several transporter proteins and tight junctions (TJs) that control the passage of nutrients, while protecting the brain from hazardous toxins and pathogens. Neurological diseases are the primary cause of disability and are considered the second-largest cause of death. BBB dysfunction reduce blood flow and will also permit the entry of toxic substances, and microbial agents in to the brain. This impairment of BBB has been associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. In vitro models that can provide an accurate and deep understanding of neurological disease progression and drug discovery are excellent options.Advancement in microfluidic in vitro models opened new opportunities to study human cell behaviour relative to physiological importance.The limitation of both static transwell and conventional in vitro models was addressed by developing a microfluidic BBB. The microfluidic system showed a close resemblance to the BBB in vivo. The neuronal transport processes and neurogenesis mechanism was well understood with simple neuronal networks. More complex three-dimensional models with multiple cell types, such as Organ on-chip systems, enabled a new platform for a better understanding of the disease and mimicking the physiological conditions. The structure of the blood-brain barrier, conventional models used to model BBB, recent developments in the BBB model using microfluidic technology and the relevance of microfluidic technology in neurological disease modeling is portrayed through this review.
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    Comprehensive Risk Assessment of Infection Induced by SARS-CoV-2
    (Mol Neurobiol, 2023-10) Megha, KB; Reshma, S; Amir, S; Ajai Krishnan, MJ; Shimona, A; Alka, R; Mohanan, PV
    The pandemic COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which devastated the global economy and healthcare system. The infection caused an unforeseen rise in COVID-19 patients and increased the mortality rate globally. This study gives an overall idea about host-pathogen interaction, immune responses to COVID-19, recovery status of infection, targeted organs and complications associated, and comparison of post-infection immunity in convalescent subjects and non-infected individuals. The emergence of the variants and episodes of COVID-19 infections made the situation worsen. The timely introduction of vaccines and precautionary measures helped control the infection's severity. Later, the population that recovered from COVID-19 grew significantly. However, understanding the impact of healthcare issues resulting after infection is paramount for improving an individual's health status. It is now recognised that COVID-19 infection affects multiple organs and exhibits a broad range of clinical manifestations. So, post COVID-19 infection creates a high risk in individuals with already prevailing health complications. The identification of post-COVID-19-related health issues and their appropriate management is of greater importance to improving patient's quality of life. The persistence, sequelae and other medical complications that normally last from weeks to months after the recovery of the initial infection are involved with COVID-19. A multi-disciplinary approach is necessary for the development of preventive measures, techniques for rehabilitation and strategies for clinical management when it comes to long-term care.
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    Microfluidic devices for the detection of disease-specific proteins and other macromolecules, disease modelling and drug development: A review
    (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2023-04) Amir, S; Arathi, A; Reshma, S; Mohanan, PV
    Microfluidics is a revolutionary technology that has promising applications in the biomedical field.Integrating microfluidic technology with the traditional assays unravels the innumerable possibilities for translational biomedical research. Microfluidics has the potential to build up a novel platform for diagnosis and therapy through precise manipulation of fluids and enhanced throughput functions. The developments in microfluidics-based devices for diagnostics have evolved in the last decade and have been established for their rapid, effective, accurate and economic advantages. The efficiency and sensitivity of such devices to detect disease-specific macromolecules like proteins and nucleic acids have made crucial impacts in disease diagnosis. The disease modelling using microfluidic systems provides a more prominent replication of the in vivo microenvironment and can be a better alternative for the existing disease models. These models can replicate critical microphysiology like the dynamic microenvironment, cellular interactions, and biophysical and biochemical cues. Microfluidics also provides a promising system for high throughput drug screening and delivery applications. However, microfluidics-based diagnostics still encounter related challenges in the reliability, real-time monitoring and reproducibility that circumvents this technology from being impacted in the healthcare industry. This review highlights the recent microfluidics developments for modelling and diagnosing common diseases, including cancer, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory and autoimmune disorders, and its applications in drug development.