Recent years have witnessed the advancement of silk biomaterials in bone tissue engineering, although clinical application of the same is still in its infancy. In this study, the potential of pure nonmulberry Antheraea mylitta (Am) fibroin scaffold, without preloading with bone precursor cells, to repair calvarial bone defect in a rat model is explored and compared with its mulberry counterpart Bombyx mori (Bm) silk fibroin. After 3 months of implantation, Am scaffold culminates in a completely ossified regeneration with a progressive increase in mineralization at the implanted site. On the other hand, the Bm scaffold fails to repair the damaged bone, presumably due to its low osteoconductivity and early degradation. The deposition of bone matrix on scaffolds is evaluated by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. These results are corroborated by in vitro studies of enzymatic degradation, colony formation, and secondary conformational features of the scaffold materials. The greater biocompatibility and mineralization in pure nonmulberry fibroin scaffolds warrants the use of these scaffolds as an "ideal bone graft" biomaterial for effective repair of critical size defects.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is one of the crucial transcription factors, responsible for regulating cellular proliferation, cellular differentiation, migration, programmed cell death, inflammatory response, angiogenesis, and immune activation. In this review, we have discussed the classical regulation of STAT3 via diverse growth factors, cytokines, G‐protein‐coupled receptors, as well as toll‐like receptors. We have also highlighted the potential role of noncoding RNAs in regulating STAT3 signaling. However, the deregulation of STAT3 signaling has been found to be associated with the initiation and progression of both solid and hematological malignancies. Additionally, hyperactivation of STAT3 signaling can maintain the cancer stem cell phenotype by modulating the tumor microenvironment, cellular metabolism, and immune responses to favor drug resistance and metastasis. Finally, we have also discussed several plausible ways to target oncogenic STAT3 signaling using various small molecules derived from natural products.

Mancozeb, a fungicide of ethylenebisdithiocarbamate group was orally administered at doses of 500, 600, 700 and 800 mg/kg body weight/day to normal virgin rats of Wistar strain for 30 days. The vaginal smear and body weight of the rats were recorded daily and rats were sacrificed on 31st day. Estrous cycle was effected by showing a significant decrease in the number of estrous cycle, duration of proestrus, estrus and metestrus with concomitant significant increase in the duration of diestrus in all the mancozeb treated groups when compared with controls. There were a significant decrease in the number of healthy follicles and a significant increase in the number of atretic follicles in all the mancozeb treated groups when compared with controls. The histologic observation of the ovary revealed the presence of less number of corpora lutea and the size of the ovary was also reduced in high doses of mancozeb treated rats. There was a significant increase in the thyroid weight in all the mancozeb treated rats except in 500 mg/kg/d. In rats treated with 500 mg/kg/d showed a significant increase in the level of total lipids in the liver. In rats treated with 600 mg/kg/d mancozeb showed a significant decrease in the levels of glycogen and total lipids in the uterus and total lipids in the liver. In rats treated with 700 mg/kg/d showed a significant decrease in the levels of protein in ovary, glycogen, total lipids, phospholipids and neutral lipids in the uterus and a significant increase in the levels of phospholipids, neutral lipids in the ovary and total lipids, phospholipids and neutral lipids in the liver. In rats treated with 800 mg/kg/d showed a significant decrease in the levels of protein and glycogen in the ovary and protein , glycogen, total lipids, phospholipids and neutral lipids in the uterus and a significant increase in the levels of total lipids, phospholipids and neutral lipids in the ovary and liver when compared with controls. These observed effect of mancozeb on the estrous cycle, follicles and biochemical constituents may be due to imbalance in the hormone or toxic effect.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common hematological disorder with heterogeneous nature that resulted from blocked myeloid differentiation and an enhanced number of immature myeloid progenitors. During several decades, different factors, including cytogenetic, genetic, and epigenetic have been reported to contribute to the pathogenesis of AML by inhibiting the differentiation and ensuring the proliferation of myeloid blast cells. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been considered as potential diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic factors in different human malignancies including AML. Altered expression of lncRNAs is correlated with the transformation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells into leukemic blast cells because of their distinct role in the key cellular processes. We discuss the significant role of lncRNAs in the proliferation, survival, differentiation, leukemic stem cells in AML and their involvement in different molecular pathways (insulin-like growth factor type I receptor, FLT3, c-KIT, Wnt, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/ protein kinase-B, microRNAs), and associated mechanisms such as autophagy, apoptosis, and glucose metabolism. In addition, we aim to highlight the role of lncRNAs as reliable biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and drug resistance for precision medicine in AML.