Paget’s disease of bone (PDB) is the second most prevalent metabolic bone disorder worldwide, with a prevalence rate of 1.5%–8.3%. It is characterized by localized areas of accelerated, disorganized, and excessive bone production and turnover. Typically, PDB develops in the later stages of life, particularly in the late 50s, and affects men more frequently than women. PDB is a complex disease influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. PDB has a complex genetic basis involving multiple genes, with SQSTM1 being the gene most frequently associated with its development. Mutations affecting the UBA domain of SQSTM1 have been detected in both familial and sporadic PDB cases, and these mutations are often associated with severe clinical expression. Germline mutations in other genes such as TNFRSF11A, ZNF687 and PFN1, have also been associated with the development of the disease. Genetic association studies have also uncovered several PDB predisposing risk genes contributing to the disease pathology and severity. Epigenetic modifications of genes involved in bone remodelling and regulation, including RANKL, OPG, HDAC2, DNMT1, and SQSTM1, have been implicated in the development and progression of Paget’s disease of bone, providing insight into the molecular basis of the disease and potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Although PDB has a tendency to cluster within families, the variable severity of the disease across family members, coupled with decreasing incidence rates, indicates that environmental factors may also play a role in the pathophysiology of PDB. The precise nature of these environmental triggers and how they interact with genetic determinants remain poorly understood. Fortunately, majority of PDB patients can achieve long-term remission with an intravenous infusion of aminobisphosphonates, such as zoledronic acid. In this review, we discuss aspects like clinical characteristics, genetic foundation, and latest updates in PDB research.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a urogenital cancer affecting millions of post-menopausal women, globally. This study aims to identify key miRNAs, target genes, and drug targets associated with EC metastasis. The global miRNA and mRNA expression datasets of endometrial tissue biopsies (24 tumors +3 healthy tissues for mRNA and 18 tumor +4 healthy tissues for miRNAs), were extensively analyzed by mapping of DEGs, DEMi, biological pathway enrichment, miRNA-mRNA networking, drug target identification, and survival curve output for differentially expressed genes. Our results reveal the dysregulated expression of 26 miRNAs and their 66 target genes involved in focal adhesions, p53 signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, Hedgehog signaling pathway, fat digestion and absorption, glioma as well as retinol metabolism involved in cell growth, migration, and proliferation of endometrial cancer cells. The subsequent miRNA-mRNA network and expression status analysis have narrowed down to 2 hub miRNAs (hsa-mir-200a, hsa-mir-429) and 6 hub genes (PTCH1, FOSB, PDGFRA, CCND2, ABL1, ALDH1A1). Further investigations with different systems biology methods have prioritized ALDH1A1, ABL1 and CCND2 as potential genes involved in endometrial cancer metastasis owing to their high mutation load and expression status. Interestingly, overexpression of PTCH1, ABL1 and FOSB genes are reported to be associated with a low survival rate among cancer patients. The upregulated hsa-mir-200a-b is associated with the decreased expression of the PTCH1, CCND2, PDGFRA, FOSB and ABL1 genes in endometrial cancer tissue while hsa-mir-429 is correlated with the decreased expression of the ALDH1A1 gene, besides some antibodies, PROTACs and inhibitory molecules. In conclusion, this study identified key miRNAs (hsa-mir-200a, hsa-mir-429) and target genes ALDH1A1, ABL1 and CCND2 as potential biomarkers for metastatic endometrial cancers from large-scale gene expression data using systems biology approaches.

Background and Aims: The incidence of fungal infections in Saudi Arabia is increasing with an increase in the population of high-risk patients. Still, studies highlighting the impact of environmental fungal agents on infections in Saudi are limited, and none have examined the Medina region despite the city’s stature, diversity, and travel flow. This study aims to determine the fungal distribution across the Medina region. Methods: A randomized 212 indoor samples were collected based on analyzed data from 1374 questionnaires. The prevalence of participants to fungal infection was 19.2% and 26.3% in the risk group. Fungal species were identified via macroscopic and microscopic examination. Results: Two hundred and three (96%) samples showed fungal growth. Yeast identified were 78 (34%) Candida species, 56 (25%) non-Candida species. The study identified 13 genera and 20 species for mould, including 38 (17%) Aspergillus spp., 20 (9%) Rhizopus spp. 9(4%) holoarthic/enteroatric conidiogenesis, 7 (3%) Mucor spp. 4 (2%) of both Penicillium spp. and Neurspora spp. and only 2(1%) of Madurella spp., 3(1%) Epidermophyton spp., 2 (1%) Lichtheimia spp., and 1(1%) Peacilomyces spp. Conclusions: This study identified Aspergillus spp. as the most frequent fungi across the Medina region. The characterization of indoor fungal environment enables healthcare practitioners to anticipate fungal infection for individuals at risk. These findings can aid the prediction and prevention of fungal infections and fungal sensitization among the high-risk populations.