Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, which is the second after heart diseases. Adenoviruses (Ads) have become the promise of new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. The objective of this review is to discuss current advances in the applications of adenoviral vectors in cancer therapy. Adenoviral vectors can be engineered in different ways so as to change the tumor microenvironment from cold tumor to hot tumor, including; 1. by modifying Ads to deliver transgenes that codes for tumor suppressor gene (p53) and other proteins whose expression result in cell cycle arrest 2. Ads can also be modified to express tumor specific antigens, cytokines, and other immune-modulatory molecules. The other strategy to use Ads in cancer therapy is to use oncolytic adenoviruses, which directly kills tumor cells. Gendicine and Advexin are replication-defective recombinant human p53 adenoviral vectors that have been shown to be effective against several types of cancer. Gendicine was approved for treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency in 2003 as a first-ever gene therapy product. Oncorine and ONYX-015 are oncolytic adenoviral vectors that have been shown to be effective against some types of cancer. The Chiness FDA agency has also approved Oncorin for the treatment of head and neck cancer. Ads that were engineered to express immune-stimulatory cytokines and other immune-modulatory molecules such as TNF-α, IL-2, BiTE, CD40L, 4-1BBL, GM-CSF, and IFN have shown promising outcome in treatment of cancer. Ads can also improve therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapy (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells). In addition, different replication-deficient adenoviral vectors (Ad5-CEA, Ad5-PSA, Ad-E6E7, ChAdOx1–MVA and Ad-transduced Dendritic cells) that were tested as anticancer vaccines have been demonstrated to induce strong antitumor immune response. However, the use of adenoviral vectors in gene therapy is limited by several factors such as pre-existing immunity to adenoviral vectors and high immunogenicity of the viruses. Thus, innovative strategies must be continually developed so as to overcome the obstacles of using adenoviral vectors in gene therapy.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vivo toxicity and antibacterial activity of the leaves extracts of Boscia coriacea and Uvaria leptocladon.METHODS: Extraction was performed using 80% methanol by maceration and Soxhlet extraction method. Evaluation of the acute toxicity of the extracts was based on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline. Evaluation of antibacterial activity of the extracts was done by agar well diffusion assay. Determinations of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the extracts were performed by broth macro-dilution method. The checkerboard method was used for the determination of combined effect of antibiotics and the extracts.Paired T-test and one way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.RESULTS: B. coriacea and U. leptocladon have no toxic effect in Swiss albino mice up to dose of 5000 mg/kg. B. coriacea and U. leptocladon showed antibacterial activity at concentration of 500 mg/ml. The chloroform-methanol fraction of B. coriacea and U. leptocladon showed the highest antibacterial activity at concentration of 25 mg/ml. The MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of B. coriacea were 125 mg/ml and 250mg/ml, respectively. The MIC of U. leptocladon ranged from 31.25 mg/ml to 62.5 mg/ml, while its MBC ranged from 62.5 to 125 mg/ml. The combination assay of B. coriacea and the antibiotics showed additive effect, while U. leptocladon and the antibiotics showed indifferent effect.CONCLUSION: The findings showed that U. leptocladon and B. coriacea leaves extracts have antibacterial activity and no toxicity in animal model.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activities and phytochemical composition of the leaves extracts of Boscia coriacea Graells and Uvaria leptocladon Oliv.METHODS: The powdered leaves of Boscia coriacea Graells and Uvaria leptocladon Oliv were extracted by maceration and soxhlet extraction methods. Anti-inflammatory activity of the leaves extracts of Boscia coriacea Graells and Uvaria leptocladon Oliv were evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw edema model. Standard methods were used for analysis of phytochemical composition of the leaves extracts of Boscia coriacea Graells and Uvaria leptocladon Oliv. Data analysis was done using one way analysis of variance.RESULTS: U. leptocladon Oliv (200 mg/kg) and B. coriacea Graells (200 mg/kg) showed percent inhibition on mice paw edema of 86% and 75% after six hours of carrageenan injection, respectively. The ethanol fraction (100 mg/kg) of U. leptocladon Oliv showed the highest anti- inflammatory effect after six hours of carrageenan injection. The phytochemical analysis of the leaves extracts of B. coriacea and U. leptocladon revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, cardiac glycoside, flavonoids, phenols, quinones, and saponins.CONCLUSION: The crude leaves extracts of B. coriacea Graells and U. leptocladon Oliv contain phytochemicals with antiinflammatory activities.

BACKGROUND፡ Polio is a disabling and potentially deadly disease caused by a wild poliovirus and vaccine-derived poliovirus. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current situation of polio in Ethiopia.METHOD: Relevant scientific articles on Polio were searched from different data bases and websites.RESULTS: The first wild poliovirus in Ethiopia was detected in 1999, followed by detection of few cases in 2000 and 2001. No wild poliovirus was detected in Ethiopia for the next 3 years (2001-2003). However, the disease resurged again in the country between 2004 and 2008 due to challenge to provide sufficient oralpoliovirus vaccine coverage, migration and cross border economic activities and lack of good acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. After almost 5 years with no wild polio virus, Ethiopia again affected by polio outbreak importation in 2013. However, due to multiple supplementary immunization activities campaigns of improved quality and enhanced surveillance, the outbreak was eventually successfully interrupted within 6 months of confirmation. The most recent emergence of polio in Ethiopia has seen in this year (2020) six years after the country documented zero polio cases since 2014. The cause of the resurgence of the disease is circulating vaccine derived polio virus-2. Currently, Ethiopia has been conducting outbreak response by declaring Mop-up campaigns since September 2020.CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, it can be recommended that: - 1. The country has to completely shift from oral polio virus vaccine to inactivated polio vaccine so that the risk of vaccine derived polio will be diminished; 2. Ethiopia has to strengthen the mop up campaign that it has started in September 2020 following the reemergence of the disease in the country; 3. Ethiopia has to strengthen surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis in order to rapidly detect any new virus importation and to facilitate a rapid response.