Evidence mapPaperPMID 40529387Full record

ArticleExperimental and therapeutic medicine2025

Aged garlic extract major constituent S-1-propenyl-l-cysteine inhibits proinflammatory mRNA expression in bronchial epithelial IB3-1 cells exposed to the BNT162b2 vaccine.

Chiara Papi, Jessica Gasparello, Giovanni Marzaro, Alberto Macone, Matteo Zurlo, Federica Di Padua, Pasquale Fino, Enzo Agostinelli, Roberto Gambari, Alessia Finotti

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Article in Experimental and therapeutic medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Chiara PapiDepartment of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Jessica GasparelloDepartment of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Giovanni MarzaroDepartment of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, I-37134 Verona, Italy.
Alberto MaconeDepartment of Biochemical Sciences 'A. Rossi Fanelli', Sapienza University of Rome, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
Matteo ZurloDepartment of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Federica Di PaduaDepartment of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Pasquale FinoDepartment of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, I-00161 Rome, Italy.
Enzo AgostinelliDepartment of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, I-00161 Rome, Italy.
Roberto GambariDepartment of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Alessia FinottiDepartment of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Ferrara University, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A simple experimental model system was developed and validated for the identification and characterization of molecules exhibiting the ability to inhibit the expression of genes activated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) 'cytokine storm' for the present study. Biomolecules derived from herbal medicinal extracts have been proposed as anti-inflammatory strategies for reducing COVID-19 'cytokine storm' and the associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Considering this, the present study focused on a major component of Aged Garlic Extract (AGE), S-1-propenylcysteine (S1PC). The human bronchial epithelial IB3-1 cell line was used to upregulate the expression of proinflammatory genes after exposure to the COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine. The effects of S1PC were then studied following continuous treatment for 2 days in BNT162b2-exposed IB3-1 cells. The concentrations of S1PC were 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 µM. GC-MS analysis was performed in order to characterize the S1PC used in the experiments. Reverse-transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting analysis revealed the accumulation of Spike mRNA and protein in BNT162b2-exposed IB3-1 cells. Subsequently, the effects of S1PC on the several biological and biochemical parameters were analyzed, including cell viability, apoptosis, the NF-κB pathway and the expression of proinflammatory factors. Molecular docking analysis was performed to obtain preliminary information on the putative mechanism(s) of action of S1PC. The results of the present study demonstrate that exposure of epithelial IB3-1 cells to the COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine is associated with a sharp increase in the expression of the transcription factor NF-κB and NF-κB-regulated genes, including

Indexed as

aged garlic extractanti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2BNT162b2 vaccineIB3-1 cellsinflammationS-1-propenyl-l-cysteinespike

Identifiers

PMID40529387
PMCPMC12171798

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.