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The increasing occurrence of pharmaceuticals and other bioactive contaminants in aquatic environments has raised significant concern due to their potential toxicological effects, continuous human exposure, and implications for public health. These compounds, including drug residues, metabolites, and biologically active pollutants, often persist at trace concentrations that challenge conventional analytical methodologies commonly used in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry. Biosensor-based analytical strategies have emerged as powerful tools for the detection and quantification of pharmaceuticals and bioactive compounds in complex aqueous matrices, offering high sensitivity, molecular selectivity, reduced analysis time, and the potential for decentralized monitoring. By integrating biological recognition elements with physicochemical transducers, biosensors enable the detection of compounds of medicinal relevance while providing insights into bioavailability, toxicity, and exposure pathways. From a pharmaceutical biotechnology perspective, biosensor platforms based on enzymes, whole cells, nucleic acids, and nanostructured transducers represent scalable analytical tools that complement conventional methods used in pharmaceutical analysis and exposure assessment. This review critically examines recent advances in biosensor technologies applied to the detection of pharmaceuticals and bioactive contaminants in water, with particular emphasis on electrochemical, surface plasmon resonance, whole-cell, bacterial, DNA-based, and microarray biosensing platforms. Attention is given to analytical performance parameters, target analytes of pharmacological relevance, and the suitability of different biosensing approaches for complex aqueous matrices. Selected examples from Mexican research are discussed as a case study illustrating contributions to current analytical challenges. Finally, current limitations and future perspectives are addressed, highlighting the role of biosensor-based strategies as complementary analytical tools in pharmaceutical biotechnology, medicinal chemistry, and toxicological assessment.
Personalized oncology is transforming cancer care by tailoring therapeutic strategies to the molecular and clinical characteristics of individual patients. However, increasing treatment complexity, interpatient variability, and the growing use of advanced therapeutics challenge the limitations of standardized medicines. This review examines pharmaceutical compounding as a fundamental component enabling the delivery of individualized oncology treatments. A literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, using a predefined search strategy detailed in the manuscript. This narrative review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the application of pharmaceutical compounding in modern oncology practice. The analysis includes immunotherapy, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, genomic-guided therapy, and combination treatment strategies. Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, three-dimensional printing, and robotic compounding, were also assessed, alongside regulatory frameworks, safety challenges, and quality considerations. The main findings of this study show that compounded medications support individualized care through dose adjustment, modification of dosage forms, and exclusion of unsuitable excipients, particularly in pediatric oncology, rare cancers, and patients with specific needs. The magistral and officinal preparations help maintain continuity of care when commercial formulations are unavailable. In addition, technological advances are improving the precision, reproducibility, and safety of compounding processes, and pharmacists are centrally involved in the design, preparation, quality assurance, and regulatory oversight of these therapies. In conclusion, pharmaceutical compounding remains an essential component of personalized oncology, enabling patient-centered and adaptable treatment strategies. The expanding engagement of pharmacists, together with advances in technology and evolving regulatory frameworks, is essential to ensuring the safe and effective implementation of individualized therapies in oncology care.
Ensuring the consistent disintegration performance of immediate-release oral solid dosage (OSD) forms throughout their shelf life is critical for therapeutic efficacy, yet predicting point-of-care performance from manufacturing data remains a significant challenge. Current predictive approaches often rely on empirical correlations or high-dimensional black-box models that lack mechanistic insight and longitudinal validity. To address this, a simple hybrid model that predicts longitudinal disintegration times tdisint,T solely from at-line porosity measurements fat-line is established. The framework is anchored in United States Pharmacopoeia <701> standards to ensure regulatory compliance and reproducibility, while maintaining an architecture that is agnostic to the specific porosity characterisation technique. Utilising a five-year real-time stability dataset with different formulations and tablet geometries, global models are established and demonstrate exceptional predictive accuracy (R2>0.92) across all longitudinal time points. The operating range lies in fat-line∈[0.1,0.3], which is the typical porosity range of pharmaceutical OSDs. The model's longitudinal validity is predicated on the physicochemical stability of the formulation, allowing the model parameters to serve as quantitative indicators in stability assessments. The simplicity and adaptability of this mechanistically grounded model offer a pragmatic path to demonstrating dosage form efficacy at the point-of-care, providing a robust alternative to traditional, destructive end-point testing. By relating at-line structural attributes to long-term performance, this model facilitates Quality by Design in development, seamless technical transfer, and robust real-time release testing. Ultimately, this framework ensures that the rigorously designed quality standards are demonstrably preserved until the moment of patient administration.
Influenza B virus (IBV) represents a significant global health threat, contributing 20-30% of annual influenza cases and causing substantial morbidity and mortality across all age groups. Current seasonal vaccines demonstrate variable effectiveness, highlighting the urgent need for next-generation approaches that provide enhanced and sustained protection against both IBV lineages. Moreover, continuous antigenic drift of circulating viruses progressively reduces the match between vaccine-induced antibodies and contemporary strains, necessitating broad-spectrum protection strategies. This review discusses influenza B virus control strategies, encompassing both conventional approaches and emerging vaccine technologies. While antiviral therapy, epidemiological surveillance, diagnostics, and non-pharmaceutical public-health measures are integral components of influenza B control, the present review focuses specifically on vaccine-based strategies. By critically appraising the available evidence, this review evaluates the extent to which these strategies may improve the effectiveness of IBV vaccines and, in the longer term, inform the prospect of reducing the burden of-or potentially eliminating-influenza B virus, a goal that remains hypothetical and requires clinical validation.
Replacement therapy is an advanced therapeutic approach for diseases caused by molecular deficits. It aims to restore normal physiology by replacing deficient molecules such as enzymes, proteins, genes, or other molecules. Here, we discuss different modalities, including protein replacement, gene therapy, messenger RNA (mRNA) replacement, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) therapies, cell replacement, and gene editing, aimed at addressing and treating the fundamental genetic defects underlying a range of diseases. These therapies could have potentially curative and disease-modifying effects when used to directly replace deficient or dysfunctional components, addressing the inherent limitations of conventional therapies, such as off-target effects and control of disease-related symptoms. Some replacement therapies, such as protein therapy, gene therapy, and cell therapy, are already approved for clinical use, while emerging approaches-including mRNA therapy, ncRNA therapy, and gene editing-remain primarily in the preclinical or clinical trial stages. To achieve broad clinical translation of these emerging approaches, key challenges, including delivery, safety, specificity, and ethical concerns, must be addressed. This review provides an overview of the existing modalities of replacement therapies, their mechanisms of action, and future directions for improving clinical translation, efficacy, and accessibility.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), as an essential cobalt-containing vitamin for the human body, boasts significant physiological functions and broad application in the pharmaceutical, animal feed, food, and cosmetic industries. It mainly exists in four forms: adenosylcobalamin, methylcobalamin, cyanocobalamin, and hydroxocobalamin (hydroxycobalamin). Cyanocobalamin, due to its chemical stability, serves as the primary industrial product form. Currently, microbial fermentation stands as the core method for industrial vitamin B12 production, with strains such as Pseudomonas denitrificans and Propionibacterium freudenreichii. Nevertheless, the production remains relatively low, which has become a key constraint for the industry's development. This chapter highlights the principal innovations and notable accomplishments of the research team, led by Zhang Dawei from the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in the domain of vitamin B12 biomanufacturing. By systematically reviewing the synthesis methods of vitamin B12, characteristics of industrial fermentation strains, metabolic engineering strategies, and fermentation technologies, this chapter clarifies the technical advantages and current development status of this field. Meanwhile, it analyzes the challenges encountered in the biomanufacturing process and the progress made in addressing them. Finally, it provides an overview of the global market pattern of vitamin B12 and the development trends of cost control. This comprehensive and in-depth review is expected to help readers gain a thorough and in-depth understanding of the vitamin B12 biomanufacturing.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses a group of chronic inflammatory disorders of the bowel, characterized by complex etiologies that are closely associated with an imbalance in intestinal microbiota, abnormal immune activation, and compromised intestinal mucosal barrier function. Current therapeutic options are limited by low response rates and metabolic disorders, underscoring the urgent need for innovative clinical treatments. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum, hereafter referred to as L. plantarum) has emerged as a focal point in IBD research due to its capacity to modulate the intestinal microenvironment and its robust probiotic properties. This review elucidates the multifaceted regulatory mechanisms of L. plantarum in IBD, including its role in modulating host immune responses, mitigating oxidative damage, restoring intestinal mucosal barrier integrity, and reestablishing microbiota balance. Additionally, it highlights advancements in L. plantarum synbiotic research and underscores the necessity for a "basic research-technology translation-clinical application" framework in future investigations, while also exploring the potential of novel targeted delivery technologies. Evidence indicates that L. plantarum enhances intestinal health through multi-target synergy, with its probiotic effects and innovative delivery systems presenting significant application potential. This review offers insights into the mechanisms underlying the action of L. plantarum, establishing a theoretical foundation for the development of novel food therapies aimed at treating IBD. It further contributes to the integration of such therapies within precision medicine approaches for IBD.
Medicinal cannabis has gained increasing attention from both the scientific community and clinical practice, due to the therapeutic potential of its major phytocannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), for pain management. This review compiled and analyzed the available evidence regarding the antinociceptive effects of nanoencapsulated cannabinoids compared to free compounds. The published works have explored some pharmaceutical formulations and administration routes on different acute, chronic and neuropathic pain experimental models. The findings indicated that cannabinoids exhibited promising analgesic effects, while nanoencapsulation could enhance its stability and bioavailability. Despite these advances, the number of reports investigating nanostructured cannabinoid-based systems remains limited, with a predominance of preclinical research. A recurrent lack of structural information and quality control data for such works was also noted. Furthermore, there were not identified any research regarding the nanoencapsulation of full-spectrum cannabis oils or whole cannabis extracts, highlighting a significant gap in the current literature. Overall, nanoencapsulation emerges as a versatile strategy to overcome the intrinsic limitations of cannabinoids and expand its clinical applicability for pain treatment. Nevertheless, further efforts are required to determine standardized methodologies, facilitating the translation of preclinical findings into clinical practice, in order to provide stable, safe, effective and more accessible cannabinoid-based therapies.
As natural bioactive macromolecules isolated from various berries, Berry polysaccharides (BPs) possess excellent biocompatibility, low toxicity and diverse health-promoting properties, which has garnered extensive interest in functional food and pharmaceutical research. Nevertheless, imperfect large-scale manufacturing processes, ambiguous structure-activity relationship (SAR) and limited metabolic research substantially impede their industrial transformation and practical application. This review systematically summarizes recent research advances on BPs, clarifies their preparation technologies, multifunctional bioactivities, molecular mechanisms, SAR rules, pharmacokinetic profiles and safety assessment, and highlights the cutting-edge technologies, so as to offer theoretical support for subsequent development and utilization of BPs. This comprehensive review was conducted to integrate and critically appraise the latest research progress on BPs, covering innovative preparation technologies, biological function exploration, structural-activity correlation analysis, pharmacokinetic profiles and cutting-edge interdisciplinary translational applications. Peer-reviewed literatures focusing on the extraction and purification, bioactivity evaluation, molecular mechanistic exploration, SAR analysis, pharmacokinetics and toxicological assessment of BPs were rigorously retrieved, screened and summarized for synthetic discussion. Novel eco-friendly extraction techniques, including ultrasonic-, microwave-, enzyme-assisted extraction and membrane separation are progressively replacing traditional extraction strategies. Berry polysaccharides display diverse bioactivities such as anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, hypoglycemia, hypolipidemia, neuroprotection and gut microbiota regulation via NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, MAPK, Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathways and short-chain fatty acid metabolism. Meanwhile, SAR studies identify the molecular weight, glycosidic linkage, branching patterns and spatial conformation as critical factors dominating their bioactivity and bioavailability. BPs exhibit low oral bioavailability but favorable safety profiles, relying primarily on intestinal microbiota metabolism. Notably, artificial intelligence, multi-omics and nanotechnology greatly accelerate the comprehensive research on BPs. This review systematically summarizes current research progress and application prospects of berry polysaccharides (BPs). It deepens the understanding of their structure-function correlations and molecular mechanisms, offering valuable references for the rational development and translational application of BPs in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and health-benificial products.
Triterpenoids are important natural secondary metabolites with diverse bioactivities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, making them valuable for applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Currently, triterpenoids are mainly obtained through natural extraction or chemical synthesis. However, these conventional approaches are often limited by production efficiency, environmental burdens, and product diversity. Rapid advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have promoted the emergence of heterologous biosynthesis as a promising, efficient, and sustainable strategy for triterpenoids production. In this review, we first summarize the classification and bioactive properties of triterpenoids, together with the challenges and potential solutions associated with their microbial synthesis. Then, we analyze the key characteristics of microbial hosts and their corresponding biosynthetic pathways for triterpenoids production, aiming to establish programmable platforms that overcome the limitations of natural biosynthesis. Subsequently, we propose metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies, including enzyme optimization, pathway optimization, compartmentalization engineering, and systems biology approaches, for optimizing matter and energy transmission and thereby enhancing triterpenoids production. We further discuss the potential challenges for scaling up triterpenoids production from laboratory-scale studies to industrial-scale applications, including the optimization of large-scale fermentation process and the improvement of downstream extraction and recovery. Finally, we discuss the techno-economic feasibility and industrial prospects of microbial triterpenoid production, highlight current regulation and governance in synthetic biology related to triterpenoids biosynthesis, analyze existing limitations, and propose potential solutions to provide insights for future research on the biomanufacturing of triterpenoids.
Rapid, low-cost ethanol quantification is vital for beverage quality control, biofuel production, and pharmaceutical applications, yet current approaches are costly, reagent- or label-dependent, or rely on spectroscopy with substantial sample preparation. We introduce a purely cell-based, label-free biosensor that exploits temperature-gradient-induced spontaneous detachment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from a chip surface. The readout is the detachment half-time, td50, derived from time-resolved changes in interfacial thermal resistance, Rth, at the solid-liquid interface. Cells were pre-exposed to ethanol (0-70% v/v) and the detachment kinetics monitored using the heat transfer method (HTM). Under these conditions, cells display a pronounced non-monotonic td50 response with a peak around 20% v/v ethanol. Overall, the td50 rises from ~45 min (0% ethanol) to ≳10 h (20%) and then decreases, with no detachment at 60% and beyond. Critically, cell quality gates the detachment window. Fresh yeast responds up to ~50%, whereas aged yeast ceases to detach above ~8%, demonstrating a dual-function assay. Complementary measurements show that ethanol decreases surface tension monotonically, as expected, while optical/SEM imaging reveals aggregation above the detachment window. Requiring only a heater and a temperature probe, this platform offers a compact and low-cost strategy for ethanol sensing. Its applicability in a complex matrix is further demonstrated using whiskey diluted to selected alcohol concentrations, which produced responses consistent with the ethanol calibration trend. Potentially, it also offers a thermal assay for real-time monitoring of microbial cell quality across biotechnology and bioengineering applications. Considering ethanol as a proxy for drugs, the strategy may also support label-free drug screening on cells. At a fundamental level, the non-monotonic effect of ethanol, and especially the sharp maximum at 20%, remains unresolved and invites further studies.
Exosomes represent a promising class of naturally produced nanoparticles that exist at the nanoscale and carry a negative surface charge under physiological conditions. These tiny membranebound vesicles are released by cells throughout the body and function as biological messengers, transporting various molecular cargos between cells and facilitating critical cell-to-cell communication pathways. Existing therapies for neurodegenerative disorders face two critical barriers: they cannot precisely target the affected brain areas, and the blood-brain barrier blocks most potential treatments from entering the brain. Exosomes offer a promising solution to these challenges. Unlike most synthetic drug delivery systems that struggle to penetrate the brain's protective barrier, these naturally derived nanocarriers exhibit an inherent capacity to traverse the blood-brain barrier. This unique property, combined with their capacity for efficient intracellular delivery of therapeutic payloads, positions exosomes as an exciting platform for transporting pharmaceutical agents to the affected neural tissues. Through strategic engineering and modification, these vesicles can be transformed into highly precise delivery vehicles capable of targeting specific organs, tissues, or even individual cell types. This review explores the therapeutic potential and drug delivery applications of exosomes in the management of major neurodegenerative disorders. This review provides an in-depth examination of exosome biogenesis, current isolation methodologies, and surface engineering strategies, while critically evaluating the strengths and limitations of each approach. In addition, this review summarizes the current preclinical models and provides an overview of ongoing clinical trials investigating exosome-based therapies for neurological disorders.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently one of the leading global health threats. The evolution of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens is rapid, and there is a growing number of bacterial pathogens that have developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, and the rate at which new antibiotics are being developed is lagging far behind these two issues. In addition, historical drug discovery processes rely on conducting traditional in vitro-based studies to determine new antibiotics to use in practice. However, this process is becoming increasingly constricted due to high costs of conducting traditional in vitro research, lengthy timeframes to bring products to market, a high attrition rate of research projects in traditional wet laboratory environments, and the need for more effective and efficient ways of developing new drugs. For this reason, Drug discovery continues to evolve from a wet lab-based approach to an in silico (i.e., computational) based approach, which takes advantage of the advances made in various fields, such as bacterial genomics, structural bioinformatics, machine learning (ML), and systems biology to enable researchers to rationally design, discover, and develop new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant pathogens. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and critical overview of contemporary in silico antibiotic discovery strategies and their potential to accelerate the development of novel, resistance-resilient, and clinically relevant antimicrobial agents. It examines genome-informed approaches ranging from genomic data generation, resistome analysis, and computational target identification to structure-based drug design, ligand-based and fragment-based discovery, drug repurposing, and the expanding applications of ML and artificial intelligence (AI) in activity prediction, de novo antibiotic design, and resistance evolution modeling. The review also highlights the importance of in silico ADMET prediction in lead optimization and discusses representative case studies demonstrating successful translation of computational predictions into experimental validation. Overall, the integration of digital-first, data-driven, and genome-guided discovery pipelines with experimental validation offers a powerful framework to overcome current challenges in antibiotic development and represents a promising strategy for addressing the global threat of AMR. Lastly, the review was conducted using a structured literature search across major biomedical and computational databases with emphasis on experimentally validated case studies and translational relevance.
Selenium, an essential trace element for humans, plays a critical role in maintaining physiological homeostasis; its deficiency has been associated with the onset of various pathological conditions. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), the new selenium form, exhibit low toxicity and high bioactivity; nevertheless, bare SeNPs may easily aggregate and lose activity. Polysaccharides, as natural macromolecular compounds with various bioactivities, are considered ideal modifiers and stabilizers for SeNPs. This review summarizes the preparation methodologies employed in the fabrication of polysaccharide SeNPs, encompassing chemical reduction and biological synthesis. Subsequently, the structural characteristics and physicochemical stability profiles are critically analyzed. Furthermore, the biological functionalities, including antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities, are comprehensively described, alongside their prospective industrial utility in food science, agricultural application, and pharmaceutical formulation. Finally, current research limitations are discussed, and future development directions are proposed, aiming to offer theoretical references and directions for developing polysaccharide SeNPs.
The aggressive and highly heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), has a poor response to conventional treatments and a high propensity for metastasis, causing unfavorable clinical outcomes. In TNBC, casein kinase 2 (CK2), a constitutively active serine/threonine kinase, plays a key role in controlling several oncogenic signaling pathways. Aberrant CK2 signaling promotes increased transcription of oncogenes, proliferative signaling, DNA repair, epigenetic regulation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer stem cell maintenance. Additionally, CK2 helps maintain tumor redox homeostasis by regulating the balance of zinc and copper and by stabilizing immunological checkpoint proteins such as PD-L1. Due to its pleiotropic effects, CK2 overactivation promotes treatment resistance across TNBC subtypes and accelerates tumor growth. Pharmacological inhibition of CK2 can disrupt these communication networks, making TNBC cells more susceptible to both traditional and targeted treatments. By concurrently suppressing compensatory survival mechanisms, CK2 inhibitors have demonstrated synergistic anticancer benefits when used with chemotherapy, PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, and immunotherapies. This study highlights the complex role of aberrant CK2 signaling in TNBC progression and examines the therapeutic promise of CK2 inhibitor-based combination therapies to overcome resistance and improve treatment efficacy. Current preclinical and clinical research on next-generation CK2 inhibitors highlights their potential as a novel therapeutic approach for TNBC.
Styphnolobium japonicum cv. Jinhuai (SJvJ) represents a medicinal and edible plant whose metabolite composition is strongly shaped by its growing location. Current quality control methods mainly rely on rutin quantification, lacking comprehensive metabolic markers for origin discrimination. Therefore, this study aimed to profile interregional metabolic differences between Guangxi and Sichuan SJvJ flower buds, identify characteristic differential markers, and clarify relevant metabolic pathways, thereby guiding quality control, germplasm evaluation, and functional food development. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was employed to identify metabolites. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Cancer HSP were applied to screen the key active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM-KAIs) and disease-related pharmaceutical ingredients (PDRIs). Specifically, we targeted six highly prevalent human diseases and another five disorders based on therapeutic indications documented in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Multivariate analyses, such as principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, and other statistical methods, were applied to investigate differential metabolites. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database was utilized for pathway enrichment analysis of marker metabolites. In total, 1550 metabolites were identified across 12 categories, predominantly flavonoids. Additionally, 152 TCM-KAIs and 204 PDRIs against 11 diseases were screened. Multivariate analyses indicated that geographical origin was closely associated with observed metabolic variation among the tested samples: Guangxi samples accumulated higher lipids and nucleotides, whereas Sichuan samples showed higher levels of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Vanilloloside, protocatechuic acid-4-O-glucoside, and gallic acid-4-O-glucoside were identified as key inter-group biomarkers. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed enhanced metabolism of nucleotide/pyrimidine in Guangxi, whereas zeatin biosynthesis was upregulated in Sichuan, consistent with discrepancies in regional climatic patterns. This study established a more comprehensive metabolomic dataset for FBSJvJ. It also clarified the correlations between origin and quality and unraveled the underlying mechanisms. These findings facilitate origin authentication, standardized quality control, and rational exploitation of FBSJvJ as raw materials of functional foods.
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent anthracycline chemotherapeutic agent whose clinical utility is significantly constrained by severe side effects, most notably DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). Pathophysiological mechanisms of DIC include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, programmed cell death, and inflammation. Given the therapeutic potential of stem cell technology, this narrative review aims to summarize current evidence regarding the use of various stem cell types, particularly mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as a potential treatment for DIC. This study conducted a comprehensive review of the literature concerning stem cell-based therapies in the context of DIC. We evaluated evidence regarding both pluripotent stem cells (including embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells) and multipotent adult stem cells (such as bone marrow, adipose, and umbilical cord-derived MSCs) to assess their role in mitigating DOX-induced cardiac damage. Current research indicates that stem cells, particularly MSCs, possess significant regenerative capabilities that may counteract the multifaceted pathophysiology of DIC. Evidence suggests that these cells can modulate inflammatory responses, alleviate oxidative stress, and support mitochondrial repair in damaged cardiac tissue, thereby offering a promising strategy to protect against or reverse chemotherapy-induced heart injury. Stem cell-based therapy represents a promising and innovative frontier for the management of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. While preclinical and emerging data highlight the therapeutic potential of MSCs in cardiac protection, further standardized research is required to fully elucidate their mechanisms and ensure clinical safety and efficacy for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Ferulic acid (FA) is a widespread plant derived phenolic compound with diverse biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to its importance in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications, FA is abundant in lignocellulosic biomass, where it functions both as a microbial stress factor and as a metabolizable aromatic intermediate during bioconversion processes. Despite its broad biological and biotechnological relevance, the genetic basis underlying bacterial adaptation and tolerance to FA remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed a genome-wide screen using the Escherichia coli Keio knockout collection to identify genes associated with FA sensitivity and tolerance. The analysis revealed that bacterial responses to FA involve multiple interconnected cellular systems rather than a single resistance mechanism. Mutants defective in outer membrane lipid homeostasis (Mla system) and aromatic acid efflux functions (aaeA/aaeR, acrB) displayed pronounced sensitivity to FA, highlighting the importance of membrane integrity and transport systems during phenolic stress. Genes involved in Fe-S cluster biogenesis (sufS, sufA), hydrogenase maturation (hypD, hybF), molybdenum transport and cofactor metabolism (modB, modC, modE) and electron transport associated functions (ccmE) were also associated with altered FA responses. In addition, disruption of global regulatory genes (seqA, dksA, and rlmE) impaired tolerance, whereas deletion of mutL increased resistance. Functional enrichment and network analyses further linked FA responses to pathways associated with membrane homeostasis, redox-associated processes, transport systems, and metabolic adaptation. Overall, this study provides a genome wide genetic framework for understanding bacterial responses to FA and identifies candidate genes and cellular systems potentially involved in phenolic stress adaptation. These findings expand current knowledge of microbial adaptation to plant derived phenolic compounds and provide a basis for future studies investigating microbial stress physiology, phenolic tolerance mechanisms, and strategies to modulate bacterial sensitivity under phenolic stress conditions.
Mesopelagic fishes are key mediators of energy and contaminant transfer between epipelagic and deep-pelagic layers, yet species-specific inorganic element data remain scarce for non-commercial taxa. This study quantifies nutritional elements and trace metals in three mesopelagic fishes from the Strait of Messina (Central Mediterranean Sea): Hygophum benoiti, Argyropelecus hemigymnus and Macroramphosus gracilis. Specimens stranded along the Capo Peloro coastline were measured for standard length and wet weight, pooled by species, and analysed as whole fish using microwave digestion followed by ICP-MS, ICP-OES and DMA-80 to determine 18 inorganic elements (Ca, K, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Se, Mn, Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Cr, Ni, Sn, Sb, Co). All three species exhibited favourable mineral profiles, with particularly high concentrations of Ca, Fe, Zn and Se, and Se:Hg molar ratios consistently greater than 1, indicating a high nutritional potential and a likely mitigation of mercury-related risk. Mercury and lead concentrations were uniformly low (Hg ≈ 0.01-0.02 mg kg-1; Pb ≤ 0.09 mg kg-1 wet weight), remaining far below current European regulatory limits for fishery products. Total arsenic ranged from ∼1.0 to 2.1 mg kg-1, within the broad intervals reported for mesopelagic micronekton, and was dominated by non-toxic organic forms according to inorganic As estimates. Cadmium showed the clearest interspecific differences, with M. gracilis reaching mean values around 0.18 mg kg-1, close to the upper EU guideline range, whereas A. hemigymnus and H. benoiti displayed lower means. Overall, these results provide the first integrated nutritional and contaminant assessment for these three mesopelagic fishes, highlighting their role as both vectors of trace elements and potentially valuable, though currently unexploited, small-fish resources in the central Mediterranean Sea.
Biofilms are well-organized, surface-attached colonies of microorganisms that can thrive in host cavities. A balanced, diverse mix of protective microbes in these biofilms helps preserve host health. Dysbiosis in biofilms is responsible for consequential diseases in associated tissues. Dietary factors and other xenobiotics can cause ecological dysbiosis in the oral cavity that underpins dental caries, periodontal diseases, halitosis, and periapical infections. Although the gold standard for oral biofilm elimination remains mechanical removal, it is achieved with manual curettage or an ultrasonic scaler. However, the removal of non-pathogenic microorganisms, which contribute to chemical signaling and metabolic complementation of the host, thereby produces deleterious side effects. Therefore, to maintain ecological balance, alternatives are a major area of research. A 'control without killing' approach to modulating biofilms focuses on maintaining biofilm ecology rather than indiscriminately using antimicrobial agents. The extracellular matrix (ECM) of a biofilm protects the embedded microbial communities; measures that disintegrate it can emerge as a promising modality to control the growth of pathogenic microbes in them. Currently, research focuses on limiting virulence traits (acid production, protease activity, or quorum sensing) to degrade the ECM and slow pathogen growth without eliminating commensals. This article highlights current research on approaches to managing oral cavity biofilms and the translational challenges they pose. Understanding these alternative approaches can help formulation researchers, microbiologists, and materials science experts work integratively to manage microbial biofilms. This article opens gateways to implementing oral biofilm-modulating strategies in the management of other biofilm-associated infections.