This review aims to highlight the growing burden of lifestyle diseases in India and explore the potential of herbal-based nutraceuticals as complementary or alternative management approaches. It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to managing these diseases, acknowledging the potential of traditional remedies alongside modern medicine. Specifically, the article addresses several key points. It describes the rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases in India, providing a clear understanding of the current health landscape. Additionally, it introduces the concept of herbal-based nutraceuticals and their potential benefits in managing these diseases, offering alternative solutions. The article provides evidence-based information on popular herbal remedies such as turmeric, Ashwagandha, Indian gooseberry, Aloe vera, Neem, flaxseed, cinnamon, and green tea, offering specific examples and potential benefits. It highlights the growing awareness and increasing consumption of herbal-based nutraceuticals in India, reflecting a shift in public perception towards natural remedies. Finally, the article calls for further research to validate the efficacy and safety of these products in managing lifestyle diseases, ensuring responsible use, and promoting scientific validation.

The burgeoning integration of machine learning (ML) and automation in laboratory medicine marks a significant shift, propelling the sector towards enhanced diagnostic accuracy and operational efficiency. This critical analysis investigates the technological paces being made to enhance the analytical precision and the efficient interpretation of complicated clinical/laboratory-based datasets. The beginning of automation, coupled with ML, ushers in an era where algorithmic expertise and predictive analytics supplement significantly elevating established diagnostic methods, thereby setting higher standards for reliability and quality in clinical laboratory testing. However, this technological advancement is not without its challenges. This review highlights several concerns about data privacy, the need for rigorous validation procedures, the difficulty of integrating new technology into primitive systems, and the continuous struggle to comply with guidelines. Financial constraints exacerbate these issues, particularly in settings with limited resources in developing and underdeveloped countries. To address these challenges, the review presents several strategic methods, including the development of international guidelines for algorithmic validation, interdisciplinary collaborations to match technology developments to healthcare demands, workforce training campaigns, and the implementation of ethical guidelines for the usage of ML approaches in lab environments. The review provides a concise yet comprehensive analysis of the current situation, highlighting challenges and possible solutions associated with automation and ML in laboratory medicine. It establishes the foundation for a future anticipated to have advanced diagnostics that are also more tailored to personalized patient care.

Early detection of oral cancer is crucial for improving prognosis, increasing survival rates, and reducing treatment-related morbidity, considering the high mortality rate associated with this condition. However, the conventional approach within communities has led to a growing exploration of different screening methods to detect potentially malignant oral disorders, with particular emphasis on imaging and artificial intelligence and their integration with conventional approaches. The article reviewed literature on oral neoplasms and early cancer detection from databases like Medline, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, mainly from 2001 to 2023. This review aims to shed light on the potential of these technologies, new ideas, and methods in improving the accuracy and effectiveness of oral cancer screening, ultimately leading to earlier detection and more successful prevention strategies, which are unmet needs, especially in underdeveloped and developing nations.

Previous studies suggest that taurine supplementation may attenuate atherosclerosis by reducing lipid levels. However, energy drinks containing taurine have been shown to increase blood pressure, a key risk factor for atherosclerosis. Thus, the role of taurine in atherosclerosis remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the effect of taurine on the development of atherosclerotic plaques.

Plasma taurine levels were measured in 105 patients with varying degrees of coronary heart disease and in 40 healthy individuals using 1,2-13C2-taurine-based ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS). Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE−/−) C57BL/6J mice, fed a high-fat diet and subjected to left carotid artery ligation with cannula insertion, received taurine or saline for four consecutive days. Healthy control mice were fed a normal chow diet and underwent a sham operation. Serum taurine levels, lipid indicators, and arterial histology in the individual mice were examined.

Plasma taurine levels were significantly higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction (4.04 ± 0.24 μg/mL) compared to healthy controls (3.52 ± 0.22 μg/mL). Taurine treatment significantly decreased plaque areas in the carotid artery, reduced Masson’s Trichrome staining, and lowered the ratio of anti-α-SMA to anti-CD68 staining in ApoE−/− mice. Additionally, taurine treatment increased the levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 in the cultured vascular endothelial cells in vitro.

These findings suggest that taurine supplementation may reduce both the size and stability of atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, dietary taurine supplements should be used with caution.

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs), also recently referred to as disorders of gut-brain interaction, are common in the pediatric population and vary according to age groups, i.e., neonatal/toddler and child/adolescent FGIDs. Pediatric FGIDs tend to evolve and persist into adulthood, contributing to financial burdens and psychological problems. Despite several decades of progress and advancements in molecular biology and medical sciences, the exact pathophysiology remains unknown, although genetic, psychosocial, gut dysbiosis, visceral hypersensitivity, and neuroimmune causes have been implicated. The ROME IV criteria facilitate easier and earlier diagnosis of FGIDs, excluding organic causes while minimizing unnecessary investigations. Dietary, psychosocial, neuro-stimulatory, and pharmacological management methods exist, although fewer trials have focused on pediatric drug-based management. Early identification and appropriate treatment hold the potential for cure and improvement in quality of life.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory liver disease caused by autoimmune reactions, with an unknown etiology. If left untreated, it can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, or even death. While most patients respond well to first-line treatments, a significant number experience poor responses or intolerance, requiring the use of second- or third-line therapies. Ongoing research into the pathogenesis of AIH is leading to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. This review summarized recent advancements in the treatment of AIH both domestically and internationally.

Ketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, has emerged as an effective therapeutic agent for the management of treatment-resistant depression. Repeated treatments with ketamine show rapid, robust, and sustained antidepressant effects. Despite the large body of evidence, key concerns include adverse effects such as dissociative symptoms, hemodynamic instability, and the risk of abuse with long-term ketamine therapy. This narrative review provides an overview of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying ketamine’s antidepressant effects, its basic pharmacodynamics, and its safety profile. The clinical evidence regarding ketamine’s efficacy in depression is also summarized, and the need for further research on the long-term effects of ketamine therapy, the development of agents with similar antidepressant effects but fewer adverse effects or potential for abuse, and the identification of biomarkers to predict the response to ketamine is highlighted.

This article explores the significant improvements in manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) enabled by the microgravity environment in orbiting space vehicles. mAbs, which are extensively incorporated into modern cancer treatments based on their ability to specifically target and kill tumor cells, traditionally require intravenous (IV) delivery. However, the inconvenience, potential risks of infection, and adverse systemic effects associated with IV administration have led to a move towards subcutaneous (SC) self-administration formulations. Current limitations hindering the development of SC injections are high viscosity and limited solubility of mAbs at high concentrations. The microgravity environment of space provides potential solutions to these challenges by promoting the formation of colloidal crystalline protein suspensions of low-viscosity and high concentration suitable for SC injection. Although conducting research and manufacturing in microgravity poses its own set of challenges, the benefits of improving the delivery, storage, and stability of mAbs are substantial. SpacePharma has developed novel, autonomous, remote-controlled, microfluidics-based lab-on-chip microgravity systems as a platform for the rapid screening and improved growth of crystallized monoclonal antibodies inside micron-size droplets. The advancements in this field have significant potential to improve patient care by enabling large-scale manufacturing of crystallized mAb therapies in the emerging space economy.

Medication non-adherence among youth with chronic health conditions is a healthcare crisis in the United States. Nearly 20% of youth experience a chronic illness, yet most do not comply with their treatment regimen. Various challenges to adherence arise, such as not understanding the purpose of treatment, painful or difficult administration, forgetfulness, and mood disorders such as anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported approach to increasing treatment adherence. Modular CBT incorporates psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral experiments to promote better disease management. This article focuses on the application of CBT to four medical conditions characterized by elevated levels of non-adherence: pill-swallowing difficulties, asthma, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease in youth. The review integrates findings on contextual issues (e.g., ethnocultural variations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic), research on non-adherence, and CBT outcome studies. Additionally, limitations of the existing literature and training recommendations are provided.