Targeted drug delivery remains a major challenge in cancer therapy, often limiting both efficacy and safety. Although microRNA sponges and short-hairpin RNAs show potential for gene-based cancer treatment, their clinical use is restricted by delivery inefficiency, off-target effects, cytotoxicity, and instability. Viral vectors offer high efficiency but are associated with issues such as immune responses, insertional mutagenesis, and limited cargo capacity. Non-viral carriers are safer and more affordable but suffer from poor transfection efficiency, instability, and inadequate endosomal escape. These limitations hinder the clinical application of RNA therapeutics. The Vir-inspired Biotechnical Vector (VIBV) is a novel hybrid platform that combines viral and non-viral elements with nanotechnology to enable personalized, tumor-specific gene therapy. Engineered with a spindle-shaped nanocore and a polyethylene glycolylated liposomal shell, VIBV ensures immune evasion, prolonged circulation, and controlled therapeutic release triggered by tumor microenvironmental cues such as acidity, hypoxia, and elevated glutathione levels. It delivers oncogenic microRNA sponges, short-hairpin RNAs, tumor-specific antigens, and cyclin-targeting RNAs to enhance gene silencing, immune activation, and tumor suppression. This review examines the limitations of current delivery systems and presents VIBV as a promising next-generation strategy with improved biocompatibility, targeting precision, and potential for cost-effective, personalized cancer therapy, while also addressing its remaining challenges and prospects.

In recent years, it has been found that Lycium barbarum can repair liver damage and promote liver regeneration. Additionally, the polysaccharides contained in Lycium barbarum have anticancer properties and can induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Molecular docking, a mature computer-aided method, is widely used in drug discovery. This study aimed to verify the efficacy of active ingredients of Lycium barbarum in the treatment of liver cancer by molecular docking.

The effect of the active ingredients of Lycium barbarum in the treatment of liver cancer was verified by molecular docking, based on a previous study that examined the impact of Lycium barbarum on liver cancer using network pharmacology.

The binding energies of the key active ingredients and core targets were all less than −5.0 kcal/mol (1 kcal = 4.184 J), with most of them being less than −7.0 kcal/mol. This indicates that the key active ingredients and core targets have good binding ability, with most demonstrating strong binding affinity.

Most of the active ingredients in wolfberry can spontaneously bind to the core target protein, thereby playing a therapeutic role in liver cancer.

Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) have been documented since the first report of typhoid fever in 1885 and continue to endanger laboratory professionals despite decades of biosafety advances. This review provides a comprehensive overview of LAIs, emphasizing their history, modes of transmission, and strategies for prevention.

A systematic review of historical records, case series, and biosafety guidance (1885–2025) identified documented LAIs, their transmission routes, and preventive measures. Data were extracted on pathogen spectrum, geographic distribution, incident outcomes, and the effectiveness of biosafety interventions.

Historical analysis identified 50 laboratory-acquired typhoid infections with six deaths from 1885 to 1915, largely due to mouth pipetting and aerosol exposure. A sharp decline in fatal bacterial infections was observed following the introduction of Class II biosafety cabinets in the 1960s. From 2000 to 2021, 309 LAIs were reported across 94 studies, most commonly Salmonella enterica (56.6%), vaccinia virus (4.2%), and Brucella species (3.9%), with Brucella responsible for over half of hospital-laboratory cases (60 per 100,000 personnel-years). In Canada during 2023, 63 exposure events occurred, including three confirmed infections despite adherence to biosafety level protocols. Environmental persistence studies underscored surface-borne risks. The most effective preventative measures included abolishing mouth pipetting, mandatory use of gloves and eye/face protection, routine Class II biosafety cabinet use for aerosol-generating procedures, surface disinfection with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, and annual competency-based biosafety training with incident reporting.

LAIs remain geographically widespread and pathogen-diverse. Quantitative historical trends and contemporary surveillance highlight critical transmission routes, including ingestion, inoculation, mucosal splash, and inhalation, while reinforcing evidence-based prevention strategies. Sustained investment in biosafety infrastructure, real-time exposure reporting, and pathogen-specific training is essential to further reduce LAI incidence and severity in the face of emerging antimicrobial resistance and novel agents.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted university students, presenting multifaceted challenges including the abrupt transition to virtual learning and significant disruptions to emotional well-being and dietary habits. This study aimed to investigate the dietary and nutritional characteristics associated with academic stress among Mexican university students during the COVID-19 lockdown.

This cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 114 university students in Mexico. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing dietary patterns, nutritional intake, and academic stress levels. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection.

Among study participants (n = 114), 57.8% experienced moderate academic stress, while 25.7% reported high academic stress during the COVID-19 lockdown. Notably, 13.5% of students demonstrated food cravings that were significantly associated with increased consumption of red and fatty meats (P = 0.030) and sausages (P = 0.017). A negative virtual education experience was associated with food cravings towards high-calorie and saturated-fat foods (P = 0.014), as well as elevated academic stress levels (P = 0.009). Furthermore, high academic stress levels were positively associated with food cravings (P = 0.020), particularly towards carbohydrate-rich foods (P = 0.037).

The COVID-19 lockdown substantially disrupted the dietary habits and nutritional status of university students, with academic stress serving as a significant mediating factor.

The incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been escalating annually, positioning it as the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Ursolic acid has demonstrated promising therapeutic efficacy in managing MASLD, thereby justifying the need for an in-depth exploration of its pharmacological mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate elucidate the therapeutic mechanisms by which ursolic acid modulates estrogen conversion in the treatment of MASLD.

Building upon prior studies that have highlighted the potent anti-inflammatory effects of ursolic acid and its specific targeting of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 14 (HSD17B14), this investigation employed a western diet to induce MASLD in murine models with varying severities over different time intervals.

The protein expression of HSD17B14 initially increased, followed by a subsequent decrease. This trend was accompanied by corresponding changes in 17β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) levels. Intervention with ursolic acid resulted in a reduction in HSD17B14 and E1 levels during the phase of high HSD17B14 expression, while simultaneously elevating E2 levels. In steatotic hepatocytes, E1 promoted cellular inflammation, whereas E2 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects. However, the alleviated effects of E2 were antagonized by HSD17B14. As expected, ursolic acid modulated HSD17B14, thereby mitigating the inflammatory response in steatotic hepatocytes.

HSD17B14, a crucial enzyme regulating the balance between E1 and E2, catalyzes the conversion of estrogen E2 into E1, thereby exacerbating tissue inflammation induced by metabolic stress. Ursolic acid, by modulating HSD17B14-mediated estrogen conversion, appears to ameliorate immune-related inflammation in MASLD.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) poses a significant challenge in modern medicine due to its high prevalence. The pathogenesis of MAFLD involves a complex dysmetabolic process consistent with the “multiple-hit” hypothesis. This process includes excessive triglyceride (TC) accumulation within hepatocytes, lipotoxicity, insulin resistance (IR), chronic low-grade inflammation, and increased oxidative stress. The role of leptin in the liver has been extensively studied, demonstrating both direct effects on hepatic cells and indirect actions mediated through the central nervous system (CNS). In MAFLD, leptin modulates several physiological processes: it improves glucose metabolism by enhancing insulin sensitivity and lowering glucose levels; regulates lipid metabolism by promoting β-oxidation and TC export while inhibiting lipogenesis; and contributes to fibrogenesis by upregulating transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression and activating hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the immune response. This review explores the structure of leptin, its primary physiological functions, its potential role in MAFLD pathogenesis, and its promise as a novel therapeutic target.

Patients with cirrhosis are at an increased risk of bacterial infection (BI), which is the most common precondition for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the ability of mitochondria-related indicators (mitochondrial mass and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP)) of T cells in peripheral blood to predict BI and ACLF within 90 days in cirrhotic patients.

We prospectively studied mitochondria-related indicators in various T cells from 235 cirrhotic patients at the Second Hospital of Nanjing. The outcomes of interest were BI and ACLF.

The restricted cubic spline analysis showed that the MMP of CD8+ T cells had a linear relationship with the risk of BI and ACLF (both P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the MMP of CD8+ T cells was an independent risk factor for both BI and ACLF (BI: hazard ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.94–0.98; P < 0.001; ACLF: hazard ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.90–0.97; P < 0.001). The MMP of CD8+ T cells exhibited better diagnostic efficacy than traditional indices in predicting BI (C index: 0.75). The MMP of CD8+ T cells, when combined with traditional models (Child-Turcotte-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease score), improved their diagnostic efficiency in predicting both BI and ACLF. Additionally, the MMP of CD8+ T cells showed a significant negative correlation with inflammation-related markers (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial damage and abnormally activated mitochondrial autophagy were observed in CD8+ T cells from cirrhotic patients with low MMP.

The MMP of CD8+ T cells could serve as a valuable predictor of BI and ACLF within 90 days in cirrhotic patients.

Therapy-related B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) following treatment for multiple myeloma is a rare occurrence. Despite its rarity and the lack of recognition by the World Health Organization as a distinct disease entity, previous publications indicate its possible emergence following myeloma treatment.

The patient is a 65-year-old gentleman with a history of IgG kappa multiple myeloma, status post multiple lines of therapy. The patient presented with a fever, and a complete blood count showed cytopenia. Bone marrow morphologic evaluation revealed numerous blasts. Immunophenotypic analysis demonstrated that these blasts were B lymphoblasts, despite MYC and unusual surface kappa light chain expression. A diagnosis of B-ALL with surface kappa light chain expression post-myeloma treatment was made. Ancillary studies indicated that the B-ALL and the previous myeloma were clonally unrelated. Next-generation gene sequencing revealed pathogenic mutations in KDM6A and KRAS.

This case highlights the potential for therapy-related B-ALL following myeloma treatment, a phenomenon deserving further investigation. The expression of surface light chain in blasts can present a diagnostic pitfall.