Perimenopausal women often experience physiological and psychological decline due to the effects of oestrogen fluctuations and the decline of ovarian function, leading to significantly increased depression rates, decreases in the quality of life and mental health issues. Studies have shown that the gut microbiota exerts anti-perimenopausal depression (PMD) effects via the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, the mechanisms of which may be related to inflammation. In this review, we discuss the effects and mechanisms of gut microbiota in PMD and provide new insights for future PMD treatment.

This review elaborates on the role of MGB axis in PMD from different aspects of inflammation, including gut microbiota metabolites, inflammatory signaling pathways, and clinical applications.

Disorders of gut microbiota and decreased levels of gut microbiota metabolites (short-chain fatty acids, monoamine neurotransmitters) may cause PMD. The mechanism of intestinal microbiota-mediated inflammation may be related to TLR4/NF-κB pathway, NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway and JAK-STAT pathway. At the same time, it was found that gut microbiota (probiotics, prebiotics, etc.) had good therapeutic potential in the treatment of PMD.

MGB axis mediated inflammation may play an important role in PMD. The application of gut microbiota in the treatment of PMD patients has profound clinical transformation value, but a lot of efforts are still needed.

Tumour immunotherapy holds great promise as a treatment for cancer, which ranks as the second highest cause of mortality worldwide. This therapeutic approach can be broadly categorized into two main types: active immunotherapy and passive or adoptive immunotherapy. Active immunotherapy, such as cancer vaccines, stimulates the patients’ immune system to target tumour cells. On the other hand, adoptive immunotherapy involves supplying in vitro activated immune cells, such as T cells, natural killer cells and macrophages, to the patient to combat the tumour. Induced pluripotent stem cells are extensively utilized in both active and adoptive tumour immunotherapy due to their pluripotency and ease of gene editing. They can be differentiated into various types of immune cells for direct cancer treatment and can also function as tumour vaccines to elicit an immune response against the tumour. Importantly, iPSCs can be leveraged to develop off-the-shelf allogenic immunotherapy products.

This article provides a comprehensive review of the application of iPSCs in tumor immunotherapy, along with a discussion of the opportunities and challenges in this evolving field.

In this short narrative review, we would like to discuss the immunomodulatory effects of South African geranium (Pelargonium sidoides) root extract EPs7630 in treating acute rhinosinusitis. The plant has been used for centuries to treat respiratory tract inflammation, such as sinusitis, pharyngitis and bronchitis. South African geranium is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, diterpenes and proanthocyanidins, but the main constituent is a type of coumarin called ‘umckalin’ (6–hydroxy–5,5–dimethoxy–coumarin). The substance is standardised as an aqueous-ethanolic extract from the root of this plant under the code name EPs7630.

The article presents the results of in vitro and in vivo studies of administering this herbal drug in acute viral, post-viral and bacterial rhinosinusitis. The focus is on the immunomodulatory effects of EPs7630 during the therapy of this acute inflammation of the nasal mucosa.

According to the results of some studies, EPs7630 stimulates monocyte-dependent activity and inhibits neutrophil-dependent chemokine activity. However, given the small number of studies, the level of evidence is low, implying the need for new research.

Particular attention should be paid to the effect of EPs7630 on bradykinin, the mediator that triggers most inflammatory processes in acute rhinosinusitis.

The development of oxidative stress depends on the deregulation of the fine balance between the proportion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the activity of antioxidants. As oxidative stress is deleterious for Leishmania sp., their host cell generates ROS as one of the foremost defence strategies. The parasites have also raised a variety of counteracting tricks in order to conquer this challenge. Upon infection, the host’s own antioxidant system is activated by the parasite to neutralise the oxidative stress-mediated protection. In addition to using the host’s antioxidant mechanisms, some genes within the parasite also make them more tolerant against oxidative stress. Therefore, the present review focuses on some major regulators intimately related to the equilibrium between oxidation and antioxidation following infection with Leishmania sp., which may be helpful in developing a comprehensive knowledge of this specific wing of infection biology associated with oxidative stress.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a dual role in leishmaniasis by contributing to both host defence and parasite survival mechanisms. In the host, ROS promote parasite clearance through induction of apoptosis, activation of pro-inflammatory signalling pathways (e.g., MAPK, JNK), inflammasome assembly, and M1 macrophage polarisation. Conversely, Leishmania species have evolved multiple strategies to neutralize ROS, including the upregulation of host antioxidant enzymes like HO-1, inhibition of ROS-producing pathways, and expression of parasite-derived antioxidants such as SOD, GPx, and trypanothione reductase. The parasite alsoadapts through gene regulation and metabolic changes to counter oxidative stress. Importantly, ROS have emerged as key targets for antileishmanial therapies, with various drugs and natural compounds shown to induce ROS-mediated parasite death, highlighting their potential in future therapeutic development.

In summary, the survival of Leishmania hinges on its ability to counteract host-induced oxidative stress. Targeting its antioxidant defences and enhancing host ROS production can disrupt this balance, leading to parasite death. Exploring ROS-related signalling offers a promising path for developing effective therapies against leishmaniasis.

Current breast cancer (BC) diagnostics include detailed pathological and genetic analysis for biological subtype identification; however, throughout the course of the disease, new alterations determining the progression of the disease or resistance to treatment appear. The tests based on liquid biopsy allow minimally invasive real-time monitoring of tumour-specific alteration during the entire disease treatment. Tumour-specific genetic material fragments occur in bodily fluids, and cell-free nucleic acids are a convenient tool for analysing genetic and epigenetic changes in tumours. Evidence for the diagnostic and prognostic value of epigenetic biomarkers is gradually increasing. Although, up to date, there is limited access to in vitro diagnostic (IVD) epigenetic liquid biopsy-based tests for BC management, the data on the clinical potential of such tests and biomarkers are accumulating rapidly.

In this review, we focused on research involving cell-free DNA methylation biomarkers in blood serum or plasma samples from BC patients.

Our review systematises data from genome-wide and targeted studies of DNA methylation changes in liquid biopsies from BC patients, aiming to highlight the most critical biomarkers suitable for early BC diagnosis, treatment personalisation and prognosis.

In summary, cell-free DNA methylation biomarkers show strong potential to enhance breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and personalised treatment through integrated clinical profiling.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are transcribed RNA molecules that do not encode proteins but regulate diverse biological processes. Dysregulation of ncRNAs is implicated in cancer, where chemical modifications such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C), and glycosylation critically influence their function. However, these modifications, as precise regulators of ncRNA activity, have been less well-documented and understood in tumorigenesis and cancer progression.

This article systematically analyzes the roles of chemically modified ncRNAs – ribosomal RNA (rRNA), circular RNA (circRNA) and others – in cancer biology, synthesizingevidence from published studies on their mechanistic involvement in malignancy.

We reveal how specific chemical modifications drive oncogenesis, impact cancer diagnosis, and affect therapeutic responses, while also exploring their prognostic potential. Furthermore, we highlight emerging connections between ncRNA epitranscriptomics and cancer.

This review provides novel insights into ncRNA epitranscriptomics as emerging biomarkers and intervention targets for precision oncology.

Retinoic acid-induced 1 (RAI1) is a dosage-sensitive gene implicated in a range of rare neuropsychiatric diseases.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of RAI1’s role, integrating both clinical and basic research on Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS) and Potocki–Lupski syndrome (PTLS) while also summarising research progress on its involvement in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed and EMBASE, following the PRISMA guidelines, with the protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023474165).

A total of 99 eligible studies on RAI1 were included. We presented detailed characterisations of SMS and PTLS patients, emphasising the crucial role of RAI1 haploinsufficiency and overexpression in their pathogenesis. Additionally, we summarised research progress on RAI1 in SCA, ASD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. Integrating findings from animal studies, particularly those examining the regulatory mechanisms of RAI1 in critical phenotypes, such as body weight, sleep and epilepsy, underscores the precise regulation of RAI1 expression in maintaining various nervous system functions.

Overall, this review contributes to the identification of RAI1-related neuropsychiatric diseases, with a particular emphasis on enhancing clinical diagnosis of SMS and PTLS in developing countries.