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PubMed2026

The future of pediatric vesicoureteral reflux management.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a common condition in pediatric urology, yet important uncertainties persist regarding risk stratification, imaging strategies, and prevention of long-term renal damage. Emerging technologies may help address these challenges. This review provides a forward-looking overview of recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and immunomodulation that may influence future management of pediatric VUR. METHODS: A forward-looking literature review was performed using the PubMed database (January 2000-March 2025), focusing on studies addressing AI, immunomodulation, or vaccination in the context of VUR and urinary tract infections. Criteria of inclusion were the relevance to pediatric VUR, the novelty of the proposed concept, the potential clinical implications and, for the AI literature, the existence of a clinical evaluation of the algorithm on a dataset from patients. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS: AI-based models show promising performance in supporting clinical decision-making, including prediction of the need for voiding cystourethrography, automated grading of VUR, estimation of recurrent urinary tract infection risk and prediction of chemoprophylaxis. These tools may facilitate more individualized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, although current evidence is largely retrospective and requires prospective validation. Immunization and immunomodulatory approaches aim to reduce infection burden and modulate inflammatory pathways associated with renal scarring. While early experimental and adult clinical data are encouraging, pediatric-specific evidence remains limited, and clinical applicability in children with VUR is not yet established. CONCLUSION: Artificial intelligence and immunologically targeted strategies represent complementary, emerging approaches that may contribute to more personalized management of pediatric VUR. At present, both should be regarded as exploratory tools whose clinical impact will depend on further validation and appropriately designed pediatric studies.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Comprehensive multi-post-translational modifications profiling reveals age-associated remodeling in skeletal muscle.

Sarcopenia, characterized by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is a major hallmark of aging. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play essential roles in regulating protein activity and cellular homeostasis; however, how multiple PTMs are remodeled during skeletal muscle aging remains incompletely characterized. Here, we performed comprehensive multi-layered proteomic profiling of skeletal muscle from young (3-month-old) and aged (24-month-old) mice, systematically quantifying the global proteome together with five major PTMs: acetylation, phosphorylation, N-glycosylation, O-glycosylation, and ubiquitination. In total, we identified 5 337 proteins and mapped thousands of PTM sites, generating an integrated atlas of age-associated proteomic and PTM remodeling in skeletal muscle. Pathway enrichment analyses revealed distinct modification-specific patterns: acetylation and phosphorylation were predominantly associated with metabolic and mitochondrial-related pathways; N-glycosylation was enriched in immune- and secretory pathway-related processes; O-glycosylation was associated with muscle contraction-related pathways; and ubiquitination was preferentially linked to cytoskeletal organization in muscle cells. Correlation analyses further uncovered diverse association patterns among different PTMs across protein- and modification-level datasets. Phosphorylation and ubiquitination exhibited consistent positive associations, whereas acetylation and ubiquitination showed both inverse and concordant co-variation patterns across subsets of proteins. Phosphorylation and O-glycosylation displayed heterogeneous association patterns across different proteins, and acetylation and phosphorylation demonstrated positive correlations with distinct age-associated directional changes across protein subsets. Together, these results provide a comprehensive, multi-dimensional view of age-associated remodeling of the skeletal muscle proteome and multiple PTM layers, offering a valuable resource for understanding molecular alterations accompanying muscle aging and sarcopenia.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

A versatile reversed-phase liquid chromatography charged aerosol detection method for streamlined monitoring of QS-21 content and stability in liposomal adjuvant formulations.

Identifying and quantifying an active adjuvant along with its degradants in drug formulations is essential for ensuring the safety and efficacy of the drug product. QS-21 is a potent adjuvant that is being evaluated in several clinical trials and is currently formulated in licensed vaccines that protect against shingles, malaria, and RSV. In aqueous environments, QS-21 is subject to hydrolytic degradation that is influenced by pH and temperature, resulting in the formation of a degradant known as QS-21 Hydrolyzed Product, QS-21 HP, which can occur during manufacturing and/or prolonged storage. The intact QS-21 and QS-21 HP induce distinct immune response profiles, making it critical to monitor the degradation of QS-21 in vaccine adjuvant formulations. To date, there has been a paucity of reliable assays for QS-21, its isomers, and degradant QS-21 HP in liposomal adjuvant formulations available that can be transferred seamlessly in quality control (QC) environments. Herein, we introduce a simple and QC-friendly liquid chromatography coupled to a charged aerosol detector (LC-CAD) enabled by stationary phase screening combined with in silico method development optimization. The method exploits 2.7 μm fused-core phenyl hexyl particles, ensuring its versatility in standard and ultra-high pressure LC systems. This approach demonstrates a high correlation between predicted retention time (RT) and experimental outcomes with overall ∆RT < 4%. In addition, this assay shows great linearity, precision, specificity, and accuracy to advance process development characterization of new vaccine formulations.

Liposomes↗

PubMed2026

A system-level metastable model of cancer evolution: integrating replication stress, cell cycle deregulation and chromosomal instability.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer cell proliferation occurs within the context of persistent genomic instability. In this review, we propose the RS-CCD-CIN axis as a systems-level framework in which replication stress (RS), cell cycle deregulation (CCD) and chromosomal instability (CIN) form an interdependent triad that shapes tumour evolution. This axis represents a constrained metastable state in which genomic instability is tolerated and buffered. The objective of this review is to synthesize the current understanding of how the RS-CCD-CIN axis contributes to tumour heterogeneity, adaptability and therapy response. DISCUSSION: Evidence indicates that RS, CCD and CIN operate as a dynamic, interconnected network rather than as independent processes. Replication stress induces DNA damage and mutagenesis, while partial checkpoint disruption permits cells with unresolved lesions to proliferate. Chromosomal instability generates both structural and numerical alterations, contributing to intratumoural heterogeneity. Together, these processes facilitate adaptation to environmental and therapeutic pressures. Extrachromosomal DNA, micronuclei formation and cytosolic DNA signalling, including the cGAS-STING pathway, connect genomic instability to adaptive responses and immune modulation. Single-cell and spatial profiling reveal temporal and spatial variability in RS, CCD and CIN states, highlighting the limitations of static biomarkers. Therapeutically, targeting individual components often yields limited durability, whereas approaches that simultaneously perturb multiple aspects of the RS-CCD-CIN axis may improve clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the RS-CCD-CIN axis as a fragile and metastable architecture that supports cancer evolution, while also being susceptible to collapse. A deeper understanding of this interconnected framework may inform the development of therapeutic strategies and enhance the management of resistance.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Molecular Landscape and Advanced Diagnostic Technologies for BRAF Mutations in Cancer: From Quantitative PCR and ddPCR to CRISPR-Based Platforms.

BRAF mutations are key oncogenic alterations across multiple malignancies, including melanoma, thyroid carcinoma, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, glioma, and hairy cell leukemia. The most prevalent variant, BRAF-V600E, induces constitutive activation of the MAPK signaling pathway, promoting tumor progression and influencing therapeutic responsiveness. Accurate detection of BRAF alterations is therefore essential for molecular classification, prognostic assessment, treatment selection, and resistance surveillance. This review summarizes the molecular heterogeneity of BRAF mutations and critically evaluates current diagnostic methodologies. Conventional approaches such as allele-specific PCR and Sanger sequencing are compared with advanced quantitative platforms, including high-resolution melting analysis, droplet digital PCR, and next-generation sequencing, with emphasis on analytical sensitivity, mutation coverage, and clinical applicability. Emerging technologies such as CRISPR-based assays, rolling circle amplification systems, and nanoparticle-based biosensors and point-of-care diagnostic platforms are also discussed for their potential to enhance ultra-sensitive detection, particularly in liquid biopsy settings. These emerging tools are highlighted for their potential to enable ultra-sensitive, rapid, and decentralized mutation detection, particularly in liquid biopsy settings. Key challenges, including intratumoral heterogeneity, low allele-frequency variants, FFPE-associated artifacts, and clonal evolution under therapeutic pressure, are examined within a translational framework. In addition, we examine critical barriers to clinical implementation, including standardization, cost, and global accessibility of molecular diagnostics, and outline potential solutions through scalable technologies and decentralized testing strategies. We propose that optimal BRAF testing requires a mutation subclass-informed and clinically integrated strategy combining comprehensive baseline profiling with longitudinal molecular monitoring. Future diagnostic paradigms will likely integrate multi-omics data and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted interpretation to refine precision oncology implementation. Looking forward, we propose that optimal BRAF testing will require integration of multi-omics profiling with AI-assisted interpretation, enabling automated variant classification, real-time clinical decision support, and improved prediction of therapeutic response and resistance.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Associations Between Routine Vaccinations and the Risk of New-Onset Idiopathic Uveitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between vaccination and the risk of new-onset idiopathic uveitis (NIU). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of aggregated electronic health records from multiple health systems across the United States. SUBJECTS: Subjects who received the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), human papillomavirus (HPV), varicella, recombinant herpes zoster, or live herpes zoster vaccinations from 2006 to 2025 and propensity-score matched controls. INTERVENTION: Vaccines against COVID-19, HPV, varicella, recombinant herpes zoster, or live herpes zoster. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main outcome was the incidence of NIU at 3, 6, and 12 months following vaccination. Vaccinated patients were compared with matched controls who did not receive the respective vaccines. Analyses were repeated, excluding patients with previous diagnosis of the respective viral infection. Risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for overall NIU and constituent subtypes (anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis). RESULTS: All tested vaccinations were associated with reduced risk of NIU through 12 months compared with matched controls. Relative risk reductions were 65% for COVID-19 (RR, 0.35; CI, 0.33-0.37), 56% for HPV (RR, 0.44; CI, 0.35-0.54), 71% for varicella (RR, 0.29; CI, 0.25-0.33), 68% for live zoster (RR, 0.32; CI, 0.23-0.43), and 69% for recombinant zoster vaccination (RR, 0.31; CI, 0.26-0.37). Similar reductions were observed after excluding patients with prior diagnoses of the respective viral infections. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination was associated with a lower risk of idiopathic uveitis, representing the complex interplay between immune modulation and the development of NIU.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Clinical and psychological characteristics of adolescents at risk of mood disorders compared with adolescents with suicidal behavior.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents, yet little is understood about the biopsychosocial factors related to suicidality. The demographic, clinical, and biological characteristics of adolescents with and without psychiatric histories may help inform mechanistic approaches to treatment of mood disorders and suicidality. The 'characterizing the inflammatory profile and suicidal behavior in adolescents' and 'RAD arm of the Texas Resilience Against Depression' studies aimed to characterize the clinical and biological profiles of youth with suicidal behavior and youth at risk for mood disorders, compared to healthy adolescents (n = 75 in each group). Here, we report the descriptive baseline clinical and psychological characteristics of adolescents at risk of mood disorders and those with suicidal behavior. The adolescents with suicidal behavior reported 3.53 lifetime suicidal events on average, predominantly reported moderate to very severe depression (34.7%, 24%, to 9.3%), moderate to severe anxiety (58.6%), low optimism (91.9%), and mild (39.2%) to moderate (28.4%) degree of hopelessness. The at-risk adolescents predominantly reported no depression (60%) or anxiety (68.9%), moderate optimism (50%), and a positive outlook (85.7%). Healthy adolescents predominantly reported no depression (88.3%) or anxiety (93.2%), moderate optimism (59%), and a positive outlook (87%). The adolescents with suicidal behavior and those at risk of mood disorders exhibited significantly higher irritability and borderline personality disorder features (uncorrected p = 0.02 to p < 0.001) and lower resilience compared to healthy adolescents. Ongoing investigations using the longitudinal clinical and biological data will help identify the immune biosignatures of suicidality in youth.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

New Evidence in Heart Failure: 2026 Update.

Heart failure (HF) remains a major cause of morbidity, mortality, impaired quality of life and healthcare expenditure worldwide. The global burden of HF continues to increase due to population aging, improved survival, and the growing prevalence of cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic comorbidities. Simultaneously, the pace of scientific progress in HF has accelerated considerably. Recent advances have refined our understanding of HF epidemiology, prognosis, and disease trajectories, including emerging concepts of HF improvement, remission, and recovery. The Second Universal Definition of HF has also updated the classification framework, moving beyond the traditional ejection fraction-based categories. HF is now broadly classified into two major phenotypes: heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Novel mechanistic insights highlight the role of inflammation, immune activation, metabolic dysfunction, mitochondrial biology, and multisystem interactions in HF progression. There has also been significant progress in the characterization and management of major comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, obesity, atrial fibrillation (AF), pulmonary hypertension, frailty, malnutrition, and cancer. Diagnostic innovations include novel biomarkers, multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence-based approaches, advanced imaging techniques, congestion assessment tools, and emerging digital health solutions. Important advances have occurred in specific HF aetiologies, including cardiomyopathies, cardiac amyloidosis (CA), myocarditis, arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AiCM), and Chagas cardiomyopathy. Therapeutic developments continue to reshape HF management across the spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction. Recent evidence has focused on optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy in HFrEF, expansion of evidence-based therapies in HFpEF, and growing roles for sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, finerenone, incretin-based therapies, and transcatheter valve interventions. Collectively, these advances support the transition from a predominantly phenotype-based approach towards a more personalized and biologically informed model of HF care, with the potential to further improve outcomes across the entire HF spectrum.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Outcomes of stereotactic radiosurgery for spine multiple myeloma-a systematic review.

Spinal involvement in multiple myeloma (MM) commonly results in pain, vertebral instability, epidural spinal cord compression, and neurological deficits. Although conventional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) remains the standard radiation modality because of the radiosensitive nature of MM, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has emerged as a highly conformal treatment option capable of delivering focal high-dose radiation while sparing adjacent spinal cord structures and uninvolved bone marrow. This systematic review evaluated the clinical outcomes and safety profile of SRS for spinal MM. A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify studies evaluating SRS for spinal MM. Extracted variables included patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment parameters, radiographic outcomes, pain response, neurological outcomes, local control, overall survival, and adverse events. Three retrospective studies comprising 133 patients and 181 treated spinal lesions met the inclusion criteria. Median patient age ranged from 59 to 65 years, with a slight male predominance across studies. Thoracic spine lesions represented the most treated region (55.5-67.7%). Median prescribed SRS dose was 14-16 Gy, predominantly delivered in a single fraction. Median follow-up ranged from 11.2 to 27.8 months. Local control rates ranged from 89.4 to 100%, with 6- and 12-month local control rates of 94% and 91%, respectively, in one study. Pain improvement was reported in 41-88% of treated patients/sites, with a median time to pain relief of 1.6 months in one cohort. Neurological improvement occurred in 56-71.4% of patients with preexisting deficits. Reported adverse events included vertebral compression fractures, fracture progression, pain flare, and tracheoesophageal fistula. De novo vertebral fractures ranged from 3.6 to 7%, while fracture progression ranged from 14 to 18%. SRS appears to provide excellent local control and meaningful pain and neurological improvement in patients with spinal MM, with acceptable toxicity profiles. The highly conformal nature of SRS may preserve uninvolved bone marrow and facilitate continuation of systemic therapy. However, the current evidence is limited to small retrospective studies with heterogeneous reporting, and further prospective comparative studies are needed to better define the role of SRS relative to conventional EBRT in spinal MM.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

One Year After a Cyberattack: Lessons Learned and Dosimetric Analysis of Contingency Radiotherapy Plans.

PURPOSE: Cyberattacks on health care institutions pose significant risks to patient care, particularly in radiotherapy departments, which are heavily reliant on digital systems. This study examines the impact of a ransomware attack on our hospital and evaluates the effectiveness of the contingency measures implemented to resume radiotherapy treatments. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Following the cyberattack, our radiotherapy department faced a complete shutdown. After an initial estimate considering a shutdown of several weeks, a contingency plan was executed, including manual patient data retrieval and collaboration with a backup hospital. Contingency plans were prepared and delivered within hours, despite a partial lack of information. These plans allowed some patients to restart treatment 3 days after the attack. A dosimetric analysis was performed for the contingency plans, including various pathologies, mainly glioblastoma, head and neck cancers, and lung cancer. We compared the original and contingency plans in terms of dose coverage to the clinical target volume, biological effective dose, and their clinical impact as assessed at the 1‑year follow‑up after the cyberattack. RESULTS: Treatments resumed within 12 days at our hospital. Patients with glioblastoma showed good target coverage because of generous margins, resulting in favorable outcomes. In head and neck cases, the lack of detailed imaging led to significant target volume misses, suggesting that more conservative initial treatments could have been beneficial. Lung cases demonstrated accurate peripheral lesion targeting but faced challenges in central lesions because of the absence of positron emission tomography information. In most cases, the approach of using a contingency plan, even with limited information, led to a higher biological effective dose than would have been achieved if treatment had been stopped until full recovery at our hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the critical importance of robust contingency planning in radiotherapy departments, emphasizing the need for backup systems and tailored approaches based on tumor location and available diagnostic information. These lessons emphasize that preparedness for digital disruptions should not focus exclusively on information and technology infrastructure.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

A contextual activity score (CAS) for inferring ADAR-associated transcriptional activity across RNA-seq, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing, catalyzed by Adenosine Deaminases Acting on RNA (ADARs), is a widespread modification involved in neural function, immune regulation, and cancer. The Alu Editing Index (AEI) is the standard metric to estimate ADAR activity but requires raw sequencing reads and is poorly suited for single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data. This study aimed to develop an alternative framework for inferring ADAR-associated transcriptional activity from gene expression data across diverse transcriptomic technologies. METHODS: We developed the Contextual Activity Score (CAS), a framework based on transcriptional signatures from ADAR perturbation experiments. Context-specific signatures were generated for human neurons, mouse neurons, and cancer models to infer ADAR1 and ADAR2 activity. CAS was computed from normalized gene expression matrices using regulon-based enrichment analysis. Performance was evaluated by comparing with the Alu Editing Index across bulk RNA sequencing datasets, simulated sequencing depths, and library preparation protocols. RESULTS: CAS showed strong concordance with the Alu Editing Index across multiple datasets, while remaining robust to reduced sequencing depth and different library protocols. Unlike the Alu Editing Index, CAS can be applied to single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data and enables the independent assessment of ADAR2 activity. In cancer and neuronal contexts, CAS captured biologically meaningful variations in ADAR-associated transcriptional activity at sample, cell-type, and spatial levels. CONCLUSION: CAS provides a scalable approach applicable across multiple RNA-seq protocols for estimating ADAR-associated transcriptional activity using gene expression data. This method, implemented in an open-source R package for broad adoption, expands the ability to study ADAR-associated transcriptional activity across transcriptomic modalities where direct editing quantification is challenging, such as single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

PubMed2026

A Pilot Study: Developing a Lactating Dairy Goat Model to Study Staphylococcus aureus Mastitis in Women.

INTRODUCTION: Lactational mastitis is common in lactating women, with Staphylococcus aureus as the most commonly isolated agent associated with infectious lactational mastitis. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for antimicrobial treatment due to barriers in obtaining pharmacokinetic data from lactating women. To overcome this barrier, a suitable large animal model is needed. Goats are an ideal translational model for human mastitis due to their anatomical and physiological similarity to humans. The objective of this pilot study was to assess if goats would develop clinical mastitis following intramammary inoculation with a clinical human isolate of S. aureus with the goal of establishing an alternative in vivo model for future research. The hypothesis was that the infected mammary gland half would show similar clinical signs to women with mastitis and demonstrate a similar local immune response when compared to the control mammary gland half. METHODS: One half of the mammary gland of two healthy lactating does was inoculated with a clinical human isolate of S. aureus. The other half of the mammary gland was sham inoculated with sterile buffered saline. Physical examinations, mammary gland assessments, and sterile milk samples were collected every 12 hours post inoculation. At 96 hours post inoculation, the goats were euthanized, and the mammary glands were examined for pathological changes. RESULTS: Goats did not develop systemic signs of disease following inoculation. Focal infected mammary gland changes included warmth, swelling, redness, discoloration, and reduced milk production; the other mammary gland half remained normal throughout the study period. S. aureus was enumerated from only the infected mammary gland half. The microscopic findings of the infected half showed neutrophilic inflammation and cell necrosis consistent with acute mastitis. DISCUSSION: This pilot study demonstrated lactating does can develop clinical signs like those observed in women. Goats have the potential to be a promising animal model to study infectious lactational mastitis.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Induction Paclitaxel-Cisplatin-Capecitabine for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported higher failure-free survival (FFS) with induction paclitaxel, cisplatin, and capecitabine (TPC) compared with cisplatin and fluorouracil (PF) in high-risk locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). We now report 5-year FFS, with prespecified secondary outcomes. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized trial, patients with high-risk LA-NPC (T4N0-2M0 or TanyN3M0) received two 21-day cycles of induction chemotherapy with TPC or PF, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The primary endpoint was FFS; secondary endpoints included distant metastasis-free, locoregional relapse-free, and overall survival (OS), tumor response, and safety. RESULTS: Among 238 patients (TPC, n=118; PF, n=120), with median follow-up of 89.1 months, 5-year FFS was 77.6% in the TPC group and 62.9% in the PF group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34-0.82). At 5 years, distant metastasis-free survival was 87.8% in the TPC group and 78.8% in the PF group (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.28-0.95); locoregional relapse-free survival was 92.0% and 82.1%, respectively (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21-0.88); and OS was 89.6% and 82.2%, respectively (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.27-0.95). Among patients with pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA <3000 copies/ml, 5-year OS was 92.3% in the TPC group and 84.4% in the PF group. Among those with higher EBV DNA levels, rates were 84.2% in TPC group and 81.1% in PF group. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 68 patients (57.6%) receiving TPC and 79 patients (65.8%) receiving PF. Treatment adherence was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with high-risk LA-NPC, TPC induction chemotherapy was associated with higher 5-year FFS than PF. (Funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02940925.).

Humans↗

PubMed2026

MET-Aberrant non-small cell lung cancer: from kinase dependence to cell-surface targetability-mechanistic basis and biomarker framework for bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates.

MET-aberrant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not a uniform therapeutic entity. Its biology, diagnostic pathways, and treatment sensitivity differ across MET exon 14 skipping alteration (METex14), MET amplification, and MET overexpression. This heterogeneity cannot be fully explained by conventional event-based classification and is reflected in the distinct clinical activity of MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MET-TKIs), bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). With the emergence of antibody-based therapies, MET has evolved from a signaling driver to a cell-surface target for receptor modulation and payload delivery. We therefore propose a clinically anchored two-dimensional framework for interpreting therapeutic relevance in MET-aberrant NSCLC: kinase dependence and cell-surface targetability. Neither dimension should be regarded as a directly measurable binary variable. Kinase dependence is inferred from genomic and treatment-contextual proxies, most strongly METex14 and, more conditionally, high-level focal MET amplification. Cell-surface targetability is approximated by drug-specific IHC assessment of assay-defined c-MET protein expression; however, receptor internalization, intracellular trafficking, and payload delivery capacity remain incompletely measurable in routine clinical practice. Within this framework, MET-TKIs have the most evidence-supported established role in tumors with evidence of MET-driven kinase dependence. EGFR × MET BsAbs have demonstrated clinical activity in broad post-osimertinib EGFR-mutant NSCLC, while EGFR/MET co-dependence or MET-mediated bypass activation provides a mechanistic rationale for their use; MET-defined preferential benefit remains to be prospectively established. MET-directed antibody-drug conjugates (MET-ADCs) are supported in drug- and assay-defined populations with high c-MET protein overexpression, although the predictive relevance of delivery-related factors remains hypothesis-generating. Accordingly, MET testing should shift from single-event detection to platform-oriented stratification: next-generation sequencing (NGS) for driver alterations and resistance profiles, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for high-level focal amplification, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for surface expression relevant to antibody-based therapies. This framework is intended to organize current biological and clinical evidence rather than to replace drug-specific companion diagnostics, regulatory indications, or prospectively validated treatment-selection algorithms. Precision treatment of MET-aberrant NSCLC is thus moving from event-based drug selection toward mechanism-based therapeutic matching. Future priorities include standardizing biomarkers, defining optimal target populations, and aligning biological subtypes, diagnostic strategies, and therapeutic platforms.

Antibody-drug conjugate↗

PubMed2026

Vitamin D Supplementation Modulates Base Excision Repair (BER) Machinery in Systemic Sclerosis: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, autoimmune, fibrotic disorder involving immune dysregulation, vascular abnormalities and progressive fibrosis. Although oxidative stress and defective DNA repair have been implicated in its pathogenesis, the impact of vitamin D on DNA repair pathways remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression of DNA repair enzymes in SSc, explore their relationship with vitamin D status and assess the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the transcriptional expression of these enzymes. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 52 female patients with SSc and 31 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Gene expression levels of base excision repair (BER) enzymes (APE1 and OGG1) and nucleotide excision repair (NER) enzymes (XPA and XPC) were analyzed. Serum vitamin D levels were measured and correlated with disease activity scores. In a prospective arm of the study, patients received six months of vitamin D supplementation and their DNA repair capacity was evaluated pre- and post-intervention. Baseline expression of APE1 and OGG1 was significantly lower in SSc patients than in HCs, whereas expression of the NER genes remained unchanged, indicating selective impairment of the BER pathway. Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in SSc and inversely correlated with disease severity. Supplementation significantly increased serum vitamin D levels and up-regulated APE1 and OGG1 expression; while NER genes remained unaffected. These findings are consistent with evidence of elevated oxidative DNA lesions in SSc and support a mechanistic link between BER activity and the repair of oxidative DNA damage. SSc patients exhibit reduced transcription of BER-specific enzymes associated with vitamin D deficiency andrestoration of vitamin D levels partially rescues BER enzyme expression. These findingshighlight a potentially modifiable axis linking micronutrient status, genomic stability and disease activity and provide a rationale for investigating vitamin D optimization as an adjunctive strategy to enhance DNA repair and potentially attenuate inflammatory and fibrotic processes in SSc.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Major cardiovascular event risk of advanced therapies in inflammatory bowel diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic immune-mediated disorders (IMIDs), including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. While advanced therapies show cardioprotective effects in other IMIDs, their impact on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in IBD remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies evaluating MACE risk with advanced therapies in IBD. METHODS: Systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials identified 43 studies (36 RCTs, including 9 long-term follow-up (LTF) studies, and 7 observational studies) published between 2002 and 2024. Primary analyses estimated odds ratios (OR) for MACE comparing advanced therapy to placebo, with secondary analyses stratifying studies by drug class and length of follow-up. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using alternative methods to account for zero-event data. RESULTS: Placebo-controlled RCTs showed a nonsignificant trend toward reduced MACE risk (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.24-1.51), with similar findings across sensitivity analyses accounting for sparse and zero-event data. Class-specific trends suggested lower MACE risk with IL-12/IL-23 inhibitors (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.05-2.21), JAK inhibitors (OR 0.57; 95% CI 0.16-2.06), and a potential increase with Anti-TNF agents (OR: 3.04; 95% CI 0.31-29.47), though none reached statistical significance. LTF studies showed consistent findings. Observational studies suggested lower MACE risk with Anti-TNF therapies (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.21-0.40), but not with IL-12/IL-23 (OR 4.41; 95% CI 0.49-39.28) or JAK inhibitors (OR 1.57; 95% CI 0.86-2.84). CONCLUSION: Advanced therapies did not demonstrate a clear increase or decrease in cardiovascular risk in IBD. The discrepancies between RCTs and observational studies underscore the urgent need for rigorous-designed observational research with long-term follow-up to evaluate the real-world impact of advanced therapies on MACE risk.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Associations of clinical and laboratory parameters with pediatric urolithiasis composition: A retrospective, single-center study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate demographic, clinical, and laboratory factors associated with distinct stone compositions in children. METHODS: This retrospective study included 237 children aged <14 years who underwent stone composition analysis between July 2008 and November 2023. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, and propensity score matching (PSM) was used to control for confounding factors. RESULTS: The urate component (uric acid anhydrous, ammonium acid urate, and sodium urate) was most prevalent in infants, males, and non-Han children, whereas the calcium oxalate component predominated in older children. Analysis of coexisting components revealed urate is the most common partner to calcium oxalate (67.6%), and vice versa (82.8%). Struvite most frequently coexisted with carbonate apatite (60%), while carbonate apatite most often coexisted with calcium oxalate (54%). After PSM, the urate component was independently associated with host metabolic dysregulation, including lower high-density lipoprotein (β = -0.175, 95% CI: -0.279 to -0.071, p = 0.001) and with coagulation dysfunction, as evidenced by a prolonged prothrombin time (β = 0.595, 95% CI: 0.125 to 1.064, p = 0.014). Additionally, preoperative urinary tract infection (UTI) and congenital urinary tract anomalies were independently associated with both carbonate apatite and struvite components, with directionally consistent but quantitatively unstable signals in the struvite cohort, whereas the calcium oxalate component exhibited an inverse association with UTI (OR = 0.156, 95% CI: 0.030 to 0.819, p = 0.028). Furthermore, the carbonate apatite component was also independently associated with an elevated systemic immune-inflammation index (β = 416.53, 95% CI: 60.05 to 773.01, p = 0.024) and systemic inflammation response index (β = 1.286, 95% CI: 0.086 to 2.487, p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: Urate component was prevalent in infants, males, and non-Han children, whereas calcium oxalate predominated in older children. After adjusting for confounders, urate composition was associated with metabolic abnormalities, the carbonate apatite component was linked to infection and anatomical malformations, and a similar directional pattern was observed in the struvite cohort.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Evaluation of pilocarpine effects on sweat proteome.

BACKGROUND: Sweat is increasingly recognized as a valuable, non-invasive biofluid for biomarker discovery, yet its composition depends on the stimulation method. This study aimed to determine how pharmacological induction with pilocarpine compares to physiologically induced sweat through exercise in shaping the sweat proteome. RESULTS: We analyzed thermoregulatory sweat from exercise, pilocarpine-induced sweat, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat. Total protein concentrations were similar across conditions, but pilocarpine markedly increased proteomic diversity, with combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat showing the highest number of identifications. The core sweat proteome remained stable, while pilocarpine selectively enriched low-abundance proteins involved in vesicular trafficking, cytoskeletal remodelling, and metabolism. Proteins linked to the canonical M3-Gq-PLC-Ca2+ pathway, including AQP5, CALML5, and CLIC1, were consistently enriched, confirming cholinergic activation. Pilocarpine-induced sweat also contained plasma-derived and immune-related proteins, reflecting enhanced secretion and reduced ductal reabsorption. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise yields a physiologically relevant but less complex proteome, pilocarpine-induced sweat produces a pharmacologically enriched yet biased profile, and combined pilocarpine plus exercise sweat maximizes protein detection at the expense of interpretability. These findings highlight the critical impact of stimulation paradigm on sweat proteomics and provide a reference framework for biomarker research. SIGNIFICANCE: This study employed LC-MS/MS to systematically characterize eccrine sweat and delineate how stimulation paradigms-exercise, pilocarpine, and their combination-shape its proteomic landscape. By demonstrating that pharmacological induction profoundly alters protein diversity and composition compared to physiologically induced sweat, these findings establish a critical benchmark for sweat-based biomarker research and highlight the need for paradigm-aware sampling strategies in clinical and translational contexts. Nonetheless, several methodological constraints warrant consideration: the limited sample size (five individuals per group), the exclusive inclusion of women under combined oral contraceptive treatment (21 active pills followed by 7 pill-free days), which restricts extrapolation to naturally cycling women, and the focus on healthy young adults (18-25 years), limiting generalizability to older or clinically heterogeneous populations. Despite these limitations, this work provides a foundational framework for optimizing sweat collection protocols and advancing precision approaches in non-invasive diagnostics.

Pilocarpine↗