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PubMed2026

Micro- and nanoplastics-induced neurotoxicity: a CNS-centered, evidence-graded adverse outcome pathway framework based on systematic weight-of-evidence assessment.

Micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) are ubiquitous anthropogenic particulate pollutants posing emerging threats to human neurological health. Severe heterogeneity in particle physicochemical properties, environmental aging status, exposure paradigms and experimental platforms has created persistent mechanistic uncertainties in MP/NP neurotoxicology, hindering reliable hazard characterization and risk translation. Here, we systematically consolidate empirical toxicological evidence and construct a dedicated central nervous system (CNS)-targeted adverse outcome pathway (AOP) network integrated with rigorous weight-of-evidence (WoE) grading to elucidate the hierarchical, particle-specific toxic cascades underlying MP/NP-induced neural injury. Our synthesis overturns the conventional linear toxicity paradigm, demonstrating that MPs/NPs trigger neurotoxicity via a complex multi-input mechanistic network. We definitively establish oxidative stress as a robust early convergent key event-rather than a universal molecular initiating event-orchestrating ROS overproduction, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation to propagate neuronal damage. This core module is driven by five distinct particulate upstream triggers: particle-biomolecule interfacial perturbation, corona-facilitated cellular internalization, plastic-associated chemical leaching, aging-derived free radical reactivity, and gut-borne systemic neurotoxic signaling. Downstream pathogenic outcomes encompass glial overactivation, neurotransmitter dyshomeostasis, autophagy-lysosome dysfunction, metabolic reprogramming, regulated neuronal cell death, and behavioral impairments. Tiered WoE analysis confirms strong validation for early oxidative/inflammatory cascades, moderate support for gut-brain axis crosstalk and intracellular trafficking disruption, and nascent evidence for synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration-linked proteostatic defects. Extrapolation to human health risk remains constrained by the frequent use of high-dose exposure paradigms, limited validated data on internal dosimetry in the human brain, discrepancies between effective concentrations in experimental models and environmentally relevant human tissue burdens, and insufficient causal validation of distal adverse outcomes. We highlight key research priorities including aged mixed-particle exposure systems, leachate-controlled assays, quantitative internal dose evaluation, and mechanistic intervention verification. This evidence-stratified AOP framework resolves longstanding mechanistic ambiguities in particulate neurotoxicity, providing a standardized, causality-based foundation for future mechanistic exploration and health risk assessment of global plastic pollution.

Adverse outcome pathway↗

PubMed2026

Functional perturbation reveals context-dependent contributions of nuclear receptors to drug-induced hepatic steatosis.

Drug-induced hepatic steatosis is mediated by diverse molecular mechanisms, yet several nuclear receptors have been proposed as molecular initiating events or early key events within adverse outcome pathways for hepatic steatosis. However, direct functional evidence supporting these mechanistic roles in human-relevant experimental systems remains limited. The present study evaluated the contribution of selected nuclear receptors to drug-induced hepatic steatosis using complementary human hepatic in vitro models. Stable short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of individual nuclear receptors was established in HepG2 and differentiated HepaRG cells, followed by exposure to representative steatogenic drugs, including valproic acid, amiodarone, tamoxifen, and rifampicin. In parallel, primary human hepatocyte spheroids were used to compare drug-induced lipid accumulation with direct pharmacological activation of individual nuclear receptor pathways. While depletion of multiple nuclear receptors markedly affected oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation, drug-induced steatogenic responses exhibited predominantly selective and compound-specific receptor dependencies. In differentiated HepaRG cells, nuclear receptor depletion influenced basal lipid homeostasis more strongly than valproic acid-induced lipid accumulation. Conversely, direct activation of liver X receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors α and γ in primary human hepatocyte spheroids induced robust lipid accumulation, whereas most steatogenic drugs produced comparatively modest responses. These findings demonstrate that the contribution of individual nuclear receptors to drug-induced hepatic steatosis is highly compound- and context-dependent and cannot be explained by a single conserved receptor pathway. This study provides functional evidence from complementary human-relevant hepatic models that supports refinement of hepatic steatosis adverse outcome pathways and highlights the value of targeted perturbation strategies for mechanistic toxicology.

Adverse outcome pathway, HepaRG↗

PubMed2025

BMDx2: A Tool for Integrating Toxicogenomics-Based Dose-Dependency Analysis and AOP-Based Mechanistic Insights.

Despite the advent of mechanistic toxicology using omics data to link molecular perturbations with systemic outcomes, regulatory toxicology still lacks the application of mechanism-anchored metrics from such data. This is partially because traditional gene-centric analysis often falls short of linking molecular changes to adverse outcomes. To address this gap, BMDx2, an open-source tool that transforms multi-dose toxicogenomics datasets into quantitative, mechanistic evidence for human chemical safety assessment is developed. BMDx2 couples benchmark-dose modeling with Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) enrichment to derive transcriptomic-based points of departure, enabling potency ranking, chemical prioritization, and mechanistically anchored explanations of the effect of chemical exposures. BMDx2 can process a broad range of data, including DNA microarray and RNA sequencing studies. Here, case studies are used to illustrate the versatility of BMDx2 in characterizing the mechanism of action of chemicals. An initial case study on carbon nanotubes exposure applies integrative analysis of transcriptomics and genome-wide DNA methylation data, uncovering cellular reprogramming processes underlying fibrosis. A second case study on bleomycin exposure demonstrate how transcriptomic data alone can be mapped to fibrosis-related AOPs in a standardized, regulatory appropriate manner. Together, these examples show how BMDx2 supports the regulatory application of toxicogenomics and accelerates mechanism-based chemical safety evaluation.

Toxicogenetics↗

PubMed2026

From molecular responses to environmental monitoring: advances and translational gaps in omics approaches in fish environmental toxicology.

Fish occupy a central position in aquatic ecosystems and serve as important bioindicators for environmental monitoring, as well as powerful translational models for understanding toxic mechanisms conserved across higher vertebrates. In recent years, omics techniques have proven to be powerful tools to address complex environmental questions that conventional toxicology methods cannot answer. Despite this potential, a critical translational gap remains between molecular findings and their use in ecological risk assessment frameworks. This review critically synthesizes advances across omics techniques including epigenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics and their integration. Special emphasis is placed on methodological considerations and practical aspects of these techniques in fish environmental toxicology and environmental monitoring. Evidence from single-omics studies suggests conserved biomarker signatures across species while characterizing complex phenomena like non-monotonic dose-response relationships, mixture toxicity and transgenerational and stereoselective effects with implications for population level monitoring. Multi-omics studies, especially those involving triple omics, further enhance mechanistic resolution by reconstructing adverse outcome pathways. We further evaluate using case studies when additional molecular layers provide critical insight and when they offer limited advantage, a strategic distinction with direct implications in environmental monitoring programmes. Finally, current limitations and future directions that will ultimately bridge the translational gap and hold promise for advancing mechanistic ecotoxicology and predictive environmental monitoring are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2024

A novel molecular pathway of lipid accumulation in human hepatocytes caused by PFOA and PFOS.

Exposed to ubiquitously perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has been associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), yet the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. The extrapolation of empirical studies correlating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure with NAFLD occurrence to real-life exposure was hindered by the limited availability of mechanistic data at environmentally relevant concentrations. Herein, a novel pathway mediating hepatocyte lipid accumulation by PFOA and PFOS at human-relevant dose (<10 μM) was identified by integrating CRISPR-Cas9 genome screening, concentration-dependent transcriptional assay in HepG2 cell and epidemiological data mining. 1) At genetic level, nudt7 showed the highest enriched potency among 569 NAFLD-related genes, and the transcription of nudt7 was significantly downregulated by PFOA and PFOS exposure (<7 μM). 2) At molecular pathway, upon exposure to ≤10-4 μM PFOA and PFOS, the downregulation of nudt7 transcriptional expression triggered the reduction of Ace-CoA hydrolase activity. 3) At cellular level, increased lipids were measured in HepG2 cells with PFOA and PFOS (<2 μM). Overall, we identified a novel mechanism mediated by transcriptional downregulation of nudt7 gene in hepatocellular lipid increase treated with PFOA and PFOS, which could potentially explain the NAFLD occurrence associated with exposure to PFASs in humans.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Perinatal Lead (Pb) Exposure Increases Mouse Embryonic Weight and Alters Neuronal Gene Expression.

Acute and chronic exposure to lead (Pb) during pregnancy is linked to adverse health outcomes, including delayed neurodevelopment in offspring. However, the pathways by which Pb exposure influences long-term health remain poorly understood. To address this, we measured the effects of perinatal Pb exposure on gene expression including imprinted genes, X-linked genes, and sexually dimorphic genes. Female mice were given control or Pb acetate dosed (32 ppm) drinking water two weeks prior to timed mating until embryonic day (E)10-12, upon which whole embryos were collected, weighed, and sexed at E13-15. From a subset of embryo heads (n≥9 per sex per group), we extracted and sequenced RNA. We used linear regression to assess Pb impacts on embryonic weight and gene expression across all mice and stratified by sex. Among the differentially expressed genes, we identified significantly enriched pathways. Pb-exposed embryos weighed more than controls (p=0.007), across both sexes. Collectively, we identified 2,920 differentially expressed genes (FDR<0.05), including 31 imprinted genes and 120 X-linked genes upon Pb exposure. Pb exposure altered expression in gene pathways related to neuronal structure and function as well as sexually dimorphic genes (44 for females; 76 for males). These findings highlight perinatal Pb-linked alterations that may drive later-life health outcomes.

DOHaD↗

PubMed2024

Clinicogenomic predictors of survival and intracranial progression after stereotactic radiosurgery for colorectal cancer brain metastases.

OBJECTIVE: Brain metastases (BM) from colorectal cancer (CRC) are associated with dismal prognosis. When BM-directed therapy is considered, better methods are needed to identify patients at risk of poor oncological outcomes in order to optimize patient selection for closer surveillance or escalated therapy. The authors sought to identify clinicogenomic predictors of survival and intracranial disease progression after CRC BM have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed CRC BM treated with SRS between 2009 and 2022 who had next-generation genomic sequencing data available were included. Frameless SRS was delivered in 1-5 fractions, alone or after neurosurgical resection. Outcomes included overall survival (OS) and intracranial progression (IP), evaluated per patient treated with SRS, and local progression (LP), evaluated per BM. Associations between baseline clinicogenomic features and outcomes were evaluated with Cox regression and competing risk regression, with death as a competing risk. RESULTS: This analysis included 123 patients with 299 BM. At BM diagnosis, 111 patients (90%) had progressive extracranial disease, and 79 patients (64%) had ≥ 3 sites of extracranial metastasis. The median (IQR) number of BM was 2 (1-3) per patient. The median (IQR) biologically effective dose (BED) was 51.3 (51.3-65.1) Gy, corresponding to a prescription of 27 Gy in 3 fractions. OS, IP, and LP estimates at 1 year after SRS were 36%, 55%, and 12%, respectively. OS was independently associated with progressive extracranial disease (HR 4.26, 95% CI 1.63-11.2, p = 0.003) and ≥ 3 extracranial metastatic sites (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12-3.01, p = 0.02). LP was less likely when BM received BED ≥ 51.3 Gy (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.07-0.78, p = 0.02), independent of BM diameter (HR 1.21/cm, 95% CI 0.8-1.84, p = 0.4). IP was independently associated with genomic alterations; TP53 driver alterations were associated with higher risk of IP (HR 2.71, 95% CI 1.26-5.79, p = 0.01), whereas MYC pathway alterations were associated with lower risk (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.68, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The authors identified clinicogenomic features associated with adverse outcomes after SRS for CRC BM. Progressive and extensive extracranial metastases predicted worse OS. Insufficient SRS doses predicted greater risk of LP. Wild-type TP53 and alterations in the MYC pathway were independently associated with lower risk of IP. Patients at high risk of IP may be considered for closer surveillance or escalated therapy.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Proteomic analysis identifies pathways related to immune dysregulation in patients with hematologic malignancies after COVID-19 infection.

Patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because of underlying immune dysfunction and treatment-related immunosuppression. However, proteomic features associated with different clinical trajectories in this population remain insufficiently characterized. We performed serum proteomic analysis in 40 HM patients with COVID-19 and 15 healthy controls. Compared with controls, HM patients showed impaired immune-related responses during the acute phase of COVID-19. Acute-phase proteomic patterns differed across outcome groups; however, because outcome groups were closely intertwined with initial COVID-19 severity, ICU admission, and systemic illness, and because multivariable adjustment was not performed due to the limited sample size, these patterns should be interpreted as severity- and outcome-associated profiles rather than independent trajectory-specific markers. Fatal cases showed evidence of dysregulated immune activation, whereas patients later classified as having long COVID exhibited broader suppression of immune-related pathways. In addition to immune alterations, pathways related to platelet activation and cardiac-related dysfunction were associated with adverse clinical trajectories. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay validation supported the association of selected proteins with outcome groups during acute infection. These findings provide a proteomic overview of COVID-19 in HM patients and offer a basis for future mechanistic studies and larger external validation cohorts.IMPORTANCEPatients with hematologic malignancies are highly vulnerable to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), acute death, and long COVID due to preexisting immune dysfunction. However, the proteomic signatures linked to adverse clinical trajectories remain poorly understood. Our serum proteomic study identifies distinct acute-phase immune profiles associated with different outcomes: broad immune suppression characterizes long COVID, while dysregulated immune activation is associated with fatal cases. Platelet activation and cardiac-related pathways are also linked to poor outcomes. These findings provide key molecular insights for this high-risk population, supporting future biomarker development, risk stratification, and targeted clinical management.CLINICAL TRIALSThis study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT05683353.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

CCNA2 orchestrates the PI3K/AKT signaling axis to propel prostate cancer metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) remains one of the most common malignancies in men, posing a persistent global burden in terms of both public health and socioeconomic costs. Although early detection is essential for improving patient outcomes, existing clinical tools, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, digital rectal examination, and transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy, are hampered by suboptimal specificity and positive predictive value, resulting in frequent overdiagnosis and overtreatment of indolent lesions while missing a subset of aggressive tumors at an early stage. In this context, the rapid advancement of high-throughput omics technologies, coupled with sophisticated machine learning (ML) algorithms, provides a powerful computational framework to dissect high-dimensional genomic data, uncover latent gene expression signatures, and identify candidate biomarkers with superior discriminative performance over conventional clinicopathological parameters. Therefore, in this study, we sought to screen for crucial ML-based biomarkers associated with PCa, with a particular focus on systematically assessing the diagnostic and prognostic value of CCNA2. Leveraging large-scale transcriptomic cohorts from public repositories, we employed an ensemble of ML approaches to prioritize candidate genes and subsequently evaluated the diagnostic performance of CCNA2 through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, as well as its prognostic utility via Kaplan-Meier survival estimation and multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling. Our findings are anticipated to elucidate the molecular landscape of PCa and offer a promising biomarker candidate for early detection and risk stratification. METHODS: This study integrated single-cell RNA sequencing, bulk transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repositories, immunofluorescence, and multiple ML algorithms with in vitro functional assays to evaluate CCNA2 expression, clinical relevance, and biological behavior in PCa. RESULTS: CCNA2 was linked to metastasis and poor prognosis. High CCNA2 expression significantly correlated with adverse survival outcomes, and knockdown of CCNA2 suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion in PCa cell lines. Mechanistically, CCNA2 modulated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. An ML-based diagnostic model incorporating CCNA2 demonstrated high predictive accuracy across multiple validation cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: CCNA2 serves as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in prostate adenocarcinoma, driving tumor progression potentially via the PI3K/AKT axis.

CCNA2↗

PubMed2024

Prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with alterations in offspring DNA methylation at genes involved in neurodevelopment, across the life course.

Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) is of increasing concern globally, due to the potential impact on offspring neurodevelopment, and its association with childhood and adolescent brain development and cognitive function. However, there is currently a lack of research addressing the molecular impact of PCE, that may help to clarify the association between PCE and neurodevelopment. To address this knowledge gap, here we present epigenome-wide association study data across multiple time points, examining the effect of PCE and co-exposure with tobacco using two longitudinal studies, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) at birth (0 y), 7 y and 15-17 y (ALSPAC), and ~27 y (CHDS). Our findings reveal genome-wide significant DNA methylation differences in offspring at 0 y, 7 y, 15-17 y, and 27 y associated with PCE alone, and co-exposure with tobacco. Importantly, we identified significantly differentially methylated CpG sites within the genes LZTS2, NPSR1, NT5E, CRIP2, DOCK8, COQ5, and LRP5 that are shared between different time points throughout development in offspring. Notably, functional pathway analysis showed enrichment for differential DNA methylation in neurodevelopment, neurotransmission, and neuronal structure pathways, and this was consistent across all timepoints in both cohorts. Given the increasing volume of epidemiological evidence that suggests a link between PCE and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in exposed offspring, this work highlights the need for further investigation into PCE, particularly in larger cohorts.

DNA Methylation↗

PubMed2026

Molecular profiling of coronary stent testenosis: A systematic review and functional analysis of implicated genes.

BACKGROUND: Coronary stent restenosis occurs in approximately 5% of patients treated with drug-eluting stents (DES) and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Elucidating the genetic mechanisms underlying restenosis may support precision medicine approaches to improve patient management.This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on genes and biological pathways associated with DES-related restenosis and to perform functional analysis of the implicated genes using bioinformatics tools. METHODS: The review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed for human studies investigating genetic or genomic factors in coronary restenosis, with the last search conducted in March 2024. Eligibility criteria included original studies reporting genetic associations with DES restenosis. Screening and data extraction were performed by a single reviewer. Identified genes underwent gene set enrichment analysis using Enrichr (Ma'ayan Laboratory, Computational Systems Biology) and ClueGo extension on Cytoscape (National Resource for Network Biology). RESULTS: Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies highlighted multiple genes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammatory signaling, and the renin-angiotensin system. Gene enrichment analysis confirmed the overrepresentation of these biological pathways in DES-associated restenosis. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review synthesizes the genetic and molecular contributors to DES-associated restenosis and identifies potential targets for future research and personalized therapies. No external funding was received, and the protocol was not registered.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Metabolomics in breast cancer: insights into treatment responses, disease progression, and prognostic assessment.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in metabolic pathways are a hallmark of cancer and play a pivotal role in breast cancer development and progression. The inherent metabolic heterogeneity of breast cancer contributes to differences in therapeutic response and patients' prognosis. Clinical metabolomics has emerged as a promising approach for identifying metabolic biomarkers that reflect tumor biology, treatment-related changes after diagnosis, and patients' outcomes. AIMS OF REVIEW: This review summarizes the metabolomic profiles of breast cancer patients, using various biological materials and analytical methods, to assess their potential role as biomarkers for monitoring therapeutic response, adverse treatment effects, tracking disease progression, and predicting prognosis. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT OF REVIEW: Metabolomic shifts generate unique signatures with promising potential as biomarkers for evaluating treatment response, monitoring therapeutic adverse effects, disease progression, and predicting clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients. Biological matrices, such as serum, plasma, and tumor tissue, were commonly used in both untargeted and targeted metabolomics approaches. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is the most commonly used analytical method in clinical metabolomics studies. Altered metabolites were identified and linked to metabolic pathways, particularly amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids metabolism. When integrated with genomic and transcriptomic data, these metabolic fingerprints offer a multidimensional perspective on disease trajectory, thereby enhancing patient stratification and informing personalized therapeutic strategies.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Multi-omics reveals that burdock seed aglycone alleviates renal fibrosis by restoring mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation function.

Renal fibrosis (RF), a common pathological process driving chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression to end-stage renal failure, is closely associated with oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Arctigenin (ATG), the main active component of burdock seed, exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activities, but its mechanisms in RF treatment remain unclear. Here, we performed integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to identify key targets and pathways of ATG in a unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced rat RF model. Multi-omics enrichment analysis revealed that NDUFS8 and NDUFS2 were the core targets of ATG, with the OXPHOS pathway as the central intersecting pathway. Our results suggest that ATG exerts anti-renal fibrosis effects by targeting the OXPHOS pathway to inhibit excessive reactive oxygen species production and oxidative stress. SIGNIFICANCE: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to impose an escalating global health and socioeconomic burden, while renal fibrosis (RF), as the convergent pathological endpoint of virtually all progressive nephropathies, remains the principal determinant of irreversible renal failure and adverse clinical outcomes. Despite extensive efforts to develop antifibrotic therapies, effective clinical interventions remain elusive, largely due to the complex and multifactorial nature of RF pathogenesis. In this study, we employed an integrated multi-omics framework encompassing transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to systematically decipher the antifibrotic mechanism of arctigenin (ATG), a bioactive natural compound derived from traditional Chinese medicine. Our findings identify mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation as the pivotal regulatory axis underlying the renoprotective effects of ATG and further establish key catalytic subunits of mitochondrial complex I as its direct molecular targets. Mechanistically, ATG not only restores complex I activity and reprograms mitochondrial energy metabolism but also preserves the intracellular stability and localization of these subunits, thereby preventing their aberrant release-mediated inflammatory activation and disrupting the self-perpetuating cycle linking metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and fibrosis progression. Beyond revealing a previously unrecognized dual mechanism integrating metabolic and inflammatory regulation, this study provides compelling evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is not merely a secondary consequence of tissue injury but a fundamental driver of fibrotic remodeling. Importantly, our work highlights the translational potential of natural product-based mitochondrial interventions for CKD treatment and supports a broader conceptual shift toward metabolism-centered therapeutic strategies for chronic fibrotic diseases. Given the central role of mitochondrial dysfunction across multiple organs, these findings may also have far-reaching implications for the treatment of systemic fibrosis-related disorders beyond the kidney.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Utility of hearing aid use on neurocognitive functions and auditory processing: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: Hearing loss not only affects the peripheral auditory system but also leads to changes in central auditory pathways and neurocognitive skills. The use of hearing aids has shown potential benefits in mitigating the adverse effects of hearing loss. Earlier literature showed various studies assessing the impact of hearing aid use on cognitive functions and auditory processing, a comprehensive review of the existing literature is warranted. Existing literature showed heterogeneous outcomes among studies investigated the effect of Hearing aid use in combating the adverse effects of hearing loss on neurocognitive functions and auditory processing. METHOD: Databases including PubMed, SciELO, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Index Copernicus were searched (2005-2025) using English keywords on hearing aid effects on neurocognition and auditory processing in individuals with hearing loss. Studies on effect of hearing aid use on neurocognition and auditory processing were included, while those involving cochlear implant users or other neurological disorders unrelated to hearing loss were excluded. Titles, authors and publication years were examined, and duplicates were removed. RESULTS: Total of 61 research papers were found on specific area and were included in the present review. Findings of these 61 articles have been analysed and are reported in this article. The outcome of the present study showed usefulness of hearing aid use on neurocognitive functions and auditory processing. CONCLUSION: The present literature review emphasized the importance of early rehabilitation through hearing aid use to alleviate the adverse effects of hearing loss on neurocognitive function and auditory processing.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Utero-placental calcium and magnesium ion channels: A systematic review of obstetric implications of their alterations.

Despite the established roles of calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) in placental function and uterine contractility, limited information exists on how dysregulation of major ion channels contributes to poor pregnancy outcomes. We synthesized data on the consequences of Ca2+ and Mg2+ channelopathies in uterine and placental functions. Using PubMed, Wiley Online, AJOL, and Web of Science databases for article search, a systematic review of forty-nine papers published between 2000 and March 2026 was carried out and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guideline. Based on the PICO framework, eligible studies involving human, animal, and in vitro designs were chosen and subjected to narrative analysis. L-type and T-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, together with transient receptor potential channels, emerged as principal mediators of placental Ca2+ transport and myometrial contractility. Mechanosensitive Piezo1 channels mediate stretch-activated Ca2+ influx, while store-operated Ca2+ entry pathways involving STIM1-Orai1 sustain intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Potassium-Ca2+ coupling channels modulated membrane hyperpolarization and anti-labor effects, and intracellular regulators such as PMCA and RYR1 fine-tuned Ca2+ homeostasis. The Mg2+ transporters are essential for preserving Mg2+ homeostasis and regulating Ca2+-dependent excitability. Dysregulation of these ion channel systems was consistently linked to abnormal uterine contractility, preterm birth, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Both Ca2+ and Mg2+ ion channelopathies represent both a potential therapeutic target and a mechanistic factor underlying key obstetric complications.

Female↗

PubMed2026

HSK21542 for Postoperative Analgesia in Gynecological Surgery: A Pooled Post-Hoc Analysis of Two Phase III Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Effective postoperative pain management in gynecological surgery is challenging because of complex visceral-somatic pain interactions and the adverse effects of conventional analgesics. HSK21542, a novel peripherally restricted kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist that selectively targets visceral pain pathways enriched with KORs, may provide adequate analgesia without systemic adverse events. METHODS: We conducted a pooled post-hoc analysis of data from two phase III, multicenter, triple-blinded, randomized controlled trials (Study 301, HSK21542 vs placebo; Study 303, HSK21542 vs tramadol vs placebo). Eligible patients undergoing elective gynecological surgery were included. The primary outcome was the summed pain-intensity difference over 12 and 24 hours (SPID 12h and SPID 24h ). Secondary outcomes were pain-relief quality (proportion of patients relieved from severe pain with a pain numerical rating score ≤ 3 between 0 and 24 hours) and rescue-analgesic requirements (number of doses and time to first rescue analgesic). Adverse events were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 370 patients were analyzed: 150 received HSK21542, 139 received a placebo, and 81 received tramadol. After inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) adjustment, baseline characteristics were well-balanced across treatment groups (all standardized mean differences [SMD] <0.1; see Table 1 for 95% CIs). HSK21542 produced greater reductions in pain intensity over 12 and 24 hours than placebo (least-squares mean differences -8.1 and -16.3 for SPID 12h and SPID 24h , respectively. Both P < .001) and no statistically significant difference was observed between HSK21542 and tramadol ( P > .05). Significantly more patients in the HSK21542 group were relieved from severe pain at 0 to 12 hours (92.7% vs 82.7%, P < .001) and required fewer rescue doses at 0 to 12 hours (0.00 [IQR 0.00-1.00] vs 1.00 [IQR 0.00-2.00], P < .001) and 0 to 24 hours (0.00 [IQR 0.00-1.00] vs 1.00 [IQR 0.00-2.00], P < .001) than those in the placebo group, whereas no significant differences with tramadol both in 0 to 12 and 0 to 24 hours. HSK21542 was also associated with significantly lower incidences of nausea (24.7% vs 66.7%) and vomiting (21.3% vs 60.5%) than tramadol. Only one case of dizziness occurred in the tramadol group. CONCLUSIONS: HSK21542 could provide adequate postoperative analgesia with few adverse events in patients undergoing gynecological surgery.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Skin barrier repairing and anti-aging effects evaluation of a comprehensive topical regimen incorporating niacinamide, Pro-Xylane, and panthenol after PicoWay laser: a randomized controlled study.

Pro-Xylane is a potent anti-aging ingredient; however, there is limited knowledge regarding whether a comprehensive post-procedure regimen incorporating a combination of Pro-Xylane, niacinamide, and panthenol alongside other active agents can deliver synergistic benefits for both skin barrier repair and anti-aging. This study assesses the effectiveness of the REGENMEDIC cream (anti-aging cream) and REGENMEDIC serum (anti-aging serum) in promoting skin barrier recovery and enhancing anti-aging effects following PicoWay laser treatment. A 112-day randomized controlled trial was conducted with 88 Chinese females, who were divided into two groups: the test group, using REGENMEDIC cream and Serum following PicoWay laser treatment, and the control group, using standard care regimen consisting of a standard cream. Skin barrier-repairing effects were assessed during the initial 14 days following a single use of REGENMEDIC cream, while skin elasticity, firmness, wrinkles and skin tone were evaluated over the 112-day study period after the combined use of REGENMEDIC cream and Serum. The test group exhibited lower transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and higher hydration after 14 days compared to the control group, along with a more significant reduction in skin redness. After 112-day use of REGENMEDIC cream and serum, test group showed increased skin elasticity and firmness, reduced wrinkles, and an overall improvement in skin tone and texture. Dermatologists reported excellent tolerability, with minimal adverse events. Initial application of the REGENMEDIC cream facilitated rapid skin barrier repair, while the subsequent sequential regimen incorporating the serum yielded significant long-term anti-aging benefits following PicoWay laser treatment. This study demonstrates that targeting multiple physiological pathways-specifically hydration, barrier integrity, and cellular senescence-provides a robust therapeutic option for amplifying the anti-aging outcomes of aesthetic procedures.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Radiomics-based gradient boosting model on contrast-enhanced MRI for non-invasive prediction of epidermal growth factor receptor expression and therapeutic response to EGFR-targeted antibody-drug conjugates in high-grade glioma organoid models.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor EGF(EGFR) play crucial roles in glioblastoma (GBM) prognosis. However, non-invasive assessment of their expression remains challenging. This study aimed to determine whether radiomics features extracted from contrast-enhanced MRI could predict EGFR expression in high-grade gliomas (HGG) and to explore their associations with immune infiltration and therapeutic response of EGFR-Targeted antibody drug conjugates(EGFR-ADCs). METHODS: We extracted radiomic features from contrast-enhanced MRI of 298 GBM patients from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) and matched them with RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Feature selection was performed using minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) and recursive feature elimination (RFE). Machine learning models were built to predict EGF/EGFR expression. Radiogenomic associations were validated by immune infiltration analysis. Patient-Derived Tumor-Like Cell Clusters (PTC) were used to compare the antitumor efficacy of EGFR- ADCs and temozolomide. RESULTS: Elevated EGF/EGFR expression correlated with poor prognosis and increased infiltration of M2 macrophages, regulatory T cells, and CD4⁺ memory T cells. Pathway analysis demonstrated significant enrichment of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades. Radiomics-based prediction models achieved robust performance (AUC > 0.85) in stratifying EGFR expression status. In EGFR-positive tumor tissues, EGFR-ADCs exerted antitumor efficacy similar to that of temozolomide. CONCLUSIONS: EGF/EGFR expression is associated with immunosuppressive microenvironments and adverse outcomes in HGG. Radiomics may provide a non-invasive approach for estimating EGFR expression, although model performance requires external validation and EGFR-ADCs showed partial inhibitory activity within the tested range, though potency remains to be defined.These findings suggest a framework into radiogenomic stratification and targeted therapy in GBM.

Radiomics↗