8 October 2025

Quality assessment from biobank plasma and serum specimens: a systematic review

"Unreliable blood sample quality can distort research findings, waste resources, and compromise clinical decisions. By identifying the key factors that damage samples and highlighting overlooked variables, this work helps to establish a foundation for standardized handling that preserves integrity, improves reproducibility, and strengthens trust in biobank-based studies."

Sonia Oliveira, Section Editor

3 October 2025

Proteomic landscape of porcine induced neural stem cell reprogramming and differentiation

"This article is significant as it presents the first proteomic map of porcine iNSC reprogramming, revealing key regulatory proteins and pathways that advance our understanding of neural fate and support translational regenerative medicine."

Travis Beddoe, Handling Editor

2 October 2025

Novel monoclonal antibodies for immunodetection of AmpC β-lactamases

"This article is important because it addresses a critical gap in the rapid and accurate detection of AmpC β-lactamase–producing bacteria, a major cause of antibiotic resistance worldwide. By developing and characterizing novel monoclonal antibodies targeting conserved epitopes of CMY β-lactamases, the study provides versatile tools adaptable to multiple immunoassay platforms"

Travis Beddoe, Handling Editor

30 September 2025

DNA damage-dependent mechanisms of ionizing radiation-induced cellular senescence

"Cellular senescence includes replicative senescence (from telomere shortening) and stress-induced premature senescence (e.g., from ionizing radiation, IR). While IR DNA damage is studied, its role in inducing senescence is unclear. Understanding these mechanisms is key to exploring radiation’s impact on aging, guiding future research."

Rodolfo García-Contreras, Handling Editor

29 September 2025

Study on the diagnostic potential and molecular mechanism of hsa_circ_0000831 in oral squamous cell carcinoma

"This article addresses the identification and validation of key circular RNAs with diagnostic relevance in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a malignancy with considerable clinical challenges. By integrating public and clinical datasets, the study identifies hsa_circ_0000831 as a candidate biomarker, and provides evidence for its upregulation in OSCC along with an assessment of its diagnostic performance. The inclusion of functional assays adds support for the involvement of this circRNA in OSCC cell behavior, while the construction of a ceRNA network and pathway analysis offers some insight into possible underlying mechanisms. The approach is methodical, combining data mining with experimental work, and the results may contribute to the ongoing search for more effective diagnostic tools and therapeutic targets in OSCC. However, while the findings are of interest, the clinical implications remain preliminary and would benefit from further validation in larger, independent cohorts."

Fanglin Guan, Handling Editor

26 September 2025

Integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations to explore potential compounds and mechanisms of Coptis chinensis in treating streptococcal infections

"This research advances the understanding of C. chinensis as a multi-faceted therapeutic agent and lays the groundwork for its clinical application against Streptococcus infections."

Rodolfo García-Contreras, Handling Editor

26 September 2025

Anticancer potential of ethanolic sidr leaf extracts against MCF-7 breast cancer cells: phytochemical, nutritional, and antimicrobial profile comparisons of different plant parts

"As breast cancer remains among most common and deadly malignancies worldwide, the exploration of new plant-derived anticancer agents would contribute to the urgent search for safer, more affordable therapeutics. By integrating proximate nutrition, phytochemical profiling, antimicrobial testing, and anticancer assays, this current research provides a strong foundation for further development of plant extracts."

Charles Okpala, Handling Editor

16 September 2025

Comparison of the antibacterial properties of peptides from the hepatopancreas of red king crab and snow crab and development of an approach for red king crab peptide isolation from the hepatopancreas

"This review underscore the diversity and broad-spectrum potential of crustacean AMPs, positioning them as promising candidates for developing novel antibacterial drugs, particularly in addressing antibiotic resistance."

Rodolfo García-Contreras, Handling Editor

5 September 2025

Development of a prognostic RiskScore model using efferocytosis-related signature genes for lung adenocarcinoma

"This article investigates the prognostic relevance of efferocytosis-related genes in lung adenocarcinoma and constructs a RiskScore model using multi-omics data and a range of analytic approaches. By integrating consensus clustering, WGCNA, LASSO regression, and single-cell transcriptomic analysis, the authors identify and validate a set of genes with potential prognostic value and provide preliminary evidence for their functional roles in LUAD progression. The study also explores the association between the RiskScore and immune landscape, as well as drug sensitivity, which may carry implications for patient stratification and individualized therapy. The finding that these efferocytosis-related genes are predominantly expressed in mast cells adds a layer of interest, although the underlying biological mechanisms remain to be fully clarified. While the work is comprehensive in its use of bioinformatics and experimental validation, some limitations exist, including the dependence on existing datasets and the need for further mechanistic studies to substantiate the functional significance of the identified genes. Overall, this article offers a methodologically sound and relevant addition to the field, providing a basis for further research, though its impact may be somewhat limited by the exploratory nature of the findings."

Fanglin Guan, Handling Editor

3 September 2025

Insight into the PmrB structures of colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria through the multi-template ligand-guided homology modeling and in silico mutagenesis

"This study advances the fight against colistin-resistant infections by providing robust structural models, mechanistic insights, and a foundation for structure-based drug design, addressing a critical gap in antibiotic development."

Rodolfo García-Contreras, Handling Editor