Articles

Background: For optimal performance, athletes from all sport disciplines need to consume a high-quality diet. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a tool that can estimate diet quality and has been shown to be associated with body composition. 

The present Commentary extends the discussion in an earlier Commentary by Levin & Kratochwill (2026) on the promise of randomized single-case intervention designs for researchers in the health sciences. Four different randomization schemes for various single-case intervention designs are introduced, accompanied by actual single-case intervention studies illustrating that such randomization has begun to appear in the scientific research literature. 

Thermogenic adipocytes convert chemical energy into heat and are increasingly viewed as targets for treating obesity and metabolic disease. Recent work establishes a functional relationship between exosome trafficking and the cellular capacity to execute a thermogenic response. 

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a complex immunological disease with a heterogenous clinical trajectory. It originates in the germinal centers of lymph node follicles, from malignant B-cell lymphocytes that usually harbor the t(14;18) chromosomal translocation, leading to an overexpression of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein [1]. However, BCL2 overexpression alone is insufficient to drive disease development, and FL cells remain highly reliant on interactions with surrounding lymphoma microenvironment (LME) for survival, proliferation, and immune evasion [2–4]. Consequently, the onset and progression of FL are exquisitely dependent on interactions with the LME.

It has been almost six decades since T cells and B cells were found to be the major players of adaptive immunity. The signal transduction cascades of T cell activation are well studied. However, it is not well appreciated or investigated how the binding of antigens to B cell receptors triggers the downstream signal transduction pathways.

A study by Badr and colleagues showed that self-reactive CD8 T cells left early from the thymus and became PD-1-positive CD8 T cells in the periphery that are tolerant to self-antigens [1]. This report is reminiscent of an earlier study on self-reactive CD4 T cells eventually becoming CD4 T regulatory cells after negative selection in the thymus with high expression of the inhibitory receptor CTLA4 on the cell surface [2].

Major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders together represent one of the largest sources of disability worldwide, and both remain difficult to treat [1,2]. A substantial share of patients fails to respond to first-line antidepressants, and relapse after apparent remission is common [3,4]. Ketamine and esketamine, antagonists of N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, have shown that correcting glutamatergic and Ca²⁺ signaling abnormalities can produce rapid symptomatic improvement even in treatment-resistant cases, but their use is constrained by abuse liability, dissociative side effects, and the need for monitored administration [5,6]. 

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the natural history of several advanced/metastatic malignancies, producing durable responses that may persist after therapy is stopped. Yet the optimal treatment duration remains uncertain. This article addresses treatment duration only in the advanced/metastatic setting; adjuvant, consolidation, and other curative-intent settings have different therapeutic objectives, relapse risks, and trial-defined durations and should not be extrapolated directly to metastatic disease [1].

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a serious genetic disease that affects muscles, caused by loss-of-function mutations in the DMD gene, which encodes the structural protein dystrophin. The absence of dystrophin leads to destabilization of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DAPC), compromises sarcolemmal integrity and trigger progressive muscle fiber degeneration.

This study investigated the effect of annealing temperature on the microstructure and electrochemical behavior of commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) subjected to cold rolling and heat treatments between 400 and 900°C. Microstructural characterization and microhardness measurements were performed, along with potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests in artificial saliva following exposure to a fluoridated agent.

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is widely recognized as a violation of human rights and a critical public health concern. However, its profound psychological and psychiatric implications remain insufficiently explored within dominant academic and policy discourse. Building on prior research examining men’s roles in sustaining and contesting FGM/C in Nigeria, this commentary reframes the practice as a gendered mental health crisis embedded within systems of power, silence, and social conditioning.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) often have pan-systemic manifestations, with the hematological system being one of the most affected. Viral load is the gold standard for monitoring the progress of HIV. This study aimed to determine the association between the hematological profile and the viral load among HIV infected children in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

Critically ill patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are at high risk of preventable complications such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and malnutrition. These complications significantly increase morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Care bundles are structured sets of evidence-based practices designed to improve the quality and consistency of patient care.

Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) are closely linked to obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), all of which contribute to fibrosis progression and liver-related complications. To systematically review the association of metabolic syndrome and T2DM with progression of MASLD/MASH to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, and to evaluate the effects of metabolic pharmacotherapies on hepatic and clinical outcomes.

Chemosensory systems exhibit substantial plasticity that supports adaptive perception, sensory learning, and behavioral responses to changing environmental and physiological conditions. Although synaptic mechanisms have traditionally been viewed as the principal basis of chemosensory plasticity, accumulating evidence indicates that adaptive sensory function depends on coordinated interactions among circuit modulation, glial regulation, metabolic and inflammatory state, and structural remodeling.

The presence of lymphatic vessels in the human endometrium is sketchy and is unsettled. Using D2-40 as a marker of lymphatic vessels in the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human endometrium, a reduced density of lymphatic vessels was reported in human functionalis. Normally cycling human endometrium is relatively difficult to study for ethical reasons.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the established medical treatment for individuals diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Studies indicate a notable occurrence of dyslipidemia and anemia in populations affected by HIV, where disease progression and immunosuppression contribute to hematological deficiencies.

Background and aim: Crohn’s Disease (CD) is associated epidemiologically with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD), but the molecular overlap remains incompletely defined. We asked whether adult CD intestinal biopsy transcriptomes are enriched for genes assigned to the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) atherosclerosis signaling pathway. This analysis was designed to evaluate transcriptional overlap, not clinical ASCVD or vascular disease.

A growing mismatch has emerged between the promises of precision medicine in oncology, and the real-world outcomes observed across Cancer, associated cardiovascular diseases, and complex (CO-)morbidities in the POSTCOVID-19 era. Recent global datasets reveal persistent, accelerated, and excessive mortality since 2020, with monthly death rates exceeding pre-pandemic baselines by 20–40% in several regions.

Nature recently listed 20 major T cell milestones since the early breakthroughs of Drs. Jacques Miller and Max Cooper. However, to make the story more complete, several key discoveries may need to be mentioned. One of the major missing episodes is the discovery of the bone marrow in mice as the origin of T and B cells, revealed by Dr. Henry Claman and his colleagues. The complete absence of the critical role of B cells in the final differentiation of T cells into memory lineages could be a major oversight in modern immunology. In this short essay.