The prevention of mitochondrial diseases is particularly important due to the lack of specific therapies. Therefore, mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) is expected to be a technology to prevent mitochondrial diseases. Admittedly, this technology sparked a lot of controversy and discussion. In this article, we review the recent advances in MRT, discuss its safety and ethical issues, and finally explore its potential to completely block the inheritance of mitochondrial diseases.

Background: The cytochrome b (CYTB) gene, a crucial component of the mitochondrial genome, plays a multifaceted role in cellular metabolism, energy production and various biological processes.

Main body: It is well known that the CYTB gene encodes a subunit of complex III in the electron transport chain, which is vital for the oxidative phosphorylation process and ATP generation. Various studies report that the CYTB gene not only encodes a core protein in the mitochondrial respiratory chain but also produces a long non-coding RNA called lncCYTB, which participates in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Inspiringly, a study has recently revealed that the CYTB gene also encodes a novel 187 amino acid long polypeptide, CYTB-187AA, a mitochondrial DNA-encoded protein produced by cytosolic translation and important for early mammalian development.

Conclusion: This review will provide insight into the functional and expression properties of the CYTB gene, as well as its unique non-coding RNA signature, and describe the diseases associated with the CYTB gene, ranging from mitochondrial dysfunction to more complex genetic disorders.

Rationale: The incidence of renal function alterations among patients with COVID19 is unknown.

Objective: To determine the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) or augmented renal clearance (ARC) in patients hospitalised with COVID19 and identify risk factors for patients who may exhibit each renal alteration.

Methods: Retrospective, observational cohort analysis of hospitalise, adult patients within the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database with laboratory confirmed COVID19 and available data to calculate creatinine clearance using the Cockcroft–Gault equation from 1 January 2020 through 9 April 2022.

Measurements: Incidence of AKI or ARC and patient demographics.

Main results: 15 608 patients were included for renal function characterisation where 20.9% experienced AKI and 34.8% exhibited ARC. ARC lasted longer than AKI; however, AKI was associated with increased hospital length of stay and mortality. 11 274 patients were included in logistic regression analysis. Height and White race were the only variables associated with decreased risk of AKI while male sex and diabetes were associated with increased risk. Male sex, Black race and hypertension were associated with decreased risk of ARC. Age was associated with decreased risk of both AKI and ARC while weight and Hispanic ethnicity were associated with increased risk in both renal alterations.

Conclusions: A significant proportion of patients exhibit renal alterations during their hospitalisation for COVID19. These results provide initial evidence of identifying patients at risk of AKI or ARC, but more research is needed, especially with respect to use of biomarkers for renal alteration risk stratification.

Objective: To investigate whether the mRNA expression of thyroglobulin (TG) and TSH receptor (TSHR) in lymph node could be used to diagnose lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).

Subjects and methods: Around 156 paraffin samples of lymph nodes from 89 patients with PTC after surgery were collected, and the expressions of TG and TSHR mRNA were detected by nested qPCR.

Results: Compared with the results of confirmed histopathology, 86 out of 87 tissues of lymph nodes metastasis ectopically expressed TG mRNA, while 66 out of 69 tissues of non-metastasis lymph nodes did not express the TG mRNA. The specificity and sensitivity of TG mRNA measurement for detecting the lymph node metastasis were 95.65% and 98.85%, as effective as the first postoperative histopathology. However, the specificity and sensitivity of TSHR mRNA measurement were 92.75% and 85.06%, respectively. The accuracy of TG, TSHR mRNA measurement and the first postoperative histopathology were 97.44%, 88.46% and 95.51%, with the positive predictive rate (PPR) 96.63%, 93.67%, and 98.78%, respectively, negative predictive rate (NPR) 98.51%, 83.12% and 91.89%, respectively, as well as Youden’s index 0.95, 0.78 and 0.92.

Conclusions: TG mRNA ectopic expression in the lymph node might be an excellent marker to diagnose the lymph node metastasis for patients with PTCs.

Background: Elevated intrarenal pressure (IRP) during retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) can lead to deleterious complications. Emerging non-invasive, real-time IRP monitoring tools are proving crucial for enhancing procedural safety. This study evaluates a newly developed flexible and navigable suction ureteral access sheath (FANS) with IRP monitoring capabilities through animal study and a clinical trial, assessing its accuracy and operational benefits.

Methods: A preclinical animal study and a prospective clinical trial involving 100 patients were conducted. The animal study confirmed the accuracy of IRP-monitoring FANS, whilst the clinical trial compared its performance to conventional FANS in RIRS. The evaluated outcomes included the accuracy of IRP measurements, the irrigation flow rate, the duration of the operation, and the stone-free rate (SFR). Statistical comparisons were performed using appropriate tests with a significant threshold of p < .05. Registration for this study is recorded under the identifier NCT06729801 at ClinicalTrials.gov.

Results: In the animal study, IRP-monitoring FANS demonstrated high accuracy in real-time IRP measurement, comparable to percutaneous nephrostomy-based monitoring. In the clinical study, IRP-monitoring FANS enabled increased irrigation flow whilst maintaining safe IRP levels within 30 mmHg. Operative time was significantly shortened in IRP-monitoring FANS group (50.9 vs. 67.6 min, p < .01), with similar SFRs between groups. No notable discrepancies in the rates of complications were observed.

Conclusions: The IRP-monitoring FANS improves stone retrieval efficiency and shortens operative time whilst ensuring safety through real-time IRP monitoring. This novel device marks a major improvement in both the safety and effectiveness of RIRS for managing large renal stones.

Background: Single-cell sequencing technologies have revolutionised pharmaceutical research by providing in-depth insights into human biology at the single-cell level. These tools enable researchers to identify rare cell types and analyse cellular diversity within tissues, facilitating the discovery of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. However, their application in nutraceutical research is still in its early stages.

Main Body: Unlike pharmaceuticals, which have well-defined chemical structures and mechanisms, nutraceuticals are food-based materials intended for specific medical purposes and often contain complex and diverse food chemicals. These molecules can work synergistically, producing multi-targeted effects in various tissues. Traditional bulk profiling methods for tissues and tumours do not adequately capture cellular heterogeneity or specific cellular responses to treatments. Therefore, advanced single-cell sequencing is crucial for dissecting tissues into distinct cell types, helping to clarify the underlying mechanisms at the cellular level. Many derivatives of functional foods have been marketed or assessed, demonstrating health benefits. However, mechanistic insights are lacking, with most current data derived from observational studies or traditional in vitro and in vivo models. Human clinical trials are needed to validate these nutraceutical effects and determine effective and safe dosages. Edible mushrooms have gained attention as nutraceuticals due to their medicinal properties. They have been observed to enhance immunity, reduce inflammation, and combat cancer. These effects have been attributed to their unique bioactive components and historical uses in traditional medicine. Epidemiological studies show that higher consumption of edible mushrooms is linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers.

Conclusion: In this review, we share important lessons learned in the design and execution of clinical trials focusing on white button mushrooms as anti-cancer nutraceuticals. We demonstrate the use of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in nutraceutical research to capture the nuanced biological responses and health effects of dietary foods and their constituents.

Post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis (post-CPF) has emerged as a serious complication with profound implications for long-term respiratory health. This short review explores the multifactorial mechanisms underlying post-CPF, emphasising the role of oxidative stress, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and dysregulated immune responses. Key signalling pathways, such as TGF-β, WNT, and Cadherin, are pivotal in fibrosis progression, offering potential therapeutic targets. Biomarkers, such as MUC4, KRT5, and ATP12A show promise for early detection and therapeutic targeting, as they share molecular features with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (f-ILDs), suggesting opportunities to repurpose antifibrotic therapies. Despite these advancements, significant gaps remain in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fibrosis progression, hindering effective management of post-CPF. Addressing these challenges through a targeted approach is critical to improving outcomes for survivors of severe COVID-19.