Purpose of Review: Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration in oncology is transforming therapeutic decision-making by providing clinical decision support. AI may improve treatment precision, but it raises ethical, legal, and informed consent issues. This review examines these paramount AI implementation issues in cancer care. This systematic review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was prospectively registered in the PROSPERO (CRD420251046482) database. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane CENTRAL Library to identify studies published between January 2015 and May 2025. AI-supported oncology therapeutic decision-making studies with ethical, legal, or informed consent implications were eligible. Recent Findings: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. AI applications were found to support treatment recommendations, personalize drug dosing, and improve adherence and patient management. Despite these benefits, the review highlighted key concerns, including algorithmic transparency, unclear accountability in AI-guided decisions, data privacy, and gaps in patient understanding of AI’s role in their care. Summary: AI has the potential to enhance oncological care, but ethical and legal issues must be addressed for safe and equitable implementation. Emphasis should be placed on developing robust informed consent models, mitigating algorithmic bias, and establishing clear legal accountability. Future research must establish ethical frameworks and regulatory mechanisms to protect patient autonomy and responsibly integrate AI into oncology.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) dynamically regulates many aspects of mammalian physiology. ECS has gained substantial interest since growing evidence suggests that it also plays a major role in several pathophysiological conditions due to its ability to modulate various underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, cannabinoids, as components of the cannabinoid system (CS), have proven beneficial effects such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuromodulatory, antioxidative, and cardioprotective effects. In this comprehensive review, we aimed to describe the complex interaction between CS and most common age-related diseases such as neuro-degenerative, oncological, skeletal, and cardiovascular disorders, together with the potential of various cannabinoids to ameliorate the progression of these disorders. Since chronic inflammation is postulated as the pillar of all the above-mentioned medical conditions, we also discuss in this paper the potential of CS to ameliorate aging-associated immune system dysregulation.
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is an essential structure for the maintenance of brain homeostasis. Alterations to the BBB are linked with a myriad of pathological conditions and play a significant role in the onset and evolution of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, a deeper understanding of the BBB’s structure and function is mandatory for a better knowledge of neurodegenerative disorders and the development of effective therapies. Because studying the BBB in vivo imposes overwhelming difficulties, the in vitro approach remains the main possible way of research. With many in vitro BBB models having been developed over the last years, the main aim of this review is to systematically present the most relevant designs used in neurological research. In the first part of the article, the physiological and structural–functional parameters of the human BBB are detailed. Subsequently, available BBB models are presented in a comparative approach, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Finally, the new perspectives related to the study of Alzheimer’s disease with the help of novel devices that mimic the in vivo human BBB milieu gives the paper significant originality.
The conundrum of Cannabis sativa’s applications for therapeutical purposes is set apart by the hundreds of known and commercially available strains, the social, cultural and historical context, and the legalization of its use for medical purposes in various jurisdictions around the globe. In an era where targeted therapies are continuously being developed and have become the norm, it is imperative to conduct standardized, controlled studies on strains currently cultivated under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification, a standard that guarantees the quality requirements for modern medical and therapeutic use. Thus, the aim of our study is to evaluate the acute toxicity of a 15.6% THC: <1% CBD, EU-GMP certified, Cannabis sativa L. in rodents, following the OECD acute oral toxicity guidelines, and to provide an overview of its pharmacokinetic profile. Groups of healthy female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated orally with a stepwise incremental dose, each step using three animals. The absence or presence of plant-induced mortality in rats dosed at one step determined the next step. For the EU GMP-certified Cannabis sativa L. investigated, we determined an oral LD50 value of over 5000 mg/kg in rats and a human equivalent oral dose of ≈806.45 mg/kg. Additionally, no significant clinical signs of toxicity or gross pathological findings were observed. According to our data, the toxicology, safety and pharmacokinetic profile of the tested EU-GMP-certified Cannabis sativa L. support further investigations through efficacy and chronic toxicity studies in preparation for potential future clinical applications and especially for the treatment of chronic pain.
Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) affects around 10% of the general population and has a significant social, emotional, and economic impact. Current diagnosis techniques rely mainly on patient-reported outcomes and symptoms, which leads to significant diagnostic heterogeneity and subsequent challenges in management and assessment of outcomes. As such, it is necessary to review the approach to a pathology that occurs so frequently, with such burdensome and complex implications. Recent research has shown that imaging methods can detect subtle neuroplastic changes in the central and peripheral nervous system, which can be correlated with neuropathic symptoms and may serve as potential markers. The aim of this paper is to review available imaging methods used for diagnosing and assessing therapeutic efficacy in CNP for both the preclinical and clinical setting. Of course, further research is required to standardize and improve detection accuracy, but available data indicate that imaging is a valuable tool that can impact the management of CNP.