Thalassemia represents a diverse group of inherited hematological disorders characterized by defective globin chain synthesis, leading to chronic anemia and associated complications. The complicated pathophysiology of beta-thalassemia involves genetic mutations or rarely deletions of the beta-globin gene on chromosome 11 whereas alpha-thalassemia involves deletions in the HBA1 and HBA2 genes or occasionally alterations to the DNA sequence in or around these genes. These mutation and deletion effects disrupt the balance of α/β-globin chain production, resulting in ineffective erythropoiesis, hemolysis, and a cascade of clinical manifestations including anemia, bone deformities, and iron overload. Advances in diagnostic techniques have enhanced our ability to detect and characterize these mutations, facilitating early and accurate diagnoses. Current management strategies encompass regular blood transfusions, the use of hydroxyurea to improve hemoglobin levels, and iron chelation therapy to prevent iron-related organ damage. Moreover, other therapeutics such as thalidomide for those not responding to hydroxyurea, Sirolimus for patients with immunodeficiencies, and use of vitamin E as an antioxidant have proven to be effective. Innovative therapies such as gene therapy and bone marrow transplantation offer promising curative potential, opening a new era in the treatment of thalassemia. This review focuses on pathophysiological mechanisms underlying thalassemia, explores the diagnostic methodologies, and highlights recent advancements in therapeutic approaches.

Current research on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has resulted in delineation into the quadruple-negative breast cancer (QNBC) subgroup. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, his... Plain language summary When the androgen hormone receptor becomes inactive in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, it results in another subtype of breast cancer called quadruple-negative... Graphical abstract

For many patients, diabetes Mellitus and Malignancy are frequently encountered comorbidities. Diabetes affects approximately 10.5% of the global population, while malignancy accounts for 29.4 million cases each year. These troubling statistics indicate that current treatment approaches for these diseases are insufficient. Alternative therapeutic strategies that consider unique signaling pathways in diabetic and malignancy patients could provide improved therapeutic outcomes. The G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is receiving attention for its role in disease pathogenesis and treatment outcomes. This review aims to critically examine GPER’ s comparative role in diabetes mellitus and malignancy, identify research gaps that need to be filled, and highlight GPER’s potential as a therapeutic target for diabetes and malignancy management. There is a scarcity of data on GPER expression patterns in diabetic models; however, for diabetes mellitus, altered expression of transport and signaling proteins has been linked to GPER signaling. In contrast, GPER expression in various malignancy types appears to be complex and debatable at the moment. Current data show inconclusive patterns of GPER expression in various malignancies, with some indicating upregulation and others demonstrating downregulation. Further research should be conducted to investigate GPER expression patterns and their relationship with signaling pathways in diabetes mellitus and various malignancies. We conclude that GPER has therapeutic potential for chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and malignancy.

Drought is a significant abiotic stress affecting the growth, development, and overall crop yield worldwide. Cowpea is a drought tolerant legume widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, but its physiological and metabolic responses to severe water stress are not well understood. This study investigates how cowpea responds to drought stress induced by polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) at concentrations of 0% (0 g/100 mL), 8% (8 g/100 mL), and 16% (16 g/100 mL) at morphological, physiological, and biochemical levels. Our findings revealed that drought stress significantly induced a decrease in leaf number, shoot height, root length, and shoot number. Significant reduction in photosynthetic pigments (6.21 ± 0.61), carotenoids (2.08 ± 0.071), indole acetic acid (4.08 ± 0.341), and an increase in antioxidant biomarkers such as catalase (0.0087 ± 0.00047) and superoxide dismutase (1.41 ± 0.010) were also recorded. Drought stress induces the reduction of indole-3-acetic acid content (20.57 ± 0.23 µg/mL) in both 8% (12.18 ± 0.27 µg/mL) and 16% (4.08 ± 0.34 µg/mL) PEG-induced drought. Metabolomic profiling revealed a significant expression of both secondary and primary metabolites based on fold change analysis and a two-sample t-test. Expression of osmoprotectants such as proline, glycine betaine, soluble sugars, and antioxidant secondary metabolites were observed. Alterations in metabolic flux affecting several pathways, such as amino acid, hormone, glutathione, and plant secondary metabolites, were observed in drought-exposed seedlings. Overall, the study highlights the ability of this plant to respond to drought stress by modifying growth parameters, altering biochemical reactions, and several metabolic pathways.

Drought is a major environmental stress factor that severely reduces crop yields by more than 50%, especially in the Northern part of Nigeria. This study aimed to assess the effect of drought stress on some morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters in soybeans (TGX-1835-10E). Drought was induced using two different concentrations of PEG 6000 at 8% and 16% for 2 weeks and the plant seedling was collected for morphological, physiological, and biochemical analysis. Leaf and root homogenate was prepared using phosphate buffer and the supernatants were used for catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and total antioxidant activity, total chlorophyll, proline, hydrogen peroxide, carotenoid, and MDA content determination. Findings from the study show that drought stress had a significant effect on the growth and physiological indices of soybeans. The fresh root, seedling weight, root number, and root length significantly increase in 8% PEG compared with the 16% PEG. Conversely, the total chlorophyll content decreased with the increase in PEG concentration while MDA and proline content significantly increased as the PEG concentration increased. No significant increase in catalase activity at 8% PEG and a decrease was observed at 16% PEG. Whereas ascorbate peroxidase activity shows a significant increase in 8% PEG and a decrease in 16% PEG. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that soybeans (TGX-1835-10E) respond to drought stress by increasing seedling and root fresh weight, decreasing total chlorophyll content, increasing MDA, and alteration in carotenoid and catalase activity.