Mitochondria are regulators of key cellular processes, including energy production and redox homeostasis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with various human diseases, including cancer. Importantly, both structural and functional changes can alter mitochondrial function. Morphologic and quantifiable changes in mitochondria can affect their function and contribute to disease. Structural mitochondrial changes include alterations in cristae morphology, mitochondrial DNA integrity and quantity, and dynamics, such as fission and fusion. Functional parameters related to mitochondrial biology include the production of reactive oxygen species, bioenergetic capacity, calcium retention, and membrane potential. Although these parameters can occur independently of one another, changes in mitochondrial structure and function are often interrelated. Thus, evaluating changes in both mitochondrial structure and function is crucial to understanding the molecular events involved in disease onset and progression. This review focuses on the relationship between alterations in mitochondrial structure and function and cancer, with a particular emphasis on gynecologic malignancies. Selecting methods with tractable parameters may be critical to identifying and targeting mitochondria-related therapeutic options. Methods to measure changes in mitochondrial structure and function, with the associated benefits and limitations, are summarized.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is used clinically for photodynamic therapy and fluorescence-guided diagnosis and surgery due to its selective accumulation in malignant cells, where it is converted into photoactive protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) via the heme biosynthesis pathway. The resulting buildup allows for selective visualization or destruction of the tissue under specific light exposure, particularly in pre-malignant and malignant skin lesions, brain tumors, and bladder cancer. More recently, 5-ALA and 5-ALA-induced PpIX have attracted interest for emerging diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. For instance, PpIX is being investigated as a potential marker for liquid biopsy. PpIX-mediated photodynamic therapy also shows promise for targeting specific cancer cell populations, including dormant cancer cells and cancer stem cells. In addition, the benefits of 5-ALA in neurological and mental health are under investigation, as disruptions in heme biosynthesis are increasingly linked to neurodegenerative diseases, chronic fatigue, and mood and sleep disorders. This review highlights these expanding research directions, discusses current challenges, and explores potential opportunities for 5-ALA-based applications.

Photothermal treatments require precise temperature control to achieve therapeutic effects without harming surrounding tissues. However, existing systems rely on expensive components for accuracy. This study explores whether a temperature-controlled laser system can be developed using cost-effective components while maintaining precision. The system was designed and built from scratch and then tested on samples with different optical properties to identify and address its limitations. The final design ensures accuracy without requiring a computer for monitoring and control, making the technology more accessible. Our research group developed the hardware and software for a temperature-controlled laser system. The operating algorithm was then optimized using phantom and ex vivo tissue. The IR array sensor was used with its factory calibration, and its accuracy was compared to that of another commercial IR temperature measurement device. Finally, the results of the temperature-controlled ex vivo application were compared to those obtained using corresponding constant laser power values. The developed system could distinguish between agar and lamb liver and adjust the irradiation parameters accordingly. In the experiments where the samples were kept at 42.5 °C, the mean and standard deviation of the agar gel and lamb liver tissue temperatures were 42.10 ±0.37 °C and 42.92 ±0.39 °C, respectively. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that the developed system maintained the lamb liver tissue temperature at set values, with a standard deviation of less than ± 0.48 °C. In this study, a precise, customizable, and relatively inexpensive temperature-controlled laser system was developed and tested. The operation algorithm was developed based on preliminary studies, and the precision was maintained on samples with distinct optical properties. Future studies should focus on making the device more compact and testing the system in in vivo models. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) have attracted growing attention in biomedical fields due to their wide bioavailability, high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and multifunctionality. Key features of MNPs are broad-spectrum light absorption, high drug-loading capacity, near-infrared light-triggered drug release and reactive oxygen species generation, efficient hepatobiliary, renal clearance, and superior binding affinity towards metal ions that enhance MNPs’ traceability in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Despite challenges such as agglomeration in time, lack of extraction standardization, and a limited number of animal and clinical studies, the strong photothermal conversion and reactive species production abilities of MNPs make them effective photosensitizers and photothermal agents, while their dual capability for molecular binding and metal chelation positions them as promising agents for theranostic applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of MNPs, covering their structural features, manufacturing methods and associated limitations, and recent advances in their physicochemical characterization. Special focus is given to MRI-guided biomedical applications, including drug delivery, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy, along with critical challenges related to the clinical translation and commercialization of MNP-based platforms. By consolidating recent advances, this review highlights key structure–function relationships that underpin emerging melanin-based nano-systems.