One of the well-known X-linked genetic disorders is hemophilia, which could be hemophilia A as a result of a mutation in the F8 (factor VIII) gene or hemophilia B as a result of a mutation in the F9 (factor IX) gene, leading to insufficient levels of the proteins essential for blood coagulation cascade. In patients with severe hemophilia, factor VIII or factor IX activities in the blood plasma are considerably low, estimated to be less than 1%. This is responsible for spontaneous or post-traumatic bleeding episodes, or both, leading to disease complications and death. Current treatment of hemophilia relies on the prevention of bleeding, which consists of expensive lifelong replacement infusion therapy of blood plasma clotting factors, their recombinant versions, or therapy with recombinant monoclonal antibodies. Recently emerged gene therapy approaches may be a potential game changer that could reshape the therapeutic outcomes of hemophilia A or B using a one-off vector in vivo delivery and aim to achieve long-term endogenous expression of factor VIII or IX. This review examines both traditional approaches to the treatment of hemophilia and modern methods, primarily focusing on gene therapy, to update knowledge in this area. Recent technological advances and gene therapeutics in the pipeline are critically reviewed and summarized. We consider gene therapy to be the most promising method as it may overcome the problems associated with more traditional treatments, such as the need for constant and expensive infusions and the presence of an immune response to the antibody drugs used to treat hemophilia.

Atherosclerosis is a complex disease characterized by pathological thickening of the arterial intima. The mechanisms underlying the induction and progression of atherosclerosis are convoluted and remain under active investigation, with key components such as lipid accumulation and local inflammation being identified. Several risk factors (e.g., metabolic disorders, genetic background, diet, infections) have been shown to exacerbate disease progression, but their roles as clinically relevant markers remain to be established. Despite the growing body of evidence on the molecular pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, there is no effective preventive treatment against the development of this disease. In this review, we focus on gene targets for gene therapy as a novel potential approach to cure and prevent atherosclerosis. We critically review recent research demonstrating the therapeutic potential of viral vector-based (adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentivirus) gene therapy for the treatment of atherosclerosis. We also summarize alternative gene targets and approaches (e.g., non-coding RNA (ncRNA), micro RNA (miRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), CRISPR/Cas9) that aim to limit disease progression. We highlight the importance of local inflammation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and propose gene targets with anti-inflammatory activity to inhibit the pathological inflammatory response. In addition, we provide perspectives on the future development of gene therapeutics and their potential applications. We anticipate that recent advances in gene therapy will help to identify new and effective targets to prevent atherosclerosis.

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA can cause mitochondrial diseases. This review focuses on the main functions of mitochondria and the effect of mutations in mtDNA on the processes of mitophagy, mitodynamics and mitochondrial biogenesis. The main mitochondrial diseases associated with specific mutations in mtDNA are reviewed, with an emphasis on atherosclerosis. It is assumed that mtDNA mutations can provoke pathological changes in the intima of the human aorta and activate a specific immune response, ultimately leading to the development of atherosclerosis. Special attention is paid to the methods of targeted therapy of mitochondrial diseases with the use of antioxidants, mitodynamics modifiers, and phototheranostics.

Based on the material collected from the Kuril Islands (Russia) in 2023, the paper presents the first for the fauna of Sakhalin Oblast record of Idiochlora ussuriaria (Bremer, 1864) (Geometridae). It provides an annotated list of 13 species of the geometer and owlet moths, newly recorded on Iturup Island. The list includes Geometra dieckmanni Graser, 1889, G. papilionaria (Linnaeus, 1758), Deileptenia ribeata (Clerck, 1759), Photoscotosia atrostrigata (Bremer, 1864), Plusia putnami Grote, 1873, Acronicta rumicis (Linnaeus, 1758), Phlogophora aureopuncta (Hampson, 1908), Trachea tokiensis (Butler, 1884), Apamea monoglypha (Hufnagel, 1766), Mythimna grandis Butler, 1878, M. flavostigma (Bremer, 1861), Lacanobia contigua ([Dennis & Schiffermüller], 1775), and Lateroligia ophiogramma (Esper, 1794). Additionally, the article notes the first record of Gagitodes sagittata (Fabricius, 1787) on Shikotan Island. It also discusses potential avenues for future research on the Lepidoptera fauna of the Kuril Islands. По материалам сборов 2023 г. на Курильских островах приводится находка нового вида пядениц для фауны Кунашира и всей Сахалинской области — Idiochlora ussuriaria (Bremer, 1864). Впервые для острова Итуруп выявлены 13 видов разноусых чешуекрылых: Geometra dieckmanni Graser, 1889, G. papilionaria (Linnaeus, 1758), Deileptenia ribeata (Clerck, 1759), Photoscotosia atrostrigata (Bremer, 1864), Plusia putnami Grote, 1873, Acronicta rumicis (Linnaeus, 1758), Phlogophora aureopuncta (Hampson, 1908), Trachea tokiensis (Butler, 1884), Apamea monoglypha (Hufnagel, 1766), Mythimna grandis Butler, 1878, M. flavostigma (Bremer, 1861), Lacanobia contigua ([Dennis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Lateroligia ophiogramma (Esper, 1794). Также впервые в печатном издании приводятся находка Gagitodes sagittata (Fabricius, 1787) на Шикотане и некоторые данные по фауне чешуекрылых Курильских островов.