Breast cancer, the most invasive cancer in women globally, necessitates novel treatments due to prevailing limitations of therapeutics. Search of news anticancer targets is more necessary than ever to tackle this pathology. Heat-Shock Protein 90 (HSP90), a chaperone protein, is implicated in breast cancer pathogenesis, rendering it an appealing target. Looking for alternative approach such as Plant-based compounds and natural HSP90 inhibitors offer promising prospects for innovative therapeutic strategies. This study aims to identify plant-based compounds with anticancer effects on breast cancer models and elucidate their mechanism of action in inhibiting the HSP90 protein. A systematic review was conducted and completed in January 2024 and included in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies that investigated the effectiveness of plant-based HSP90 inhibitors tested on breast cancer models. Eleven studies were included in the review. Six plants and 24 compounds from six different classes were identified and proved to be effective against HSP90 in breast cancer models. The studied plant extracts showed a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability. Variable IC50 values showed antiproliferative effects, with the plant Tubocapsicum anomalum demonstrating the lowest value. Withanolides was the most studied class. Fennel, Trianthema portulacastrum, and Spatholobus suberectus extracts were shown to inhibit tumor growth and angiogenesis and modulate HSP90 expression as well as its cochaperone interactions in breast cancer mouse models. The identified plant extracts and compounds were proven effective against HSP90 in breast cancer models, and this inhibition showed promising effects on breast cancer biology. Collectively, these results urge the need of further studies to better understand the mechanism of action of HSP90 inhibitors using comparable methods for preclinical observations.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) profiling offers non-invasive insights for personalized prostate cancer management. This systematic review provides the first comprehensive appraisal of ctDNA assay methods, genomic targets, and their clinical correlations and proposes practical recommendations to guide future standardization and validation. We searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library starting December 2024 following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. From 229 records, 44 studies (10,631 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Plasma ctDNA analyzed by NGS predominantly profiled TP53 (72.7%), AR (70.4%), BRCA1/2 (61.3%), ATM (50%), RB1 (47.7%), and PTEN (41%). ctDNA positivity and specific key alterations correlated with poorer overall and progression-free survival. BRCA1/2-mutant patients benefited from Olaparib plus Abiraterone, while persistent alterations predicted early progression. Beyond synthesizing existing evidence, we identify key gaps, such as inconsistent reporting of variant allele fractions, limited diversity in study populations, and underexplored rare alterations. We recommend unified reporting standards (e.g., variant allele frequency thresholds and panel composition) and prioritized prospective trials to validate high-impact targets. These steps will accelerate the integration of ctDNA into routine precision oncology practice worldwide.

Viral infections impose a significant burden on global public health and the economy. This study examines the current state of CRISPR-Cas system research, focusing on their applications in viral detection and their evolution over recent years. A bibliometric analysis and systematic review were conducted using articles published between 2019 and 2024, retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases. Out of 2713 identified articles, 194 were included in the analysis. The findings reveal substantial growth in scientific output related to CRISPR-Cas systems, with the United States leading in research and development in this field. The rapid increase in CRISPR-Cas research during this period underscores its immense potential to transform viral diagnostics. With advantages such as speed, precision, and suitability for deployment in resource-limited settings, CRISPR-Cas systems outperform many traditional diagnostic methods. The concerted efforts of scientists worldwide further highlight the promising future of this technology. CRISPR-Cas systems are emerging as a powerful alternative, offering the possibility of expedited and accessible point-of-care testing and paving the way for more equitable and effective diagnostics on a global scale.

Background: bacterial pathogens and their toxins present analytical challenges for rapid and specific detection, contributing to over 600 million cases of illness annually and worsening antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Conventional detection methods are useful but limited. Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) offer alternative recognition elements with unique biochemical and engineering benefits, enabling the development of nanobody-based immunoassays and biosensing platforms that provide fast, highly selective, and reliable detection of bacterial pathogens and toxins in both food and clinical environments. Objectives: this systematic review assesses the analytical and functional performance of nanobody-based immunoassays and sensing formats for detecting bacteria and toxins across food and clinical samples. Methods: following PRISMA guidelines, major scientific databases were used to gather research, resulting in 32 eligible studies published between 2011 and 2025. Results: data collected included assay platforms, target bacteria and toxins, limit of detection, sensitivity, specificity, matrix recovery, and practicality. Risk of bias was evaluated using an adapted QUADAS-2 framework. The review shows that nanobody-based immunoassays have achieved high performance, thermostability, compatibility with genetic engineering, and versatile assay design. When combined with advanced transduction and signal amplification strategies, these systems contribute to the development of highly sensitive and user-friendly bioanalytical platforms for detecting bacteria and toxins. Conclusions: however, most studies relied on spiked samples and lacked large-scale validation, emphasizing the need for standardized benchmarking and real-world testing.

Marrubium vulgare L. is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine, with emerging evidence of anticancer potential. This study investigated its bioactive compounds as inhibitors of Heat Shock Protein 90 alpha (Hsp90α), a molecular chaperone essential for oncogenic protein stability. Organic and aqueous extracts were profiled using high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS), revealing a diverse phytochemical composition. Identified compounds were screened against the full-length crystal structure of Hsp90α using a structure-based computational workflow that included extra-precision and domain-specific molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and MM/GBSA binding free energy calculations. Pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles were evaluated through ADMET predictions. This study elucidated the chemical composition of the plant and identified two hit compounds: Forsythoside B bound preferentially to the middle domain, potentially interfering with client protein interactions, and chlorogenic acid targeted the C-terminal domain, which regulates dimerization and allosteric activity. Both ligands displayed stable protein–ligand interactions during MD and favorable ADMET properties. These findings provide the first integrated chemical and computational prediction framework, suggesting that some M. vulgare metabolites may interact with Hsp90, highlighting its potential as a source of novel anticancer scaffolds and laying the groundwork for experimental validation and drug development.

Nanotechnologies are an emerging scientific field that refers to the science of nanosized materials and structures. They can provide numerous innovative opportunities within the food industry, with applications in areas such as food production, processing, packaging, preservation, agriculture, water treatment, etc. In the food industry, organic or mineral nanoparticles measuring between 1 and 100 nanometers demonstrate significantly improved properties —often enhanced by a factor of ten— compared to conventional materials. Nevertheless, the use of materials at the nanoscale can also present challenges related to potential impacts on human health, the environment and regulatory challenges, akin to those faced by other emerging technologies. The integration of nanofoods requires careful evaluation of the risks associated with new products. Nonetheless, the benefits of food nanotechnology are gaining momentum. Regulations must become more stringent regarding the use of nanomaterials or nanofoods, particularly concerning safety protocols. The modernization of food production still has to face some drawbacks of the new approaches to be implemented for routine production. Scientific research must provide the expected solutions to these limitations for making functional nanofoods more sustainable.