Objectives: With the growing importance of mobile technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, the development of automated cardiac diagnostic systems has gained strategic significance. This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on the use of AI in the analysis of electrocardiographic (ECG) signals obtained from wearable devices, particularly smartwatches, and to outline perspectives for future clinical applications. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The search focused on combinations of keywords related to AI, ECG, and wearable technologies. After screening and applying inclusion criteria, 152 publications were selected for final analysis. Conclusions: Modern AI algorithms—especially deep neural networks—show promise in detecting arrhythmias, heart failure, prolonged QT syndrome, and other cardiovascular conditions. Smartwatches without ECG sensors, using photoplethysmography (PPG) and machine learning, show potential as supportive tools for preliminary atrial fibrillation (AF) screening at the population level, although further validation in diverse real-world settings is needed. This article explores innovation trends such as genetic data integration, digital twins, federated learning, and local signal processing. Regulatory, technical, and ethical challenges are also discussed, along with the issue of limited clinical evidence. Artificial intelligence enables a significant enhancement of personalized, mobile, and preventive cardiology. Its integration into smartwatch ECG analysis opens a path toward early detection of cardiac disorders and the implementation of population-scale screening approaches.

Objectives: Immunotherapy combining agonists of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase–stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade shows promising preclinical results, although in clinical practice, it faces pharmacokinetic barriers, systemic toxicity, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Recent advances in and expansion of the cGAS-STING pathway as a therapeutic target have further highlighted its central role in innate and adaptive immune activation. The aim of this paper is to review combination strategies of STING and PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade therapies, triple-therapy strategies using a third component such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and others, and the use of nanoparticles as carriers for these drugs. Methods: Reports in the literature on the mechanisms of STING + PD-1/PD-L1 synergy, as well as with the use of a third component and delivery systems, were analyzed. Current challenges and limitations, as well as prospects for the development of these therapies, are noted. Results: Activation of the cGAS-STING synergizes with blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. The addition of a third component further enhances the anti-tumor effect through a stronger induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD), increased production of interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines, repolarization of macrophages, and enhanced infiltration of T lymphocytes. Conclusions: Therapy with STING agonists and PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors, supported by nanotechnology vehicles and using a third therapeutic component, overcomes key pharmacological and immunological limitations. This multimodal immunotherapeutic strategy holds high translational promise, offering more effective and safer solutions in cancer immunotherapy.

GBM is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, characterized by low survival rates, high recurrence, and resistance to conventional therapies. Traditional diagnostic and therapeutic methods remain limited due to the difficulty in permeating the blood–brain barrier (BBB), diffuse tumor cell infiltration, and tumor heterogeneity. In recent years, nano-based technologies have emerged as innovative approaches for the detection and treatment of GBM. A wide variety of nanocarriers, including dendrimers, liposomes, metallic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, carbon dots, extracellular vesicles, and many more demonstrate the ability to cross the BBB, precisely deliver therapeutic agents, and enhance the effects of radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Surface functionalization, peptide modification, and cell membrane coating improve the targeting capabilities of nanostructures toward GBM cells and enable the exploitation of their photothermal, magnetic, and optical properties. Furthermore, the development of miRNA nanosponge systems offers the simultaneous inhibition of multiple tumor growth mechanisms and the modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This article presents current advancements in nanotechnology for GBM, with a particular focus on the characteristics and advantages of specific groups of nanoparticles, including their role in radiosensitization.

Background/Objectives: Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives are a superior class of fluorophores prized for their exceptional photostability and tunable photophysical properties. While ideal for imaging, their translation to photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been hampered by excitation in the visible range, leading to poor tissue penetration. To overcome this, intense research has focused on developing near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing BODIPY photosensitizers (PS). This review aims to systematically summarize the hierarchical design strategies, from molecular engineering to advanced nanoplatform construction, that underpin the recent progress of NIR-BODIPY PS in therapeutic applications. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The search focused on keywords such as “BODIPY”, “aza-BODIPY”, “near-infrared”, “photodynamic therapy”, “photothermal therapy”, “nanocarriers”, “hypoxia”, “immuno-phototherapy”, and “antibacterial.” This review analyzes key studies describing molecular design, chemical modification strategies (e.g., heavy-atom effect, π-extension), nanoplatform formulation, and therapeutic applications in vitro and in vivo. Results: Our analysis reveals a clear progression in design complexity. At the molecular level, we summarize strategies to enhance selectivity, including active targeting, designing “smart” PS responsive to the tumor microenvironment (TME) (e.g., hypoxia or low pH), and precise subcellular localization (e.g., mitochondria, lysosomes). We then detail the core chemical strategies for achieving NIR absorption and high singlet oxygen yield, including π-extension, the internal heavy-atom effect, and heavy-atom-free mechanisms (e.g., dimerization). The main body of the review categorizes the evolution of advanced theranostic nanoplatforms, including targeted systems, stimuli-responsive ‘smart’ systems, photo-immunotherapy (PIT) platforms inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD), hypoxia-overcoming systems, and synergistic chemo-phototherapy carriers. Finally, we highlight emerging applications beyond oncology, focusing on the use of NIR-BODIPY PS for antibacterial therapy and biofilm eradication. Conclusions: NIR-BODIPY photosensitizers are a highly versatile and powerful class of theranostic agents. The field is rapidly moving from simple molecules to sophisticated, multifunctional nanoplatforms designed to overcome key clinical hurdles like hypoxia, poor selectivity, and drug resistance. While challenges in scalability and clinical translation remain, the rational design strategies and expanding applications, including in infectious diseases, confirm that NIR-BODIPY derivatives will be foundational to the next generation of precision photomedicine.

Boron is a trace element with multifaceted chemical and biological properties that underpin its emerging relevance in human health and medicinal chemistry. Although present in organisms at very low concentrations, boron participates in key physiological processes, including mineral metabolism, bone homeostasis, hormonal regulation, immune modulation, and redox balance. Its unique electronic structure—characterized by electron deficiency and the ability to form multi-center bonds—gives rise to diverse allotropic, cluster, and coordination chemistries, enabling the formation of biologically active complexes and therapeutic agents. Dietary boron, derived mainly from plant-based foods, is efficiently absorbed and predominantly excreted by the kidneys, showing a strong correlation between intake and urinary levels. Current evidence suggests beneficial effects of boron on bone mineral density, cognitive function, inflammation, antioxidant defenses, and metabolic regulation, although the precise molecular mechanisms remain partially understood. In medicinal chemistry, a broad spectrum of boron-containing compounds—including borates, boronic acids, boronated amino acids, carboranes, and metallacarboranes—has gained clinical and preclinical importance. These compounds serve as enzyme inhibitors, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents, metabolic modulators, and critical boron carriers in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), which leverages the neutron-capture properties of ¹⁰B for targeted cancer treatment. Advances in synthesis, functionalization, and nanocarrier design have expanded the therapeutic potential of boron-based molecules. Ongoing research aims to optimize their selectivity, biodistribution, safety, and diagnostic integration. Overall, boron represents a versatile and rapidly developing component of modern biomedical science, with promising implications for oncology, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and precision medicine.

Lipid profiling is a key element of modern biology and medicine, providing information on the structure, function, and dynamics of lipid metabolism in health and disease. This review presents the latest state of the art in the application of matrix-assisted laser ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) in lipidomics, with a particular focus on the analysis of cholesterol, triglycerides (TAGs), and the main classes of phospholipids and sphingolipids. The theoretical basis of the technique is discussed, including ionization mechanisms, matrix selection and mass analyzer configurations, and the influence of experimental parameters on spectral quality. The specificity of sterol and TAG ionization, challenges associated with ion suppression, and strategies for improving detection sensitivity and selectivity are discussed. Particular attention is paid to molecular imaging (MALDI-MSI), which enables spatial mapping of lipids in tissues and is of increasing importance in neurobiological, oncological, and metabolic research. The review highlights the advantages of MALDI for rapid lipid profiling and tissue analysis, while also pointing out technical limitations (e.g., difficulties in detecting sterols, matrix interference, limited quantification) and the need for method standardization. MALDI-MS appears to be a complementary technique to LC–MS/ESI-MS and DESI-MS, with great translational potential, particularly in the context of diagnostics, biomarker studies, and in situ lipid imaging.