Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease whose incidence is on an upward trend. The condition leads to progressive joint destruction, manifested by symptoms such as morning stiffness, pain, and swelling, all of which significantly reduce patients' quality of life. Standard therapeutic approaches, despite significant progress, are associated with side effects and do not always achieve sustained remission of the disease. For this reason, there is growing interest in complementary methods, including phytotherapy. Numerous plant raw materials exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, making them potentially valuable adjunctive components of RA treatment. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the effects of constituents contained in plants: Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Tripterygium wilfordii and Salvia miltiorrhiza on clinical symptoms, laboratory parameters and disease activity indicators in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This systematic review was based on a comprehensive analysis of the literature from PubMed, Scopus and SpringerLink databases, covering publications from 2014 to 2025. Article selection was performed according to PRISMA guidelines, and risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0). Fourteen randomized controlled trials were included in the final analysis to ensure valid and reliable data. Phytotherapy is a rapidly evolving field that is gaining increasing relevance in modern medicine. Many herbs have potential applications in the supportive therapy of many diseases, thanks to their multidirectional pharmacological properties. Analysis of the available data indicates positive effects of Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Tripterygium wilfordii and Salvia miltiorrhiza in supportive therapy for RA patients. The study showed that better improvements in disease activity indices were obtained in patients receiving herbal-assisted therapy than patients treated with standard therapy alone. Most trials reported improvements in disease activity indices compared to control; however, in some studies - including the RCT by Javadi et al. - the between-group difference did not reach statistical significance. Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Tripterygium wilfordii and Salvia miltiorrhiza show therapeutic potential as adjunctive agents in RA therapy. They may provide many benefits, such as reducing side effects of traditional therapies, improving patients' functioning and quality of life. Despite promising research results, it is essential to develop and expand clinical trials related to phytotherapy in order to systematize knowledge regarding the safety and efficacy of phytotherapy in RA patients.

Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a significant clinical problem, especially in locally advanced and metastatic stages, where the prognosis remains poor despite advances in immunotherapy. Enfortumab vedotin (EV), an antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Nectin-4, extends beyond direct cytotoxicity by actively modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in preclinical models, creating a strong rationale for combination strategies. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and hypothesized immune-modulating potential of EV in the treatment of UC, particularly in combination with immunotherapy. Materials and Methods: The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched to identify interventional clinical studies published between 2020 and 2026. Studies evaluating EV used as monotherapy or in combination with immunotherapy in adult patients with UC were analyzed. ORR, PFS, OS, and the incidence of treatment-related adverse events were evaluated. Individual publications originating from the same clinical trial programs were treated as linked records and analyzed collectively. Results: The analysis was primarily based on key clinical trial programs, including EV-103, EV-301, and EV-302, along with their subgroup analyses, follow-up reports, and patient-reported outcomes. EV demonstrated significant clinical efficacy in the treatment of locally advanced UC (laUC). In the EV-301 study, EV therapy significantly prolonged overall survival compared to chemotherapy (12.88 vs. 8.97 months). In the EV-302 study, EV combination therapy with pembrolizumab showed a significant improvement in progression-free survival and overall survival compared to platinum-based chemotherapy. Conclusions: EV represents a significant therapeutic advance not only as a cytotoxic agent but as a potent immune modulator with clinical efficacy that may be enhanced by its biologically hypothesized immunomodulatory mechanisms in mUC. Its clinical development reflects a critical shift from later-line monotherapy toward earlier-line combination strategies designed to target both tumor cells and the microenvironment. Further studies are needed to better define its role in the context of alternative treatment approaches and across different stages of disease.

Background. Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most common and devastating injuries in sports orthopaedics. Its incidence rate is approximately 68.6 per 100,000 person-years and it represents over 50% of all knee injuries. The risk is exceptionally high among athletic populations, with female athletes facing disproportionately higher injury rates. Given the high and increasing volume of ACL reconstructions performed annually, optimizing surgical strategies is critical for successful athletic recovery. Aim. The aim of this literature review is to compare graft choices in ACL reconstruction to guide the clinical decision-making process in athletic populations. Material and methods. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed database for articles published between 2021 and 2026. The search strategy was used to identify relevant clinical studies and reviews published on ACL reconstruction in athletes. Results. The literature indicates that autografts provide superior clinical outcomes compared to allografts. Bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB), hamstring tendon (HT). quadriceps tendon (QT), peroneus longus tendon (PLT) autografts should be taken into consideration in the ACL reconstruction surgery. Conclusions. Graft selection in ACL reconstruction cannot be a universal approach and must be highly individualized. Orthopedic surgeons must consider multiple variables including athlete’s specific sport demands, and concomitant injuries.

Introduction and objective: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease that leads to the atrophy or weakening of skeletal muscles and changes in the brainstem. It is the second most common cause of infant mortality worldwide, with a prevalence ranging from about 1...