MicroGen Biotech (Ireland)

PurposeChildhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of long-term skeletal muscle deficits following intensive therapies during critical periods of growth. This review aimed to synthesize approaches for assessing muscle quantity, quality, and function in CCS and to quantify deficits relative to healthy peers.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science from inception to June 2024, with an update in November 2025. Studies including CCS who had completed cancer treatment and reported measures of muscle quantity, quality, or physical function were eligible. A three-level mixed-effects model meta-analysis was conducted. Associations between muscle quantity and function and potential moderators were tested using meta-regression models. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.ResultsForty-four studies comprising 5175 CCS were included. Compared to controls, CCS exhibited significantly lower muscle quantity (SMD −0.45; 95% CI −0.63 to −0.28; p < 0.001) and muscle function (SMD −0.41; 95% CI −0.57 to −0.24; p < 0.001). No studies evaluated muscle quality. Deficits in muscle function were more pronounced in the lower body than the upper body, and meta-regression analyses indicated greater muscle quantity deficits with increasing time since treatment completion.ConclusionChildhood cancer survivors exhibit significant deficits in muscle quantity and function. Future research should focus on developing international consensus guidelines for standardized, clinically meaningful assessments that include lower-body function and muscle quantity. Additionally, investigating muscle quality may lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these deficits and help inform targeted interventions aimed at preserving long-term health in CCS.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-026-10425-3.

The soil microbiome consists of a vast variety of microorganisms which contribute to essential ecosystem services including nutrient recycling, protecting soil structure, and pathogen suppression. Recalcitrant organic compounds present in soils contaminated with fuel oil can lead to a decrease in functional redundancy within soil microbiomes. Ecopiling is a passive bioremediation technique involving biostimulation of indigenous hydrocarbon degraders, bioaugmentation through inoculation with known petroleum-degrading consortia, and phytoremediation. The current study investigates the assemblage of soil microbial communities and pollutant-degrading potential in soil undergoing the Ecopiling process, through the amplicon marker gene and metagenomics analysis of the contaminated soil. The analysis of key community members including bacteria, fungi, and nematodes revealed a surprisingly diverse microbial community composition within the contaminated soil. The soil bacterial community was found to be dominated by Alphaproteobacteria (60–70%) with the most abundant genera such as Lysobacter, Dietzia, Pseudomonas, and Extensimonas. The fungal community consisted mainly of Ascomycota (50–70% relative abundance). Soil sequencing data allowed the identification of key enzymes involved in the biodegradation of hydrocarbons, providing a novel window into the function of individual bacterial groups in the Ecopile. Although the genus Lysobacter was identified as the most abundant bacterial genus (11–46%) in all of the contaminated soil samples, the metagenomic data were unable to confirm a role for this group in petrochemical degradation. Conversely, genera with relatively low abundance such as Dietzia (0.4–9.0%), Pusillimonas (0.7–2.3%), and Bradyrhizobium (0.8–1.8%) did possess genes involved in aliphatic or aromatic compound degradation.