Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Before a probable treatment approach is adopted based on early-stage diagnosis, there is a requirement for specific constructive and efficacious strategies. Identifying solid tumors through targeted detection of cancerous cells is one of the most reliable approaches to treatment. Over the past decade, the investigation of folate receptors (FR) has led to the development of several novel cancer treatments. Many tumor types exhibit high overexpression of FR, which was found to be associated with tumor progression and prognosis. Monitoring FR expression levels can prove a useful criterion as it is correlated with the advancement and prognosis of tumors. Due to the strong affinity of the FR towards folate and folate-conjugates, it can be designated as a tumor-associated antigen that is involved in the active transportation of the bound cargo within cells through an endocytic process. A wide range of payloads, from tiny radioactive imaging agents up to massive DNA-containing formulations, may be delivered to FR-positive cells using folate or an analog of it as the ligand. The FR targeting anticancer therapies are being developed currently and the response-predictive aspect of FR expression could serve as a biomarker for these treatments. By boosting delivery to the target tissue as well as an improved target-non-target tissue ratio, targeted drug delivery systems aim to increase the therapeutic windows of molecules. In turn, this results in a decreased minimum effective dose of the drug, lower drug toxicity, and improved treatment efficacy at comparable plasma concentrations. Targeted delivery is especially appealing for drugs with small therapeutic windows and/or those activated at very low concentrations due to the few targeted receptor sites on the specified target tissue. This review discusses recent developments in FR-mediated targeting for therapeutics and its applications in imaging, as well as highlights their potential and anticipated challenges.

The ability to rapidly diagnose and analyze infectious agents such as pathogens in human blood stream is considered pivotal and an important step for patient treatment and effective monitoring. This is also essential to ensure the safety of the donor blood supply. This has driven research in medical biotechnology and the focus has been on developing rapid diagnostic ability that enables detect and identify pathogens in blood borne infections. This research seeks to mitigate the challenges involving infections such as pathogens induced sepsis. These infections are believed to be a major cause of mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide. It is of general consensus that establishing a rapid diagnosis would not only enable an early and adequate antimicrobial therapy but it would also result in positive clinical outcomes for patients. In this perspective, we have presented a brief overview of some of the notable recent advances in diagnostics to detect infectious agents in human blood.

Superhydrophobic surfaces are known for a vast array of industrial applications. These surfaces and coatings are now increasingly finding applications in the biomedical sector. Such applications include substrates to control protein adsorption, cellular interaction, and bacterial growth and blood repellent actions. Superhydrophobic surfaces can be leveraged to develop advanced biotechnology platforms for drug delivery devices and also for diagnostic tools. In this short perspective, we have presented some of the most relevant recent research developments that have been reported on superhydrophobic biomedical surfaces and coatings and that have been considered significant in advanced healthcare.

The ongoing global pandemic caused by the deadly SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has initiated worldwide efforts to develop effective vaccines against the virus. Many promising strategies have been considered in developing vaccines. Among the various vaccine candidates, mRNA vaccine has emerged as a leading contender to contain COVID-19. We describe here some of the recent advances in thermostable mRNA vaccine and discuss its potential to neutralize the virus.

's COVID-19 drug remdesivir secured by Europe...31 Eastman Kodak to help manufacturing drugs, vaccines in the US...31 AlloVir Raises $276 Million to Advance Cell Therapy Programs32 GSK and Sanofi deal with U.S. Government for COVID-19 Vaccine..32 COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate into Phase I by Merck in Q3......32 Roche's IL-6 receptor blocker fails in Phase III trial...33 COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech's shows positive data .......33 A New H1N1 Strain can trigger another global pandemic....33 ZILXI (minocycline), receives FDA approval for rosacea..33 Meningococcal Vaccines expected to touch USD 9 billion by 2026 .....34 Price set for COVID-19 drug remdesivir.34 WHO plan to deliver 2 billion coronavirus vaccine doses....34 Large scale phase 2 & 3 trials are underway for coronavirus vaccine..34 Investments to counter Cancer genes..............35 EC pledges 4.9bn to grant access to medicines...35 No beneficial effect of lopinavir-ritonavir on COVID-19 patients ...35 HALIX B.V. to produce vaccines against COVID-19.35

The tussle between the developing adolescent brain and dietary choices: who's the target who's the trigger?