Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an age-associated disease characterized by damage to the central retina and represents a leading cause of acquired blindness, with increasing prevalence in aging populations. However, effective therapeutic options remain limited. The accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), triggering cellular senescence and cell death that contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. Therefore, removal of accumulated dysfunctional mitochondria in senescent RPE cells is expected to treat AMD. Herein, we investigated transferrin (Trf)-modified mitophagy-inducing dual-drug nanocarriers (Trf-M-NCs) for the treatment of a senescent RPE cell. To evaluate efficacy, we used sodium iodate-treated ARPE-19 cells. The Trf-M-NCs exhibited significantly higher uptake by ARPE-19 cells than the unmodified M-NCs. Importantly, Trf-M-NC treatment alleviated cellular senescence by restoring the mitochondrial functions. Furthermore, Trf-M-NC treatment not only restored the production of α-ketoglutarate, an essential energy source for photoreceptor cells, but also reduced the secretion of IL-6, a key inflammatory cytokine. These findings suggest that improving mitochondrial quality in RPE cells is a novel and promising therapeutic approach for AMD.

Root pruning has been proposed as a practical method to regulate growth and metabolite accumulation in horticultural crops, yet its physiological and metabolic consequences in hydroponically grown lettuce remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined the effects of root pruning, applied two days before harvest, on biomass production, oxidative stress responses, and metabolite accumulation in red leaf lettuce. Root pruning suppressed root growth and reduced root water content in a severity-dependent manner. Shoot fresh weight also declined, whereas shoot dry weight was significantly reduced only under severe pruning. Young leaves of pruned plants exhibited transient reddish coloration, which was most pronounced under severe pruning. Quantitative analyses revealed that anthocyanin content increased up to 4.5-fold compared with the control, while total phenolic content also rose significantly. These metabolic changes were accompanied by pronounced oxidative stress, as indicated by elevated hydrogen peroxide accumulation and enhanced lipid peroxidation. In addition, leaf nitrate concentration decreased significantly in both moderate and severe pruning treatments. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that root pruning acts as a controllable stressor that triggers oxidative stress signaling, enhances antioxidant metabolite accumulation, and reduces nitrate content, highlighting its potential as a pre-harvest strategy for improving the nutritional and functional quality of hydroponic lettuce.

Chronic kidney disease is closely associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Although kidney transplantation represents the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease, it is also linked to significant cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between cardiovascular pathology and oxidative status in kidney transplant recipients, while also assessing the influence of disease etiology and humoral immune response on oxidative imbalance. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease (n = 36) and kidney transplant recipients (n = 40). A total of 18 healthy subjects were included. The enzymatic activities of xanthine oxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, and levels of lipid peroxidation products, oxidized glutathione, and reduced glutathione were measured using spectrophotometry in plasma and mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes isolated using Ficoll density gradients. Individual oxidative status was evaluated using OXYSCORE. Kidney transplantation was associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease (p < 0.01) and increased levels of both prooxidant (p < 0.01) and antioxidant parameters (p < 0.01). Elevated OXYSCORE values were observed particularly in patients with nephroangiosclerosis, diabetic kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease (p < 0.05), and cardiovascular comorbidities (p < 0.001). Additionally, the presence of anti-graft antibodies correlated with higher oxidative scores. These findings suggest that OXYSCORE may serve as a potential indicator of cardiovascular damage in kidney transplant recipients.

Noble gases are a valuable but overlooked source of effective and safe therapeutics. Being monoatomic and chemically inert, they nonetheless have a surprisingly wide range of biochemical and medically valuable properties. This mini review briefly summarizes these properties for the most widely used noble gases and focuses and research gaps and missed opportunities for wider use of these intriguing ‘atomic’ drugs. The main research gaps and opportunities lie firstly in the application of advanced computational modelling methods for noble gases and recent developments in accurate predictions of protein structures from sequence (AlphaFold), and secondly in the use of very efficient and selective drug delivery technologies to improve the solubility, efficacy, and delivery of noble gases to key targets, especially for the lighter, poorly soluble gases.