Articles

Early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is increasing worldwide and represents a biologically and clinically heterogeneous disease that requires precision approaches extending beyond conventional single-gene biomarkers. Recent analyses of receptor tyrosine kinase-RAS (RTK-RAS) pathway alterations demonstrate that their clinical significance is strongly dependent on age at diagnosis, ancestry, and treatment exposure. In particular, RTK-RAS alterations have been associated with unfavorable survival in untreated early-onset non-Hispanic White colorectal cancer, while an opposite association has been observed in FOLFOX-treated late-onset disease. 

Schizophrenia is widely recognized as a multifactorial disorder involving interactions among the central nervous system, immune system, metabolism, and gut microbiome. Mardon et al. highlighted the potential importance of the gut-brain axis in schizophrenia. Building on this perspective, this commentary examines the next phase of schizophrenia research: translating biological discoveries into clinically meaningful applications.

Despite advances in disease-modifying therapies, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) continues to impose a substantial clinical and socio-economic burden. Ethnobotanical studies have identified numerous medicinal plants for inflammatory disorders, yet only a few have progressed to systematic scientific evaluation or therapeutic development.

Spinal epidural abscesses after lumbar facet joint injections are rare but can cause rapid neurological deterioration. We describe a man in his 70s who developed severe lower back pain, fever, urinary retention, saddle anesthesia, and worsening paraparesis within two weeks of undergoing lumbar medial branch radiofrequency ablation for facet-mediated pain.

Patients with mental health disorders are at disproportionately greater risk of heart attack and stroke due to accelerated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. A three-tiered approach is considered herein to enhance access to primary cardiovascular prevention in clinical practice.

Background: Multigene next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed molecular diagnostics in oncology over the past decade, increasingly replaced single-gene approaches such as Sanger sequencing.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) has been used extensively for over 3 decades to treat anemia, including that associated with cancer treatment. Multiple randomized clinical trials have found that EPO treatment ameliorates anemia and reduces transfusion requirements in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. 

Background: Laparoscopic appendectomy is a commonly performed procedure, with surgeons having a choice of instruments to close the appendiceal stump. Recent studies have shown slight variability in operating room time by device, with similar clinical outcomes.

The conceptualization of substance addiction is linked to diverse theories, with competing models emphasizing distinct psychological, behavioral, and neurobiological mechanisms [1,2]. As illustrated in Table 1, the Biphasic model of addiction proposed by Aggarwal, Naik, and Lindquist [3] offers an integrative framework that systematically organizes addiction processes across five domains: reinforcement, motivation, associative learning, tolerance, and inhibitory control.

Pediatric MRI sedation often requires atraumatic, needleless techniques to facilitate IV access and minimize anxiety. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intranasal dexmedetomidine (DEX) 2 mcg/kg combined with intranasal ketamine (KET) in a dose-finding case series of 50 children aged 2–5 years undergoing elective MRI.

Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognized as major public health concerns in ageing populations, yet they remain under-addressed in low- and middle-income countries. This article examines the definitions, epidemiology, health consequences, and evidence-based responses related to social isolation and loneliness among older adults, with focused attention to Nepal.

Selective generation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in malignant cells is a mechanistically well-supported but clinically unproven strategy in oncology. We argue that further progress in this field depends less on the identification of additional, nonspecific H₂O₂-generating compounds than on five interlocking requirements

The incidence of skeletal muscle disorders and chronic diseases leading to skeletal muscle atrophy have been increasing worldwide due to sedentary lifestyle, poor quality of life and dietary modifications. This results in impaired metabolic homeostasis by increasing morbidity and in turn leading to increased mortality.

Immunodominance – the preferential recognition of certain epitopes – is a double-edged sword in vaccine development. While it enables strong responses against specific pathogens, it limits breadth and durability, especially against rapidly mutating viruses or bacteria.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) disproportionately affects African American (AA) women, yet the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) may play a critical role in cancer progression. This study investigated the association of HTR2A genetic variants and miRNA dysregulation in AA women with breast cancer. 

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurological disorder and one of the few potentially reversible causes of dementia and disability in older adults. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis reports that apathy occurs in roughly 69% and depression in about 30% of affected patients. 

Background: Dysphagia affects an estimated 58,000 to 174,000 older adults—approximately one in seven individuals aged 65 and above. This condition poses significant physical, psychological, and social challenges that can compromise the quality of life in Singapore, which is projected to become a super-aged society this year. 

Despite significant improvements in somatic, pharmacologic, and psychotherapeutic treatments during the last century, clinical outcomes in psychiatry over the last few decades have stagnated . While many practitioners passively blame this on our inability to counter “treatment resistance,” and impatiently wait for new treatments that can, data shows us that the largest measure of the problem appears to be the quality of clinical practice we are employing.

Climate change has rapidly shifted from a distant environmental concern to an immediate determinant of global health. Healthcare systems, ironically designed to protect and restore health, now contribute substantially to the very crisis that threatens population wellbeing. 

Psoriasis represents a classic immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin disorder with widespread global prevalence. Traditional research frameworks center on the IL-23/Th17 immune cascade to explain bidirectional communication between immune cells and epidermal keratinocytes, while the mechanical regulatory functions of dermal extracellular matrix microenvironment have long been overlooked.