In modern medical systems, drug therapy remains one of the most essential approaches for disease prevention and treatment. In particular, combination therapy has become a common strategy for improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing drug resistance in the treatment of complex diseases. However, the use of multiple drugs simultaneously significantly increases the risk of drug–drug interactions (DDIs), which may alter the pharmacological effects of drugs or even lead to adverse reactions, posing a threat to patient safety.

This Perspective highlights how engineered chiral nanomaterials can regulate immune cells and reshape cancer therapy strategies. A multi-scale "Design-Validate-Translate" framework offers a roadmap for translating chirality from structural design to functional, clinically relevant nanomedicines.

Researchers have reviewed recent advances in electrocaloric (EC) cooling devices, highlighting their potential as compact, energy-efficient alternatives to conventional refrigeration technologies. The study, published in the open-access journal Thermo-X, summarizes the latest developments in device architectures, thermodynamic cycles, and performance evaluation methods for electrocaloric cooling systems.

This study highlights a practical formulation strategy to enhance the skin penetration of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10H2DA), a key bioactive compound in royal jelly. By incorporating anionic cross-linked polymers, the authors achieved more than a tenfold increase in 10H2DA permeation compared with royal jelly extract alone. The study further confirmed epidermal penetration using DESI imaging mass spectrometry and demonstrated that higher skin hydration strongly promotes 10H2DA delivery. These findings emphasize that both formulation design and skin condition are critical for improving the dermal delivery of low-molecular-weight amphiphilic compounds.

A high-resolution cellular atlas of liver fibrosis and recovery identifies two proteins, SEMA4D and LMCD1, as promising therapeutic targets. The findings were validated in both mouse models and human patient samples, suggesting relevance to human disease.

A research team from the School of Public Health at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has found that brisk interval walking performed once a week can significantly improve body fat reduction and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with central obesity, comparable to exercising three times a week – the traditional recommendation for exercise frequency. The study provides strong scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic use of once-weekly brisk interval walking as a convenient exercise approach for adults with central obesity, particularly for those with time constraints. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

A study shows how a modified form of biochar can help microbial biofilms break down stubborn dye pollutants in wastewater, offering a promising strategy for cleaner and more stable anaerobic treatment systems.

As the world searches for cleaner ways to store and convert energy, scientists are turning to an unlikely source of high-performance materials: biomass. A review published in Biochar examines how biomass-derived materials, especially biomass-derived carbon materials, are being developed for energy storage devices and electrocatalytic energy conversion systems, including supercapacitors, fuel cells, water electrolysis, and carbon dioxide reduction.