Sepsis, a leading cause of global mortality, requires prompt and accurate antibiotic administration. Proper dosing ensures therapeutic success while reducing the likelihood of adverse effects. Despite this, standardized treatment approaches frequently disregard sex and gender differences that shape pharmacological responses. This editorial article underscores the significance of these variables and advocates revising clinical guidelines to integrate sex- and gender-specific considerations into antimicrobial therapy and decision-making.

Flavanols are plant-derived compounds with an astringent taste, exhibiting pro- or antioxidant properties depending on the environment. Due to poor bioavailability, their health-promoting mechanism remains unclear. A new study identified their action via the brain-gut axis.  A single oral intake of flavanols stimulated brain regions involved in memory and sleep-wake regulation, and increased sympathetic nervous activity, a stress response. These findings may lead to future applications, such as the development of next-generation foods.

Low body weight in young women has been associated with various health concerns. Rising trends in the proportion of underweight women between the ages of 20 and 39 have been seen in Japan, raising concerns. In a first-of-its-kind study, Dr. Katsumi Iizuka and Dr. Hiroaki Masuyama from Japan have found that underweight Japanese women had a lower gut microbiota diversity and more inflammation-linked microbes. These findings suggest gut health is critical in weight control.

As chronic liver disease becomes more widespread, researchers at Science Tokyo have developed a lab-grown organoid that replicates a regenerating liver, offering new hope for future treatments. The model recreates interactions between hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells, two cell types involved in liver repair and fibrosis. It provides a much-needed, human-based platform to study how liver scarring develops, how cells communicate during injury, and to test drugs that could halt or even reverse liver damage.  

The POINT platform (http://point.gene.ac/) integrates multi-omics biological networks, advanced network topology analysis, deep learning prediction algorithms, and a comprehensive biomedical knowledge graph. It provides a powerful tool to overcome current bottlenecks in network pharmacology and advance the field.