Needs analysis of leadership education based on the medical leadership competency framework in Korean medical schools.

Purpose: Leadership in healthcare is vital, but it remains fragmented within medical school curricula. It is often confined to isolated courses lacking cohesive integration. Using the Medical Leadership Competency Framework (MLCF), this study examines leadership curricula and competencies in Korean medical schools, providing a foundation for educational strategies that enhance leadership development.

Network pharmacology and metabolomics reveal mathurameha, a Thai traditional Anti-Diabetic formula, enhances glucose metabolism through PI3K-AKT/AMPK/GLUT4 pathway modulation.

Traditional herbal formulations offer promising avenues for diabetes management by targeting multiple molecular pathways. Mathurameha (MT), a polyherbal preparation, has been historically used for its antidiabetic potential. However, its molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored.

Pharmacological Research Agenda on Adult Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Using the Delphi Method: A Position Article of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Pharmacology Network.

Objectives: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a critical intervention for patients with severe cardiac or respiratory failure. However, pharmacological management for ECMO-supported patients presents unique challenges due to alterations in drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics induced by the ECMO circuit and underlying critical illness. This position paper identifies key research priorities in ECMO pharmacology using a structured Delphi consensus process and provides a focused review of current evidence and knowledge gaps to inform future research and clinical practice.

Human embryonic stem cell-derived Sertoli cells as an immune modulator of cell transplantation therapy in a diabetic mice model.

Objective: Sertoli cells (SCs) are somatic cells that are a part of the seminiferous tubules in the testes and support germ cell development and maturation. Additionally, SCs play another role in protecting male germ cells from immune destruction via the formation of the blood-testis barrier and the secretion of several immunoregulatory factors. Based on these characteristics, SCs have been suggested to create a tolerogenic environment to protect co-transplanted cells as immune modulators.

Determining Risk Factors and Rate of Surgery After Collagenase Injections for Dupuytren Contracture.

Purpose: Collagenase injections are a nonsurgical treatment for Dupuytren contracture, but their long-term effectiveness in preventing surgery remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of surgical intervention following collagenase treatment and identify whether specific risk factors increase the likelihood of future surgical correction.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the TriNetX US Collaborative network to identify patients diagnosed with Dupuytren contracture between January 2007 and September 2024.

Biomarkers and therapeutic strategies targeting microglia in neurodegenerative diseases: current status and future directions.

Recent advances in our understanding of non-cell-autonomous mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) have highlighted microglial dysfunction as a core driver of disease progression. Conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) share features of impaired microglial phagocytosis, chronic neuroinflammation, and metabolic dysregulation. These insights have prompted new therapeutic strategies targeting microglial function and emphasized the need for reliable biomarkers to monitor disease progression and treatment response.

Towards fair decentralized benchmarking of healthcare AI algorithms with the Federated Tumor Segmentation (FeTS) challenge.

Computational competitions are the standard for benchmarking medical image analysis algorithms, but they typically use small curated test datasets acquired at a few centers, leaving a gap to the reality of diverse multicentric patient data. To this end, the Federated Tumor Segmentation (FeTS) Challenge represents the paradigm for real-world algorithmic performance evaluation. The FeTS challenge is a competition to benchmark (i) federated learning aggregation algorithms and (ii) state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms, across multiple international sites.

IQ, an Uninvited Guest in the Field of Learning?: Correlation Study of Comprehensive Learning Test.

Background: Though substantial studies have revealed various factors contributing to learning reading and mathematics independent of intelligence, the relationship between learning and intelligence is multifaceted. The current study aimed to explore the correlation between intelligence and learning in reading and math, considering both general intelligence (Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient [FSIQ]) and specific domains of the Wechsler intelligence test to identify which aspects contribute to different learning areas.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on outpatients between the ages of 6 and 17 (N = 100), who were assessed using the Wechsler intelligence test and the Comprehensive Learning Test for reading and mathematics (CLT-R: Reading, CLT-M: Mathematic).

Expert survey on systemic therapy indications for hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea: bridging clinical practice and reimbursement criteria.

This survey aimed to collect expert opinions from multidisciplinary specialists involved in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Korea regarding real-world criteria for systemic therapy indications. In response to discrepancies between national reimbursement policies and clinical decision-making, members of the Korean Liver Cancer Association and Korean Association for the Study of the Liver participated in a web-based survey from February 4 to 14, 2025. A total of 89 respondents, primarily experienced clinicians, provided their views on major clinical scenarios including infiltrative HCC, bilobar multifocal disease, huge tumors, vascular invasion, extrahepatic metastasis, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) refractoriness.

Exposome study for allergic diseases in children: Rationale and design of ECHO-COCOA study.

Background: Comprehensive consideration of the totality of environmental exposures and the resulting endogenous responses plays a crucial role in assessing the effect of early-life exposure on child health.

Objectives: The Exposome and Child Health with Omics-COhort for Childhood Origin of Asthma and allergic diseases (ECHO-COCOA) study was conducted based on the COCOA birth cohort, a general population-based cohort study that aimed to evaluate multi-omics signatures of environmental exposures and their effect on childhood allergic diseases, obesity and neurodevelopment in Korea.

Methods: In total, 156 chemical pollutants and multi-omics profiles (methylome, genome, gut microbiome, transcriptome, metabolome, proteome, and multiplex cytokine assay) were investigated in 481 mother-child pairs.

Standardized Measurement of Muscle Strength and Physical Performance for Sarcopenia: An Expert-Based Delphi Consensus.

Background: Despite updated sarcopenia guidelines, inconsistent protocols still cause clinical confusion and may compromise diagnostic and outcome accuracy. This Delphi study aimed to establish expert consensus to support the standardization of muscle strength and physical performance assessments for sarcopenia.

Methods: A two-round modified Delphi study was conducted with 26 experts in geriatrics and sarcopenia.

Universal and economical experimental platform for colloidal mixing lab-on-chip in parabolic flight.

This study presents an economical experimental platform designed to investigate colloid and emulsion mixing under parabolic flight conditions. The compact 20 kg system integrates a modular fluidic device with real-time imaging capabilities to enable the observation of fluid interactions at the millimeter scale. The platform focuses on safety, like a double containment system, while remaining accessible for quick experimental modifications.

A phase 2a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of NuGel, a novel topical GPCR19-mediated inflammasome inhibitor, in patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis: a proof-of-concept study with biomarker analysis.

Background: Current guidelines to treat atopic dermatitis (AD) overlook disease heterogeneity, limiting personalized care. This study assessed NuGel, a topical GPCR19 agonist, for efficacy, safety, and predictive baseline biomarkers in AD patients.

Methods: In a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2a trial (August 2020-September 2021, five hospitals, 80 participants), patients received placebo, 0.

Tracing neurodevelopment and growth pattern in six-year-old children with idiopathic clubfoot: a national cohort study.

Study Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The developmental impact of idiopathic clubfoot on children remains underexplored. This study investigates neurodevelopment and physical growth in children with idiopathic clubfoot up to age six.

Metabolic impacts of long-chain fatty acids on cardiomyocyte maturation in neonatal mammalian hearts.

Cardiomyocytes are essential models for cardiac disease modeling, drug development, and regenerative therapies. Specifically, human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have emerged as widely used cellular models with high reproducibility. However, cardiomyocytes generated in vitro tend to remain immature and insufficient in replicating the electrophysiological and mechanical functions of adult cardiomyocytes, limiting the clinical and experimental applications of these models.

Characterization and Specific Detection of -Derived Extracellular Vesicles Using Anti-p40-Modified Au Thin Film.

: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale, membrane-enclosed structures that play key roles in intercellular communication and biological regulation. Among them, -derived EVs (Lp-EVs) have attracted attention for their anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties, making them promising candidates for therapeutic and cosmetic use. However, methods for specific detection and quantitative evaluation of Lp-EVs are still limited.

Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers of Ovarian High-Grade Serous Carcinoma: A Preliminary Study Using Spatial Transcriptome Analysis and Multispectral Imaging.

Ovarian cancer is a lethal malignancy, with most patients initially responding to chemotherapy but frequently experiencing recurrence. Previous studies primarily examined tumor characteristics using limited genetic markers or bulk RNA sequencing. Here, we used spatial transcriptomics via the GeoMx platform, alongside multispectral immune cell immunofluorescence (IF), to identify biomarkers associated with disease progression following first-line treatment of high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC).

Taiwan Consensus for the Management of Cardiovascular Risks and Complications in Patients with Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among men globally, and it frequently coexists with cardiovascular disease (CVD). With increasing cancer survival rates and an aging population, the incidence of CVD among PC patients is also on the rise. The treatments for PC include androgen deprivation therapy, androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, and docetaxel-based chemotherapy, and the cardiovascular complications include hypertension, metabolic syndrome, heart failure and arrhythmias.

Dose Optimization of rhIL-7-hyFc for Patients With Lymphopenia Using a Neonatal Fc Receptor-Mediated Recycling-Based and Target-Mediated Drug Disposition Pharmacokinetic Model.

Recombinant human interleukin-7 hybrid Fc (rhIL-7-hyFc) is a homodimer of rhIL-7 fused to a hyFc. Exogenous IL-7 promotes T cell proliferation and increases lymphocyte count, making it a potential treatment option for lymphopenia and cancer. To improve therapeutic efficacy, rhIL-7-hyFc was developed as a long-acting IL-7.

Targeting HASPIN in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells by lead optimization of thioadenosine analogue.

Despite multiple kinase inhibitors having been developed for cancer therapy, mitotic kinases remain difficult to target with small molecules due to severe adverse effects on proliferating normal cells. Recently, HASPIN, a mitotic kinase responsible for histone H3 phosphorylation, has emerged as a promising cancer-specific target. In this study, we synthesized a novel thioadenosine analogue, LJ5157, based on the structure of the previously developed HASPIN inhibitor LJ4827.

Association of trigger thumb with congenital malformations and developmental milestones among children in a nationwide birth cohort.

Despite extensive research on pediatric trigger thumb, nationwide data on patient characteristics, coexisting birth defects, and development remain limited. This cohort study, using Korean National Health Insurance data, analyzed 1.9 million births (2009-2012) followed to age 6.

Effects of anaemia development during pregnancy on maternal psychological health.

Background: Anaemia during pregnancy is associated with maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period. However, the effect of anaemia development during pregnancy on maternal psychological health in non-anaemic women remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate the effect of anaemia development during pregnancy on maternal psychological health during pregnancy and the postpartum period.