Food‑medicine homologous polysaccharides are widely known for safety and immunomodulatory effects. A new Opinion article offers an updated perspective: these glycans are not merely bioactive ingredients, but multi‑role biological materials that can act as immune signaling molecules, structural scaffolds and drug‑delivery carriers simultaneously. The authors analyze key bottlenecks and propose cross‑disciplinary strategies to advance them from empirical natural products to rationally‑designed precision immune‑intervention tools.

For thousands of years, the concept of food‑medicine homology (FMH) has guided health practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. A new opinion piece puts forward the “5R Principle” framework and outlines how multiple chemistry disciplines can transform empirical ancient wisdom into precise, testable molecular‑level health strategies, bridging traditional experience with modern quantitative science.

Chinese medicinal cuisine, known as yao shan, has long‑standing cultural roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A multi‑disciplinary Perspective puts forward a falsifiable systems‑science framework for its modernisation. Rather than simply adding modern technologies to old practices, the work converts traditional TCM concepts into testable scientific hypotheses, establishes causal research chains, separates quality‑safety‑efficacy evidence, and delivers a four‑stage roadmap to advance reproducible, internationally comparable yao‑shan research and application.

Why do some tissues regenerate efficiently after injury while others develop chronic inflammation, scar formation, or even fibrosis? A newly published review proposes that immunometabolism is not a universal "pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory" program but a dynamic adaptation process shaped by organ structure, regenerative capacity, injury stage, and local microenvironment. The article systematically compares six tissues—intestine, skin, liver, lung, heart, and skeletal muscle—and introduces the concept of niche-dependent immunometabolic regulation.

Researchers at Ritsumeikan University report a halogen-guided method for transforming accessible hydroxycoumarins into coumaranones, valuable heterocyclic structures in medicinal chemistry. Inspired by halogenation-driven bond cleavage in natural product biosynthesis, the method deletes a carbonyl group through simultaneous C–C and C–O bond cleavage under room temperature without the need for transition metals. The approach offers a practical strategy for molecular scaffold editing and potentially streamlining synthesis of biologically relevant compounds.

More than two-thirds of hospitalized COVID-19 survivors maintained stable cognition 2 years after Omicron infection, while one in five experienced reversible decline. Researchers report that only 10.8% developed irreversible cognitive decline, including 3.6% with progressive decline. Older age, reinfection, severe illness, hypertension, longer hospitalization, and white matter lesions increased the risk, while education and vaccination were protective. Findings highlight potential for cognitive recovery, supporting monitoring of patients at higher risk of progressive decline.