A 31-year global analysis covering 204 countries shows the absolute burden of viral skin diseases has surged by over one-third since 1990, now affecting 84.7 million people annually. The study identifies children under 15 and older adults as the most vulnerable groups and reveals widening socioeconomic disparities, calling for targeted public health interventions to address inequities.

A 31-year global analysis covering 204 countries shows the absolute burden of viral skin diseases has surged by over one-third since 1990, now affecting 84.7 million people annually. The study identifies children under 15 and older adults as the most vulnerable groups and reveals widening socioeconomic disparities, calling for targeted public health interventions to address inequities.

Chronic diabetic wounds heal slowly and are highly vulnerable to infection. Researchers have developed an AI-guided, 4D-printed microneedle patch that actively closes wounds, fights bacteria, and promotes tissue repair. Inspired by the carnivorous plant Drosera capensis, the device combines shape-changing materials, adhesive DNA nanoparticles, and antibacterial zinc treatment, demonstrating how AI can transform biological inspiration into programmable medical technology.

Cronkhite–Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare, non-hereditary hamartomatous polyposis syndrome of the gastrointestinal tract accompanied by ectodermal changes. The cause has remained unknown for decades, with no clear germline mutations identified. A new multi-omics study reveals that expanded TNF-α-producing CD4⁺ T cells and IL-1β-secreting macrophages drive excessive mucus secretion and colonic hamartoma formation through a positive feedback loop inducing epithelial prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production, offering potential therapeutic targets for this puzzling disease.

A recent study identified carbonic anhydrase III (CAR3) as a previously unrecognized protein critical for healthy bone development and regeneration. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, genetically modified mice, and bone repair models, researchers found that CAR3 helps osteoblasts mineralize collagen and strengthen bone tissue by interacting with collagen and bone sialoprotein. Mice lacking CAR3 developed low bone density and impaired bone formation, while CAR3-functionalized scaffolds significantly improved bone healing and regeneration following skeletal injury.

Objective: This commentary outlines how single-cell and multi-omic approaches can advance biomarker discovery and translational validation in exercise medicine.

Methods: The article synthesizes emerging evidence from human and animal exercise studies using single-cell RNA sequencing, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, single-cell ATAC sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and related multi-omic technologies. It focuses on skeletal muscle, immune regulation, ageing-related cellular states, chronic disease contexts and translational validation strategies.

Results: Single-cell approaches can resolve exercise-responsive cell types, cellular states, regulatory programmes and cell-cell communication that are masked by tissue-level or bulk measurements. The article highlights applications in muscle repair and fibre-type adaptation, immune redistribution and inflammatory regulation, vascular and metabolic adaptation, biological ageing and responder profiling. It proposes a pipeline that links discovery of cell-derived signatures to validation through accessible assays, including flow cytometry, targeted RNA panels, proteomics, methylation assays, immunoassays and routine clinical chemistry platforms.

Conclusions: Single-cell sequencing is best viewed as a discovery engine for precision exercise biomarkers rather than a near-term routine clinical test. Future work should combine well-defined exercise protocols, longitudinal sampling, spatial and tissue-specific profiling, physiological outcomes, human-animal comparisons and rigorous independent validation.