Traditional medicine systems worldwide utilize natural products (NPs), including plant-derived compounds, minerals, and organisms, harnessing their healing potential. NPs offer a rich source of potential drug candidates, driving innovation in drug discovery. Recent breakthroughs have reignited interest in harnessing the therapeutic benefits of natural compounds. Clinical applications of NP-based immunotherapies, such as curcumin and resveratrol in cancer treatment, highlight their diverse pharmacological properties. However, despite these advancements, challenges persist in the clinical implementation of NPs. Issues such as standardization, regulatory approval, and supply sustainability remain significant hurdles. Overcoming these limitations requires a concerted effort to address the complexities of NP drug development. Nevertheless, ongoing research efforts and interdisciplinary collaboration hold promise for advancing NP-based therapeutics, paving the way for the development of innovative treatments for various diseases. In the world of precision medicine, a new chapter unfolds as NPs join the therapeutic journey. The exploration of NPs as sources of bioactive compounds has revealed promising prospects for precision therapeutics in medicine. This article explores the therapeutic potential of NPs within the context of precision medicine. It examines the intricate pathways through which bioactive compounds derived from nature offer tailored therapeutic prospects, emphasizing their role in precision medicine interventions. Exploring the synergy between NPs and precision therapeutics at a molecular level, this article delineates the exciting prospect of customized treatments, signifying a transformative impact on modern medical care. The review article further highlights their potential in tailoring treatments based on individual genetic makeup and disease characteristics. Additionally, it discusses challenges and prospects, addressing issues of sourcing, standardization, scalability, and regulatory considerations to realize the full therapeutic potential of NPs.

In recent times, there has been a revolutionary surge in antioxidant research, with a focus on harnessing microalgae to enhance wellness and extend human longevity. Microalgae, a diverse group of unicellular photosynthetic organisms, have emerged as promising sources of natural antioxidants due to their ability to synthesize various bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, polyphenols, and tocopherols. These antioxidants play a pivotal role in scavenging free radicals and reducing oxidative stress, known contributors to aging and chronic diseases. This review provides an over-view of recent advancements in understanding microalgae’s antioxidant potential, covering their biochemical composition, extraction techniques, and purification methods. Moreover, it delves into compelling in vitro and in vivo studies showcasing microalgae-derived antioxidants’ protective effects against oxidative damage, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. The sustainable cultivation of microalgae in controlled environments further supports the potential for large-scale production and commercialization of their antioxidant compounds. As microalgae continue to revolutionize antioxidant research, they hold immense promise in developing novel preventive and therapeutic strategies to promote human health and wellbeing.

The potent pain-relieving properties of opioids come at a steep price. Their addictive nature and side effects raise critical concerns in managing pain after surgical spine procedures. Postoperatively, spinal surgeries often accompany acute intense pain, which presents a significant challenge in optimal recovery. This paper reviews the historical approach to pain management in spine surgeries and expands on the use of alternatives and novel agents with reduced addictive potential. Additionally showcasing individualized multimodal strategies for postoperative pain management beyond pharmacological approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), physical therapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Given the global opioid addiction crisis, there is a growing need for a fundamental shift towards safer and effective alternatives. Transitioning beyond opioid-centric practices in spinal surgery can optimize pain relief while improving patient outcomes and minimizing risk.

With the surge of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, the need for a larger arsenal of effective antibiotics and vaccines has drastically increased in the past decades. Antibiotics like vaccines can benefit from significant potentiation when used in combination with adjuvants. Antibiotic adjuvants can allow for gram-positive bacteria (GPB) specific treatments to be used against gram-negative bacteria (GNB) infections, with minimal antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the case of vaccines, they allow for modulation and increase of the immune response. Lipopeptides are molecules of choice because of their ability to activate specific cell surface receptors, penetrate the outer membrane of GNB, safety and ease of synthesis. This review explores the recent developments in lipopeptide adjuvants for antibiotics and vaccines, providing a roadmap on how to develop adjuvants to efficiently combat AMR. After a brief overview of bacterial resistance, lipopeptide adjuvants for antibiotics and vaccines are discussed, providing insights into stability, sources, and delivery methods. Findings discussed in this review could be applied to the development of safer, more effective adjuvants, that could expand the use or repurpose current antibiotics or improve vaccination results in future clinical trials.

Cyclophane-containing peptides comprise an important group of macrocyclic peptides with unique structural properties and pharmaceutical relevance. Darobactin A is a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) antibiotic, which features an unusual biscyclophane moiety formed via the class-defining ether crosslink in addition to a carbon-carbon (C-C) crosslink. Because darobactin-like peptides (daropeptides) are widespread in nature, further exploration of these emerging RiPP natural products featuring ether crosslinked cyclophane could facilitate the discovery and development of new bioactive peptides. This perspective provides updated insights into the biosynthesis and classification of daropeptides, highlighting the potential to manipulate daropeptide maturases to access novel bioactive peptide cyclophanes.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) impersonate a significant role in many biological processes and are potential therapeutic targets in numerous human diseases. Stapled peptides, as the most promising therapeutic candidate for interfering with PPIs, have a higher degree of α-helicity, improved binding affinity, more resistance to proteolytic digestion, longer serum half-life, and enhanced cell permeability, which exhibits higher pharmacological activity compared with small molecule drugs and biologics. This review outlined the continuous progress of stapled peptides mainly concerning the design principle, structural stability, bioactivity, cell permeability, and potential applications in therapeutics, which is aimed at providing a broad reference for the design and exploration of stapled peptides with enhanced biological and pharmacokinetic properties as the next-generation therapeutic peptide drugs targeting various diseases.