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Felix Kaller, Gloria M. Kohlhepp, Sarah Haeusser, Sara Wullenkord, Katarina Reichel-Kühl, Anna Pfannstiel, Robert Möller, Jennifer Führ, Carlos Chillon Geck, Yousuf Al-Hakim, Andrea Lück, Norbert Kreuzinger, Johannes Pinnekamp, Mathias W. Pletz, Claudia Klümper, Silvio Beier and Kay Smarsly
Microorganisms2026, 14(2), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14020277 (registering DOI) - 24 Jan 2026
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater monitoring has become an additional tool in the surveillance of infectious diseases. Many EU countries put wastewater surveillance systems (WSS) in place to track SARS-CoV-2 and its variants and other pathogens, such as the influenza virus or Respiratory
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater monitoring has become an additional tool in the surveillance of infectious diseases. Many EU countries put wastewater surveillance systems (WSS) in place to track SARS-CoV-2 and its variants and other pathogens, such as the influenza virus or Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). In Germany, several research and pilot projects funded by the EU, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Federal Ministry of Health, and projects at Federal State level have been launched in the last four years. In Germany, wastewater monitoring was not implemented as a public health tool before the COVID-19 pandemic, but in September 2022, it has been legally determined in the German infection protection act (Infektionsschutzgesetz, IfSG). As Germany is a federal state, competencies in epidemic management partly belong to the 16 federal states (“Länder”). In the federal states, the local health authorities at the county (“Kreise”) level also have specific risk management and communication competencies. Furthermore, WSS has been incorporated into the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (EU) 2024/3019. For this reason, the federal states and local health authorities play a pivotal role in successfully implementing wastewater monitoring as a supplementary component of disease surveillance in Germany. Between November 2021 and August 2022, the federal state of Thuringia, Germany, supported a pilot study to implement a surveillance system for SARS-CoV-2-RNA in wastewater of 23 wastewater treatment plants in 17 counties in Thuringia. Here, we describe the study design and the system behind the logistics and the planning, and we provide an overview of the options for involving the public health service. Furthermore, the possibilities for IT concepts and approaches to innovative AI solutions are shown. We also aim to explore the feasibility and potential barriers to further implementing wastewater surveillance as a supplementary public health tool in Thuringia.
Full article
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This increases the demand for real-world evidence to complement findings from randomized controlled trials. The German IQVIA Disease Analyzer (DA) database, which is populated with anonymized electronic medical records from general
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Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This increases the demand for real-world evidence to complement findings from randomized controlled trials. The German IQVIA Disease Analyzer (DA) database, which is populated with anonymized electronic medical records from general practitioners and specialists, has become an increasingly valuable source for cardiovascular research. Over the past two decades, and especially between 2020 and 2025, numerous epidemiological studies have used this database to explore associations between cardiovascular risk factors, comorbidities, therapeutic patterns, and cardiovascular outcomes in large, broadly representative outpatient populations. This review synthesizes evidence from 13 selected DA-based studies examining atrial fibrillation, heart failure, cardiometabolic disease, lipid management, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)–related cardiovascular risks, cerebrovascular complications, COVID-19-associated vascular events, and modifiable behavioral and anthropometric factors. These studies were selected based on predefined criteria including cardiovascular relevance, methodological rigor, large sample size, and representativeness of key disease domains across the 2000–2025 period. Eligible studies were identified through targeted searches of peer-reviewed literature using the German IQVIA Disease Analyzer database and were selected to reflect major cardiovascular disease domains, risk factors, and therapeutic areas. Across disease domains, the reviewed studies consistently demonstrate the DA database’s capacity to identify reproducible associations between cardiometabolic risk factors, comorbidities, and cardiovascular outcomes in routine outpatient care. While causal inference is not possible, the database enables the identification of clinically meaningful associations that inform hypothesis generation, help quantify disease burden, and highlight gaps in prevention or treatment. The database’s strengths include large sample sizes (often exceeding 100,000 patients), long follow-up periods, and high external validity, while limitations relate to coding accuracy, residual confounding, and the absence of detailed clinical measures. Collectively, the evidence underscores the importance of the DA database as a crucial platform for real-world cardiovascular research.
Full article
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Jihun Choi, Siyun Lee, Chunghyeon Lee, Seungju Cho, Woochul Jung, Jayhyun Park, Yeong-Geun Lee, Youngae Jung, Chun-Zhi Jin, Hyung-Gwan Lee, Chang Soo Lee and Junsoo Park
Int. J. Mol. Sci.2026, 27(3), 1183; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031183 (registering DOI) - 24 Jan 2026
Fungal extracts have been reported to exert diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral effects. However, the anti-coronaviral properties of fungal extracts remain largely unexplored. In this study, we demonstrated that the Penicillium compactum extract (PCE) inhibits the replication of human coronavirus.
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Fungal extracts have been reported to exert diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral effects. However, the anti-coronaviral properties of fungal extracts remain largely unexplored. In this study, we demonstrated that the Penicillium compactum extract (PCE) inhibits the replication of human coronavirus. RD cells were infected with human coronavirus and subsequently treated with PCE. PCE treatment reduced the expression of viral proteins and ameliorated virus-induced cytopathic effects. In addition, PCE markedly decreased viral RNA levels in both the cells and the conditioned medium. Finally, we confirmed that PCE treatment reduced the production of infectious viral particles. Collectively, these findings indicate that PCE exhibits potent antiviral activity against human coronavirus.
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Background: Knee osteoarthritis causes considerable pain and disability. Telerehabilitation has emerged as a promising treatment option, especially after the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, but it still faces challenges regarding solid scientific evidence about its multiple benefits. This systematic review aimed to analyze the
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Background: Knee osteoarthritis causes considerable pain and disability. Telerehabilitation has emerged as a promising treatment option, especially after the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, but it still faces challenges regarding solid scientific evidence about its multiple benefits. This systematic review aimed to analyze the reported beneficial effects of telerehabilitation based on therapeutic exercise for the management of knee osteoarthritis. Methodsː PubMed, PEDro, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were used to identify eligible studies. This review followed the PRISMA guidelines and was registered at PROSPERO (n° CRD42024579836). The selected studies underwent a qualitative assessment using the Modified Jadad Score. Results: Ten studies, including a total of 1354 participants, were included. From the selected studies, a wide variety of outcome measures emerged to evaluate the efficacy of telerehabilitation in the relief of pain and its clinical consequences. Seven studies specifically assessed pain, with four showing significant improvements in pain reduction in the intervention group compared with the control group. Telerehabilitation was found to be more effective or non-inferior to traditional rehabilitation in relieving pain, as reported across various pain scales. Limitations include the heterogeneity of interventions, the exclusion of non-recent studies, and the exclusive focus on therapeutic exercise. Conclusionsː The results of this systematic review suggest that telerehabilitation provides pain relief, improves physical function, and enhances quality of life, while preliminary evidence indicates potential cost-related advantages. However, some studies did not find TR to be superior to control interventions, highlighting mixed evidence. Additional high-quality studies are required to better support this promising rehabilitation approach.
Full article
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive inflammatory lung disorder with limited effective therapies. NRICM102, a traditional multi-herbal formulation originally developed for COVID-19, exhibits anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory potential. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of
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Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive inflammatory lung disorder with limited effective therapies. NRICM102, a traditional multi-herbal formulation originally developed for COVID-19, exhibits anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory potential. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of NRICM102 in a COPD-relevant inflammatory lung injury mice model. Methods: Mice were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) to induce chronic airway inflammation and structural lung damage and treated with NRICM102 (1.5–3.0 g/kg) or dexamethasone. Lung function, histopathology, transcriptomic profiling, and protein expression of key inflammatory markers were assessed. Results: NRICM102 significantly restored LPS+B[a]P-induced enhanced pause (Penh) and arterial oxygen saturation (aO2%), similar to the effect of dexamethasone. Histological analysis revealed marked alveolar damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrosis in the model group, all of which were significantly attenuated by NRICM102 in a dose-dependent manner, with high-dose (3.0 g/kg) treatment showing pronounced structural preservation. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that NRICM102, particularly at 3.0 g/kg, partially reversed COPD-associated gene expression patterns, characterized by reduced activation of cytokine signaling, chemokine activity, and antigen presentation pathways. GO, DO, and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated selective modulation of immune-related pathways, with high-dose NRICM102 affecting genes involved in adaptive immunity and cytokine receptor interactions, including a subset of 150 reverted genes. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed dose-dependent reductions in key inflammatory, immune, and mucus-related markers, including IL-1β, NLRP3, Muc5ac, and MMP12 expression. Conclusions: NRICM102 confers significant protective effects against COPD-relevant inflammatory lung injury by improving pulmonary function, preserving lung architecture, and selectively modulating immune and inflammatory pathways. These results provide preclinical evidence supporting the potential of NRICM102 to modulate inflammation and immune responses associated with COPD-related pathology, although further studies are needed to establish its therapeutic relevance.
Full article
SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a highly transmissible, enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus that has mutated into several variants, complicating vaccine strategies and drug resistance. Novel treatment modalities targeting conserved structural vulnerable points are essential to combat these variants. The
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SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, is a highly transmissible, enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus that has mutated into several variants, complicating vaccine strategies and drug resistance. Novel treatment modalities targeting conserved structural vulnerable points are essential to combat these variants. The primary aim of the current study is to test the mechanical vulnerability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus envelope and spike proteins to focused, high-frequency ultrasound waves (25 MHz) in vitro. Utilizing a preliminary pretest and posttest study design, the study was conducted on a virus sample within a distilled water matrix, under controlled laboratory biosafety conditions. Since detailed imaging tools were unavailable, viral disruption was indirectly measured using real-time PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values. Ct values increased significantly after high-frequency ultrasound exposure, indicating a reduction in amplifiable viral genomic material. A paired t-test indicated a significant difference between the pretest and posttest Ct (p < 0.001), which is supported by Monte Carlo test results that revealed statistically significant shifting in viral load categories (p = 0.001, two-sided). Specifically, 85.7% of high-viral-load samples converted to low or moderate content, 46.7% of low or moderate samples were shifted to negative content. This intervention produced a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.422). These results indicate that ultrasound may offer a promising non-pharmacological approach to destroy or inactivate SARS-CoV-2 variants in an aqueous environment.
Full article
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026
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Keywords: microthrombi; STEMI; long COVID; COVID related acute coronary syndromes; cardiovascular effects of COVID; biology; immune response; genetics; endothelial health
The first webinar in the series, held on 17 April 2020, saw both Prof. Dr. Antoine Flahault, Director of the Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Switzerland, and Prof. Dr. Evelyne Bischof, Associate Professor, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China and Research physician, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland speak on this topic.
The second webinar in the series, entitled “Coronaviruses: history, replication, innate immune antagonism”, saw Prof. Dr. Susan R. Weiss, Professor of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania speak on this topic.
WEBINAR 3: Could the COVID-19 Crisis be the Opportunity to Make Cities Carbon Neutral, Liveable and Healthy
The third webinar in this series was presented by Prof. Dr. Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, a world leading expert in environmental exposure assessment, epidemiology, and health risk/impact assessment with a strong focus and interest on healthy urban living.
WEBINAR 4: COVID-19 - Global Supply Chains and the SDGs
For the fourth webinar of this series, Prof. Dr. Max Bergman, Dr. Dorothea Schostok and Prof. Dr. Patrick Paul Walsh gave a presentation on Global Supply Chains and the SDGs.
WEBINAR 5: The New Role of Family Physicians in Times of COVID-19
The fifth webinar of the COVID-19 Series saw Prof. Dr. Christos Lionis discuss the new role of family physicians that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WEBINAR 6: Survey on Symptoms/Signs, Protective Measures, Level of Awareness and Perception Regarding COVID-19 Outbreak among Dentists
In the sixth webinar of this series, Prof. Dr. Guglielmo Campus and Prof. Dr. Maria Grazia present and discuss the risk and the preventions that can and should be taken by dentists during this pandemic.
WEBINAR 7: Living with COVID-19: An Early Intervention Therapeutic Strategy to Control the Pandemic
The seventh webinar of the COVID-19 series, Dr. Hamid Merchant discussed the different therapeutic strategies that can be adopted in the early stages of the infection.
WEBINAR 8: Impact of COVID-19 on Routine Immunization, Reproduction and Pregnancy Outcome
For the eighth COVID-19 webinar, Prof. Dr. Jon Øyvind Odland discussed the effect that COVID-19 seems to have on pregnant women; whereas Prof. Dr. Giovanni Gabutti discussed the role of routine immunization as a way of fighting COVID-19.
