{"title":"The role of aminopeptidases in angiotensin peptide processing","authors":"Wayne R Fitzgibbon","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100898","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100898","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plasma and tissue levels of angiotensin peptides are regulated by their formation and metabolism by peptidases. Aminopeptidases A and N process Ang II to Ang III and Ang III to Ang IV, respectively, peptides which may have the same physiological action as, or counterbalance the action of, Ang II. In this minireview, other pathways for the processing of both Ang I and Ang II by aminopeptidases will be outlined. Further, the differential processing of Ang I and Ang II by different cell types comprising the renal glomerulus will be discussed. Importantly, by playing a role in the regulation of Ang II levels, both systemically and intrarenally, aminopeptidase A acts to tonically control blood pressure and to moderate Ang II-induced renal injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100898"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashley S Howard , Selina M Tucker , Kaela M Varberg
{"title":"Placental clues to congenital heart disease: a modeling approach","authors":"Ashley S Howard , Selina M Tucker , Kaela M Varberg","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100914","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100914","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Congenital heart disease (CHD) remains the most common birth defect and a leading contributor to global infant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis improves outcomes, yet current screening methods frequently miss CHD during routine prenatal screening. The placenta, which develops in parallel with the fetal heart and shares critical molecular pathways, represents an underexplored diagnostic tissue. We highlight clinical, epidemiological, and mechanistic insights that link placental abnormalities to CHD and explore how imaging, <em>in vitro</em> models, and multiomics can improve our understanding of the placenta–heart axis. Leveraging these tools will offer opportunities for earlier CHD detection and illuminate avenues for intervention and postnatal risk stratification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100914"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrea de Haan , David Kent , Arshia Bonakdar , Thang Nguyen , Shuangbo Liu
{"title":"Digital health tools for post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) care: what we know, what we don’t, and why sex and gender matter","authors":"Andrea de Haan , David Kent , Arshia Bonakdar , Thang Nguyen , Shuangbo Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital health tools (DHTs) offer promising opportunities to enhance post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) care by supporting secondary prevention, medication adherence, lifestyle modification, and remote monitoring. Evidence indicates that DHTs can improve physiological, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes; however, sex- and gender-specific effects remain largely unstudied. Concurrently, women and gender-diverse individuals continue to experience disparities in all aspects of ACS care, including underdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and lower cardiac rehabilitation participation. This review synthesizes the current evidence on DHTs in post-ACS care, identifies knowledge gaps in sex- and gender-sensitive outcomes, and proposes strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating inclusive interventions. Intentional integration of sex- and gender-sensitive approaches is essential to achieve equitable benefits and optimized recovery for all patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100900"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Be still my heart: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in a post COVID-19 world","authors":"Kristin James, Parisa Selseleh, Mahwash Saeed","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100922","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100922","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Postural orthostatic tachycardic syndrome (POTS) is a chronic heterogeneous disorder of the autonomic nervous system, and symptoms of POTS have been described since the 1800s. Often, POTS goes undiagnosed for months to years, and can cause significant morbidity and lifestyle challenges for patients. It is hypothesized that viral infections are a potent trigger for the development of POTS and other syndromes of the autonomic nervous system. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in patients presenting with autonomic symptoms after COVID-19 infection, also known as Long COVID POTS (LC-POTS). The pathophysiology of POTS and LC-POTS may be somewhat distinct; however, management of both disease entities is similar, with a focus on conservative, nonpharmacologic treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100922"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Levi Davis , Madeline Rapp , Zachary Rundell , Layla Al-Nakkash
{"title":"Use of simulation in physiology teaching: a focus on medical education","authors":"Levi Davis , Madeline Rapp , Zachary Rundell , Layla Al-Nakkash","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Simulation-based experiences deliver a powerful educational tool with a plethora of benefits, importantly supporting learner integration of physiology while augmenting clinical learning. These simulated experiences are varied, using virtual reality, videos, dramatization, and high-fidelity manikins. Moreover, these interactive experiences promote student advances in developing other skills: teamwork, communication, critical thinking, developing empathy and constructing professional identity. This review presents an overview of current uses of simulation in physiology education and highlights key studies that promote and embrace this significant and relevant pedagogical modality to engage students.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100920"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Placental autophagy: causes and consequences","authors":"Alina Maloyan","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100902","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100902","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process whereby damaged organelles, misfolded proteins, and lipid droplets are sequestered, degraded, and recycled. Definitive etiological links connect dysregulated autophagy to chronic cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative, and inflammatory diseases, along with cancer. Autophagy also fulfills key roles in normal reproduction and fertility, with placental autophagy being crucial for proper trophoblast syncytialization. Dysregulations in placental autophagy have been shown to occur in response to maternal under- and overnutrition, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia. This review summarizes the roles of autophagy in placental function in both healthy and complicated pregnancies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100902"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The role of the Capstone project in undergraduate study in the development of key transferable skills","authors":"Gordon J Cooper , Liam Bagley","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100915","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100915","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Within Physiology and other Biosciences, the Capstone project is described as the pinnacle of the student experience at university, allowing the mastery of acquired skills to be showcased. It is the traditional school of thought that the capstone showcases academic and scientific skills, but it also develops professional, digital and social skills. In recent years, graduate work destinations have become significantly more diverse, a factor that has contributed to competition for vacancies. Despite substantial efforts by academic teams to produce talented, well-rounded graduates, employers highlight that many are not ‘work ready’, lacking key ‘soft’ skills, with graduates finding it a significant challenge to convey their skills to employers. We examine the multi-faceted role of the Capstone project in Physiology and Bioscience education, highlighting potential future opportunities in providing students with an extensive portfolio of skills and experiences to take into their future careers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100915"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Curcumin, resveratrol, and other polyphenols in regulating redox imbalance in inflammatory bowel disease","authors":"Minna Luo, Hang Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2025.100890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2025.100890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural polyphenols have been widely studied for their anti-inflammatory properties in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, recent research has also highlighted their critical role in redox imbalance in IBD. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the redox-modulating effects of selected polyphenols, including curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), quercetin, and anthocyanins. Preclinical studies and clinical trials demonstrate that these compounds exert their protective effects through multiple redox-related mechanisms, such as scavenging reactive oxygen species, activating antioxidant pathways like Nrf2/HO-1, enhancing endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and modulating redox-sensitive inflammatory signaling cytokines in IBD. However, translation to clinical application is challenged by issues such as dual antioxidant/pro-oxidant roles, inconsistent biomarker reporting, lack of serum-based measurements in animal studies, and poor mechanical understanding regarding redox dysfunction. Future research should prioritize standardized redox endpoints and mechanistic validation to advance polyphenol-based therapies. Collectively, the current evidence supports the therapeutic potential of polyphenols as redox-targeted adjuncts in IBD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100890"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
James T Davis , Grace Garner, Eva Mannino, Abigail P Sondreal
{"title":"Assessment in physiology: supporting retention, engagement, and equity","authors":"James T Davis , Grace Garner, Eva Mannino, Abigail P Sondreal","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2026.100904","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessment plays a critical role in physiology education, not only for assigning grades but also for supporting student learning. This review synthesizes findings from 43 studies to highlight alternative assessment strategies that differ from traditional multiple-choice exams. These include retrieval practice, collaborative exams, drawing-based tasks, student-generated questions, and oral or open-ended formats. The findings are organized into five key themes, including retention, engagement, conceptual understanding, equity, and instructional alignment. These strategies promote deeper learning, reduce barriers, and offer instructors timely feedback. When implemented intentionally, alternative assessments help students connect concepts, build long-lasting knowledge, and stay engaged. This review encourages educators to view assessment as a powerful instructional tool rather than a one-size-fits-all measure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100904"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147421101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Lecture capture as Universal Design for Learning: a post-pandemic scoping review","authors":"Emily Nordmann , Jill RD MacKay","doi":"10.1016/j.cophys.2025.100896","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cophys.2025.100896","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lecture capture is frequently justified as an inclusive technology, yet its alignment with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in post-pandemic practice has not been empirically considered. We conducted a scoping review of post-pandemic lecture capture research, identifying 12 studies that considered live lecture recording in higher education. Using the UDL guidelines as an analytic framework, we found that lecture capture primarily supports Engagement and, to a lesser extent, Representation through flexible access, replay and player controls. Action and Expression and higher-level executive functions were rarely addressed. Demographic reporting was limited, with few analyses for disabled, neurodivergent or commuting students. We argue that lecture capture is necessary, but insufficient as a sole adjustment for inclusive design and prioritise future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":52156,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Physiology","volume":"47 ","pages":"Article 100896"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}