Divine life force: The fragile power of blood

Issue 47–6 of the Biomedical Journal explores the delicate boundaries of human blood. It examines the relationship between anemia and the gut microbiome, as well as the modified activation patterns in compensatory blood oxygenation observed in COVID-19, and lastly a series of experiments investigates the effects of SARS-CoV-2 variant spike proteins on the biology and morphology of red blood cells. Additionally, a fungus endemic to Taiwan shows potential as a treatment for pulmonary fibrosis, while relevant co-infections in schistosomiasis appear to be benefitting from altered receptor signaling in macrophages. A genomic study identifies an important locus in Taiwanese patients with Tourette syndrome, and a retrospective evaluation is conducted on the incidental detection of common bile duct dilatation in pediatric patients.