Cover
Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026) – 10 articles
Cover Picture: This artwork uses Erlang Shen (Yang Jian), the antibacterial warrior, a fantastical warrior from the classic Chinese literary work Journey to the West, and his celestial hound Xiaotian Quan (dog) to metaphorically depict the dual roles of hepatic Smad4. His three‑pronged double‑edged blade signifies his conventional armament: the canonical BMP‑Smad4 pathway governing iron metabolism and tissue homeostasis. The golden bow and dog represent his rarely deployed armament: a newly identified infection‑triggered non‑iron‑dependent antibacterial program. Hepatic Smad4 serves as a transcriptional co‑activator to promote p‑Stat3/GR promoter binding, inducing Reg3b/Reg3g expression and macrophage‑mediated bacterial clearance. This visual summarizes hepatic Smad4‑mediated organ‑immune defense supporting host survival during severe bacterial infection.
Inside Front Cover
Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026) – 10 articles
Inside Front Cover Picture: In response to the growing burden of chronic diseases such as stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, conventional one-size-fits-all dietary recommendations are increasingly unable to address individual differences in genetics, metabolism, and lifestyle. Centered on “Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Toward Precision Nutrition,” the cover highlights the U-/J-shaped relationship between nutrient intake and health outcomes, emphasizing that more is not necessarily better. The one-carbon metabolism network symbolizes the complex interplay among genes, nutrients, and metabolism, while the surrounding nodes illustrate the precision nutrition pathway from multi-omics profiling and risk prediction to personalized intervention, dynamic monitoring, and AI-driven optimization. The cover envisions a shift from generalized dietary advice to individualized, dynamic, and precision nutrition for chronic disease prevention and management.
Inside Back Cover
Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026) – 10 articles
Inside Back Cover Picture: Inspired by the Tai Chi concept of "using four taels to deflect a thousand catties"—achieving a profound impact with minimal force—the cover metaphorically depicts the role of lithium (Li) in biological systems. Though present only in trace amounts, Li governs complexity through simplicity. It elegantly fine-tunes the vast and complex network of life and health by precisely regulating critical molecular pathways that involve iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and magnesium (Mg). Li holds the promise of being recognized by the scientific community as a newly identified essential trace metal element due to the highly leveraged regulatory ability.
Back Cover
Volume 1, Issue 1 (2026) – 10 articles
Back Cover Picture: The golden iron-based network represents the intricate regulatory framework through which iron contributes to the establishment and refinement of neural architectures.The desert landscape symbolizes the challenging environment in which developing neural systems rely on critical resources, with iron serving as a fundamental element that sustains brain growth and function.
