Ngos ' Contributions to Innovation: Innovation Enablers or Lead Innovators?

ABSTRACT This study explores how non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) engage with innovation processes. Drawing on a comparative case study of two NGOs working in water sustainability, the paper analyses NGO involvement across seven stages of the innovation process. The findings reveal two distinct approaches to NGO involvement in innovation: innovation enablers, typically traditional NGOs that support innovation through collaboration and institutionalisation, and lead innovators, generally newer, more technically specialised NGOs capable of independently initiating and developing product‐based solutions. This typology challenges prevailing assumptions that NGOs primarily play supportive roles, offering a new lens for understanding NGOs' contributions to innovation. The study advances the literature in innovation management, sustainable innovation, and political science, highlighting the need to reassess the capacities and roles of NGOs, particularly in light of growing environmental urgency and evolving expectations from global actors.

When Diversity Meets Family Owners: ESG Performance in European Publicly Listed Firms

ABSTRACT This study investigates how the interaction between board diversity and family as owners shapes firms' ESG performance. Prior research has established that board diversity fosters more informed, ethical, and stakeholder‐oriented decision‐making, thereby enhancing corporate legitimacy and responsiveness to diverse stakeholder expectations. Building upon this foundation, the present study advances the literature by incorporating the role of family ownership and involvement into this relationship. Drawing on Functionalist Theory and the socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective, we conceptualize the family as a normative and institutional actor that embeds long‐term orientation, intergenerational responsibility, and prosocial values into corporate governance structures and decision‐making processes. Using a panel dataset of 1199 publicly listed European firms over a 10‐year period, we confirm prior literature and find that greater board diversity is consistently associated with improved ESG performance. While family business status alone does not directly affect ESG performance, it significantly enhances the positive impact of board diversity, positioning families as institutional enablers. Furthermore, succession planning shows a positive relationship with ESG performance, indicating that structured intergenerational transitions promote ethical consistency and reinforce long‐term strategic commitment. In general, our results show that family involvement in the ownership can make the link between diversity and sustainability stronger.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Generation Z Purchase Intentions: A Cross‐National Study

ABSTRACT In response to growing social and environmental challenges, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a key determinant of consumer evaluations, particularly among Generation Z, a cohort noted for its heightened awareness of sustainability and ethical business practices. This study examines how CSR practices influence Gen Z consumers' purchase intentions in Greece and Germany, two countries with distinct cultural and economic contexts. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior, we develop and test an extended model incorporating consumer environmental consciousness and trust in CSR practices. Results from Generation Z samples in both countries indicate that attitudes toward CSR and trust in CSR practices are strong predictors of purchase intentions, while perceived behavioral control shows no significant effect. Subjective norms are significant only in Germany, whereas environmental consciousness is significant only in Greece, underscoring the contextual influence of cultural and economic environments. These findings extend CSR theory beyond the TPB framework and provide actionable insights for adapting CSR communication and strategy across markets. The study also highlights Gen Z's pivotal role in driving responsible consumption and supporting socially and environmentally committed brands.

Toward the Bioremediation of Nylon Waste Materials: Genome Mining Leads to the Identification of a Thermostable Laurolactamase From Thermopolyspora flexuosa

Plastic waste accumulation presents an environmental and human health crisis. With current recycling technologies recovering only ∼9% of plastics globally, there is an urgent need for sustainable solutions. While enzymatic strategies for polyethylene terephthalate degradation have made significant progress, analogous approaches for other plastics, like nylon, remain underdeveloped. In particular, the persistence of cyclic nylon oligomers has received limited attention, with only one distinct enzyme (NylA) reported decades ago, exhibiting poor catalytic performance. To address this critical gap, using genome mining, novel amidases were identified with enhanced activity and thermal stability. Herein, we report the discovery and characterization of a lactam hydrolase from Thermopolyspora flexuosa , the first thermostable NylA orthologue ( T m  = 72°C ± 0.3°C). Biochemical analyses reveal that Tfl NylA hydrolyzes a range of lactams, including cyclic nylon byproducts, with particularly high specificity and turnover for laurolactam. Substrate scope analysis and structural modeling revealed key molecular features governing enzyme‐substrate compatibility, explaining the preferential activity of Tfl NylA. Co‐incubation of Tfl NylA and TvgC with nylon film increased nylon dimer production, underscoring the potential of enzyme synergy for enhanced plastic degradation. This thermostable NylA variant provides an ideal starting point for enzyme engineering efforts to develop robust catalysts for nylon waste remediation.

A Scalable and Sustainable Synthesis of Indirubin Frameworks Enabled by Deep Eutectic Solvents

Indirubin, the active component of the traditional Chinese remedy Dang Gui Long Hui Wan , exhibits broad therapeutic potential. However, its scalable and sustainable synthesis remains challenging when using conventional methods. We report a green and efficient synthetic protocol using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as environmentally benign media. Indirubin was synthesized from isatin using NaBH 4 in a choline chloride/urea DES at 70°C under air, achieving a 70% overall yield in 24 h without chromatographic purification. This approach, combined with an optimized work‐up, significantly reduces organic solvent use, improving both process safety and environmental sustainability. The protocol is robust and scalable, as demonstrated by a pilot‐scale preparation (386 g of isatin in 1.94 kg of DES), and grants access to a variety of indirubin derivatives, such as 5,5′‐difluoro, 5,5′‐dibromo, 5,5′‐dimethoxy, 5,5′‐dimethyl, 5‐bromoindirubin, 3′‐oxime, and N ‐alkylated analogs, the latter being of particular interest as photoswitchable molecular platforms. A comprehensive CHEM21 metrics assessment reveals a 3.7‐fold reduction in E‐factor and improved effective mass yield (EM) and process mass intensity (PMI) values compared to conventional methanol‐based methods, underscoring the reduced environmental footprint of this approach. Overall, this strategy provides a greener, safer, and industrially viable route to pharmaceutically relevant indirubin scaffolds, fully aligned with sustainable chemistry principles.

Bevacizumab in ovarian cancer: Clinical data and predictive and prognostic biomarkers

Abstract Angiogenesis, driven by the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGFR signalling axis under hypoxic conditions, is one of the hallmarks of ovarian cancer (OC), contributing to tumour progression, metastatic dissemination and immune evasion. Hypoxia‐induced angiogenic signalling sustains tumour growth and shapes an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment, while homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) has been associated with increased tumour hypoxia and pro‐angiogenic signalling. Conversely, VEGF pathway inhibition may exacerbate DNA damage and modulate immune cell trafficking, providing a strong biological rationale for synergy between anti‐angiogenic agents, PARP inhibitors (PARPi), and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Bevacizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody targeting VEGF‐A, represents a pivotal therapeutic agent in OC management by inhibiting tumour angiogenesis and inducing transient vascular normalisation. Its clinical efficacy has been demonstrated as maintenance therapy in the first‐line setting, alone or in combination with PARPi for HRD‐positive disease, and in the recurrent setting both in platinum‐sensitive and platinum‐resistant disease. Despite these benefits, variability in patient response highlights the unmet need for validated predictive biomarkers. Circulating, tissue‐based and molecular biomarkers have been investigated, including angiogenic factors (Tie2/Ang1 axis, interleukin‐6 [IL‐6] and chitinase‐3‐like protein [YKL‐40]), VEGF‐A isoforms, microvessel density, EGFR/ADAM17 signalling, angiomiRs and transcriptional subtypes with mesenchymal and proliferative phenotypes showing greater sensitivity to anti‐angiogenic strategies. Although HRD status holds prognostic relevance and selected microRNAs show emerging potential, no biomarker has yet been validated to predict benefit from bevacizumab in clinical practice. Translational analyses from the MITO16A/MaNGO OV‐2 program, highlight challenges such as assay standardisation, multiplicity correction and external validation, while identifying tumour immune infiltration patterns, TP53 mutation classes and composite HRD assessments as areas of further investigation. In conclusion, bevacizumab remains an integral component of OC treatment. Future progress will depend on biomarker‐driven, prospectively designed clinical trials and the integration of multi‐omic data and machine learning approaches to enable precision application of anti‐angiogenic strategies, maximising clinical benefit while minimising toxicity.

Two pathogens, one disease: Rethinking leprosy diversification through ancient and modern genomes

Clonal haematopoiesis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: Biology, inflammaging and clinical implications in the era of targeted therapy

Abstract Background Clonal haematopoiesis (CH) is an age‐related condition increasingly recognised for its relevance in haematologic malignancies. In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), its prevalence and clinical implications are gaining attention, particularly in the context of prolonged patient survival and the widespread adoption of targeted therapies. A comprehensive understanding of the biological and clinical significance of CH in CLL is therefore essential. Methods This review synthesises current evidence on the biological basis, epidemiology and clinical impact of CH in CLL. Data from prospective clinical trials, real‐world cohorts and translational studies were analysed to explore the associations between CH, genomic instability, immune dysregulation and inflammaging. Particular attention was given to the interaction between CH and contemporary therapeutic strategies, including Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and BCL2 inhibitors, and their potential influence on long‐term outcomes. Results Available evidence indicates that CH is relatively frequent in patients with CLL and may contribute to disease biology through mechanisms involving genomic instability, chronic inflammation and immune system alterations. Emerging data suggest that CH can influence prognosis, treatment‐related toxicities and cardiovascular risk, as well as predispose to therapy‐related myeloid neoplasms. The interplay between CH and targeted agents may further modulate long‐term outcomes, although the impact of CH on Richter transformation remains incompletely defined. Conclusions CH represents a clinically relevant factor in the management of CLL in the era of targeted therapies. Its detection may have important implications for risk stratification, toxicity monitoring and survivorship care. Further prospective studies are needed to clarify its prognostic value and to integrate CH assessment into routine clinical practice and personalised treatment algorithms. Key points Clonal haematopoiesis (CH) is common in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and reflects age‐related genomic and inflammatory remodeling of haematopoiesis. CH may influence prognosis, treatment‐related toxicities, cardiovascular risk, and the development of therapy‐related myeloid neoplasms. Targeted therapies, including BTK and BCL2 inhibitors, interact differently with CH compared with chemoimmunotherapy, potentially mitigating some adverse effects. Integrating CH assessment into CLL management may improve risk stratification and long‐term survivorship strategies.

Prospective validation of podoplanin expression as a diagnostic biomarker of acute promyelocytic leukemia

Abstract Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a medical emergency that needs immediate diagnosis and treatment. Podoplanin, a transmembrane glycoprotein that binds CLEC‐2 on platelets, was recently demonstrated to be abnormally expressed in leukemic blasts in APL, as opposed to other forms of AML, in a study using thawed primary cells. This study aimed to explore and validate the diagnostic accuracy of measuring podoplanin expression by flow cytometry in the differential diagnosis of APL and other forms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as part of the diagnostic work‐up of all cases suspected of AML in an academic hematology center. Podoplanin expression was measured by flow cytometry in bone marrow samples obtained at disease presentation from all consecutive adult patients suspected of AML. Results from 24 APL patients were compared with those from 23 non‐APL AML patients matched by age and sex. Markedly higher PDPN expression was observed in APL patients when compared to other AML patients, with an area under the curve of 0.92 (95%CI: 0.82–1.0, p  < 0.0001) for the percentage of positive cells. Combining an optimal cutoff of 7.66% for PDPN‐positive blasts and 1691 for the mean fluorescence index of PDPN expression, APL was identified with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 100%. Moreover, PDPN expression presented a negative correlation with platelet count and fibrinogen levels. PDPN expression measured by flow cytometry can accurately differentiate between APL and other forms of AML in a real‐world clinical setting, contributing to the diagnosis of this form of acute leukemia. If confirmed in larger prospective studies, the negative association of PDPN expression with fibrinogen and platelet counts supports the concept that this biomarker can potentially contribute to the clinical characterization of APL.

Cyt‐Geist: Current and Future Challenges in Cytometry: Reports of the CYTO 2025 Conference Workshops