Biology Cell biology

Researchers identified the tegmentum in the midbrain as an ‘integration center’ of fish. The area receives visual information from the eyes that is combined with color information detected by the pineal organ—the ‘third eye.’ These inputs are integrated to control how fish orient themselves in the water.

We identified Mrep macrophages that repair muscle but trigger heterotopic ossification in FOP, advancing muscle and FOP therapy development.

Clinically available KRAS inhibitors mainly target G12C, which is rare in PDAC and often acquires resistance. Oncogenic KRAS inactivates RB1 via CDK4/6, while RB1 mutation is rare. Thus, CDK4/6 inhibition offers an indirect strategy to counter KRAS-driven malignancy without direct KRAS targeting.

Skeletal muscle stem cells in hibernating Syrian hamsters preserve their ability to function by suppressing their activation during the hibernation period, a research team led by Hiroshima University has shown. This insight may lead to a broader understanding of the maintenance of muscle tissue under prolonged low temperature conditions and may eventually lead to therapeutic applications.

Netrin-1 blocks HBV entry by inhibiting viral attachment and internalization, offering a new therapeutic avenue for chronic hepatitis B.

A research team at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Faculty of Medicine at Kanazawa University has developed a new class of engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) capable of inducing antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs), the immune cells that play a central role in suppressing excessive immune responses. The findings, now published in Drug Delivery, may pave the way for next-generation therapies for autoimmune and allergic diseases, where unwanted immune activation must be precisely controlled.

Brain atlas, From perfume to plastic, Stable solar power, Plant aging switch, Anti-cancer droplets, Greener gold, Extreme star factory and How research shapes sustainability policy. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Elastic fiber component level in human hepatic stellate cells may predict liver damage

A team of researchers from Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University has identified the Drosophila Cul2 substrate adaptor DmZer1 as a key regulator of protein quality control, acting at the intersection of two major cellular “cleanup systems”: autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Interestingly, lowering DmZer1 levels activates the Cnc/Nrf2 stress-response pathway, which in turn strengthens the cell’s ability to defend itself against oxidative stress.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have developed a breakthrough method for quantitative imaging of ATP levels inside living cells. The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces qMaLioffG, a genetically encoded fluorescence lifetime indicator that allows scientists to observe how cells produce and consume energy in real time.

Researchers have created a special culture medium that allows dog stem cells to stably differentiate into functional heart muscle cells complete with contractions

Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have discovered how a gene-regulating protein forms tiny liquid-like droplets inside the cell nucleus (the compartment that stores and manages DNA) to guard against cancer. Their study, published in Nature Communications, shows that these protein droplets act as control centers that keep tumor-suppressor genes switched on.

Scientists at The University of Osaka developed a new 3D culture scaffold by integrating the strong cell-adhesive domain of laminin-511 into a clinically used fibrin gel, creating a chimeric protein called Chimera-511. This laminin-functionalized fibrin gel supports efficient 3D expansion of human iPS cells while maintaining pluripotency. As a chemically defined, xeno-free material, it offers a promising alternative to Matrigel and a potential platform for clinically applicable organoids and regenerative therapies.

UOsaka and MIT scientists revealed that the motor proteins KIF18A and CENP-E work together to align chromosomes during mitosis. Cancer cells with reduced CENP-E levels are especially sensitive to KIF18A inhibition, and dual inhibition of both proteins leads to efficient cell death. The discovery offers new insights into chromosome mechanics and a potential strategy for targeted cancer therapy.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in ACS Applied Nano Materials a new method to precisely measure nuclear elasticity—the stiffness or softness of the cell nucleus—in living cells. By employing a technique called Nanoendoscopy-AFM (NE-AFM), which inserts a nanoneedle probe directly into cells, the team revealed how cancer cell nuclei stiffen or soften depending on chromatin structure and environmental conditions. The findings provide fundamental insights into how the physical properties of cancer cell nuclei change during disease progression, highlighting their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment evaluation.

Researchers from The University of Tokyo have found that single cells in collective chemotaxis act like agents in distributed reinforcement learning, utilizing the environment as an “external memory” and exhibiting highly intelligent behavior.

Ancient black holes, How good cholesterol is made, Self-healing plastic, Dengue’s genetic imprint, Korean mussel power & Space clean-up. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

A Kyoto University study has revealed, for the first time, how the body produces the “good cholesterol” that can prevent heart disease

An international research group led by The University of Osaka has developed scODIN, a novel computational tool to classify cell types from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Existing methods struggle to balance speed and accuracy, often misclassifying rare or transitional cells. scODIN overcomes this limitation by combining a hierarchical classification system (Tier system) with k-nearest neighbor inference. This approach allows for the rapid and accurate classification of large datasets, processing 650,000 cells in just six minutes. The tool's improved accuracy stems from its ability to identify cells at varying levels of detail, recognize intermediate phenotypes through double labeling, and recover cells affected by dropout events. scODIN promises to accelerate biomedical discoveries by enabling more precise and efficient analysis of complex biological processes and disease mechanisms.

Reef-building corals use a previously unknown mechanism involving chloride to ‘see’ visible light

A customizable protein has been developed to help the body remove harmful cells, such as those involved in cancer or autoimmune diseases, offering a potential new direction for treatments.

Changing the interval between fertility drugs boosts fertility even in rats that typically respond poorly

Whispers in the gut, "Memory foam" for space 🚀, Potassium power 🔋& Intelligent multitasking. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice

Singapore-led study shows specialised support cells in the gut form direct, neuron-like connections to deliver precise instructions to stem cells; Overturns long-held beliefs about how gut cells communicate; Opens new paths for treating colon cancer and IBD

When fermented with plant-derived bacteria, stevia leaf extract is toxic to pancreatic cancer cells but not to healthy kidney cells

Using iPS cells, veterinary medicine has made a step forward in creating a stable MSC supply

A surgeon can excise breast cancer from the body, but even the most skilled scalpel may not be able to remove every cell — especially when the cells have spread from the original disease site elsewhere in the body. This proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells involves many still unknown molecular means, but researchers at Hiroshima University have elucidated at least one mechanism, involving protein receptors that bind to one another. With the discovery, they may have also uncovered how short chains of protein building blocks could serve as a novel anticancer drug.

Suppression of de novo fatty acid synthesis with ethyl p-methoxycinnamate found to inhibit tumor cell growth

Cosmic hide-and-seek, Controlling quantum light, Thinking face robot, Live DNA folding & Menopause-dementia link. Plus latest SciCom Coffee talk. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, detail how clusters of cells detach from primary tumors and penetrate blood-vessel walls to enter the bloodstream, enabling them to establish distal metastases