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Organelle biology: emerging themes and future directions

Cell Research volume 35, pages 627–628 (2025)Cite this article

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Organelles are fundamental functional units of eukaryotic cells, playing essential roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis by regulating metabolism, signal transduction, and intracellular transport. These functions are governed by dynamic changes in organelle structure and activity. When organelle function is disrupted, cellular balance is compromised, leading to the onset and progression of various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and metabolic syndromes. During infection, pathogens often hijack host organelles to facilitate their replication. In defense, host cells remodel organelle structure and function to mount immune responses and limit pathogen spread.

Organelle biology has long stood at the core of cell biology research. Over the past decades, it has generated a wealth of fundamental insights that have propelled the advancement of biological knowledge and led to multiple Nobel Prizes. Despite these achievements, many critical questions remain unanswered. Addressing these questions requires interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative approaches from across life sciences and beyond.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Chunhong Qiu (New Cornerstone Foundation) for the helpful discussion and advice on revising the contents. The report is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (92254302, 32130023, 32225013), the National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFA0804802), New Cornerstone Science Foundation, and Tsinghua University Dushi Program.

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Shulin Li & Liang Ge

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  1. Shulin Li
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  2. Liang Ge
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Correspondence to Liang Ge.

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Li, S., Ge, L. Organelle biology: emerging themes and future directions. Cell Res 35, 627–628 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01147-y

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