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Scoliosis is a common yet poorly understood pediatric disorder. Using zebrafish disease models, Pumputis et al. identify pervasive cell stress responses as causing spine deformity and present possibilities for new therapies and diagnostic tools.

Analyses of whole-genome sequencing data from UK Biobank and All of Us identify rare variant burden signals associated with metabolic health, including effects of protein-truncating variants in IRS2 on type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease risk.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) frequency and risk factors vary considerably across regions and ancestries. Here, the authors conduct a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study and fine mapping study of HNSCC subsites in cohorts from multiple continents, finding susceptibility and protective loci, gene-environment interactions, and gene variants related to immune response.

The extant avian sternum is highly adapted to powered flight, but understanding of its early evolution is hindered by patchy fossil representation and the fact that where preserved, sterna in near-bird dinosaurs and early avialans are substantially different. To overcome this, the authors use ancestral character estimations and find that sternum evolution was episodic and experimental in relation to flight characteristics.

In the CheckMate 142 study, nivolumab (anti-PD-1) alone and in combination with ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) was shown to induce durable clinical benefit in patients with previously treated microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient metastatic colorectal cancer. Here, the authors perform exploratory biomarker analysis of the CheckMate 142 study.

A study of several longitudinal birth cohorts and cross-sectional cohorts finds only moderate overlap in genetic variants between autism that is diagnosed earlier and that diagnosed later, so they may represent aetiologically different conditions.

β-cell dysfunction and dedifferentiation towards an α-cell-like phenotype are hallmarks of type 2 diabetes. Her,e the authors detect five α-cell subpopulations, find differences between healthy and diabetic donors, and identify SMOC1 as an inducer of human β-cell dysfunction and dedifferentiation.

Understanding collective behaviour is an important aspect of managing the pandemic response. Here the authors show in a large global study that participants that reported identifying more strongly with their nation reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies in the context of the pandemic.

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, stepwise dose-escalation phase 1 trial evaluating a conjugate vaccine against both typhoid and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella infections, the vaccine was found to be safe and immunogenic in healthy adults.

Alcohol use disorder drives transcriptional and regulatory changes in the caudate nucleus. Here, authors show, using a single-cell multiomic analysis, cell type-specific disruptions of gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and cell communication.

Genome-wide association meta-analyses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom measures and clinical diagnoses identify new risk loci, highlight putative effector genes and yield improved polygenic risk scores.

A national classification system of wetland hydrologic connectivity to streams, which could be applied globally, demonstrates and advances current understanding of how wetland connectivity affects surface water quality.

Polygenic risk scores can help identify individuals at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Here, the authors characterise a multi-ancestry score across nearly 900,000 people, showing that its predictive value depends on demographic and clinical context and extends to related traits and complications.

Polygenic scores for body mass index and obesity constructed using data from 5 million people with different ancestries were associated with distinct weight gain trajectories from early childhood to adulthood.

People living in rural areas of the United States have poorer outcomes from acute COVID-19. Here, the authors show that higher mortality rates among rural dwellers persist for up to two years after the initial infection, even after accounting for baseline risk factors.

Gut bacteria digest dietary fiber and release molecules as energy for the host. Here, Yu et al. find that the ability of certain gut bacteria to digest different fibers influences host consumption of food containing these fibers.

Lowry et al. use embryonic motor neuron selector transcription factors to partially rejuvenate the gene expression profile of mature neurons, making them more resistant to an ALS model without compromising their normal function.

The XRISM Resolve spectrum of the galactic neutron star X-ray binary, GX 13+1, reveals one of the densest winds ever seen in absorption lines.

A report from the first 2,000 newborns enrolled in the Early Check program, which offered genome screening covering 198 genes associated with early-onset diseases, shows the feasibility and potential clinical utility of the approach, leading to 28 true positive results.

Integrated multi-omic analyses using samples from the TRACERx study highlight cross-talk between DNA hypermethylation and genomic lesions in non-small cell lung cancer.

New research shows that membrane stiffness at intermediate scales is governed by lipid packing, rather than by specific components like cholesterol. This unifying principle helps explain cell behavior and offers a roadmap for configurable lipid-based materials.

Zhao et al. used single-cell and spatial multiomics data analysis of human and mouse lung adenocarcinoma tumors and cell lines to reveal TP53 mutation-associated changes in cancer cells and their microenvironment.

The enzyme ABHD18 is shown to have a key role in cardiolipin metabolism in mitochondria, offering a potential route for a small-molecule treatment of the rare genetic disease Barth syndrome.

Chronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care handles short-term ones. Here, authors show chronic conditions account for most of the global health burden, with 68% of DALYs and 93% of YLDs attributed to chronic care needs.

The genetic susceptibility to breast cancer remains understudied in non-European populations. Here, the authors analyse pathogenic variants associated with breast cancer susceptibility in Hispanic/Latina women using genomics, and find that loss of function variants in FANCM are strongly associated with ER-negative breast cancer risk.

Together with an accompanying paper presenting a transcriptomic atlas of the mouse lemur, interrogation of the atlas provides a rich body of data to support the use of the organism as a model for primate biology and health.

A post-translational backbone extension acyl rearrangement (BEAR) reaction has now been developed that converts a ribosomal protein product into a new product containing a β-peptide, γ-peptide or δ-peptide backbone. BEAR reactions represent a general strategy to install extended backbones into genetically encoded proteins and peptides expressed in cells.

Following spinal cord injury, gamified physical therapy that incorporates closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation can aid restoration of arm and hand function.

Many animals have complex body patterns, which are fixed in some species and flexible in others. Here, using reaction-diffusion mathematical models, together with salmonid fish crosses, intermediate patterns are shown to occur in hybrid animals produced by mating species with different flexible patterns.

Authors measure plasma proteins in a cohort of hospitalised patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected infection, revealing six discrete host response clusters that were driven by pathogen exposure and organ dysfunction, and had distinct clinical characteristics, hospital courses, and responses to treatment.

MultiSTAAR provides a general and flexible statistical framework for functionally informed multi-trait rare variant analysis of biobank-scale sequencing studies by jointly analyzing multiple traits and incorporating annotation information.

A study reports whole-genome sequences for 490,640 participants from the UK Biobank and combines these data with phenotypic data to provide new insights into the relationship between human variation and sequence variation.