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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.

Analysis combining multiple global tree databases reveals that whether a location is invaded by non-native tree species depends on anthropogenic factors, but the severity of the invasion depends on the native species diversity.

Here the authors perform a trans expression quantitative trait locus meta-analysis study of over 3,700 people and link a USP18 variant to expression of 50 inflammation genes and lupus risk, highlighting how genetic regulation of immune responses drives autoimmune disease and informs new therapies.

Current photoproximity labelling methods often require metal-based catalysts to map protein interactomes but, owing to their toxicity, they have limited intracellular applicability. A deazaflavin cofactor has now been developed as a biocompatible alternative for diazirine activation inside living cells, offering accurate mapping of protein interactors and dynamics with excellent spatio-temporal control.

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.

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.

Results from the randomized, noncomparative, phase 2 MATISSE trial show that ultra-short neoadjuvant therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab can prevent surgery and radiotherapy in patients with resectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, with an early decrease in total lesion glycolysis by [¹⁸F]FDG-PET/CT associated with response.

A genetic study of natural variation in potato tuberization onset, an important phenotype for breeding potatoes adapted to different global day lengths, has revealed a role for StCDF1, a member of the DOF family of transcription factors.

A survey across 90 societies reveals that variation and change in everyday norms are explained by a single value dimension: the priority societies place on individualizing versus binding moral concerns.

Analyses of ancient human DNA show that cultural and political transformations in Central Europe during the second half of the first millennium ce were associated with movements of Slavic populations into Germany, Poland and Croatia.

17β-oestradiol establishes an anti-ferroptotic state in female kidney tubules.

The flagship paper of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium describes the generation of the integrative analyses of 2,658 cancer whole genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types, the structures for international data sharing and standardized analyses, and the main scientific findings from across the consortium studies.

In this Stage 2 Registered Report, Buchanan et al. show evidence confirming the phenomenon of semantic priming across speakers of 19 diverse languages.

Species’ traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. Here, the authors find that dominant tree species are taller and have softer wood compared to rare species and that these trait differences are more strongly associated with temperature than water availability.

Loss-of-function variants in thyroid hormone transporter MCT8 cause a neurodevelopmental and metabolic disorder. Here the authors identify genotype-phenotype relationships, advance insights in MCT8 (dys)function and create a pathogenicity-severity variant classifier.

Analyses of 2,658 whole genomes across 38 types of cancer identify the contribution of non-coding point mutations and structural variants to driving cancer.

Polyneuropathy causes are difficult to pinpoint. Here, authors used single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics of 37 human peripheral nerves to identify focal perineurial hyperplasia and endoneurial lipid-associated macrophages in polyneuropathies.

Embryonal tumour with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) is a rare and aggressive paediatric brain tumour. Here, the authors analyse intratumour heterogeneity and the tumour microenvironment in ETMR using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, in vitro cultures, and a 3D forebrain organoid model, finding important aspects – such as the communication with pericytes – for ETMR development and response to therapy.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

The sensitivity of mesothelioma to the treatment of immune checkpoint blockade remains elusive. Here this group reports a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized phase III trial of PD1 inhibitor (Nivolumab) on 332 patients with relapsed mesothelioma, and to uncover determinants of efficacy.

Multi-omics datasets pose major challenges to data interpretation and hypothesis generation owing to their high-dimensional molecular profiles. Here, the authors develop ActivePathways method, which uses data fusion techniques for integrative pathway analysis of multi-omics data and candidate gene discovery.

CD123 expression on leukemic stem and progenitor cells (LSPCs) and leukemic blasts representing a promising therapeutic target. However previous CD123-targeting approaches had limited efficacy and safety concerns. The authors here evaluate the bispecific CD123/CD16A innate cell engager AFM28 and manifest its efficacy both in vitro and in vivo, which is mediated by NK cells.

A large genome-wide association study of more than 5 million individuals reveals that 12,111 single-nucleotide polymorphisms account for nearly all the heritability of height attributable to common genetic variants.

Analysis of cancer genome sequencing data has enabled the discovery of driver mutations. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium the authors present DriverPower, a software package that identifies coding and non-coding driver mutations within cancer whole genomes via consideration of mutational burden and functional impact evidence.

A large brain imaging study of over 2000 people worldwide shows that fear conditioning engages brain regions linked to emotion and attention, with differences in individuals with anxiety or depression and strong influences from task design.

The mechanisms underlying T-ALL treatment resistance and relapse remain to be explored. Here, the authors perform single cell RNA sequencing of PDX-derived samples from pediatric T-ALL patients at diagnosis and relapse and without relapse and identify treatment-resistant stem-like cells.

Conserving and restoring ecosystems requires understanding what natural vegetation would look like without human disturbance. This study maps the most likely global cover of trees, short vegetation, and bare ground, showing that land management through fire and herbivory may influence ecosystems more than climate change alone.

Intermediate-coverage long-read sequencing in 1,019 diverse humans from the 1000 Genomes Project, representing 26 populations, enables the generation of comprehensive population-scale structural variant catalogues comprising common and rare alleles.

A large-scale multi-omics analysis reports oncogenic alterations that drive medulloblastoma progression, rather than initiation, and the findings show how single-cell technologies can be used for early detection and diagnosis of medulloblastoma.

The authors present SVclone, a computational method for inferring the cancer cell fraction of structural variants from whole-genome sequencing data.

In a mouse model, maternal obesity during pregnancy can lead to fatty liver disease in the offspring, driven by aberrant developmental programming of Kuppfer cells.

Understanding deregulation of biological pathways in cancer can provide insight into disease etiology and potential therapies. Here, as part of the PanCancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) consortium, the authors present pathway and network analysis of 2583 whole cancer genomes from 27 tumour types.

Genome-wide analyses identify 30 independent loci associated with obsessive–compulsive disorder, highlighting genetic overlap with other psychiatric disorders and implicating putative effector genes and cell types contributing to its etiology.

Wood density is an important plant trait. Data from 1.1 million forest inventory plots and 10,703 tree species show a latitudinal gradient in wood density, with temperature and soil moisture explaining variation at the global scale and disturbance also having a role at the local level.

Accurate segmentation of ischemic stroke lesions from brain MRI is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment planning. Here, the authors present DeepISLES, an AI ensemble for stroke MRI analysis that outperforms previous methods and matches expert radiologist performance in identifying stroke lesions.

A genome-wide association meta-analysis study of blood lipid levels in roughly 1.6 million individuals demonstrates the gain of power attained when diverse ancestries are included to improve fine-mapping and polygenic score generation, with gains in locus discovery related to sample size.

The authors highlight inconsistencies and divergencies in the literature reporting data on indirect calorimetry for studies on whole-body energy homeostasis, and propose harmonization of standards to facilitate data comparison and interpretation across different datasets.

CLPP-deficiency-driven mitochondrial dysfunction in brown adipose tissue leads to the accumulation of d-2-hydroxyglutarate, in turn promoting lipid-droplet enlargement by altering gene expression and epigenetically regulating nuclear stiffness.

Integrative analyses of transcriptome and whole-genome sequencing data for 1,188 tumours across 27 types of cancer are used to provide a comprehensive catalogue of RNA-level alterations in cancer.

Examining drivers of the latitudinal biodiversity gradient in a global database of local tree species richness, the authors show that co-limitation by multiple environmental and anthropogenic factors causes steeper increases in richness with latitude in tropical versus temperate and boreal zones.

Humans have altered plant biogeography by introducing species from one region to another, but an analysis of how naturalized plant species affect the uniqueness of regional floras around the world was missing. This study presents an analysis using data from native and naturalized alien floras in 658 regions, finding strong taxonomic and phylogenetic floristic homogenization overall.

Western Africa is one of the world’s largest cocoa-producing regions, with just two countries supplying up to 60% of global production, but at a high carbon cost. Incorporating shade trees into cocoa farms offsets the industry’s carbon cost, but existing coverage is low. Expanding coverage could substantially boost carbon stocks without reducing yield.

Gebhardt and colleagues developed a computational method using a naïve Bayes classifier to identify optimal protein labelling sites. Their analysis of 100+ proteins revealed four predictive parameters, leading to a Python package and a web-tool for protein structure analysis and labelling score calculations.

An analysis of 2,954 genomes from 38 cancer subtypes identified 19,166 retrotransposition events in 35% of samples. Aberrant LINE-1 retrotranspositions can lead to the deletion of tumor-suppressor genes as well as the amplification of oncogenes.

Understanding the growth dynamics of GBMs can help expand therapeutic options. Here, authors use a cross-species computational approach to compare GBM cells to healthy neural stem cells, identifying predictors and modulators of tumour growth, including the Wnt antagonist, SFRP1, which stalls growth in preclinical xenograft models.

Stojanov et al. updated and internally validated a prediction model for the occurrence of post-operative shoulder stiffness following primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in Switzerland. Their findings support the development of further prediction models for an evidence-based and individualized decision-making in orthopedics.

This flagship study from the European Solve-Rare Diseases Consortium presents a diagnostic framework including bioinformatic analysis of clinical, pedigree and genomic data coupled with expert panel review, leading to 500 new diagnoses in a cohort of 6,000 families with suspected rare diseases.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which can be driven by obesity and hypertension, has a high prevalence but limited treatment options. Here, the authors show that nitro-oleic acid restores mitochondrial function and improves heart failure symptoms in a mouse model of HFpEF.