Search

Bando et al. perform a phase II trial of atezolizumab monotherapy following platinum-based definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and report a complete response rate of 42%.

Experiments in mouse models and histology of human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas show that TIMP1-mediated periosteal thickening in proximity to tumours acts as a barrier to cancer invasion of the bone.

Tanaka et al. generate human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived salivary gland organoids that serve as a model for salivary gland development and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Both strigolactone and DELLA plant signalling pathways have a role in shoot branching. In this study, Nakamura et al.show that DWARF14 cleaves strigolactones creating a binding surface for the DELLA protein SLR1, thereby providing a mechanism for pathway crosstalk.

In the observational SCRUM-Japan GOZILA study, after a median follow-up of 11 months, patients with metastatic gastrointestinal tumors who received biomarker-matched therapies based on circulating tumor DNA profiling showed a greater clinical benefit than those receiving unmatched therapy.

The carbon balance in Southeast Asia is highly uncertain. Here, the authors show that land use changes and occurrence of strong El Niño control decadal shifts in the carbon balance of this region.

In view of previous work suggesting that low-voltage areas may promote atrial fibrillation, a multicenter, randomized controlled trial tested the hypothesis that ablation of low-voltage areas in addition to pulmonary vein isolation might reduce the recurrence of atrial arrhythmic events, but found no significant benefit to the combined procedure.

With the generation of large pan-cancer whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing projects, a question remains about how comparable these datasets are. Here, using The Cancer Genome Atlas samples analysed as part of the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project, the authors explore the concordance of mutations called by whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing techniques.

There’s an emerging body of evidence to show how biological sex impacts cancer incidence, treatment and underlying biology. Here, using a large pan-cancer dataset, the authors further highlight how sex differences shape the cancer genome.

Takashi Kohno and colleagues identify two new susceptibility loci for lung adenocarcinoma in the Japanese population. They also replicate previously identified risk loci near TERT and TP63.

Mammalian genomes are scattered with repetitive sequences, but their biology remains largely elusive. Here, the authors show that transcription can initiate from short tandem repetitive sequences, and that genetic variants linked to human diseases are preferentially found at repeats with high transcription initiation level.

In the early stages of atherosclerosis, macrophages in the vessel wall convert into foam cells, which promote the rise of atherosclerotic plaques. Here Hamada et al. show that the macrophage transcription factor MafB inhibits foam-cell apoptosis, and that its absence promotes atherosclerosis development in mice.

Using biobank data from over 250,000 participants, the authors present a detailed picture of regional and individual variation in the tripartite ancestral structure of modern Japanese populations and demonstrate its impact on elevated body mass index.

The significance of rare and de novo variants in bipolar disorder is not well understood. Here, the authors have analyzed whole exome/genome data from trios to identify deleterious de novo variants associated with bipolar disorder.

Antimicrobial resistance to currently available antibiotics requires innovation of antibiotics. Here, the authors identify a critical inhibitory site in an energy-producing enzyme, which can lead to rational design of antibiotics.

Hyperbranched polymers are used in many applications due to their advantageous properties such as low intrinsic viscosity, low glass transition temperature, and large number of terminal groups. Here the authors show a one-step synthesis of structurally well-controlled dendritic hyperbranched polymers.

Interpolar microtubules were thought to be indispensable for eukaryotic cell division. Here, Akera and colleagues demonstrate that the second division of meiosis in yeast can occur in the absence of interpolar microtubules, and identify the forespore membrane as a force producing structure in cell division.

While common adhesives stick indiscriminately to surfaces, there are many potential applications for smart adhesives that stick to specific surfaces only under certain conditions. Here, the authors report a polymer hydrogel as a functional adhesive material which responds to chemical stimulation by metal ions.

This study documents recurrent sex chromosome turnovers in kiwifruit lineages and shows that sexual dimorphism is caused by a pleiotropic effect of a single sex-determining gene, transforming our understanding of the evolution of sex chromosomes and sexual dimorphisms.

Anti-EGFR therapy plus doublet chemotherapy is standard of care for patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) but the role of triplet chemotherapy is unclear. Here, the authors report a randomised phase 2 trial testing the superiority of adding cetuximab (anti-EGFR) over bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) to modified FOLFOXIRI (5-FU, leucovorin, oxaliplatin and irinotecan) in patients with RAS wild-type mCRC.

The role of immune-tumor cell interactions in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) development remains to be explored. Here, spatial transcriptomics and in situ RNA profiling of samples from 30 LUAD patients reveals changes in the phenotypic properties of tumors cells associated with changes in immune cell features.

In this study, authors examine Staphylococcus aureus adaptability in hospitals, highlighting how a lineage evolved to reversibly suppress Agr, enhancing antibiotic resistance and colonization.

This study describes RK-701, an inhibitor of histone methyltransferases G9a/GLP, as a promising therapeutic candidate for sickle cell disease and a universal role of BGLT3 lncRNA in fetal hemoglobin reactivation by chemical inducers including RK-701.

Plant colonization of land is an important evolutionary event. Here, the authors sequence the genome of a filamentous terrestrial alga and, through a comparative analysis with related algae and land plant species, provide insight into how aquatic algae adapted to terrestrial environments.

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.

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.