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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.

GLP-1–GIP–lanifibranor, a single-molecule agonist of GLP-1R, GIPR, PPARα, PPARγ and PPARδ, shows promising therapeutic efficacy against obesity-linked metabolic dysfunction in vitro and in mouse models via synergistic incretin and PPAR activity.

Massively parallel reporter assays promise rapid in vivo characterization of enhancer AAVs. Here, through systematic testing, authors uncover pervasive technical and biological noise, including chimeric AAV species, that exposes fundamental limitations in pooled enhancer screening.

Genome-wide analysis coupled with long-read sequencing identifies a repeat expansion in GOLGA8A associated with high risk for atypical frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions.

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.

The success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the treatment of haematological cancers is limited by the morbidity and mortality associated with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Here the authors show that the microbial metabolite desaminotyrosine contributes to graft-versus-leukemia responses while protecting against GVHD and promoting mTORC1 and STING-dependent intestinal regeneration.

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.

Using single-cell tissue imaging and spatial proteomics to study mitochondria–lipid droplet coupling in hepatocytes, PLIN5 phosphorylation is identified as a mediator of lipid flux and nutrient stress responses.

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

A tissue-engineered esophageal segment is functional in minipigs.

Allcott et al. conducted an experiment in 2020, removing political ads from the feeds of randomly selected Facebook and Instagram users. There were no statistically significant effects on political outcomes such as knowledge, polarization and turnout.

The medium-resolution transmission spectrum of the exoplanet WASP-39b, described using observations from the Near Infrared Spectrograph G395H grating aboard JWST, shows significant absorption from CO₂ and H₂O and detection of SO₂.

Robust protein synthesis by the ribosome is required for rapid cancer growth. Here authors present interdictors, small molecule inhibitors of protein synthesis with context-dependent activity that inhibit MYC-driven cancer cell growth in a mouse model.

Viral ribonucleoprotein–viral protein networks form pre-replication centres that nucleate viral factories and drive respiratory syncytial virus replication.

Familial Parkinsonism can arise from many genes. Here, the authors show that 24 genetically controlled Drosophila Parkinsonism models cluster into two molecular groups that converge on mitochondrial function or vesicle trafficking and autophagy.

A genome-wide association study identifies 17 genetic loci that are associated with the risk of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), and shows that the modulation of haematopoietic stem cell function drives MPN risk.

Here the authors compare genetic testing strategies in rare movement disorders, improve diagnostic yield with genome analysis, and establish CD99L2 as an X-linked spastic ataxia gene, showing that CD99L2–CAPN1 signaling disruption likely drives neurodegeneration.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

Application of a nanopore sequencing workflow for real-time analysis of brain tumors results in molecular classification within a 30-minute intraoperative window, followed by comprehensive profiling within 24 hours.

HIV-transcribing cells in people living with HIV are difficult to study with conventional single-cell RNA-seq. Here the authors develop a technique to increase detection of HIV RNA during scRNA-seq and, comparing the transcriptomes of HIV RNA+ blood cells obtained pre- and post-antiretroviral therapy, provide insights into the persistence of the HIV RNA+ reservoir.

Single-cell transcriptomics and protein expression analyses of salivary glands and gingiva, along with the detection of infectious virus and virus-specific antibodies in saliva from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, support a potential role for the oral cavity in COVID-19 pathogenesis.

This study reconstructs the evolution of leaf venation networks, describing the transition from fewer, corrugated veins to high vein density and smoother loops. It also suggests herbivory as a potential driver of venation architectural changes.

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.

XRISM spectroscopy of the nucleus of the Circinus galaxy indicates elemental abundances suggestive of a dominant enrichment from core-collapse supernovae with progenitors below 20 solar masses; more massive stars may directly collapse into black holes.

The authors developed an LXR inverse agonist, TLC-2716, and show it is effective in reducing triglycerides and cholesterol in dysmetabolic preclinical models. Additionally, a phase 1 trial in healthy participants shows that TLC-2716 is well tolerated and reduces plasma triglycerides and postprandial remnant cholesterol, highlighting its potential for managing cardiovascular risk.

Lattice gauge theories with non-local conservation laws are expected to thermalize locally. Using a Rydberg simulator, it is now shown that most charge patterns can remain effectively frozen, a phenomenon known as statistical localization.

Whole-genome sequencing data for 2,778 cancer samples from 2,658 unique donors across 38 cancer types is used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of cancer, revealing that driver mutations can precede diagnosis by several years to decades.

Genome-wide association analyses of prostate cancer in men from sub-Saharan Africa identify population-specific risk variants and regional differences in effect sizes. Founder effects contribute to continental differences in the genetic architecture of prostate cancer.

This study maps regulatory variation in blood using whole-genome and transcriptome data from 614 South Africans, providing a resource to aid the interpretation of genome-wide association studies in African populations.

C-COMPASS is an open-source software designed to predict the spatial cellular distribution of proteins and lipids from cellular organelle profiling using a neural network-based regression model.

The contribution of ether lipid species in cancer cell fate has not been fully understood yet. Here the authors show that malignant cancer cells employ ether lipids to modulate membrane biophysical properties, enhancing iron endocytosis and ferroptosis susceptibility.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

An editing method enables the migration of common alcohol functional groups to proximal sites with predictable stereo- and regiochemical outcomes.

The DHFR major promoter is repressed in quiescent cells by a non-coding RNA initiated from an upstream promoter. This RNA molecule forms a complex with the major promoter, interacts with the general transcription factor IIB, and dissociates the pre-initiation complex from the promoter.

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.

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.

Transcriptomic and clinical data analyses from multiple cohorts of patients with cancer receiving immunotherapy find that PD-1 blockade potentiates tumor-specific IgG1 plasma cell responses that complement cellular immunity and contribute to clinical benefit.

Chan and colleagues report that tumor ecosystem and microbiome features are associated with response to anti-PD-L1 avelumab plus chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Psychological distress is associated with a range of adverse outcomes in people living with and beyond cancer (LWBC). In here, the authors find that psychological distress is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cancer mortality in people with LWBC, partly due to high systemic inflammation. However, evidence for mediation by health behaviours is found to be inconsistent.

Whole genome sequences enable discovery of rare variants which may help to explain the heritability of common diseases. Here the authors find that ultra-rare variants explain ~50% of coronary artery disease (CAD) heritability and highlight several functional processes including cell type-specific regulatory mechanisms as key drivers of CAD genetic risk.

Metagenomes from prairie soils in Kansas, USA, show how historical exposure to water stress impacts soil microorganisms and subsequently drought responses in plants.

Karpinska, Zhu and colleagues characterize the structure-function relationship of the genome during cellular differentiation and demonstrate a role for enhancer-promoter interactions in gene regulation that is independent of cooperative interactions in chromatin hubs.

A cross-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci, reveals putative causal genes, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as potential drug targets, and provides cross-ancestry integrative risk prediction.

This study reports the depletion of young Neandertal and Denisovan introgressed SNPs from gene regulatory enhancers in modern human genomes, as well as an association of enhancer pleiotropy with both the magnitude of archaic SNP depletion and the degree of intolerance to new mutations.

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.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias identifies new loci and enables generation of a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The structural connectome is the complete set of anatomical connections between brain cells. Here, the authors perform a genome-wide association study of white-matter structural connectivity in the human brain, finding 30 variants influencing the density of myelinated connections between brain regions.

In a large and prospective cohort, higher polygenic risk is associated with higher risk and earlier age of onset for cardiometabolic disorders and cancer, and has added value to clinical risk scores in clinical disease prediction.