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Treatment failure exists in Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) patients. Here this group reports a phase 2 randomized trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of adding nimotuzumab, to CCRT on 246 patients with untreated, non-keratinising, stage II–IVA LA-NPC.

Natural variation in the promoter of OsTPS8 contributes to differences in grain chalkiness and seed vigor between indica and japonica rice subspecies by altering trehalose-6-phosphate biosynthesis and α-amylase levels.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) contribute to tissue repair and regeneration by activating pro-repair macrophages. However, the precise signaling governing this crosstalk upon injury is elusive. Here, using a mouse model of endovascular injury and single-cell RNA sequencing, the authors identify an IL-33–ST2–OPN axis that orchestrates the functional interaction between MSCs and reparative ST2+ macrophages, stimulating vascular smooth muscle cell and vascular repair.

The immune mechanism of radioresistance in cancer patients remains to be explored. The authors here show that CXCL13 is upregulated in tumor regions upon radiation, which recruits immune suppressive CXCR5⁺ monocytes. Blocking CXCR5/CXCL13 interactions facilitate tumor control following radiation.

Alternative splicing may help explain genetic risk for joint diseases. Here, the authors generate cartilage and synovium sQTL maps, revealing tissue‑specific splicing variants and pinpointing effector genes for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and height

Prokaryotic Argonaute proteins are programmable nucleases. Here, the authors capturing structures of VbAgo at functional stages to show how its C terminus acts as a regulator and demonstrate its ability to cleave RNA in mammalian cells.

Rice indica varieties have higher nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) than that of japonica varieties. Here, the authors show that natural variation of OsWRKY23 and its interaction with DULL NITROGEN RESPONSE1 (DNR1)-mediated auxin accumulation play a role in NUE divergence between the two rice subspecies.

This study shows that medial septal parvalbumin neurons causally control hippocampal place cell dynamics during memory encoding, thereby supporting object-place recognition and rescuing sleep deprivation-induced memory deficits.

Maize cultivar evolution boosts maize yield, yet the response pattern of maize to extreme climates is unclear. This study clarifies the synergy and trade-off mechanisms underlying the increase of yield per unit area and adaptation to extreme climates.

The transcription factor SlWRI3 integrates fatty acid metabolism with acylsugar biosynthesis in tomato trichomes, coordinating precursor supply and assembly of these natural insect defensive chemicals.

Persistent luminescence is promising for photodynamic therapy in deep-seated tumors, but the uncontrollability of light within the body complicates precise spatiotemporal regulation. Here, the authors report X-ray preactivated elimusertib-loaded tumor-targeted photodynamic nanoparticles with controllable “on-off-on” afterglow properties for the treatment of deep-seated tumors.

3Snet-CLID integrates signal-preserving deep learning denoising with direct Richardson–Lucy deconvolution to achieve over 5-fold resolution improvement on standard microscopes, enabling artifact-free nanoscale imaging of live-cell organelles and structures.

Coral reefs are declining globally, but regional degradation drivers are poorly quantified. This study reveals that coral loss in the northern South China Sea is predominantly linked to human coastal activities, suggesting that tailored local management may effectively reduce reef collapse.

Covert mortality nodavirus, a pathogen previously known to cause important losses in shrimp aquaculture, is identified as being a potential causative agent of an emerging and severe ocular disease in humans, specifically presenting as persistent ocular hypertensive viral anterior uveitis.

Broad-spectrum host restriction factors against bacteria and viruses remain largely unclear. Here, the authors identify the small GTPase Rab14 as a restriction factor that promotes lysosomal acidification by delivering the V-ATPase to lysosomes.

Zhang et al. show that the activation of RIPK1 is suppressed by acetylhypusination in a spermidine-dependent manner. Disruption of this axis contributes to RIPK1-mediated vascular pathology to promote insulin resistance and diabetic kidney pathology.

He et al. identify a central regulator of condensate size and dynamics in the Chlamydomonas CO₂-fixing condensate, the pyrenoid. KEY1 phosphorylates EPYC1, a linker protein for Rubisco, to maintain pyrenoid size and number through the cell cycle.

Defects in quantum materials can reveal hidden electronic behaviour. Now a hidden chiral current state intertwined with a charge density wave has been observed in a kagome superconductor doped with magnetic impurities.

Introducing cost-effective CaO removes aluminium impurities in magnesium vapour with over 90% efficiency, enabling the affordable, large-scale production of high-purity magnesium with low aluminium.

The human LRP8 protein is a receptor for yellow fever viruses (YFVs). Knockdown of the mosquito orthologue reduces YFV infection in mosquitoes, whereas overexpression of human LRP8 aggravates YFV infection in mice. Purified LRP8 protein blocks YFV infection.

The Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative recruited and genotyped more than half a million Taiwanese participants, almost all of Han Chinese ancestry, and performed comprehensive genomic analyses and developed polygenic risk score prediction models for numerous health conditions.

Functionalization of ZnTeSe quantum dots via ordering arrangement and energy-level modulation enables deep-blue quantum dot light-emitting diodes with a peak external quantum efficiency of 23.6% and a half-lifetime exceeding 50,000 h at an initial luminance of 100 cd m⁻².

In a prospective multi-centre cohort in China, people living in areas of high soil selenium had a 35% increased risk of incident diabetes over a 3-year study period, with a stronger effect seen for men.

A multimodal organic electrochemical transistor array enables picomolar dopamine sensing, high-bandwidth electroencephalography acquisition and on-device seizure classification within one flexible bioelectronic platform.

Technology advancement is essential for climate action, yet the uneven distribution of technological progress across the world can slow mitigation. Through empirical and scenario analysis, researchers find that participating in trade agreements could enhance technological transfers and lead to emission reductions.

Genetic analyses in more than 15,000 individuals from across the Americas, including individuals with autism and family members, define the genetic landscape of autism in Latin American populations and identify significant overlap with other ancestries.

Large cascading ruptures in northeastern Tibet arise from the combined influences of fault geometry, rupture direction, dynamic stress triggering, and stress or strength heterogeneities, as revealed by physics-based simulations that incorporate kinematically derived on-fault prestress.

Hong-Xuan Lin, Ji-Ping Gao, Jun-Xiang Shan and colleagues show that natural variation in a proteasome α2 subunit gene contributes to thermotolerance in African rice. Their follow-up studies suggest that the variant allele protects cells from heat stress by enhancing the elimination of cytotoxic denatured proteins and maintaining heat-response processes.

Clean energy transitions have reduced atmospheric heavy metal pollution in Chinese cities and future efforts can create further reductions of 10.25% to 30.38% according to downscaled data and emissions trajectories modelling.

Drought conditions in soil systems lead to elevated concentrations of natural antibiotics, as well as the enrichment of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, highlighting a link between climate and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

The Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative (TPMI) has built a cohort of more than half a million individuals with Han Chinese ancestry, providing a rich resource of genetic and medical data for this group.

Low-smoke fuels used for residential heating emit greater numbers of hazardous ultrafine particles, and therefore contribute more to particle deposition in the lungs, than other fuel combinations, highlighting the need to revise air quality standards to address these health risks.

Integrating volatile optical sensing with non-volatile memory is crucial for neuromorphic vision applications. Wang et al. propose a homogeneous integration scheme that combines optoelectronic neurons and ferroelectric synapses on a single substrate for color recognition and object detection tasks.

INSTALL overcomes fundamental challenges for DNA delivery and integration methods by synergizing immune-stealth nucleic acids with recombinases to enable kilobase-scale integration strategies without viral vectors.

This study shows that rising incomes and hotter climates are driving a boom in air conditioning use, which adds to global warming. This highlights the need for clean, efficient and equitable cooling solutions.

Geomagnetic substorms abruptly release energy, producing intense auroras and magnetic disturbances during an expansion phase. Here, the authors show this expansion is part of a global cycle of currents and plasma flows shaped by dayside and nightside reconnection.

Here the authors reveal a study of 486,956 Han Chinese individuals showing that most people with genetic variants affecting drug response do not have the predicted adverse events, highlighting the challenges of implementing pharmacogenetics in clinical practice.

The CATS Net framework models how abstract concepts emerge from sensory experience. Aligning with human brain activity and enabling knowledge transfer, it provides a unified framework for understanding conceptual intelligence in both humans and AI.

Chen et al. identify a brain-to-bone communication axis whereby extracellular vesicles from aged brain neurons transport WDFY1 protein to distal bone, driving bone-fat imbalance and promoting osteoporosis.

Cheng, Wang, Feng et al. analyze over 350,000 UK Biobank participants to investigate the associations of social isolation and loneliness with cancer incidence. They find that social isolation, but not loneliness, is associated with an increased risk of developing cancer, with stronger effects observed in female and specific cancer types.

This study identifies 245 genetic loci associated with head-to-body ratios using 38,202 bone density scan images from the UK Biobank, revealing genetic links to skeletal and brain development, disease susceptibility, and human evolutionary adaptation.

Protein detection typically requires bulky equipment and large sample volumes. Here, the authors develop a do-it-yourself plasmonic array that enables high-throughput immunoassays from minute volumes using only a pipette, showcasing their approach through longitudinal animal studies and pediatric diagnostics.