Cell - a Cell Press journal

A mechano-resistance mechanism in skin adapts to terrestrial locomotion An evolutionarily emerged ER-based mechano-resistance mechanism supports epidermal function under mechanical pressure. SLURP1, an ER membrane protein, preserves SERCA2b activity and calcium homeostasis, preventing pPERK-NRF2 activation to maintain epidermal homeostasis.

Now online! A mechano-resistance mechanism in skin adapts to terrestrial locomotion

Iterative recombinase technologies for efficient and precise genome engineering across kilobase to megabase scales High-throughput recombination site screening with AI-assisted recombinase engineering allows for the development of an iterative Cre-Lox system that, when combined with a scar-free prime editing strategy, enables programmable and seamless chromosome editing from kilobase to megabase scale across diverse genomes.

Now online! Iterative recombinase technologies for efficient and precise genome engineering across kilobase to megabase scales

Design of soluble Notch agonists that drive T cell development and boost immunity Mout et al. report the development of soluble Notch agonists that can be used for T cell development in suspension cultures and 3D bioreactors and for enhancing immunity in vivo.

Now online! Design of soluble Notch agonists that drive T cell development and boost immunity

Single-cell multiregion epigenomic rewiring in Alzheimer’s disease progression and cognitive resilience A single-cell epigenomic and transcriptomic atlas across six brain regions in Alzheimer’s disease reveals widespread epigenomic relaxation and information loss, associated with the selective depletion of vulnerable neurons and exhaustion of activated glial cells, while preserved epigenomic stability supports cognitive function and resilience.

Now online! Single-cell multiregion epigenomic rewiring in Alzheimer’s disease progression and cognitive resilience

Dr. Cleveland reveals the feasibility of stem cell replacement of non-neuronal cells as a viable therapy in #ALS. Join him and other thought leaders at #NHND25 by registering for an early bird ticket before Sept 11.
Check out the program here: vibbio.tech/3Tqx19P.

#neurodegeneration #VIBConf

Can stem cells help us unlock the secrets of #neurodegeneration? Learn at #NHND25 as Prof. Li Gan discusses what occurs when you combine stem cell-based models, microglia, and CRISPR in testing brain therapies. Grab an early bird ticket by Sept 11.
Find out more here: vibbio.tech/4kq9Rex
#VIBConf

Ancient hybridization underlies tuberization and radiation of the potato lineage Genomic and functional analyses reveal that the potato lineage originated from a homoploid interspecific hybridization event between the Tomato and Etuberosum lineages 8–9 million years ago. The alternate inheritance of highly divergent parental alleles drove the origin of tubers and explosive species diversification and niche expansion into the high Andes.

Now online! Ancient hybridization underlies tuberization and radiation of the potato lineage

Quantifying the varying harvest of fermentation products from the human gut microbiota Fermentation products are the most abundant gut microbial metabolites absorbed by the host, with important dose-dependent consequences for health. In this study, we present a systems-level analysis integrating bacterial metabolism and host physiology to quantify this exchange and its dependence on microbiota composition and diet in humans.

Now online! Quantifying the varying harvest of fermentation products from the human gut microbiota

DNA mutagenesis driven by transcription factor competition with mismatch repair Competition between transcription factors and mismatch repair machinery drives localized hypermutation at regulatory elements, with implications for cancer and genome evolution.

Now online! DNA mutagenesis driven by transcription factor competition with mismatch repair

Excited for this @cp-cell.bsky.social article co-led by @fertiglab.bsky.social and Genevieve Stein-O'Brien, on creating a plain language "grammar" to easily write simulation models as virtual laboratories for complex systems like cancer.

Fully open access and open source! 🧪 #mathonco #mathbio

Cancer immunology data engine reveals secreted AOAH as a potential immunotherapy The Cancer Immunology Data Engine, integrating 90 immuno-oncology omics datasets, identifies genes that regulate immunotherapy efficacy. AOAH, the top hit secreted protein, potentiates T cell receptors and dendritic cells by depleting arachidonoyl phosphatidylcholines and oxidized derivatives.

Now online! Cancer immunology data engine reveals secreted AOAH as a potential immunotherapy

Kiwa is a membrane-embedded defense supercomplex activated at phage attachment sites Zhang, Todeschini, and Wu et al. show that the bacterial defense system Kiwa senses phage attachment at the membrane and assembles a transmembrane complex that halts infection by blocking phage DNA replication and late transcription. The activity of Kiwa is safeguarded against phage-encoded inhibitors by cooperation with the RecBCD system.

Now online! Kiwa is a membrane-embedded defense supercomplex activated at phage attachment sites

Comprehensive human proteome profiles across a 50-year lifespan reveal aging trajectories and signatures A 50-year multi-tissue proteomic atlas reveals transcriptome-proteome decoupling, proteostasis decline with amyloid accumulation, and asynchronous aging clocks, identifying circulating senoproteins co...

The human proteome and organ age clocks across the lifespan, a tour de force report @cellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

Many proteins bind RNA, yet we still don’t know what RNAs most bind because methods map one RBP at a time. In @cp-cell.bsky.social, with the Jovanovic lab, we describe SPIDR – a method for mapping the RNA binding sites of dozens of RBPs in a single experiment. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Human interpretable grammar encodes multicellular systems biology models to democratize virtual cell laboratories We developed a plain text modeling language—a cell behavior hypothesis grammar—to easily build virtual cell models and connect them to data, helping scientists to unlock the hidden dynamics of tissues. We provide examples showing how to use them in virtual experiments exploring how cancer responds to the cells in its environment and how the brain forms layers in development.

Now online! Human interpretable grammar encodes multicellular systems biology models to democratize virtual cell laboratories

Comprehensive human proteome profiles across a 50-year lifespan reveal aging trajectories and signatures A 50-year multi-tissue proteomic atlas reveals transcriptome-proteome decoupling, proteostasis decline with amyloid accumulation, and asynchronous aging clocks, identifying circulating senoproteins contributing to vascular and systemic aging.

Now online! Comprehensive human proteome profiles across a 50-year lifespan reveal aging trajectories and signatures

Excited to share that our study on the role of the liver in #CancerCachexia is out in Cell! 😀 🧬

We found that the liver plays an active role in driving weight loss in cancer through disruption of the circadian regulator REV-ERBα and secretion of catabolic hepatokines

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Brain endothelial gap junction coupling enables rapid vasodilation propagation during neurovascular coupling Vasodilatory signals are rapidly communicated across long distances by endothelial-endothelial gap junctions, enabling coordinated dilation of the arterial network during neurovascular coupling.

We’re excited to share our recent study published in @cellpress.bsky.social! In this work, we show that brain endothelial cells, connected by gap junctions, form a signaling highway to enable fast, long-range arterial vasodilation in neurovascular coupling.

You can find it below:

A mast cell receptor mediates post-stroke brain inflammation via a dural-brain axis Meningeal mast cells, via the receptor Mrgprb2/X2, orchestrate brain inflammation after stroke by recruiting and promoting the transfer of skull bone marrow neutrophils into the brain, highlighting th...

Very excited to share our new work out today @cellpress.bsky.social. Here, we propose that meningeal mast cells regulate brain inflammation after stroke by coordinating immune infiltration from the skull bone marrow, through the meninges, and into the brain!

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Mast cells regulate the brain-dura interface and CSF dynamics Dural mast cells control cerebrospinal fluid dynamics at critical brain-dura interfaces, specifically arachnoid cuff exit points. Their activation limits pathogen brain entry via histamine-induced vascular changes.

Now online! Mast cells regulate the brain-dura interface and CSF dynamics

Microbiome mismatches from microbiota transplants lead to persistent off-target metabolic and immunomodulatory effects Fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) may not always effectively restore small bowel microbiota due to regional differences in gut environments, potentially causing unintended effects on metabolism and ...

and why fecal microbiota transplants to the right gut are key for effective microbiome therapeutics!⁠
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Intra-condensate demixing of TDP-43 inside stress granules generates pathological aggregates Stress granules promote TDP-43 aggregation via intra-condensate demixing, a pathway triggered by its up-concentration and oxidation within condensates. Blocking this demixing pathway prevents TDP-43 a...

how intra-condensate demixing of TDP-43 generates pathological aggregates
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Neuropeptides specify and reprogram division of labor in the leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes We identify specific neuropeptides mediating worker division of labor in the leafcutting ant A. cephalotes, finding two neuropeptides associated with characteristic behaviors of leafcutting and of bro...

This issue also features neuropeptides establishing complex social in the leafcutter ant
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

The new issue is out👉https://www.cell.com/cell/current
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On the cover, Eliav et al. reveal that hippocampal replays in bats flying in very large, naturalistic environments were highly fragmented and short, depicting trajectories covering only a small portion of the environment size.

A mast cell receptor mediates post-stroke brain inflammation via a dural-brain axis Meningeal mast cells, via the receptor Mrgprb2/X2, orchestrate brain inflammation after stroke by recruiting and promoting the transfer of skull bone marrow neutrophils into the brain, highlighting these mast cells as key regulators of brain immunity and of the skull bone marrow-meningeal-brain network.

Now online! A mast cell receptor mediates post-stroke brain inflammation via a dural-brain axis

The essential host genome for Cryptosporidium survival exposes metabolic dependencies that can be leveraged for treatment An arrayed microscopy-based CRISPR screen revealed host genes affecting multiple infection phenotypes of the intracellular parasite Cryptosporidium. Hits in the host cholesterol biosynthesis pathway affecting parasite growth and sexual development exposed a vulnerability that can be leveraged for treatment.

Now online! The essential host genome for Cryptosporidium survival exposes metabolic dependencies that can be leveraged for treatment

SPIDR enables multiplexed mapping of RNA-protein interactions and uncovers a mechanism for selective translational suppression upon cell stress SPIDR, a massively multiplexed method that simultaneously maps dozens of RNA-binding proteins to their RNA targets at single-nucleotide resolution, uncovers new RNA-protein interactions and provides comprehensive insights into RNA regulation throughout the mRNA life cycle.

Now online! SPIDR enables multiplexed mapping of RNA-protein interactions and uncovers a mechanism for selective translational suppression upon cell stress

Structure of gut microbial glycolipid modulates host inflammatory response Structural variations in the number of acyl chains and phosphate groups of gram-negative microbial lipid A differentially modulate DC-derived IFN-β responses, which are mechanistically regulated by TLR4 endocytosis and lipid droplet formation. This lipid A-structure-driven immunomodulation via IFN-β contributes to the maintenance of colonic RORγt+ Tregs during homeostasis and helps mitigate colonic inflammation.

Now online! Structure of gut microbial glycolipid modulates host inflammatory response

Finding Human Brain Genes in Duplicated DNA What makes the human brain distinctive? A new study published July 21 in Cell identifies two genes linked to human brain features and provides a road map to discover many more. The research could lead...

What makes the human brain distinctive? A new study published in @cp-cell.bsky.social identifies two genes linked to human brain features and provides a road map to discover many more. Learn more @ucdgenomecenter.bsky.social @ucdavismind.bsky.social
www.ucdavis.edu/news/finding...

Identification and application of cell-type-specific enhancers for the macaque brain (Cell 188, ▪▪▪–▪▪▪.e1–e12; August 7, 2025)

Now online! Identification and application of cell-type-specific enhancers for the macaque brain