Cell - a Cell Press journal

Genetic modifiers and ascertainment drive variable expressivity of complex disorders Patterns of secondary variants, influenced by cohort, phenotype, and primary-variant ascertainment, alter phenotypic outcomes in individuals with disease-associated primary variants.

Now online! Genetic modifiers and ascertainment drive variable expressivity of complex disorders

UMass Chan scientists show how the non-neuronal brain cells communicate to coordinate rewiring of brain A study by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, and Travis E. Faust, PhD, explains how two different cell types in the brain communicate in response to changes in sensory input.

A study by Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, and Travis E. Faust, PhD, in Cell explains how cell types in the brain communicate in response to changes in sensory input to remodel synapses: direc.to/nJHH

Alzheimer’s and ALS patients have synaptic damage.

@travisfaust.bsky.social @cp-cell.bsky.social

The editorial team at Cell extends warm congratulations to Drs. Shimon Sakaguchi, Mary Brunkow, and Fred Ramsdell for their discoveries that defined regulatory T cells as the basis for peripheral immune tolerance. “Tregs” are at the heart of immunity, and the foundational work of the laureates has set up fascinating questions that remain active areas for understanding how our bodies work and for leveraging the immune system to treat disease. We can’t wait to see how their legacy and humanity’s knowledge of peripheral tolerance grow from here. -Cheri Sirois, Scientific Editor, Cell.

The editorial team at #Cell wishes heartfelt congratulations to the winners of the 2025 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine, Drs. Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, & Shimon Sakaguchi!

View their related research published in Cell Press journals: spkl.io/6013AVK2P
@cherisirois.bsky.social

Time-resolved fluorescent proteins expand fluorescent microscopy in temporal and spectral domains (Cell 188, ◼◼◼–◼◼◼.e1–e14; November 26, 2025)

Now online! Time-resolved fluorescent proteins expand fluorescent microscopy in temporal and spectral domains

Structural insights into brain thyroid hormone transport via MCT8 and OATP1C1 Structures of the solute carrier transporters MCT8 and OATP1C1 reveal mechanisms of thyroid hormone transport into the brain and identify a conserved extracellular allosteric site in OATP1C1.

and structures of solute carrier transporters that reveal mechanisms of thyroid hormone transport into the brain
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Glucose restriction shapes pre-metastatic innate immune landscapes in the lung through exosomal TRAIL While targeting glucose metabolism shows potential in cancer therapy, its clinical implications remain unclear. This study finds that low-carbohydrate diets or impaired glucose metabolism in cancer ce...

how low-carbohydrate diets or impaired glucose metabolism foster lung metastasis
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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.

This issue also features competition between transcription factors and mismatch repair machinery as drivers of mutagenesis
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New issue alert👉 cell.com/cell/current

On the cover: Kothari et al. and Mamuladze et al. characterize the role of meningeal mast cells in two distinct pathologies, stroke and meningitis. The image depicts meningeal mast cells surrounding the brain, as stars surround the Earth.

ABP1/ABL3-TMK1 cell-surface auxin signaling targets PIN2-mediated auxin fluxes for root gravitropism In gravistimulated roots, gravity perception in the columella redirects the flow of the plant hormone auxin toward the lower root side, where it inhibits cell elongation for downward root bending. This local auxin accumulation activates the cell-surface ABP1/ABL3-TMK1 auxin perception module, which phosphorylates and thus stabilizes the PIN2 auxin exporter for further auxin efflux in a positive feedback loop.

Now online! ABP1/ABL3-TMK1 cell-surface auxin signaling targets PIN2-mediated auxin fluxes for root gravitropism

1/8 Our new paper w/ Drs. Caixia Gao & Gogo Liu groups reveals how #CRISPR-Cas12 systems evolved from transposon-encoded TnpB nucleases through RNA splitting by analyzing “TranC” systems (evolutionary intermediates bridging selfish elements and adaptive immunity). #Evolution

Genomic atlas of 8,105 accessions reveals stepwise domestication, global dissemination, and improvement trajectories in soybean A genome-wide analysis of 8,105 soybean accessions reveals its stepwise domestication process, in which black soybean acts as an evolutionary intermediate, and identifies region- and era-specific selected genes that have shaped its global adaptation and breeding priorities.

Now online! Genomic atlas of 8,105 accessions reveals stepwise domestication, global dissemination, and improvement trajectories in soybean

Sequencing-free whole-genome spatial transcriptomics at single-molecule resolution RAEFISH delivers whole-transcriptome (>20,000 genes) imaging at single-molecule resolution in cells and tissues and enables direct gRNA detection for high-content, image-based CRISPR screens.

Now online! Sequencing-free whole-genome spatial transcriptomics at single-molecule resolution

Thanks for sharing this @cp-cell.bsky.social research!

Evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription regulation is associated with increased transmission and drug resistance Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates have a complex phylogenetic structure and vary in clinical phenotypes. Combining high-throughput RNA-seq and global population genomics reveals gene expression as an axis of variation in host interaction. Underscoring this, variants in a regulator of a key virulence pathway are associated with increased transmission and drug resistance.

Now online! Evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription regulation is associated with increased transmission and drug resistance

The immunoproteasome disturbs neuronal metabolism and drives neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (Cell 188, 4567–4585.e1–e32; August 21, 2025)

Now online! The immunoproteasome disturbs neuronal metabolism and drives neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis

Functional RNA splitting drove the evolutionary emergence of type V CRISPR-Cas systems from transposons Identification of TranC systems reveals evolutionary intermediates bridging from transposon-encoded TnpBs and CRISPR-Cas12 effectors. Evolutionary, structural, and functional analyses show that RNA splitting into tracrRNA and crRNA was a pivotal step in the emergence of type V CRISPR systems.

Now online! Functional RNA splitting drove the evolutionary emergence of type V CRISPR-Cas systems from transposons

So proud and happy to share that our study on the #proteome, heterogeneity, and cell-type specificity of primary #cilia is published now at Cell 🎉

Big thank you to all the many people that made this possible, at the Lundberg Lab, Human Protein Atlas, Lindstrand lab, and Hsien-Sheu lab.

Single-cell nascent transcription reveals sparse genome usage and plasticity scFLUENT-seq is a single-cell method that sensitively captures nascent nuclear transcriptomes to reveal mRNA and ncRNA dynamics, heterogeneity across chromatin compartments, and transcriptional diversity linked to cellular plasticity.

Now online! Single-cell nascent transcription reveals sparse genome usage and plasticity

Intrinsic heterogeneity of primary cilia revealed through spatial proteomics An antibody-based spatial proteomics screen on human primary cilia explores 715 proteins across single cilia of different cell types and reveals extensive cell-type specificity, single-cilium heterogeneity, ciliary microdomains, CFAP300 as a new cilium marker protein, 91 novel proteins including CREB3, and a CREB3 variant associated to ciliopathy phenotypes.

Now online! Intrinsic heterogeneity of primary cilia revealed through spatial proteomics

Safe immunosuppression-resistant pan-cancer immunotherapeutics by velcro-like density-dependent targeting of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens Targeting tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens, the most abundant and widespread cancer antigens known, via “velcro-like” binding of lectins allows immunosuppression-resistant pan-cancer killing while ignoring normal tissues.

Now online! Safe immunosuppression-resistant pan-cancer immunotherapeutics by velcro-like density-dependent targeting of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens

Multiscale proteomic modeling reveals protein networks driving Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis Multiscale proteomic network modeling of Alzheimer's disease integrates large-scale proteomic and genetic data from vulnerable brain regions and reveals key driver proteins such as AHNAK within a glia-neuron subnetwork. These findings offer valuable insights into disease mechanisms and highlight potential therapeutic targets.

Now online! Multiscale proteomic modeling reveals protein networks driving Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis

Astrocytes functionally integrate multiple synapses via specialized leaflet domains Volumetric high-resolution electron microscopy reveals thin astrocyte leaflets form gap-junction-interconnected domains that contain minuscule endoplasmic reticulum saccules and enwrap synapses in clusters. Two-photon calcium imaging reveals how leaflets integrate incoming neuronal inputs occurring at different spatiotemporal scales, thereby contributing to an additional layer of circuit computations.

Now online! Astrocytes functionally integrate multiple synapses via specialized leaflet domains

A Validated Regulatory Network for Th17 Cell Specification (Cell 151, 289–303; October 12, 2012)

Now online! A Validated Regulatory Network for Th17 Cell Specification

Time-resolved fluorescent proteins expand fluorescent microscopy in temporal and spectral domains A family of rationally designed time-resolved fluorescent proteins with controllable lifetimes across the visible spectrum enables simultaneous multiplexed live imaging, super-resolution microscopy, and protein stoichiometry quantification, offering a transformative toolset for advancing biological research with enhanced complexity and quantitative precision.

Now online! Time-resolved fluorescent proteins expand fluorescent microscopy in temporal and spectral domains

Reference genome choice compromises population genetic analyses Using a species-specific reference genome significantly improves the accuracy of population genetic analyses, as exemplified by mapping gray fox sequence data to genomes of several canid species. Mapping to a conspecific genome provides more reliable estimates of genetic variation, diversity, and evolutionary history.

Now online! Reference genome choice compromises population genetic analyses

A multi-adjuvant personal neoantigen vaccine generates potent immunity in melanoma A personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine formulated with Montanide plus poly-ICLC and administered with local ipilimumab plus systemic nivolumab induces robust neoepitope-specific T cell responses an...

And improvements for personalized cancer vaccines with stronger CD4+ and CD8+ responses

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GRK-biased adrenergic agonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity Design of compounds with divergent signaling reveals GRK2-biased β2AR agonists that demonstrate efficacy and safety in preclinical models of metabolic disease and are well tolerated in a phase 1 clini...

A chemistry campaign identifying promising oral alternatives for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity

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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 alter...

Also featuring an unexpected origin of the much loved potato (plot-twist tomatoes played a starring role)

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New issue alert👉https://cell.com/cell/current

On the cover: Allard et al. discover “solar-powered” sea slugs use specialized kleptosome organelles to store and maintain foreign chloroplasts for photosynthetic energy and eventual digestion for starvation resistance.

Distinct circuit motifs evaluate opposing innate values of odors Innate hedonic values of odors are computed in the Drosophila higher olfactory area, the lateral horn, where distinct neurons represent opposing values in a graded manner. Representations of negative values emerge through convergent feedforward excitation, whereas those of positive values emerge through additional local inhibition implementing gain control and thresholding.

Now online! Distinct circuit motifs evaluate opposing innate values of odors