Research Explorer

What biology is figuring out right now

A live feed of frontier research aggregated from Europe PMC — including bioRxiv and medRxiv preprints, often only days old — alongside the landmark papers that made all of it possible.

Live from Europe PMC
141 papers · 48 preprints · 12 frontier topicsrefreshed hourly
Cell & Gene TherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Study design and rationale of Boxed-Breathing-Heart: a translational ex vivo study evaluating virus-mediated gene delivery for gene therapy in normothermic machine-perfused human hearts

Branzei I et al. (+21)

medRxiv

Research on targeted genetic therapies for myocardial diseases, such as cardiomyopathies, currently focuses on (r)AAVs as the delivery method. Despite substantial efforts and advances in animal trials, predicting biodistribution and transduction efficacy in human tissue remains challenging due to interspecies differences in tissue tropism and the difficulty of accurately assessing alternative delivery routes and…

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Single-Cell & OmicsPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Spatial Single Cell Lipid-Transcriptomic Coupling Reveals Metabolic Niches in Glioblastoma

Hendriks TF et al. (+6)

bioRxiv

Glioblastoma is characterized by spatial heterogeneity, with tumor-core and invasive-edge regions differing in cellular composition, transcriptional state, and metabolic context. Spatial transcriptomics has improved understanding of glioblastoma tissue organization. However, cellular transcriptional programs and metabolic interpretation remain poorly resolved. Here, single-cell matrix-assisted laser desorption…

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Single-Cell & OmicsPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Defining Quality Control Standards for Single-Cell Proteomics by Inter-Laboratory Benchmarking

van Puyenbroeck S et al. (+24)

bioRxiv

Single-cell proteomics can quantify thousands of proteins from individual mammalian cells, yet the absence of community-wide quality control limits biological interpretability. Here, the HUPO Single Cell Initiative presents the first inter-laboratory single-cell proteomics benchmarking study across seven laboratories using standardized 384-well plates acquired on Orbitrap Astral and timsTOF Ultra2 instruments…

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Single-Cell & OmicsPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Single-cell transcriptomic atlas of frontoinsular cortex reveals molecular correlates of selective neuronal vulnerability in FTD

Breevoort A et al. (+18)

bioRxiv

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is characterized by selective neuronal vulnerability, yet the features that predispose specific neuron types to degeneration remain unclear. We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing of frontoinsular cortex, a region affected early in behavioral variant FTD, across individuals with C9orf72-associated and sporadic FTD-MND spectrum disease. By enriching for large projection neurons, we…

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Single-Cell & OmicsPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Integrative Multi-Omics and Single-Cell Analyses Reveal that Polyamine Metabolic Reprogramming Shapes an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment and Identifies ZWINT as a Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Zou H et al. (+6)

Research Square

Abstract Background Polyamine metabolism has been increasingly recognized as a critical regulator of tumor progression and immune modulation; however, its cellular heterogeneity and clinical relevance in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain inadequately elucidated. Methods Single-cell RNA sequencing data from LUAD (GSE207422) were utilized to characterize the cellular distribution of polyamine metabolic activity…

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ImmunotherapyJul 14, 2026

Survival Nomogram for Stage IV (M1a-c) Melanoma: A Population-Based Study Highlighting the Prognostic Correlates of Surgery in Pre-Immunotherapy and Early Immunotherapy Eras.

Mo DC et al. (+6)

Journal of investigative surgery : the official journal of the Academy of Surgical Research

ObjectiveMetastatic melanoma has a poor prognosis. This study aimed to develop and validate era-specific nomograms for Stage IV (M1a-c) melanoma and assess the survival impact of surgery across two eras.MethodsThis retrospective Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) study included 3,319 stage IV melanoma patients divided into pre-immunotherapy era (2001-2005, n = 622) and early immunotherapy era…

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ImmunotherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Baseline WT1-specific immunity and immune responses to WT1-targeted immunotherapy in pediatric patients with malignant solid tumors at high risk for relapse: results from a biomarker-driven multicenter translational phase II clinical trial

Hashii Y et al. (+12)

Research Square

Abstract Background Biomarkers useful for identifying pediatric patients likely to achieve durable clinical outcomes from Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1)-targeted cancer immunotherapy (WT1-targeted CIT) and for predicting such outcomes have not been identified. Methods A phase II clinical trial of WT1-targeted CIT was conducted. Patients underwent repeated WT1 235 peptide vaccination. The primary endpoint was the 2-year…

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Longevity & AgingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Senescent cells are more susceptible to reductive stress-induced cell death: implications for senolytic research.

Belhac V, Stolzing A, Martin N

bioRxiv

Proliferating cells can enter an irreversible state of cell-cycle arrest known as cellular senescence. The accumulation of senescent cells contributes to organismal ageing and age-related pathologies. Consequently, therapeutic strategies have emerged to selectively eliminate senescent cells (senolytics). Our previous work suggested that senescent mouse myoblasts are more susceptible to reductive stress-induced cell…

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Longevity & AgingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Ilexgenin A promotes cellular senescence through the PI3K/Akt/FOXO1/TXNIP pathway in human non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells

Sun X et al. (+6)

Research Square

Abstract Cellular senescence is closely associated with the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most prevalent subtype of lung cancer. Ilexgenin A (IA) is the main bioactive compound isolated from Ilex hainanensis Merr tosis and has been shown to suppress the growth of multiple tumors. However, the effect of IA on NSCLC cell senescence remains unknown. Our results showed that administration of IA…

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MicrobiomeJul 14, 2026

Intestinal gases as markers to study the diet-gut microbiota-host metabolism axis in humans and their relationship to metabolic health.

Larik GNF et al. (+3)

Gut microbes

The gut microbiota‒host metabolism axis is a critical determinant of metabolic health, yet its functional activity remains difficult to monitor in vivo. The gut microbiota ferments undigested food components such as dietary fibers and proteins, yielding various important metabolites and gases that impact human metabolism. This review synthesizes current evidence on intestinal gases, primarily hydrogen (H2), methane…

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MicrobiomeJul 14, 2026

Distinct trajectories of urbanization shape the human gut microbiome across South Asia.

Ramachandran SL et al. (+37)

Gut microbes

Human gut microbiomes respond to lifestyle transitions, yet the extent to which these responses are conserved across spatio-cultural contexts remains undercharacterized. We present the South Asian MicroBiome ARray (SAMBAR), a population-scale 16S gut microbiome study of 575 adults from ten geographically and socio-culturally diverse South Asian communities. Each community was sampled in ancestral villages and urban…

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MicrobiomeJul 14, 2026

Branched-chain amino acids and gut microbiota: coregulation and impact on neurological function via the gut-brain axis.

Li Q et al. (+13)

Gut microbes

Diseases that cause neurological dysfunction, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), among others, are characterized by complex and multifaceted etiologies. There is growing evidence that branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), regulated by the gut microbiota, play a critical role in the development of the central nervous system (CNS) disorders. This review…

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MicrobiomePreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Biocontainment attenuation of mobile DNA host range in a wastewater microbiome

Selinidis MA et al. (+4)

bioRxiv

Biocontainment systems designed to attenuate the spread of mobile DNA are challenging to evaluate within microbiomes of engineered environments. To better understand how toxin-based biocontainment systems affect horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in a microbiome, we evaluated the host range of pairs of plasmids using orthogonal catalytic RNA (cat-RNA) that amend distinct barcodes to 16S rRNA following HGT. We show that…

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MicrobiomePreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Acute Exercise-Induced Changes in Gut Microbiome Composition, Function, and Gut-Derived Stool and Plasma Metabolome Across Obesity Phenotypes in Young-Adult Women: A Pilot Study Protocol

Ortega-Santos CP et al. (+3)

medRxiv

Background: Almost 1 in 2 adults in the US has obesity, with women facing the highest prevalence of severe obesity. Emerging evidence shows that the gut microbiome and its metabolites play a key role in metabolic regulation, acting as signals in active metabolic tissues such as adipose and skeletal muscle, thereby contributing to the deterioration of cardiometabolic health in individuals with obesity. Recent…

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MicrobiomePreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Bacillus subtilis controls Chinese cabbage clubroot disease by remolding the soil microbiome and metabolome

Liu Y et al. (+9)

Research Square

Abstract Background Clubroot disease, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is a devastating threat to Chinese cabbage production worldwide. Biocontrol strategies, particularly using Bacillus subtilis, offer a sustainable management alternative, yet the integrated mechanisms involving rhizosphere microbiome and metabolome remodeling remain unclear. Here, we investigated the biocontrol efficacy and underlying…

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MicrobiomePreprint · not peer reviewedJul 14, 2026

Functional microbiome features distinguish clinical trajectories in low-grade cervical lesions

Stosic M et al. (+7)

Research Square

Abstract Background . The cervicovaginal microbiome has been associated with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical disease, but its role in determining the clinical trajectory of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) remains unclear. We investigated whether microbial taxonomic, ecological, and inferred functional features could distinguish LSIL regression from progression and improve risk…

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Cell & Gene TherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 13, 2026

Restoring Parkin Function: An AAV Gene Therapy Approach for Early-Onset Parkinson's Disease

Basu S et al. (+13)

bioRxiv

Background: Biallelic loss-of-function mutations in PRKN gene (encoding Parkin protein) cause early-onset Parkinsons disease (EOPD). Parkin is a crucial component of PINK1-Parkin pathway, which marks damaged mitochondria for degradation via mitophagy. Without functional Parkin, damaged mitochondria accumulate, causing oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. Objective: Investigate Parkin gene replacement via AAV gene…

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Cell & Gene TherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 13, 2026

Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Synthetic Inverted Terminal Repeats Enhance Tissue-Specific Transduction and Alter the Vector Induced Stress Response

Hasegawa T et al. (+11)

bioRxiv

While adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have shown therapeutic benefit in clinical applications, noted challenges include low transduction efficiencies, poor cellular targeting, and vector related adverse events. Recently, it was demonstrated that a rationally designed synthetic inverted terminal repeat (SynITR) altered the AAV vector-induced DNA damage response and abrogated apoptosis in human embryonic stem…

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AI & Protein DesignJul 13, 2026

Modular integration of nanopore sequencing, alphafold modeling, and statistical design boosts 1-hydroxyphenazine yield in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain KAEH25.

El-Mongy MA et al. (+3)

BMC microbiology

This study establishes an integrated genome-to-structure-to-process framework that significantly enhances 1-hydroxyphenazine (1-OH-PHZ) biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa KAEH25. Nanopore long-read sequencing completely resolved the 10,358 bp phenazine biosynthetic locus, confirming intact organization of core (phzB-phzG) and tailoring (phzH, phzS) genes. AlphaFold modeling and InterProScan analysis validated…

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AI & Protein DesignJul 13, 2026

Advancing <i>In Silico</i> Drug Design with Bayesian Refinement of AlphaFold Models.

Sen S et al. (+4)

Journal of chemical theory and computation

Virtual screening has become an indispensable tool in modern structure-based drug discovery, enabling the identification of candidate molecules by computationally evaluating their potential to bind target proteins. The accuracy of such screenings critically depends on the quality of the target structures employed. Recent advances in protein structure prediction, particularly AlphaFold2, have revolutionized this…

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AI & Protein DesignJul 13, 2026

Protein Language Model-Based Fitness Estimates Facilitate Resistance Mutation Identification.

Schwarz D et al. (+15)

Journal of chemical information and modeling

Drug resistance is a major challenge in cancer therapy. Cancer cells with pre-existing or acquired mutations that confer resistance to a given drug treatment outgrow the susceptible cell population and cause cancer recurrence after an initial successful treatment response. Knowledge about resistance mutations before they occur in the clinic could prevent unnecessary patient treatment with ineffective drugs, in…

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mRNA & VaccinesJul 13, 2026

Optimized seasonal influenza mRNA vaccine compositions demonstrate safety and enhanced immunogenicity in a phase 2 study.

Fierro C et al. (+8)

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics

Seasonal influenza causes considerable morbidity and mortality, with influenza A and B viruses driving most influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths. Vaccination remains a key influenza prevention strategy; however, current seasonal influenza vaccines based on traditional platforms provide inconsistent protection. Messenger RNA - based vaccines may offer several key advantages over other vaccines, including…

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Cancer BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 13, 2026

Aqueous Humor Liquid Biopsy Enables Multi-Omics Tumor Profiling and Methylation-Based Machine-Learning Stratification of Retinoblastoma

Volz S et al. (+24)

medRxiv

Primary tumor biopsy in retinoblastoma carries an unacceptable risk of extraocular dissemination. As a result, children treated with eye-sparing approaches currently lack access to tumor-derived genomic information at diagnosis, limiting accurate risk stratification, preventing subtype-guided therapy, and obscuring insight into tumor evolution during conservative treatment. Aqueous humor (AH) liquid biopsy has…

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Cell & Gene TherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 12, 2026

Synovium-Restricted Armored PD-1-Targeted CAR-T Cells Reprogram Immunity and Resolve Experimental Arthritis

Gur C et al. (+23)

bioRxiv

Despite major therapeutic advances, a substantial fraction of patients with autoimmune disease remains refractory to treatment. While B cell-targeted CAR-T therapies have shown considerable efficacy, the central contribution of pathogenic T cells to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suggests that complementary T cell-directed strategies may enable deeper disease control. Using single-cell multi-omics of human RA and…

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Longevity & AgingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 12, 2026

c-Myc promotes pulmonary fibrosis by driving myofibroblast activation and cellular senescence

Peng X et al. (+8)

Research Square

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating and progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by aberrant myofibroblast activation, cellular senescence, and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. However, the precise molecular switches governing these pathogenic processes in lung fibroblasts remain incompletely understood. Although the transcription factor c-Myc has been…

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MicrobiomeJul 12, 2026

Towards standardized gut microbiota diagnostics: normobiosis beyond geographical borders.

Hiseni P et al. (+5)

Gut microbes

Defining clinically meaningful reference states of the human gut microbiota remains a major barrier to the clinical translation of microbiome testing, largely due to variability across populations. We aimed at evaluating whether dysbiosis can be identified in a standardized, geography-independent manner, using a composite, system-level microbiome diagnostic framework. We performed a retrospective observational…

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Gene EditingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 10, 2026

Transposon end recognition and pairing by I-F3 CRISPR-associated transposase

Truong VH et al. (+7)

bioRxiv

To develop gene therapy tools based on CRISPR-associated transposons (CASTs), it is essential to define how transposon ends are recognized and paired during transposition. Tn7-like transposons typically contain asymmetric left- and right-end sequences that flank and define DNA cargo. However, how the transposase recognizes these different sequences and assembles them into a paired end complex for cut-and-paste…

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Gene EditingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 10, 2026

Isoform-level resolution in single-cell CRISPR screens reveals hidden functional consequences of gene perturbation

Andrews N et al. (+5)

bioRxiv

Single-cell CRISPR screens have enabled systematic investigation of gene function, but studies have largely focused on gene-level effects, overlooking transcriptional complexity and isoform usage. Methods capable of capturing splicing and isoform usage have emerged, including long-read sequencing and alternative library preparation strategies, but their suitability for large-scale perturbation screens remains…

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Single-Cell & OmicsJul 10, 2026

Single-cell sequencing profiling of intratumoral heterogeneity and immunosuppressive microenvironment in primary thyroid cancer and lymph node metastases.

Xu S et al. (+8)

Oncoimmunology

Metastasis is a major determinant of treatment failure and mortality in thyroid cancer, yet the interplay between malignant evolution and the immune microenvironment remains poorly characterized. Immunotherapy offers promise, but its efficacy requires a deeper understanding of tumor-associated immune infiltration and checkpoint regulation. In this study, we constructed a high-resolution transcriptomic atlas of the…

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ImmunotherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 10, 2026

AI-Informed neoantigen prioritization enables a multi-epitope mRNA/LNP vaccine with antigen-specific immunogenicity and antitumor activity

Verma A et al. (+9)

bioRxiv

Personalized neoantigen vaccines are an emerging strategy for cancer immunotherapy, but their effectiveness depends on selecting tumor-specific antigens capable of inducing functional T-cell responses. The VACINUS AI-informed neoantigen prioritization framework previously identified and peptide-validated three immunogenic Tier 1 neoantigens in the B16F10 melanoma model. In this study, we extended that framework by…

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ImmunotherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 10, 2026

Sublingual Immunotherapy For Environmental and Food Allergies Is Safe in Real-World Telemedicine Care: Evidence from 23,118 Patient-Years

Tharpe C et al. (+8)

Research Square

Abstract Background Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is an effective disease-modifying treatment for allergic respiratory disease and is generally considered safer than subcutaneous immunotherapy. However, large-scale safety data from fully remote telemedicine-based care models remain limited. Methods This retrospective longitudinal observational study included patients receiving personalized SLIT through a…

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Cancer BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 10, 2026

Human papillomavirus-associated immune profile of the tumor microenvironment in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a Tunisian cohort study

Baizig NM et al. (+6)

Research Square

Abstract Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection plays a key role in the pathogenesis of several squamous cell carcinomas and may influence tumor immune responses. Although HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has been extensively studied, the relationship between high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) status and the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains…

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MicrobiomeJul 10, 2026

Colorectal cancer landscape from gut microbiota: Insights into mutations, epigenetic dysregulation, and immune microenvironment alterations.

Li Y et al. (+5)

Virulence

This review explores how gut microbiota reshapes colorectal cancer (CRC) molecular landscape, driving initiation/progression via key mechanisms. Microbes/metabolites cause driver mutations (DNA damage, signaling interference) and alter epigenetics (DNA methylation, histone modifications, ncRNAs) to boost tumor cell proliferation/survival. Dysbiosis disrupts tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) by impairing immune…

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Gene EditingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 9, 2026

CRISPR-Cas interference decays rapidly with distance from the leader sequence in a long array

Ceelen MH et al. (+3)

bioRxiv

Spacer efficacy generally declines with distance from the leader sequence, but the scarcity of fine-scale studies hampers comparisons across taxa. Here, we investigated positional effects across an exceptionally long 121-spacer CRISPR array associated with the type I-C cas operon of a Myxococcus xanthus natural isolate. In plasmid-interference assays, we found that interference rapidly declined with distance from…

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AI & Protein DesignJul 9, 2026

AlphaFold-based peptide structure prediction: Opportunities, limitations, and future directions.

Zhang B et al. (+3)

Biotechnology advances

Accurate prediction of peptide structures and peptide-receptor complexes is essential for rational peptide drug development. However, the inherent conformational flexibility of short and disordered peptides presents a fundamental challenge. The AlphaFold model series, which has progressed from AlphaFold2 through AlphaFold-Multimer to AlphaFold3, has substantially advanced computational peptide structure prediction…

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AI & Protein DesignPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 9, 2026

Characterising AlphaFold 3’s ability to predict T cell antigen specificity

McMaster B et al. (+7)

bioRxiv

T cells are a key part of the adaptive immune system. Using their surface-bound T cell antigen receptors (TCRs), these cells scan peptides and other antigens presented to them by major histocompatibility complex molecules (MHCs) on the surface of cells, searching for abnormalities. Although determining the map between TCRs and their target antigens is of vital importance for the design of safe and effective T…

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ImmunotherapyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 9, 2026

Metagenomic and Metabolomic Correlates of Immunotherapy Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Buro AW et al. (+14)

Research Square

Abstract Background The gut microbiome may influence cancer treatment response, perhaps by immune system interactions, but studies are limited among non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We investigated associations of the pre-treatment gut microbiome and serum metabolome/lipidome with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response among patients with stage III-IV NSCLC. Methods We conducted an observational…

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Cancer BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 9, 2026

Expanding Microgel Parameters to Model the Tumor Microenvironment and Examine Temozolomide Resistance in Glioblastoma

Payan BA et al. (+7)

bioRxiv

ABSTRACT Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumor with a five-year survival rate of less than 5%. The current standard of care established 20 years ago includes maximal surgical resection and administration of alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). GBM is highly invasive, and GBM cells that evade surgical resection can become resistant to TMZ and develop new aggressive secondary tumors. Post-relapse there…

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MicrobiomeJul 9, 2026

Gut microbiota biomarkers of chronic kidney disease progression identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and machine learning.

Zhang Y et al. (+3)

Renal failure

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health concern characterized by high prevalence and mortality rates, yet its underlying pathogenesis remains inadequately understood. This study aimed to investigate microbial biomarkers associated with CKD progression across various stages by employing 16S rDNA sequencing, complemented by machine learning techniques including Lasso regression, the Boruta algorithm, and…

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Gene EditingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 8, 2026

Novel CRISPR-Cas13 Biosensor for Real-Time Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Environmental Microbiomes

Zakari DA et al. (+7)

Access Microbiology

Background: The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in environmental microbiomes pose a critical threat to global health security. Current detection methods are time-consuming and often lack the sensitivity required for early environmental surveillance. Methods We developed a novel CRISPR-Cas13a-based biosensor system coupled with isothermal amplification for rapid, field-deployable…

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ImmunotherapyJul 8, 2026

Modulation of the response to immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer: the role of the microbiota and microbial metabolites in the tumor microenvironment.

Serrano-García L et al. (+6)

Gut microbes

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive and heterogeneous breast cancer subtype for which immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy have improved outcomes in selected patients. However, primary and acquired resistance remain common, underscoring the need to identify extrinsic, modifiable determinants of antitumor immunity. Increasing evidence indicates that the gut and tumor-associated…

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MicrobiomeJul 8, 2026

The gut microbiome and mitochondrial function in metabolism, immunity, and disease.

Han EJ et al. (+3)

Gut microbes

The gut microbiome is a key regulator of host physiology, yet its effects remain difficult to predict across individuals and contexts. Similar microbial compositions frequently give rise to divergent and delayed phenotypic outcomes, indicating that models based solely on signal strength or steady-state responses are insufficient to explain microbiome-driven host function. In this review, we propose a conceptual…

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Single-Cell & OmicsJul 7, 2026

Integrative single-cell and spatial transcriptomic approaches to decipher the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic resistance in pancreatic cancer.

Luo M et al. (+4)

Cancer biology & therapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most aggressive human malignancies and has an extremely poor prognosis. Its progression is largely driven by a highly complex and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), highlighting the urgent need for a deeper understanding of its molecular mechanisms. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) have…

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AI & Protein DesignJul 6, 2026

Prioritizing Stability-enhancing Mutations using the ESM Protein Language Model in conjunction with Physics-based MM/GBSA Predictions.

Rhodes ER et al. (+5)

Protein engineering, design & selection : PEDS

Directed evolution for protein engineering, as currently practiced in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, is both tedious and expensive. Computationally driven protein design has the potential to expedite the engineering process and generate high-quality variants at a lower cost than traditional approaches. We investigated the effectiveness of two different computational methods as triaging tools for…

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AI & Protein DesignPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 6, 2026

Benchmarking AlphaFold and related deep learning approaches for modeling antibody and TCR antigen recognition

Yin R et al. (+10)

bioRxiv

Determining the structural basis of antigen recognition by antibodies and T cell receptors (TCRs) provides critical insights into effective immune targeting and can inform design of biotherapeutics and vaccines. Accurate computational modeling of antibodies and TCRs in complex with their targets poses a major challenge for predictive methods, including AlphaFold, which is generally accurate for modeling protein…

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AI & Protein DesignPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 6, 2026

A generalisable framework to inject distance information into Alphafold-like structure predictors

Mirabello C et al. (+4)

bioRxiv

Structure prediction methods are now highly successful at predicting three-dimensional structures from sequence. However, it is still often desirable to supplement these methods with additional external priors on pairwise distances in the structures. We present a general method for injecting prior information into AlphaFold-like structure predictors by biasing the pair representation to produce desirable features in…

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NeurotechnologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 6, 2026

Brain2voice 2.0: High-performance voice synthesis brain-computer interface

Wairagkar M et al. (+9)

bioRxiv

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) offer a promising solution to speech loss due to neurological injury by decoding intended speech directly from brain activity. While recent BCIs have restored high-accuracy text-based communication, they fail to provide instantaneous voice output essential for the natural flow of conversation. Brain-to-voice BCIs address this gap by decoding voice directly from neural signals…

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Cancer BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 6, 2026

EphB4 Inhibition Regulates Tumor Microenvironment by Promoting Immunogenic Cell Death Effector Mechanism in Breast Cancer

Wu Y, Li J, Li M

Research Square

Abstract While combination chemo-immunotherapy has shown considerable potential in treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the inhibitory effects of the tumor microenvironment (TME) on cancer immunotherapy remain a significant challenge. Previous studies have demonstrated that EphB4 contributes to resistance against targeted therapies in breast cancer (BC). In our study, we observed that high EphB4 expression…

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NeurotechnologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 4, 2026

Connectome-scale self-supervised representation learning reveals neuronal organization beyond canonical labels

Shi T et al. (+3)

bioRxiv

Dense electron-microscopy connectomes provide synaptic-resolution maps of neuronal structure and wiring, but learning scalable representations that integrate structure and connectivity for connectome discovery with minimal human intervention remains difficult. Here we present a self-supervised framework for structure–connectivity representation learning in dense connectomes. A hierarchical graph neural network with…

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NeurotechnologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 3, 2026

Earth–Brain Computer Interface a cross-disciplinary framework for earthquake and volcanic eruption forecasting

chendaqian

Research Square

Abstract Accurate forecasting of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions remains one of the foremost unsolved challenges in geoscience. Here we propose the Earth–Brain Computer Interface (E-BCI), a cross-disciplinary predictive framework that maps established brain–computer interface (BCI) methodology onto geophysical monitoring. We draw a systematic analogy between cortical neural dynamics and Earth's internal…

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Longevity & AgingPreprint · not peer reviewedJul 3, 2026

Multiscale Analysis of Cellular Senescence through Ripley’s Functions and Functional Statistics

Verrier C, Dehennaut V, Dabo-Niang S

bioRxiv

ABSTRACT Cellular senescence is a heterogeneous and evolving process involved in development, tissue repair, aging, and age-related diseases. Although senescence burden in tissues has been widely studied, its spatial organization remains poorly understood, particularly in vivo. Senescence encompasses a spectrum of distinct states, with cells differing in molecular signatures, secretory activity, persistence, and…

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MicrobiomeJul 3, 2026

Vitamin B6 produced by gut microbiome regulates host behavioral phenotypes through dopaminergic metabolism.

Kim D et al. (+9)

Gut microbes

The gut microbiome modulates host neuropathology, but the mechanisms linking specific microbial genes and metabolites to host phenotypes remain poorly defined. Here, we identify microbiome-derived vitamin B6 (VB6) and its biosynthesis gene as key regulators of host dopaminergic homeostasis. Metagenomic analysis of fecal samples from Parkinson's disease (PD) patients revealed enrichment of biosynthetic pathways for…

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ImmunotherapyJun 30, 2026

Mapping the global landscape of research on immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated cardiotoxicity: A quantitative and visualized bibliometric study (2016-2025).

Liu T et al. (+5)

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed oncologic practice, but their expanding use has heightened concern about potentially fatal cardiovascular toxicity. This bibliometric study mapped the global research landscape and temporal evolution of ICI-associated cardiotoxicity from 2016 to 2025. Records were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on January 1, 2026. After excluding letters…

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Longevity & AgingJun 30, 2026

An epigenetic clock for chronological age estimation in East Asian populations.

Lu KC et al. (+3)

NAR genomics and bioinformatics

Population aging is increasing the burden of age-related disease, highlighting the need for accurate molecular tools to estimate aging. DNA methylation, a heritable epigenetic mark linked to development and age-related disease, can capture biological aging and predict chronological age; however, most existing epigenetic clocks were developed primarily in non-East Asian populations and may show reduced calibration…

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ImmunotherapyJun 28, 2026

Immunotherapy in pediatric bone sarcomas: Current progress and future directions.

Weil R, Loeb DM

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics

Pediatric bone sarcomas continue to present substantial therapeutic challenges in the metastatic, relapsed, or refractory setting, where clinical outcomes have remained largely static for decades despite advances in multimodal therapy. This review summarizes emerging immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, low mutational burden and limited targetable antigens…

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Drug DiscoveryJun 27, 2026

Targeted delivery of proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTAC) and molecular glue degraders (MGD).

Banerjee M, Detappe A, Lammers T

Advanced drug delivery reviews

Targeted protein degraders (TPDs), including proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTAC) and molecular glue degraders (MGD), are among the most promising small-molecule-based drug treatments in oncology. The May 2026 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of vepdegestrant provides a regulatory milestone for heterobifunctional protein degradation and for PROTAC therapeutics. First-generation TPDs were developed…

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Longevity & AgingJun 26, 2026

Mallotus japonicus leaf extract restores TRPM6 magnesium channel expression and suppresses cellular senescence in colonic epithelial cells.

Tanabe M et al. (+9)

Archives of biochemistry and biophysics

Age-related alterations in intracellular Mg2+ homeostasis can influence cellular bioenergetics and stress responses, yet the epithelial mechanisms linking aging and cellular senescence to impaired magnesium handling remain incompletely defined. Frailty is an emerging public health challenge in aging societies, and age-related magnesium deficiency has been proposed as one contributing factor. We investigated whether…

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NeurotechnologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 25, 2026

Spatiotemporal cognitive modes underlying theory of mind: A Human Connectome Project fMRI study

Momeni A et al. (+4)

PsyArXiv

Theory of mind (ToM), or mentalization, is a core aspect of social cognition that enables individuals to infer the mental states of others. Brain activity underlying ToM has been extensively studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), with a primary focus on the Default Mode (DM). We investigated the interplay of multiple cognitive modes (i.e., cognitive processes eliciting distinct fMRI-derived…

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ImmunotherapyJun 24, 2026

Sequential axitinib and survivin vaccination unlock curative PD-1 immunotherapy in renal carcinoma.

Méjean F et al. (+11)

Oncoimmunology

Despite significant progress achieved by combining VEGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), complete responses remain rare in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), highlighting the need for strategies that optimize therapeutic synergy. Here, we show that the efficacy of VEGFR blockade, vaccination, and PD-1 inhibition critically depends on treatment sequence. Using an…

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mRNA & VaccinesPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 24, 2026

Comprehensive Profiling of Monkeypox Virus Antigens Identifies Potent Targets for Next-Generation mRNA Vaccine Development

Walls AC et al. (+13)

bioRxiv

ABSTRACT The 2022 Monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak renewed interest in vaccines for orthopoxviruses. Initial development efforts focused on well-established antigen targets, especially A35, B6, and M1. However, orthopoxvirus surfaces are complex, displaying many antigens across two infectious forms, mature virions (MV) and extracellular virions (EV) and targets relevant to protection remain to be comprehensively…

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Cancer BiologyJun 24, 2026

Associations between migrasome-related genes and long non-coding rnas in glioma and their prognostic relevance to the tumor microenvironment.

Yang B, Li R, Duan H

IBRO neuroscience reports

ObjectiveThis exploratory study evaluated associations between migrasome-related genes and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in glioma and examined whether migrasome-related lncRNA patterns were associated with prognosis and the tumor microenvironment.MethodsTranscriptomic, clinical, survival, and mutation data were obtained from the TCGA GDC portal. Migrasome-related genes were identified from published literature and…

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Drug DiscoveryJun 24, 2026

Reversible control of CAR T cells through PROTAC compound targeting bromodomain mutant.

Kim Y et al. (+6)

Molecular therapy. Oncology

Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) is an innovative strategy for selectively degrading target proteins. In this study, we demonstrate that a PROTAC compound, AGB1, specifically degrades a bromodomain L387V mutant (BD2m)-tagged chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-BD2m). Unlike ARV771, which degrades wild-type bromodomains, AGB1 does not impair normal T cell function, as it spares endogenous bromodomain-containing…

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Drug DiscoveryPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 24, 2026

Reversible covalency reprograms CRBN substrate recruitment and PROTAC-mediated degradation

Dikic I et al. (+28)

Research Square

Abstract Reversible covalent ligands offer a strategy to combine potency of covalent binding with reversibility required for catalytic pharmacology. Here we report boronic acid based IMiD derivatives (Bo-IMiDs) that engage the CRBN E3 ligase through reversible covalent coordination with His353. Structural analysis of binary and ternary complexes reveals formation of a tetrahedral boronate adduct with the imidazole…

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Synthetic BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 23, 2026

Expanding the Promoter Toolbox for Metabolic Engineering in the Lignocellulolytic Thermophile Anaerocellum bescii

Galindo JL et al. (+5)

bioRxiv

Anaerocellum (formerly Caldicellulosiruptor ) bescii, an anaerobic, extremely thermophilic (T opt ∼78 °C) lignocellulolytic bacterium, is a promising chassis for metabolic engineering and next-generation bioprocessing. Yet, a lack of well-characterized genetic parts in A. bescii has hampered metabolic engineering efforts. Here, using a previously developed hyperthermophilic β-galactosidase reporter system, we…

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ImmunotherapyJun 23, 2026

Reprogramming macrophage mechanosensation via TRPV4 modulating mechano-immunotherapy controls fibrotic encapsulation of biomaterial implants.

Xu X et al. (+12)

Bioactive materials

Modulating how macrophages sense mechanical cues offers a novel strategy to control fibrosis around implanted biomaterials. We term this approach 'mechano-immunotherapy', which involves the desensitization of immune mechanosensory pathways to control the host response. Here, we use RN-1734 (RN), a model small molecule to demonstrate the proof-of-concept that pharmacologically disrupting macrophage mechanosensation…

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ImmunotherapyJun 23, 2026

Using peripheral blood indicators and T cells subsets to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy for advanced and recurrent cervical cancer.

Bai J et al. (+3)

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics

To identify predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response in advanced/recurrent cervical cancer by evaluating peripheral blood indicators including T-cell subsets and serum biomarkers. This prospective study (June 2022-July 2024) enrolled 50 patients with stage III-IVa or recurrent cervical cancer receiving first-line immunotherapy combined with chemo/radiotherapy from Qingdao Central Hospital network. We…

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Cancer BiologyJun 23, 2026

The dual role of leukotrienes in the tumor microenvironment: balancing pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumor immunity.

Thake A et al. (+3)

Cancer biology & therapy

BackgroundLeukotrienes are bioactive lipid mediators produced via the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) pathway and are essential for inflammatory signaling in the tumor microenvironment (TME), playing roles in angiogenesis, immune modulation and metastatic progression.ObjectiveThis review evaluates the role of leukotriene signaling in cancer progression and highlights biomarker-guided therapeutic strategies targeting these…

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Synthetic BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 22, 2026

Metabolic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for High-level Sustainable Production of Aviation Fuel Precursor Germacrene D

Liu J et al. (+6)

Research Square

Abstract Sesquiterpenes are promising feedstocks for advanced biofuels. As a valuable monocyclic sesquiterpene, germacrene D exhibits unique structural features and insecticidal activities. However, its fuel-related properties have rarely been characterized, and low microbial production severely restricts its practical application. In this work, we established an efficient biosynthetic platform for germacrene D by…

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NeurotechnologyJun 22, 2026

BAMBI: A Ca<sup>2+</sup> imaging-based brain-computer interface for longitudinal neuronal tracking in freely behaving mice.

Balilti-Turgeman L et al. (+6)

Journal of neuroscience methods

BackgroundBrain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are powerful tools for investigating neuronal dynamics underlying cognitive processes. However, BCIs commonly rely on electrophysiological techniques, which are limited in their ability to track populations of the same neurons over long periods, constraining their utility for studying long-term neuronal processes.New methodTo address this, we developed a BCI system, BAMBI…

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Drug DiscoveryPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 22, 2026

Discovery of CDK4-selective molecular glue degraders by high-throughput proteomics

Zanon PRA et al. (+11)

bioRxiv

Molecular glue degraders (MGDs) are proximity-inducing molecules that promote the destruction of disease-causing proteins by stabilizing novel interfaces between E3 ubiquitin ligases and target proteins. The rational design of MGDs remains exceptionally challenging, historically relying on serendipitous discoveries. Here, we deployed a high-throughput, mass spectrometry (MS)-based screen evaluating thousands of…

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ImmunotherapyOpen accessJun 19, 2026

Opsonization and timing as key determinants of MBTA immunotherapy efficacy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and recurrence treatment.

Frejlachova A et al. (+10)

Cancer biology & therapy

BackgroundPancreatic adenocarcinoma is a highly aggressive cancer with very limited treatment options. This study aimed to optimize the efficacy of a previously developed tumor immunotherapy for the treatment of this disease and its recurrences.MethodsMouse models of pancreatic and colon adenocarcinoma were established using Panc02 and MC38 cells, respectively. Tumors were treated by intratumoral administration of…

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Drug DiscoveryPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 19, 2026

Engineering a light-responsive, orthogonal Lon protease in E. coli for targeted protein degradation

Coriano-Ortiz C et al. (+3)

bioRxiv

Optogenetic methods are powerful tools for synthetic biology, allowing light to control cellular processes. While most bacterial optogenetic systems regulate gene expression at the transcriptional level, relatively few enable post-translational control, which can provide faster and growth-independent regulation of protein activity. Here, we describe the development of a post-translational optogenetic tool in…

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Synthetic BiologyJun 18, 2026

Metabolic engineering of <i>Escherichia coli</i> based on adaptive evolution and omics technology for highly efficient l-valine production under oxygen-limited conditions.

Zhang H et al. (+10)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

In industrial production, the yield of desired targets derived from carbon sources is frequently diminished by the competitive influence of cellular metabolism within microbial cell factories. The bioproduction of l-valine exemplifies a classic process that is confronted with such a dilemma, substantially hindering its economic industrial-scale production. In this study, we aim to engineer a cell factory capable of…

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Longevity & AgingJun 17, 2026

Synergistic nanosenolytic therapy reverses age-related dry eye disease by targeting cellular senescence and oxidative stress.

Ren Q et al. (+7)

Bioactive materials

Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent, age-related ocular disorder that severely impairs vision and quality of life. Age-related cellular senescence drives disease progression through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which establishes a self-perpetuating cycle of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. However, current therapeutic options are insufficient to directly disrupt this pathogenic…

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Drug DiscoveryPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 17, 2026

DesignMaster: A Multi-Conditional Diffusion Framework for Rational PROTAC Design

Shi B et al. (+8)

bioRxiv

Motivation Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) enable targeted protein degradation through ternary complex formation with E3 ubiquitin ligase. However, the rational design of PROTACs remains highly challenging due to limited structure–activity relationship data and the vast conformational diversity of linkers. Existing computational approaches can be broadly divided into structure-based ternary modelling…

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Cell & Gene TherapyOpen accessJun 15, 2026

Therapeutic frontiers in ALS: iPSC-based drug discovery, cell therapy, and gene therapy-Advances through 2026.

Morimoto S et al. (+3)

Regenerative therapy

Three converging therapeutic paradigms-iPSC-based drug discovery, cell transplantation, and gene therapy-have substantially expanded the therapeutic pipeline for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) between 2020 and 2026. The FDA's accelerated approval of tofersen (Qalsody) in April 2023 marked the first treatment targeting a genetic cause of ALS. iPSC-derived drug candidates, including ropinirole and bosutinib, have…

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Longevity & AgingJun 14, 2026

Cellular senescence in ischemic stroke: Cell-type specificity, temporal dynamics, and response to therapeutic interventions.

Liu X et al. (+5)

Ageing research reviews

Increasing experimental and clinical evidence indicates activation of cellular programs resembling senescence and senescence-associated secretory phenotype signaling after stroke. However, a central challenge is definitional: in injured brain tissue, many senescence-associated features overlap with acute stress responses, transient cell-cycle perturbations, and reactive glial or vascular programs, complicating…

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mRNA & VaccinesJun 14, 2026

A narrative review of COVID-19 epidemiology and mRNA vaccine impact in children <12 years during the omicron era (November 2021 - December 2025).

Zheng Z et al. (+6)

Expert review of vaccines

IntroductionCOVID-19 continues to pose a burden in children under 12 years of age during the Omicron era (November 2021 - December 2025). Following Omicron's emergence, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence increased rapidly, with most children infected by ages 2-4 years. Pediatric hospitalization rates declined after the initial Omicron wave but remained elevated in children under 2 years and in those with underlying…

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mRNA & VaccinesJun 13, 2026

Development and immunoprotective evaluation of a thermostable mRNA vaccine targeting Vibrio harveyi flagellin in the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea).

Zhang Y et al. (+3)

Fish & shellfish immunology

Vibrio harveyi causes severe vibriosis in the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea), resulting in high mortality rates and significant economic losses in mariculture. Currently, there is no effective commercial vaccine available, and the overuse of antibiotics raises concerns about resistance and the environment. In this study, we developed a thermostable mRNA-LNP vaccine that encodes the FlaA flagellin, which…

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Synthetic BiologyOpen accessJun 12, 2026

Metabolic engineering of <i>Vibrio natriegens</i> for the efficient biosynthesis of ergothioneine from sucrose using non-sterile fed-batch fermentation.

Liang X et al. (+9)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Fast-growing Vibrio natriegens is now recognized as a next-generation chassis for synthetic biology and biotechnology; however, its low transformation efficiency, limited gene editing methods and high fermentation cost are still the main challenges hampering its industrial application. In this study, we established an efficient electroporation transformation and dual-plasmid CRISPR-Cas9 editing system in V…

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Synthetic BiologyOpen accessJun 11, 2026

Synthetic biology of oncolytic bacteria: Comparative microbial chassis and precise killing strategies.

Hadid MA et al. (+4)

Toxicology reports

The field of synthetic biology has become a revolutionary tool for engineering microorganisms capable of precise, programmed cancer treatment. Unlike conventional cancer treatments, which lack safe, selective toxicity, engineered microbial cells can detect tumor-specific signals, target hypoxic environments, and deliver cytotoxic payloads more effectively in both space and time. This review presents the most recent…

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NeurotechnologyOpen accessJun 11, 2026

The damaged connectome: Mechanisms and consequences of brain network reorganization following neurotrauma.

Mansour MA et al. (+6)

Neuroimage. Reports

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major cause of chronic disability worldwide, with outcomes that are notoriously heterogeneous and difficult to predict. This heterogeneity stems from the fact that TBI is not merely a focal injury but a whole-brain network disorder. The brain's structural and functional organization-the connectome-is profoundly disrupted by traumatic forces. However, the post-injury period…

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Synthetic BiologyOpen accessJun 10, 2026

Metabolic engineering of <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> for co-production of ergothioneine, salidroside and gadusol.

Zhang L et al. (+6)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Ergothioneine (EGT), salidroside and gadusol are high-value cosmetic ingredients valued for their moisturizing, skin-brightening and ultraviolet (UV)-protective properties. Leveraging Saccharomyces cerevisia, a GRAS organism already widely used in cosmetics, we engineered a single strain for their simultaneous co-production. We first identified the 5-histidylcysteine sulfoxide synthase domain reaction as…

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Longevity & AgingJun 10, 2026

The Hippo-YAP/TAZ axis: A central signaling hub integrating diverse cues to regulate cellular senescence.

Tan S et al. (+6)

Mechanisms of ageing and development

Cellular senescence, an irreversible state of cell cycle arrest, has emerged as a critical contributor to tissue dysfunction and organismal aging, and is implicated in a range of pathological conditions including atherosclerosis, tissue fibrosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Mounting evidence underscores the central role of the Hippo signaling pathway in regulating fundamental biological processes such as…

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Synthetic BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 8, 2026

Comprehensive evaluation of LLM capabilities for interpretation and analysis of genome-scale metabolic models in metabolic engineering

Yeoh JW et al. (+3)

bioRxiv

Genome-scale metabolic models (GSMs) underpin pathway and strain engineering by linking genes to metabolic reactions and enabling system-level simulation of cellular fluxes and intervention effects, yet end-to-end analysis workflows remain fragmented, expert-demanding, and slow to adapt. Large language models (LLMs) could transform this landscape, lowering the barrier by explaining concepts, interpreting GSM files…

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NeurotechnologyJun 8, 2026

Resting-state functional connectome correlates of suicide attempt history and childhood trauma in major depressive disorder.

Jung M et al. (+9)

Journal of affective disorders

BackgroundA prior suicide attempt is the strongest predictor of subsequent suicide mortality in major depressive disorder (MDD); however, the functional network architecture distinguishing individuals with and without a history of suicide attempts remains incompletely characterized. We applied a connectome-wide functional connectivity (FC) framework to identify FC alterations associated with suicide attempt history…

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Single-Cell & OmicsJun 6, 2026

Ubiquitination-anchored signature defines neuroendocrine prostate cancer: hub genes and single-cell ecosystem insights from integrated bioinformatics analysis of public transcriptomic datasets.

Zhao Z et al. (+10)

The aging male : the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male

BackgroundNeuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is an aggressive, treatment-refractory state that often emerges under androgen-receptor pathway inhibition. We hypothesized that dysregulated ubiquitination underpins NEPC lineage plasticity and that integrating bulk and single-cell transcriptomes would define a ubiquitination-centered signature and tumor microenvironment (TME) circuits of diagnostic and therapeutic…

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Synthetic BiologyOpen accessJun 6, 2026

Engineered bacteria in disease diagnosis and therapy: A synthetic biology perspective.

Shen Y et al. (+5)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field that integrates knowledge and techniques from modern biology and many other disciplines to design and construct novel biological systems or to modify existing life forms. Its core technologies include gene editing (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9), DNA assembly, in vivo directed evolution, and integration with artificial intelligence. The development of these technologies has…

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Longevity & AgingJun 6, 2026

Polarity probes targeting different organelles based on aza-coumarin for monitoring ferroptosis and cellular senescence.

Ni WP et al. (+4)

Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy

Polarity within the cellular microenvironment is a key physical parameter that regulates multiple biological processes, and its dysregulation is closely associated with various diseases. This work designed and synthesized three polarity-sensitive fluorescent probes (3a-3c) based on an aza-coumarin fluorophore with a D-π-A structure, leveraging the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. The optical…

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Longevity & AgingJun 6, 2026

Ferro-aging: A novel paradigm linking iron overload, lipid peroxidation and cellular senescence.

Gao S et al. (+7)

Free radical biology & medicine

Iron is a double-edged sword in aging, and age-related iron accumulation acts as a critical amplifier, rather than a sole driver, of ageing; disrupted iron homeostasis with progressive iron accumulation drives oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage and inflammaging. Ferroptosis and cellular senescence, two critical aging-related processes, share upstream drivers like oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. This…

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Single-Cell & OmicsOpen accessJun 5, 2026

Neoplastic CD3⁺ B cells remodel the DLBCL tumor microenvironment via single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.

Lang M et al. (+12)

Cancer biology & therapy

IntroductionThis study constructs a high-resolution multi-omics map of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) by integrating single-cell, single-nucleus, and spatial transcriptomics.MethodsWe identified a previously unrecognized, recurrent subset of malignant B cells that unexpectedly express CD3, a protein typically found only on T cells. This unusual CD3⁺ B cell population appears to be driven by a specific genetic…

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Cancer BiologyOpen accessJun 5, 2026

The tumor microenvironment in triple negative breast cancer and a strategy to improve responses to immunotherapy using cryoablation and immunostimulants.

Illindala R et al. (+5)

Cancer biology & therapy

One in eight women will develop breast cancer (BC) over their lifetime. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for up to 20% of BC cases and has fewer treatment options, greater metastatic potential, a higher risk of recurrence, and a poorer prognosis compared to other BC subtypes. Compared to hormone receptor-positive BCs, TNBC has more tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, a higher tumor mutational burden, and…

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Synthetic BiologyOpen accessJun 4, 2026

Leveraging the bacteria for enhanced cancer immunotherapy: from a perspective of synthetic biology.

Liu X et al. (+5)

Cancer biology & therapy

In recent years, synthetic biology has been widely applied to engineer and program cellular behaviors. Using this approach, bacteria can be designed to express immunotherapeutic agents, improve tumor targeting, and deliver therapeutic payloads directly to tumor sites. To further improve efficacy, strategies such as hypoxia-responsive promoters, bacterial swarming, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been…

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Synthetic BiologyPreprint · not peer reviewedJun 4, 2026

Synthetic Biology for Discovery and Production of Anti-Microbial Drugs

Krysenko S, Shi M, Makhoba XH

Preprints.org

Microorganisms naturally produce many pharmaceutically and industrially relevant secondary metabolites. For this process they usually use biosynthetic units. For example, microbes from the genus Streptomyces possess great ability to produce a variety of natural products in such manner, which is possible due to complicated crosstalk between primary and secondary metabolism. These microbial cell factories produce more…

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Cancer BiologyOpen accessJun 3, 2026

Metadherin: A pivotal oncogene and therapeutic target in head and neck cancer - a systematic review.

Lee S et al. (+3)

The Japanese dental science review

PurposeMetadherin (MTDH) is frequently overexpressed across human malignancies, yet its roles in head and neck cancer (HNC) remain incompletely characterized. This systematic review evaluates the biological functions, molecular mechanisms, and clinical relevance of MTDH in HNC.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted across four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science) in…

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Drug DiscoveryJun 2, 2026

Converting FGFR inhibitors into selective covalent molecular glue degraders via transposable gluing handles.

Cao X et al. (+7)

European journal of medicinal chemistry

Molecular glue degraders (MGDs) have emerged as a transformative therapeutic modality, offering the potential to deplete undruggable or pathogenic proteins. However, the rational design of MGDs remains inherently challenging compared to traditional heterobifunctional degraders. Recently, the implementation of transposable chemical gluing handles has provided an efficient approach to convert established…

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Gene EditingJun 1, 2026

A CRISPR-driven aptasensor for colorimetric monitoring of lead (II) ion assisted by rolling circle amplification process: Effective in controlling food and health safety.

Olfati Sumar M et al. (+5)

Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy

Herein, an efficient colorimetric aptasensor has been introduced for highly sensitive measurement of lead (II) ions (Pb2+) by integrating the advantages of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system, the rolling circle amplification (RCA) process, and the catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the first time. The presence of Pb2+ inactivates the CRISPR system, making it…

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Cell & Gene TherapyJun 1, 2026

Design and initial evaluation of a certified committee model for review of in vivo gene therapy and related technologies, together with ex vivo gene therapy, under the act on the safety of regenerative medicine.

Katano H et al. (+3)

Regenerative therapy

IntroductionThe 2024 amendment to the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine expanded the Act's regulatory scope to include in vivo gene therapy and related technologies. This created a need for certified committees for regenerative medicine to address associated scientific and regulatory issues. This study aimed to design and provide an initial evaluation of a practical and implementable committee model for…

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mRNA & VaccinesPreprint · not peer reviewedMay 29, 2026

Prevention of mRNA vaccine-induced anaphylaxis by peripheral cyclooxygenase inhibitors in an anti-PEG hyperimmune pig model: clinical relevance for nanomedicine-induced infusion reactions

Barta BA et al. (+8)

bioRxiv

ABSTRACT Anti-polyethylene glycol (PEG) hyperimmune pigs, immunized against PEG, provide a sensitive experimental model for the rare anaphylactic reactions induced by mRNA-PEGylated lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based COVID-19 vaccines, such as Comirnaty. These pseudo-allergic infusion reactions can usually be prevented or attenuated by multicomponent anti-inflammatory premedication regimens; however, no established…

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Drug DiscoveryOpen accessMay 27, 2026

Lysosome-directed targeted protein degradation technologies for overcoming cancer drug resistance: mechanisms, design principles, and therapeutic opportunities.

Mao H et al. (+9)

Drug delivery

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to address cancer drug resistance by enabling the selective and efficient degradation of disease-associated proteins through cellular mechanisms. Since 2020, lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs) have gained attention for expanding targeted protein degradation to extracellular and membrane-associated disease-related proteins beyond the…

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Gene EditingOpen accessMay 26, 2026

A CRISPR activation screen identifies CH25H as a restriction factor against influenza viruses by targeting accessible cholesterol.

Huang J et al. (+15)

Emerging microbes & infections

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) cause severe outbreaks with high mortality in birds and humans. A deeper understanding of cell-intrinsic defense mechanisms against influenza viruses is therefore crucial for developing novel antiviral strategies. Herein, we perform a genome-wide CRISPR activation screen to systematically elucidate host restriction factors against influenza A (H7N9) virus. Among multiple candidates…

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Drug DiscoveryMay 26, 2026

PROTAC technology: clinical applications, future challenges, and innovative strategies.

Liu F et al. (+3)

Bioorganic chemistry · 1 citation

Targeted protein degradation technology has developed rapidly in recent years as an important strategy for overcoming "undruggable" targets. Among them, protein degradation-targeting chimera (PROTAC) is the most promising targeted protein degradation technology. PROTAC molecule is a bifunctional molecule composed of E3 ubiquitin ligase ligand, target protein ligand, and linker. PROTAC molecules utilize the cellular…

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Synthetic BiologyMay 25, 2026

Enhanced production of l-histidine in <i>Escherichia coli</i> through systematic metabolic engineering and CER controlled fermentation.

Zhang B et al. (+8)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

l-Histidine is an essential amino acid with important applications in pharmaceuticals and nutrition, highlighting the demand for efficient microbial production platforms. This study developed a high-performance Escherichia coli cell factory through systematic metabolic engineering. First, we mined a feedback-resistant hisG∗ smar and the entire mutant his operon from a previously obtained high l-histidine-producing…

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mRNA & VaccinesPreprint · not peer reviewedMay 25, 2026

Rapid in vitro synthesis of DNA templates via Sidewinder for polyadenylated Hantavirus mRNA vaccine candidates

Abraham E et al. (+17)

bioRxiv

As the recent COVID-19 pandemic illustrated, zoonotic viruses and other pathogens pose a credible threat to public health. Recent advancements in vaccine technology, particularly mRNA vaccines, provide key tools for an effective and swift public health response. Although mRNA vaccines can be developed more quickly than traditional vaccines, fast and accurate construction of DNA templates for these vaccines remains a…

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Gene EditingOpen accessMay 23, 2026

Development and clinical validation of a multiplex visual POCT platform based on RT-RAA-CRISPR/Cas12a for porcine diarrheal viruses.

Chen Y et al. (+13)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine rotavirus A (PoRVA), and porcine sapelovirus (PSV) are major causative agents of severe diarrhea in swine and frequently occur as co-infections, leading to significant financial losses. To address the urgent demand for rapid, on-site, and multiplex detection, we developed a multiplex reverse transcription recombinase-aided amplification (RT-RAA)-CRISPR/Cas12a assay for…

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NeurotechnologyMay 23, 2026

Assessment of coupled phase oscillators-based modeling in swine brain connectome.

Ahmed I et al. (+7)

Journal of neuroscience methods

BackgroundLinking structural connectivity (SC) to functional connectivity (FC) through mechanistic models remained a fundamental challenge in network neuroscience. It is yet underexplored for translational animal brain models with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, we evaluated the Kuramoto model from multiple network aspects and graph features using swine TBI model.New methodWe evaluated a structurally…

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Cancer BiologyOpen accessMay 22, 2026

Mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in enhancing the efficacy and reducing the toxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitors <i>via</i> regulation of the tumor microenvironment and gut microbiota.

Pan J et al. (+3)

Journal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) face challenges of drug resistance and immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-including single herbs, compounds, and active monomers-enhances ICI efficacy and reduces toxicity by remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment, regulating gut microbiota, and modulating key immune pathways. TCM also alleviates ICI-induced colitis and myocarditis…

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Longevity & AgingOpen accessMay 21, 2026

Catalytic lactate-regulatory nanosystems attenuate cellular senescence for atherosclerosis amelioration.

Wang C et al. (+7)

Bioactive materials

Endothelial senescence is a pivotal driver in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS), a process accompanied by metabolic reprogramming and increased lactate (LA) production. The accumulated LA stimulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, establishing a self-perpetuating inflammation-senescence feedback loop that accelerates disease progression. Therefore…

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Drug DiscoveryMay 20, 2026

Targeted degradation of SETDB1 by an Aptamer-CRBNL PROTAC as a novel therapeutic strategy for breast cancer.

Huang S et al. (+10)

European journal of medicinal chemistry · 1 citation

PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) represent a novel therapeutic strategy that leverages the ubiquitin-proteasome system for targeted protein degradation. Aptamers, with their high specificity and binding affinity, have recently been explored as alternative recognition elements in PROTAC design. Here, we developed an aptamer-based PROTAC targeting SET domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1…

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AI & Protein DesignMay 19, 2026

SPLiNet: Lightweight prediction of protein-RNA interaction sites by integrating a structure-aware protein language model with a dual-branch network.

Ye H et al. (+4)

Computational biology and chemistry

Protein-RNA interactions are central to post-transcriptional regulation, yet residue-level identification of RNA-binding sites remains challenging. Sequence-based predictors often have limited ability to capture long-range dependencies, whereas structure-based pipelines commonly depend on explicit geometric modeling and additional structural preprocessing. Here, we present SPLiNet, a lightweight framework for…

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AI & Protein DesignMay 19, 2026

Multilevel cytochrome P450 engineering integrating protein language model-guided evolution enables de novo biosynthesis of amentoflavone in Escherichia coli.

Dai X et al. (+8)

Bioresource technology

Amentoflavone-type biflavonoids exhibit potent neuroprotective activities but are limited by scarce natural abundance and inefficient chemical synthesis routes. Here, we establish a stable Escherichia coli platform for de novo amentoflavone biosynthesis through multilevel engineering of a cytochrome P450-dependent oxidative coupling module. Systematic optimization of redox partner pairing, N-terminal expression…

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Single-Cell & OmicsOpen accessMay 19, 2026

Single-cell spatial immune landscape of ASFV-infected porcine lung microenvironment.

Guo H et al. (+9)

Virulence

African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection leads to severe lung lesions in the host, yet detailed insights into the in vivo immune response of the lung microenvironment to ASFV infection at the single-cell level remain limited. Here, we mapped the spatial immune landscape of the porcine lung microenvironment upon ASFV infection at single-cell resolution using an in situ multi-gene mRNA co-detection method. We…

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mRNA & VaccinesOpen accessMay 19, 2026

Enhanced immunogenicity and dose-sparing efficacy of self-amplifying RNA vaccines against seasonal influenza across subtypes.

Huang M et al. (+30)

Emerging microbes & infections

Recent clinical data on seasonal influenza mRNA vaccines have demonstrated suboptimal efficacy against the influenza B virus (IBV). We employed sequence optimization strategies that successfully enhanced the antigen expression of hemagglutinin (HA) and developed mRNA vaccine candidates targeting the WHO-recommended strains. When administered at a low dose (0.1 μg), both mono-and trivalent influenza A mRNA vaccines…

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Gene EditingOpen accessMay 17, 2026

OmniEdit: A unified CRISPR/Cas9 platform for precise genome engineering and strain optimization of the <i>Cordyceps militaris</i> cell factory.

Liu M et al. (+4)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Cordyceps militaris serves as a critical microbial cell factory for high-value bioactive compounds; however, the scarcity of versatile and sophisticated genome-editing toolsets significantly restricts its systematic metabolic engineering. This study aimed to develop OmniEdit, a unified and highly efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based platform, to streamline diverse and complex genetic modifications for strain engineering. We…

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AI & Protein DesignMay 14, 2026

Enhancement of glutaminase production through protein design and host strain modification in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

Zou D et al. (+6)

Journal of biotechnology

Glutaminase catalyzes the hydrolysis of γ-glutamyl groups to produce glutamic acid and ammonia, exhibiting broad-spectrum applications in food processing, fine chemicals, and pharmaceutical industries. However, its limited production efficiency constrains its industrial application. In this study, a small mutant library was constructed by rational protein design. Mutant strain HZ-12/pHY-glu3 (S467H) displayed a 100%…

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Drug DiscoveryMay 10, 2026

Identification of RET PROTAC with excellent degradation efficiency against medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Song J et al. (+6)

European journal of medicinal chemistry

Mutations and rearrangements of Rearranged during Transfection kinase (RET) are highly implicated with thyroid cancer. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of a targeted protein degradation (TPD) strategy against RET-associated medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The investigation of the structure-activity relationship (SAR) led to the identification of a novel RET-CRBN degrader, JW15 which possesses…

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Drug DiscoveryMay 5, 2026

Discovery of GSI526: a potent IRAK4-targeting PROTAC degrader with efficient degradation and suppression of inflammatory signaling.

Yin B et al. (+4)

Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases. However, inhibition of its kinase activity alone often results in incomplete blockade of inflammatory signaling and limited therapeutic efficacy. To address this limitation, we designed and synthesized a novel proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) aimed at degrading IRAK4. Among the synthesized compounds…

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Single-Cell & OmicsOpen accessApr 28, 2026

Integrating bulk and single-cell transcriptomic data to construct a risk model for histidine metabolism-related epithelial cell features in lung adenocarcinoma, predicting prognosis and immune landscape.

Mao C, Zhou L

RNA biology

The rising incidence and mortality of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) present a significant public health challenge. Histidine, an essential amino acid, plays a pivotal role in metabolic processes, yet its specific contribution to LUAD pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. This study obtained bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data for LUAD from UCSC Xena and Code Ocean platforms, respectively. By…

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Gene EditingOpen accessApr 27, 2026

CRISPR/Cas9 mediates precise and efficient gene editing in <i>Xanthomonas oryzae</i> pv. <i>oryzae</i>.

Luo Y, Sun S, Xi JJ

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), a non-obligate phytopathogen that causes bacterial leaf blight, poses a severe threat to rice production. Although the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system represents a versatile genome-editing tool derived from prokaryotic adaptive immunity, its application in Xoo remains largely underdeveloped. To address this, we engineered an all-in-one…

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Cell & Gene TherapyOpen accessApr 27, 2026

Remodeling memory T cells with chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors as host pre-conditioning to empower in vivo CAR-T therapy.

Sun DY et al. (+3)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely utilized in cancer treatment, exerting not only direct cytotoxic effects on tumor cells but also significantly reshaping the systemic immune status of patients, particularly the composition and function of the T cell repertoire. This review begins with the analysis of the widespread depletion and dysfunction of early T cell subsets in cancer patients…

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mRNA & VaccinesOpen accessApr 22, 2026

Self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) vaccines: Progress, evidence gaps, and translational pathways for durable and scalable immunization.

Okechukwu Paul-Chima U et al. (+4)

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics

Self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) are emerging vaccine modalities that extend conventional, non-replicating mRNA platforms. Self-amplifying RNA encodes a replicase that amplifies intracellular RNA templates, enabling high antigen expression at substantially lower doses than non-replicating mRNA. Circular RNA has a covalently closed topology that confers resistance to exonucleases and supports…

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NeurotechnologyOpen accessApr 21, 2026

Illuminating cancer therapy: The translational path of optogenetics.

Yang B et al. (+7)

Bioactive materials

Tumor recurrence, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance remain major challenges in oncology, driving the need for advanced therapeutic strategies with improved precision and controllability. Optogenetics, which enables light-mediated regulation of cellular functions, has emerged as a promising modality for cancer therapy by offering unparalleled spatiotemporal precision. This capability allows dynamic control of…

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Single-Cell & OmicsOpen accessApr 20, 2026

Spatial transcriptomics unveils immune cellular ecosystems associated with patient survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Diaz-Herrero A et al. (+11)

Oncoimmunology

Diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most prevalent subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for which current therapeutic strategies remain insufficient, in part owing to heterogeneity in tumor biology and the immune microenvironment. The diffuse nature of DLBCL represents a challenge to elucidate how malignant and immune cells are spatially organized within the tumor microenvironment (TME), and how this…

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mRNA & VaccinesApr 20, 2026

Interference of target protein translation in multivalent mRNA vaccine in cell-based assay.

Stiving AQ et al. (+7)

Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are highly effective against infectious diseases, but viral diversity has underscored the necessity for multivalent and combination vaccines. We hypothesize there could be interference of target protein translation in multivalent mRNA vaccines in cell-based assays used for potency testing. Following transfection into human cells, we observed that antigen protein translation is inhibited…

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Gene EditingOpen accessApr 19, 2026

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of the <i>GhJAZ2</i> gene improves fiber length and lint percentage in <i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.

Saleem MS et al. (+3)

GM crops & food

Cotton is regarded as a strategic agricultural commodity owing to its renewable and naturally derived fiber. With the escalating global demand for high-quality fiber, genetic improvement of fiber traits is a critical focus for sustaining and advancing the textile industry standards. The cotton GhJAZ2 gene encodes the Jasmonate ZIM-domain 2 protein, a known repressor in the jasmonic acid signaling pathway and…

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Synthetic BiologyOpen accessApr 6, 2026

Systematic metabolic engineering of <i>Escherichia coli</i> for high-level production of pseudouridine via pathway optimization and precursor enhancement.

Song J et al. (+6)

Synthetic and systems biotechnology

Pseudouridine, the C5-ribose epimer of uridine with significant biological functions and clinical applications, was efficiently produced through systematic metabolic strategy of Escherichia coli in this study. Initial overexpression of pseudouridine-5-phosphate glycosylase gene psuG and alkaline phosphatase gene YjjG in E. coli pRSFDuet-1-YjjG-psuG yielded 0.43 g L-1 pseudouridine, which increased 8.56-fold with 5 g…

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Single-Cell & OmicsApr 1, 2026

Single-cell transcriptome deciphers key targets of thrombopoietin receptor agonists and immune microenvironment characteristics of immune thrombocytopenia.

Wang W et al. (+5)

Platelets

Thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) represent a cornerstone in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) management, yet their molecular mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. This study systematically deciphered the key targets and signaling networks of four TPO-RAs (romiplostim, eltrombopag, avatrombopag, hetrombopag) in ITP pathogenesis. Network pharmacology was integrated with single-cell high-dimensional…

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NeurotechnologyOpen accessMar 19, 2026

Application and prospects of brain-computer interface technology for motor function reconstruction after brachial plexus injury.

Song S, Li X, Pan P

Annals of medicine

BackgroundBrachial plexus injury (BPI) is a severe peripheral nerve disorder leading to significant upper limb motor dysfunction. While traditional surgeries like nerve grafting and tendon transfer exist, functional outcomes are often suboptimal due to biomechanical limitations and slow neural recovery. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology has emerged as a promising innovative pathway for motor function…

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Cell & Gene TherapyOpen accessMar 9, 2026

Preclinical advances and mechanistic insights of CAR-T therapy for acute myeloid leukemia: from target iteration to microenvironment regulation.

Xiao Y et al. (+7)

Annals of medicine

IntroductionRelapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) carries a dismal prognosis, primarily due to profound biological heterogeneity and the scarcity of effective targeted therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has emerged as a transformative investigational strategy for AML by genetically engineering T cells to specifically target tumour antigens; however, its clinical translation is…

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mRNA & VaccinesPreprint · not peer reviewedMar 7, 2026

Dirty mice better recapitulate key features of mRNA vaccine immunogenicity observed in humans

Praena B et al. (+14)

bioRxiv

Although specific pathogen free (SPF) mice have traditionally been used to test candidate vaccines, recent work has demonstrated that “dirty” mice with broad microbial exposure more appropriately recapitulate human immune responses. Using a model where lab mice are co-housed with pet store mice, we modeled SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine responses in dirty and traditional SPF models. We found that dirty mice show reduced…

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mRNA & VaccinesMar 2, 2026

Computational prediction and molecular simulation-based development of a multi-epitope mRNA vaccine targeting capsule polysaccharide proteins of Enterobacter cloacae.

Singh S, Swaminathan P

Computational biology and chemistry

Enterobacter cloacae (EC) is a common emergent pathogen that is associated with various infections, including pulmonary infections, sepsis, urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, and outbreaks in neonatal intensive care units. Consequently, developing innovative vaccines against Enterobacter cloacae is critically important. This study focuses on five capsule polysaccharide (CPS) proteins from…

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AI & Protein DesignPreprint · not peer reviewedFeb 25, 2026

Alphafold, Foldseek and MD in NOTCH3 variants: a cohort study

Men X et al. (+6)

medRxiv

Background and Objectives Notch homolog 3 (NOTCH3) gene variants were fully penetrant to produce the disease phenotype of CADASIL. Aberrant NOTCH3 protein leads to degeneration of vascular SMCs and pericytes, targeting microcirculation dysfunction and blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage. Methods We evaluated neuroimaging data of forty patients with NOTCH3 gene variants including eighteen missense/insertion mutations…

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Cell & Gene TherapyFeb 18, 2026

Time to access matters: patient gains from faster CAR T-cell reimbursement in Europe.

Tan YZ et al. (+9)

Journal of medical economics

BackgroundDespite clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness, time to reimbursement for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies varies greatly across Europe. We examined these differences, and quantified potential patient benefits with faster access.MethodsA targeted literature search collated reimbursement statuses for all approved CAR T-cell therapy indications by 1 October 2024. Time to reimbursement…

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Cell & Gene TherapyOpen accessFeb 17, 2026

Safety and immunogenicity of an investigational mRNA-lipid nanoparticle-based monovalent influenza vaccine: Results from a phase 1, randomized, dose-escalation study.

Leroux-Roels I et al. (+16)

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics

This first-in-human, randomized, controlled, phase 1 proof-of-principle study evaluated the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of an investigational mRNA-based monovalent influenza vaccine encoding influenza A/H1N1 hemagglutinin (FLUmHA). Younger adults (YA) aged 18-45 y received one dose of FLUmHA at one of 10 dose levels (0.5-100 µg, n = 24/25 per group) or licensed Flu Dresden-quadrivalent seasonal…

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Gene EditingOpen accessFeb 11, 2026

The influence of GMO media strategies on public perceptions of CRISPR crop technologies in Southern Ontario.

Goudar P, Hall A

GM crops & food

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have often divided public opinion, one factor influencing perceptions of GMO technologies has been misunderstood or poorly communicated scientific messaging. However, advancements in gene editing tools like CRISPR/Cas9 offer new crop modification possibilities, prompting different regulatory frameworks than traditional GMO technologies. This research examines public…

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Gene EditingOpen accessFeb 10, 2026

Advancing climate adaptation in saffron through CRISPR-based modulation of stress tolerance and photoperiodic flowering control.

Ullah Q et al. (+7)

GM crops & food

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a high-value crop known for its intricate harvesting process and limited production due to factors like triploid sterility and specific climatic needs. This review discusses biotechnological methods, particularly CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, aimed at improving heat and drought tolerance and achieving year-round flowering. Such genetic edits as evidenced with experimental CRISPR/Cas9…

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Cell & Gene TherapyOpen accessFeb 9, 2026

From technological iteration to clinical breakthrough: advances of CAR-T cell therapy in autoimmune diseases.

Yu B, Xu J, Cui Y

Annals of medicine · 1 citation

BackgroundChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) -T cell therapy has emerged as a promising approach for treating severe autoimmune diseases (AIDs), offering distinct advantages over conventional immunosuppressive therapies. This review examines recent advancements in both autologous and allogeneic CAR-T platforms for AIDs.MethodsWe analyzed preclinical and clinical evidence regarding CAR-T therapies. These therapies…

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Cell & Gene TherapyOpen accessJan 6, 2026

The burdens, coping strategies, and unmet needs of family caregivers of Chinese patients with lymphoma receiving commercial CAR-T-cell therapy: A qualitative study.

Lin X et al. (+6)

Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing

ObjectiveThis study aimed to describe the caregiving experiences, coping strategies, and unmet health care needs of family caregivers supporting Chinese patients with large B-cell lymphoma receiving commercial chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.MethodsA qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 19 primary family caregivers at a university-affiliated cancer centre…

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mRNA & VaccinesOpen accessJan 6, 2026

Influence of the administration route and dose on the expression and antibody responses of a reporter and avian influenza self-amplifying mRNA vaccine in poultry.

Snoeck J et al. (+4)

The veterinary quarterly

Vaccination is routinely used in industrial poultry to control infectious diseases. Vaccines based on mRNA and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) are approved for human use, but research on their application in poultry is limited. In this study the saRNA vaccine platform is evaluated in poultry. First, a luciferase-encoding saRNA (luc-saRNA) was tested as a model vaccine across different administration routes and doses in…

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NeurotechnologyNov 24, 2025

Control analysis of deep brain stimulation and optogenetics for Alzheimer's disease under the computational cortex model.

Zhang Y, Zhang H, Shen Z

Cognitive neurodynamics

Abnormal τ and β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is significantly associated with cognitive decline. This abnormal deposition has been reported to be linked to increased excitatory and inhibitory time constants in neural circuits. In this paper, we focus on three typical electroencephalography (EEG) slowdowns clinically reported in association with AD, including…

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NeurotechnologySep 3, 2025

Technical system of electroencephalography-based brain-computer interface: Advances, applications, and challenges.

Yu H et al. (+4)

Neural regeneration research · 2 citations

Electroencephalography-based brain-computer interfaces have revolutionized the integration of neural signals with technological systems, offering transformative solutions across neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and clinical practice. This review systematically analyzes advancements in electroencephalography-based brain-computer interface architectures, emphasizing four pillars, namely signal acquisition…

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