🧠 Neuro-oncology & Brain Aging
Multidimensional profiling of heterogeneity in supratentorial ependymomas.
This study dissects supratentorial ependymomas, an aggressive childhood brain cancer, using multidimensional profiling to map tumor heterogeneity and link it to neurodevelopmental cell-type features. By integrating molecular and cellular signatures, the work refines our understanding of tumor origins and potential vulnerabilities.
Impact: Provides a high-resolution atlas of childhood brain tumor heterogeneity to inform targeted therapies.
Jeong D et al., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10214-2
Cell-type-specific transposon demethylation and TAD remodeling in aging mouse brain.
Researchers generated a multi-omic single-nucleus atlas of the aging mouse brain, integrating DNA methylation, chromatin conformation, accessibility, transcriptomics, and spatial transcriptomics across regions. They uncover cell-type-specific transposable element demethylation, TAD remodeling, and spatially heterogeneous aging signatures, and build deep-learning models that predict age-related gene expression changes.
Impact: Delivers a rich multi-modal and spatial resource that links epigenomic remodeling to region-specific brain aging.
Zeng Q et al., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.02.015
Multi-modal dissection of cell-type specific TDP-43 pathology in the motor cortex.
By combining nuclear sorting, single-nucleus multi-omic ATAC/RNA-seq, and spatial transcriptomics, this work pinpoints which motor cortex cell types are most affected by TDP-43 pathology in ALS and ALS-FTD. The study shows that specific excitatory neuron subtypes carry distinct transcriptional aberrations, including cryptic exon inclusion, underscoring the cell-type specificity of TDP-43–driven dysfunction.
Impact: Defines vulnerable neuronal subtypes and cell-type-specific transcriptional signatures of TDP-43 pathology to guide precision interventions in ALS/FTD.
Ruf WP et al., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69944-6
Selective weakening of population-coupled synaptic activity in vivo in a mouse model of amyloid-beta pathology.
Using in vivo recordings, the authors examine how early amyloid-β pathology alters synaptic function in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. They show that AD-related synaptic dysfunction is not global but selectively weakens population-coupled synaptic activity, pointing to specific circuit elements as early drivers of disease.
Impact: Refines our understanding of early AD synaptic pathology by identifying selectively vulnerable synapse populations.
Melgosa-Ecenarro L et al., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69866-3
🧠🧬 Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Whole-embryo spatial transcriptomics at subcellular resolution from gastrulation to organogenesis.
This work introduces weMERFISH, a whole-embryo imaging platform that maps expression of hundreds of genes at subcellular resolution across zebrafish development, alongside a comprehensive atlas of gene expression and chromatin accessibility. Integration with live imaging reveals how distinct temporal dynamics and regulatory element usage shape tissue-specific expression patterns and morphogenesis.
Impact: Establishes a benchmark whole-embryo spatial transcriptomic and epigenomic atlas for dissecting developmental gene regulation.
Wan Y et al., https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adt3439
Gene expression dynamics of human and mouse craniofacial development at the single-cell level.
The authors generate single-nucleus RNA-seq profiles of human craniofacial development from 4–8 weeks post-conception and compare them with matched mouse datasets and spatial transcriptomics. They identify conserved and anatomically distinct cell subtypes, link cellular programs to normal facial morphology, and pinpoint ectodermal and epithelial subtypes affected by variants associated with orofacial clefts.
Impact: Provides a cross-species single-cell and spatial resource that connects craniofacial cell states to birth-defect risk loci.
Khouri-Farah N et al., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70232-6
🧬🛡️ Immunology & Immune Development
Spatial cartography of human thymus enables the geopositioning of lineage transcription factors in rare mimetic thymic epithelial cells.
Using Stereo-seq spatial transcriptomics and proteomics, this study builds a detailed spatial atlas of human fetal and pediatric thymus architecture, including cortex, medulla, and septa regions. The authors localize lineage-defining transcription factors in rare mimetic thymic epithelial cells, clarifying how these specialized cells are positioned and regulated within the thymic microenvironment.
Impact: Offers a high-resolution spatial map of the human thymus that pinpoints transcriptional regulators in rare epithelial subsets crucial for T cell education.
Kamaraj US et al., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68596-w
🧴🧬 Regenerative Medicine & Dermatology
Nanozyme Catalysis Restores Hair Follicle Integrity by Reversing Peroxisomal Collapse.
This study identifies peroxisomal dysfunction as a core metabolic defect in alopecia, supported by transcriptomics in human dermal papilla cells and a Nudt7-deficient mouse model. Catalytic nanozymes mimicking peroxisomal catalase restore redox balance, enhance PPARα-driven peroxisome biogenesis, and promote robust hair regeneration, with spatial transcriptomics confirming activation of keratin and cytoskeletal gene programs.
Impact: Introduces a metabolism-focused nanozyme therapy that rejuvenates peroxisome function and restores hair follicle integrity, outperforming minoxidil.
Jiang S et al., https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c15733
🎯🧪 Cancer Research & Therapy
In Situ Needle-Free Injection of Multiretention Micelles for Melanoma Therapy with Multiomics Insights into Tumor Targeting and Immune Modulation.
The authors develop a needle-free jet injection system delivering multiretention paclitaxel-loaded micelles that achieve thermo-enabled local deposition, pH-responsive release, and folate-receptor–mediated targeting in melanoma. Multiomics analyses including single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and proteomics reveal both direct tumor suppression and extensive remodeling of the immune microenvironment, ECM, and fibrosis.
Impact: Demonstrates a minimally invasive, spatially informed nanotherapy that enhances local drug retention and reshapes the melanoma immune landscape.
Song K et al., https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c01481
🤖🧫 Computational Methods & Multi-Omics Integration
CoMBCR: Co-Learning Multi-Modalities of BCRs and Gene Expressions.
CoMBCR is a computational framework that jointly embeds B cell receptor sequences and corresponding gene expression profiles into a unified latent space. By co-learning these modalities, the method improves downstream analyses such as clonotype characterization, state clustering, and functional annotation of B cell responses.
Impact: Enables integrated, multi-modal analysis of B cell receptors and transcriptomes for deeper insights into humoral immunity and repertoire dynamics.
Zou Y et al., https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btag115