Cell biology is the study of life at its most fundamental unit: the cell. This field explores how these microscopic building blocks function, communicate, and replicate to sustain living organisms, from the simplest bacteria to complex human tissues. By understanding the machinery inside a cell, scientists unlock secrets about growth, disease, and the very nature of existence itself.

At Gist.Science, we track every new preprint uploaded to bioRxiv within this dynamic category. Our team processes each submission to provide both accessible plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries, ensuring you can grasp complex discoveries without getting lost in dense jargon. Below are the latest papers in cell biology, offering a fresh look at the inner workings of life as they are shared with the world.

📄 cell biology

Lung progenitors exhaustion in response to microenvironment stress during aging

This study demonstrates that while aged lung epithelial progenitors maintain regenerative capacity through enhanced autophagy, their overall function is compromised by an aging fibroblast niche characterized by senescence, mTORC1 activation, and reduced autophagy, which impairs organoid formation and increases susceptibility to mechanical stress.

Toscano-Marquez, F., Garcia-Vicente, A., Camacho-Silverio, U., Valdivia-Herrera, T., Rio de la Loza, M., Hernandez-Xochi (…)2026-02-19
📄 cell biology

Apical actin filament turnover mediated by cyclase-associated protein is required for organization of non-centrosomal microtubules in epithelium

This study demonstrates that in Drosophila epithelial cells, Cyclase-Associated Protein (CAP)-mediated turnover of apical actin filaments is essential to prevent actin accumulation from sterically excluding microtubules, thereby ensuring proper organization of non-centrosomal microtubules and maintaining epithelial polarity and function.

Babu, A. P., Muralidharan, S., Kogan, K., Kotila, T., Hietakangas, V., Mattila, J., Poukkula, M.2026-02-18
📄 cell biology

Membrane lipid composition and endocytosis modulate Wingless release from secreting cells

This study demonstrates that membrane lipid composition and endocytosis facilitate the dissociation of the lipid-modified Wingless ligand from its carrier Wntless at the apical surface, preventing aggregation and enabling its subsequent trafficking to the basolateral membrane for gradient formation.

Alvarez-Rodrigo, I., Alexandre, C., Lebarbachon, C., Borg, A., Finley, H., Arahouan, I., Zhao, Y., Di Pietro, F., Kjaer (…)2026-02-18
📄 cell biology

Structural evolution of the MTCH family of mitochondrial insertases

This study establishes MTCH2 as the defining member of a conserved mitochondrial outer membrane insertase family, revealing through cryo-EM and mutational analysis that its unique structure—featuring a lipid-accessible groove formed by the loss of a transmembrane helix—enables a universal mechanism for protein insertion across all kingdoms of life.

Stevens, T. A., Luo, Z., Lee, C., Hazu, M., Galatis, E. G., Inglis, A. J., Guna, A., Voorhees, R. M.2026-02-18
📄 cell biology

Pharmacological Inhibition of SLC33A1 Promotes Endoplasmic Reticulum Hyperoxidation and Induces Adaptive IRE1/XBP1s Signaling

This study identifies IXA4 as the first pharmacologic inhibitor of SLC33A1, demonstrating that its binding to the transporter disrupts ER glutathione homeostasis to induce adaptive IRE1/XBP1s signaling and selectively kill KEAP1-deficient lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Kutseikin, S., Rafiq, M., Bora, P., Liu, S., Homan, R. A., Mindrebo, J. T., Holcomb, M., Petrassi, H. M., Qiu, H., Redki (…)2026-02-18
📄 cell biology

Differential assembly of RNP granules via activation of distinct dsRNA sensors by adenovirus mutants

This study demonstrates that distinct adenovirus mutants differentially activate dsRNA sensors to drive the assembly of unique ribonucleoprotein condensates—PKR-dependent stress granules or PKR-independent RNase L-dependent bodies—revealing novel pathways linking viral RNA sensing to translational control and granule formation.

Weitzman, M. D., Burke, J., Scudero, O. B., Price, A. M., Steinbock, R. T., Abbott, A. R. N., Kulej, K., Chan, H. M., Ag (…)2026-02-18
📄 cell biology

Physiological febrile heat stress increases cytoadhesion through increased protein trafficking of Plasmodium falciparum surface proteins into the red blood cell

This study demonstrates that physiologically relevant febrile heat stress enhances the cytoadhesion of *Plasmodium falciparum*-infected red blood cells by accelerating the trafficking and phosphorylation of virulence proteins like PfEMP1 to the cell surface without altering overall protein expression or parasite development.

Jones, D., Belda, H., Broncel, M., Fuchs, G., Anaguano, D., Nofal, S. D., Treeck, M.2026-02-17