🧬 biology

RFX4 maintains excitatory–inhibitory balance through WNT-dependent cortical patterning: implications for neurodevelopmental disorders

This study demonstrates that the transcription factor RFX4 is essential for maintaining excitatory–inhibitory balance in human cortical organoids by directly regulating WNT signaling, thereby providing a mechanistic link between RFX4 dysfunction and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Min Young Lee, So Jin Kim, Museog Choe, Won Hee Jung, Ye Seong Jeon, Ju Yeon Lee, Sehwan Park, Murim Choi, Hyo Geun Shin (…)2026-08-06
🧬 biology

CCNIF: A Reproducible Causal-Network Framework for Prioritizing and Characterizing Candidate Cancer Driver Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma

This paper introduces CCNIF, a reproducible computational framework that prioritizes and characterizes candidate cancer driver genes in lung adenocarcinoma by integrating mutation and expression data with multi-domain evidence profiles, successfully validating known drivers like TP53 and EGFR while providing a ranked, confidence-scored panel of candidates for further experimental investigation.

Mohd Sameer, Pankaj Chauhan2026-08-06
🧬 biology

Hepatic injury signals drive proteomic reprogramming of the mesenchymal stem cells secretome to counteract liver damage

This study demonstrates that priming human neonatal mesenchymal stem cells with signals from paracetamol-injured liver cells reprograms their secretome to enhance hepatocyte viability, reduce oxidative stress, and restore metabolic function, thereby supporting the development of targeted secretome-based therapies for acute liver failure.

Ana S. Serras, Sérgio P. Camões, Joana S. Rodrigues, Joel M. Vej-Nielsen, Rui Vitorino, Joana P. Miranda2026-08-06
🧬 biology

Reliance on atmospheric nitrogen increases along a soil salinity gradient and coordinates with ion-regulation and water-use traits in a halophytic desert legume (Halimodendron halodendron)

In the hyper-arid Tarim Basin, the halophytic legume *Halimodendron halodendron* maintains leaf nitrogen levels by increasing its reliance on atmospheric nitrogen fixation as soil salinity rises, but this adaptive strategy cannot prevent growth decline because the physiological costs of ion regulation and water conservation ultimately constrain biomass.

Chang Kun Ma, Qiuping Fu, Quanjiu Wang, Yan Xu, Xiaoxu Jia2026-08-06
🧬 biology

Metagenomic characterization of the gut microbiota of Actinopyga echinites reveals ecological functions and untapped biotechnological potential

This study presents the first metagenomic characterization of the gut microbiota of the vulnerable sea cucumber *Actinopyga echinites* from the Philippines, revealing a stable, diverse microbial community with significant roles in host nutrition and benthic nutrient cycling, as well as untapped potential for biotechnological applications in aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, and environmental bioremediation.

Jomar F. Besoña, Elgen M. Arriesgado, Marjel M. Broce, Fernand F. Fagutao, Marnelle B. Sornito, Erwin Jones A. Tucong, M (…)2026-08-06
🧬 biology

Histone H3S28 Phosphorylation Promotes a Senescence-Associated Survival Program Following PARP Inhibition in Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

This study reveals that histone H3S28 phosphorylation, mediated by MSK1/2, acts as a chromatin-based adaptive mechanism that promotes a senescence-associated survival program and contributes to PARP inhibitor resistance in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Anna Tomàs Pujolà, Evangelos Manousakis, Clàudia Martinez Miralles, Houda Baccara, Laia Liñán Franquet, Roberto Ferrari (…)2026-08-06
🧬 biology

Computational Evaluation of Antimalarial Potential of Cordyceps Militaris-Derived Bioactive Compounds Against Essential Plasmodium falciparum Targets Using Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

This study utilizes an integrated computational pipeline to identify Brassicasterol, a sterol-derived metabolite from *Cordyceps militaris*, as a promising novel antimalarial lead with superior binding affinity and stability against *Plasmodium falciparum* targets compared to the reference drug Artemisinin.

Supriya Maurya, Priya Rani, Saba Ehsan, Anupriya Chaudhary, Mohan P. Singh2026-08-06
🧬 biology

Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in Soil-Dwelling Bacteria from Selected Parts of Tanzania Highlight Soil as a Reservoir of Antimicrobial Resistance

This study identifies soil in Tanzania as a significant reservoir of antimicrobial resistance, revealing that Gram-negative bacterial isolates exhibit high resistance to β-lactams and highlighting the need to integrate environmental surveillance into the country's One Health monitoring framework.

Sabina D Hidat, Joan Masatu, Nelson Enos Masota, Rogers Mwakalukwa, Joseph Sempombe, Chantal Bader, Doreen Mloka2026-08-06
🧬 biology

A novel mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis established by in situ lung injection of bleomycin

This study establishes a novel, stable, and easy-to-operate mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis using in situ left-lung bleomycin injection, which demonstrates superior consistency and survival rates compared to traditional intratracheal instillation and effectively validates the antifibrotic efficacy of nintedanib.

Guoqiang Liao, Lei Qu, Qihui Luo, Ting Fan, Shengjian Huang, Xuhua Mao, Beizhong Chen, Zhengli Chen2026-08-06
🧬 biology

Coupled clamp–stack–ion energetics encode the stability of reversed uridine-tetrad RNA G- quadruplex caps

This study employs a novel coupled state-space inference (CSSI) framework to computationally demonstrate that the stability of reversed uridine-tetrad RNA G-quadruplex caps is encoded by a cooperative mechanism involving backbone reversal, cap–core stacking, and terminal cation organization, yielding calibrated predictions that support a falsifiable clamp–stack–ion energetic model.

Chandrika Murugaiah2026-08-06