In a groundbreaking decade-long study analyzing São Paulo’s urban landscape, researchers have revealed how the expansion of bike lanes and public parks profoundly influences physical activity and public health. Between 2014 and 2024, the city’s bike lane network surged from 242 to 743 kilometers, complemented by the addition of 15 municipal parks. This urban transformation was linked to increased transport-related cycling, emphasizing the critical role of accessible infrastructure within a 500-meter radius of residents’ homes.

The study’s multidisciplinary approach combined longitudinal surveys of 1,500 residents with geospatial datasets from the Geosampa platform, enabling precise correlation between environmental changes and behavior. Findings indicate that proximity to bike lanes significantly counteracts declining bicycle use trends, suggesting these facilities serve as protective factors promoting sustained physical activity. Such activity reduction directly translates to lower risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and improved mental health outcomes like reduced anxiety and depression.

Importantly, the research underscores active transportation infrastructure not only as a logistical planning tool but as a vital public health strategy. By reducing reliance on automobiles, these interventions diminish air pollution and traffic-related accidents, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. However, the study highlights uneven developments: wealthier neighborhoods received disproportionate infrastructure investments, calling for policy shifts to equip underserved zones with similar amenities.

Beyond infrastructural improvements, the researchers emphasize that sociocultural elements and affordability constraints also limit cycling uptake. Despite increased bike lanes, economic barriers such as the high cost of bicycles and gender disparities in cycling participation suggest that integrated approaches—encompassing recreational street design, bike-sharing expansions, and commuter support facilities—are necessary for meaningful behavioral shifts.

An illustrative testimony comes from a local photographer who transitioned from motorbike to bicycle commuting due to new bike bridges providing direct, safer routes. While embracing cycling’s growth, he voices concerns about road space allocation favoring cars and the emerging challenges of cyclists’ vulnerability amid the rise of faster electric bikes. Additionally, issues of public safety and bike theft remain barriers to broader adoption.

Overall, the findings reveal that São Paulo’s urban planning efforts over the past decade represent a promising model of how thoughtfully designed public open spaces can foster healthier, more sustainable cities. Still, ensuring equitable access and addressing multifaceted cultural and socioeconomic factors remain essential for realizing the full potential of active transport systems.

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Subject of Research: Public open spaces and transport-related cycling in urban environments
Article Title: A decade-long study on public open spaces and transport-related cycling in the largest Brazilian city
News Publication Date: 13-Apr-2026
Web References: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2026.102323
Image Credits: Phelipe Janning/Agência FAPESP

Keywords

Urban planning, Transportation, Public health, Cycling, Active transportation, São Paulo, Infrastructure, Mental health

Chromosome instability and aneuploidy have long posed a conundrum in cancer biology, profoundly shaping tumor genomes yet remaining challenging to decode functionally. In a groundbreaking study published in Nature, Al-Zahrani et al. unveil a novel approach, CRISPR-KOALA, that systematically links large-scale chromosomal alterations to specific cancer-driving genes in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC).

BLBC, a highly aggressive subtype characterized by extensive copy-number alterations (CNAs), often harbors arm-level chromosomal imbalances whose contribution to tumorigenesis remains elusive. The researchers developed CRISPR-KOALA to conduct high-throughput bidirectional genetic screens directly in immunocompetent mouse models, overcoming previous barriers related to the complexity and scale of genes affected by aneuploidy.

By focusing on the ten most frequent human chromosome-arm alterations seen in BLBC, the team screened over 3,700 mouse orthologues of genes located on these arms. The screen identified 90 putative cancer driver genes—a majority of which had not been previously linked to cancer—revealing a diverse functional landscape shaping tumor biology. Among the implicated pathways were key signaling networks such as MAPK, HIPPO, and WNT, highlighting the heterogeneity intrinsic to BLBC progression.

Strikingly, manipulating these driver genes in Trp53-mutant mouse models was sufficient to bypass the need for whole-arm CNAs, suggesting that tumors exploit specific genes within broad chromosomal alterations to fuel oncogenesis. This finding challenges the traditional view that arm-level aneuploidies function merely as genomic chaos, instead presenting them as evolutionary selections for particular drivers.

One gene, PLGRKT, localized on chromosome 9p, emerged as a potent oncogene. The team showed that PLGRKT promotes tumor growth by enhancing mitochondrial robustness and boosting reactive oxygen species detoxification. This mechanistic insight connects chromosomal instability not only to genetic selection but also to metabolic adaptations that support cancer cell survival under stress.

Overall, this study delivers a transformative platform and a compendium of cancer drivers that illuminate how aneuploidy sculpts tumor heterogeneity. By delineating driver genes nested within widespread CNAs, it provides an invaluable resource for targeting breast cancer’s genetic complexity with greater precision.

The implications extend beyond breast cancer, offering a blueprint for dissecting arm-level aneuploidy in diverse malignancies. As cancer therapies increasingly focus on genetic vulnerabilities, CRISPR-KOALA represents a leap toward untangling the intricate link between chromosome-level alterations and oncogenic processes.

This work underscores the power of integrating genomic data with functional genetics in vivo, setting the stage for novel drug targets and therapeutic strategies aimed at the underexplored realm of aneuploidy-driven tumorigenesis.

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Subject of Research: Chromosome instability and cancer driver genes in basal-like breast cancer

Article Title: Aneuploidy selects for the acquisition of driver genes in breast cancer

Article References:
Al-Zahrani, K.N., Langille, E.R., Nurtanto, J. et al. Aneuploidy selects for the acquisition of driver genes in breast cancer. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10752-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10752-9

A groundbreaking imaging technology developed by researchers at the University of Oklahoma promises to revolutionize liver transplant evaluations by enabling more comprehensive and rapid assessments of donor organ health. With thousands of patients awaiting liver transplants nationwide, transplant teams urgently need tools that can deliver swift, accurate insights without invasive procedures. The team, led by Dr. Qinggong Tang, has adapted polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT)—an advanced imaging modality originally utilized in retinal scans—to noninvasively evaluate donor livers at high resolution.

Traditional liver assessments rely heavily on biopsies, where small tissue samples are extracted and examined for signs of disease or damage. While considered the gold standard, biopsies are inherently limited, providing only a microscopic snapshot of a vast organ that may vary in condition. This narrow sampling can cause uncertainty, sometimes leading to the discard of viable organs. The OU team sought to overcome these limitations by employing PS-OCT, which not only captures detailed cross-sectional images of liver tissue but also measures its polarization properties, revealing subtle structural and biochemical features linked to liver health.

The engineers designed a portable PS-OCT system optimized for clinical and operating room environments, allowing transplant teams to scan liver surfaces quickly and noninvasively. The imaging data are then analyzed using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, co-developed with Dr. Chongle Pan’s computer science lab. These AI tools quantify critical parameters indicative of hepatic steatosis (fat accumulation) and inflammation, two primary factors influencing liver viability. By training their models on datasets from over thirty clinical cases—comparing PS-OCT results with biopsy outcomes and post-transplant organ function—the researchers demonstrated strong correlations between imaging biomarkers and actual clinical metrics.

Beyond providing a more holistic view of donor liver condition, PS-OCT could enhance decision-making speed, potentially expanding the pool of organs deemed suitable for transplantation by identifying healthy tissue regions missed by biopsy. Such improvements may reduce organ discard rates and improve transplant success. Encouraged by initial findings, the OU team plans a large multisite clinical trial involving institutions like UT Southwestern and the Cleveland Clinic to validate and refine this approach across diverse patient populations.

This work exemplifies OU’s interdisciplinary innovation platform that integrates optical bioimaging, machine learning, pathology, and organ perfusion technology to translate engineering advances directly into clinical practice. The researchers also intend to extend PS-OCT evaluation methods to other organs, including kidneys and lungs, widening the impact of this technology.

Supported by National Science Foundation grants and institutional partnerships, the team’s efforts mark a significant step toward redefining how transplanted organs are assessed. Dr. Tang emphasizes that this is just the beginning, envisioning a future where noninvasive, AI-enhanced imaging facilitates safer, faster, and more effective organ transplantation worldwide.

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Subject of Research: Donor liver evaluation using advanced imaging techniques
Article Title: Human donor liver viability evaluation with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography
News Publication Date: 24-Jun-2026
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adv7124
Image Credits: University of Oklahoma / Ellie Pinter

Keywords

Organ transplantation, Optical coherence tomography, Polarization-sensitive imaging, Liver viability, Artificial intelligence, Biomedical imaging, Noninvasive diagnostics, Medical innovation

In a groundbreaking fusion of cutting-edge technology and dermatological research, scientists at Biohub have unveiled novel therapeutic targets for psoriasis by conducting the first comprehensive genome-wide CRISPR screen in primary human adult skin cells. By overcoming the longstanding technical hurdle of delivering CRISPR components into notoriously resistant keratinocytes without toxicity, the team utilized centrifuge-based transfection to probe the genetic regulators involved in psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disorder affecting millions globally.

This innovative approach involved knocking out approximately 19,000 genes in keratinocytes sourced from human donors using a vast CRISPR guide RNA library. The focus was on modulating IL17RA, a pivotal receptor that mediates skin inflammation, to chart a genome-wide landscape of genes influencing inflammatory pathways directly in the skin’s outermost layer. The resultant massive data set was then mined using an AI-driven model, VirtualCRISPR, which cross-referenced each gene’s significance against existing scientific literature to highlight previously unrecognized contributors to psoriasis pathology.

Strikingly, this AI-guided screen pinpointed two promising protein targets: ALOX5, an enzyme targeted by the asthma medication zileuton, and OXTR, the gene encoding for the oxytocin receptor, a surprising candidate unassociated before with skin inflammation. Validation experiments in 3D reconstructed human skin cultures demonstrated that zileuton modulates keratinocyte metabolism to suppress inflammation independently from immune cells, revealing a direct pharmacological avenue.

Importantly, topical formulations containing zileuton and cligosiban, an OXTR antagonist, were tested in a mouse model of psoriasis, achieving comparable efficacy to standard injected biologics that broadly suppress immune function. Beyond mitigating inflammation, OXTR inhibition appeared to restore skin barrier integrity—a crucial factor in chronic disease progression—spotlighting this receptor as a novel therapeutic axis.

Unlike current systemic therapies, which often carry risks of broad immunosuppression and high costs, these localized topical interventions promise targeted treatment with minimal systemic exposure. Moreover, the safety profiles of zileuton and OXTR antagonists are well-established in clinical settings, potentially accelerating their repurposing for dermatological applications.

This study exemplifies the transformative power of integrating AI with high-dimensional genetic screening to unravel complex disease mechanisms in cell types previously inaccessible to large-scale functional genomics. By enabling direct investigation into keratinocyte biology, the research not only charts a course for new psoriasis treatments but also sets a precedent for applying similar methodologies to other inflammatory conditions.

As psoriasis affects roughly 125 million people worldwide, innovations enabling precise, effective, and safer therapies could revolutionize patient care. Biohub’s approach heralds a new era where AI-guided CRISPR screens expedite the discovery of unexpected drug targets and foster the development of locally acting, biology-informed treatments.

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Subject of Research: Psoriasis therapeutic targets via genome-wide CRISPR screening of human skin cells

Article Title: AI-guided CRISPR screening reveals therapeutic targets in psoriasis

News Publication Date: 8-Jul-2026

Web References:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75249-5

References:
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75249-5

Image Credits: Biohub

Keywords

Psoriasis, CRISPR, Oxytocin receptor, ALOX5, Zileuton, Cligosiban, Keratinocytes, AI-guided screening, Inflammation, Topical therapeutics

A groundbreaking study unveils how the ARP2/3 complex orchestrates the dynamic behavior of neurites, providing fresh insights into neuronal growth and polarity. Researchers utilized advanced optogenetic tools to manipulate RAC1, an upstream regulator of ARP2/3, revealing spatially distinct roles of actin assembly in neuronal morphology.

By employing photoactivatable RAC1 (PA-RAC1), the team demonstrated that ARP2/3-mediated actin assembly at neurite tips promotes growth cone activation and neurite extension. Local activation of PA-RAC1 triggered robust growth cone dynamics, driving neurite elongation. Conversely, activation of a dominant-negative RAC1 mutant led to collapse of the growth cone and neurite retraction, underscoring ARP2/3’s role in sustaining neurite advancement.

Intriguingly, PA-RAC1 activation at the soma induced lamellipodia formation reminiscent of nascent actin waves, which were associated with neurite retraction events. This phenomenon mirrored intrinsic cellular behaviors where somatic actin waves correspond with retracting neurites. The study elegantly showed that the emergence of these waves reduced somatic actin patch intensity, indicating a tightly regulated cytoskeletal oscillator mechanism.

The authors further explored the effects of ARP2/3 inhibition using CK-666 perfusion at distinct cellular locales. When applied over the soma and proximal neurites, CK-666 induced neurite retraction, whereas neurites outside this region continued growing unabated. Notably, actin waves were initiated in neurites outside the inhibited zone, propagating retrogradely toward the soma but dissipating upon entering CK-666-exposed areas. This highlights a spatial dependence of ARP2/3 activity for wave initiation and propagation.

Remarkably, simultaneous activation of PA-RAC1 at multiple growth cones revealed competitive dynamics in actin assembly, with enhanced growth cone activity limited to one or two sites. This suggests an intrinsic cellular mechanism balancing cytoskeletal resources and neurite growth across the complex neuronal arborization.

Together, these findings articulate a dual role for ARP2/3: driving actin wave initiation at the soma that triggers neurite retraction, and supporting growth cone expansion at neurite tips to promote extension. This oscillatory interplay mediated by ARP2/3 and RAC1 underscores the cytoskeleton’s fundamental role in establishing neuronal polarity.

This study not only provides a mechanistic framework for how neurons spatially regulate growth and retraction but also suggests that intrinsic cytoskeletal oscillators underpin the dynamic remodeling necessary for proper neuronal circuit formation. These insights pave the way for future investigations into cytoskeletal dysregulation in neurodevelopmental disorders and neuronal regeneration strategies.

The precise spatial control of actin dynamics mediated by ARP2/3 complex activity advances our understanding of neuronal development, highlighting how local cytoskeletal modulators can dictate overall neuronal architecture through oscillatory growth behaviors.

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Subject of Research: Neuronal cytoskeletal dynamics and polarity establishment

Article Title: An intrinsic cytoskeletal oscillator establishes neuronal polarity

Article References:
Lin, Tc., Coles, C.H., Alfadil, E. et al. An intrinsic cytoskeletal oscillator establishes neuronal polarity. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10755-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10755-6

The extreme heat smothering Europe has upended Climate Week in London.

© Pool photo by Yui Mok

The government is teaming up with Colossal Biosciences, a private company that claims to have revived extinct dire wolves, to store samples from at-risk animals and plants.

© Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press