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O-acyltransferase genes involved in the production of volatile sex pheromones in Caenorhabditis elegans

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 2, January 2026. SignificanceAs a step toward identification of the volatile sex pheromones (VSPs) that attract males as well as to understand where and under what conditions they are produced, we sought to identify genes necessary for VSP production. We generated loss-of-…

The anticipation of imminent events is time-scale invariant

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 2, January 2026. SignificanceFrom everyday conversation to sports, to traffic, to music, people constantly predict when events will happen so they can prepare their next actions. This study examines how the brain makes such timing predictions over short periods of a few …

Adult neural stem cells mediate hippocampal synapse elimination for circuit homeostasis through MERTK

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 2, January 2026. SignificanceAdult neural stem cells (NSCs) play important roles in the brain that extend beyond their function as a progenitor pool. Our study has shown that mice in which adult NSCs lack the phagocytic receptor MERTK display a reduced ability to …

Chlamydomonas chloroplast genes tolerate compression of the genetic code to just 51 codons

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 2, January 2026. SignificanceWe demonstrate the use of theChlamydomonaschloroplast genome as a synthetic biology platform to test radical compression of the universal genetic code. Genome engineering was used to generate strains in which 13 of the 64 possible triplet …

Primate gut microbiota induce evolutionarily salient changes in mouse neurodevelopment

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 2, January 2026. SignificanceCompared to other primates, humans have remarkably large brains relative to their body sizes. The resultant high demands for glucose may have been supported by changes in the gut microbiota (GM), which can influence host metabolism. In this …

BCMA-directed mRNA CAR T cell therapy for myasthenia gravis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial

Nature Medicine, Published online: 09 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04171-y In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing autologous mRNA-engineered BCMA-targeting CAR T cell therapy versus placebo in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis, a significantly higher percentage of patients exhibited a reduction in disease activity in the treatment arm than in the placebo arm. Nature Medicine, Published online: 09 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04171-y In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing autologous mRNA-engineered BCMA-targeting CAR T cell therapy versus placebo in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis, a significantly higher percentage of patients exhibited a reduction in disease activity in the treatment arm than in the placebo arm.

BCMA-directed mRNA CAR-T cell therapy for myasthenia gravis: exploratory biomarker analysis of a placebo-controlled phase 2b trial

Nature Medicine, Published online: 09 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04170-z Analysis of a placebo-controlled trial of a BCMA-targeting CAR-T cell therapy in patients with myasthenia gravis shows that CAR-T cell infusion selectively remodels the systemic immune environment, with elimination of BCMA-high plasma cells and activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells and changes in the autoreactive B cell repertoire. Nature Medicine, Published online: 09 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04170-z Analysis of a placebo-controlled trial of a BCMA-targeting CAR-T cell therapy in patients with myasthenia gravis shows that CAR-T cell infusion selectively remodels the systemic immune environment, with elimination of BCMA-high plasma cells and activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells and changes in the autoreactive B cell repertoire.

Serum biomarker enables diagnosis and monitoring of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension

Nature Medicine, Published online: 09 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04135-2 We have identified serum levels of extracellular domain of NOTCH3 (NOTCH3-ECD) as a biomarker that can reliably distinguish idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension from other forms of pulmonary hypertension and healthy controls. Our findings show that serum NOTCH3-ECD levels are as accurate as current standard-of-care clinical tests in predicting disease progression and mortality risk. Nature Medicine, Published online: 09 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04135-2 We have identified serum levels of extracellular domain of NOTCH3 (NOTCH3-ECD) as a biomarker that can reliably distinguish idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension from other forms of pulmonary hypertension and healthy controls. Our findings show that serum NOTCH3-ECD levels are as accurate as current standard-of-care clinical tests in predicting disease progression and mortality risk.

Linavonkibart and pembrolizumab in immune checkpoint blockade-resistant advanced solid tumors: a phase 1 trial

Nature Medicine, Published online: 13 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04157-w In this multicenter phase 1 trial of patients with advanced solid tumors resistant to anti-PD-1 therapy, treatment with the anti-latent TGFβ1 antibody linavonkibart with or without pembrolizumab was safe, and encouraging clinical response rates were associated with T cell infiltration and immune activation. Nature Medicine, Published online: 13 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04157-w In this multicenter phase 1 trial of patients with advanced solid tumors resistant to anti-PD-1 therapy, treatment with the anti-latent TGFβ1 antibody linavonkibart with or without pembrolizumab was safe, and encouraging clinical response rates were associated with T cell infiltration and immune activation.

A fasting-mimicking diet in patients with mild-to-moderate Crohn’s disease: a randomized controlled trial

Nature Medicine, Published online: 13 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04173-w In a randomized controlled trial that included 97 participants, 69% patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) allocated to a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) achieved clinical response, and over 60% reached remission, outperforming the control group. The FMD also reduced markers of intestinal inflammation, suggesting this dietary intervention could serve as adjunctive treatment for CD. Nature Medicine, Published online: 13 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04173-w In a randomized controlled trial that included 97 participants, 69% patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) allocated to a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) achieved clinical response, and over 60% reached remission, outperforming the control group. The FMD also reduced markers of intestinal inflammation, suggesting this dietary intervention could serve as adjunctive treatment for CD.

NLM Colloquia: Harnessing AI and Informatics for Dementia and Aging Research

Join us on January 21 as we welcome Dr. Li Shen, Professor of Informatics and Radiology at Perelman School of Medicine, UPenn, to present his lecture entitled “Harnessing AI and Informatics for Dementia and Aging Research” at our upcoming NLM Colloquia on Biomedical Data Science and Computational Biology Research. For more information: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/lectures.html

[Viewpoint] Cocaine use in Europe: the need for cross-sectoral collaboration between security, justice, health, and social systems

Cocaine use has increased in Europe over the past decade, raising concerns regarding its associated harms. This increase is driven by the contemporary transformation of the international cocaine supply chain, which has led to increased availability, purity, and use rates. Cocaine use affects both health and society, challenging European countries’ health and social care capabilities and models. Addressing these challenges requires multisectoral collaboration to understand the issues better and develop appropriate public health strategies.

[Articles] Oral nicotine pouch use in Great Britain: a repeat cross-sectional study, 2020–25

Nicotine pouch use has risen in Great Britain, primarily driven by sharp increases among young people, especially young men. Most users also smoked or vaped, and a growing proportion of smokers used pouches in attempts to quit smoking. These findings underscore the importance of implementing age-of-sale legislation for nicotine pouches and conducting research on their effectiveness for smoking cessation.

[Articles] Gaming and gambling behaviours among Italian adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Like gaming, gambling is widespread among Italian adolescents, including minors. Findings indicate a convergence between these behaviours and suggest that gaming monetisation systems might engage psychological vulnerabilities similar to those involved in gambling, or even—although causal inferences cannot be drawn due to the limitations of the cross-sectional design—promote gambling participation and escalation.

[Corrections] Correction to Lancet Public Health 2024; 9: e871–85

Fletcher RA, Rockenschaub P, Neuen BL, et al. Contemporary epidemiology of hospitalised heart failure with reduced versus preserved ejection fraction in England: a retrospective, cohort study of whole-population electronic health records. Lancet Public Health 2024; 9: e871–85—In figure 1D of this Article, the annual change in incidence should have read “Reduced ejection fraction –2·6% (95% CI –9·5 to 4·8)” and “Preserved ejection fraction 2·5% (95% CI –3·7 to 9·2)”. This correction has been made as of Dec 3, 2025.