Translational research articles from across Nature Portfolio

Dormant tumour cells that survive initial therapy can awaken years later to seed metastases. New data from a phase II trial indicate that intercepting this dormancy by targeting autophagy and mTOR signalling might prevent breast cancer relapse before it begins, opening a path towards proactive prevention disease recurrence.

A synthetic peptide nanoparticle and microfluidic chip enable sterility testing of cell- and gene-based therapeutics in under 18 hours, bridging a long-standing safety gap for biopharmaceutical products that cannot undergo terminal sterilization and have limited shelf life.

The first-in-human trial of AAV2i8-I1c (AB-1002) — an adeno-associated virus vector that targets a protein phosphatase inhibitor to cardiac muscle — suggests a cautious return of cardiac gene therapy after earlier setbacks, with a new target, dose optimization and improved vector design shaping future directions.

As tissue engineering has developed it has become apparent that multiple inputs are needed to fully replicate tissues, neuronal-axonal networks are an important part of this. In this review, the authors explore the advances in biomanufacturing and multi cell techniques aiming to generate tissues with integrated neuronal networks.

Deciphering body-brain communication pathways is key to a deeper understanding of brain physiology and pathology. Here, the authors define the astrocyte endfoot proteome and show dynamic vascular-to-astrocyte signaling relevant to human neuropathology.

As a computational neuroscientist, I study the brain through models that reduce it to data points and 3D reconstructions, yet watching Dr. Obaid perform live neurosurgeries showed me what models alone could not capture. Here I describe how witnessing the living human brain — fragile, unique, and devoid of clear landmarks — became a turning point, reminding me that our models must not only simulate the brain, but also stay grounded in its complexity and individuality.

Dormant tumour cells that survive initial therapy can awaken years later to seed metastases. New data from a phase II trial indicate that intercepting this dormancy by targeting autophagy and mTOR signalling might prevent breast cancer relapse before it begins, opening a path towards proactive prevention disease recurrence.

A synthetic peptide nanoparticle and microfluidic chip enable sterility testing of cell- and gene-based therapeutics in under 18 hours, bridging a long-standing safety gap for biopharmaceutical products that cannot undergo terminal sterilization and have limited shelf life.

The future of HIV research — and of the USA’s scientific leadership — depends on bold, sustained action in defense of discovery, investment, and innovation.