Ahna Skop is a geneticist and artist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA. Ahna’s lab studies the assembly and function of mammalian midbody and midbody remnant, which are assembled at the end of mitosis. Ahna also leans into her passion for scientific art to engage the public. We were fascinated to hear Ahna’s thoughts on open questions and challenges in the field and to learn about her passion

Download: Download high-res image (172KB) Download: Download full-size image Keiji Tanaka (photo courtesy of the Japanese Biochemical Society)

A study in Molecular Cell by Ramadhin et al.1 and two studies in Cell by van den Heuvel et al.2 and by Mevissen et al.3 show that STK19 is a key protein in transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) in mammalian cells by mediating the initial repair protein complex formation and subsequent TFIIH recruitment, thereby enabling the vital damage verification step.

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Sun et al. reveal that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DNAJC3-AS1 plays a dual role in maintaining the rRNA processing function of fibrillarin (FBL) in cancer cells. It promotes FBL condensation while preventing abnormal aggregation, offering new therapeutic insights for cancer treatment by targeting lncRNAs involved in the regulation of FBL condensation.

Glioblastoma cells exhibit remarkable plasticity, enabling them to adapt to environmental cues and transition through various developmental-like states with distinct properties. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Loftus et al. identify ILK as an intrinsic regulator of glioblastoma cell transitions between progenitor-like and mesenchymal/astrocyte-like states.

Critical molecular pathways promote central nervous system (CNS) axon regeneration, but can axons be guided to their correct targets in adulthood? In this issue of Developmental Cell, Delpech et al. show that axonal guidance cues in the CNS can be manipulated to enhance anatomic and functional recovery.

Sequestration of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) transcription factors in cytoplasmic condensates represents a specialized mechanism for modulating cellular auxin responsiveness. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Xuan et al. show that MULTIPLE C2-DOMAIN AND TRANSMEMBRANE REGION PROTEIN (MCTP) proteins stimulate lateral root development by antagonizing ARF7 and ARF19 condensation.

Apical hook opening is crucial for seedling establishment and is regulated by unequal distribution of the hormone auxin through unknown mechanisms. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Walia et al.4 demonstrate that apical hook opening is an output of tissue-wide forces; auxin and cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling interact to restrict elongation to the concave side of the apical hook.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) exhibit differences in their inflammatory responses and pulmonary damage, yet the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein inhibits the activation of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway and downstream signal transduction

Like other organelles, the heterogeneity of lysosomes within a single cell has been challenging to capture and study in detail. In this issue, Chen and Gutierrez discuss new work that tackles this question using DNA-PAINT imaging, from Lakadamyali and colleagues (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202403116).

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Qiu et al. use single-cell metabolic analysis to identify reduced mannose metabolism as a previously unknown feature of exhausted T cells. This metabolic pathway can be targeted to enhance memory and persistence of adoptively transferred T cells, resulting in improved anti-tumor efficacy.

Liquid biopsy has received tremendous attention as a non-invasive approach for detecting and tracking cancer. Here, we discuss the latest work on circulating tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells with respect to clinical applications, including cancer screening, early detection of relapse, real-time monitoring of therapeutic efficacy, and detection of therapeutic targets and resistance mechanisms.

Unconventional T cells, including invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, gamma delta (γδ) T cells, and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, play important roles in both innate and adaptive immunity. These cells respond to tumors rapidly and influence the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recent advances in understanding their biology, as well as the development of novel therapeutic approaches

Cytokines are proteins used by immune cells to communicate with each other and with cells in their environment. The pleiotropic effects of cytokine networks are determined by which cells express cytokines and which cells express cytokine receptors, with downstream outcomes that can differ based on cell type and environmental cues. Certain cytokines, such as interferon (IFN)-γ, have been clearly linked

Circadian disruption increases cancer risk, but connections between circadian clocks and cancer biology are diverse and depend on tumor type. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Gonzalez-Aponte et al. demonstrate that circadian timing of glucocorticoid exposure affects glioblastoma growth. These findings underscore the importance of timing in designing therapeutic interventions.

As an essential metal co-factor, Cu accumulation has been linked with tumorigenesis, but the underlying mechanism remains to be fully defined. A study now reports that Cu, as a subunit of cytochrome c oxidase (CuCOX), promotes the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) through metabolic reprogramming. The authors first observed positive correlation between the level of Cu and disease

Cells can migrate through tight spaces by adopting an amoeboid-like motility, characterized by blebbing and minimal proteolytic degradation of the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Driscoll et al. report that amoeboid-like migration can create ECM tunnels by a process they term ‘worrying’, in which large blebs abrade collagen. The authors used melanoma cells, known for amoeboid migration, and

S phase chromatin dynamics safeguard epigenome stability by integrating several processes, including de novo chromatin assembly. Histone chaperone chromatin assembly factor 1, CAF-1, co-ordinates de novo chromatin assembly during DNA replication. Perturbing de novo chromatin assembly in S phase has long-term effects on the epigenome and cell fate; however, the molecular mechanisms are unclear. A study

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cell)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells hold great therapeutic potential, but often present an immature phenotype compared with αβ T cells used for autologous CAR T cell therapy. A new study shows that H3K9-directed histone methyltransferases G9a–GLP inhibition enables the generation of mature iPS cell-derived T cells. Jing et al. performed a chemical