Edited by Michael Funk

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MEDICAL ROBOTICS

Real-time tracking and efficient navigation

A challenge in the design of microrobots is balancing biocompatibility, biodegradability, size, and magnetic properties
required for precise control. Ideally, one would also like to achieve real-time tracking, efficient navigation, and
robust drug-loading capabilities. Landers et al. designed a microrobotic system that combines electromagnetic
navigation, a release catheter, and dissolvable drug-loaded capsules. They demonstrated precise navigation in human
vasculature models and tracking and navigation in large animal models. —Marc Lavine Science p. 710, 10.1126/science.adx1708

A release catheter carrying a magnetic microrobot for targeted therapies

BROWN DWARFS that in Jupiter and Saturn. is a common driver of cancers OPTOELECTRONICS
Comparison with atmospheric in humans and is a key signaling
Phosphine in a models showed that the protein that activates mitogen-
Vapor-deposited
cool atmosphere properties of this system can activated protein kinase perovskite layers
The phosphorus-containing be reproduced if there is strong signaling and class 1 phos- Solvent-free, layer-by-layer
molecule phosphine is abun- vertical mixing of an atmo- phoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks). heteroepitaxial growth of an
dant in the atmospheres of sphere with low abundances of Inhibiting such signals is a logi- inorganic perovskite, CsPbBr3,
Jupiter and Saturn. Models elements heavier than helium. cal anticancer strategy but can was achieved on single crys-
predict that phosphine should —Keith T. Smith cause intolerable side effects tals of the two-dimensional
be similarly common in gas Science p. 697, 10.1126/science.adu0401 because such signals are also perovskite PEA2PbBr4 (where
giant exoplanets and brown part of metabolic regulation by PEA is 2-phenylethylammo-
dwarfs, but observations insulin. Klebba et al. describe nium). Lu et al. grew CsPbBr3
PHOTO: LUCA DONATI/LAD.STUDIO ZURICH

SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION
have shown that it is absent an inhibitor that can act more by thermally co-evaporating
(or has very low abundance) Refining drugs targeting subtly by covalently binding to CsBr and PbBr2. Precise thick-
in the atmospheres of those a residue on PI3K that mediates ness control and low surface
objects. The reasons for this oncogenic RAS interaction with RAS. In mice, roughness were reflected in
are unclear. Burgasser et Drugs with more refined the inhibitor could inhibit the distinctive quantum-confined
al. observed a brown dwarf actions are being developed growth of tumors driven by RAS photoluminescence from
using near-infrared spectros- by targeting interactions of without causing hyperglycemia. monolayers, bilayers, and
copy, detecting phosphine signaling proteins. The small —L. Bryan Ray bulk layers. The difference in
at an abundance similar to guanosine triphosphatase RAS Science p. 702, 10.1126/science.adv2684 electronic structure between

Science 13 NOVEMBER 2025 687

IN SCIENCE JOURNALS

the Cs-PEA and PEA-PEA inflammation, highlighting that

terminations led to a layer- Arp2/3 complexes with different
tunable band offset shift of compositions have distinctive
more than 0.5 electron volts. functions. —Sarah H. Ross Edited by Corinne Simonti
—Phil Szuromi Science p. 728, 10.1126/science.adr9571
and Jesse Smith
Science p. 716, 10.1126/science.adx5685
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION Veteran Program and the UK
CANCER
Biobank, to examine longi-
PALEONTOLOGY Coupling physical
A vaccine for established tudinal observational and
Rapid recovery signals to genetic data across a wide
HPV infection range of dementia pheno-
The end-Permian extinction
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
gene expression types. The less-confounded
was the largest of Earth’s Microtubules and the
can cause cervical cancer. genetic analyses revealed
mass extinctions, with marine protein angiomotin (AMOT)
Although prophylactic HPV evidence that any alcohol
environments especially have been identified as key
vaccines exist, they do not consumption increased
affected. Although it is now components connecting
control or affect preexisting HPV dementia risk across ethni-
understood that the recovery of mechanical stretching of cells
infections and HPV-associated cally diverse groups. This
marine invertebrates after this to changes in gene expres-
cancer. To address this limita- suggests that policies to
extinction was rapid, the story sion. Vanni et al. studied the
tion, Nakahashi-Ouchida et al. prevent dementia should
for vertebrates has been less effects of plating cultured
developed a cationic nanogel target all types of alcohol use.
clear. Roberts et al. describe human epithelial cells on
for nasal vaccine delivery of an —Ekeoma Uzogara
a bone bed from the Svalbard substrates of different stiff-
HPV16 E7-targeted vaccine. The BMJ Evid. Based Med. (2025)
archipelago showing that a large nesses. Mechanical signals
vaccine showed efficacy in mice

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and diverse number of marine 10.1136/bmjebm-2025-113913
at controlling cervical cancer and altered microtubule architec-
vertebrates was present just a ture, leading to transport and
induction of T cells in cervico-
few million years after the event. consequent degradation of IMMUNOLOGY
vaginal tissue. The authors also
The diversity of groups present AMOT. AMOT is known to help
suggests that complexification
performed intranasal immuni-
regulate phosphorylation of
Raising the gut-brain
zation of nonhuman primates
after the extinction was not
and showed induction of T cells the transcriptional regulators axis another notch
stepwise but was instead due YAP and TAZ, which medi- Regulatory T (Treg) cells are
in cervical tissue, supporting
to a series of rapid radiations. ate mechanically initiated essential for restraining auto-
clinical translation and requiring
—Sacha Vignieri effects on gene expression. immune responses. Benamar
further study. —Dorothy Hallberg
Science p. 722, 10.1126/science.adx7390 The authors found that loss et al. observed that compared
Sci. Transl. Med. (2025)
10.1126/scitranslmed.ado8840 of AMOT prevented seques- with healthy individuals, Treg
IMMUNOLOGY tration of YAP and TAZ in the cells from patients with active
cytoplasm, allowing their relapsing multiple sclerosis
Macrophages uphold CARBON CYCLE
activation and nuclear action. expressed higher levels of a
intestinal barriers A weakening sink AMOT degradation also cell surface receptor called
appeared to contribute to Notch3. A similar population
Reorganization of actin fila- Earth’s land surface has been
oncogene transformation and of Treg cells was detected and
ments is vital for cells to modify partially absorbing excess
connecting the Hippo signal- studied in mice in response
their shape and to migrate. anthropogenic carbon emis-
ing pathway to mechanically to experimentally induced
Vasconcellos et al. examined sions, thus abating the effects of
modulated gene expression. central nervous system (CNS)
the role of ARPC5, a protein climate change. However, studies
—L. Bryan Ray autoimmunity. Signals from
subunit of the Arp2/3 complex have shown conflicting conclu-
Nat. Cell Biol. (2025) the gut microbiota induced
that regulates branching of sions on the magnitude and
10.1038/s41556-025-01773-z Notch3 in Treg cells, and these
the actin cytoskeleton. Like trend of the carbon absorbed
humans with mutations in and stored on the land surface. cells migrated to the CNS.
ARPC5, mice that lacked ARPC5 Although models commonly ALCOHOL USE Within the CNS, a protein
in hematopoietic cells were used to simulate the land carbon expressed on the surface
predisposed to inflammation sink exclude many relevant
Does a nightcap of microglia stimulated the
in early life, exhibiting indica- processes, Liu et al. were able to protect your brain? Treg cells, through Notch3, to
tors of systemic inflammation enhance a model with obser- Previous research has sug- differentiate into cells with
and localized inflammation in vations to better simulate the gested that lighter levels of effector rather than regulatory
the small intestine. This was carbon cycle. Using this new alcohol consumption are functions and promote inflam-
associated with changes to modeling framework, the authors protective against diseases mation. —Sarah H. Ross
the intestinal microbiota after demonstrated that, contrary such as dementia. However, in Immunity (2025)
weaning and impaired func- to many recent findings, the a prospective study of more 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.09.007
tion of macrophages. Loss of land sink in the conterminous than half a million people
ARPC5 did not compromise US peaked in the 1990s and aged 56 to 72, Topiwala et AQUACULTURE
the ability of macrophages to has been weakening ever since. al. found that all forms of
migrate but did reduce their These findings have large alcohol use, light, moderate, Parasite microbiota
ability to phagocytose and kill implications for climate policy and heavy, were associated Tilapia cichlid fishes domi-
bacteria. Deletion of ARPC5L, worldwide. —Julia K. Green with increased dementia risk. nate fish farming in warmer
an isoform of ARPC5, in hema- Sci. Adv. (2025) The authors exploited data regions. Unfortunately, they
topoietic cells did not result in 10.1126/sciadv.adx7823 from two biobanks, the Million are prone to parasitism

688 13 NOVEMBER 2025 Science

 Edited by Michael Funk

CARDIOLOGY common in areas with low tumors. Ms4a7 deficiency genes of interest within plant
summer rainfall, indicating that also weakened T cell immu- cells from libraries of gene
Safer repair for these variants may be adap- nity during bacterial and viral variants. By expanding copy
cardiac injury tive for these environments. infections and compromised numbers, genetic variants with
Cardiac injury can lead to —Madeleine Seale immune memory forma- enhanced disease resistance
complications such as heart Science p. 691, 10.1126/science.ady3475 tion. Analysis of human data could be selected. The system
failure, so a major goal of revealed that infiltration of allows part of the directed
researchers in this field is to NEUROIMMUNOLOGY MS4A7-expressing cDC1s evolution process to take place
repair damaged myocardium. correlated with enhanced within plant cells, meaning that
Unfortunately, transplantation Formyl peptide receptor CD8+ T cell tumor immunity beneficial variants are more
of stem cell–derived cardio- 1 in multiple sclerosis and improved patient survival. likely to function correctly in
myocytes into injured areas —Priscilla N. Kelly plants. To demonstrate the util-
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a
has not worked out well so far, Science p. 693, 10.1126/science.ady5362 ity of the method, the authors
demyelinating disease associ-
and transplanted cells often evolved immune receptor vari-
ated with sustained brain
cause potentially dangerous REPRODUCTION ants that can evade nematode
inflammation and widespread
arrhythmias. To decrease this effectors and others that can
neuronal degeneration. Li et al. Feeling the squeeze
risk, Aoyama et al. combined recognize fungal effectors.
showed that activation of for-
human stem cell–derived Mechanical forces play key —Madeleine Seale

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myl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1)
cardiomyocytes with a self- roles at various stages of preg- Science p. 695, 10.1126/science.ady2167
expressed in microglia and
assembling peptide that forms nancy and parturition, but the
brain-infiltrating macrophages
nanofibers, showing that the detailed mechanisms underly- SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
triggered an immune response
combination helps to improve ing these events are not yet
to myelin and promoted In vivo editing of
the cells’ maturation and func- well understood. The mechano-
microgliosis and neuronal
tion upon transplantation into damage in an animal model
sensitive ion channels PIEZO1 commensal bacteria
rat hearts. The authors also and PIEZO2 are present in a
of MS. Moreover, the authors Gut bacteria play a vital role
designed flexible mesh nano- variety of tissues throughout
found that FPR1 was expressed in health, but scientists have
electronics, which they used to the body and are involved in
prominently in microglia and lacked precise tools to geneti-
monitor the electrical activity many biological processes.
macrophages from active cally modify specific microbes
of the transplanted cells within Zhang et al. examined their
human MS lesions, and FPR1 living within the body.
the beating heart, providing a contributions to reproduction.
ligands were detected at Gelsinger et al. developed
closer look at their function. In mouse models, these chan-
increased levels in the serum MetaEdit, a technology using
—Yevgeniya Nusinovich nels did not appear to have any
of MS patients at the time of mobile CRISPR-associated
Science p. 690, 10.1126/science.adw4612 effects during the course of
active disease. These results transposases to directly mod-
gestation but played key roles
suggest a potential thera- ify the genomes of native gut
PLANT EPIGENETICS
in the process of parturition.
peutic target for treating MS. bacteria inside living animals
With PIEZO1 being primar-
—Mattia Maroso (see the Perspective by Maire
Inheritance of Science p. 692, 10.1126/science.adq1177
ily expressed in the uterus
and Bikard). They inserted new
and reproductive tissues and
transposable elements PIEZO2 in sensory neurons,
metabolic traits into common
Transposable elements can CANCER IMMUNOLOGY bacteria, enabled control of
the function of both channels
excise and reinsert themselves these microbes through diet,
Tumor cues shape proved to be important for the
into genomes, potentially and achieved editing of hard-
initiation of labor and timely
disrupting gene function. DNA cDC1 function to-culture species. By showing
completion of parturition.
methylation can restrict the how specific bacterial func-
Tumor antigen capture and —Yevgeniya Nusinovich
transcription and transposi- tions can be programmed and
cross-presentation by type I Science p. 694, 10.1126/science.ady3045
tion of transposable elements. selectively enriched, MetaEdit
conventional dendritic cells
Baduel et al. investigated opens new doors for microbi-
(cDC1s) are critical for initiat- PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
DNA methylation variation ome research and therapeutic
ing antitumor CD8+ T cell
strategies targeting individual
inheritance in epigenetic immunity. However, how this Directed evolution bacterial species. —Di Jiang
recombinant inbred lines of important process is regulated
the model plant Arabidopsis in plants Science p. 696, 10.1126/science.adx7604;
by the tumor microenviron-
thaliana. In natural epivariants, Introducing transgenes to see also p. 676, 10.1126/science.aec3823
ment remains unclear. Xie et
the authors found that epiv- crops is now routine, but opti-
al. report that membrane-
ariations often occurred near mizing those genes of interest DOG DOMESTICATION
spanning 4-domains subfamily
genes and could influence the for function within plants
A member 7 (Ms4a7) expres- Ancient diversity
expression of stress-respon- can be challenging. Zhu et al.
sion in mouse cDC1s promotes
sive genes. Hypomethylated developed a directed evolution Modern dogs display highly
CD8+ T cell cross-priming
epivariants of a drought- approach to rapidly replicate divergent morphology. The
in tumors. Loss of Ms4a7 in
responsive gene were more vast majority of this diver-
cDC1s impairs antigen-specific
sity was generated through
CD8+ T cell responses against

689-B 13 NOVEMBER 2025 Science

intensive human selection over PHYLOGENETICS traded among populations. offer inroads to foster commu-
only the past 200 to 300 years. —Sacha Vignieri nication to lessen resistance
Dogs were domesticated at
Rooting the animal tree Science p. 735, 10.1126/science.adu2836 to health recommendations.
least 10,000 years ago, but we The increased availability of —Colleen McBride
know little about their diversity high-quality genomes and Sci. Adv. (2025)
IMMUNOLOGY
during most of their time with improved phylogenetic meth- 10.1126/sciadv.ady5064
humans. Evin et al. looked at ods have led to researchers When the CAR goes in
more than 640 canid crania revisiting many taxon relation-
ships. Steenwyk and King took
the wrong direction ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY
over the past 50,000 years
on a highly contested debate: Chimeric antigen recep- Don’t scratch
(see the Perspective by Fillios)
whether sponges or comb tor (CAR) T cells using an
and found that by the begin- the surface
jellies (ctenophores) were the antibody-based CAR to target
ning of the Holocene, dogs
first lineage to diverge among tumor cells are a powerful The process by which B cells
already displayed extensive
animals (see the Perspective immunotherapy. Given acquire antigens from large
variation. Although dog crania
by Mulhair and Redmond). the interest in using CAR pathogens, including single-
from the Pleistocene were not
Using data from 100 genomes T cells to kill immunosup- celled parasites, to support T
distinguishable from wolves,
and transcriptomes enriched pressive tumor-associated cell–driven humoral responses
the degree of differentiation
for sponges, ctenophores, macrophages, Callahan et al. is not well understood. Gao et
seen by the end of the era sug-
and cnidarians, the authors performed phosphoproteomic al. immunized mice engineered

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gests even earlier human-canid
used an integrative phyloge- and functional analyses of the to carry a particular B cell
associations. —Sacha Vignieri
nomic approach to determine effects of ligand-based CAR T receptor with Plasmodium ber-
Science p. 741, 10.1126/science.adt0995;
which of the nearly universal cells on THP-1 cells expressing ghei sporozoites modified to
see also p. 672, 10.1126/science.aec3775
single-copy genes consistently the receptor CSF1R, which is a express a cell surface circum-
supported either lineage as a model for these macrophages. sporozoite protein. They found
ELECTROCHEMISTRY CAR T cell engagement of that these antigen-specific
sister taxon. Most tests con-
Solvent depletion ducted with this set of genes these cells stimulated CSF1R- B cells could internalize and
supported sponges as the sis- dependent proliferation when present cognate and bystander
limits fast charging ter taxon, and none supported the ratio of CAR T cells to surface antigens for presenta-
Achieving both high energy ctenophores. This work sup- THP-1 cells was low, suggesting tion, which resulted in both
density and fast-charging ports early trees constructed that the effects of CAR engage- intramolecular and inter-
capability in lithium-ion bat- using morphology, although ment on target cells should molecular CD4 T cell help.
teries is crucial for their broad it is likely not the final word in be factored into CAR design. Moreover, this help could
deployment. However, conven- this debate. —John Foley either suppress or support
tional design strategies that —Corinne Simonti Sci. Signal. (2025) protective B cell responses,
focus on reducing lithium-ion Science p. 571, 10.1126/science.adw9456; 10.1126/scisignal.adv4112 depending on whether the
conduction pathways through see also p. 673, 10.1126/science.aec6305 CD4 T cells were specific to
electrode modification often SOCIAL SCIENCE cytosolic or surface sporozoite
face the dilemma of balancing antigens. This may explain
DOG DOMESTICATION Why so divided?
energy density and rate perfor- why humans with prior expo-
mance. Zhao et al. investigated Moving together Divisive views on health issues sure to blood-stage malaria
solvent movement in batteries Dogs have been a part of became widespread dur- parasites have impaired
and showed that local solvent human cultures for at least ing the COVID-19 pandemic, anti–cell surface circumspo-
depletion, induced by cation- 10,000 years, but we still have specifically relating to calls for rozoite humoral responses.
driven electro-osmotic drag much to learn about where social distancing and vac- —Seth Thomas Scanlon
and the resulting overpotential, these connections emerged cination. Camacho-Garcia et Sci. Immunol. (2025)
greatly limited fast-charging and how they were shaped al. reviewed recent literature 10.1126/scitranslmed.adw0415
capacity (see the Perspective over time. Zhang et al. looked to understand social influ-
by Liu and Coskun). By using at 73 ancient dog genomes ences on these divisions and
a difluorinated, solvent-based from late Pleistocene-to-early identified six drivers ranked
electrolyte with reduced Holocene Eurasia and found in order of the proportion of
lithium-cation solvation and clear ancestry evidence that articles noting their effect:
enhanced anion solvation, the dogs and human popula- political partisanship (71%),
authors effectively addressed tions moved together across exposure to misinformation
this issue and achieved 80% time and space, suggesting (64%), social media engage-
charging within 13 minutes. that dogs were an integral ment with like others (51%),
—Jack Huang part of human culture at the trust in health professionals
Science p. 745, 10.1126/science.adv1739; time. They also found that in and institutions (48%), percep-
see also p. 675, 10.1126/science.aec7378 some cases, especially where tions of personal risk (36%),
particular working or physical and demographic factors
traits were valuable, such as such as age and residence
in the Arctic, dogs were likely location (29%). The findings

Science 13 NOVEMBER 2025 689-C