An artificial intelligence–driven transfer learning strategy enabled the discovery of a novel indolopyridine-based small molecule (Compound 8a) that directly targets gp130, potently suppresses the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, and effectively inhibits colorectal cancer growth in vitro and in vivo, offering a promising lead and a feasible computational paradigm for developing gp130‑targeted anticancer agents.

A novel TGFβ3 signaling cascade drives metastatic progression in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) by rewiring succinate metabolism. In a SMAD3/4-independent manner, TGFβ3 promotes assembly of the SMAD2/ETV4/CARM1 transcriptional complex, which epigenetically activates sulfide quinone oxidoreductase (SQOR) to trigger mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming and succinate accumulation. Accumulated succinate acts as a paracrine signal to induce smooth muscle cell (SMC)-to-endothelial-like cell (ELC) transdifferentiation, fostering stromal remodeling and vascular niche formation for metastasis. Structure-based virtual screening identifies L-chicoric acid as a specific inhibitor that disrupts SMAD2-ETV4 interaction, blocking the metabolic axis and suppressing MIBC metastasis, highlighting this pathway as a promising therapeutic target.

A team of researchers from China Pharmaceutical University and King's College London has identified MT2A as a key biomarker and candidate host target that connects zinc dysregulation to COVID-19 mortality. A PRISMA-guided meta-analysis of 1,972 hospitalized COVID-19 patients showed that zinc supplementation reduced mortality (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.36–0.64). Multi-omics integration further revealed that MT2A, enriched in myeloid lineages, is closely associated with COVID-19 severity, viral entry/processing pathways, and innate immune sensing, with its expression peaking early after infection, providing new insights for biomarker-guided stratification and host-directed intervention strategies.

A novel network community–based computational platform, HerbSyner_Finder, efficiently identifies synergistic ingredient pairs from complex herbal medicines by integrating network proximity and Louvain community analysis. Using cough variant asthma (CVA) as a model disease, the tool prioritizes berberine-luteolin and kaempferol-quercetin as potent synergistic combinations; berberine-luteolin acts via the NLRP3/NF-κB pathway to alleviate airway inflammation, offering a universal strategy for herbal combination drug discovery.

A new study identifies CMPK2 as a key driver of hepatic ischemia‑reperfusion injury (HIRI) by triggering mitochondrial redox imbalance, free fatty acid overload, and mtDNA‑driven sterile inflammation. The natural compound acteoside (ACT) directly targets CMPK2, blocks IRF1‑driven transcription, promotes mitophagic degradation of CMPK2, and interrupts the vicious inflammatory cycle, offering a safe and translatable protective strategy for liver surgery and transplantation.

The Ti₃C₂T_x/Bi₂Se₃ hybrid was constructed to explore a thermal protection strategy in infrared imaging via its enhanced photothermal conversion, providing a promising strategy for developing advanced photothermal materials in stealth technologies.

A research team led by Professor Jianwu Dai from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Rui Gu’s team from the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University and Professor Yi Cui from the National Research Institute for Family Planning, has developed a novel therapeutic paradigm for spinal cord injury repair. By integrating the physical signaling regulation of traditional Chinese electroacupuncture with modern tissue engineering regenerative strategies, this study establishes a new treatment model that integrates complementary strategies from Eastern and Western medical practices.

An electron-donor/electron-acceptor (EDG/EWG) ratio-guided molecular engineering strategy is established to optimize the buried interface of n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The EDG-rich dipolar molecule L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DBA) delivers superior passivation effects, enabling high power conversion efficiency together with good stability. This work identifies that passivating the perovskite side is more critical than the electron selective layer (ESL) side for achieving high-performance PSCs.

A new study published in Microbiome Research Reports shows that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be stratified into distinct gut microbiome “cluster types” associated with differences in disease severity and progression risk. Rather than individual bacterial taxa, the study highlights community-level microbial structures as more robust indicators of disease heterogeneity. These microbiome-derived clusters were independent of traditional clinical classifications such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, suggesting that gut ecosystem organization may offer complementary insights for disease assessment and future precision medicine.