Cell Research

Volume 36 Issue 3, Mar 2026

Inspired by the bronze tree of Sanxingdui, this artwork illustrates the essential role of R-loops in early mammalian embryonic development. Golden helices intertwined among the branches depict how the resolution of R-loops releases paused RNA polymerase II to drive the maternal-to-zygotic transition, whereas their absence results in developmental arrest, highlighting R-loops-mediated transcriptional regulation at the dawn of life.See page 181–196 by Yaoyi Li et al. for details.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Boosting immunotherapy by restoring cryptic APC function

Wonhwa Cho
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-026-01219-7
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Targeting NNMT in fibroblasts reawakens T cells and restores antitumor immunity

Moumita Sarkar, Yi Jiang, Raghu Kalluri
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01181-w
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ZBP1 links infections to cancer immunotherapy

Lorenzo Galluzzi, Spencer Brackett, Neil Johnson
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01196-3
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Intestinal GAPs: neuro–epithelial–immune modules for liver protection

Manuel O. Jakob, Andreas Diefenbach
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01188-3
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ORIGINAL ARTICLES

R-loops orchestrate RNAPII transcriptional reprogramming for the maternal-to-zygotic transition

Yaoyi Li, Qing Li, Xinxiu Wang, Chao Di, Yingliang Sheng, Ying Ma, Junzhi Liao, Qingqing Cai, Sainan Huang, Jiayu Chen, Guangming Wu, Lingling Zhang, Guangjin Pan, Shaorong Gao, Hongjie Yao
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01208-2
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Dynamic magneto-mechanical force in lysosomes induces durable macrophage repolarization for antitumor immunity

, Mengge Zheng, Zhenyan Zhu, Yajuan Zhang, Peng Ning, Haotian Chen, Rui Gao, Chang Xu, Xueyan Wei, Yali Liu, Yingying Wang, Ruimei Zhou, Yuan Li, Zhenguang Li, Cheng Lv, Chen Liu, Junfang Xu, Zihan Guo, Zhixiang Hu, Lan Fang, Ke Wei, Mengying Feng, Changshi Zhou, Yunlang She, Weiyan Sun, Erzhen Chen, Gustavo R. Plaza, Bin He, Jason Miska, Weiwei Yang, Yichao Tang, Haipeng Liu, Chang Chen, Yu Cheng
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01217-1
Full Text | PDF | Abstract | Open Access

Asymmetric division in a two-cell-like state rejuvenates embryonic stem cells

Xinyi Wang, Hong Fu, Qingyang Sun, Boyan Huang, Zhe Xu, Xuzhao Zhai, Chuncao Deng, Laru Peng, Mengdan Zhang, Tianran Peng, An Gong, Jiasui Liu, Zhengzhi Zou, Guangjin Pan, Jiekai Chen, Guangming Wu, Man Zhang, Mingwei Min
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-026-01221-z
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Efficient chemical reprogramming of human T cells to pluripotent stem cells

Yanglu Wang, Fangqi Peng, Ruoqi Cheng, Jingran Zeng, Weizhen Zeng, Jingping Mao, Xiaodi Fu, Guanxian Chen, Tianxing Liu, Zhihan Yang, Cheng Li, Bei Liu, Jingyang Guan, Lin Cheng, Hongkui Deng
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01216-2
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