{"title":"CTLA-4 haploinsufficiency leads to late-onset autoimmune pathology in mice.","authors":"Qingman Li, Zhishan Zhao, Yichi Zhang, Lehui Dai, Jiayan Wu, Xuexiao Jin, Lize Wu, Linrong Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117440","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117440","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In humans, the loss of function in a single copy of the <i>CTLA4</i> gene leads to an immune disorder characterized by a spectrum of immunodeficient and autoimmune manifestations. To investigate the pathogenicity of CTLA-4 haploinsufficiency, we utilized a heterozygous mouse model carrying a patient-derived Y139C mutation. We found that young heterozygous mice exhibited lymphoproliferative features and an activated T cell phenotype, without displaying autoimmunity. Co-culture assays revealed impaired <i>trans</i>-endocytosis. Despite this dysfunction, they remained resistant to induced inflammation. With age, however, they eventually developed spontaneous autoimmune manifestations that were more pronounced than those in age-matched littermates. Mechanistically, systemic activation induced CTLA-4-independent compensatory pathways, allowing Tregs to retain suppressive activity. Our study confirmed the pathogenicity of the Y139C heterozygous mutation, providing supporting evidence for CTLA-4 haploinsufficiency. Moreover, these results revealed that compensatory mechanisms arise in response to compromised <i>trans</i>-endocytosis. Further exploration may offer insights into disease progression and support the development of therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117440"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13577879/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
iSciencePub Date : 2026-09-07eCollection Date: 2026-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117459
Kostas Hadjidimitrakis, Francesco Edoardo Vaccari, Marina De Vitis, Matteo Filippini, Stefano Diomedi, Patrizia Fattori
{"title":"Behavioral states affect eye position tuning in the parietal cortex of macaques.","authors":"Kostas Hadjidimitrakis, Francesco Edoardo Vaccari, Marina De Vitis, Matteo Filippini, Stefano Diomedi, Patrizia Fattori","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117459","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Posterior parietal neural populations compute flexible yet stable representations of spatial locations using eye position information, and plan effector movements across various goal-directed contexts. How space is represented during internally driven non-goal-directed behaviors and whether these spatial representations are affected by the different behavioral contexts and the underlying brain states remain understudied. We compared eye position signals in single neurons in macaque parietal cortex (area V6A) during constrained fixations toward visual targets with gaze activity during self-paced fixations in darkness. While the firing rates of V6A neurons were comparable in the two conditions, the spatial tuning of gaze activity was stronger during the spontaneous fixations than during task-constrained fixations. Moreover, neural responses were more variable in constrained fixation. Our results confirm the flexibility of spatial representations in parietal cortex and indicate that eye position signals provide spatial information in a wider range of behavioral contexts beyond visual and visuomotor processing.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117459"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13578477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Green synthesis of pyridine-benzofuran hybrids with anti-inflammatory activity alongside <i>in silico</i> study.","authors":"Haniye Salehi, Valiollah Hajhashemi, Ghadamali Khodarahmi, Parvin Asadi","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117389","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A series of anti-inflammatory pyridine-benzofuran hybrid derivatives were synthesized from 2-acetylbenzofuran and natural aldehydes via a mild and efficient multicomponent reaction. Structures were confirmed using infrared (IR) and NMR spectroscopy. Anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model in adult male rats. Among all tested compounds, <b>7a</b> and <b>7e</b> demonstrated the most potent dose-dependent inhibition, reaching 61.2% and 60.3% at 200 mg/kg (∗∗<i>p</i> < 0.001), respectively, compared with indomethacin (78.5% at 10 mg/kg). Molecular docking studies against the COX-2 receptor identified compounds <b>7a</b>, <b>7b</b>, and <b>7f</b> as having the most favorable binding energies (below -8 kcal/mol). Integrating <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in silico</i> findings, compounds <b>7a</b> and <b>7f</b> emerged as top candidates. Compound <b>7a</b> was selected for a 100-ns molecular dynamics simulation, which confirmed the stability of the ligand-protein complex and sustained effective interactions with the enzyme, establishing <b>7a</b> as a promising anti-inflammatory lead candidate.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117389"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13577876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hydroxyapatite-loaded coal gasification slag for synergistic heavy metal adsorption.","authors":"Xuying Guo, Fanbo Meng, Xiaoyue Zhang, Wei Sun, Yanrong Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117373","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lead-zinc mining wastewater contains Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) that are difficult to remove efficiently. A coal gasification slag-supported nano-hydroxyapatite composite (nHAP-CGS) was prepared via chemical precipitation. The composite achieved removal efficiencies of 97.6%, 94.9%, and 79.8% for Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II), respectively, under optimized conditions (2.5 g/L, pH 4, 120 min, 100 mg/L), outperforming unmodified CGS with a selectivity order of Pb>Cu>Cd. Adsorption followed Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models, indicating chemisorption with intra-particle diffusion. Thermodynamic parameters (<i>ΔG</i> < 0, <i>ΔH</i> > 0, <i>ΔS</i> > 0) confirmed spontaneous endothermic adsorption. BET analysis showed a surface area of 57.65 m<sup>2</sup>/g for nHAP-CGS, significantly higher than raw CGS. Coexisting-ion tests and leaching experiments confirmed selectivity and environmental safety. This work provides a basis for coal gasification slag valorization and heavy metal remediation.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117373"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13578472/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
iSciencePub Date : 2026-09-07eCollection Date: 2026-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117474
Celine Weippert, Philip Kirschner, Barbara Bartosinska, Andrea Köster, Daniel Eberhard, Eckhard Lammert
{"title":"CHAC1-linked NRF2 protein expression participates in pancreatic islet protection by dextrorphan.","authors":"Celine Weippert, Philip Kirschner, Barbara Bartosinska, Andrea Köster, Daniel Eberhard, Eckhard Lammert","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117474","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117474","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist dextrorphan (DXO) protects pancreatic islets from cell death induced by streptozotocin (STZ), inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as in multiple mouse models of diabetes. Here we show that cytoprotective concentrations of DXO upregulate the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), driving the expression of its downstream target genes. Paradoxically, DXO also increases the expression of the pro-apoptotic factor CHAC1 (chaC glutathione-specific γ-glutamylcyclotransferase 1). To investigate its role, we silenced <i>Chac1</i> in islets, which significantly enhanced DXO-mediated cell protection. In contrast, both pharmacological inhibition and genetic knockdown of <i>N</i> <i>fe2l2</i> diminished the protective effects of DXO, confirming the cytoprotective role of NRF2. Conversely, pharmacological activation of NRF2 did not further enhance DXO-induced protection. Together, our data indicate that while DXO-mediated islet protection requires induction of NRF2, its full therapeutic efficacy is limited by the simultaneous upregulation of CHAC1.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117474"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13578463/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Memory B cell response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in people with heart and lung transplantation: Identification of associated clinical factors.","authors":"Chiara Coppola, Simone Costagli, Giorgio Montesi, Simone Lucchesi, Jacopo Polvere, Arianna Lippi, Fabio Pierguidi, Francesca Montagnani, Massimiliano Fabbiani, Sonia Bernazzali, David Bennett, Donata Medaglini, Annalisa Ciabattini","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117428","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Solid organ transplant recipients (SOT) have shown impaired immune responses to infection and vaccination. Here, serological data collected in heart and lung transplant recipients after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed using dimensionality reduction, clustering algorithms and statistical methods to define factors associated with immune responsiveness. Transplanted organ type, bivalent Omicron-adapted vaccine administration, and immunosuppressive regimen were associated with distinct serological profiles. These factors were associated with significant differences in the RBD-specific memory B cell (MBC) responses. Indeed, a lower frequency of MBC recognizing both wild-type and Omicron BA.2 RBD was detected in lung versus heart transplant recipients. Administration of the bivalent Omicron-adapted fifth dose was associated with the modulation of RBD-specific MBC phenotypes, and the mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment was associated with significantly lower humoral and MBC responses in heart transplant recipients. This work identifies factors associated with vaccine-induced immune responses in SOT recipients, useful to inform tailored vaccination strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117428"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13577873/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Environmental drivers and ecological risks of bisphenol A occurrence in Chao Phraya River, Thailand.","authors":"Sarima Niampradit, Wissanupong Kliengchuay, Rachaneekorn Mingkhwan, Nuttapohn Kiangkoo, Tret C Burdette, Kunrunya Sutan, Yanin Limpananont, Suwalee Worakhunpiset, Surat Hongsibsong, Walaiporn Phonphan, Parinya Panuwet, Kyungho Choi, Duangrat Inthorn, Kraichat Tantrakarnapa","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117460","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous industrial chemical, yet its behavior in tropical river systems remains poorly understood. This study presents the first integrated assessment of BPA occurrence, controlling factors, and ecological risks in the Chao Phraya River, Thailand. Surface water samples collected in October 2023 were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (UPLC-QTOF-MS). BPA was detected at all sites, with concentrations ranging from 21.61 to 113.07 ng/L (mean: 60.44 ng/L), exhibiting a clear downstream increase. Multivariate analyses revealed a dual-control mechanism governing BPA distribution: (1) an urban-industrial gradient representing source inputs and (2) a water quality axis, where dissolved oxygen (DO) was the strongest predictor (β = -22.90, <i>p</i> < 0.001), indicating that low-oxygen conditions enhance BPA persistence. Ecological risk assessment indicated negligible acute risk but widespread high chronic risk. Human health risk assessment showed negligible non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children, underscoring wastewater management, river oxygenation, and routine BPA monitoring programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117460"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13578470/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
iSciencePub Date : 2026-09-07eCollection Date: 2026-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117313
Chaoqi Lv, Tao Liu, Huijuan Chen, Weiyuan Huang, Maochang Huang, Lan Zang, Chong Shen, Yihao Guo, Feng Chen
{"title":"Interpretable multimodal MRI fusion in Alzheimer's disease classification using extended parallel multilink joint ICA and 3D ResNet.","authors":"Chaoqi Lv, Tao Liu, Huijuan Chen, Weiyuan Huang, Maochang Huang, Lan Zang, Chong Shen, Yihao Guo, Feng Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117313","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate identification of Alzheimer's disease (AD) stages is important for improving clinical understanding and supporting early-stage assessment. In this study, two multimodal MRI fusion strategies were developed to integrate structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging for pairwise binary classification among four groups: normal cognition (NC), subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD dementia (ADD). The extended parallel multilink joint independent component analysis (Epml-jICA) combined with a support vector machine (SVM) approach (machine learning) and the ensemble 3D ResNet model (deep learning) were evaluated on 664 participants with multimodal MRI. The results demonstrated that the optimal area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) values for ADD vs. NC and SCD vs. NC were 95.68% and 81.25%, respectively. Furthermore, systematic interpretability analyses using SHAP, Grad-CAM, and anatomical localization of cross-modal important components were conducted, identifying model-associated imaging patterns that were consistent with prior AD-related findings and may provide insights into different disease stages.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117313"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13578630/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Too rigid to strike: Excess desmin at Z-discs underlies a restrictive cardiomyopathy in GAN mice.","authors":"Wei Wang, Zongmin Liu, Lu Zheng, Yuanping Shi, Emanuel Manzo-Casio, Sunstone Shi, Jeffery Fan, Delphine Zhou, Winston Wang, Audrey Liu, Yanmin Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117437","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is characterized by myocardial stiffness and impaired diastolic filling. While human giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is linked to RCM with desmin accumulation, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We combined 3D tissue staining, electron microscopy, and echocardiography to investigate RCM phenotypes in GAN mice. Phenotypic profiling revealed atrial enlargement and impaired diastolic relaxation. Ultrastructural analysis demonstrated shortened I-bands and widened, hyper-dense Z-discs, correlating with elevated desmin density at Z-discs. To elucidate the biophysical principles driving this pathology, we developed an AI-guided multiscale computational model simulating the progression from molecular overcrowding to macro-level organ dysfunction. The modeling indicates that excess desmin crowding promotes aberrant inter-filament contacts, reduces linker-12 compliance, limits Z-disc elastic recoil, and physically restricts diastolic I-band re-extension. Collectively, our multidisciplinary findings establish an experiment-constrained mechanical framework linking desmin proteostasis failure to restrictive sarcomere dysfunction.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117437"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13578471/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
iSciencePub Date : 2026-09-07eCollection Date: 2026-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117345
Pierre Rosenbaum, Cyril Planchais, Timothée Bruel, Maxime Beretta, Isabelle Staropoli, William-Henry Bolland, Florence Guivel-Benhassine, Delphine Planas, Olivier Schwartz, Hugo Mouquet
{"title":"Epitope-driven polyfunctional divergence of SARS-CoV-2 RBD antibodies.","authors":"Pierre Rosenbaum, Cyril Planchais, Timothée Bruel, Maxime Beretta, Isabelle Staropoli, William-Henry Bolland, Florence Guivel-Benhassine, Delphine Planas, Olivier Schwartz, Hugo Mouquet","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117345","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>SARS-CoV-2 antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein can potently neutralize infection and exert additional antiviral functions. Here, we characterize the functional profiles of human RBD-specific memory B cell antibodies elicited by ancestral SARS-CoV-2 infection. While SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies, mainly class 1 and 3 anti-RBD antibodies, often lose binding and neutralizing activity against Omicron variants, most non-neutralizers that bind conserved RBD epitopes remain broadly reactive. Despite their restricted cross-reactivity, neutralizing antibodies mediate Fc-effector functions including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, phagocytosis, and complement deposition. Most neutralizers also enhance binding of antibodies that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike fusion peptide via receptor-mimetic allostery. In contrast, broadly reactive non-neutralizers fail to trigger phagocytic or allosteric effects. Thus, viral escape primarily affects neutralizing, polyfunctional antibodies, whereas cross-reactive non-neutralizing antibodies, which exert limited antiviral effects, may apply minimal immune pressure.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 9","pages":"117345"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13577880/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}