iSciencePub Date : 2026-09-30eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117646
Davide D'Amico, Julie Faitg, Frédéric Amaral, Carine Ballihaut, Andréane M Fouassier, Charlotte Tissot, Isha Rana, Julien Laboureau, Natascha Hennighausen, Marianne Brandt, Nicholas Kron, Xavier Marat, Chantal Jouy, Annie F Black, Gayané Azadiguian, Delphine Guillon, Jean-Thierry Simonnet, Chris Rinsch, Anurag Singh
{"title":"Topical application of urolithin A activates mitophagy and enhances mitochondrial function to promote skin longevity.","authors":"Davide D'Amico, Julie Faitg, Frédéric Amaral, Carine Ballihaut, Andréane M Fouassier, Charlotte Tissot, Isha Rana, Julien Laboureau, Natascha Hennighausen, Marianne Brandt, Nicholas Kron, Xavier Marat, Chantal Jouy, Annie F Black, Gayané Azadiguian, Delphine Guillon, Jean-Thierry Simonnet, Chris Rinsch, Anurag Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urolithin A (UA, Mitopure), a postbiotic that promotes mitophagy and mitochondrial function following oral administration, was evaluated for its effects on skin health in human skin models and when applied topically to healthy subjects in randomized clinical studies. UA tested in 2D and 3D reconstructed human skin and <i>ex vivo</i> human skin explants showed enhanced mitochondrial respiration, activated mitophagy markers, reduced inflammatory mediators and senescence-associated markers, and increased proteins involved in extracellular matrix structure and epidermal differentiation. Safety was confirmed in a human repeat-insult patch test. In randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies, UA reduced periorbital wrinkle depth after 8 weeks and attenuated UVB-induced erythema. Skin transcriptomics supported increased extracellular matrix and epidermal development programs together with decreased inflammatory and senescence-associated signaling. These findings indicate that topical UA engages cellular pathways associated with skin resilience to promote skin health and longevity.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117646"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657230/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178707","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 : 2026-09-30eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117035
Yaxiong Li, Ziwei Peng, Jing Zhang, Hong Cao, Jingyuan Zhang
{"title":"Long-term ambient benzene exposure increases incident NAFLD risk through accelerated biological aging.","authors":"Yaxiong Li, Ziwei Peng, Jing Zhang, Hong Cao, Jingyuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The contribution of ambient air pollutants to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains undefined. This study included 401,472 adults from the UK Biobank (UKB), with residential benzene estimated at 1-km resolution from the DEFRA model (2006-2020). After multivariable adjustment in the Cox models, each interquartile-range (0.151 μg/m<sup>3</sup>) increment in benzene was associated with a 26% higher risk of incident NAFLD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.30), following a nonlinear exposure-response relationship. Accelerated biological aging mediated 6.5% of this association, whereas homeostatic dysregulation and allostatic load contributed modestly. Benzene exposure and polygenic risk showed no multiplicative interaction, but their cumulative effect raised NAFLD risk among highly susceptible individuals. A machine-learning model integrating benzene and covariates predicted NAFLD with good discrimination (AUC = 0.753), and an external urinary-biomarker analysis in NHANES was directionally consistent. Thus, long-term low-level benzene exposure increases incident NAFLD risk, partly through accelerated biological aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117035"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657151/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178433","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 : 2026-09-30eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117673
Elzbieta Dulko, Scott Kilianski, Anna Grace Carns, Arya Rajesh, Isabelle Lesmana, Magdalena Pikus, Mark Beenhakker
{"title":"Midline thalamic neurons show early hypersynchrony during absence seizures in mouse models.","authors":"Elzbieta Dulko, Scott Kilianski, Anna Grace Carns, Arya Rajesh, Isabelle Lesmana, Magdalena Pikus, Mark Beenhakker","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117673","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117673","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Generalized seizures reflect a pathological state of sudden, global neuronal hypersynchrony. The mechanisms that support the initiation and maintenance of such synchrony remain unknown. Using simultaneous single-unit and electrocorticographic recordings in two mouse models of absence epilepsy, we evaluated the activity of approximately 2,000 individual neurons across 26 brain structures. By doing so, we resolved the temporal progression of single-neuron activity prior to and during generalized seizures. Surprisingly, we observed that rhythmic, synchronized activity emerges early and gradually in both the thalamus and cortex. Moreover, while we observe that individual neurons across most structures fire rhythmically and synchronously during seizures, a small subset of midline thalamic nuclei display activity that is strongly correlated across multiple regions. Finally, disturbing neuronal activity within the midline thalamus terminates seizures. Thus, our findings collectively highlight the possible role of the midline thalamus in emergence of neuronal hypersynchrony.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117673"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657110/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178593","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 : 2026-09-30eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117079
Florian Baader, Stefano Moret, Wolfram Wiesemann, Iain Staffell, André Bardow
{"title":"Seeing the forest for the scenarios: Using decision trees to draw conclusions from large energy scenario sets.","authors":"Florian Baader, Stefano Moret, Wolfram Wiesemann, Iain Staffell, André Bardow","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Energy transition studies often present hundreds of scenarios, yielding large datasets that are challenging to interpret. Alternative approaches define a few qualitative storylines, which are more accessible but disconnected from model-based evidence. Here, we show that decision trees, a popular machine learning technique, bridge this disconnect by distilling numerous scenarios into a small set of interpretable storylines centered around policy-relevant levers. We demonstrate this approach across three global and European case studies: First, we translate 1000 integrated assessment model scenarios into three storylines distinguished by their degrees of heating and industry electrification. Second, we show that 2°C warming pathways with continued fossil fuel usage only work under unusually mild climate responses. Third, we use 441 European pathways to show that high bioenergy or electrification are required for cost-effective climate neutrality. Our transferable approach helps decision-makers interpret large scenario sets by revealing how policy-relevant outputs are associated with different transition pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117079"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657154/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178635","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 : 2026-09-30eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117658
Wei Fan, Yi Fang, Joshua Hartsell, Xiaoyue Wu, Xiaojiang Xu, Jian-Liang Li, Xiaojing Liu, Xiaoling Li
{"title":"Peroxisome-dependent and -independent functions of PEX19 in mouse embryonic stem cells.","authors":"Wei Fan, Yi Fang, Joshua Hartsell, Xiaoyue Wu, Xiaojiang Xu, Jian-Liang Li, Xiaojing Liu, Xiaoling Li","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117658","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117658","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) possess a unique cell cycle pattern to support self-renewal and maintain pluripotency, and remodeling of this cycle by developmental cues is a key priming step for lineage commitment. Here we report an unexpected role of PEX19, a chaperone and receptor for peroxisomal membrane proteins, in regulating cell cycle and cell fates of mouse ESCs (mESCs) through a peroxisome-independent mechanism. We show that deletion of <i>Pex19</i> in mESCs disrupts peroxisome assembly, elevating reactive oxygen species and impairing peroxisomal lipid metabolism. These peroxisomal defects increase cell death and diminish pluripotency. Intriguingly, PEX19 also interacts with α-tubulin to facilitate assembly of mitotic spindles in mitotic mESCs. Consequently, loss of <i>Pex19</i> disrupts cell cycle progression and hinders the exit from pluripotency upon induction of neural differentiation, ultimately preventing differentiation of neural stem cells. Our study reveals a non-canonical function of PEX19 and underscores the importance of cell cycle regulation in cell fate decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117658"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657169/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178569","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 : 2026-09-30eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117702
Julian Henry Smart, Niall Mac Dowell
{"title":"Why cost reduction alone cannot deliver bankable carbon dioxide removal.","authors":"Julian Henry Smart, Niall Mac Dowell","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117702","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117702","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is indispensable for net-zero, yet CDR projects remain unbankable for institutional lenders. Using a stochastic project-finance model in which financing terms follow from simulated cash flows rather than being assumed, we examine when BECCS and DAC become bankable. Under unhedged conditions bankability is effectively zero, with lender coverage failing across most of the financing space and equity hurdles met in less than 0.1%. Contrary to the emphasis on cost reduction, credit-worthy offtake is the primary determinant. Learning alone lowers the levelized cost of removal by up to 38%, yet leaves projects unbankable, whereas offtake raises BECCS bankability to 43%, or 57% with learning. DAC requires offtake above US$2,500 per tCO<sub>2</sub> and remains marginally bankable, reflecting sole dependence on carbon revenues. An electricity-anchored BECCS pathway can reach investment grade without fully contracted carbon revenues. These results show where revenue support must be targeted to mobilize institutional capital.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117702"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13657177/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149178623","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":"FGFR kinase isoform and activation state modulate ATPase activity.","authors":"Alida Besch, Gaëlle Lamon, Yingkai Zhang, Nathaniel J Traaseth","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117652","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) binding to FGF receptor (FGFR) induces <i>trans</i>-autophosphorylation of activation loop tyrosine residues within the receptor's intracellular kinase domain, thereby activating the receptor and promoting downstream substrate phosphorylation. Here, using activity assays and <sup>31</sup>P NMR spectroscopy on the FGFR kinase domain, we show that phosphorylation of activation loop tyrosine residues not only enhances kinase activity but also increases the rate of ATP hydrolysis by 33-fold. This ATPase activity varies among FGFR kinase isoforms, with a 5.4-fold difference between FGFR2 and FGFR3 kinases. Conversion of ATP to ADP in phosphorylation assays also promotes the reverse phosphorylation reaction, which involves phosphoryl group transfer from phosphotyrosine to ADP to regenerate ATP. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that ATPase activity occurs in cells and may decrease the local ATP/ADP ratio surrounding FGFR. Such a mechanism would reduce the favorability of phosphorylation and may promote signal termination through reverse phosphorylation.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117652"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13654546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149163846","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 : 2026-09-29eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117186
Christian Wine, Anna Apostolopoulou, Charles P Lin, Derin Sevenler, Michael K Mansour, Daniel Irimia
{"title":"Neutrophil swarm formation on large targets.","authors":"Christian Wine, Anna Apostolopoulou, Charles P Lin, Derin Sevenler, Michael K Mansour, Daniel Irimia","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neutrophils are smaller in size than most fungal hyphae. Yet, neutrophils can engage in collective actions known as swarming, during which they cover the hyphae and block their growth. To understand how neutrophil swarms cover large targets efficiently, we employed particle image velocimetry (PIV). We found that the process is initiated at a small number of sites on the surface of a large target. Radiating from these initial sites, waves of intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> increase in surrounding neutrophils, and neutrophils start converging toward these sites. Multiple swarms form which later merge and ultimately fully encapsulate the target. Neutrophils from immunocompromised patients after liver transplant or hematopoietic stem cell transplant produce swarms that grow slowly and end up smaller compared with those from healthy donors. In the future, the methods and metrics of neutrophil swarming toward large targets may help diagnose and monitor innate immune impairment in transplant patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117186"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13654541/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164519","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 : 2026-09-28eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117535
Erika M Yamazaki, Ken A Paller
{"title":"Response speed is modulated by respiratory phase.","authors":"Erika M Yamazaki, Ken A Paller","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117535","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117535","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mere milliseconds can determine whether a sprinter or swimmer wins or places second. Would it help to intentionally control breathing while awaiting the starting signal? Here, we analyzed sustained-attention performance in 35 adults and found that response speed varied with respiratory phase. Responses were faster during exhalations and during respiratory pauses compared to during inhalations. Fine-grained analyses across the entire respiratory cycle revealed that reaction times were slowest around the peak of inhalations, corroborating a systematic relationship between respiratory phase and speed of response in this widely used attention test. This work highlights respiration as an important contributor to moment-to-moment variability in performance under circumstances of sustained attention and suggests potential benefits of aligning breathing patterns with task demands.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117535"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13689610/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149260169","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 : 2026-09-25eCollection Date: 2026-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117622
Carolina Eto, Gabriela Luiz, Hernandez M Silva, Eduarda L Munari, Daniel A G B Mendes, Bianca K Beck, Lucas Z Mascarin, Marick Starick, Maria Cecília C Canesso, Bernardo S Reis, Guilherme Silveira, Juliano Bordignon, Yonne K T de Menezes, Daniel S Mansur, Edroaldo Lummertz da Rocha, André Luiz Barbosa Báfica
{"title":"A specialized CD107a<sup>+</sup> macrophage subset drives hyperphagocytosis of mycobacteria.","authors":"Carolina Eto, Gabriela Luiz, Hernandez M Silva, Eduarda L Munari, Daniel A G B Mendes, Bianca K Beck, Lucas Z Mascarin, Marick Starick, Maria Cecília C Canesso, Bernardo S Reis, Guilherme Silveira, Juliano Bordignon, Yonne K T de Menezes, Daniel S Mansur, Edroaldo Lummertz da Rocha, André Luiz Barbosa Báfica","doi":"10.1016/j.isci.2026.117622","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117622","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Macrophages are essential for pathogen clearance, yet phagocytic specialization among subsets is poorly defined. Bone marrow-derived macrophages cultured with L929 supernatant or macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) separate into FSC<sup>lo</sup>SSC<sup>lo</sup>F4/80<sup>lo</sup>CD11b<sup>lo</sup> (FSC<sup>lo</sup>SSC<sup>lo</sup>) and FSC<sup>hi</sup>SSC<sup>hi</sup>F4/80<sup>hi</sup>CD11b<sup>hi</sup> (FSC<sup>hi</sup>SSC<sup>hi</sup>) subsets. Transcriptomic and functional analyses reveal that FSC<sup>lo</sup>SSC<sup>lo</sup> cells possess a hyperphagocytic program driven by enhanced actin cytoskeleton regulators (e.g., Arp2/3) and pro-inflammatory signaling (NF-κB). These cells excel at internalizing <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> virulent H37Rv and BCG through actin-mediated, cytochalasin D-sensitive mechanisms. High surface CD107a (LAMP1) expression marks this hyperphagocytic subset and correlates strongly with mycobacterial uptake. FSC<sup>lo</sup>SSC<sup>lo</sup> macrophages produce more TNF and IL-6 upon mycobacterial or Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)/TLR5 stimulation yet retain IFN-γ-mediated killing capacity. <i>In vivo</i>, CD107a<sup>+</sup> alveolar macrophages in BCG-infected lungs preferentially capture bacilli and upregulate CD195, recapitulating the <i>in vitro</i> phenotype. These findings establish CD107a as a key surface marker of a hyperphagocytic macrophage subset, providing new mechanistic understanding relevant to tuberculosis host defense and therapeutic development.</p>","PeriodicalId":342,"journal":{"name":"iScience","volume":"29 10","pages":"117622"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663896/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190130","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}