Isthmin-2 is a first-trimester predictor of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction.

September 1, 2026| Source: Nature medicine

Preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction (FGR) are major causes of global morbidity and mortality. Both conditions are associated with impaired invasion of the uterus by extravillous trophoblast (EVT). We performed proteomics in maternal serum obtained at ~12 weeks of gestational age in a prospective pregnancy cohort (Pregnancy Outcome Prediction Study). Here we show that low maternal serum isthmin-2 (ISM2) was the strongest protein signal (out of 2,904) in the first trimester of pregnancy for preeclampsia or FGR. We validated the association in two independent cohorts (Pregnancy Outcome Prediction Study 2 and Improving Maternal Pregnancy And Child ouTcomes study). ISM2 protein and mRNA are almost exclusively produced in the placenta, and, within the placenta, ISM2 mRNA is highly enriched in EVT. Knocking down ISM2 in cultured human trophoblast stem cells profoundly inhibited EVT invasion. Conversely, expressing ISM2 in a cell line lacking endogenous ISM2 (HEK293 cells) promoted migration. We conclude that ISM2 may be causally involved in the early pathophysiology of failed trophoblast invasion and that the protein and its associated pathways are potential targets for the prediction and prevention of preeclampsia and FGR.

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The honey bee stinger: An unusual pump with collapsible double pistons.

Most stinging animals deliver venom by contracting muscles around a venom reservoir, but honey bees employ a fundamentally different strategy. The stingers of worker bees have the unique ability to autotomize, separating from the body, to continue to sting independently. Despite more than a century of anatomical descriptions, the mechanics of venom pumping have remained unresolved due to the challenges of observing them in action. We recorded high-speed videos of active, autotomized stingers, co

Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Chronic cigarette smoke exposure induces distinct stem cell states driving genetic driver-specific non-small cell lung cancer subtypes.

Cigarette smoke-induced chronic inflammation (CI) potentiates development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by mediating genetic and epigenetic events. Using normal lung organoids (LOs), we define how chronic cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) exposure drives two separate stem cell populations to evolve premalignant states harboring progressive epigenetic and linked transcriptomic abnormalities in the absence of major driver mutations. These dynamics facilitate evolution of an immune evasive s

Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Cell identity competes with surface tension to determine stromal organization in tumor spheroids beyond the CAF shell paradigm.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are often found forming a peripheral stromal barrier around tumors. Here, this paradigm is challenged using microfabricated 3D cancer-CAF spheroid models combined with quantitative magnetic force tensiometry. A surface tension atlas is established for eight cancer cell lines, three CAF populations, and heterotypic tumor-CAF assemblies, spanning nearly two orders of magnitude. Surface tension is first shown to govern spheroid morphology and modulate drug respo

Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Controlled functionalization of cellulose nanocrystals directs polymer-specific protein coronas and immune cell interactions.

Polymer coatings are widely used to suppress nonspecific protein adsorption and modulate nanoparticle-cell interactions. However, the biological outcomes of polymer-functionalized nanoparticles remain difficult to predict in complex biological environments because protein corona formation rapidly alters nanoparticle identity. This challenge is particularly pronounced when hydrophobic moieties are incorporated for imaging or therapeutic applications, as they can promote nonspecific interactions a

Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Dynamic partitioning shapes the in vivo organization of the Escherichia coli RNA degradosome.

The bacterial RNA degradosome is a central mediator of RNA turnover, yet how its components are organized and regulated in living cells remains unclear. Using live-cell single-molecule imaging, we quantified the spatial distribution and dynamics of the four major Escherichia coli degradosome components: RNase E, RhlB, PNPase, and enolase. These proteins occupied distinct membrane-associated and cytoplasmic pools whose relative abundance varied among proteins and changed with physiological state.