Spatial atlas of the human brain vasculature reveals specialized cell ensembles.

July 31, 2026| Source: Cell

The brain vasculature comprises diverse specialized cells that are essential for brain function, yet their spatial organization remains poorly understood. Here, we construct a comprehensive cerebrovascular cell atlas encompassing 314,535 transcriptomes that captures the arteriovenous axis and defines consensus cell states. We then perform spatial transcriptomics to map 1,529,740 cells across the human temporal cortex and hippocampus, uncovering stereotyped micro-communities termed vascular cell ensembles. These ensembles comprise specialized subsets of endothelial cells, mural cells, fibroblasts, and perivascular macrophages that align with the arteriovenous architecture to coordinate segment-specific functions, such as neurovascular coupling, blood-brain barrier transport, and immune surveillance. By overlaying genetic risk and pharmacologic reactivity, we identify ensemble-specific susceptibilities and candidate therapeutic targets across neurological diseases, including small vessel disease and stroke. This study provides a resource to dissect the spatial and functional logic underlying human cerebrovascular biology and establishes a blueprint for decoding neurological disease susceptibility and therapeutic response.

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An innervated and vascularized HNSCC-on-a-chip model built on defined and tunable engineered extracellular matrices.

Understanding the tumor microenvironment requires experimental platforms that faithfully recapitulate its key components. Here, we present an innervated and vascularized head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)-on-a-chip platform built with fully defined and tunable engineered extracellular matrices (eECMs). In a stepwise increase of complexity, we first cocultured patient-derived HNSCC cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and endothelial cells within tailored eECMs, revealing extracellula

Health & MedicineNovember 3, 2026

Septin binding restricts Shigella growth and triggers intracellular tolerance.

Pathogen survival relies on their ability to adapt to changing environments, yet how intracellular bacteria tolerate cell-autonomous immunity remains unclear. Septins assemble into cage-like structures around cytoplasmic Shigella targeted by autophagy, but their antibacterial activity was unknown. Using advanced microscopy and cell-free reconstitution, we show that septins polymerize into circumferentially oriented filaments that inhibit bacterial growth. RNA-sequencing reveals that septin bindi

Health & MedicineNovember 3, 2026

DCAF6 reprograms TGF-β responses through TRIM33 destruction.

TGF-β signaling plays a pivotal role in regulating numerous cellular processes, primarily through the Smad-dependent pathway. Disruptions of the pathway are associated with developmental disorders and life-threatening diseases, such as cancer. It has been reported that TRIM33 inactivates Smad4 signaling and also drives its own signaling responses. However, the mechanism controlling TRIM33 activity has remained unclear. In this study, we identify DCAF6 as a previously unrecognized ubiquitin

Health & MedicineOctober 31, 2026

Reframing the manosphere: a public health response to a commercial ecosystem.

The manosphere, a diffuse commercial ecosystem and loose collection of online communities united by shared beliefs about masculinity, misogyny, and male victimisation, is an under-recognised determinant of health harms. This network has been implicated in considerable health harms: widespread mental health impacts, especially in young people; violence against women, girls, and gender minorities; and delegitimising help-seeking in boys and men. In this Viewpoint, we argue that the manosphere is b