Cervical cancer, one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide, is primarily driven by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Researchers from China have identified a new subtype of keratinocytes, designated as PI3+S100A7+ cells, that appear early in HPV-positive cervical cancer and interact closely with immune cells to promote tumor progression. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the team discovered how these cells alter the tumor environment and predict poor patient outcomes.

Development in artificial intelligence has paved the path for the integration of computational pathology in clinical workflow, improving the accuracy and reducing the workload for medical practitioners. In recent times, Foundation Models (FMs), trained on large-scale, unlabelled datasets, are considered more suitable than traditional models for diverse clinical tasks. In a review study published in the Chinese Medical Journal, researchers highlight the advancements in pathological FMs and discuss their application in precision oncology.

Dark matter accounts for approximately 85% of the universe’s total mass, yet its “invisibility” continues to challenge our understanding of physics. While the Standard Model has successfully described the structure of the visible universe, its limitations have driven scientists to explore ultralight exotic bosons—such as axions and dark photons—as motivative candidates for dark matter. Theoretical studies suggest that such new bosons could mediate exotic spin-dependent interactions beyond four fundamental forces, providing new avenues for detecting ultralight dark matter. However, terrestrial exotic-interaction searches have long been constrained by a fundamental trade-off: enhancing the signal of exotic spin interactions requires simultaneously increasing both the number of polarized spins and relative velocity, parameters that are inherently inversely coupled under laboratory conditions, leaving vast regions of theoretical parameter space unexplored.

Professor Xinhua Peng and Professor Min Jiang from the University of Science and Technology of China, in collaboration with multiple research institutions, have proposed the SQUIRE (Space-based QuantUm sensing for Interaction and exotic bosons Research Exploration) program—a space-based dark matter detection project. For the first time internationally, SQUIRE plans to deploy ultrasensitive quantum sensors aboard the China Space Station to search for potential exotic interactions mediated by dark matter candidate particles between the Earth’s geoelectron spins and the sensor spins. The scheme is projected to improve detection sensitivity by more than 7 orders of magnitude compared to terrestrial experiments. Furthermore, SQUIRE is expected to pave the way for a “space-ground integrated” quantum sensing network, opening new pathways for dark matter exploration in deep space. This paper was published on September 22 in National Science Review under the title “Quantum Sensors in Space: Unveiling the Invisible Universe.”

Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, led by Professors Jian-Wei Pan, Hai-Feng Jiang, and Qiang Zhang, have developed a bistatic dual-comb ranging (BDCR) method achieving nanometer-level absolute ranging over 113 km—the longest verified distance to date. Published in National Science Review, this breakthrough extends the measurable range 2.5× beyond traditional systems, attaining 82 nm precision at 21 s, and promises major advances for satellite constellations, gravity mapping, and space telescope arrays.

Space-occupying cyst (SOC), a fluid-filled sac that grows in a confined area of the body, is one of the major complications associated with brain tumor resection. Understanding the clinical features and management principles for such cysts can help patients to experience a favorable prognosis. In a recent Chinese Neurosurgical Journal Study, researchers analyzed and explored the potential characteristics and treatment strategies associated with this lesion.

A team led by Xiao-Ming Chen and Pei-Qin Liao at Sun Yat-Sen University has created an electrolyzer with a MOF-based membrane. It enriches CO₂ from air (0.04% to 2.05%) and flue gas (15% to 82.5%), then converts it to pure formic acid, achieving record efficiency and cutting costs by 15% vs. pure CO₂ feedstocks.

The newly assembled chromosome-level genome of Diospyros deyangensis (“Deyangshi”), an autotetraploid wild persimmon species, provides key insights into the evolution and juvenile growth of persimmon. This wild plant, known for flowering within just one to two years, contrasts sharply with cultivated persimmon, which requires five to eight years to mature. The high-quality genome revealed a recent whole-genome duplication event and identified DdELF4 as a major regulator suppressing flowering. Functional validation in Arabidopsis confirmed DdELF4’s role as a flowering repressor. The findings not only deepen our understanding of persimmon evolution but also open new possibilities for developing early-flowering cultivars to accelerate breeding.