Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center have found that a cellular housekeeping mechanism called autophagy plays a major role in ensuring that T stem cells undergo normal cell division. The findings, published in “Nature Cell Biology,” could help boost vaccine response in older adults.

Using human liver samples and a mouse model of cirrhosis, researchers identified epigenetic overactivation of the inflammatory PAF–PAF-R pathway in hepatic macrophages as a key driver of liver damage. Published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, the study shows that blocking this pathway improves liver structure and vascular function, highlighting a promising target for future cirrhosis therapies.

DNA captured on air filters and stored since the 1960s acts as an ecological time capsule, according to a recent publication in Nature Communications. The findings show that tiny fragments of genetic material can paint a detailed picture of life across the landscape. They also reveal a distinct decline in biodiversity over three decades.