This Review discusses the mechanisms underlying both cavitation and folding amniogenesis and provides an overview of the various recent stem cell-based human embryo models that have been developed to elucidate amniotic formation and function.

This Review discusses brain lipid metabolism from a cellular perspective, focusing on lipid uptake, de novo synthesis, storage, breakdown and intercellular transfer, and highlights its emerging implications for brain health and disease.

This Review presents the metabolic landscape of HSCs, including the link of key metabolic features to self-renewal and differentiation, and highlights how their alterations contribute to haematological disorders, particularly leukaemogenesis.

This Review presents an updated view on telomeric chromatin as a dynamic structure with a specialized histone organization and discusses the mechanisms of its regulation by cis-acting subtelomeric elements, as well as their relevance in disease.

Zhang, Han, Tan, Lu, Ma et al. report that kynurenine derived from peritumoural adipose tissue is hijacked by cancer cells to mediate ferroptosis resistance, a process that could potentially be targeted with immunotherapy to inhibit tumour growth.

Xu, Li, Deng and colleagues identify a ubiquitin-dependent degradation mechanism for cleaved GSDME mediated by TOLLIP through endocytosis and autophagy. They show this modulates pyroptosis, antitumour immunity and chemotherapy response in mouse models.

Betrancourt, Cinko et al. identify ANKIB1-mediated K11 ubiquitination and OPTN recruitment as a shared mechanism for driving immune signalling by cGAS, TLR3 and TLR4, with functional relevance in interferonopathy and herpes simplex virus-1 protection.

Tao, Feng, Yang, Liu et al. identify a lncRNA-dependent mechanism that controls ALKBH5-mediated demethylation and expression of ATF4, which confers an adaptive metabolic response under nutrient stress in cancer cells.

Lee et al. report a mechanism regulating mRNP export mediated by N⁶-adenosine methylation, METTL3 and NUP93 with potential implications for nephrotic syndrome and other human diseases.

Geisterfer, Jalihal et al. show spatially distinct effects of Whi3 condensates on target translation in Ashbya syncytia. In vitro, translation is enriched at condensate–solute interfaces but repressed with increased condensate size and RNA valency.