Hello Nature readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day? Sign up here.
Heart transplants are limited by donor availability.Credit: Vsevolod Zviryk/SPL
Hearts from young donors age rapidly when transplanted into the bodies of older people, and older hearts are rejuvenated inside young people, a new study suggests. Researchers found that months after a transplant, the level of DNA methylation — the addition or removal of chemical tags called methyl groups that can reliably indicate biological age — in heart tissue changed to more closely match that of the recipient than the donor’s. The findings suggest that replacement organs could be sourced from older people than they are at present.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: bioRxiv preprint (not peer reviewed)
China has become a hotspot for developing and trialling in vivo CAR-T-cell therapies that could transform the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The combination of the country’s large population, fast-track regulatory pathways and ample resources has helped it to dominate therapies that produce disease-fighting immune cells inside the body, say researchers. This month, the US Food and Drug Administration for the first time approved clinical trials for a China-developed in vivo CAR-T-cell therapy, one that treats blood cancers.
Nature | 7 min read
Features & opinion
A Nature investigation reveals that a sprawling international network of sham scientific societies has bamboozled some of the world’s leading scientists and universities. Organizations such as ‘the European Academy of Engineering’ and ‘the National Academy of Artificial Intelligence’ hand out questionable honours to well-established researchers, or just list high-profile scientists on websites without their knowledge. The ultimate goal seems to be selling memberships and awards to early-career researchers, says Fan Xiudi, who studies academic rigour in China.
Nature | 12 min read
In his new book, biographer Graham Farmelo tells the story of how theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking overcame his physical limits to make groundbreaking contributions to science, and then popularize them. Hawking captures the physicist’s deep commitment to his students and colleagues, and gives a balanced account of the ups and downs of his personal life, writes theoretical physicist Neil Turok, who was a close friend of Hawking, in his review. “Farmelo’s candid, calm and objective tone is a welcome antidote to the hysteria that characterized much of the reporting about Hawking during his lifetime,” Turok writes.
Nature | 9 min read
On Friday, Leif Penguinson was hanging out at the Plaza Blanca, a geological formation near Abiquiu, New Mexico. Did you find the penguin? When you’re ready, here’s the answer.
Thanks for reading,
Flora Graham, chief editor, Nature Briefing
With contributions by Jacob Smith
• Nature Briefing: Careers — insights, advice and award-winning journalism to help you optimize your working life
• Nature Briefing: Microbiology — the most abundant living entities on our planet — microorganisms — and the role they play in health, the environment and food systems
• Nature Briefing: Anthropocene — climate change, biodiversity, sustainability and geoengineering
• Nature Briefing: AI & Robotics — 100% written by humans, of course
• Nature Briefing: Cancer — a weekly newsletter written with cancer researchers in mind
• Nature Briefing: Translational Research — covers biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma
