Xiao et al. identify α-KG as a rosacea-associated metabolite that activates the OXGR1-Gq-MYL9 axis in the vascular smooth muscle cells to boost contractility and suppress pathological vasodilation underlying erythema. Cryo-EM reveals a bipartite-acid pocket of OXGR1 that enables structure-guided development of A-1, a selective agonist that alleviates erythema in rosacea-like models.

Nature, Published online: 01 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10310-3

DNA damage burden and inadequate repair in CUX2+ cortical layer 2/3 excitatory neurons contributes to selective vulnerability in neuroinflammatory injury.

Nature, Published online: 01 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10290-4

The transcription factor ATF4 is shown to regulate double-stranded DNA repair within vulnerable CUX2+ upper-layer 2/3 cortical neurons, enabling their survival during development.

Oncogene, Published online: 23 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41388-026-03734-8

PAK4 functions as an immune suppressor by reprogramming the phosphatidylcholine metabolism of CD8 + T cells within the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment