From the Journals

Researchers studying RNA directly in cells have faced a trade-off: They could either view many genes with little detail or fewer genes in high detail. Yale scientists have now developed an approach that offers the best of both worlds, described in Cell (October 2025). The lab of Siyuan (Steven) Wang, PhD, associate professor of genetics and cell biology, developed a technique called Reverse-padlock Amplicon Encoding Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (RAEFISH), which attaches special probes to RNA molecules inside cells. The probes then make copies of targeted RNAs, and fluorescent tags allow researchers to view the copies under a microscope. RAEFISH enables researchers to see which genes in a cell are active, the locations in a cell or tissue where the genes’ RNAs are working, and how cells interact with one another. “We could potentially discover new therapeutic biomarkers to treat diseases such as cancer where it’s critical to understand how cancer cells interact with other cells in the surrounding tissue microenvironment,” says Wang.

Related article: New Technique Offers Bigger and Better Window into RNA Activity in Complex Tissue (Yale News, October 2, 2025)

With consistent use, antiretroviral medications prevent HIV from infecting blood cells, thus largely keeping the virus out of the general circulation. However, in some parts of the body, primarily the gut, HIV hunkers down and evades attacks from the immune system. Researchers reporting in Immunity (August 2025) found that a strategy the body uses to form a strong immune defense in the gut also creates a perfect haven for HIV. In the gut, short-lived immune cells called T cells become long-lasting persistent cells. When HIV infects those cells, it reaps the benefits. The findings, which come from the lab of Ya-Chi Ho, MD, PhD, associate professor of microbial pathogenesis, offer researchers a potential target for eliminating the virus throughout the body.

Related article: How HIV Uses T Cells to Hide in the Gut, August 21, 2025

Our skin protects us from friction, cuts, and impacts partly through its ability to regenerate and heal. In a Nature Communications study (October 2025), researchers reported that during the earliest stages of embryonic development, skin stem cells contribute to forming a protective skin layer that speeds healing as the embryo grows. Their findings reveal one of the earliest stages in how skin stem cells learn to repair tissue—knowledge that could help scientists engineer better skin grafts for transplantation. “We found a mechanism that makes our skin tougher,” says Stefania Nicoli, PhD, associate professor of medicine (cardiology) and genetics, “which is exciting in that it is an overarching concept that could apply across our entire adult body."

Related article: Unlocking the Skin’s Natural Healing Power, October 10, 2025.

Researchers developed a new tool to boost the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy for cancer. For this treatment, a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is attached to the T cells extracted from a patient’s blood, which allows the cells to better recognize particular cancer cells. The CAR-T cells are then returned to the patient. In Nature Chemical Biology (September 2025), researchers described a new approach wherein another molecule called intrinsically disordered regions (IDR) is attached to the T cells in combination with CAR, and the IDR-CAR amplifies low signals emitted by the cancer cell. The research, led by Xiaolei Su, PhD, associate professor of cell biology, showed that the IDR-CAR-T cells are more effective in killing both blood and solid tumor cancer cells.

Related article: New Toolset by Yale Researchers Boosts Efficacy of CAR-T Cells Targeting Blood and Solid Cancers, September 29, 2025

Paying less attention to faces is one of the key markers of autism spectrum disorder in children. Yale researchers have now found that the brain network responsible for social perception is active around birth, and predicts how well babies will attend to faces at 4 months. The study—led by Katarzyna Chawarska, PhD, Emily Fraser Beede Professor of Child Psychiatry, and Dustin Scheinost, PhD, associate professor of radiology and biomedical imaging—also found that greater attention to faces at 4 months old is associated with fewer social difficulties at 18 months of age. The findings, published in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science (August 2025), suggest that this brain network lays the foundation for social engagement skills in later life and is important for identifying biomarkers of early susceptibility in autism.

Related article: Brain Network Active at Birth is Linked to Social Behavior Later in Life, October 1, 2025.

The number of adults in the United States reporting serious trouble with memory, concentration, or decision making increased from 5.3% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2023, researchers report in Neurology (September 2025). This increase was largely driven by young adults (ages 18 to 39) whose rates nearly doubled over the time period. Adam de Havenon, MD, associate professor of neurology, led a study that also indicated that people with chronic health problems are more likely to report cognitive disability. While it’s unclear what’s behind the rise, the researchers want physicians to pay attention to it.

Related article: A Growing Number of U.S. Adults Report Cognitive Disability, Yale News, September 24, 2025.