Nature Communications

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76856-y Asian summer monsoon variability is investigated using climate model simulations covering the last 800 kyr. Greenhouse gases drive 100-kyr variability via its thermal forcing, while precession governs 20-kyr variability.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77053-7 Biomass derived α-, β-hydroxy acids can provide greener routes to valuable amino acids, but selective conversion remains difficult. This study shows isolated ruthenium sites can drive a new pathway from hydroxy acids to amino acids.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76147-6 Long-term links between free-living rest-activity rhythms and biological aging remain unclear. Here, the authors show that Fitbit-derived rest-activity rhythms are associated with biological aging trajectories in All of Us Research Program.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76661-7 Here authors investigate the mechanisms underlying the synthesis and retention of metastable α-Li₃PS₄, a solid-state electrolyte with high ionic conductivity, which can be formed and quenched at low temperatures despite being a high-temperature equilibrium phase.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76911-8 How chromatin organization influences developmental decisions remains poorly understood. Here the authors report a chromatin organizer that maintains higher-order genome organization and coordinated gene expression to balance cell division and differentiation in plants.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76959-6 Responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are highly heterogeneous, and the mechanisms underlying therapeutic sensitivity remain incompletely understood. Here the authors present multi-omics profiling of ESCC patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy and identify…

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76862-0 Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) resistant to Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Here, the authors define an XPO1-TRIM21-TNFSF15 axis that promotes the polarization of immunosuppressive TREM2+ macrophages, which…

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76662-6 With the improvement of HER2-targeted therapy in patients with breast cancer, there is growing interest in whether chemotherapy can be eliminated from regimens completely. Here, the authors report a phase 2 clinical trial investigating neoadjuvant zanidatamab (HER2-targeting antibody) in patients with early-st…

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77056-4 The nuclear hormone receptor NHR-49 regulates nutrition sensing and fatty acid metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here the authors show that NHR-49 activity in somatic cells regulates oocyte activation according to nutritional cues.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76193-0 Here, authors solve three cryo-EM structures of EcMscL in two different lipid environments and two distinct conformational states; closed and open-like, guided by EPR. Additional EPR, MD and HDX-MS experiments provide insight into the gating mechanism.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77068-0 A large international study found that certain diabetes drugs (GLP-1 receptor agonists) may link to a lower risk of tuberculosis than other common treatments. These medications may offer added protection against tuberculosis in type 2 diabetes.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76840-6 Genetic resources with combined resistance to drought and blast disease are scarce. Here, the authors identify NLR8-Hap2, a natural allele of the rice NLR gene NLR8 that encodes an LRR-truncated protein, and show that it enhances resistance to both stresses by stabilizing two distinct transcription factors.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76998-z Sex hormones and cancer-cell sex influence tumor growth, but other sex-dependent drivers of oncogenesis remain unclear. Here, the authors reveal that the sex of central neurons alters the peripheral tumor-supportive niche to promote tumor growth.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76133-y Handedness in synthetic systems can be challenging to control. Here, the authors report the development of homogeneous hydrogels with programmable, handed shape morphing, including helices and twists, as a result of photoexpansion.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76869-7 Reductive amination catalysed by imine reductases and reductive aminases is a powerful method for the asymmetric synthesis of chiral amines, yet the generality and practical limitations of these enzymes remain poorly understood. Here, the authors combine large-scale, iterative activity screening, sequence anal…

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77089-9 Alcohol consumption and high fat diet can drive liver cancer through distinct pathways. Here, the authors characterize three murine models of steatohepatitis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis that recapitulate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), and their…

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77045-7 Point-contact spectroscopy under pressure reveals Andreev bound states on UTe2’s (001) surface, indicating an odd-kz pz component of the superconducting order parameter. The relative weights of pz- and px/y-wave pairing distinguish its multiple pressure-tuned superconducting phases.

Nature Communications, Published online: 21 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76887-5 To understand nitrogen activation in the Haber–Bosch process, the study simulates the iron catalyst at atomistic level under realistic industrial conditions of high pressure and temperature, revealing catalytic activity despite substantial coverage.

Nature Communications, Published online: 21 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77006-0 Surveys suggest that health data sharing with industry and across national borders challenges public legitimacy. We argue that this resistance reflects deeper concerns about profit motives and loss of control and provide guidance on responsive governance to ensure public trust.

Nature Communications, Published online: 21 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76737-4 A multi-ethnic study of immune cells from 1,828 individuals finds that men and women age nonlinearly and differently at the cellular level. This work reveals sex-specific pathways and proposes personalized approaches to immune aging.