In a study published in Science Bulletin, researchers from Tongji University led by Professors Yixuan Wang and Shaorong Gao constructed a novel in vitro model simulating the human preimplantation epiblast (EPI), primitive endoderm (PrE), and trophectoderm (TE) lineages. Through single-cell transcriptomic analysis and intercellular communication inference using CellChat toolkit, the team delineated the cell-cell communication landscape among tri-lineages.  Notably, they highlighted the critical role of secreted NRG signaling from EPI to TE, mediated by NRG1-ERBB3 axis, in regulating trophectoderm specification through the intracellular effector TFAP2C—a signaling axis validated in both trophectoderm induction system and human blastocyst development.

Recently, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Guangzhou National Laboratory and other research institutes published a perspective entitled Redefining imaging genomics for the next decade on Science Bulletin, in which the article systematically summarizes the existing advancements in imaging genomics, and proposes a framework for imaging genomics that provide a new path for precision medicine.

Breast cancer progression is driven by a complex ecosystem where cancer cells and their microenvironment communicate extensively. A recent Perspective article in Science Bulletin from a team led by Dr. Wenqian Wang (The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University), Professor Min Wu (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou Institute), and Associate Professor Chunyan Hua (Wenzhou Medical University) reveals the crucial crosstalk between exosomes—small messengers released by cells—and metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer. This interaction influences tumor growth, resistance to therapy, and cancer stem cell survival. The study proposes innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting this “exosome-metabolism axis”, offering new hope for more effective patient management.