Review, News & Views, Perspectives, Hypotheses and Analyses in 2010

Data from several recent studies on the dynamics of regulatory T cells — which suppress excessive immune responses — do not add up. Collective analysis of the observations may reconcile the differences between them.

Impaired insulin action, combined with its insufficient secretion, can cause diabetes. In a surprising extension of this notion, decreased insulin action in the kidney's podocyte cells may contribute to renal complications in diabetes.

Hybrid quantum systems have been suggested as a potential route to building a quantum computer. The latest research shows that they offer a robust solution to developing a form of random access memory for such a machine.

Many bacteria and archaea protect themselves from viruses and other invasive genomes through a genetic interference pathway. The small RNAs that guide this defence specify the direct cleavage of foreign DNA. See Article p.67

The protein angiotensinogen must undergo conformational changes to be cleaved into a precursor of the hormone angiotensin, which increases blood pressure. Oxidative stress seems to mediate this structural alteration. See Letter p.108

Evidence of intense phosphorus weathering following 'snowball Earth' glaciations raises a further possibility — that this revved-up nutrient cycle drove conditions for the explosion of animal life. See Letter p.1088

Prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer is bleak, often owing to late diagnosis. The estimate that at least 15 years pass from tumour initiation to malignancy offers hope for early detection and prevention. See Letters p.1109 & p.1114

Stem cells can renew themselves indefinitely — a feature that is often attributed to asymmetrical cell division. Fresh experimental and mathematical models of the intestine provide evidence that begs to differ.

The more massive a neutron star is, the greater the constraints it places on the nature of the matter at its core. The discovery of a new mass record holder has strengthened those constraints considerably. See Letter p.1081

The 1000 Genomes Project has completed its pilot phase, sequencing the whole genomes of 179 individuals and characterizing all the protein-coding sequences of many others. Welcome to the third phase of human genomics. See Article p.1061

The crystal structure of a protein channel provides clues about the mechanisms that control the closure of pores found in the epidermis of plant leaves. Excitingly, the protein channel folds in a way never seen before. See Article p.1074

Short residence times in the bloodstream reduce the effectiveness of protein drugs. Application of an approach that combines protein and polymer engineering prolongs circulation time and increases drug uptake by tumours.

Proteins that pump a wide range of toxic compounds out of cells are ubiquitous in nature, but crystal structures for one family of these transporters have remained elusive. Until now. See Letter p.991

The origin of the diffuse aurora, whose beauty and intensity pale beside those of the famous aurora borealis, has remained controversial. A convincing explanation for this auroral display is now at hand. See Letter p.943

A female can develop a diabetes-like disease due to a high fat content in her father's diet before she was conceived. Epigenetic modifications of the father's sperm DNA might underlie this peculiar observation. See Letter p.963

The use of templates to control the morphology of nanostructures is a powerful but inflexible technique. A template that is remodelled during synthesis suggests fresh opportunities for fabricating new nanostructures.

A galaxy has smashed the record for the most distant object ever observed. The object sheds light on the nature of the sources that stripped electrons from hydrogen atoms during the reionization epoch. See Letter p.940