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China’s world-leading stem-cell research continues to advance discovery. This collection showcases recent achievements, including: the mechanisms by which glioblastoma stem cells promote the growth of cancer tumours and somatic cells are reprogrammed; the formation of blood stem cells at a single-cell level; and the genetic editing of stem cells to correct a genetic disorder in mice.
This collection of articles from Nature Research journals is produced with support from Becton, Dickinson and Company. Becton, Dickinson and Company retains sole responsibility for the selection of articles.
Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) facilitate malignant growth of glioblastoma (GBM). Here, the authors show that TAMs support glioma stem cell renewal via paracrine signalling to the pleiotrophin receptor PTPRZ1 and that blocking this axis results in increased survival of tumour-bearing animals.
Qin, Pei and colleagues report that autophagy is induced early during somatic cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells. mTORC1 and autophagy control reprogramming efficiency by modulating mitochondrial architecture and p62 levels.