Outlook

In 1998, Brian Schmidt discovered that, contrary to expectations, the expansion of the Universe is accelerating. The discovery won him a share of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics and launched the search to uncover the nature of dark energy.

George Smoot shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of small temperature variations in the cosmic microwave background radiation, providing support for Big Bang theory. Smoot spoke to Nature about last year's big cosmological discovery, gravitational waves.

The path to understanding dark energy begins with a single question: has it always been the same throughout the history of the Universe?

The leading theory of dark matter is running out of room to hide.

The quest to understand lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) has left researchers grappling with questions that have implications for other diseases too.

Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) highlight the diverse ways in which the failure of a single organelle can bring cells to their knees. Most are rare and poorly understood, making the development of therapies a daunting task.

Most rare diseases lack even one approved treatment. Regulators have tried to encourage drug development, but advocacy groups are having to fight to get the research done.

Two competing hypotheses about Parkinson's and Gaucher's diseases need to be knitted together, say Anthony H. Futerman and John Hardy.

In the 1980s, bone-marrow transplants transformed the lives of children with fatal lysosomal diseases. Researchers are now working on another revolutionary treatment.

It is now feasible to test babies for several lysosomal storage disorders, but this goes against the gold standard for screening that was established nearly 50 years ago. The ethical issues raised are forcing a rethink of the way that newborns are screened.

Treatments that can cross the blood–brain barrier are needed if doctors are to treat the devastating neurological symptoms of many lysosomal storage disorders.

Problems with the lysosome cause more than just lysosomal storage disorders. This crucial cellular component has a surprising role in several common and complex conditions.

Kidney cancer is being detected earlier thanks to modern diagnostic techniques, meaning more patients receive treatment.

Advanced tumours may have met their match with new drugs, but why have these treatments proved ineffective at stopping early-stage tumours from coming back?

Obese people have a higher incidence of kidney cancer, but are also more likely to survive the disease. Is the 'obesity paradox' real or an artefact of how studies are conducted?

We need to focus on five main areas to make real progress in the treatment of kidney cancer, says Robert J. Motzer.