NATURE Epidemiological studies have linked dirty air to dementia and other brain disorders. Now researchers are trying to determine how pollutants do their damage, and how much harm they cause.

NATURE OUTLOOK The United States has moved to deracialize kidney diagnostics. The move addresses major health-equity issues — but it also shines a light on a problematic clinical test.

NATURE INDEX As development of the technology accelerates, countries are weighing the costs and benefits of how they regulate it.

KNOWABLE Some people of West African descent face a higher risk of renal failure. New drugs based on gene research may help right the ship — if they can reach everyone who needs them.

NATURE It’s a transformational time long neglected by neuroscience. That is starting to change.

NATURE OUTLOOK Gut microbiota could be crucial to the success or failure of immunotherapy. Donated stool might give oncologists a way to tip the balance, but the real excitement lies in what comes next.

NATURE OUTLOOK Advances in in situ therapeutic cancer vaccines offer a mode of treatment that could redeem the promise of previous false dawns.

KNOWABLE Lots of them depend on fruit-eating birds and mammals to spread their seeds. But it’s debatable whether the animals — many in trouble themselves — can disperse seeds far and fast enough to keep pace with a warming world.

KNOWABLE The immune cells that fight bacteria and viruses are well-known. But some scientists think we should devote more attention to a second prong of defense: one that allows our bodies to more harmlessly live with pathogens until they’re cleared from our systems.

NATURE Therapeutic vaccines could provide a transformative shot in the arm for cancer treatment.

NATURE OUTLOOK From drivable bionic animals to machines made from muscle, biohybrid robots are on their way to a variety of uses.

CRUK Parasites, allergy and innovation – the journey to get the first IgE anti-cancer drug into a human was certainly not easy. Here we follow Sophia Karagiannis and James Spicer on an immunological adventure as they work with our Centre for Drug Discovery on this potentially ground-breaking new class of drug.

NATURE As implanted devices and commercial headsets advance, what will the real-world impacts be?

NEW SCIENTIST We are finally getting a grasp of what rest and relaxation actually do to the brain and body. The insights could help us all turbocharge our downtime, finds Liam Drew

NATURE A community of people with type 1 diabetes got a self-built device approved. What can they offer that big companies can’t?

THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL In the UK, the standing of cannabis as a member of the analgesic pharmacopeia is somewhat nebulous, and there are strong opinions on both sides about whether there is enough evidence for its effectiveness.

NATURE ELECTRONICS Fifty years after the term brain–computer interface was coined, the neurotechnology is being pursued by an array of start-up companies using a variety of different technologies. But the path to clinical and commercial success remains uncertain.

NATURE When the makers of electronic implants abandon their projects, people who rely on the devices have everything to lose.

THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL Although current COVID-19 vaccines have been hugely effective at reducing serious disease and death, we need to prevent transmission to truly bring the pandemic under control, and that is where it is hoped mucosal vaccines will come in

CRUK Forty years ago, hints of a new component of the immune system caused a stir. As the initial controversy turned into therapeutic promise, the importance of translating this research for the treatment of cancer became very clear. Here, we chart the story of gamma delta T cells from discovery to clinical trials…