Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 27 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01297-5Base editing therapies to silence PCSK9 have entered clinical trials, and early results show promise for a durable ‘one-and-done’ therapy to lower plasma LDL-cholesterol levels.

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 17 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01287-7Soft robotic devices, with tissue-like materials, structures and functions, are emerging as promising alternatives to rigid devices for cardiovascular disease, which have several fundamental limitations. In this Review, Ji and colleagues discuss three emerging frontiers in which soft robotic devices are redefining cardiovascular medicine: simulators, interventional instruments and implants for vascular disease, arrhythmia and heart failure.

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 15 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01291-xRare cardiovascular diseases affect 5% of the world’s population. Rare disease training for clinicians is essential to suspect and diagnose underlying rare diseases and to work effectively with patients to navigate uncertain health-care journeys. To raise awareness, Nature Reviews Cardiology has partnered with Medics for Rare Disease to produce a Collection of articles on rare cardiovascular diseases.

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41571-026-01149-8The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has historically been the highest among Western, high-income countries but is now increasing globally beyond these regions. Early-onset CRC (diagnosed before the age of 50 years) has been the main driver of this rise, and risk factors including dietary and lifestyle aspects, the gut microbiota and environmental contaminants have been proposed to underlie these epidemiological trends. The authors of this Review discuss the available evidence on these risk factors, highlighting how the under-representation of non-Western populations in these studies is limiting progress.

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 23 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41571-026-01154-xThe ATOMIC trial has been widely celebrated as providing a positive result. However, when viewed with a lens of critical appraisal that considers issues related to overtreatment, treatment de-escalation, surrogacy, post-trial access to treatment and contributions of component, we argue that ATOMIC should not change clinical practice but rather form the basis for future trials that test de-escalation strategies.

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 21 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41571-026-01151-0The burden of cancer therapy on patients’ time is often overlooked. Building on the ‘time toxicity’ literature, we introduce the concept of time budgeting, viewing patients’ time as a limited, measurable resource that can be managed through treatment selection, pathway design and trial protocols. We discuss the rationale, measurement challenges and implementation requirements to operationalize time budgeting in cancer care.

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, Published online: 15 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41571-026-01147-wRare lymphoproliferative and lymphomatous disorders occurring after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy are garnering increased attention but remain incompletely characterized, complicating early recognition and management. This Review describes the spectrum of post-CAR T cell therapy lymphoproliferations reported so far, highlighting recurrent pathological and molecular features as well as factors implicated in promoting clonal expansion and/or malignant transformation, which might provide a framework to improve the diagnosis and management of these disorders.