Single-cell analysis of signalling and transcriptional responses to type I interferons - EMBO Reports Type I interferons (IFNs) play crucial roles in antiviral defence, autoinflammation and cancer immunity. The human genome encodes 17 different type I IFNs that all signal through the same receptor. No...

#WIMMReads
🧪 From the Sims and Rehwinkel Groups: type I interferons trigger shared but variable immune responses across cell types, shaping signalling and gene expression.
A new resource for understanding interferon biology in infection and disease.
#Immunology #WIMM @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

DNA-damaging formaldehyde accelerates blood ageing by extinction of stem cells Researchers from the University of Oxford, the German Cancer Research Center, and Hospital Saint-Louis have uncovered a surprising new way that blood stem cells are lost over time, offering fresh insi...

#WIMMReads
🧪 Latest study from the Patel Group at the MRC WIMM reveals new route to clonal haematopoiesis - a common ageing-related condition where a few stem cells dominate blood production.

Learn more 👇
www.imm.ox.ac.uk/news/patel-C...

@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

A functional overlap between actively transcribed genes and chromatin insulator elements - The EMBO Journal The mammalian genome is organised into large topologically associating domains (TADs) and smaller sub-TADs or enhancer-promoter loops, which may contribute to the regulation of gene expression. These ...

#WIMMReads
🧪 From Jim Hughes, Douglas Higgs and Mira Kassouf: actively transcribed genes can define chromatin boundaries, linking gene activity directly to 3D genome organisation.

Read more 👇

#GenomeBiology #Chromatin #WIMM @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk #AkademicSky

New study reveals how blood cell production responds to parasite infection Research led by the Nerlov Group in the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit provides the first detailed explanation of how parasite-fighting immune cells are selectively increased following infection.

#WIMMReads
🧪 In a new Nature study, researchers from the Nerlov Group at the #MRCWIMM map how parasite infection reshapes blood cell production, boosting #parasite fighting immune cells.

The work also identifies a potential #drug target for allergic inflammation, asthma and mast cell disorders.

#WIMMReads
🧪 From the Thomas Milne, Robert Beagrie and James Davies Groups: FACT is identified as a key regulator of 3D genome organisation, helping preserve promoter topology and large scale chromatin structure.
Read more👇
#GenomeBiology #Chromatin #WIMM @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk #AcademicSky

New bone marrow model offers scalable platform for next-generation drug discovery Researchers at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine have developed the first combined human bone and bone marrow organoid platform capable of modelling long-term blood and immune cell pr...

#WIMMReads
🧪 A new study led by Abdullah Khan introduces comBO, the first human bone and bone marrow organoid platform to model long term blood and immune cell production in 3D.

Designed to improve preclinical modelling of blood cancers and immune disorders.
#CancerResearch #Haematology #Organoids

A double helix twist in HIV vaccine design DNA origami scaffolds displaying HIV antigens stimulate focused antibody responses in mice

#WIMMReads
🧪 A new Science commentary from #MRCWIMM 's Oliver Bannard highlights how #DNA origami scaffolds could help focus antibody responses in #HIV #vaccine design, offering new directions for broadly protective immunity.
@ndm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

#HIVResearch #Immunology #AcademicSky

Switching and Sniffing around the β-globin cluster In this issue of Blood, Bagchi et al1 show how the β-like globin genes may be regulated by “Switch-Sniff” (switch/sucrose nonfermentable) chromatin remodel

#WIMMReads
🧪 #MRCWIMM Professor Doug Higgs authors a commentary in Blood on how chromatin remodeling complexes regulate globin genes and what this could mean for reactivating fetal hemoglobin in beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
#Haematology #GeneRegulation #WIMM

Congenital myasthenic syndrome: is it time for a name change to genetic myasthenic syndrome? Ramdas et al. propose renaming ‘congenital myasthenic syndrome’ as ‘genetic myasthenic syndrome’. They argue that ‘congenital’ misleadingly implies neonata

#WIMMReads 🧪

#MRCWIMM Group Leader Yin Dong is among clinicians and scientists with expertise in congenital #MyasthenicSyndrome suggesting it may be time to update the disease name to reduce misdiagnosis and improve care.
#Neurology #RareDisease

@ndcnoxford.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk

Precancerous microenvironment: A signalling perspective The progression from healthy tissue to malignancy involves a critical precancerous stage marked by cellular lesions with aberrant molecular and phenot…

#WIMMReads 🧪

This review explores the signalling networks active in precancerous environments and the models and technologies used to investigate them — pointing to opportunities for early detection and intervention.

#CellSignalling #precancer #CancerResearch @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

#WIMMReads

Sarah Gooding & colleagues find that targeted NGS can change treatment plans for people with #MultipleMyeloma, identifying high-risk patients that standard tests miss — with real clinical impact. 🧪 👇

#Genomics #Myeloma #CancerGenomics #PrecisionMedicine @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

Oxford Classic–Defined EMT Risk Stratification of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer for Guiding Treatment Decisions AbstractPurpose:. The association between epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and poor prognosis is known. However, molecularly defining a subset of ...

#WIMMReads
🧪 New work from #MRCWIMM Professor Ahmed Ahmed identifies a molecular signature that predicts poor prognosis in high grade serous #OvarianCancer

The study defines high risk patient groups and points to targeted treatment strategies that could improve survival.
#CancerResearch

Cancer inequalities: Empowering inclusive cancer research Experts from Cancer Research UK share how through world-class research, we can better understand and tackle the impacts of cancer inequalities

#WIMMReads
🧪 A new article on cancer inequalities shows why inclusive research is essential to beat cancer for everyone.

Written by Cancer Research UK experts including #MRCWIMM Director KJ Patel.

#CancerResearch #CancerInequalities @cancerresearchuk.org @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk 🧬🔬

Iron and the immune system - Nature Reviews Immunology Iron is crucial for cellular metabolism, but its availability varies greatly within and between individuals and populations. This Review highlights how iron regulates innate and adaptive cellular and ...

#WIMMReads: A new #review in Nature Reviews Immunology by Hal Drakesmith and Joe N Frost explores how #iron shapes immune responses in infection inflammation and cancer.
Read more 👇

#Immunology #Immunology #IronMetabolism #Infection
@rdm.ox.ac.uk @drakesmith-lab.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk

Exploring the size limits of Bionano optical genome mapping to resolve alternative structures of linked interspersed chromosomal duplications - Genome Medicine Genome Medicine - Determining the correct structure of large, interspersed duplications and related complex genomic rearrangements in genetic disease is critical when establishing causal roles and...

#WIMMReads: Led by Andrew Wilkie and Stephen Twigg, this study shows how optical genome mapping can help reveal the true structure of complex DNA duplications in genetic disease. 🧪

#Genomics #GeneticDiagnosis #StructuralVariants

@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

Building a transparent and functional laboratory culture: guidelines for creating a Laboratory Handbook for principal investigators

#WIMMReads The ISEH Junior Faculty Committee highlights why every PI can benefit from a Laboratory Handbook to support team culture, data practice & wellbeing.

With contribution from WIMM’s Professor Bethan Psaila, this resource reflects the WIMM commitment to supportive research environments.
👇

Enhancer heterogeneity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia drives differential gene expression in patients Key PointsDifferential enhancer activity contributes to oncogene overexpression and transcriptional diversity in primary KMT2A::AFF1 leukemia samples.Indiv

#WIMMReads: A recent study from the Roy and Milne Groups shows that it’s not just #DNA mutations that make cancers behave differently.

In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), differences in how genes are switched on and off — through enhancers — help explain why each patient’s cancer is unique. 👇

The emerging sequence grammar of 3D genome organisation - Human Genetics The multiplexed layers of regulatory processes and mechanisms within a cell are, to a degree, encoded in our genome. Unravelling the relationship between DNA sequence and molecular processes is crucia...

#WIMMReads: Researchers from the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit and the MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology review how #DNA sequence shapes the complex regulatory layers inside our cells.
Read more 👇

#Genomics
#3DGenome
#ComputationalBiology
@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

Oxford scientists map the cells that drive Crohn’s disease fistulas Researchers at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit have identified how rare populations of abnormal cells drive the formation and persistence of fistulas - painful, tunnel-like tracts that dev...

#WIMMReads: New @nature.com study, led by the Simmons & Antanaviciute Groups, used advanced single-cell and spatial analysis techniques to map the cells that drive #Crohn's fistulas - paving the way for targeted treatments 🧪

Learn more 👇

@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk

#WIMMReads: Oxford scientists, led by James Davies at the MRC WIMM, have captured the genome’s structure in unprecedented detail. 🧪
Read the full story below 👇
@ox.ac.uk @davieslab.bsky.social @jojdavies.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk

Genetic determinants of monocyte splicing are enriched for disease susceptibility loci - Nature Communications Our understanding of variation in monocyte context-specific splicing and transcript usage is limited. Here, the authors find genetic variants that affect gene splicing in monocytes in specific co...

#WIMMReads

Fairfax Group ( @bpfairfax.bsky.social ) map how genetic variation shapes monocyte gene expression and splicing across immune contexts 🧪

Read more 👇
doi.org/10.1038/s414...

#Genomics #Immunology #Transcriptomics

A genome-wide screen identifies Runx2 as a novel regulator of hematopoietic stem cell expansion and T-cell commitment Key Points. Runx2-deficient HSCs have a fitness advantage ex vivo and in vivo via increased self-renewalRunx2 is necessary for normal T-cell commitment

#WIMMReads
Grace Meaker et al. identify Runx2 as a key regulator of haematopoietic stem cell expansion and T-cell development. 🧪
Loss of Runx2 boosts stem cell renewal but limits T-cell commitment — findings that could inform future HSC therapies.

Read more 👇
doi.org/10.1182/bloo...