Research Spotlight
Fresh insights from the spatial epigenome
Spatial ATAC-seq Unmasks Early Glial Rewiring in Alzheimer’s
Ever wondered how early Alzheimer’s really begins? The research team from UT Health Science Center, lead by Dr. Kong, investigates pixel-scale spatial ATAC-seq maps catch microglia and astrocytes flipping their chromatin switches to “inflammatory” in hippocampus and cortex—long before plaques show up—hinting at brand-new, region-specific targets for stopping the disease in its tracks.
Chromosome-Scale Shifts, Not Single Genes, Ignite Medulloblastoma
Massive chromosome-wide gains and losses—not single-gene mutations—kick-start Group 3/4 medulloblastoma while the famous MYC and MYCN amplifications sneak in later as minor but dangerous subclones. A new Nature study that pairs snATAC-seq with spatial transcriptomics maps these prenatal “copy-number quakes” and shows how single-cell epigenomics can spot the tumour’s earliest fault lines. Dive into the blog to see why rethinking cancer’s first hit could reshape risk prediction and therapy.
Chromatin Accessibility Flags GSTM1 as an Early Prognostic Marker in Glioblastoma
Bulk ATAC-seq in glioblastoma spotlights GSTM1—a detox enzyme turned bad actor—whose wide-open promoter and high expression foretell poor survival. The work shows how promoter-centric epigenomics can uncover deadly tumour programs that conventional genomic screens miss.