The paper investigates Menin's role in enhancer-promoter interactions in MLL-rearranged and NPM1c leukemia models, finding context-dependent effects on transcriptional regulation and enhancer function.

bioRxiv · May 27, 2026 · PreprintCancer Biology

Single-cell CRISPR activation screens in primary B cells discover gene regulatory mechanisms for hundreds of autoimmune risk loci.

Viacheslav A. Kriachkov, Jeralyn Ching Wen Hui, James Lancaster, Davide Maria Vespasiani, Nicholas Denny, Joseph C. Hamley, Liam Gubbels, Esther Bandala‐Sanchez, Melanie R. Neeland, Eric Levi, Karen Davies, Shivanthan Shanthikumar, Galina Shevchenko, Vanessa L. Bryant, Daniel James Hodson, , Hamish W. King

The paper uses single-cell CRISPR activation screens in human B cells to link non-coding autoimmune risk loci to their cis-regulatory target genes, revealing shared genetic mechanisms across diseases.

bioRxiv · Mar 2, 2026 · PreprintGenomics

Enhancer heterogeneity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia drives differential gene expression between patients

Alastair Smith, Nicholas Denny, Catherine Chahrour, Kim Sharp, Marta Arachi, Ana M. Dopico-Fernandez, Natalina Elliott, Joe R. Harman, Thomas Jackson, Huimin Geng, Owen Patrick Smith, Jonathan Bond, Irene A.G. Roberts, Ronald W. Stam, Nicholas T. Crump, , Thomas A. Milne

This study identifies enhancer heterogeneity as a driver of transcriptional differences in KMT2A::AFF1 ALL patients, revealing patient-specific enhancer activity at oncogenes.

Blood · Jul 29, 2025Peer-reviewedCancer Biology

Sustained MYB activity drives emergent enhancer activation and precise enhancer-promoter interactions

I‐Jun Lau, Joe R. Harman, Alastair Smith, Nicholas Denny, Nicole Jackson, Joseph C. Hamley, Paresh Vyas, James O. J. Davies, Jim R. Hughes, Nicholas T. Crump, Thomas A. Milne

This study shows that MYB activity sustains enhancer-promoter interactions and transcription by maintaining enhancer function in leukemia.

bioRxiv · Apr 16, 2025 · PreprintGenomics

PAF1 and FACT cooperate with MLL-AF4 to drive enhancer activity in leukemia

Nicholas T. Crump, Alastair Smith, Laura Godfrey, Ana M. Dopico-Fernandez, Nicholas Denny, Joe R. Harman, Joseph C. Hamley, Nicole Jackson, Catherine Chahrour, Simone G. Riva, Siobhan Rice, Jaehoon Kim, Venkatesha Basrur, Damian Fermin, Kojo S.J. Elenitoba‐Johnson, , Thomas A. Milne

This study identifies PAF1 and FACT as essential for enhancer activity in MLL-AF4-driven leukemia by maintaining histone acetylation and enhancer-promoter interactions.

Nature Communications · Aug 25, 2023Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology