This paper uses optimal transport to map CD8 T cell differentiation across time and tissues, revealing distinct migration waves and gene regulatory programs.

bioRxiv · Feb 26, 2026 · PreprintImmunology

Latent Regulatory Programs Generate Synthetic T Cell States with Enhanced Therapeutic Potential

Brandon M. Pratt, Genevieve Nicole Mullins, Nolan James Brown, William D. Green, Jennifer L. Modliszewski, Fucong Xie, Lara van Rooyen, Vasyl Zhabotynsky, Alexander N. Jambor, Gabrielle Heather Cannon, Jarred Michael Green, Andrew S. Kennedy, Coral del Mar Alicea Pauneto, Huitong Shi, Emily F. Merritt, , J. Justin Milner

The paper uses in vivo single-cell gain-of-function screening to identify latent transcriptional programs that reprogram T cells into synthetic states with enhanced therapeutic potential.

bioRxiv · Jan 8, 2026 · PreprintImmunology

A cell and transcriptome atlas of human arterial vasculature

Quanyi Zhao, Albert J Pedroza, Disha Sharma, Wenduo Gu, Alex R. Dalal, Chad S. Weldy, William Jackson, Daniel Yuhang Li, Yana Ryan, Trieu Nguyen, Rohan Shad, Brian T. Palmisano, João P. Monteiro, Matthew D. Worssam, Alexa Berezowitz, , Paul P. Cheng

This study creates a transcriptomic and spatial atlas of human arterial segments, revealing cell-type and segment-specific heterogeneity linked to vascular disease risk.

Cell Genomics · Oct 15, 2025Peer-reviewedCell Biology

Molecular mechanisms of coronary artery disease risk at the PDGFD locus

Hyun-Jung Kim, Paul P. Cheng, Stanislao Igor Travisano, Chad S. Weldy, João P. Monteiro, Ramendra Krishna Kundu, Trieu Nguyen, Disha Sharma, Huitong Shi, Yi Lin, Boxiang Liu, Saptarsi M. Haldar, Simon M. Jackson, Thomas Quertermous

This study identifies PDGFD as a CAD risk gene, showing it promotes SMC expansion, migration, and inflammation, contributing to vascular calcification and plaque recruitment.

Nature Communications · Feb 15, 2023Peer-reviewedGenetics