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19 MAR 2025 · Researchers uncover mutational processes in normal stomach lining tissue, providing insights on the earliest stages of cancer development.
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For the first time, scientists have systematically analysed somatic mutations in stomach lining tissue to unpick mutational processes, some of which can lead to cancer. The team also uncovered hints of a potential new cause of stomach cancer that needs further research.
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Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the University of Hong Kong, and their collaborators sequenced the whole genomes of normal stomach lining samples from people with and without gastric cancer.
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The team found that despite regular exposure to the acidic contents of the stomach, the gastric lining is protected from any toxic effects. They discovered that cells with ‘driver’ mutations in cancer genes occupy almost 10 per cent of the gastric lining by age 60. Plus an unusual discovery that some individuals, but not all, had mutations resulting in three copies of certain chromosomes, hinting towards exposure to an unknown mutagen.
18 MAR 2025 · An openly available generative AI tool can interpret millions of cells in human tissues in hours, revealing new insights and allowing researchers and clinicians to ask in-depth questions about conditions such as cancer.Â
A first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence (AI)-based neural network can rapidly analyse and interpret millions of cells from a patient sample, predicting molecular changes in the tissue. It can potentially pinpoint where personalised treatments could be most effective for conditions such as cancer.
NicheCompass leverages the power of generative AI to create a visual database combining spatial genomic data on cell types, where they are found, and how they communicate.
11 MAR 2025 · New research shows how mutations acquired throughout life can protect liver cells from damage caused by an inherited genetic condition.
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Acquired DNA mutations found in the SERPINA1 gene can protect liver cells from damage in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, new research shows. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD) is a genetic condition caused by inherited mutations in SERPINA1, that can cause lung and liver disease. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators sought to understand if acquired mutations in patients with haemochromatosis, an iron overload disorder, or alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency offer protection against cell stress.
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The study, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02125-1, provides further understanding about how protective mutations may help inspire therapies in patients with chronic liver disease.
10 MAR 2025 · Researchers uncover cellular changes as damage to alveoli in the lungs progresses during COVID-19.Â
Changes in the cellular response during lung damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 – the virus behind COVID-19 – have been uncovered. Researchers reveal distinct phases where waves of immune responses give way to lung fibrosis – scarring of the lungs – in severe COVID-19.
As part of the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC), researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Imperial College London, Newcastle University and Harvard University used a combination of cell mapping technologies to build a comprehensive understanding of the cellular response and lung tissue changes instigated during COVID-19.Â
7 MAR 2025 · Birth cohort studies offer rich information about populations, helping to guide key decisions in areas spanning health research to social policies. For the first time, researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute have sequenced rich genomic data from three birth cohort studies, which could unlock new insights into human health and disease. Here, we explore the benefits of population research and how combining genetics with population data could impact how we tackle health problems.
5 MAR 2025 · Research has uncovered fundamental differences in how blood stem cells evolve with age in mice compared to humans, reshaping our understanding of ageing and disease.
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The way in which blood stem cells evolve over a lifespan differs greatly between humans and mice, new research reveals. The findings provide a new understanding of the critical factors that influence tissue ageing.
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Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, and their collaborators, show that the drastic changes seen in human blood in old age do not occur in old mice.
4 MAR 2025 · New resource helps bridge the gap between identifying genetic changes linked to health conditions and understanding how these changes impact biological processes.
Large-scale research has mapped how thousands of inherited genetic variants play a role in developing chronic conditions, including hypertension and dermatitis, uncovering new connections between genes and health.
In this new study, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02096-3 an international team from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca, and other collaborators, analysed gene activity and integrated this with other molecular and health data from the same individuals. This allowed them to identify how genetic variation can affect biological pathways and influence the risk of developing certain conditions.
4 MAR 2025 · For the first time, large-scale DNA sequence data on three UK long-term birth cohorts has been released, creating a unique resource to explore the relationship between genetic and environmental factors in child health and development.
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The first resource containing high-resolution DNA sequencing data for over 37,000 children and parents collected over multiple decades from across the UK is now available to researchers worldwide.
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The data release is led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the Children of the 90s study (also known as A L S P A C), the Millennium Cohort Study (M C S), and Born in Bradford (B i B), (reference 1), and supported by the Medical Research Council (M R C) and the Economic and Social Research Council (E S R C).
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This work is supported by the ongoing efforts of Population Research UK, a UK-wide initiative led by teams at the University of Bristol and University College London, which aids longitudinal population studies by working to coordinate and connect the current research landscape.
3 MAR 2025 · https://github.com/BayraktarLab/cell2fate a new computational tool, allows researchers to map cellular trajectories in development and disease.
A new computational tool allows researchers to understand how the diverse cell types of the human body are made during development, and how diseases progress over time at the cellular level.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the German Cancer Research Center developed the tool to map cellular trajectories – the sequence of cell fate changes that results in a mature and functioning cell type. It also reveals altered cellular trajectories in various diseases such as brain tumours, helping to identify new potential targets for therapies.
28 FEB 2025 · In recognition of https://www.rarediseaseday.org/, we caught up with https://www.sanger.ac.uk/person/hurles-matthew/ Director and Senior Group Leader at https://www.sanger.ac.uk/ to reflect on the importance of raising awareness of rare diseases and how our work at the Institute is continuing to support this community and accelerate progress.
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Information
| Author | Wellcome Sanger Institute |
| Organization | Wellcome Sanger Institute |
| Categories | Life Sciences , Medicine , Nature |
| Website | www.sanger.ac.uk |
| communications@sanger.ac.uk |
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