Eleni Louka

🧪Celebrating #WomenInScienceDay with just a few of the brilliant women who make research happen at the #MRCWIMM.

Science is stronger when talent is recognised, supported and visible.

#WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM

Excited to share that a part of my PhD work is online now on BioRxiv!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

We developed a genome editing approach to target the JAK2 V617F mutation and demonstrate its potential to alleviate MPN hallmarks in primary patient cells.

Thread 👇

A big advance, folks, for off-the-shelf, universal, engineered (base-edited) T cells achieving complete response vs incurable leukemia in several patients
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

ONLINE FIRST ALERT!

Molecular #Plasticity Results in #Oncofetal #Reprogramming and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia

aacrjournals.org/bloodcancerd...

@aacrjournals.bsky.social

#childhoodcancer
#epigenetics
#precisiononcology

#ScientistSpotlight: This week we’re introducing Verena Körber, one of the newest Group Leaders at the MRC WIMM.

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

Oxford scientists map the cells that drive Crohn’s disease fistulas, Scientists at the University of Oxford, have identified how rare populations of abnormal cells drive the formation and persistence of fistulas - painful, tunnel-like tracts that develop in around 30%

NEW: Oxford scientists have identified how rare populations of abnormal cells drive the formation and persistence of fistulas - painful, tunnel-like tracts that develop in around 30% of people with Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease affects around 1 in every 650 people.

Our latest paper has just been published in Cell!

doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

We developed a new method called MCC ultra, which allows 3D chromatin structure to be visualised with a 1 base pair pixel size.

Not from Tron or a psychedelic wallpaper. This exquisite pic reveals chromatin at base-pair resolution, captured by #ListerFellow James Davies and collaborators🤩
"For the first time, we can see how the genome's control switches are physically arranged inside cells." @jojdavies.bsky.social

Platelets Shown to Store DNA in Study that could Transform Cancer Screening Study led by Psaila Group uncovers previously unknown function of platelets as DNA ‘vacuum cleaners’ in the blood, with profound implications for cancer diagnosis and prenatal screening.

NEW @cancerresearchuk.org-funded study, led by @bethpsaila.bsky.social & @l-cmurphy.bsky.social, reveals an unexpected and powerful new function for platelets with profound implications for cancer diagnosis and prenatal screening 🧪

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

Learn more 👇

The "humble" blood cells that could expose cancer's secrets - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News Our scientists have discovered that platelets are swelling with information which could help us detect cancers earlier.

Huge thanks to @cancerresearchuk.org for funding and sparking the key collabs, co-authors @imm.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk @ludwigcancer.bsky.social @edinburghuni.bsky.social and all who provided feedback along the way @Grc @ash.hematology.org @isehsociety.bsky.social @sarahhross.bsky.social

Platelets shown to store DNA in study that could transform cancer screening Oxford-led study uncovers previously unknown function of platelets as DNA ‘vacuum cleaners’ in the blood, with profound implications for cancer diagnosis and prenatal screening.

'[...]analysis of platelets can potentially improve screening tests, including for cancer.'

@bethpsaila.bsky.social comments on newly published research findings that could transform approaches to the early detection and prevention of #Cancer.

www.oxcode.ox.ac.uk/news/platele...

Thrilled that our paper is in print @science.org!!
*Platelets sequester cell free DNA, including free fetal and tumour-derived DNA*
Tweetorial from @l-cmurphy.bsky.social below. Check out the news feature science.org/content/arti... and terrific editorial from Dennis Lo #platelets_in_the_limelight

Check out our latest publication in @science.org, showing that platelets are a source of tumour DNA!

🚨 New paper alert! 🚨 I’m thrilled and proud to share that our latest work has just been published in @science.org! 🎉 🧽

📖 Read our paper here: doi.org/10.1126/sci...

🎬 Watch a summary: youtu.be/MttCA3GGWEM

🧵 Or keep reading for the key points! 🔑 1/19

New tool allows researchers to track how mutations arise in tissues Researchers at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed a new method to analyse how our tissues evolve as we age.

NEW: Researchers at the MRC WIMM and @dkfz.bsky.social have developed a new method to analyse how our tissues evolve as we age, called SCIFER 🧬 🧪

Read more 👇

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

Celebrating science, collaboration and excellence at WIMM Day 2025 The MRC WIMM community gathered for its flagship annual event, WIMM Day, on Tuesday 24th June. Held at the Saïd Business School, the day showcased the breadth and impact of research across the institu...

WIMM Day 2025 brought our researchers together to share discoveries, swap ideas & celebrate success — from gene editing to immunotherapy to public engagement.

Catch the recap + award winners here:

We're hiring at Oxford!
Join our team working on cutting-edge research in haematology & myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

🔬 Apply here:
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

🔍 Learn about our research:
imm.ox.ac.uk/research/res...

#AcademicJobs #Haematology #MPN #Oxford

New research reveals druggable target arising from chromosomal rearrangement in aggressive leukaemia Researchers at the University of Oxford have uncovered a potential new therapeutic target in a particularly aggressive and hard-to-treat form of leukaemia.

NEW: Researchers at the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, led by @ckbrierley.bsky.social & @adammead.bsky.social, have uncovered a potential new therapeutic target in BP-MPN - a particularly aggressive type of leukaemia.
🧪🧬

Read more:

@oxfordbrc.bsky.social | @rdm.ox.ac.uk | @medsci.ox.ac.uk

We are recruiting!! Ads now live for a Data Coordinator and 2 Research Assistants/biobankers to join a new @ludwigcancer.bsky.social - @imm.ox.ac.uk joint initiative to prevent progression from early- to advanced blood cancer. Joint posts with Adam Mead+others in Oxford Ludwig. Links below

International Women's Day at the MRC WIMM YouTube video by MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine

For International Women's Day tomorrow, we asked some of our female scientists, including @agoriely.bsky.social & @sumanasharma.bsky.social, to reflect on why this day is so important, the barriers and biases women can face in their careers, and which women have inspired them.

#IWD2025

Rare Disease Day 2025: Paediatric Leukaemias YouTube video by MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine

To conclude our #RareDiseaseDay series, we spoke with @ellouka.bsky.social, a clinician scientist researching Paediatric Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia (JMML). These are incredibly rare childhood cancers, with no current treatment options available. 🧪

Bi-specific CAR-iNKT cell immunotherapy for high-risk KMT2A-rearranged leukemia outperforms CAR-T in an NKG2D-dependent manner and eradicates leptomeningeal disease Current therapies, including autologous CAR-T immunotherapy, fail to cure half of infants with KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia (KMT2Ar-ALL). Here we deploy allogeneic iNKT cells, innatel...

Preprint alert: this was a wonderful collaborative project with Prof Karadimitris @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social and many others. Thanks to all and especially @cancerresearchuk.org for the CAYP innovation award funding. All feedback welcome!

Wellcome Discovery Award of £5m to fund pioneering research to combat The Ineos Oxford Institute has been awarded a £5 million Wellcome Discovery Award to develop vaccines against pathogens that cause diarrhoea - the third most common cause of death for children under

NEW: @ineosoxford.bsky.social has been awarded a £5 million Wellcome Discovery Award to develop vaccines against pathogens that cause diarrhoea - the third most common cause of death for children under five years of age.

More info ⬇️

As in post above

Celebrating Excellence in Medical Sciences Division 2024

Massive congratulations to our elected Academy of Medical Sciences fellows
#ExcellenceInOxfordMedSci2024

medsci.ox.ac.uk/news/academy...

In our first skeet, check out a very cool postdoc opportunity, in the very cool @susanagodinho.bsky.social lab 👇

Had the best time at #ASH24 presenting with Simone Riva our work at the @imm.ox.ac.uk with Prof. Adam Mead and Prof. Jim Hughes on the construction of a novel multi-omic resource atlas for human granulopoiesis and the identification of molecular machinery underlying IMiD-induced neutropenia.

Thanks so much

Absolutely outstanding presentation by @ellouka.bsky.social at #ASH24 about the role of dendritic cells secreting GAS6 in maintaining LSCs in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia #jmml #HemeSky

A poster giving an overview of MuSpAn.

We’re thrilled to introduce MuSpAn!
For researchers in biological imaging, MuSpAn provides tools for Multiscale Spatial Analysis with advanced mathematical methods.

🌟 For more information: www.muspan.co.uk
📝 Preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2024...

We hope you find it as useful as we do! (Poster below)