Newest from the lab - and the only of our manuscripts since the introduction of bioRxiv that we did not preprint (it will become obvious why).
"Targeting addiction to HMGB2-driven transcriptional programs in pancreatic cancer"
A thread...
"Targeting addiction to HMGB2-driven transcriptional programs in pancreatic cancer"
A thread...
August 25, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Newest from the lab - and the only of our manuscripts since the introduction of bioRxiv that we did not preprint (it will become obvious why).
"Targeting addiction to HMGB2-driven transcriptional programs in pancreatic cancer"
A thread...
"Targeting addiction to HMGB2-driven transcriptional programs in pancreatic cancer"
A thread...
Nature research paper: Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma
go.nature.com/3Vo60Vk
go.nature.com/3Vo60Vk
Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma - Nature
Mechanical confinement of cancer cells at the tumour–microenvironment interface induces phenotype switching through chromatin remodelling by HMGB2, leading to a more invasive and drug-resistant state in melanoma.
go.nature.com
September 2, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Nature research paper: Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma
go.nature.com/3Vo60Vk
go.nature.com/3Vo60Vk
My recent postdoctoral work is out today in @nature.com! We found that physical confinement makes melanoma cells more invasive and drug tolerant. Thanks to all who made this work possible @whitefishlab.bsky.social @mskcancercenter.bsky.social #NIH #NCI www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma - Nature
Mechanical confinement of cancer cells at the tumour–microenvironment interface induces phenotype switching through chromatin remodelling by HMGB2, leading to a more invasive and drug-resistant state ...
www.nature.com
August 27, 2025 at 5:18 PM
My recent postdoctoral work is out today in @nature.com! We found that physical confinement makes melanoma cells more invasive and drug tolerant. Thanks to all who made this work possible @whitefishlab.bsky.social @mskcancercenter.bsky.social #NIH #NCI www.nature.com/articles/s41...
new out in Nature this week www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma - Nature
Mechanical confinement of cancer cells at the tumour–microenvironment interface induces phenotype switching through chromatin remodelling by HMGB2, leading to a more invasive and drug-resistant state ...
www.nature.com
August 29, 2025 at 8:35 AM
new out in Nature this week www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Confinement induced switching -https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09445-6
Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma - Nature
Mechanical confinement of cancer cells at the tumour–microenvironment interface induces phenotype switching through chromatin remodelling by HMGB2, leading to a more invasive and drug-resistant state ...
www.nature.com
August 27, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Confinement induced switching -https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09445-6
Using a combination of #zebrafish and human #melanoma cells, she discovered that when cells are mechanically confined, this turns up chromatic factors like HMGB2, rewiring them to be more invasive and drug resistant.
August 28, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Using a combination of #zebrafish and human #melanoma cells, she discovered that when cells are mechanically confined, this turns up chromatic factors like HMGB2, rewiring them to be more invasive and drug resistant.
4/
...to cut a long story (very) short, we combined single-cell and 3D genomics to show that
> Tumor cells overexpress HMGB2
> HMGB2 binds hundreds of cell proliferation/growth genes
> HMGB2 depletion reduces accessibility and looping
...to cut a long story (very) short, we combined single-cell and 3D genomics to show that
> Tumor cells overexpress HMGB2
> HMGB2 binds hundreds of cell proliferation/growth genes
> HMGB2 depletion reduces accessibility and looping
August 25, 2026 at 5:10 PM
4/
...to cut a long story (very) short, we combined single-cell and 3D genomics to show that
> Tumor cells overexpress HMGB2
> HMGB2 binds hundreds of cell proliferation/growth genes
> HMGB2 depletion reduces accessibility and looping
...to cut a long story (very) short, we combined single-cell and 3D genomics to show that
> Tumor cells overexpress HMGB2
> HMGB2 binds hundreds of cell proliferation/growth genes
> HMGB2 depletion reduces accessibility and looping
...and few years back I proposed that HMGB2 should perhaps be viewed as a "rheostat" of chromatin and cell homeostasis: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
August 25, 2026 at 5:04 PM
...and few years back I proposed that HMGB2 should perhaps be viewed as a "rheostat" of chromatin and cell homeostasis: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A thread...
1/n
Cells entering senescence cluster CTCF, our original finding already in 2018 by Zirkel et al: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
...but how and for what reason?
1/n
Cells entering senescence cluster CTCF, our original finding already in 2018 by Zirkel et al: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
...but how and for what reason?
HMGB2 Loss upon Senescence Entry Disrupts Genomic Organization and Induces CTCF Clustering across Cell Types
Zirkel et al. use three distinct primary human cell types to show that nuclear depletion
of HMGB2 constitutes an early event on the path to replicative senescence controlling
heterochromatic and trans...
www.cell.com
July 21, 2026 at 10:13 AM
A thread...
1/n
Cells entering senescence cluster CTCF, our original finding already in 2018 by Zirkel et al: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
...but how and for what reason?
1/n
Cells entering senescence cluster CTCF, our original finding already in 2018 by Zirkel et al: www.cell.com/molecular-ce...
...but how and for what reason?
We have long been working with the highly abundant, but functionally elusive HMGB2 chromatin binder. And work from 2018 (Zirkel et al, Mol Cell), but also from this year (Palikyras et al, Nat Aging; www.nature.com/articles/s43...) have consolidated that its loss from cell nuclei induces senescence.
Senescent cells cluster CTCF on nuclear speckles to instruct an alternative splicing program - Nature Aging
Palikyras and colleagues investigate chromatin reorganization upon senescence induction, reporting that components of nuclear speckles coordinate chromatin rewiring and a senescence-associated splicin...
www.nature.com
August 25, 2026 at 5:02 PM
We have long been working with the highly abundant, but functionally elusive HMGB2 chromatin binder. And work from 2018 (Zirkel et al, Mol Cell), but also from this year (Palikyras et al, Nat Aging; www.nature.com/articles/s43...) have consolidated that its loss from cell nuclei induces senescence.
Hmgb2 improves astrocyte to neuron conversion by increasing the chromatin accessibility of genes associated with neuronal maturation in a proneuronal factor-dependent manner https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.31.555708v1
Hmgb2 improves astrocyte to neuron conversion by increasing the chromatin accessibility of genes associated with neuronal maturation in a proneuronal factor-dependent manner https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.31.555708v1
Background: Direct conversion of reactive glial cells to neurons is a promising avenue for neuronal
www.biorxiv.org
September 3, 2023 at 5:15 PM
Hmgb2 improves astrocyte to neuron conversion by increasing the chromatin accessibility of genes associated with neuronal maturation in a proneuronal factor-dependent manner https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.31.555708v1
A paper using RRID:AB_2534016 from @thermofishersci.bsky.social was just published in Cell Reports. We value the author's support of reproducibility. #accelerateopenscience #ReproducibleResearch #STMpublishing
Targeting addiction to HMGB2-driven transcriptional programs in pancreatic cancer
Read the full paper: Targeting addiction to HMGB2-driven transcriptional programs in pancreatic cancer
doi.org
August 28, 2026 at 7:00 AM
A paper using RRID:AB_2534016 from @thermofishersci.bsky.social was just published in Cell Reports. We value the author's support of reproducibility. #accelerateopenscience #ReproducibleResearch #STMpublishing
Compression causes cancer cells to start spreading
Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma - Nature
Mechanical confinement of cancer cells at the tumour–microenvironment interface induces phenotype switching through chromatin remodelling by HMGB2, leading to a more invasive and drug-resistant state ...
doi.org
December 31, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Compression causes cancer cells to start spreading
Mechanical confinement can deform #cancer cell nuclei and trigger transition to an invasive phenotype. Study on melanoma in animal model and human samples. #Metastasis www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma | Nature
Mechanical confinement of cancer cells at the tumour–microenvironment interface induces phenotype switching through chromatin remodelling by HMGB2, leading to a more invasive and drug-resistant state in melanoma.
www.nature.com
August 29, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Mechanical confinement can deform #cancer cell nuclei and trigger transition to an invasive phenotype. Study on melanoma in animal model and human samples. #Metastasis www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#ThrowbackThursday in JHC: "HMGB2 Promotes De Novo Lipogenesis to Accelerate Hepatocyte Proliferation During Liver Regeneration."
Click to read for FREE: bit.ly/3WlSp2P
#liver #denovolipogenesis #liverregeneration
Click to read for FREE: bit.ly/3WlSp2P
#liver #denovolipogenesis #liverregeneration
May 8, 2025 at 7:07 PM
#ThrowbackThursday in JHC: "HMGB2 Promotes De Novo Lipogenesis to Accelerate Hepatocyte Proliferation During Liver Regeneration."
Click to read for FREE: bit.ly/3WlSp2P
#liver #denovolipogenesis #liverregeneration
Click to read for FREE: bit.ly/3WlSp2P
#liver #denovolipogenesis #liverregeneration
Mechanical confinement triggers epigenetic reprogramming in melanoma cells; a zebrafish study shows HMGB2 reshapes DNA and reduces proliferation while boosting invasion. https://getnews.me/mechanical-stress-drives-cancer-cells-toward-invasive-states/ #mechanicalstress #hmgb2 #cancercells
September 14, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Mechanical confinement triggers epigenetic reprogramming in melanoma cells; a zebrafish study shows HMGB2 reshapes DNA and reduces proliferation while boosting invasion. https://getnews.me/mechanical-stress-drives-cancer-cells-toward-invasive-states/ #mechanicalstress #hmgb2 #cancercells
Feed: "Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily"
Published on Monday, September 22, 2025
Published on Monday, September 22, 2025
When cancer cells feel squeezed, they become more dangerous
New research shows that cancer cells don’t just grow; they adapt when stressed. When squeezed inside tissues, they transform into more invasive, drug-resistant versions of themselves. A protein called HMGB2 helps flip this dangerous switch, giving the cells new powers to escape. The findings reveal how the tumor’s environment itself can drive cancer’s deadly flexibility.
www.sciencedaily.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Feed: "Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily"
Published on Monday, September 22, 2025
Published on Monday, September 22, 2025
Feed: "Nature"
By: Richard M. White
By: Richard M. White
Mechanical confinement governs phenotypic plasticity in melanoma
Mechanical confinement of cancer cells at the tumour–microenvironment interface induces phenotype switching through chromatin remodelling by HMGB2, leading to a more invasive and drug-resistant state in melanoma.
www.nature.com
August 29, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Feed: "Nature"
By: Richard M. White
By: Richard M. White
Divide and conquer: Dissecting the host machinery underlying influenza virus transcription and replication
Divide and conquer: Dissecting the host machinery underlying influenza virus transcription and replication
The influenza virus polymerase mediates both transcription and replication, but the host factors involved were unclear. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Rasmussen et al. identify RPAP2 as a transcription cofactor and HMGB2 as a replication cofactor, demonstrating HMGB2 inhibition enhances antiviral effects when combined with existing antivirals.
dlvr.it
March 19, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Divide and conquer: Dissecting the host machinery underlying influenza virus transcription and replication