Tumors can evade immune attack by manipulating the thymus, the organ where T cells are trained. Researchers from Japan discovered that specialized immune cells called plasmacytoid dendritic cells transport tumor antigens to the thymus, promoting immune tolerance to tumors. Disrupting this process in mice enhanced anti-tumor immunity and reduced tumor growth. The findings reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism of tumor immune evasion and identify CCR9 as a potential target for future cancer immunotherapies. 

Salk scientists and collaborators publish the first single-cell atlas to simultaneously map 3D genome architecture and DNA methylation across the human body—86,689 cells spanning 16 tissues, 35 major cell types, and 206 subtypes. The atlas pinpoints cell types where epigenetic features overlap with genetic risk for conditions including atrial fibrillation, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and blood-glucose regulation, helping explain how non-coding DNA variants may contribute to disease. All data are freely available through an interactive browser, providing a reference for gene-regulation research and a training resource for AI models that predict the impact of genetic variants.