Kentsis Research Group

A transposase-derived gene required for human brain development PGBD5 is required for brain development in humans and mice through genetic and nongenetic mechanisms.

A transposase-derived gene required for human brain development | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A transposase-derived gene required for human brain development PGBD5 is required for brain development in humans and mice through genetic and nongenetic mechanisms.

A transposase-derived gene required for human brain development | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

DNA damage provides a bright spot in rhabdoid & epithelioid sarcomas

Alex Kentsis @kentsisresearch.bsky.social @oleg8r.bsky.social show combined EZH2/ATR inhibition improves response in SMARCB1-deficient tumor models via epigenetic induction of transposase-derived PGBD5: www.jci.org/articles/vie...

a dog is sitting on a rug in front of a brick wall and a plant . ALT: a dog is sitting on a rug in front of a brick wall and a plant .

A summary of training, fellowship, and career development awards

Fiscal year 2025 (compared to fiscal year 2024)

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Lecture: Developmental Mutators: A unified theory of why young people develop cancer - Kentsis Research Group at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Listen to my lecture at the St. Jude Science of Childhood Cancer Series

Developmental Mutators: A unified theory of why young people develop cancer ☛ alexkentsis.net/lecture-deve...

@kentsisresearch.bsky.social develop a proteogenomics workflow to detect 1000s of unknown cancer proteins. PG3 combines long-read RNA sequencing with multi-protease MS to discover non-canonical proteins in cancer cells. Used a timsTOF HT, nanoElute 2 & Aurora Ultimate 25x75 column:
bit.ly/4mlQSmu

A deep dive into the destruction of US cancer research by @jonathanmahler.bsky.social “It’s an absolutely unmitigated disaster,” a former top official at NIH told him. “It will take decades to recover from this, if we ever do.” Gift link: nyti.ms/48iH3Cr

Science of Childhood Cancer Lecture Series A 15-week virtual lecture series focused on key questions in pediatric cancer research. View the expert speakers and recordings of prior seminars.

www.stjude.org/education-tr...

Listen to my new lecture "Developmental mutagenesis: A unified theory of why young people develop cancer" as part of
@stjude.bsky.social @stjuderesearch.bsky.social
Science of Childhood Lecture Series on September 18, 2025: www.linkedin.com/events/73719...

These are the most challenging times for early-career scientists and engineers.

My team is doing its bit to help by maintaining and even expanding our database of funding opportunities for early-career researchers.

We found 437 of them.

Download it freely here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-...

Patterns in genomic mutations among patients with early-onset colorectal cancer: an international, multicohort, observational study Within hypermutated colorectal cancer, younger patients exhibited a higher mutational burden than older patients. Our study reveals an abnormal accumulation of distinct somatic mutations in hypermutat...

Patterns in genomic mutations among patients with early-onset colorectal cancer: an international, multicohort, observational study - The Lancet Oncology www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

NEW pub: The role of metabolism in shaping #enzyme structures over 400 million years. Now out in @nature.com

Super grateful to have played a small role in this project - congrats to lead/corr authors Oliver, Benjamin, and Markus!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#alphafold #evolution #genomics

Design principles of cell-state-specific enhancers in hematopoiesis Screen of minimalistic enhancers in blood progenitor cells demonstrates widespread dual activator-repressor function of transcription factors (TFs) and enables the model-guided design of cell-state-sp...

Out in Cell @cp-cell.bsky.social: Design principles of cell-state-specific enhancers in hematopoiesis
🧬🩸 screen of fully synthetic enhancers in blood progenitors
🤖 AI that creates new cell state specific enhancers
🔍 negative synergies between TFs lead to specificity!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
🧵

Sorry to hear this (again), Jan

This would be a great application for single-cell proteomics!

Supporting medical science in the USA The pursuit of rigorous medical science is not compatible with capitulation to government demands aimed at weaponising and eroding science. On April 14, Edwin R Martin Jr, the Trump-appointed interim ...

Supporting medical science in the USA - The Lancet www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

What would Mary do? Trump’s actions call for Lasker-style advocacy - The Cancer Letter A diagnosis of cancer brings with it fear and uncertainty. Changes proposed by the Trump administration pose a grave new risk to those who suffer from cancer today or will suffer from cancer in the fu...

What would the National Cancer Act look like today? Bravo Kevin Cullen! Act! cancerletter.com/guest-editor...

Most of my proposals have two Aims. Coincidentally, most of the time I also eat two tacos at a time, but have them more frequently. Deep insights!

Lars, it was pure joy working with you

New in @naturecomms.bsky.social: MSK's @kentsisresearch.bsky.social & collaborators identified a rare population of stem cells responsible for disease persistence & therapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (#AML), which could help improve treatment strategies: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Epigenetic mechanisms controlling human leukemia stem cells and therapy resistance - Nature Communications Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) arise from mutations of stem and progenitor cells. Here, authors identify a quiescent, label-retaining cell population in AML patient specimens that have tumor-initiation ...

A new KRG study led by Sumiko Takao @naturecomms.bsky.social uncovers how epigenetic mechanisms control human leukemia stem cells (LSCs) that fuel therapy resistance in AML. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A little lab fun

I am thrilled to share our story online at @cellpress.bsky.social . Big thanks to all authors: Zhiping, Bill, @lubanlab.bsky.social, Keith & bluesky-less!

authors.elsevier.com/c/1kjdaL7PXu...

How to tame a genome invader? It takes wild koalas 🐨🐨 to learn it.
#Retrovirus #koala #piRNA

More below 👇

KRG tips on how to review scientific papers KRG tips on how to review scientific papers well Alex Kentsis, 2025 General approach Read the entire manuscript, including the methods and supplemental files. Note the quality of the data, and whet...

After many years of explaining trainees how to review scientific manuscripts well, I've summarized them here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Telomeric transposons are pervasive in linear bacterial genomes Eukaryotes have linear DNA and their telomeres are hotspots for transposons, which in some cases took over telomere maintenance. Here we identify several families of independently evolved telomeric tr...

Telomeric transposons are pervasive in linear bacterial genomes | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Book: Developmental Oncology: Principles and Therapy of Cancers of Children and Young Adults - Kentsis Research Group at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center We are pleased to announce the publication of Developmental Oncology: Principles and Therapy of Cancers of Children and Young Adults. The subject of this book deals with cancers that affect children a...

New book out: Developmental Oncology: Principles and Therapy of Cancers of Children and Young Adults alexkentsis.net/book-develop...

Department of Government Efficiency on X: "Today NIH canceled grants for ~$10.9 million including: -$1.7M for the “China Health and Retirement Longitudinal study” at Peking University in Beijing, China -$135K for a research grant to China Medical University in Shenyang, China -$142K for “using telehealth to improve access" / X Today NIH canceled grants for ~$10.9 million including: -$1.7M for the “China Health and Retirement Longitudinal study” at Peking University in Beijing, China -$135K for a research grant to China Medical University in Shenyang, China -$142K for “using telehealth to improve access

Here is what DOGE is doing at NIH, and presumably at NSF and elsewhere too: x.com/DOGE/status/...

Josh, where are you getting this info?

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Careers Let’s change the way the world treats cancer Our multi-disciplinary teams work together to provide exceptional patient care, develop innovative research, and deliver outstanding educational programs.

Join us as a Research Technician in the Kentsis Lab externaltalent-mskcc.icims.com/jobs/83429/r...