Nature Genetics · 1 August 2026 · From issue 17
A DNA folding map in human immune cells links gut disease risk genes to specific gene switches.
Valeriya Malysheva, Helen Ray-Jones et al., High-resolution promoter interaction analysis implicates genes involved in activation of type 3 innate lymphoid cells in immune disease risk, Nature Genetics.
Immune cells called type 3 innate lymphoid cells help protect body linings like the gut, but scientists know little about how their genes get switched on. Researchers mapped the physical loops that DNA forms inside these cells, showing which distant DNA switches control which genes. This map linked known Crohn's disease risk spots to new candidate genes, including one already known to cause a rare childhood brain disease. When that same gene was boosted in mouse immune cells, it changed how the cells reacted to stimulation and which signaling chemicals they released.
Shown only in mouse immune cells in the lab, not confirmed in human patients.
Mouse cell line only, no human patient data yet.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 17 August 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Genetics). Read the source
This screen checks process signals. It does not tell you the findings are true.