Lauren Murphy
@l-cmurphy.bsky.social
Postdoctoral Scientist at the University of Oxford. Interested in platelet and cancer biology 🩸
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-c-murphy
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-c-murphy
Thanks for sharing @brian.teague.bio!! Glad you enjoyed reading it!! Platelets are the best! 🩸🧽
August 18, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Thanks for sharing @brian.teague.bio!! Glad you enjoyed reading it!! Platelets are the best! 🩸🧽
Thanks for sharing @jessiemacalpine.bsky.social!
August 18, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Thanks for sharing @jessiemacalpine.bsky.social!
Thanks for sharing Alba!!! Hope you're good and maybe see you at ISEH??? 🩸🧬
August 18, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Thanks for sharing Alba!!! Hope you're good and maybe see you at ISEH??? 🩸🧬
⭐️Above all, thanks to the patients who contributed samples and inspired this work!⭐️ 19/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
⭐️Above all, thanks to the patients who contributed samples and inspired this work!⭐️ 19/19
We are incredibly grateful for fantastic support from institutions and funders, critical to enabling this work: @cancerresearchuk.org, @ludwigcancer.bsky.social, oxfordcancer.bsky.social, imm.ox.ac.uk,
@rdm.ox.ac.uk and @exeter.ox.ac.uk 🌍 18/19
@rdm.ox.ac.uk and @exeter.ox.ac.uk 🌍 18/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
We are incredibly grateful for fantastic support from institutions and funders, critical to enabling this work: @cancerresearchuk.org, @ludwigcancer.bsky.social, oxfordcancer.bsky.social, imm.ox.ac.uk,
@rdm.ox.ac.uk and @exeter.ox.ac.uk 🌍 18/19
@rdm.ox.ac.uk and @exeter.ox.ac.uk 🌍 18/19
Thank you to our reviewers for dedicating their time and energy to thoughtfully improving the manuscript, and to @sarahhross.bsky.social
and @science.org for a smooth editorial process.📚 17/19
and @science.org for a smooth editorial process.📚 17/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Thank you to our reviewers for dedicating their time and energy to thoughtfully improving the manuscript, and to @sarahhross.bsky.social
and @science.org for a smooth editorial process.📚 17/19
and @science.org for a smooth editorial process.📚 17/19
We are also very grateful to those who came on board with the idea especially Eric O’Neil, Ian Hitchcock @ian-hitchcock.bsky.social, Michael Desborough and Manu Vatish oxfordwomenshealth.bsky.social
who helped us brainstorm and collect samples. 🧠 16/19
who helped us brainstorm and collect samples. 🧠 16/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
We are also very grateful to those who came on board with the idea especially Eric O’Neil, Ian Hitchcock @ian-hitchcock.bsky.social, Michael Desborough and Manu Vatish oxfordwomenshealth.bsky.social
who helped us brainstorm and collect samples. 🧠 16/19
who helped us brainstorm and collect samples. 🧠 16/19
This project was a true team effort and would not have been possible without so many incredible colleagues: Jeanne Inchauspé, Giampiero Valenzano, Chris Gregory, Pamella Holland @edinuni-irr.bsky.social
Paul Rees, and Benjamin Schuster-Böckler dagams.bsky.social 🤝 15/19
Paul Rees, and Benjamin Schuster-Böckler dagams.bsky.social 🤝 15/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
This project was a true team effort and would not have been possible without so many incredible colleagues: Jeanne Inchauspé, Giampiero Valenzano, Chris Gregory, Pamella Holland @edinuni-irr.bsky.social
Paul Rees, and Benjamin Schuster-Böckler dagams.bsky.social 🤝 15/19
Paul Rees, and Benjamin Schuster-Böckler dagams.bsky.social 🤝 15/19
With huge thanks to my PhD supervisors for their endless enthusiasm and support: Beth Psaila @bethpsaila.bsky.social, Simon Leedham leedham-simon.bsky.social and Adam Mead @adammead.bsky.social ✨14/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
With huge thanks to my PhD supervisors for their endless enthusiasm and support: Beth Psaila @bethpsaila.bsky.social, Simon Leedham leedham-simon.bsky.social and Adam Mead @adammead.bsky.social ✨14/19
So much cool biology to follow up…✉️ Take home message: a substantial % of cfDNA is contained within platelets. This info is being missed by current protocols that extract cfDNA from platelet-depleted plasma! 🗓️13/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
So much cool biology to follow up…✉️ Take home message: a substantial % of cfDNA is contained within platelets. This info is being missed by current protocols that extract cfDNA from platelet-depleted plasma! 🗓️13/19
Why do plts do this?! Maybe to help clear cfDNA from plasma, preventing non-specific immune activation. We showed that cfDNA is higher in low plt counts. After gobbling up DNA fragments, do plts then deploy it targeting immune activation to where it is needed? 🍽️🤔 12/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Why do plts do this?! Maybe to help clear cfDNA from plasma, preventing non-specific immune activation. We showed that cfDNA is higher in low plt counts. After gobbling up DNA fragments, do plts then deploy it targeting immune activation to where it is needed? 🍽️🤔 12/19
In patients, we showed cancer-derived DNA in both advanced and early-stage cancer. Remarkably, we even detected mutant BRAF alleles in people with “pre-cancer”–small colon polyps! Polyps increase CRC risk and are hard to detect; plt DNA may be an early molecular flag! 🚩11/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
In patients, we showed cancer-derived DNA in both advanced and early-stage cancer. Remarkably, we even detected mutant BRAF alleles in people with “pre-cancer”–small colon polyps! Polyps increase CRC risk and are hard to detect; plt DNA may be an early molecular flag! 🚩11/19
But does this happen in vivo? With leedham-simon.bsky.social and Eric O'Neil, we showed plts contain cancer mutations in colorectal and pancreatic models. In many cases, there was more tumor DNA in plts than plasma, indicating that including plt DNA would add value to screening! 🐁 10/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
But does this happen in vivo? With leedham-simon.bsky.social and Eric O'Neil, we showed plts contain cancer mutations in colorectal and pancreatic models. In many cases, there was more tumor DNA in plts than plasma, indicating that including plt DNA would add value to screening! 🐁 10/19
How do they do this? Plts have a unique ‘sponge-like’ structure with lots of surface-connected channels 🧽. We showed they take up DNA-loaded vesicles and ‘membrane free’ DNA fragments by different mechanisms. Once inside, DNA is protected from nuclease degradation! ✂️ 9/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
How do they do this? Plts have a unique ‘sponge-like’ structure with lots of surface-connected channels 🧽. We showed they take up DNA-loaded vesicles and ‘membrane free’ DNA fragments by different mechanisms. Once inside, DNA is protected from nuclease degradation! ✂️ 9/19
To examine cellular origin, we used WGS and TAPS methylation profiling. Jeanne Inchauspé and dagams.bsky.social found that plts contain short and long DNA fragments that map to the nuclear genome- mostly leukocyte-derived, with some from hepatocytes- just like cfDNA! 💻 8/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
To examine cellular origin, we used WGS and TAPS methylation profiling. Jeanne Inchauspé and dagams.bsky.social found that plts contain short and long DNA fragments that map to the nuclear genome- mostly leukocyte-derived, with some from hepatocytes- just like cfDNA! 💻 8/19
We even analyzed blood from pregnant mums and looked for fragments of the Y-chromosome in their plts – and accurately predicted the sex of their baby in 100% of cases! 🤯👶 7/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
We even analyzed blood from pregnant mums and looked for fragments of the Y-chromosome in their plts – and accurately predicted the sex of their baby in 100% of cases! 🤯👶 7/19
Using flow cytometry, ddPCR, and high-resolution imaging we confirmed that plts do indeed take up DNA fragments shed by nucleated cells! In the movie below, a plt (blue) sequesters DNA (labelled in pink) from a nucleated colorectal cancer cell! 🔬6/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Using flow cytometry, ddPCR, and high-resolution imaging we confirmed that plts do indeed take up DNA fragments shed by nucleated cells! In the movie below, a plt (blue) sequesters DNA (labelled in pink) from a nucleated colorectal cancer cell! 🔬6/19
So what if they do?! cfDNA analysis is used in antenatal screening and cancer diagnosis. Current methods use plt-depleted plasma, but are limited by the low amount of tumor-cfDNA in early cancer-when screening is v critical. Maybe important info in plts is being missed! 🩸 5/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
So what if they do?! cfDNA analysis is used in antenatal screening and cancer diagnosis. Current methods use plt-depleted plasma, but are limited by the low amount of tumor-cfDNA in early cancer-when screening is v critical. Maybe important info in plts is being missed! 🩸 5/19
We were intrigued by prior studies, one from @drkoupenova.bsky.social showing images of plts containing viral DNA and another by
Galit Frydman showing DNA-associated histone proteins. We hypothesized that plts may also sequester endogenous extracellular DNA (cfDNA) as they circulate. 🦠🧬 4/19
Galit Frydman showing DNA-associated histone proteins. We hypothesized that plts may also sequester endogenous extracellular DNA (cfDNA) as they circulate. 🦠🧬 4/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
We were intrigued by prior studies, one from @drkoupenova.bsky.social showing images of plts containing viral DNA and another by
Galit Frydman showing DNA-associated histone proteins. We hypothesized that plts may also sequester endogenous extracellular DNA (cfDNA) as they circulate. 🦠🧬 4/19
Galit Frydman showing DNA-associated histone proteins. We hypothesized that plts may also sequester endogenous extracellular DNA (cfDNA) as they circulate. 🦠🧬 4/19
Platelets (plts) are the smallest and second most abundant cell in our bodies -famous for making blood clots but also important in immunity and cancer biology.
They don’t have their own nucleus. 🙅♀️
So why did we go looking for DNA inside of them?!! 🤔😳3/19
They don’t have their own nucleus. 🙅♀️
So why did we go looking for DNA inside of them?!! 🤔😳3/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Platelets (plts) are the smallest and second most abundant cell in our bodies -famous for making blood clots but also important in immunity and cancer biology.
They don’t have their own nucleus. 🙅♀️
So why did we go looking for DNA inside of them?!! 🤔😳3/19
They don’t have their own nucleus. 🙅♀️
So why did we go looking for DNA inside of them?!! 🤔😳3/19
In this study, we reveal a new function for blood platelets - as ‘sponges’ of DNA from plasma, with important implications for cancer diagnosis and prenatal screening. 🤯🧬 2/19
August 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
In this study, we reveal a new function for blood platelets - as ‘sponges’ of DNA from plasma, with important implications for cancer diagnosis and prenatal screening. 🤯🧬 2/19