Simon Leedham
leedham-simon.bsky.social
Simon Leedham
@leedham-simon.bsky.social
Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Oxford. Gastroenterology doctor.
New review on the importance of intestinal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk - from development and homeostasis through to regeneration to neoplasia. Excellent collaboration with Frances England, Manquiang Lin and Michael Sigal

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Defining the mucosal ecosystem: epithelial–mesenchymal interdependence in gastrointestinal health and disease - Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology
This Review focuses on epithelial–mesenchymal crosstalk and how these interactions shape development, health and disease in the intestinal mucosa. The dynamic nature of this ecosystem is highlighted, ...
www.nature.com
September 12, 2025 at 7:17 AM

Finally out! A longstanding project to explore the mechanism behind ectopic crypt formation in polyps when GREM1 is aberrantly expressed in HMPS patients. Turns out it is all to do with stromal remodelling and epithelial-mesenchymal interdependence!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Epithelial GREMLIN1 disrupts intestinal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk to induce a wnt-dependent ectopic stem cell niche through stromal remodelling - Nature Communications
The authors show that aberrant epithelial GREM1 expression remodels intestinal stroma to form ectopic stem cell niches in mice. Anti-GREM1 reversed these changes, highlighting a potential strategy for...
www.nature.com
June 7, 2025 at 12:36 PM
So excited to get underway on CRC-STARS - a brilliant collaborative effort to improve therapies for colorectal cancer. Thanks to all the colleagues, patients and funders for helping us get here!

news.cancerresearchuk.org/2025/03/31/5...
£5.5m research funding to transform bowel cancer care - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News
The CRC-STARS team will learn more about how bowel cancer behaves so that it can potentially be treated in a more personalised way
news.cancerresearchuk.org
March 31, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by Simon Leedham
Delighted our work using aneuploidy as a biomarker of colorectal cancer risk in inflammatory bowel disease is out: gut.bmj.com/content/earl...

The initial reaction from patients&families has been overwhelming

Led by Ibrahim AlBakir @yosoykit.bsky.social @cancerresearchuk.org @icrlondon.bsky.social
Low-coverage whole genome sequencing of low-grade dysplasia strongly predicts advanced neoplasia risk in ulcerative colitis
Background The risk of developing advanced neoplasia (AN; colorectal cancer and/or high-grade dysplasia) in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with a low-grade dysplasia (LGD) lesion is variable and dif...
gut.bmj.com
January 30, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Reposted by Simon Leedham
Today our study using copy number alterations (CNAs) from low-coverage WGS to predict FUTURE colorectal cancer in patients with IBD is published, details in thread! 1/5
gut.bmj.com/content/earl...
Low-coverage whole genome sequencing of low-grade dysplasia strongly predicts advanced neoplasia risk in ulcerative colitis
Background The risk of developing advanced neoplasia (AN; colorectal cancer and/or high-grade dysplasia) in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with a low-grade dysplasia (LGD) lesion is variable and dif...
gut.bmj.com
January 30, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Exciting new academic-industrial collaboration to improve the understanding of precancer biology and prevent cancer progression
NEW: Global biopharma company GSK invests up to £50 million in a collaboration with Oxford to advance the understanding of how cancer develops, which could inform future development of vaccines to prevent cancer.

More info ⬇️
Oxford and GSK launch £50million immuno-prevention programme to
Global biopharma company GSK invests up to £50 million in a collaboration with Oxford to advance the understanding of how cancer develops, which could inform future development of vaccines to prevent
www.ox.ac.uk
January 27, 2025 at 5:09 PM