PSAILA LAB
MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford
Oxford Branch, Ludwig Cancer Research Institute
PSAILA LAB
Megakaryocytes and Platelets in the Cancer Microenvironment
Discovery of targetable disease mechanisms in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
Using human bone marrow organoids to model normal and malignant haematopoiesis
Platelets in early detection and molecular profiling of solid tumours
RESEARCH THEMES
Learn more about our main research themes and applications below.
HOW MEGAKARYOCYTE CELLS DEVELOP FROM HAEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS
Studying how megakaryocytes develop and function in healthy people, and how this goes wrong in a certain type of blood cancer called ‘myeloproliferative neoplasms’ or ‘MPNs’.
HUMAN BONE MARROW ORGANOIDS
Development of iPSC-derived bone marrow organoids that faithfully recapitulate the cellular, molecular and architectural features of native bone marrow, and implementing these for disease modelling, target discovery and validation of therapies in the relevant human tumour microenvironment
UNDERSTANDING DISEASE MECHANISMS AND DISCOVERING NEW TREATMENTS AND BIOMARKERS OF RISK FOR PATIENTS WITH MYELOID BLOOD CANCERS
Application of state-of-the-art approaches to discover new ways to detect and treat myeloid blood cancers
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDIATORS OF BONE MARROW INFLAMMATION AND FIBROSIS
Understanding the triggers of bone marrow fibrosis (scarring) and inflammation, how this causes cancers to progress from early to advanced stage, and developing clinically-relevant systems to model this using primary human cells
PLATELETS AND CANCER
Studying the utility of platelet analysis for the detection and molecular profiling of cancers.
MRC WEATHERALL INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE
https://www.imm.ox.ac.uk/research/units-and-centres/mrc-molecular-haematology-unit
The MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (MRC WIMM) at the University of Oxford was founded in 1989 by Sir David Weatherall to foster research in molecular and cell biology, with the aim of improving human health. It houses around 400 scientists and world-class core facilities. The Molecular Haematology Unity in the MRC WIMM is focused on understanding normal and diseased blood cell production over time
LIFE IN OXFORD
Oxford is home to a world leading academic institution. It is a beautiful and vibrant city surrounded by incredible countryside and within easy reach from London.
GET IN TOUCH
We are always keen to hear from people who are interested in joining the group. Email: bethan.psaila@new.ox.ac.uk
Our philosophy is to create a dynamic and synergistic environment that leverages the strengths of individual researchers, helping them achieve their goals while maximising our impact as a collective. We believe that this commitment to collaborative research and advocating for individuals accelerates our productivity and progress.
We enjoy regular social events, a yearly lab retreat and members of the team are all encouraged to attend relevant national/international meetings and to develop a strong research network. Group members are well supported in writing applications for independent funding and personal fellowships, and there are good opportunities for collaborations with industry.
HUGELY GRATEFUL TO OUR FUNDERS
Please get in touch for more information about our work or if you are interested in joining us: bethan.psaila@ndcls.ox.ac.uk
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Complete List of Published Work: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/beth.psaila.1/bibliography/public/
GENERATING HUMAN BONE MARROW ORGANOIDS FOR DISEASE MODELING AND DRUG DISCOVERY
Aude-Anais Olijnik, Antonio Rodriguez-Romera, Zoë C. Wong, Yuqi Shen, Jasmeet S. Reyat, Natalie J. Jooss, Julie Rayes, Bethan Psaila* & Abdullah O. Khan*. Nature Protocols 2024
HUMAN BONE MARROW ORGANOIDS FOR DISEASE MODELLING, DISCOVERY AND VALIDATION OF THERAPEUTIC TARGETS IN HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES
Khan AO, Colombo, M, Reyat JS, Wang G, Rodriguez-Romera R, Wen WX, Murphy L, Grygielska B, Mahoney C, Stone A, Croft A, Bassett D, Poologasundarampillai G, Roy A, Gooding S, Rayes K, Machlus KM, Psaila B. Cancer Discovery 2023. Altimetric Score 260. 6th highest scoring article for this journal for outputs of a similar age.
A PRO-INFLAMMATORY STEM CELL NICHE DRIVES MYELOFIBROSIS THROUGH A TARGETABLE GALECTIN 1 AXIS
Rong L, Colombo M, Wang G, Clark SA, Rodriguez-Romera A, Meng Y, Khan AO, Wen WX, Sousos N, Brierley C, O’Sullivan J, Simoglou Karali C, Murphy L, Sirunkunwattna K, Norfo R, Cheng Q, Teixeira Carrelha J, Ren Z, Rabinovich GA, Rathinam V, Taylor S, Thongjuea S, Royston D, Mead AJ, Psaila, B$. Science Translational Medicine, 2024
CHROMOTHRIPSIS ORCHESTRATES LEUKEMIC TRANSFORMATION IN BLAST PHASE MPN THROUGH TARGETABLE AMPLIFICATION OF DYRK1A
Brierley CK, Yip BH, Orlando G, Goyal H, Wen S, Wen J, Levine MF, Jakobsdottir GM, Rodriguez-Meira A, Adamo A, Bashton M, Hamblin A, Clark SA, O’Sullivan J, Murphy L, Olijnik AA, Cotton A, Narina S, Pruett-Miller SM, Enshaei A, Harrison
C, Drummond M, Knapper S, Tefferi A, Antony-Debré I, Thongjuea S, Wedge DC, Constantinescu S, Papaemmanuil E, Psaila B, Crispino JD, Mead AJ. Nature Genetics (in press)
IN UTERO ORIGIN OF MYELOFIBROSIS PRESENTING IN ADULT MONOZYGOTIC TWINS AFTER A PROLONGED DISEASE LATENCY.
Sousos N, Leathlobhair MN, Simoglou Kaaral C, Louka E, Bienz N, Royston D, Clark SA, Hamblin A, Howard K, Matthews V, George B, Roy A, Psaila B, Edge DC, Mead AJ. Nature Medicine 2022
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE- AND SITE-SPECIFIC TRANSITIONS IN LINEAGE SPECIFICATION AND GENE REGULATORY NETWORKS IN HUMAN HEMATOPOIETIC STEM AND PROGENITOR CELLS
Roy, A, Wang, G, Iskander, D, O’Byrne, S, Elliott, N, O’Sullivan, J, Buck, G, Heuston, E.F, Wen, W.X, Rodriguez Meira, A., Hua, P, Karadimitris, A, Mead A.J, Bodine, D, Roberts, I, Psaila, B* & Thongjuea, S*. * - joint senior authorship with equal contribution. Cell Reports 2021
THE MANAGEMENT OF MYELOFIBROSIS: A BRITISH SOCIETY FOR HAEMATOLOGY GUIDELINE
McLornan, DP, Psaila B, Ewing J, Innes A, Arami S, Brady J, Butt N, Cargo C, Cross, NCP, Francis S, Frewin R, Garg M, Godfrey A, Green A, Khan A, Knapper S, Lambert J, McGregor A, McMullin MF, Nangalia J, Neelakantan P, Woodley C, Mead AJ, Somervaille T, Harrison CN. British Journal of Haematology 2024
2020
SINGLE-CELL ANALYSES REVEAL ABERRANT PATHWAYS FOR MEGAKARYOCYTE-BIASED HEMATOPOIESIS IN MYELOFIBROSIS AND IDENTIFY MUTANT CLONE-SPECIFIC TARGETS
Psaila B*, Wang G*, Rodriguez Meira A, Li R, O’Sullivan J, Heuston E, Anderson S, Senis Y, Voegtle T, Weinberg O, Calicchio M, Milojkovic D, Roberts I, Bodine D, Thongjuea, S*, Mead AJ*. Molecular Cell 2020 May 7th; 78:477-492
2016
SINGLE-CELL PROFILING OF HUMAN MEGAKARYOCYTE-ERYTHROID PROGENITORS IDENTIFIES DISTINCT MEGAKARYOCYTE AND ERYTHROID DIFFERENTIATION PATHWAY.
Psaila B, Barkas, N, Iskander D, Roy, A, Anderson S, Ashley, N, Caputo, V.S, Lichtenberg, J, Loaiza, S, Bodine, D, Karadimitris A, Mead A.J., Roberts I. Genome Biology Single-cell Omics Special Edition 2016 May 3; 17:83.
2012
IN VIVO EFFECTS OF ELTROMBOPAG ON PLATELET FUNCTION IN IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIA: NO EVIDENCE OF PLATELET ACTIVATION.
Psaila B, Bussel JB, Linden MD, Babula B, Li Y, Barnard MR, Tate C, Mathur K, Frelinger AL, Michelson AD. Blood. 2012 Apr 26;119(17):4066-72.