Sophie Acton

Lovely trip to @institutcurie.bsky.social this week for student viva.
Paris in the sunshine ☀️

We found that the FRC network in lymph nodes requires protrusions to follow ECM scaffolds and to link neighbouring fibroblasts.

FRC use MARCKS to generate protrusions, and that PKN2 is the key kinase for these stroma

Updated preprint below
First round of revisions done

doi.org/10.21203/rs....

Dr. Sophie Acton (@actonlab.bsky.social/UCL)

is a Cancer Research UK Senior Fellow with an interest in lymphoid tissue biology.

At #KSStromal26, she'll be sharing her insights on podoplanin - a molecule that controls DC motility within the lymph node.

Register now! Link in bio.

see you there!

Flyer for Keystone meeting on Stromal immunology in health and disease, Feb 2-5th 2026.

Save the date! Keystone Stromal Immunology meeting, Feb 2-5, 2026 #KSStromal26
1. Scholarships/Short Talk Abstracts: October 7
2. Early Registration: December 3 (Save $200!)
3. Poster Abstracts: January 12, 2026 (11:59 MST)
Please share! And reach out if you have any questions.
Can't wait!

Pleased to update this - The paper is published in Cell Reports!
A long road for this one, the paper grew exponentially and evolved over a couple of years. Thanks to @makris1.bsky.social for sticking with it to untangle all the new data!

@cp-cellreports.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell-reports...

single cell RNAseq data showing shifts in fibroblast phenotypes after genetic deletion of Podoplanin in lymph node stroma.

Our latest preprint! - led by @makris1.bsky.social
we find that Podoplanin expression in lymphoid tissue fibroblasts regulated their inflammatory signalling and crosstalk with immune cell populations
doi.org/10.1101/2022...

Lymph node fibroblast phenotypes and immune crosstalk regulated by podoplanin activity Makris et al. show that podoplanin regulates the transcription profile of lymph node fibroblasts. Podoplanin deletion drives inflammation, disrupts lymph node architecture, and attenuates stromal/immu...

Our latest paper is finally out! We are showing the significance of the podoplanin/CLEC-2 signaling axis beyond controlling cellular mechanics and actomyosin contractility.
#fibroblasts #podoplanin #stroma #inflammation

@actonlab.bsky.social

www.cell.com/cell-reports...

🔬 Calling all researchers! 📢

Submit your research or reviews on myeloid cells for a special collection curated by experts!

Dive into the latest on their role in health & disease, and contribute to cutting-edge immunology. 🧬

👉 Learn more & submit: bit.ly/43OULe9

MRes Computational Cell Biophysics virtual open events Join one of our online open day sessions to find out more about UCL's Computational Cell Biophysics MRes.

Learn more about UCL's Computational Cell Biophysics MRes by registering for one of our virtual open events on Wednesday 9 April: www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences...

Contribute to the latest research on neuroinflammation! 🧠🔬

We’re inviting submissions on microglia, CNS immunopathology, and novel immune interactions in the brain.

Submit by June 2025!

📄 Learn more: bit.ly/3XAlsPV

🐟 Did you know the immune system might be linked to the lunar cycle? A new study on freshwater three-spined sticklebacks suggests a tiny endogenous tidal rhythm in immune gene expression! 🌊🔬

Read more in Discovery Immunology 👉 bit.ly/4hMtCMm #Immunology

Cartoon showing key mechanotransduction signalling pathways to the nucleus. Mechanosensitive ion channels at the plasma and nuclear membranes allow Ca2+ entry into the cytoplasm and nucleus, activating downstream signalling pathways. NE stretching opens NPCs, facilitating entry of transcription factors (TF) and transcriptional coregulators (TCR) that alter gene expression. Additionally, NE stretching activates Ca2+ channels in the ER, promoting Ca2+ entry into the nucleus. Stretch-induced activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) further drives the arachidonic acid (AA) pathway, leading to gene expression changes.

In their Review, Julien Morival, Anna Hazelwood and Jan Lammerding @lammerdinglab.bsky.social discuss new insights and technological advances in understanding nuclear mechanotransduction.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Journal of Cell Science cover featuring a transmission electron micrograph of the stacked membranous discs which form the outer segments of photoreceptor cells.

Issue 4 is complete

Explore our ToC: journals.biologists.com/jcs/issue/13...

Our cover image shows the stacked membranous discs which form the outer segments of photoreceptor cells. See article from Mohona Gupta, Gregory Pazour and colleagues: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

NEW @preprintclub.bsky.social Journal Club of @biorxiv-immuno.bsky.social paper by @makris1.bsky.social @actonlab.bsky.social showing that loss of podoplanin in fibroblastic reticular cells results in decreased antibody levels and smaller germinal centres after immunization

Lymph Node Fibroblast Phenotypes and Immune Crosstalk Regulated by Podoplanin Activity Lymph nodes are uniquely organised niches for immune interactions. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) facilitate immune cell communication and regulate immune function by producing growth factors, ch...

And Erika McCartney from Toronto will present a preprint about the effect of Podoplanin expression on the phenotypes and immunoregulatory properties of fibroblasts in lymph nodes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

On #WorldCancerDay, we meet with @actonlab.bsky.social where Sophie Acton delves into the interactions between immune cells and support cells in lymph nodes and tumours. She discusses how fibroblasts influence immune responses and their potential in cancer therapy.
www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences...

From left to right: Sophie Acton, Pedro Carvalho, Guillaume Jacquemet, Charlotte Kirchhelle and Aryeh Warmflash.

Also in Issue 2:
- Research Highlights on axon guidance, muscle fibres & EGFR signalling
- Meet our Associate Editors, Sophie Acton @actonlab.bsky.social, Pedro Carvalho, @guijacquemet.bsky.social, @ckirchhelle.bsky.social & Aryeh Warmflash
- GAG lyases Review
journals.biologists.com/jcs/issue/13...

From left to right in individual pictures: Sophie Acton, Pedro Carvalho, Guillaume Jacquemet, Charlotte Kirchhelle and Aryeh Warmflash.

JCS Editor-in-Chief @drmichaelway.bsky.social introduces our new Associate Editors.

We are delighted to welcome Sophie Acton @actonlab.bsky.social, Pedro Carvalho, @guijacquemet.bsky.social, @ckirchhelle.bsky.social and Aryeh Warmflash to the JCS team.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Sophie Acton

Sophie @actonlab.bsky.social will handle manuscripts on immune cell biology, immunology, tumour microenvironment and lymphoid tissues. You can learn more about Sophie’s research in our Cell Scientist to Watch interview from 2020:
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Happy to share that my PhD work got published in the special issue dedicated to the 100-year anniversary of the Spemann-Mangold Organiser:

Tissue mechanics modulate morphogen signalling to induce the head organiser
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
With @mayorlab.bsky.social and Guillaume Charras

1/n

Super talk at #EMDS2024 by Anna Obenauf on myeloid cell hubs for T cell interactions in cancer 👏

And this is coming out in Nature 🧪 in just a few hours - congrats to Anais, Guillem, Anna & all authors 🥳🎉

@aelewaut.bsky.social
@guillemxtivill.bsky.social
@obenaufa.bsky.social
@impvienna.bsky.social

Dear Immunology aficionados, you like to hear some exciting short lectures about the latest immunological discoveries from prominent scientists? Then join the virtual ImmuneAlliance Seminar series! Every 3rd Wed each month. For the link: dgfi.org/immune-allia.... #dgfi #ydgfi

UK Membrane Trafficking 2024

Who doesn’t like a deadline that gets brought forward?

Please register by 3rd December - King’s need longer to make the sandwiches than I previously thought!

estore.kcl.ac.uk/conferences-...

Programme coming soon!

amazing, massive congratulations!

single cell RNAseq data showing shifts in fibroblast phenotypes after genetic deletion of Podoplanin in lymph node stroma.

Our latest preprint! - led by @makris1.bsky.social
we find that Podoplanin expression in lymphoid tissue fibroblasts regulated their inflammatory signalling and crosstalk with immune cell populations
doi.org/10.1101/2022...

My turn to create a starter pack for scientists using live imaging in their research! Of course, I’ve likely missed many—please let me know who else I should include. Thanks!
go.bsky.app/KYYr7xc
#liveimaging #livevellimaging #microscopy

Pre-announcing the EMBO/EMBL symposium "Mechanobiology Across the Tree of Life", Heidelberg, 9-12 June 2026. It is still very very far away, but save the date 🗓️. With Alba Diz-Munoz, @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social , Kirsty Wan @micromotility.bsky.social, Enrique Rojas.
www.embl.org/about/info/c...

£4m funding renewal for lung cancer research in Manchester and London - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News The Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence will continue its groundbreaking research with up to £4m of funding support from ScottishPower.

We’ve renewed funding for our Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence for the next 5 years!

With up to £4m support from our partner ScottishPower, researchers will continue to find new ways to beat
#LungCancer 👇

@cruk-mi.bsky.social @thecrick.bsky.social news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/11/20/4...

A group of people in front of a building

We took our *first* lab picture!

You can get to know us on the now updated website.

delaslab.com

Bear with us while we get some cool science done 🧪🧫🔬👩‍💻. It's slow but it will happen 💪