Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41731077›Full record

ArticleEMBO molecular medicine2026

Epigenetic dysregulation of IRF9 drives excessive interferon signaling in COPD.

Maria Llamazares-Prada, Uwe Schwartz, Darius F Pease, Stephanie T Pohl, Deborah Ackesson, Renjiao Li, Annika Behrendt, Raluca Tamas, Vedrana Stammler, Mandy Richter and 17 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in EMBO molecular medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

27 authors.

Maria Llamazares-Prada *Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6559-9374
Uwe Schwartz *BioMed X Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7628-2687
Darius F PeaseSchool of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Stephanie T PohlSchool of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3531-6155
Deborah AckessonSchool of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Renjiao LiSchool of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Annika BehrendtBioMed X Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0009-0007-8330-1632
Raluca TamasBioMed X Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.
Vedrana StammlerBioMed X Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.
Mandy RichterBioMed X Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.
Thomas MuleyTranslational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-8141-0604
Michael SchererDivision of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Joschka HeyDivision of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2842-764X
Elisa EspinetGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0690-9878
Claus P HeußelTranslational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
Arne WarthTranslational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
Marc A SchneiderTranslational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
Hauke WinterTranslational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
Felix Jf HerthTranslational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
Charles D ImbuschDivision of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4920-551X
Benedikt BrorsDivision of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Vladimir BenesGenome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0352-2547
David WyattBiotherapeutics Discovery, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany.
Tomasz P JurkowskiSchool of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2012-0240
Heiko F StahlImmunology and Respiratory Disease Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany.
Christoph PlassDivision of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2554-3952
Renata Z JurkowskaBioMed X Institute, Heidelberg, Germany. jurkowskar@cardiff.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-4507-2222

Funding

Academy of Medical Sciences (The Academy of Medical Sciences) SBF007\100176Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL) 82DZL004C2 82DZLT84C2Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL) 82DZL004C4 82DZLT84C4UKRI | Medical Research Council (MRC) Future Leaders Fellowship MR/X032914/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Altered respiratory barrier integrity and impaired lung regeneration are hallmarks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To investigate the molecular mechanisms driving the impaired regeneration of alveolar epithelial progenitors in COPD, we generated whole-genome DNA methylation and transcriptome maps of sorted human primary alveolar type 2 cells (AT2) at different disease stages. Our analysis revealed aberrant DNA methylation at specific gene promoters in AT2 during COPD, which was anticorrelated with gene expression changes. Interferon signaling was the top-upregulated pathway in COPD, associated with a concomitant loss of promoter-proximal DNA methylation. Integrated pathway analysis revealed transcription factor IRF9 as the master regulator of interferon signaling in COPD. Epigenetic regulation of the interferon pathway was validated by targeted DNA demethylation of the IRF9 gene, mimicking the effects observed in COPD-derived AT2. Our findings suggest that COPD-associated DNA methylation alterations in AT2 cells may impair internal regeneration programs in lung parenchyma.

Indexed as

Epigenesis, GeneticInterferonsInterferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3, gamma SubunitPulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveSignal TransductionAlveolar Epithelial CellsCells, CulturedDNA MethylationGene Expression ProfilingHumansInterferonsInterferon-Stimulated Gene Factor 3, gamma SubunitIRF9 protein, humanAlveolar Type 2 CellsCOPDDNA MethylationEpigenetic EditingInterferon Signaling

Identifiers

PMID41731077
PMCPMC13083945

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.