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Subclonal deconvolution in cancer sequencing data is a complex task, and the optimal tools to use are unclear. Here, the authors systematically benchmark subclonal deconvolution pipelines with a comprehensive set of simulated tumour genomes and identify the best-performing methods.

Cut-like homeobox 1 (CUX1) is a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor commonly inactivated in acute myeloid leukemia and high-risk myelodysplasia. Here, in a genetically modified murine model, the authors show that CUX1 deficiency impairs apoptosis leading to leukemia when combined with mutant Flt3-ITD.

Louise van der Weyden et al. report a CRISPRa screen in mice to identify membrane protein-encoding genes that, when overexpressed, enhance the metastatic potential of melanoma cells. They find that high expression of LRRN4CL in melanoma cells increases lung metastases in mice and correlates with poorer survival in melanoma patients, suggesting it could be a promising drug target.

Systematic screens for synthetic lethal gene pairs represent a powerful approach to define interactions that may be exploited in the clinic. Here, the authors use a dual-guide CRISPR screening approach to screen a curated selection of gene pairs across three cell lines and validate the Fam50a/Fam50b synthetic lethality was in isogenic cell models as well as in an in vivo setting.

Mutations in pre-mRNA processing factors cause autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Here the authors provide insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying non-syndromic retinal disease caused by heterozygous mutations in genes encoding ubiquitously expressed splicing factors.