Hans Clevers
@hansclevers.bsky.social
-Scientist interested in Wnt signaling, stem cells and organoids
-Director of pRED/Roche's Institute of Human Biology Basel CH.
-Professor and group leader in Utrecht at the Hubrecht Institute and the Princess Maxima Center
-Director of pRED/Roche's Institute of Human Biology Basel CH.
-Professor and group leader in Utrecht at the Hubrecht Institute and the Princess Maxima Center
Reposted by Hans Clevers
Using fluorescence live imaging and an in vitro implantation model, we show that human embryo attachment begins with direct cell fusion via syncytin-2–MFSD2A interaction.
With @hansclevers.bsky.social.
Great work by @tnoordzij.bsky.social & @martinacelotti.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
With @hansclevers.bsky.social.
Great work by @tnoordzij.bsky.social & @martinacelotti.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
December 24, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Using fluorescence live imaging and an in vitro implantation model, we show that human embryo attachment begins with direct cell fusion via syncytin-2–MFSD2A interaction.
With @hansclevers.bsky.social.
Great work by @tnoordzij.bsky.social & @martinacelotti.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
With @hansclevers.bsky.social.
Great work by @tnoordzij.bsky.social & @martinacelotti.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
4/4 This work was a true team effort between @amolf-nl.bsky.social, IHB Basel, and the @Hubrechtinstitute.bsky.social — led by @danielkrueger.bsky.social and Kasper Spoelstra. Huge thanks to all collaborators for making it possible.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
11/11Gut homeostasis is not passive crowd control. It’s an active, force-regulated process. Cells constantly test each other’s strength; those that fail the tug-of-war extrude.A collaboration between the @hubrechtinstitute.bsky.social , @amolf-nl.bsky.social & @IHB lead by @danielkrueger.bsky.social
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
11/11Gut homeostasis is not passive crowd control. It’s an active, force-regulated process. Cells constantly test each other’s strength; those that fail the tug-of-war extrude.A collaboration between the @hubrechtinstitute.bsky.social , @amolf-nl.bsky.social & @IHB lead by @danielkrueger.bsky.social
10/11 Disease link: In EpCAM loss (tufting enteropathy), hyperactive myosin caused excessive extrusion, growth defects, and tissue disruption. Too much force destabilizes the barrier. Mixing mutant & WT cells made healthy cells extrude. Myosin inhibition rescued this effect.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
10/11 Disease link: In EpCAM loss (tufting enteropathy), hyperactive myosin caused excessive extrusion, growth defects, and tissue disruption. Too much force destabilizes the barrier. Mixing mutant & WT cells made healthy cells extrude. Myosin inhibition rescued this effect.
9/11 With point ablations at the base, we intentionally weakened individual cells. Within minutes, these cells extruded - loss of tension likely triggers extrusion.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
9/11 With point ablations at the base, we intentionally weakened individual cells. Within minutes, these cells extruded - loss of tension likely triggers extrusion.
8/11 Local optogenetic activation of cells on villus substrates, creating boundaries between highly- and less-contractile cells caused preferential extrusion on the weaker side. In mosaic organoids, less contractile cells were consistently eliminated.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
8/11 Local optogenetic activation of cells on villus substrates, creating boundaries between highly- and less-contractile cells caused preferential extrusion on the weaker side. In mosaic organoids, less contractile cells were consistently eliminated.
7/11 Optogenetics let us induce contractility with blue light and spatial precision. Extrusion rates jumped up upon activation, showing that globally increased tension directly drives extrusion.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
7/11 Optogenetics let us induce contractility with blue light and spatial precision. Extrusion rates jumped up upon activation, showing that globally increased tension directly drives extrusion.
6/11 A basal actomyosin network drives epithelial tension. On hydrogel villus substrates (generated @ IHB, Basel), resembling the in vivo topology, we saw pulsatile contractions—one cell contracts, neighbors expand. A tissue-wide tug-of-war.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
6/11 A basal actomyosin network drives epithelial tension. On hydrogel villus substrates (generated @ IHB, Basel), resembling the in vivo topology, we saw pulsatile contractions—one cell contracts, neighbors expand. A tissue-wide tug-of-war.
5/11 Using CRISPR-generated myosin reporters, we first observed myosin increasing in extruding cells, together with a synchronized response in their neighbors—explaining extrusion dynamics as a coordinated process.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
5/11 Using CRISPR-generated myosin reporters, we first observed myosin increasing in extruding cells, together with a synchronized response in their neighbors—explaining extrusion dynamics as a coordinated process.
4/11 Are villus tips—where extrusion peaks—compressed by crowding? At the Hubrecht, laser ablation revealed they are under tension, not compression. That tension sets the stage for extrusion.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
4/11 Are villus tips—where extrusion peaks—compressed by crowding? At the Hubrecht, laser ablation revealed they are under tension, not compression. That tension sets the stage for extrusion.
3/11 Using long-term live imaging & tracking (with @amolf-nl.bsky.social), we followed hundreds of extrusion events. Most villus cells extruded alive, not apoptotic. Extrusion did not correlate with density.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
3/11 Using long-term live imaging & tracking (with @amolf-nl.bsky.social), we followed hundreds of extrusion events. Most villus cells extruded alive, not apoptotic. Extrusion did not correlate with density.
2/11 The intestinal lining renews every few days. Old cells are shed by extrusion—a process essential for barrier integrity and linked to diseases like IBD. But what actually triggers extrusion in mammals was unclear.
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
2/11 The intestinal lining renews every few days. Old cells are shed by extrusion—a process essential for barrier integrity and linked to diseases like IBD. But what actually triggers extrusion in mammals was unclear.
1/11 In @science.org: A new perspective on how our intestines renew. Cells are not “pushed out” by crowding or die from apoptosis. Instead, cells play a mechanical tug-of-war, where weaker cells extrude, reframing gut renewal as force-regulated. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Epithelial tension controls intestinal cell extrusion
Cell extrusion is essential for homeostatic self-renewal of the intestinal epithelium. Extrusion is thought to be triggered by crowding-induced compression of cells at the intestinal villus tip. In th...
www.science.org
September 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
1/11 In @science.org: A new perspective on how our intestines renew. Cells are not “pushed out” by crowding or die from apoptosis. Instead, cells play a mechanical tug-of-war, where weaker cells extrude, reframing gut renewal as force-regulated. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Brain diseases are tough to treat because of the blood-brain barrier. For decades, it stumped drug delivery. At Roche pRED, we challenged that! Our Brainshuttle™ technology safely transports drugs across, opening new doors for CNS therapies. Learn more: www.roche.com/stories/clev...
Roche | Clever delivery
Brainshuttle™ technology by Roche enables effective medicine delivery across the blood-brain barrier, revolutionising CNS disease treatment and patient care.
www.roche.com
July 31, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Brain diseases are tough to treat because of the blood-brain barrier. For decades, it stumped drug delivery. At Roche pRED, we challenged that! Our Brainshuttle™ technology safely transports drugs across, opening new doors for CNS therapies. Learn more: www.roche.com/stories/clev...
Exciting #organoids meeting in Glasgow, just after the summer!
June 7, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Exciting #organoids meeting in Glasgow, just after the summer!
🔬 Developing next-generation Antibiotics: @Roche we are pioneering the discovery and development of novel antibiotics that can fight resistant bacteria, aiming for future generations to have effective treatments. Visit our #AMR hub:https://www.roche.com/stories/antibiotics
May 30, 2025 at 1:55 AM
🔬 Developing next-generation Antibiotics: @Roche we are pioneering the discovery and development of novel antibiotics that can fight resistant bacteria, aiming for future generations to have effective treatments. Visit our #AMR hub:https://www.roche.com/stories/antibiotics
@NatureMedicine
invited me to reflect on leading research in academia vs. industry. In the end, all -academia, biotech & pharma- is needed to translate scientific breakthroughs into scalable treatments. rdcu.be/elPt8
@_hubrecht
@Roche
invited me to reflect on leading research in academia vs. industry. In the end, all -academia, biotech & pharma- is needed to translate scientific breakthroughs into scalable treatments. rdcu.be/elPt8
@_hubrecht
@Roche
Parallel worlds in pharma and academia
Nature Medicine - Pharma and academia require different ways of working and speaking, but teamwork always wins.
rdcu.be
May 17, 2025 at 9:09 AM
@NatureMedicine
invited me to reflect on leading research in academia vs. industry. In the end, all -academia, biotech & pharma- is needed to translate scientific breakthroughs into scalable treatments. rdcu.be/elPt8
@_hubrecht
@Roche
invited me to reflect on leading research in academia vs. industry. In the end, all -academia, biotech & pharma- is needed to translate scientific breakthroughs into scalable treatments. rdcu.be/elPt8
@_hubrecht
@Roche
Snake venom gland organoids. Study by Yorick Post and collaborators. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Image credit: Anne Rios
Image credit: Anne Rios
December 29, 2024 at 5:12 PM
Snake venom gland organoids. Study by Yorick Post and collaborators. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Image credit: Anne Rios
Image credit: Anne Rios
a human liver organoid
December 29, 2024 at 5:06 PM
a human liver organoid
#Lgr5+ gut #stemcells don't divide asymmetrically. They simple divide and then compete for space: This is called neutral competition. Stem cell numbers are set by the available space between the #Panethcells. Paper: Hugo Snippert et al. Cell (2010). www.cell.com/action/showP...
December 22, 2024 at 10:31 AM
#Lgr5+ gut #stemcells don't divide asymmetrically. They simple divide and then compete for space: This is called neutral competition. Stem cell numbers are set by the available space between the #Panethcells. Paper: Hugo Snippert et al. Cell (2010). www.cell.com/action/showP...
📢Roche's Institute of Human Biology seeks 2 visionary scientific leaders: Head of Computational Biology & Head of Exploratory Biology. Drive pioneering research, shape scientific strategy and lead innovation at the crossroad of academia and industry!🔗https://go.roche.com/ls0un #organoids #TeamIHB
December 20, 2024 at 3:04 PM
📢Roche's Institute of Human Biology seeks 2 visionary scientific leaders: Head of Computational Biology & Head of Exploratory Biology. Drive pioneering research, shape scientific strategy and lead innovation at the crossroad of academia and industry!🔗https://go.roche.com/ls0un #organoids #TeamIHB
Reposted by Hans Clevers
Ik was in Basel voor een interview met @hansclevers.bsky.social
“Het is een proces van eindeloze een-tweetjes. En bij de start van de eerste fase van het klinisch onderzoek moet je al in je hoofd hebben wat voor patiëntengroep je over zes jaar wilt behandelen.”
www.newscientist.nl/blogs/een-me...
“Het is een proces van eindeloze een-tweetjes. En bij de start van de eerste fase van het klinisch onderzoek moet je al in je hoofd hebben wat voor patiëntengroep je over zes jaar wilt behandelen.”
www.newscientist.nl/blogs/een-me...
‘Een medicijn ontwikkelen is een proces van eindeloze een-tweetjes’
‘Medicijnen ontwikkelen bij Roche is schaken in een matrix van twaalf dimensies’, zegt Hans Clevers, hoogleraar moleculaire genetica.
www.newscientist.nl
December 10, 2024 at 6:23 PM
Ik was in Basel voor een interview met @hansclevers.bsky.social
“Het is een proces van eindeloze een-tweetjes. En bij de start van de eerste fase van het klinisch onderzoek moet je al in je hoofd hebben wat voor patiëntengroep je over zes jaar wilt behandelen.”
www.newscientist.nl/blogs/een-me...
“Het is een proces van eindeloze een-tweetjes. En bij de start van de eerste fase van het klinisch onderzoek moet je al in je hoofd hebben wat voor patiëntengroep je over zes jaar wilt behandelen.”
www.newscientist.nl/blogs/een-me...
3D Reconstruction of human fetal pancreatic organoid with an endogenous (knock-in) reporter for the endocrine cell marker Chromogranin-A (green), while stained for the acinar cell marker CarboxyPeptidase A1/2 (magenta) and nuclei, DAPI (blue)
December 3, 2024 at 10:52 AM
3D Reconstruction of human fetal pancreatic organoid with an endogenous (knock-in) reporter for the endocrine cell marker Chromogranin-A (green), while stained for the acinar cell marker CarboxyPeptidase A1/2 (magenta) and nuclei, DAPI (blue)
Clonal organoids grown from a single LGR5+ cell recapitulate this tri-potency in vitro. Our study describes a human fetal tri-potent stem cell, capable of long-term expansion in vitro and of generating all three pancreatic cell lineages 5/
December 3, 2024 at 10:52 AM
Clonal organoids grown from a single LGR5+ cell recapitulate this tri-potency in vitro. Our study describes a human fetal tri-potent stem cell, capable of long-term expansion in vitro and of generating all three pancreatic cell lineages 5/
The four lines expand exponentially for >2 years under optimized culture conditions. Single cell RNA seq identifies rare LGR5+ cells in fetal pancreas and in hfPOs as the root of the developmental hierarchy. These LGR5+ cells share multiple markers with adult gut stem cells 4/
December 3, 2024 at 10:52 AM
The four lines expand exponentially for >2 years under optimized culture conditions. Single cell RNA seq identifies rare LGR5+ cells in fetal pancreas and in hfPOs as the root of the developmental hierarchy. These LGR5+ cells share multiple markers with adult gut stem cells 4/