Integrated single-cell profiling of RNA and DNA interactomes reveals targetable chromatin architectures in cancer [ChIP-Seq]

However, direct mapping of RNA–RNA and DNA–DNA interaction networks in complex human tissues at single-cell resolution has remained a major challenge. Here, we present SCIENCE-seq, a multimodal single-cell interactomics platform enabling simultaneous detection of RNA–RNA interactions and chromatin DNA–DNA contacts within individual cells.

Applied to primary glioma specimens, SCIENCE-seq reveals cancer-specific interactions organized by lncRNAs and centered on key oncogenic drivers, including EGFR, hTERT, SOX2, CDK6, CDC42, CD47, and HOX loci. These datasets uncover previously unrecognized molecular relationships between premature lncRNAs and pre-mRNAs that regulate transcription, alternative splicing, and polyadenylation. Notably, we identify a glioma-specific trans-chromosomal HOX hub driven by five interacting lncRNAs.