tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Utility of Initial Exams in Retinopathy of Prematurity: Proposal of FIRST-ROP Algorithm for a Medium-Risk Cohort
Authors: Francisco Altamirano, Melissa Yuan, Sandra Hoyek, Daniel Hu, Muhammad Abidi, Celine Chaaya, Hanna De Bruyn, Anne Fulton, Iason S Mantagos, Carolyn Wu, Ryan Gise, Efren Gonzalez, Deborah K VanderVeen, Nimesh A Patel
Journal: Ophthalmology (2025)
Transcriptomic profiling of chronic hand eczema skin reveals shared immune pathways and molecular drivers across subtypes
Authors: Anna Sophie Quaade, Thomas Litman, Xing Wang, Christine Becker, Benjamin D McCauley, Julie Breinholt Kjær Sølberg, Jacob P Thyssen, Jeanne Duus Johansen
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2025)

Chronic hand eczema (CHE) is a common skin disease with different subtypes, but knowledge of the molecular patterns associated with each subtype is limited. To characterize the CHE transcriptome across subtypes. Using RNA-sequencing, we studied the transcriptome of 220 full-thickness skin biopsies collected from palms, dorsa, and arms from 96 patients with CHE and/or atopic dermatitis (AD) and 32 healthy controls. The primary analysis focused on 16 healthy and 54 lesional CHE palm samples that were further stratified by AD status and unique etiology. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified across the cohort and Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) was used for pathway analysis and upstream regulator prediction. We identified anatomical site-specific transcriptomic variations, showing unique characteristics in both healthy and CHE-affected palm skin. In CHE palms, we identified 2333 DEGs versus healthy palms. Upregulated genes predominantly involved keratinocyte host inflammation and immune signaling, while downregulated genes were linked to lipid metabolism and epidermal barrier function. IPA revealed numerous activated pro-inflammatory pathways, dominated by Th1 and Th2. Key upstream regulators included type 1 (IFNG, TNF, STAT1, IL-2) and type 2 (IL-4) associated molecules, and IL-1β. Lesional palm signatures were broadly shared across CHE subtypes. No DEGs were found between allergic- and irritant contact dermatitis CHE. Subtype-specific pathway and upstream regulator activity variations were noted. The lesional CHE transcriptome is primarily shared among subtypes and is characterized by activation of several immune pathways, dominated by Th1 and Th2. Key shared upstream regulators were identified, highlighting potential universal therapeutic targets.
Acral Lentiginous Melanoma. Part I. Epidemiology, Etiology, Clinical Presentation, and Diagnosis
Authors: Sach Thakker, Daniella Jaguan, Micah Belzberg, Nina Gulati, Janeth R Campbell, Brittney K DeClerck, Gino K In, Vishal A Patel
Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2025)
A new hypothesis to explain disease dominance
Authors: Brian Juvik, Lara Falcucci, Pia R. Lundegaard, Didier Y.R. Stainier
Journal: Trends in Genetics (2025)

HighlightsMany dominant diseases are still poorly understood from a genetic and molecular perspective.Transcriptional adaptation (TA) is a newly identified cellular response involving mRNA decay.TA can lead to changes in gene expression resulting in genetic compensation or a worsening of the phenotype.We posit that some dominant diseases thought to be caused by haploinsufficiency are actually due to gain-of-function effects via TA.AbstractThe onset and progression of dominant diseases are thought to result from haploinsufficiency or dominant negative effects. Here, we propose transcriptional adaptation (TA), a newly identified response to mRNA decay, as an additional cause of some dominant diseases. TA modulates the expression of so-called adapting genes, likely via mRNA decay products, resulting in genetic compensation or a worsening of the phenotype. Recent studies have challenged the current concepts of haploinsufficiency or poison proteins as the mechanisms underlying certain dominant diseases, including Brugada syndrome, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. We hypothesize that for these and other dominant diseases, when the underlying mutation leads to mRNA decay, the phenotype is due at least partly to the dysregulation of gene expression via TA.
Effect of mass campaigns with full and fractional doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Pneumosil) on the reduction of nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage in Niger: a three-arm, open-label, cluster-randomised trial
Authors: Matthew E Coldiron, Issaka Soumana, Elisabeth Baudin, Céline Langendorf, Corinne Mamiafo Tchoula, Souleymane Brah, Angela Karani, Katherine E Gallagher, E Wangeci Kagucia, J Anthony G Scott, Rebecca F Grais
Journal: The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2025)
Transarterial chemoembolisation combined with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab versus dual placebo for unresectable, non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (LEAP-012): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, phase 3 study
Authors: Masatoshi Kudo, Zhenggang Ren, Yabing Guo, Guohong Han, Hailan Lin, Jinfang Zheng, Sadahisa Ogasawara, Ji Hoon Kim, Haitao Zhao, Chuan Li, David C Madoff, R Mark Ghobrial, Tomokazu Kawaoka, René Gerolami, Masafumi Ikeda, Hiromitsu Kumada, Anthony B El-Khoueiry, Arndt Vogel, Xiang Peng, Kalgi Mody, Corina Dutcus, Leonid Dubrovsky, Abby B Siegel, Richard S Finn, Josep M Llovet
Journal: The Lancet (2025)
Durvalumab with or without bevacizumab with transarterial chemoembolisation in hepatocellular carcinoma (EMERALD-1): a multiregional, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study
Authors: Bruno Sangro, Masatoshi Kudo, Joseph P Erinjeri, Shukui Qin, Zhenggang Ren, Stephen L Chan, Yasuaki Arai, Jeong Heo, Anh Mai, Jose Escobar, Yamil Alonso Lopez Chuken, Jung-Hwan Yoon, Won Young Tak, Valeriy V Breder, Tanita Suttichaimongkol, Mohamed Bouattour, Shi-Ming Lin, Jean-Marie Peron, Quang T Nguyen, Lunan Yan, Chang-Fang Chiu, Florinda A Santos, Anil Veluvolu, Satheesh Chiradoni Thungappa, Marco Matos, Magdalena Żotkiewicz, Stephanie I Udoye, John F Kurland, Gordon J Cohen, Riccardo Lencioni, Kathia Abdalla, Manon Allaire, Gustavo Alves, Luis Antunes, Eric Assenat, Sergio Azevedo, Rafael Barreto, Muhammad Beg, Glaucio Bertollo, Jean-Frederic Blanc, Mohamed Bouattour, Rakesh Reddy Boya, Valery Breder, Jean-Pierre Bronowicki, Manoch Buranachokphaisan, Adam Burgoyne, Stephen Chan, Ting-Tsung Chang, Yee Chao, Eric Chen, Xiaoming Chen, Chang-Fang Chiu, Minsig Choi, Sunghee Choi, Natalie Coburn, Luis Contreras, Farshid Dayyani, Thomas Decaens, Arunee Dechaphunkul, Maria del Consuelo Diaz, Anouk Dev, Jamille Dutra, Melissa Eastgate, Jose Escobar, Bassam Estfan, Vittorio Ferrari, Anne-Claire Frin, Sandip Ganguly, Ranga Raman Ganta, Shanzhi Gu, Yabing Guo, Atsushi Hagihara, Jeong Heo, Chih-Hung Hsu, Jimmy Hwang, Yoshitaka Inaba, Shikha Jain, Derek Jonker, Rajeev L K, Shruti Kate, Naoya Kato, Tomokazu Kawaoka, Kwong-Ming Kee, Seung up Kim, Kiyohide Kioka, Hironori Koga, Masatoshi Kudo, Hidekatsu Kuroda, Phuong Le, Han-chu Lee, Joon Hyeok Lee, Teng-Yu Lee, Dongliang Li, Hailiang Li, Wei Li, Xiao Li, Cheng-Yao Lin, Shi-Ming Lin, Yamil Lopez, Ligong Lu, Anh Mai, Konstantin Mamontov, Kunlatida Maneenil, Aleksei Manikhas, Gianluca Masi, Ana Maria Matilla, Marco Matos, Vincenzo Mazzaferro, Zhiqiang Meng, Prabrajya Narayan Mohapatra, Vladimir Moiseyenko, Alejandro Molina, Jose Luis Montero, Manabu Morimoto, Daniel Motola, Guzel Mukhametshina, Hayato Nakagawa, Jean-Charles Nault, Quang Nguyen, Amanda Nicoll, Maria Noriega, Takuji Okusaka, Hideki Onishi, Vikas Sureshchand Ostwal, Jie Pan, Joong-Won Park, Ankit Patel, Rodrigo Perez, Jean-Marie Peron, Shukui Qin, Francisco Ramirez, Zhenggang Ren, Stuart Roberts, Julie Rowe, Yotsawaj Runglodvatana, Bruno Sangro, Florinda Santos, Ravi Kumar Saxena, Guoliang Shao, Anthony Shields, Oksana Shirokova, Aditya Shreenivas, Michele Sisani, Vitalii Skoropad, Simone Strasser, Thatthan Suksombooncharoen, Tanita Suttichaimongkol, Wai Meng Tai, Won Young Tak, Gaojun Teng, Satheesh Chiradoni Thungappa, Nguyen Tran, Son Trinh, Kaoru Tsuchiya, Kunihiko Tsuji, Idoia Ugarteburu, Teerapat Ungtrakul, Gina Vaccaro, Anil Veluvolu, Truc Vo, Yoshiyuki Wada, Alva Weir, Aibing Xu, Lvnan Yan, Jung-Hwan Yoon, Oleg Zarubenkov, Yongyi Zeng, Yonghong Zhang, Ming Zhao, Xin Zheng, Ling Zhu, Xu Zhu
Journal: The Lancet (2025)
Spatiotemporal dynamics of fetal liver hematopoietic niches
Authors: Márcia Mesquita Peixoto, Francisca Soares-da-Silva, Valentin Bonnet, Yanping Zhou, Gustave Ronteix, Rita Faria Santos, Marie-Pierre Mailhe, Gonçalo Nogueira, Xing Feng, João Pedro Pereira, Emanuele Azzoni, Giorgio Anselmi, Marella F.T.R. de Bruijn, Archibald Perkins, Charles N. Baroud, Perpétua Pinto-do-Ó, Ana Cumano
Journal: The Journal of Experimental Medicine (2024)

Embryonic hematopoietic cells develop in the fetal liver (FL), surrounded by diverse non-hematopoietic stromal cells. However, the spatial organization and cytokine production patterns of the stroma during FL development remain poorly understood. Here, we characterized and mapped the hematopoietic and stromal cell populations at early (E12.5–14.5) FL stages, revealing that while hepatoblasts were the primary source of hematopoietic growth factors, other stromal cells—including mesenchymal, mesothelial, and endothelial cells—also contributed to this signaling network. Using a dedicated image analysis pipeline, we quantified cell distances to tissue structures and defined neighbor relationships, uncovering that different hematopoietic progenitors exhibit distinct preferences for neighboring stromal cells and show developmental changes in spatial distribution. Notably, our data suggest that the sub-mesothelium region plays a prominent role in early fetal hematopoiesis. This approach offers a valuable tool for studying complex cellular interactions in biological systems, providing new insights into hematopoietic niche organization during development.
Danone’s use of midwives to give branded infant feeding advice in supermarket sparks anger
Authors: Rebecca Coombes
Journal: BMJ (2025)

EXCLUSIVEDanone's use of midwives to give branded infant feeding advice in supermarket sparks anger Campaigners for impartial nutritional advice are dismayed at a service that seems to be adopting marketing tactics dubbed scandalous 50 years ago.Rebecca Coombes
Comparing the cost of cirrhosis to other common chronic diseases: A longitudinal study in a large national insurance database
Authors: Filip Obradović, Dominic J. Vitello, Bima J. Hasjim, Joy Obayemi, Praneet Polineni, Michael Gmeiner, Eleena Koep, Aditya Jain, Federico Crippa, Andrés Duarte-Rojo, Vinayak S. Rohan, Laura Kulik, Julianna M. Doll, Therese Banea, Gwen E. McNatt, Lihui Zhao, Lisa B. VanWagner, Charles F. Manski, Daniela P. Ladner
Journal: Hepatology (2025)

Background &amp; Aims: Cirrhosis prevalence is increasing, yet costs associated with its chronic, complex care are poorly understood. The aim was to characterize the costs of care for patients with cirrhosis and compare them to other chronic diseases such as heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for which the public health burden is better recognized. Approach: Patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans from a large national insurer between 2011-2020 with cirrhosis, HF, and COPD were identified by ICD-9/-10 codes. Costs (USD) of care were calculated per patient-month and included inpatient medical, emergency medical, pharmacy, and other costs. Results: 93,308 patients with cirrhosis, 355,520 patients with HF, and 318,949 patients with COPD were analyzed. Patients with cirrhosis, HF, and COPD had a mean (SD) age of 69.6 (9.5), 75.9 (9.7), and 72.9 (9.8) years respectively. The most frequent etiologies were metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (37.7%) and alcohol-associated cirrhosis (22.1%). The total monthly cost of care for patients with cirrhosis, HF, and COPD was $3,032.00, $2,491.60, and $1,955.60 respectively. The cost for patients with cirrhosis exceeded that for HF by $540.40 (21.7% higher) and COPD by $1,076.30 (55.0% higher). The monthly cost of care for decompensated cirrhosis $3,969.30, which was 59.3% ($1,477.70) higher than for HF and 103.0% ($1,955.60) higher than for COPD. Conclusion: The cost of care for cirrhosis is high, significantly higher than HF and COPD. Interventions directed at optimizing care to prevent progression to cirrhosis and decompensation are likely to alleviate this public health burden.
Laennec approach for anatomical liver resection assisted by laparoscopy or robotics: a multicenter cohort study
Authors: Binghua Li, Dalong Yin, Qifan Zhang, Lei Qin, Jianwei Li, Zhixian Hong, Peng Zhu, Guangyu Ding, Zhitian Shi, Changhe Zhang, Kai Zhang, Jin Peng, Yang Yue, Chaobo Chen, Lianxin Liu, Shuguo Zheng, Xiaoping Chen, Qiang Gao, Bixiang Zhang, Decai Yu
Journal: International Journal of Surgery (2025)

Introduction: Laennec’s capsule serves as a critical anatomical landmark in anatomical liver resection. Despite its potential, a lack of large-scale prospective studies limits the widespread use of the Laennec approach for minimally invasive hepatectomy. This multicenter cohort study aimed to compare the outcomes of the traditional and Laennec approaches in minimally invasive anatomical hepatectomy across multiple centers in China. Methods: A total of 445 patients from 11 centers were included, with 339 undergoing the Laennec approach and 106 receiving the traditional approach. Intraoperative parameters such as the duration of hepatic pedicle isolation, hepatic vein exposure, parenchymal transection, and liver mobilization were analyzed. Postoperative outcomes, including recurrence-free survival (RFS) and R0 resection rates, were also assessed. Additionally, a series of subgroup analyses was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the Laennec approach. Results: The Laennec approach demonstrated notable intraoperative advantages, including reduced durations for hepatic pedicle isolation, liver mobilization, hepatic vein exposure, and parenchymal transection. Robotic-assisted procedures, in particular, showed superior outcomes when compared to laparoscopic platform. The Laennec approach proved highly effective across various liver diseases, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hemangioma, and hepatolithiasis. The Laennec gap, a distinct gap between the liver parenchyma and surrounding vasculature, played a key role in identifying candidates for Laennec approach. Subgroup analysis revealed that although the Laennec approach provides significant intraoperative benefits, these advantages seem not to translate into substantial postoperative improvements. Conclusions: The Laennec approach offers clear intraoperative advantages over the traditional approach when utilizing laparoscopic or robotic systems. These findings support the Laennec approach as a standardized technique for anatomical liver resection.
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists and Sodium–Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors and the Prevention of Cirrhosis Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Richeek Pradhan, Hui Yin, Sally Lu, Giada Sebastiani, Oriana Yu, Samy Suissa, Laurent Azoulay
Journal: Diabetes Care (2025)

OBJECTIVE To determine whether glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, separately, compared with dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are associated with a reduced risk of cirrhosis and other adverse liver outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS With an active comparator, new-user approach, we conducted a cohort study using the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink linked with hospital and national statistics databases. Cox proportional hazards models using propensity score fine stratification weighting were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for cirrhosis (primary outcome) and decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related mortality (secondary outcomes). RESULTS In the first cohort comparing 25,516 patients starting GLP-1RAs and 186,752 starting DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1RAs were not associated with the incidence of cirrhosis (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.68–1.19) or the secondary outcomes. In a separate cohort comparing 33,161 patients starting SGLT-2 inhibitors and 124,431 starting DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors were associated with a reduced incidence of cirrhosis (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46–0.90), as also decompensated cirrhosis (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.54–1.00), but not with a lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma or liver-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes in the U.K., GLP-1RAs were not associated with a lower risk of cirrhosis compared with DPP-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, SGLT-2 inhibitors were associated with a lower risk of cirrhosis compared with DPP-4 inhibitors.
Oxidative Phosphorylation is a Metabolic Vulnerability of Endocrine Therapy-Tolerant Persister Cells in ER+ Breast Cancer
Authors: Steven Tau, Mary D. Chamberlin, Huijuan Yang, Jonathan D. Marotti, Patricia C. Muskus, Alyssa M. Roberts, Melissa M. Carmichael, Lauren Cressey, Christo Philip C. Dragnev, Eugene Demidenko, Riley A. Hampsch, Shannon M. Soucy, Fred W. Kolling, Kimberley S. Samkoe, James V. Alvarez, Arminja N. Kettenbach, Todd W. Miller
Journal: Cancer Research (2025)

Abstract Despite adjuvant treatment with endocrine therapies, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers recur in a significant proportion of patients. Recurrences are attributable to clinically undetectable endocrine-tolerant persister cancer cells that retain tumor-forming potential. Therefore, strategies targeting such persister cells may prevent recurrent disease. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genome-wide knockout screening in ER+ breast cancer cells, we identified a survival mechanism involving metabolic reprogramming with reliance upon mitochondrial respiration in endocrine-tolerant persister cells. Quantitative proteomic profiling showed reduced levels of glycolytic proteins in persisters. Metabolic tracing of glucose revealed an energy-depleted state in persisters where oxidative phosphorylation was required to generate ATP. A phase II clinical trial was conducted to evaluate changes in mitochondrial markers in primary ER+/HER2- breast tumors induced by neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NCT04568616). In an analysis of tumor specimens from 32 patients, tumors exhibiting residual cell proliferation after aromatase inhibitor-induced estrogen deprivation with letrozole showed increased mitochondrial content. Genetic profiling and barcode lineage tracing showed that endocrine-tolerant persistence occurred stochastically without genetic predisposition. Pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial complex I suppressed the tumor-forming potential of persisters in mice and synergized with the anti-estrogen fulvestrant to induce regression of patient-derived xenografts. These findings indicate that mitochondrial metabolism is essential in endocrine-tolerant persister ER+ breast cancer cells and warrant the development of treatment strategies to leverage this vulnerability for treating breast cancer.
Behavioral Intervention with Eye-Use Monitoring to Delay Myopia Onset and Progression in Children: A Cluster Randomized Trial
Authors: Yuanyuan Hu, Mingkun Yu, Xiaotong Han, Nathan Congdon, Ziyun Wu, Jianping Liu, Zhaolan Liu, Huanhuan Huo, Jike Song, Mingguang He, Hongsheng Bi
Journal: Ophthalmology (2025)
Limitations in the Real‐World Emulation of the HORIZON Pivotal Fracture Trial
Authors: Peng Shih‐Kuei, Poi Kuo, James Cheng‐Chung Wei
Journal: Arthritis & Rheumatology (2025)

Disclosure Form Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
A 177Lu-nucleotide Coordination Polymer-incorporated Thermosensitive Hydrogel with Anti-inflammatory and Chondroprotective Capabilities for Osteoarthritis Treatment
Authors: Peng Liu, Ming Zhou, Zhisheng Luo, Lu Hao, Jessica C Hsu, Weibo Cai, Wenhu Zhou, Shuo Hu
Journal: Biomaterials (2025)
Identification of Bronchial Epithelial Genes Associated with Type-2 Eosinophilic Inflammation in Asthma
Authors: Stephane Esnault, Kimberly A Dill-McFarland, Matthew C Altman, Melissa A Rosenkranz, Nizar N Jarjour, William W Busse
Journal: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2025)
Neuroretinal and RPE changes and susceptibility to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: insights from the longitudinal Alienor Study
Authors: Petra P Larsen, Marie-Noëlle Delyfer, Cédric Schweitzer, Jean-François Korobelnik, Cécile Delcourt
Journal: Ophthalmology (2025)

We assessed the associations of macular layer thicknesses, measured using spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT), with incident age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and AMD polygenic risk scores (PRS). Population-based cohort study PARTICIPANTS: 653 participants of the Alienor study, with biennial eye imaging from 2009 to 2024. Macular layer thicknesses of eight distinct layers and three compound layers were automatically segmented based on SD-OCT imaging of the macula. Total and pathway specific PRS were calculated from previous AMD genome-wide association studies summary statistics. Associations of macular layer thicknesses with incident intermediate and advanced AMD were analyzed using time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models. Associations of macular layer thicknesses with PRS were assessed using linear mixed models. Incident intermediate and advanced AMD based on fundus colour photographs and SD-OCT. Mean age at first OCT examination of the 653 participants was 82.2 ± 4.2 years and 61.3 % were women. In multivariate adjusted models, incident intermediate AMD was associated with thicker retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) - Bruch's Membrane (BM) complex in the 1 mm central circle (Hazard ratio (HR)= 1.13 for 1 μm increase; P These results highlight the importance of RPE-BM complex thickening in the pathophysiological sequence of AMD. Further longitudinal studies are needed, in particular to determine the value of RPE-BM thickening and PSL thinning measured using SD-OCT for the clinical follow-up of AMD patients.
Potentiating the effect of immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer using gas-entrapping materials
Authors: Jianling Bi, Emily Witt, Megan K McGovern, Arielle B Cafi, Sri Naga Swetha Tunuguntla, Alicia T Cotoia, Juan Antonio Raygoza Garay, Kyle R Balk, Lilly Boge, Samual Hatfield, Ryan Courtney, Juan Du, Carlos H F Chan, Yi Huang, Vanessa A Voltarelli, Matthew G Smith, Adam Mailloux, Dustin E Bosch, Michael S Tift, Leo E Otterbein, Giovanni Traverso, James D Byrne
Journal: Biomaterials (2025)
Gene regulation by convergent promoters
Authors: Elina Wiechens, Flavia Vigliotti, Kanstantsin Siniuk, Robert Schwarz, Katjana Schwab, Konstantin Riege, Alena van Bömmel, Ivonne Görlich, Martin Bens, Arne Sahm, Marco Groth, Morgan A. Sammons, Alexander Loewer, Steve Hoffmann, Martin Fischer
Journal: Nature Genetics (2025)

Abstract Convergent transcription, that is, the collision of sense and antisense transcription, is ubiquitous in mammalian genomes and believed to diminish RNA expression. Recently, antisense transcription downstream of promoters was found to be surprisingly prevalent. However, functional characteristics of affected promoters are poorly investigated. Here we show that convergent transcription marks an unexpected positively co-regulated promoter constellation. By assessing transcriptional dynamic systems, we identified co-regulated constituent promoters connected through a distinct chromatin structure. Within these cis -regulatory domains, transcription factors can regulate both constituting promoters by binding to only one of them. Convergent promoters comprise about a quarter of all active transcript start sites and initiate 5′-overlapping antisense RNAs—an RNA class believed previously to be rare. Visualization of nascent RNA molecules reveals convergent cotranscription at these loci. Together, our results demonstrate that co-regulated convergent promoters substantially expand the cis -regulatory repertoire, reveal limitations of the transcription interference model and call for adjusting the promoter concept.