Damon Runyon News

To prevent autoimmune attacks, T cells are screened in the thymus to ensure they do not react to self-derived antigens. Dr. Huisman [National Mah Jongg League Fellow] studies the thymus and, specifically, a population of cells called “thymic mimetic cells” that mimic other tissues, such as muscle or gut, and assist T cells in developing tolerance to diverse cell types. Dr. Huisman’s research focuses on understanding how thymic mimetic cells develop.

Protein oxidation occurs when an amino acid gains an oxygen atom in a post-translational modification. Oxidation of the amino acid methionine plays an important role in cellular regulation, and mutations at methionine sites are known to have pathogenic effects in cancer. However, direct assessment of methionine’s oxidation product, methionine sulfoxide, remains underexplored. Dr. Yang aims to develop methionine sulfoxide labeling approaches using light or electricity.

Genome rearrangements have been widely observed in human cancers. Recent whole-genome sequencing data has identified chromothripsis, an event that introduces massive genome rearrangements in only one or a few chromosomes through catastrophic shattering and random reattachment, as one of the most frequent genome rearrangements. Chromothripsis has been associated with poor clinical outcomes in multiple cancers, but the shattering mechanisms that induce chromosome fragmentation remain uncharacterized. Dr.

More than one third of all people will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Dr. Sretenovic [Connie and Bob Lurie Fellow] is using both yeast and human cell lines to model various properties of cancerous cells as complex genetic traits. Combining novel CRISPR genome editing approaches with next-generation sequencing technology, he aims to dissect the intricate relationships between genetic variants, chemical and physical environmental factors, and phenotypic outcomes (i.e., observable characteristics).

The interaction between cancer cells and their non-malignant neighbors in the tumor microenvironment is critical for cancer progression. While certain types of cellular crosstalk within the tissue safeguard against malignancy, cancer cells are often able to exploit nearby cells to fuel tumor growth. Dr. Song [HHMI Fellow] is interested in understanding how the complex cellular communication network in the skin, namely its sensory and immunological components, contributes to the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, one of the most common skin cancers.

Normally, epithelial tissues, which cover all external body surfaces and line internal cavities, expel unwanted cells to maintain health in a process known as cell extrusion. However, some cancer cells, particularly those with the common RasV12 mutation, manage to avoid extrusion. Using Drosophila (fruit flies) as a model, Dr. Sakai [Rhee Family Fellow] will explore how RasV12-mutant cells manipulate neighboring cells to avoid extrusion.

Before, during, and after a meal, complex signals in the gut must be communicated to the brain to regulate physiology and behavior. Dr. Saavedra-Peña [HHMI Fellow] is researching how sensory neurons in the gut detect mechanical stretch, a potent satiety signal after a meal. Although vagal neurons, the primary component of the parasympathetic nervous system, are known to play a role in gut mechanosensation, the contribution of other neurons and mechanoreceptors are still unclear.

Bacteria have diverse immune systems to defend themselves against viral invaders, many of which use molecular mechanisms also seen in mammalian immune systems. Dr. Roney [HHMI Fellow] studies how bacterial immune systems detect virally compromised cells, and how viruses undermine immune systems to prevent the elimination of virally compromised cells from the population. The goal of his research is to uncover novel mechanisms and principles of immune systems that are found across domains of life.

Cancer immunotherapies have shown remarkable benefits, but many tumors remain unresponsive to existing treatments. The mechanisms cancer cells use to evade immune responses during treatment remain largely unknown. Altered cell surface glycosylation, the process of attaching sugars to cell surface biomolecules, is a hallmark of many human cancers. The interaction between cell surface glycoproteins on immune cells with cancer cells represents a major axis of immune evasion and plays a vital role in how cancer cells suppress immune responses during cancer treatment. Dr.

Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The development of drugs targeting mutant KRAS, the oncogenic driver of most pancreatic cancers, has led to much optimism for improved treatments. However, tumor recurrence driven by heterogeneous cancer cell responses to these drugs remains a major challenge. Some cancer cells die, while surviving cells can halt their proliferation or continue to proliferate in the presence of drug, all of which can occur within the same tumor and dictate the overall response to treatment. Dr.