CV

Publications

• LYN kinase programs stromal fibroblasts to facilitate leukemic survival via regulation of c-JUN and THBS1

  Microenvironmental bystander cells are essential for the progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We have discovered previously that LYN kinase promotes the formation of a microenvironmental niche for CLL. Here we provide mechanistic evidence that LYN regulates the polarization of stromal…

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• The X-linked trichothiodystrophy-causing gene RNF113A links the spliceosome to cell survival upon DNA damage

  Prolonged cell survival occurs through the expression of specific protein isoforms generated by alternate splicing of mRNA precursors in cancer cells. How alternate splicing regulates tumor development and resistance to targeted therapies in cancer remain poorly understood. Here we show that…

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• Active Akt signaling triggers CLL toward Richter transformation via overactivation of Notch1

  Richter's transformation (RT) is an aggressive lymphoma that occurs upon progression from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Transformation has been associated with genetic aberrations in the CLL phase involving TP53, CDKN2A, MYC, and NOTCH1; however, a significant proportion of RT cases lack CLL…

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• The scaffold protein NEDD9 is necessary for leukemia-cell migration and disease progression in a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

  The scaffold protein NEDD9 is frequently upregulated and hyperphosphorylated in cancers, and is associated with poor clinical outcome. NEDD9 promotes B-cell adhesion, migration and chemotaxis, pivotal processes for malignant development. We show that global or B-cell-specific deletion of Nedd9 in…

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• Tripartite antigen-agnostic combination immunotherapy cures established poorly immunogenic tumors

  Single-agent immunotherapy has shown remarkable efficacy in selected cancer entities and individual patients. However, most patients fail to respond. This is likely due to diverse immunosuppressive mechanisms acting in a concerted way to suppress the host anti-tumor immune response. Combination…

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• Pericentromeric Satellite III transcripts induce etoposide resistance

  Non-coding RNA from pericentromeric satellite repeats are involved in stress-dependent splicing processes, maintenance of heterochromatin, and are required to protect genome stability. Here we show that the long non-coding satellite III RNA (SatIII) generates resistance against the topoisomerase IIa…

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• Inhibition of Tumor VEGFR2 Induces Serine 897 EphA2-Dependent Tumor Cell Invasion and Metastasis in NSCLC

  Anti-angiogenic treatment targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-VEGFR2 signaling has shown limited efficacy in lung cancer patients. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of VEGFR2 in tumor cells, expressed in ∼20% of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, leads to a…

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• Integrative Analysis of Pleomorphic Dermal Sarcomas Reveals Fibroblastic Differentiation and Susceptibility to Immunotherapy

  Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma (PDS) is a rare malignant cutaneous tumor with an unknown cell of origin. Locally defined tumors can be treated by curative excisions, whereas advanced stages of the disease are difficult to treat, using standard regimens. We performed whole-exome sequencing on a cohort…

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• Distinct Genetically Determined Origins of Myd88/BCL2-Driven Aggressive Lymphoma Rationalize Targeted Therapeutic Intervention Strategies

  Genomic profiling revealed the identity of at least 5 subtypes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), including the MCD/C5 cluster characterized by aberrations in MYD88, BCL2, PRDM1, and/or SPIB. We generated mouse models harboring B cell–specific Prdm1 or Spib aberrations on the background of…

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• An Autochthonous Mouse Model of Myd88- and BCL2-Driven Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Reveals Actionable Molecular Vulnerabilities

  Based on gene expression profiles, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is subdivided into germinal center B-cell–like (GCB) and activated B-cell–like (ABC) DLBCL. Two of the most common genomic aberrations in ABC-DLBCL are mutations in MYD88 as well as BCL2 copy-number gains. Here, we employ…

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• Deregulation and epigenetic modification of BCL2-family genes cause resistance to venetoclax in hematologic malignancies

  The BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax has been approved to treat different hematological malignancies. Because there is no common genetic alteration causing resistance to venetoclax in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and B-cell lymphoma, we asked if epigenetic events might be involved in venetoclax…

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