Publications

Heat shock factor 2 regulates oncogenic gamma-herpesvirus gene expression by remodeling the chromatin at the ORF50 and BZLF1 promoter

Lorenza Cutrone et al.

PLoS Pathog. 2025 Apr 17;21(4):e1013108. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013108. eCollection 2025 Apr.

The Human gamma-herpesviruses Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are causally associated to a wide range of cancers. While the default infection program for these viruses is latent, sporadic lytic reactivation supports virus dissemination and oncogenesis. Despite its relevance, the repertoire of host factors governing the transition from latent to lytic phase is not yet complete, leaving much of this complex process unresolved. Here we show that heat shock factor 2...

Surface Modification of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as a Means to Introduce Inherent Cancer-Targeting Ability in a 3D Tumor Microenvironment

Neeraj Prabhakar et al.

Small Sci. 2024 Jul 8;4(9):2400084. doi: 10.1002/smsc.202400084. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have emerged as promising drug carriers that can facilitate targeted anticancer drug delivery, but efficiency studies relying on active targeting mechanisms remain elusive. This study implements in vitro 3D cocultures, so-called microtissues, to model a physiologically relevant tumor microenvironment (TME) to examine the impact of surface-modified MSNs without targeting ligands on the internalization, cargo delivery, and cargo release in tumor cells and...

mTORC1 shutdown unleashes TFEB to drive triple-negative breast cancer invasion

Michalis Gounis et al.

Dev Cell. 2025 Apr 7;60(7):979-981. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2025.03.006.

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is considered a key therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this issue of Developmental Cell, Remy et al. challenge this idea by demonstrating that mTORC1 inhibition activates TFEB, promoting MT1-MMP exocytosis, ECM degradation, and increased cell invasion, especially when combined with chemotherapy.

Practical considerations for data exploration in quantitative cell biology

Joanna W Pylvänäinen et al.

J Cell Sci. 2025 Apr 1;138(7):jcs263801. doi: 10.1242/jcs.263801. Epub 2025 Apr 7.

Data exploration is an essential step in quantitative cell biology, bridging raw data and scientific insights. Unlike polished, published figures, effective data exploration requires a flexible, hands-on approach that reveals trends, identifies outliers and refines hypotheses. This Opinion offers simple, practical advice for building a structured data exploration workflow, drawing on the authors' personal experience in analyzing bioimage datasets. In addition, the increasing availability of...

Regulating macrophage glucose metabolism homeostasis via mitochondrial rheostats by short fiber-microsphere scaffolds for bone repair

Pengzhen Zhuang et al.

Bioact Mater. 2025 Mar 15;49:399-417. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.03.008. eCollection 2025 Jul.

The alterations in glucose metabolism flux induced by mitochondrial function changes are crucial for regulating bone immune homeostasis. The restoration of mitochondrial homeostasis, serving as a pivotal rheostat for balancing glucose metabolism in immune cells, can effectively mitigate inflammation and initiate osteogenesis. Herein, an ion-activated mitochondrial rheostat fiber-microsphere polymerization system (FM@CeZnHA) was innovatively constructed. Physical-chemical and molecular biological...

Time, the final frontier

Gautier Follain et al.

Mol Oncol. 2025 Mar 24. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.70025. Online ahead of print.

Cancer's notorious heterogeneity poses significant challenges, as each tumor comprises a unique ecosystem. While single-cell and spatial transcriptomics advancements have transformed our understanding of spatial diversity within tumors, the temporal dimension remains underexplored. Tumors are dynamic entities that continuously evolve and adapt, and relying solely on static snapshots obscures the intricate interplay between cancer cells and their microenvironment. Here, we advocate for...