MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine’s Post

Thrilled to Announce My PhD Achievement! After years of dedication, challenges, and growth, I am incredibly proud to share that I have successfully defended my doctoral thesis on miRNA-based diagnostics for Wilms Tumor. Grateful for the support of my mentors, family, and colleagues throughout this incredible journey. Excited for the next steps in research and innovation! #PhD #Research #CancerDiagnostics #WilmsTumor #MolecularBiology

I am thrilled to announce the publication of my PhD research! 🎉📜 Our study delves into a fascinating question: How does a cell distinguish the same ligand acting on the same receptor but producing completely opposite signals and effects? 🤔🔍 To answer this, we used pituitary tumor cells, which cannot form tumors in mice due to their senescent features. Knocking out IL-6 in these cells transformed them into tumorigenic ones, shutting down senescence! Our key findings include: 🔬 Intracellular IL-6 Induced Senescence: Our question was whether IL-6 re-expression is enough to reestablish the senescence of these IL-6 knockout cells. As IL-6 is a cytokine that is secreted, we aimed to analyze the secretion-independent effects since its proliferative action through membrane receptors is well characterized. We observed that IL-6 induced senescence only when retained intracellularly, suggesting the senescent signal originates from within the cell. In human therapy-induced senescent cells, where IL-6 is relevant in tumorigenesis development, intracellular retention of IL-6 also showed pro-senescence effects. 🔬 Mechanistic Insights: We found that this differential senescent signaling involved cytosolic chromatin fragments and intracellularly expressed IL-6R. IL-6 acts as an amplifier of the senescent signal through an intracrine mechanism, relying on the cGAS-STING pathway.  Therefore, therapies that involve neutralization of IL-6R expressed on the cell membrane block IL-6's proliferative signal but might not affect this senescent intracrine action, which could represent a resistance mechanism in tumor biology. This research wouldn't have been possible without the incredible team at @ArztLab and IBioBA - CONICET - Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, our collaborators, and the invaluable mentorship of my PhD supervisor Eduardo Arzt. Check out our full paper! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eSXKy38B

🚀 Exciting News! 🚀 Today marks the beginning of my final year research project at Queen Mary University of London, and I am thrilled to share that I was selected as one of the top 120 students in the Department of Biological and Behavioural Sciences. I am incredibly grateful to have secured my first choice project, which focuses on the regenerative qualities of zebrafish. This fascinating research involves advanced techniques such as in situ hybridisation and qPCR. My primary research goal is to investigate why zebrafish with a Kdm2aa mutation exhibit reduced fin regeneration and an increased risk of melanoma. Through an in-depth study of regenerative species and cancer literature, I have identified potential correlations between regeneration, inflammation, and cancer risk. I am eager to delve deeper into this project and contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms affecting regeneration and cancer in zebrafish with Kdm2aa mutations. Here’s to a year of discovery and scientific advancement! 🔬🐟 #Research #BiologicalSciences #Zebrafish #Regeneration #CancerResearch #QueenMaryUniversity #FinalYearProject #Science #Innovation #InSituHybridisation #qPCR

I am excited to share a glimpse into my recent research project as a part of the Stem Cell and Biomaterials Engineering Laboratory course at the University of New Hampshire-Manchester! The project focused on differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into early-stage cardiomyocytes using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a substrate. Exploring the interplay between biomaterials and stem cell differentiation was a fascinating journey, and I am thrilled to share a couple videos showcasing the results: Beating Cardiomyocytes- Witnessing these cells in action was an incredibly proud moment! Calcium Flux Assay- Highlighting the dynamic exchange of calcium in these beating cardiomyocytes. This project was a collaborative effort, and I want to extend my gratitude to my teammates Alyxandra Huckaby and Abhilash Achary Kammari for their hard work and support, and to Dr. Won Hyuk Suh for his invaluable guidance throughout the process.

I recently published my first research paper titled "Benzylacetophenones ring containing Chalcones deciphers augmented cell migration by Stabilizing basement Matrix in mouse embryonic fibroblast" in the African Journal of Biological Science. This study explored how synthetic chalcone derivatives can enhance cell migration and stabilize the basement matrix, an important structural component for cellular movement. Using mouse embryonic fibroblasts as a model system, we found that these benzylacetophenone ring-containing chalcones have the ability to modulate and improve cell migration. The findings from this pioneering work open up potential applications in fields like developmental biology, regenerative medicine, cancer research, and tissue engineering. As my debut research publication, this paper marks an exciting milestone in my academic journey and a step towards contributing to scientific knowledge in this area. #FirstResearchPaper #ChalconeDerivatives #CellMigration #BasementMatrixStability #MouseEmbryonicFibroblasts #SyntheticCompounds #DevelopmentalBiology #RegenerativeMedicine #CancerResearch #TissueEngineering #AcademicMilestone #ResearchPublication #AfricanJournalofBiologicalScience #EarlyCareerResearcher #EmergingScientist #SciencePublication #BiologicalScience #CellBiology #MolecularBiology #biology #syntheticbiology #science #srmist #biotechnology

"We looked at the mechanisms that activate endogenous neural stem cells in the spinal cord. Paradoxically, glutamate excitotoxicity, a hallmark of the acute injury period in spinal cord injury, which is normally toxic to neuroglial cells, through its toxic triggers actually drove the activation of these endogenous stem cells," Laureen D. Hachem, MD, 2020 NREF Research Fellowship Grant recipient, on her research findings during her NREF funded fellowship. University of Toronto

🚨 Exciting news! Our latest research paper is out: "Single-cell transcriptome atlas of male mouse pituitary across postnatal life highlighting its stem cell landscape" (doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111708). This study, a continuation of Prof. Hugo Vankelecom's work, explores the fascinating world of pituitary stem cells using single-cell transcriptomics and organoid models. We investigated their complex identity, niche factors, and how these cells are influenced by aging in mice. A huge thanks to my co-first author Emma Laporte, and my co-authors Berkehür Abaylı, Julie Hoekx and Florian Hermans for their invaluable contributions. Special thanks to the team of Prof. Diether Lambrechts and Álvaro Cortés Calabuig (Genomics Core Leuven) for their bio-informatic guidance. We are also grateful to the VSC | Vlaams Supercomputer Centrum and our funders Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO) and KU Leuven Research Fund for making this work possible. We hope this adds to the growing understanding of pituitary (stem cell) biology and inspires further research in this field. Check it out! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gzhxfqwe

Congratulations to Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty members Nancy Kanwisher, Robert Langer, and Sara Seager on being among eight researchers worldwide to receive this year’s Kavli Prizes. A partnership among the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and The Kavli Foundation, The Kavli Prizes are awarded every two years to “honor scientists for breakthroughs in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience that transform our understanding of the big, the small and the complex.” Specific to the nano world, Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor, was awarded the 2024 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. Langer was the first to develop nanoengineered materials that enabled the controlled release, or regular flow, of drug molecules. This capability has had an immense impact for the treatment of a range of diseases, such as aggressive brain cancer, prostate cancer, and schizophrenia. His work also showed that tiny particles, containing protein antigens, can be used in vaccination, and was instrumental in the development of the delivery of messenger RNA vaccines. Read more at MIT News: https://lnkd.in/emveT9r6 #faculty #awards #Kavli #KavliPrize #nanoscience #nanotechnology #nanomaterials #medicine #humanhealth MIT School of Engineering MIT School of Science

Thrilled to share my experience at the inaugural Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Hippo Pathway Conference! 🧬🔬 As a PhD student, I had the incredible opportunity to present my thesis work on therapeutic targeting of Hippo pathway in sarcomas. This conference was a pivotal moment in my scientific journey, bringing together leading researchers exploring the fundamental biology and therapeutic potential of the Hippo pathway. Key highlights: -Gained insights into Hippo signaling mechanisms and their critical role in cancer, stem cell development, and inflammation -Networked with experts developing innovative targeted therapies -Attended a fantastic Career Development Workshop that provided invaluable guidance for early-career researchers The most exciting aspect was the opportunity to learn about unpublished research and witness the collaborative spirit of the scientific community. The conference underscored the immense potential of Hippo pathway research in understanding disease mechanisms and developing breakthrough treatments. A massive thank you to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) organizers and all the brilliant researchers who made this conference so inspiring! 🙌 #ScienceResearch #CancerResearch #AcademicConference #PhDLife #Biotechnology

🌟 We had the pleasure of collaborating with a team of scientists from the Department of Physics and Biophysics/Institute of Biology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, in partnership with Professor Katarzyna Wiktorska. 📚 We are delighted to announce the publication of article. 📄 We cordially invite you to read the article: “Antitumor and Antimetastatic Effects of Dietary Sulforaphane in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Models.” #Science #Research #Publication #Biology #BreastCancer #ALABbioscience