Metabolism and Physiology Department News

June 2024

Inna Smalley and colleagues published a paper titled “Spatial transcriptomics analysis identifies a unique tumor-promoting function of the meningeal stroma in melanoma leptomeningeal disease” in Cell Reports Medicine.

May 2024

Nate Ward, Gina DeNicola and colleagues published a paper titled “Mitochondrial respiratory function is preserved under cysteine starvation via glutathione catabolism in NSCLC” in Nature Communications.

Maddison Olley from the Ward Lab was selected as a featured poster presenter at the Moffitt Scientific Symposium.

The Silva Lab welcomed a new team member, Angel Perez, as a research assistant.

April 2024

Drs. Morse and Dineen received an inaugural Dr. Rachel S. Permuth Fund for Colorectal Cancer Research Award titled “Preliminary development of a MUC16 targeted alpha particle therapy for colon cancer peritoneal metastasis.” As colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death in the US and peritoneal metastases are less responsive to systemic therapies, new and effective targeted therapies are needed for CRC. The goal of the proposal is to develop a protein ligand conjugate with high binding affinity and high specificity for MUC16 (also named CA125) which is expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) peritoneal metastases. The discovered ligand conjugate will then be used in future studies for the development of a novel peritoneal metastasis targeted alpha-particle radiotherapy (TAT) that can be systemically administered. Work will begin in April 2024.

Smalley Lab postdoc Hasan Alhaddad completed his postdoc training on the T32 and accepted a teaching/research faculty position at USF. The Smalley Lab and the Metabolism & Physiology Department wish him the best in his new endeavor.

Ariosto Silva attended the 2024 FACCA retreat and delivered an oral presentation entitled “Evolutionary dynamics and molecular mechanisms driving progression and evolution of drug resistance in Multiple Myeloma.”

Gina DeNicola presented in the AACR Education session "Targeted Mechanisms of Nutrient Acquisition and Utilization" and the Major Symposium "Metabolic Regulation of the Cancer Cell State" and Chaired the “Metabolism and Cancer” Minisymposium at the AACR Annual Meeting.

DeNicola lab postdoc Yumi Kim delivered an oral presentation entitled “PHGDH Supports Glutamine Levels and Promotes PDAC Progression” at the 2024 Cancer Metabolism Showcase and Workshops.

March 2024

Ariosto Silva and colleagues published a paper titled “The bone ecosystem facilitates multiple myeloma relapse and the evolution of heterogeneous drug resistant disease” in Nature Communications.

February 2024

The Metabolism & Physiology Department was well represented at the 2024 Keystone Tumor Metabolism Meeting, co-organized by Gina DeNicola!

• Gina DeNicola delivered a talk titled “Cellular Adaptation to Cysteine Starvation”
• Inna Smalley delivered a talk titled “Branched-chain Keto Acids Promote an Immune-suppressive and Neurodegenerative Microenvironment in Leptomeningeal Disease”
• DeNicola lab Research Associate Amanda Sherwood delivered a talk titled “Investigating the Roles of GSH and TXN Antioxidant Systems in NSCLC Tumor Progression”
• Nathan Ward presented a poster titled “NRF2 Activation Sensitizes the Fe-S Cluster Synthesis Pathway to Iron Restriction” 

January 2024 

Ariosto Silva and colleagues published a paper titled “Genomic Classification and Individualized Prognosis in Multiple Myeloma” in JCO.