Thordur Oskarsson, PhD

Dr. Oskarsson’s research is focused on breast cancer metastasis. Particularly, he studies the molecular crosstalk between metastatic cancer cells and the microenvironment in secondary organs to determine how these interactions promote progression of metastasis and resistance to therapy. Dr. Oskarsson fills a unique niche in understanding mechanisms of metastasis and will be an integral part of the Cancer Biology and Evolution Program.

Associations

• Molecular Oncology
• Cancer Biology & Evolution Program

Dr. Oskarsson’s research is focused on breast cancer metastasis. Particularly, he studies the molecular crosstalk between metastatic cancer cells and the microenvironment in secondary organs to determine how these interactions promote progression of metastasis and resistance to therapy. Dr. Oskarsson fills a unique niche in understanding mechanisms of metastasis and will be an integral part of the Cancer Biology and Evolution Program.

• Ilter D, Drapela S, Schild T, Ward NP, Adhikari E, Low V, Asara J, Oskarsson T, Lau EK, DeNicola GM, McReynolds MR, Gomes AP. NADK-mediated de novo NADP(H) synthesis is a metabolic adaptation essential for breast cancer metastasis. Redox Biol. 2023 May.61:102627. Pubmedid: 36841051. Pmcid: PMC9982641.
• Hongu T, Pein M, Insua-Rodríguez J, Gutjahr E, Mattavelli G, Meier J, Decker K, Descot A, Bozza M, Harbottle R, Trumpp A, Sinn HP, Riedel A, Oskarsson T. Perivascular tenascin C triggers sequential activation of macrophages and endothelial cells to generate a pro-metastatic vascular niche in the lungs. Nat Cancer. 2022 Apr.3(4):486-504. Pubmedid: 35469015. Pmcid: PMC9046090.
• Riedel A, Helal M, Pedro L, Swietlik JJ, Shorthouse D, Schmitz W, Haas L, Young T, da Costa ASH, Davidson S, Bhandare P, Wolf E, Hall BA, Frezza C, Oskarsson T, Shields JD. Tumor-Derived Lactic Acid Modulates Activation and Metabolic Status of Draining Lymph Node Stroma. Cancer Immunol Res. 2022 Apr.10(4):482-497. Pubmedid: 35362044. Pmcid: PMC7612582.
• Oskarsson T. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology begins a Theme of Reviews on Dynamic Tumor Heterogeneity and Cancer Progression. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2021 Mar.320(3):C304-C305. Pubmedid: 33264076.
• Hongu T, Oskarsson T. Addicted to Acidic Microenvironment. Dev Cell. 2020 Nov.55(4):381-382. Pubmedid: 33232671.
• Pein M, Insua-Rodríguez J, Hongu T, Riedel A, Meier J, Wiedmann L, Decker K, Essers MAG, Sinn HP, Spaich S, Sütterlin M, Schneeweiss A, Trumpp A, Oskarsson T. Metastasis-initiating cells induce and exploit a fibroblast niche to fuel malignant colonization of the lungs. Nat Commun. 2020 Mar.11(1):1494. Pubmedid: 32198421. Pmcid: PMC7083860.
• Klebe M, Fremd C, Kriegsmann M, Kriegsmann K, Albrecht T, Thewes V, Kirchner M, Charoentong P, Volk N, Haag J, Wirtz R, Oskarsson T, Schulz A, Heil J, Schneeweiss A, Winter H, Sinn P. Frequent Molecular Subtype Switching and Gene Expression Alterations in Lung and Pleural Metastasis From Luminal A-Type Breast Cancer. JCO Precis Oncol. 2020 Jul.4. Pubmedid: 32923902. Pmcid: PMC7446514.
• Oskarsson T. Stress-induced metastatic niches in breast cancer. Mol Cell Oncol. 2020 Jul.7(5):1780105. Pubmedid: 32944638. Pmcid: PMC7469606.
• Steinhaeuser SS, Morera E, Budkova Z, Schepsky A, Wang Q, Rolfsson O, Riedel A, Krueger A, Hilmarsdottir B, Maelandsmo GM, Valdimarsdottir B, Sigurdardottir AK, Agnarsson BA, Jonasson JG, Ingthorsson S, Traustadottir GA, Oskarsson T, Gudjonsson T. ECM1 secreted by HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells promotes formation of a vascular niche accelerating cancer cell migration and invasion. Lab Invest. 2020 Jul.100(7):928-944. Pubmedid: 32203150.
• Pein M, Oskarsson T. Tamoxifen calms down the distressed PDAC stroma. EMBO Rep. 2019 Jan.20(1). Pubmedid: 30538119. Pmcid: PMC6322357.
• Insua-Rodríguez J, Pein M, Hongu T, Meier J, Descot A, Lowy CM, De Braekeleer E, Sinn HP, Spaich S, Sütterlin M, Schneeweiss A, Oskarsson T. Stress signaling in breast cancer cells induces matrix components that promote chemoresistant metastasis. EMBO Mol Med. 2018 Oct.10(10). Pubmedid: 30190333. Pmcid: PMC6180299.
• Insua-Rodríguez J, Oskarsson T. The extracellular matrix in breast cancer. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2016 Feb.97:41-55. Pubmedid: 26743193.
• Oskarsson T, Orend G. Stem cells and matrix. Int J Biochem Cell B. 2016 Dec.81(Pt A):165. Pubmedid: 27771438.
• Adams JC, Oskarsson T. Cell and Molecular Processes in Cancer Metastasis: an AJP-Cell Physiology set of Themed Reviews. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2015 Oct.309(7):C443. Pubmedid: 26428197. Pmcid: PMC4593769.
• Pein M, Oskarsson T. Microenvironment in metastasis: roadblocks and supportive niches. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2015 Nov.309(10):C627-C638. Pubmedid: 26377313.
• Lowy CM, Oskarsson T. Tenascin C in metastasis: A view from the invasive front. Cell Adh Migr. 2015 Dec.9(1-2):112-124. Pubmedid: 25738825. Pmcid: PMC4422797.
• Oskarsson T, Batlle E, Massagué J. Metastatic stem cells: sources, niches, and vital pathways. Cell Stem Cell. 2014 Mar.14(3):306-321. Pubmedid: 24607405. Pmcid: PMC3998185.
• Descot A, Oskarsson T. The molecular composition of the metastatic niche. Exp Cell Res. 2013 Jul.319(11):1679-1686. Pubmedid: 23707205.
• Oskarsson T. Extracellular matrix components in breast cancer progression and metastasis. Breast. 2013 Aug.22 Suppl 2:S66-S72. Pubmedid: 24074795.
• Perna D, Fagà G, Verrecchia A, Gorski MM, Barozzi I, Narang V, Khng J, Lim KC, Sung WK, Sanges R, Stupka E, Oskarsson T, Trumpp A, Wei CL, Müller H, Amati B. Genome-wide mapping of Myc binding and gene regulation in serum-stimulated fibroblasts. Oncogene. 2012 Mar.31(13):1695-1709. Pubmedid: 21860422. Pmcid: PMC3324106.
• Lander AD, Kimble J, Clevers H, Fuchs E, Montarras D, Buckingham M, Calof AL, Trumpp A, Oskarsson T. What does the concept of the stem cell niche really mean today?. BMC Biol. 2012 Mar.10:19. Pubmedid: 22405133. Pmcid: PMC3298504.
• Acharyya S, Oskarsson T, Vanharanta S, Malladi S, Kim J, Morris PG, Manova-Todorova K, Leversha M, Hogg N, Seshan VE, Norton L, Brogi E, Massagué J. A CXCL1 paracrine network links cancer chemoresistance and metastasis. Cell. 2012 Jul.150(1):165-178. Pubmedid: 22770218. Pmcid: PMC3528019.
• Oskarsson T, Massagué J. Extracellular matrix players in metastatic niches. Embo J. 2012 Jan.31(2):254-256. Pubmedid: 22179697. Pmcid: PMC3261570.
• Oskarsson T, Acharyya S, Zhang XH, Vanharanta S, Tavazoie SF, Morris PG, Downey RJ, Manova-Todorova K, Brogi E, Massagué J. Breast cancer cells produce tenascin C as a metastatic niche component to colonize the lungs. Nat Med. 2011 Jun.17(7):867-874. Pubmedid: 21706029. Pmcid: PMC4020577.
• Oskarsson T, Nagorny P, Krauss IJ, Perez L, Mandal M, Yang G, Ouerfelli O, Xiao D, Moore MA, Massagué J, Danishefsky SJ. Diverted total synthesis leads to the generation of promising cell-migration inhibitors for treatment of tumor metastasis: in vivo and mechanistic studies on the migrastatin core ether analog. J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Mar.132(9):3224-3228. Pubmedid: 20155906. Pmcid: PMC2863049.
• Kim MY, Oskarsson T, Acharyya S, Nguyen DX, Zhang XH, Norton L, Massagué J. Tumor self-seeding by circulating cancer cells. Cell. 2009 Dec.139(7):1315-1326. Pubmedid: 20064377. Pmcid: PMC2810531.
• Tavazoie SF, Alarcón C, Oskarsson T, Padua D, Wang Q, Bos PD, Gerald WL, Massagué J. Endogenous human microRNAs that suppress breast cancer metastasis. Nature. 2008 Jan.451(7175):147-152. Pubmedid: 18185580. Pmcid: PMC2782491.
• Oskarsson T, Hreggvidsdóttir HS, Agnarsdóttir G, Matthíasdóttir S, Ogmundsdóttir MH, Jónsson SR, Georgsson G, Ingvarsson S, Andrésson OS, Andrésdóttir V. Duplicated sequence motif in the long terminal repeat of maedi-visna virus extends cell tropism and is associated with neurovirulence. J Virol. 2007 Apr.81(8):4052-4057. Pubmedid: 17287273. Pmcid: PMC1866131.
• Prathapam T, Tegen S, Oskarsson T, Trumpp A, Martin GS. Activated Src abrogates the Myc requirement for the G0/G1 transition but not for the G1/S transition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Feb.103(8):2695-2700. Pubmedid: 16477001. Pmcid: PMC1413844.
• Oskarsson T, Essers MA, Dubois N, Offner S, Dubey C, Roger C, Metzger D, Chambon P, Hummler E, Beard P, Trumpp A. Skin epidermis lacking the c-Myc gene is resistant to Ras-driven tumorigenesis but can reacquire sensitivity upon additional loss of the p21Cip1 gene. Gene Dev. 2006 Aug.20(15):2024-2029. Pubmedid: 16882980. Pmcid: PMC1536054.
• Oskarsson T, Trumpp A. The Myc trilogy: lord of RNA polymerases. Nat Cell Biol. 2005 Mar.7(3):215-217. Pubmedid: 15738972.
• Wilson A, Murphy MJ, Oskarsson T, Kaloulis K, Bettess MD, Oser GM, Pasche AC, Knabenhans C, Macdonald HR, Trumpp A. c-Myc controls the balance between hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Gene Dev. 2004 Nov.18(22):2747-2763. Pubmedid: 15545632. Pmcid: PMC528895.
• Trumpp A, Refaeli Y, Oskarsson T, Gasser S, Murphy M, Martin GR, Bishop JM. c-Myc regulates mammalian body size by controlling cell number but not cell size. Nature. 2001 Dec.414(6865):768-773. Pubmedid: 11742404.
• Agnarsdóttir G, Thorsteinsdóttir H, Óskarsson T, Matthíasdóttir S, St Haflidadóttir B, Andrésson ÓS, Andrésdóttir V. The long terminal repeat is a determinant of cell tropism of maedi-visna virus. J Gen Virol. 2000 Aug.81(Pt 8):1901-1905. Pubmedid: 10900026.