Beyond excited to share that the main work of my PhD on how aspartate signaling drives metastasis is finally out in @Nature ✨ -> https://t.co/TrgXGM2Glg A huge thank to the @Fendtlab and all our collaborators for the terrific team work 🙏 @KU_Leuven @vib_ccb A brief🧵

In a medical milestone, a customized base editor was developed, characterized in human and mouse cells, tested in mice, studied for safety in non-human primates, cleared by @US_FDA for clinical trial use, manufactured as a complex with an LNP, and dosed into a baby with a severe,

🥳 congrats @anke_vandekeere and collabs!!

Interesting idea to engineer cancer metabolism https://t.co/2xb0zxwj5e

Did you know that cancer metabolism works both ways? Tumors influence the host systemically, while the host's metabolic state also shapes cancer progression... Explore this dynamic interplay in our latest review in @NatureRevCancer ⬇️⬇️

🚨We’re Hiring (✨ Please RT) We are looking for a motivated #Bioinformatician to join our lab @ULBruxelles. 🎯Explore metastasis mechanisms combining mouse genetics & human biopsies. 2-year contract funded by @frsFNRS 👉 More info & apply:

Thrilled to announce that I’ve joined @ChristieTowers Lab at @salkinstitute as a Postdoctoral Fellow 🥳! Looking forward to dive into the autophagy field and collaborate with amazing scientists 🙌 #NewChallenges

🚨 Now in @Nature, @Gysurf, Sarah-Maria Fendt, and colleagues discover a role for aspartate in cancer metastasis. @FWOVlaanderen @komop_tgkanker @Stkstichting @KU_Leuven @vib_ccb https://t.co/EOey2aWWVy

@FWOVlaanderen @komop_tgkanker @ERC_Research

5/5) In turn, eIF5A hypusination promoted a translational program with TGFβ signaling as central hub leading to collagen synthesis and metastasis aggressiveness. We found key proteins of this pathway enriched in lung metastasis of breast cancer patients.

4/5) This induces a signaling cascade that drives a unique post-translational modification (named hypusination), activating the non classical translation initiation factor eIF5A.

3/5) Surprisingly, this extracellular aspartate is not metabolized intracellularly, but acts as a signaling molecule to activate the ionotropic NMDA receptor in cancer cells.

2/5) We found that the lung environment of patients and mice with breast cancer is highly enriched in aspartate.

1/5) We discovered that disseminated cancer cells activate an alternative translation program that boosts aggressiveness of lung metastasis. How do they activate it?

We are hiring! We are looking for a motivated postdoctoral fellow to work on an exciting project on #Metastasis and #HighFatDiet in @cabimer Join us! More info 👇

It has been an incredible journey! Thanks to @FendtLab and my PhD thesis committee @GeertLab @CoolsJn @CorbetCyril @MariaRodrColman for their support and the amazing discussion! @FWOVlaanderen @komop_tgkanker @KU_Leuven @vib_ccb

Grateful for being awarded for the best poster presentation at the 11th ISCaM Meeting @ISCaM_Society! Thanks @FendtLab for the great support!

Proud to present our post-mortem tissue donation program #UPTIDER dedicated to advance research on metastatic breast cancer! https://t.co/QwKV2pdldi @GeukensTatjana @MaxiMDpath @VanBaelenKaren @FendtLab @DiLa_lab @kevinpunie @HansWildiers #FRichard #GFloris #bcsm @OncoAlert

Read why we believe rapid autopsy programmes = a global effort to advance research on metastatic cancer 🤝. They are associated with many challenges, but offer so many opportunities. @DrLisaCarey @NatureRevCancer @OncoAlert https://t.co/9DhSHDMyu2

Full-house, a bit of sun and a lot of great science ☀️ Thanks to everyone making our #CCBScienceRetreat a huge success yesterday!