A5033840220- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Liver physiology and pathology
- Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancer
- TGF-β signaling in diseases
- Congenital heart defects research
- Pancreatic function and diabetes
- Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
- Plant Surface Properties and Treatments
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Pluripotent Stem Cells Research
- Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Studies
- Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Skin Protection and Aging
- Organ Transplantation Techniques and Outcomes
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Wound Healing and Treatments
- Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Cell death mechanisms and regulation
- Reproductive Biology and Fertility
Universidad de Las Américas
2018-2025
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology
2009-2024
University of the Americas
2023
KU Leuven
2011-2020
Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
2015-2020
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology
2020
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
2006-2007
The Hippo signaling pathway and its two downstream effectors, the YAP TAZ transcriptional coactivators, are drivers of tumor growth in experimental models. Studying mouse models, we show that can also exert a tumor-suppressive function. We found normal hepatocytes surrounding liver tumors displayed activation deletion Yap Taz these peritumoral accelerated growth. Conversely, hyperactivation triggered regression primary melanoma-derived metastases. Furthermore, whereas cells growing wild-type...
Abstract Hyperactivation of YAP/TAZ, the Hippo pathway downstream effectors, is common in human cancer. The requirement YAP/TAZ for cancer cell survival preclinical models, prompted development pharmacological inhibitors that suppress their transcriptional activity. However, systemic inhibition may sometimes have unpredictable patient outcomes, with limited or even adverse effects because action not simply tumor promoting but also suppressive some types. Here, we review role distinct...
Significance The control of organ growth involves cell–cell communication that is mediated by signal transduction pathways. Hippo signaling pathway has emerged as an essential regulator size in Drosophila and mammals, defects drive cancer progression. An important unresolved question the field is, How regulated? Recent reports show adherens junctions cell polarity complexes regulate pathway, but controversy exists about mechanisms involved. Here we report mammalian cells, basolateral...
The Hippo signaling pathway is widely considered a master regulator of organ growth because the prominent overgrowth phenotypes caused by experimental manipulation its activity. Contrary to this model, we show here that removing transcriptional output did not impair ability mouse liver and Drosophila eyes grow their normal size. Moreover, activity effectors Yap/Taz/Yki correlate with cell proliferation, hyperactivation these induced gene expression programs recapitulate development....
Background and AimsThe Hippo pathway its downstream effectors YAP TAZ (YAP/TAZ) are heralded as important regulators of organ growth regeneration. However, different studies provided contradictory conclusions about their role during regeneration organs, ranging from promoting proliferation to inhibiting it. Here we resolve the function YAP/TAZ liver, where Hippo's in control has been studied most intensely.MethodsWe evaluated liver after carbon tetrachloride toxic injury mice with...
Primary liver cancer comprises a diverse group of tumors. The heterogeneity these tumors is seen as one the obstacles to finding an effective therapy. Hippo pathway, with its downstream transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein (YAP) and PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), has decisive role in carcinogenesis primary cancer. Therefore, we examined expression pattern YAP TAZ 141 patients hepatocellular carcinoma keratin 19 positive (HCC K19+), negative K19−), combined...
Abstract The study of liver biology and pathology through marker expression analysis tissue structure visualization is constrained by the high autofluorescence caused presence lipofuscins, vitamin A, lipid droplets, which traditional staining methods do not effectively quench. This leads to low signal-to-noise ratios, obscured levels, reduced structural resolution. We mitigated using Sudan Black B staining, quenches background signals from lipofuscin accumulation. Additionally, these...
Currently, no pharmacological therapies treat skeletal muscle insulin resistance in pathological conditions such as type 2 diabetes, age-associated diseases, and cancer. Therefore, there is an unmet need to identify the molecular mechanisms ...The events governing glucose uptake have potential for managing obesity, With current treatments target ...
The strength and spatiotemporal activity of Nodal signaling is tightly controlled in early implantation mouse embryos, including by autoregulation feedback loops, involves secreted intracellular antagonists. These control mechanisms, which are established at the extra-embryonic/embryonic interfaces, essential for anterior-posterior patterning epiblast correct positioning primitive streak. Formation an ectopic streak, or streak expansion, has previously been reported mutants lacking...
To provide a developmental correlate with other frogs, we prepared normal table of development for the dendrobatid, Colostethus machalilla and analyzed morphology its early development. This frog reproduces in captivity deposits moderately sized eggs (1.6 mm diameter) terrestrial nests. The father guards embryos until tadpole hatching. We divided hatching into 25 stages implemented methods vitro culture embryos. external internal were evaluated by observations whole mount sections. Neural,...
Inducible cyclization recombinase (Cre) transgenic mouse strains are powerful tools for cell lineage tracing and tissue-specific knockout experiments. However, low efficiency or leaky expression can be important pitfalls. Here, we compared the specificity of two commonly used cholangiocyte-specific Cre drivers, Opn-iCreERT2 Ck19-CreERT using a tdTomato reporter strain. We found that triggered recombination in 99.9% all cholangiocytes while only had 32% after tamoxifen injection. In absence...
Tracking cell death in vivo can enable a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying tissue homeostasis and disease. Unfortunately, existing labeling methods lack compatibility with applications or suffer from low sensitivity, poor penetration, limited temporal resolution. Here, we fluorescently labeled dead cells Trypan Blue (TBlue) to detect single scattered generate whole-mount three-dimensional maps large areas necrotic during organ regeneration. TBlue effectively marked...
<title>Abstract</title> The intricate cellular composition of the skin encompasses dynamic interactions among melanocytes, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts, crucial for protective responses to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), wound healing aging. Recent insights underline mitochondrial transfer as pivotal in repair, yet its occurrence between cells remains unclear. Our research probes exchanges cells, especially post-UVR exposure, uncovering a predominance via tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) over...