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James Olzmann

@olzmannlab.bsky.social
2.2K followers 2K following 107 posts

Professor of Molecular Therapeutics and Metabolic Biology at UC Berkeley; Departments of Molecular & Cell Biology and Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology. Lipid droplets, ferroptosis, ubiquitin, drug development.

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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
3/ Here, we take the next step, using bispecific antibody degraders to therapeutically target this pathway. LRP8 degradation reduces GPX4 and other selenoproteins, creating a vulnerability to ferroptosis. Congrats to Fangzhu, Jim, Alex, & the whole team!
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
2/ This study builds on work from our lab and @angelifriedmann.bsky.social’s lab identifying LRP8 as a key regulator of selenium uptake, selenoprotein synthesis, and ferroptosis sensitivity in cancer. Our study: PMID 35637349 Angeli lab: PMID 37435859
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
1/ Happy to see this collaborative work w/ Fangzhu Zhao, Jim Wells & colleagues now published in PNAS! LRP8-targeted KineTACs degrade LRP8, reduce GPX4 & other selenoproteins, and sensitize cancer cells to ferroptosis. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
pnas.org
Targeted extracellular degradation of LRP8 promotes ferroptosis in cancer cells | PNAS
Tumor reliance on antioxidant defenses creates a vulnerability to ferroptosis, yet strategies to therapeutically disable these systems remain limit...
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Pedro Friedmann Angeli @angelifriedmann.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The first one was amazing and its highly recommended!
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Save the date! 🔥 The 2027 FASEB Science Research Conference on Ferroptosis: From Mechanism to Medicine is coming to Denver, July 12–15! We are excited to bring the ferroptosis community together again. Experts and newcomers welcome! Please help spread the word! More info soon!
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Waggoner Lab @labwaggoner.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Metabolite buffering of labile iron governs ferroptosis @cellcellpress.bsky.social Preview @olzmannlab.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... on www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
cell.com
Metabolite buffering of labile iron governs ferroptosis
Iron abundance alone does not determine ferroptosis sensitivity. In this issue of Cell, Sharma and colleagues identify polyamines as endogenous metabolic buffers that reduce the chemical accessibility...
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Forbes @forbes.com · 06/05/2026
California Bill Would Create A $23 Billion Fund For University Research
forbes.com
California Bill Would Create A $23 Billion Fund For University Research
A California bill would give voters the chance to vote on whether the state should create a $23 billion bond that would be used to award grants to university researchers.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Thank you! It was great collaborating with you on this project! 🙌
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Pedro Friedmann Angeli @angelifriedmann.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Happy to share the final version of the study where we describe a central role for vitaminB2 in regulating membrane redox state - some new cool experiments were added since the preprint was posted - pls check this out thttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-025-01856-x
nature.com
Riboflavin metabolism shapes FSP1-driven ferroptosis resistance - Nature Cell Biology
After performing a focused CRISPR–Cas9 screen, Skafar et al. identify riboflavin (vitamin B2) as a regulator of FSP1 stability that modulates phospholipid peroxidation and ferroptosis sensitivity in c...
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Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg @uni-wuerzburg.de · 13/03/2026
#Vitamin B2 is converted into molecules which protect cells from oxidative damage. The downside: It also protects #cancer cells. Scientists at the Rudolf Virchow Centre at #JMU discovered that. 📸 Natalie Fahmer ➡️ www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/news-and-...
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
3/3 Also exciting to see a complementary study from @angelifriedmann.bsky.social @veraskafar.bsky.social & colleagues published in Nature Cell Biol today. Together, our studies highlight a role for vitamin B2 metabolism and FAD in regulating FSP1 and ferroptosis. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Riboflavin metabolism shapes FSP1-driven ferroptosis resistance - Nature Cell Biology
After performing a focused CRISPR–Cas9 screen, Skafar et al. identify riboflavin (vitamin B2) as a regulator of FSP1 stability that modulates phospholipid peroxidation and ferroptosis sensitivity in c...
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
2/3 Huge congratulations to the entire team for driving this project forward. Grateful for fantastic collaborators, including @theprattgroup.bsky.social and everyone in the lab who contributed to this work. A true team effort across genetics, cell biology, and chemical biology.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
1/3 Thrilled to see our paper led by Kirandeep Deol is out in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology! CRISPR screens to uncover a role for vitamin B2 metabolism in stabilizing FSP1 via FAD, revealing a new way vitamins regulate ferroptosis. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Vitamin B2 metabolism promotes FSP1 stability to prevent ferroptosis - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
Here, Deol et al. use genetic screens in gene-edited reporter cell lines to identify regulators of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) expression and stability. They show that vitamin B2 metabolis...
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Nature Structural & Molecular Biology @natsmb.nature.com · 13/03/2026
New online: FAD-dependent stabilization of FSP1 promotes ferroptosis resistance
dlvr.it
FAD-dependent stabilization of FSP1 promotes ferroptosis resistance
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 13 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41594-026-01760-4The oxidoreductase FSP1 recycles radical-trapping antioxidants that suppress oxidative lipid damage and ferroptosis. A series of genetic screens reveal a key role for the vitamin B2 metabolite flavin adenine dinucleotide in stabilizing FSP1, preventing its proteasomal degradation and promoting ferroptosis suppression.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Thank you! 😊
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Sarah Cohen @cohenlaboratory.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Awesome paper and super useful resource of CRISPR-based screens to identify regulators of #LipidDroplet biology under different metabolic conditions: crisprlipid.org
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Thank you, André! 🙏
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Very cool, Hiten! The connection with Brr6 / Brl1 and NPC assembly were a big surprise in this study. Science! :)
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Thank you for your important contributions to this paper, Niek! Congrats! 🙌🏽
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Niek van Hilten @nvhilten.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Cool paper alert 🚨! Congrats @olzmannlab.bsky.social! Proud to have made a small contribution to this. One of the prettiest membrane-protein structures I have simulated ☺️
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Sooo happy to share our new paper in @nature.com “CLCC1 promotes hepatic neutral lipid flux and nuclear pore complex assembly.” A terrific collaboration with @arrudalab.bsky.social, led by co–first authors Alyssa Mathiowetz and Emily Maymand. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
CLCC1 promotes hepatic neutral lipid flux and nuclear pore complex assembly - Nature
CRISPR–Cas9 screening identifies CLCC1 as a factor that increases neutral lipid flux to prevent hepatic steatosis and promotes nuclear pore complex assembly by promoting membrane bending and fusi...
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Congrats, Jesse! Exciting discovery! 👏
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Jesse Garcia Castillo, PhD @jgcastillo.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
A little late on here but happy to share my 3rd first author paper from grad school finally out in Science Advances!! In collaboration with James Olzmann's group, we find that Tregs utilize FSP1/Aifm2 for preventing lipid peroxide accumulation and preserve their suppressive function in tumor models.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Thrilled to have contributed to this work led by @jgcastillo.bsky.social during his PhD at UC Berkeley w/ Michel DuPage. Targeting FSP1 in T cells boosts anti-tumor immunity by relieving Treg suppression, revealing a new immunomodulatory therapeutic axis. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Selective disruption of lipid peroxide homeostasis in intratumoral regulatory T cells by targeting FSP1 enhances cancer immunity
Deletion of Aifm2 disrupts Treg cell immunosuppression within tumors without inciting autoimmune pathology in mice.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Thanks for the shout out, Jeremy!! Awesome to be on this list with all these lipid all star papers! ⭐️
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Jeremy Baskin @jeremybaskin.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Happy new year! I've so enjoyed the end-of-year lists of people's favorite papers from 2025, so I made a list of 16 #lipidtime studies from 2025 that I found interesting. Here they are in no particular order (please add more if you would like!), and here's to much more exciting science in 2026! 🧪
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Jeremy Baskin @jeremybaskin.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
15. And second, also from @olzmannlab.bsky.social, an ER chloride channel pushes LD formation toward the cytosol vs. nucleoplasm and affects nuclear pore complex assembly in @biorxiv-cellbio.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
CLCC1 promotes hepatic neutral lipid flux and nuclear pore complex assembly
Imbalances in lipid storage and secretion lead to the accumulation of hepatocyte lipid droplets (LDs) (i.e., hepatic steatosis). Our understanding of the mechanisms that govern the channeling of hepat...
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Jeremy Baskin @jeremybaskin.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
14. Two studies that reshape thinking about lipid droplets biology. First, lipid peroxidation can occur to neutral lipids inside the core of LDs, with protective mechanisms revealed, from @mikelangelipid.bsky.social and @olzmannlab.bsky.social in @natcellbio.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
FSP1-mediated lipid droplet quality control prevents neutral lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis - Nature Cell Biology
Lange et al. identify a lipid droplet quality control pathway in which FSP1 safeguards stored neutral lipids from lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the induction of ferroptosis.
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Jeremy Baskin @jeremybaskin.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Proximity labeling users: check out this study by @zhixingchen2.bsky.social and Peng Zou, which establishes how much contact-dependence vs. diffusion is responsible for biotinylation — tl;dr TurboID has a much smaller effective radius! www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/2
nature.com
Spatial barcoding reveals reaction radii and contact-dependent mechanism of proximity labeling - Nature Chemical Biology
A DNA nanoruler platform enables precise measurement of the labeling radii of TurboID and APEX2, uncovering their contact-dependent mechanisms. These findings redefine the enzymology of proximity labe...
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Two weeks left to apply! If you study any area of metabolism or metabolic disease (broadly defined), we encourage you to apply. The dept is excited about biological and molecular mechanisms, metabolic flux, therapeutics, and physiology related to disease. aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04710
aprecruit.berkeley.edu
Assistant Professor - Environmental Impact on Human Metabolic Disease - Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology
University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Happy to see our News & Views is out! We highlight two landmark papers demonstrating the potential for therapeutic targeting of FSP1 and #ferroptosis in in vivo cancer models. Beautiful work from @ubellackerlab.bsky.social, Thales Papagiannakopoulos, and colleagues. 🥳 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
In vivo models bring FSP1 inhibitors to life - Nature Cell Biology
FSP1 is a key suppressor of lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis, yet it is largely dispensable in standard cell culture models. Two new studies now show that FSP1 becomes essential for tumour growth in...
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David Drubin @drubin.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Today, our animation synthesizing decades of research on actin-mediated endocytosis in budding yeast was published: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/... The result of a fantastic Iwasa-Drubin lab collaboration. @margotriggi.bsky.social @jiwasa.bsky.social movie.biologists.com/video/10.124...
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
New preprint out! We show that PROTAC-induced ubiquitination can bypass canonical ERAD to degrade ER membrane proteins. Wonderful collaboration w/ @dannomura.bsky.social and huge credit to grad student superstar Sydney Tomlinson! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Induced ubiquitination bypasses canonical ERAD to drive ER protein degradation
Heterobifunctional proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as a powerful strategy to degrade disease-relevant proteins, enabling targeting of previously "undruggable" proteins. Current d...
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Mikko Taipale @miketilapia.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow to work on induced proximity 🤜🤛 and functional genomics! Join our team in Toronto 🇨🇦 to tackle major challenges in oncology and neurodegeneration. www.nature.com/naturecareer...
nature.com
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW - Toronto (City), Ontario (CA) job with Taipale Lab, Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto | 12849004
The Taipale lab in the Donnelly CCBR and University of Toronto is looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow
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Nature Metabolism @natmetabolism.nature.com · 17/11/2025
#NatMetabPicks | In @natcellbio.nature.com led by @olzmannlab.bsky.social ( @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social ) FSP1, localized to lipid droplets, protects stored lipids from oxidative damage and prevents ferroptosis. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
FSP1-mediated lipid droplet quality control prevents neutral lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis - Nature Cell Biology
Lange et al. identify a lipid droplet quality control pathway in which FSP1 safeguards stored neutral lipids from lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the induction of ferroptosis.
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Bianca Schrul @biancaschrul.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
Curious how proteins find their way to #LipidDroplets? Our bipartite review traces their journey from ER insertion to LD partitioning: 👉 Navigating lipid droplet proteins - part II: Molecular mechanisms of ER-to-LD protein partitioning #Organelles #EndoplasmicReticulum #ER_Literature
portlandpress.com
Navigating lipid droplet proteins – part II: molecular mechanisms underlying ER-to-lipid droplet protein partitioning
Lipid droplets (LDs) originate from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and are unique among cellular organelles, as they consist of a hydrophobic core of neutral lipids that is surrounded by a phospholipi...
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Mike Lange @mikelangelipid.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Excited to share my postdoc work @olzmannlab.bsky.social! We found lipid droplets, the cell’s lipid storage depots, are subject to oxidative damage and are protected by FSP1. Loss of FSP1 triggers droplet peroxidation and cell death, revealing a new layer of lipid quality control! shorturl.at/B5XYD
nature.com
FSP1-mediated lipid droplet quality control prevents neutral lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis - Nature Cell Biology
Lange et al. identify a lipid droplet quality control pathway in which FSP1 safeguards stored neutral lipids from lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the induction of ferroptosis.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Excited to share our study out in @natcellbio.nature.com! Led by @mikelangelipid.bsky.social, we identify the first #LipidDroplet lipid quality control pathway: LD-localized FSP1 protects stored lipids from oxidative damage and prevents LD-initiated #ferroptosis. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
FSP1-mediated lipid droplet quality control prevents neutral lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis - Nature Cell Biology
Lange et al. identify a lipid droplet quality control pathway in which FSP1 safeguards stored neutral lipids from lipid peroxidation, thereby preventing the induction of ferroptosis.
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Henne lab @hennelab.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Great Endoplasmic Reticulum meeting in Paris organized by the amazing Eric Chevet @ericchevet.bsky.social! It was wonderful to also hang out with James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social and Rachid Thiam @abdourachidthiam.bsky.social.
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Cynthia Wolberger @cwolberger.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
A giant in molecular biology and virology has passed. RIP David Baltimore. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/s...
nytimes.com
David Baltimore, Nobel-Winning Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87
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American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology @asbmb.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Join us in celebrating the #ASBMB26 Award Winners! • @abu-remaileh.bsky.social • Suzanne Barbour • @bradylabupenn.bsky.social • George Carman • Joseph Cotruvo • Roger Davis • @rolanddunbrack.bsky.social • Pamela Mertz • @olzmannlab.bsky.social • Kim Orth • Margaret Phillips ow.ly/x05f50WSbax
ow.ly
ASBMB names 2026 award winners
Check out their lectures at the annual meeting in March in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
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UC Berkeley MCB @berkeleymcb.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Congrats to MCB's James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social on receiving the ASBMB 2026 Avanti Award in Lipids @asbmb.bsky.social! 👍🎉
James Olzmann receives 2026 Avanti Award in Lipids
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
Humbled and honored to receive the 2026 Avanti Award in Lipids from ASBMB! Grateful to my exceptional lab, mentors, and collaborators for their support and inspiration. Excited to keep pushing the boundaries of lipid biology and therapeutics! www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/...
asbmb.org
ASBMB names 2026 award winners
Check out their lectures at the annual meeting in March in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
First day of class @UCBerkeley! Kicked off the day peeking in on the Therapeutic Discovery and Development class taught by @dannomura.bsky.social @robzonculab.bsky.social @urnov.bsky.social!! 🤩🔥!!
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
First day of class @UCBerkeley! Kicked off the day peeking in on the Therapeutic Discovery and Development class taught by @dannomura.bsky.social @robzonculab.bsky.social @urnov.bsky.social!! 🤩🔥!!
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Tenure track position alert! Assistant Professor of Molecular Therapeutics in MCB @UCBerkeley. Apply and come be our colleague! 🎉 aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05098
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Andreas Linkermann @linkermannlab.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Happy to start at Bluesky with a post on our recent manuscript at @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/s41... Great collaboration with cool scientists such as @theprattgroup.bsky.social, @fedorovalab.bsky.social and many who do not (yet) have a Bluesky account.
nature.com
Multiple oestradiol functions inhibit ferroptosis and acute kidney injury - Nature
17β-oestradiol establishes an anti-ferroptotic state in female kidney tubules.
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James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Congrats! Looking forward to digging into this important review! 🤩
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Ubellacker Lab @ubellackerlab.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Hot off the presses! Was an honor to team up with Scott Dixon @stanforduniversity.bsky.social on this Nature Cancer review. We reflect on hurdles that have slowed translation of ferroptosis-directed therapies and share ideas on what it will take to bring these therapies to the clinic. rdcu.be/eBbqV
rdcu.be
Prospects for ferroptosis therapies in cancer
Nature Cancer - Ubellacker and Dixon summarize the latest discoveries on ferroptosis in cancer, covering the molecular and cellular pathways underlying sensitivity and resistance to this type of...
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Harvard Molecular Metabolism @met-hsph.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Jessalyn Ubellacker @ubellackerlab.bsky.social was honored with a FASEB Journal Early Career Researcher Award at the first FASEB Ferroptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Lipid Metabolism meeting, co-organized by James Olzmann @olzmannlab.bsky.social and Scott Dixon, to support early career researchers.
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