Alex Toker
@alextoker.bsky.social
Cancer biologist, studying signaling, protein kinases and therapeutics, lover of music, father to 4 magnificent children. Views are mine own and my dog's.
Congratulations to the wonderfully-talented @adrijanavarro.bsky.social on her #JBC paper out today! We took a dive into the wonderful world of glycobiology, linking it to AKT and oncogene signaling in cancer. Brought to you by Toker Lab productions. @asbmbjournals.bsky.social
The glycosyltransferase ALG3 is an AKT substrate that regulates protein N-glycosylation
AKT phosphorylates the glycosyltransferase ALG3. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is
frequently dysregulated in cancer and controls key cellular processes such as survival,
proliferation, metabolism, an...
www.jbc.org
September 8, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Congratulations to the wonderfully-talented @adrijanavarro.bsky.social on her #JBC paper out today! We took a dive into the wonderful world of glycobiology, linking it to AKT and oncogene signaling in cancer. Brought to you by Toker Lab productions. @asbmbjournals.bsky.social
congrats to you and everyone and thank you for including us in this exciting work!!
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!Our study from the White Lab is online today! Thank you to all that made the story & my postdoc time phenomenal
Forest White
Roger Davis
Jess Spinelli
@mvhlab.bsky.social @alextoker.bsky.social
@mitkochinstitute.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Forest White
Roger Davis
Jess Spinelli
@mvhlab.bsky.social @alextoker.bsky.social
@mitkochinstitute.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
a man holding a piece of paper in front of a sign that says extra extra read all about it
Alt: a man holding a piece of paper in front of a sign that says extra extra read all about it
media.tenor.com
May 28, 2025 at 3:34 PM
congrats to you and everyone and thank you for including us in this exciting work!!
Reposted by Alex Toker
An incredible tour de force in biochemistry and cell biology by superstar @robzonculab.bsky.social lab postdoc @aakritijain.bsky.social
LyLAP - a new lysosomal protease responsible for degrading integral membrane proteins in highly phagocytic cells like #PDAC cells.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
LyLAP - a new lysosomal protease responsible for degrading integral membrane proteins in highly phagocytic cells like #PDAC cells.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Leucine aminopeptidase LyLAP enables lysosomal degradation of membrane proteins
Breakdown of every transmembrane protein trafficked to lysosomes requires proteolysis of their hydrophobic helical transmembrane domains. Combining lysosomal proteomics with functional genomic dataset...
www.science.org
March 28, 2025 at 7:13 PM
An incredible tour de force in biochemistry and cell biology by superstar @robzonculab.bsky.social lab postdoc @aakritijain.bsky.social
LyLAP - a new lysosomal protease responsible for degrading integral membrane proteins in highly phagocytic cells like #PDAC cells.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
LyLAP - a new lysosomal protease responsible for degrading integral membrane proteins in highly phagocytic cells like #PDAC cells.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We stood up for science and will continue to stand up and fight, for our right, to…. do science!!
@tarumur.bsky.social @dibblelab.bsky.social @piskounovalab.bsky.social @bdmanning.bsky.social
@tarumur.bsky.social @dibblelab.bsky.social @piskounovalab.bsky.social @bdmanning.bsky.social
March 7, 2025 at 7:07 PM
We stood up for science and will continue to stand up and fight, for our right, to…. do science!!
@tarumur.bsky.social @dibblelab.bsky.social @piskounovalab.bsky.social @bdmanning.bsky.social
@tarumur.bsky.social @dibblelab.bsky.social @piskounovalab.bsky.social @bdmanning.bsky.social
Reposted by Alex Toker
The AACR is deeply concerned that the Administration’s recent actions are threatening NIH and its mission to accelerate progress for patients with cancer and other diseases that afflict millions of Americans. Read our statement: https://buff.ly/4gRXNB8
February 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The AACR is deeply concerned that the Administration’s recent actions are threatening NIH and its mission to accelerate progress for patients with cancer and other diseases that afflict millions of Americans. Read our statement: https://buff.ly/4gRXNB8
Reposted by Alex Toker
Outstanding new study from @ralitsamadsen.bsky.social. This is a must read for everyone in the field of cancer and PI3K! Congrats to all involved!
Wow, what a fantastic Christmas present to get - the main output of my @wellcometrust.bsky.social Henry Wellcome Fellowship is now out @molsystbiol.bsky.social and should be of interest to anybody who loves (PI3K) signalling and quantitative biology! www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Oncogenic PIK3CA corrupts growth factor signaling specificity | Molecular Systems Biology
imageimageA single-cell signaling framework is developed for quantitative measurements of information
flow within the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, enabling high-resolution
studies of grow...
www.embopress.org
December 20, 2024 at 4:57 PM
Outstanding new study from @ralitsamadsen.bsky.social. This is a must read for everyone in the field of cancer and PI3K! Congrats to all involved!
Interesting article and viewpoints. Hopefully these new models of research and training will work, as the current model is just unsustainable.
Harvard Professors Leaving for Private Sector Research | Harvard Magazine
Three distinguished scientists on leaving academia to advance biomedical research
www.harvardmagazine.com
December 17, 2024 at 11:26 AM
Interesting article and viewpoints. Hopefully these new models of research and training will work, as the current model is just unsustainable.
Reposted by Alex Toker
If you are in London and are interested in the EGF receptor, come to this meeting at the Royal Society Dec 9/10 (online attendance also available). 40 years since the EGFR was sequenced (in London).
royalsociety.org/science-even...
royalsociety.org/science-even...
Epidermal growth factor receptor after 40 Years | Royal Society
Discussion meeting organised by Professor Mark A Lemmon FRS.
royalsociety.org
December 1, 2024 at 5:01 PM
If you are in London and are interested in the EGF receptor, come to this meeting at the Royal Society Dec 9/10 (online attendance also available). 40 years since the EGFR was sequenced (in London).
royalsociety.org/science-even...
royalsociety.org/science-even...
Great news for AKT inhibitors! Capivasertib in combo with abiraterone and ADT improves progression free survival in PTEN deficient prostate cancer! Anticipating approval for this combo, coming off the approval of capi in ER+be breast cancer. Good work AZ!
www.onclive.com/view/capivas...
www.onclive.com/view/capivas...
Capivasertib Plus Abiraterone/ADT Improves rPFS in PTEN-Deficient mHSPC
Capivasertib plus abiraterone and ADT improved rPFS in PTEN-deficient metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.
www.onclive.com
November 26, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Great news for AKT inhibitors! Capivasertib in combo with abiraterone and ADT improves progression free survival in PTEN deficient prostate cancer! Anticipating approval for this combo, coming off the approval of capi in ER+be breast cancer. Good work AZ!
www.onclive.com/view/capivas...
www.onclive.com/view/capivas...
Reposted by Alex Toker
Women are under-represented at senior levels in #academia globally, & across all #science 🧪 disciplines, as shown by these "scissor-shaped curves" ✂️
So how can we ever achieve #gender #equality?
We discuss various strategies in this #Cell Commentary
#WomeninSTEM
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
🧵 1/
So how can we ever achieve #gender #equality?
We discuss various strategies in this #Cell Commentary
#WomeninSTEM
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
🧵 1/
November 25, 2024 at 12:38 PM
Women are under-represented at senior levels in #academia globally, & across all #science 🧪 disciplines, as shown by these "scissor-shaped curves" ✂️
So how can we ever achieve #gender #equality?
We discuss various strategies in this #Cell Commentary
#WomeninSTEM
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
🧵 1/
So how can we ever achieve #gender #equality?
We discuss various strategies in this #Cell Commentary
#WomeninSTEM
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
🧵 1/
Reposted by Alex Toker
November 21, 2024 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by Alex Toker
PhosX is out! doi.org/10.1093/bioi... Leveraging the latest kinase specificity maps by the Cantley, Yaffe, and Turk labs and a rank sum statistic we created PhosX so now we can predict activities for nearly all kinases in your phosphodata, including the understudied ones. Check it out!
November 21, 2024 at 6:33 AM
PhosX is out! doi.org/10.1093/bioi... Leveraging the latest kinase specificity maps by the Cantley, Yaffe, and Turk labs and a rank sum statistic we created PhosX so now we can predict activities for nearly all kinases in your phosphodata, including the understudied ones. Check it out!
Reposted by Alex Toker
Join us in Boston! The Department of Molecular Metabolism (MET) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has just opened a Jr. Faculty search. Apply by January 15, 2025 at academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/14371
Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Metabolism
The Department of Molecular Metabolism (MET) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health invites applications for the level of assistant professor. The shared interest of MET faculty is to explor...
academicpositions.harvard.edu
November 21, 2024 at 12:59 AM
Join us in Boston! The Department of Molecular Metabolism (MET) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has just opened a Jr. Faculty search. Apply by January 15, 2025 at academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/14371
Published a few weeks ago in Cancer Research, we show benefit of targeting HMCR with pitavastatin in combo with AKT inhibitors in TNBC. Many amazing people contributed, led by the magnificently talented @alissandra-hillis.bsky.social! Looking to initiate new clinical trials based on this combo. 🧪
Targeting Cholesterol Biosynthesis with Statins Synergizes with AKT Inhibitors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Two FDA-approved compounds, AKT inhibitors and pitavastatin, synergize to induce cell death in triple-negative breast cancer, motivating evaluation of the efficacy of this combination in clinical tria...
aacrjournals.org
November 20, 2024 at 12:09 PM
Published a few weeks ago in Cancer Research, we show benefit of targeting HMCR with pitavastatin in combo with AKT inhibitors in TNBC. Many amazing people contributed, led by the magnificently talented @alissandra-hillis.bsky.social! Looking to initiate new clinical trials based on this combo. 🧪
Reposted by Alex Toker
Welcome to the Science feed!
Please read our FAQs for instructions for how to be added as a contributor: bossett.io/science-feed/
Mod introductory posts linked below⬇️
Use the test tube emoji on posts you want to appear in the feed🧪
Please like the feed and make sure you follow our feed rules:
Please read our FAQs for instructions for how to be added as a contributor: bossett.io/science-feed/
Mod introductory posts linked below⬇️
Use the test tube emoji on posts you want to appear in the feed🧪
Please like the feed and make sure you follow our feed rules:
February 10, 2024 at 3:08 PM
Welcome to the Science feed!
Please read our FAQs for instructions for how to be added as a contributor: bossett.io/science-feed/
Mod introductory posts linked below⬇️
Use the test tube emoji on posts you want to appear in the feed🧪
Please like the feed and make sure you follow our feed rules:
Please read our FAQs for instructions for how to be added as a contributor: bossett.io/science-feed/
Mod introductory posts linked below⬇️
Use the test tube emoji on posts you want to appear in the feed🧪
Please like the feed and make sure you follow our feed rules:
Reposted by Alex Toker
NIH research funding supported 412,000 jobs in 2023 & doubled economic returns www.fiercebiotech.com/research/rep... #NIH #research #funding
Report: Every dollar of NIH research funding doubles in economic returns
Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) generated $2.46 in economic activity for every $1 of funding in 2023, a total of $92.9 billion, according to an
www.fiercebiotech.com
November 16, 2024 at 4:21 PM
NIH research funding supported 412,000 jobs in 2023 & doubled economic returns www.fiercebiotech.com/research/rep... #NIH #research #funding
Reposted by Alex Toker
Good morning, Bluesky. Today’s #GoodMorningNews: a trial at Washington University’s school of medicine has shown great results for a vaccine that would prevent recurrence for a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. It’s a small trial, but 3 years later 16/18 participants remain cancer free
Vaccine shows promise against aggressive breast cancer | WashU Medicine
Clinical trial targeted recurrence of hard-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer
medicine.washu.edu
November 16, 2024 at 3:09 PM
Good morning, Bluesky. Today’s #GoodMorningNews: a trial at Washington University’s school of medicine has shown great results for a vaccine that would prevent recurrence for a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. It’s a small trial, but 3 years later 16/18 participants remain cancer free
Great to be posting science again!!
Very proud of this work, thanks to a wonderful collaboration with Forest White lab at MIT, Cantley lab at DFCI, and leb by the amazingly talented @alissandra-hillis.bsky.social! Published as fully @openaccess.bsky.social in PNAS.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Very proud of this work, thanks to a wonderful collaboration with Forest White lab at MIT, Cantley lab at DFCI, and leb by the amazingly talented @alissandra-hillis.bsky.social! Published as fully @openaccess.bsky.social in PNAS.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 17, 2024 at 7:25 AM
Great to be posting science again!!
Very proud of this work, thanks to a wonderful collaboration with Forest White lab at MIT, Cantley lab at DFCI, and leb by the amazingly talented @alissandra-hillis.bsky.social! Published as fully @openaccess.bsky.social in PNAS.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Very proud of this work, thanks to a wonderful collaboration with Forest White lab at MIT, Cantley lab at DFCI, and leb by the amazingly talented @alissandra-hillis.bsky.social! Published as fully @openaccess.bsky.social in PNAS.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by Alex Toker
I made a starter pack for people interested in signal transduction! Please include yourself or others!
Tagging a few people to spread the word: @drstarbird.bsky.social @fantauzzolab.bsky.social @alextoker.bsky.social
go.bsky.app/MVvjypg
Tagging a few people to spread the word: @drstarbird.bsky.social @fantauzzolab.bsky.social @alextoker.bsky.social
go.bsky.app/MVvjypg
November 16, 2024 at 8:43 PM
I made a starter pack for people interested in signal transduction! Please include yourself or others!
Tagging a few people to spread the word: @drstarbird.bsky.social @fantauzzolab.bsky.social @alextoker.bsky.social
go.bsky.app/MVvjypg
Tagging a few people to spread the word: @drstarbird.bsky.social @fantauzzolab.bsky.social @alextoker.bsky.social
go.bsky.app/MVvjypg
Reposted by Alex Toker
Inspired by the other amazing starter packs - here's one for cancer researchers!
I tried to make this broad - from immunology to genomics to cell biology and so much more..
This list also includes organizations & institutes supporting cancer researchers 🧪🔬⚕️🩺
Hope its useful!
go.bsky.app/FEoaJMc
I tried to make this broad - from immunology to genomics to cell biology and so much more..
This list also includes organizations & institutes supporting cancer researchers 🧪🔬⚕️🩺
Hope its useful!
go.bsky.app/FEoaJMc
November 14, 2024 at 9:44 PM
Inspired by the other amazing starter packs - here's one for cancer researchers!
I tried to make this broad - from immunology to genomics to cell biology and so much more..
This list also includes organizations & institutes supporting cancer researchers 🧪🔬⚕️🩺
Hope its useful!
go.bsky.app/FEoaJMc
I tried to make this broad - from immunology to genomics to cell biology and so much more..
This list also includes organizations & institutes supporting cancer researchers 🧪🔬⚕️🩺
Hope its useful!
go.bsky.app/FEoaJMc
I have said goodbye to the once great platform that was Twitter, and hope to find many of my science friends and stories here on BlueSky! Is there anybody out there...?
November 16, 2024 at 9:28 AM
I have said goodbye to the once great platform that was Twitter, and hope to find many of my science friends and stories here on BlueSky! Is there anybody out there...?