Alexander Pietras Lab
@pietraslab.bsky.social
We're the Alexander Pietras Lab, exploring the complexities of the brain tumor microenvironment. We study how therapies like radiotherapy reshape it and seek innovative ways to outsmart tumors.
AP posts @ Lund University
trained @ MSKCC and @ Fred Hutch
AP posts @ Lund University
trained @ MSKCC and @ Fred Hutch
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
How can senescent cells, which are damaged and growth arrested, both block tumor initiation as well as fuel its growth? A recent study published in Cancer Discovery @aacrjournals.bsky.social from Lin Zhou in the lab uncovered some new insights into this puzzle.
aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...
aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...
P21-positive senescent stromal cells promote prostate cancer immune suppression and progression that can be reversed by senolytic therapy
Abstract. Cellular senescence is a well-established tumor-suppressive cell cycle arrest program. However, chronic inflammation through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) can alternat...
aacrjournals.org
October 29, 2025 at 2:40 PM
How can senescent cells, which are damaged and growth arrested, both block tumor initiation as well as fuel its growth? A recent study published in Cancer Discovery @aacrjournals.bsky.social from Lin Zhou in the lab uncovered some new insights into this puzzle.
aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...
aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscov...
Had a blast hosting the Brain Tumor Plasticity symposium at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences this week! Here's @leilaakkari.bsky.social with an outstanding talk on the evolving brain tumor microenvironment 🤩
September 19, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Had a blast hosting the Brain Tumor Plasticity symposium at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences this week! Here's @leilaakkari.bsky.social with an outstanding talk on the evolving brain tumor microenvironment 🤩
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
Thrilled to share our latest work - we describe a novel and therapeutically relevant mechanism underlying dysregulation of innate immune receptor C5aR1 in the tumour microenvironment. Thanks and congratulations to all authors!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
July 24, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Thrilled to share our latest work - we describe a novel and therapeutically relevant mechanism underlying dysregulation of innate immune receptor C5aR1 in the tumour microenvironment. Thanks and congratulations to all authors!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
To this day, even the strongest treatments fail when the brain’s own healing turns against it. Flunarizine, a migraine drug, may help stop astrocytes from nurturing #glioblastoma back to life.
Read ⤵️
Read ⤵️
📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma
Radiotherapy is part of the standard-of-care for glioblastoma, yet tumors invariably recur as incurable lesions post-treatment. Recent studies suggest that radiation-induced astrocyte reactivity foste...
www.biorxiv.org
July 22, 2025 at 4:35 PM
To this day, even the strongest treatments fail when the brain’s own healing turns against it. Flunarizine, a migraine drug, may help stop astrocytes from nurturing #glioblastoma back to life.
Read ⤵️
Read ⤵️
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma
Radiotherapy is part of the standard-of-care for glioblastoma, yet tumors invariably recur as incurable lesions post-treatment. Recent studies suggest that radiation-induced astrocyte reactivity foste...
www.biorxiv.org
July 18, 2025 at 7:01 AM
📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.12.664538v1
July 18, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.12.664538v1
📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma
Radiotherapy is part of the standard-of-care for glioblastoma, yet tumors invariably recur as incurable lesions post-treatment. Recent studies suggest that radiation-induced astrocyte reactivity foste...
www.biorxiv.org
July 18, 2025 at 7:01 AM
📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
🌍 Join us in a supportive, international lab within a vibrant cancer research hub! Strong local bioinformatics community + a high quality of life in the Malmö/Lund region. Great science, great people, great place to live. 💻🧬🏡
May 15, 2025 at 8:27 AM
🌍 Join us in a supportive, international lab within a vibrant cancer research hub! Strong local bioinformatics community + a high quality of life in the Malmö/Lund region. Great science, great people, great place to live. 💻🧬🏡
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
📣 New pre-print from the lab:
👉 “Gene regulatory networks linked to GABA signalling emerge as relevant for glioblastoma pathogenesis” #Glioblastoma #GB #GRNs #multiomics #GABA #CancerNeuroscience #ML #GBM
📝 Read the #BioRxiv here:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
👉 “Gene regulatory networks linked to GABA signalling emerge as relevant for glioblastoma pathogenesis” #Glioblastoma #GB #GRNs #multiomics #GABA #CancerNeuroscience #ML #GBM
📝 Read the #BioRxiv here:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
May 21, 2025 at 8:55 AM
📣 New pre-print from the lab:
👉 “Gene regulatory networks linked to GABA signalling emerge as relevant for glioblastoma pathogenesis” #Glioblastoma #GB #GRNs #multiomics #GABA #CancerNeuroscience #ML #GBM
📝 Read the #BioRxiv here:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
👉 “Gene regulatory networks linked to GABA signalling emerge as relevant for glioblastoma pathogenesis” #Glioblastoma #GB #GRNs #multiomics #GABA #CancerNeuroscience #ML #GBM
📝 Read the #BioRxiv here:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
🚨 We’re hiring a bioinformatics-focused PhD student for our ERC-funded project on recurrent GBM! Focus: tumor-supportive microenvironment 🔬 Experience with scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics & Python/R a plus. Must be self-motivated & driven. DM for details! Repost=❤️ lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
Doctoral Student in Tumor Biology
Description of the workplace The research group conducts experimental research on brain tumors and is led by Associate Professor Alexander Pietras. The group consists of a bioinformatician, two postdo
lu.varbi.com
May 15, 2025 at 8:27 AM
🚨 We’re hiring a bioinformatics-focused PhD student for our ERC-funded project on recurrent GBM! Focus: tumor-supportive microenvironment 🔬 Experience with scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics & Python/R a plus. Must be self-motivated & driven. DM for details! Repost=❤️ lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
🚨 We’re hiring a bioinformatics-focused PhD student for our ERC-funded project on recurrent GBM! Focus: tumor-supportive microenvironment 🔬 Experience with scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics & Python/R a plus. Must be self-motivated & driven. DM for details! Repost=❤️ lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
Doctoral Student in Tumor Biology
Description of the workplace The research group conducts experimental research on brain tumors and is led by Associate Professor Alexander Pietras. The group consists of a bioinformatician, two postdo
lu.varbi.com
May 15, 2025 at 8:27 AM
🚨 We’re hiring a bioinformatics-focused PhD student for our ERC-funded project on recurrent GBM! Focus: tumor-supportive microenvironment 🔬 Experience with scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics & Python/R a plus. Must be self-motivated & driven. DM for details! Repost=❤️ lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...
Just a few spots left for this exciting symposium on brain tumor plasticity—grab yours (free of charge!) before they're gone! 🚨
🎫 Exclusive event: One-day symposium on #Brain #Tumor #Plasticity
🕣September 16, 2025. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm @scienceacademyswe.bsky.social
Few spots available. Register here: ui.ungpd.com/Events/ed387...
🕣September 16, 2025. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm @scienceacademyswe.bsky.social
Few spots available. Register here: ui.ungpd.com/Events/ed387...
Brain Tumor Plasticity
A growing body of evidence emphasizes the presence of significant intra-tumoral phenotypic diversity and plasticity within brain tumors. Inherent plasticity introduces an additional layer of intricacy...
ui.ungpd.com
May 12, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Just a few spots left for this exciting symposium on brain tumor plasticity—grab yours (free of charge!) before they're gone! 🚨
+1
Great to see this paper finally out. We've been using it for a while, a really great resource for omics in glioblastoma!
doi.org/10.1093/neuo...
doi.org/10.1093/neuo...
Charting the Single-Cell and Spatial Landscape of IDH-Wildtype Glioblastoma with GBmap
AbstractBackground. Glioblastoma (GB), particularly IDH-wildtype, is the most aggressive brain malignancy with a dismal prognosis. Despite advances in mole
doi.org
May 5, 2025 at 1:04 PM
+1
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
👋We have 2 amazing projects: A) basic molecular regulation of the LN lymphatic vasculature & B) lymphatic metastasis with new models & human samples describing completely new phenomena - both projects with solid preliminary data to build on. Open for interested postdoctoral scientists 📩
May 2, 2025 at 8:45 AM
👋We have 2 amazing projects: A) basic molecular regulation of the LN lymphatic vasculature & B) lymphatic metastasis with new models & human samples describing completely new phenomena - both projects with solid preliminary data to build on. Open for interested postdoctoral scientists 📩
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
Join us for innovative explorations of the tumor microenvironment🔬 Learn cutting-edge technologies and grow in a dynamic environment💡 The postdoc will work alongside a doctoral student from @adaptmet.bsky.social, gaining access to collaborative partners across 🇪🇺.
Apply now👇
tinyurl.com/4mby45hf
Apply now👇
tinyurl.com/4mby45hf
Postdoc in Experimental Oncology - Lund (Stad), Skåne (SE) job with Lund University | 12838990
Lunds universitet, 009999 LUNDS UNIVERSITET, 310000 MED Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universi...
tinyurl.com
April 23, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Join us for innovative explorations of the tumor microenvironment🔬 Learn cutting-edge technologies and grow in a dynamic environment💡 The postdoc will work alongside a doctoral student from @adaptmet.bsky.social, gaining access to collaborative partners across 🇪🇺.
Apply now👇
tinyurl.com/4mby45hf
Apply now👇
tinyurl.com/4mby45hf
I'm delighted to host @ggargiul.bsky.social for a talk in the LUCC seminar series today. Medicon Village Auditorium @ 1.30 - you don't want to miss out if you're in Lund! Welcome!
April 8, 2025 at 6:49 AM
I'm delighted to host @ggargiul.bsky.social for a talk in the LUCC seminar series today. Medicon Village Auditorium @ 1.30 - you don't want to miss out if you're in Lund! Welcome!
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
Hot off the press! 🧬🔬
We developed in utero nano-injection to label & trace the mouse neural plate and otic placode using next generation single cell lineage tracing. We couple progenitors to mature cell types in the CNS & resolve the lineages of cells in the hearing organ:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
We developed in utero nano-injection to label & trace the mouse neural plate and otic placode using next generation single cell lineage tracing. We couple progenitors to mature cell types in the CNS & resolve the lineages of cells in the hearing organ:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
Ectoderm barcoding reveals neural and cochlear compartmentalization
Placodes and the neural crest are defining features of vertebrates. In this study, we investigate their lineages in mice using in utero approaches. We demonstrated that nanoinjection at embryonic day ...
doi.org
April 4, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Hot off the press! 🧬🔬
We developed in utero nano-injection to label & trace the mouse neural plate and otic placode using next generation single cell lineage tracing. We couple progenitors to mature cell types in the CNS & resolve the lineages of cells in the hearing organ:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
We developed in utero nano-injection to label & trace the mouse neural plate and otic placode using next generation single cell lineage tracing. We couple progenitors to mature cell types in the CNS & resolve the lineages of cells in the hearing organ:
doi.org/10.1126/scie...
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
📣 Online now! Our study shows how recurrent focal deletions constitute a mechanism by which cancer cells can dampen toxicity due to gene amplification.
www.cell.com/cell-genomic...
🧵👇:
www.cell.com/cell-genomic...
🧵👇:
Recurrent breakpoints in the BRD4 locus reduce toxicity associated with gene amplification
Wala et al. identify recurrent focal BRD4 deletions in tumors harboring larger amplifications,
suggesting that these deletions may serve to limit toxic BRD4 overexpression. A CRISPR-Cas9
cell line mod...
www.cell.com
March 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
📣 Online now! Our study shows how recurrent focal deletions constitute a mechanism by which cancer cells can dampen toxicity due to gene amplification.
www.cell.com/cell-genomic...
🧵👇:
www.cell.com/cell-genomic...
🧵👇:
Huge congrats to @kpietraslab.bsky.social on this well-deserved recognition! 🙌🥳
We are proud to share that our PI has been named Cancer Researcher of the Year by @Cancerfonden! This well-deserved recognition highlights not only his outstanding contributions to cancer research but also his creativity in tackling scientific challenges and his inspiring leadership within our team.
Kristian Pietras – Årets cancerforskare 2025
Kristian Pietras forskar om hur celler i blodkärl och bindväv påverkar cancerns möjlighet att växa eller dö. Nu tilldelas han utmärkelsen Årets cancerforskare.
www.cancerfonden.se
March 10, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Huge congrats to @kpietraslab.bsky.social on this well-deserved recognition! 🙌🥳
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
"EMT favours the emergence of genomic-unstable, highly fit tumour cells, which strongly supports the concept of cell-state-restricted patterns of evolution" Exceptional work addressing a classic chicken & egg paradigm in cell-state-driven tumor evolution. Congrats Gianni, Luigi & teams!
Evolutionary fingerprints of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition - Nature
Malignant cells with mesenchymal features display increased chromatin accessibility, particularly in the pericentromeric and centromeric regions, in turn resulting in delayed mitosis and catastrophic ...
doi.org
March 6, 2025 at 7:49 AM
"EMT favours the emergence of genomic-unstable, highly fit tumour cells, which strongly supports the concept of cell-state-restricted patterns of evolution" Exceptional work addressing a classic chicken & egg paradigm in cell-state-driven tumor evolution. Congrats Gianni, Luigi & teams!
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
Congratulations to winners of The Brain Prize 2025!
Professors @michellemonje.bsky.social, @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social and @hhmi.org Investigator, and Frank Winkler, Heidelberg University Hospital, have pioneered the field of Cancer Neuroscience.
Learn more: brainprize.org/winners/canc...
Professors @michellemonje.bsky.social, @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social and @hhmi.org Investigator, and Frank Winkler, Heidelberg University Hospital, have pioneered the field of Cancer Neuroscience.
Learn more: brainprize.org/winners/canc...
March 5, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Congratulations to winners of The Brain Prize 2025!
Professors @michellemonje.bsky.social, @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social and @hhmi.org Investigator, and Frank Winkler, Heidelberg University Hospital, have pioneered the field of Cancer Neuroscience.
Learn more: brainprize.org/winners/canc...
Professors @michellemonje.bsky.social, @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social and @hhmi.org Investigator, and Frank Winkler, Heidelberg University Hospital, have pioneered the field of Cancer Neuroscience.
Learn more: brainprize.org/winners/canc...
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
Exciting tech advance 4 cancer research: FFPE-CUTAC enables phenotype queries from archived FFPE tissues. This finds a striking correlation between hypertranscription of histones (but not ribosomal genes) & chromosome arm losses, hence, cancer evolution.
RNA polymerase II at histone genes predicts outcome in human cancer
Genome-wide hypertranscription is common in human cancer and predicts poor prognosis. To understand how hypertranscription might drive cancer, we applied our formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE)–cl...
www.science.org
February 22, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Exciting tech advance 4 cancer research: FFPE-CUTAC enables phenotype queries from archived FFPE tissues. This finds a striking correlation between hypertranscription of histones (but not ribosomal genes) & chromosome arm losses, hence, cancer evolution.
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
Come and join us at our annual meeting in Freiburg! There is still time to submit your abstract! Deadline 21.02.! 👇
www.matrixbiologie.de/annual-meeti...
www.matrixbiologie.de/annual-meeti...
February 10, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Come and join us at our annual meeting in Freiburg! There is still time to submit your abstract! Deadline 21.02.! 👇
www.matrixbiologie.de/annual-meeti...
www.matrixbiologie.de/annual-meeti...
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
And here's @rebeccarosberg.bsky.social (with others) accepting her poster prize to conclude a wonderful symposium in Paris 🤩🔥🧠🇫🇷
January 31, 2025 at 3:15 PM
And here's @rebeccarosberg.bsky.social (with others) accepting her poster prize to conclude a wonderful symposium in Paris 🤩🔥🧠🇫🇷
Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab
At the Brain Tumor Microenvironment Symposium @institutducerveau.bsky.social, Sebastian Braun presented our comprehensive study of pericytes in GBM 🤩. Pericytes act as guardians of the peri-vascular niche to prevent malignant cell invasion, read more at www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
January 31, 2025 at 12:40 PM
At the Brain Tumor Microenvironment Symposium @institutducerveau.bsky.social, Sebastian Braun presented our comprehensive study of pericytes in GBM 🤩. Pericytes act as guardians of the peri-vascular niche to prevent malignant cell invasion, read more at www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...