Can Senkal
@senkalce.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @VCU, @VCUMassey, Inaugural ELACC Fellow. Interests: Metabolism, regulation, and biological functions of sphingolipids in #cancer. Views are my own. Likes may not be endorsements.
We have a post-doctoral fellow position in our laboratory. Please spread the news and encourage applications. Thank you!
vcujobs.com/jobs/post-do...
vcujobs.com/jobs/post-do...
Post-Doctoral Fellow - Department of Cellular, Molecular, and Genetic Medicine - MCV Main Campus, Virginia, United States
Advertising Summary: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored rese...
vcujobs.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:23 PM
We have a post-doctoral fellow position in our laboratory. Please spread the news and encourage applications. Thank you!
vcujobs.com/jobs/post-do...
vcujobs.com/jobs/post-do...
Reposted by Can Senkal
So grateful to my colleagues for this honor!
Congratulations to Neli Ulrich, PhD, on being elected vice president/president-elect of the Association of American Cancer Institutes. A well-deserved recognition of her leadership advancing cancer research and patient care! https://bit.ly/3WschzU
@neliulrich.bsky.social @aacicancer.bsky.social
@neliulrich.bsky.social @aacicancer.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM
So grateful to my colleagues for this honor!
Reposted by Can Senkal
My quote of the day
As I reflect on my life, I recognize that our greatest achievements often arise from our most profound struggles. Embrace challenges and view failures as opportunities for growth. It is through these trials that we learn, adapt, and ultimately succeed.
Marie Curie
As I reflect on my life, I recognize that our greatest achievements often arise from our most profound struggles. Embrace challenges and view failures as opportunities for growth. It is through these trials that we learn, adapt, and ultimately succeed.
Marie Curie
November 7, 2025 at 10:57 AM
My quote of the day
As I reflect on my life, I recognize that our greatest achievements often arise from our most profound struggles. Embrace challenges and view failures as opportunities for growth. It is through these trials that we learn, adapt, and ultimately succeed.
Marie Curie
As I reflect on my life, I recognize that our greatest achievements often arise from our most profound struggles. Embrace challenges and view failures as opportunities for growth. It is through these trials that we learn, adapt, and ultimately succeed.
Marie Curie
Reposted by Can Senkal
Robert Winn (@aacicancer.bsky.social): “Having Tony [Letai] come in now as the actual NCI director gives us an opportunity to keep the process potentially within @theNCI, which is what I’m going to advocate for—and that we narrow the site visits."
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20251031_1/
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20251031_1/
Cancer centers adapt to life without site visits as NIH changes CCSG review - The Cancer Letter
Love them or hate them, site visits have been a part of the culture of NCI-designated cancer centers for decades, shaping the process for admitting members to the elite club and influencing internal politics within institutions. To access this subscriber-only content please log in or subscribe.If your institution has a site license, log in with […]
cancerletter.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Robert Winn (@aacicancer.bsky.social): “Having Tony [Letai] come in now as the actual NCI director gives us an opportunity to keep the process potentially within @theNCI, which is what I’m going to advocate for—and that we narrow the site visits."
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20251031_1/
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20251031_1/
Reposted by Can Senkal
Excited to share our latest work out today in @cp-molcell.bsky.social, revealing a molecular link between succinate dehydrogenase and purine synthesis, connecting two fundamental metabolic pathways. Huge congratulations to the first author, Mushtaq Nengroo! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
!
!
Accumulation of succinate suppresses de novo purine synthesis through succinylation-mediated control of the mitochondrial folate cycle
The de novo purine synthesis pathway is fundamental for nucleotide production, yet the role of mitochondrial metabolism in modulating this process rem…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Excited to share our latest work out today in @cp-molcell.bsky.social, revealing a molecular link between succinate dehydrogenase and purine synthesis, connecting two fundamental metabolic pathways. Huge congratulations to the first author, Mushtaq Nengroo! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
!
!
Reposted by Can Senkal
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
shorturl.at/B5XYD
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.
www.nature.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:45 PM
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
shorturl.at/B5XYD
Reposted by Can Senkal
Accumulation of succinate suppresses de novo purine synthesis through succinylation-mediated control of the mitochondrial folate cyclehttps://
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1097276525008196
Congratulations @bensahralab.bsky.social !!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1097276525008196
Congratulations @bensahralab.bsky.social !!
Accumulation of succinate suppresses de novo purine synthesis through succinylation-mediated control of the mitochondrial folate cycle
The de novo purine synthesis pathway is fundamental for nucleotide production, yet the role of mitochondrial metabolism in modulating this process rem…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 29, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Accumulation of succinate suppresses de novo purine synthesis through succinylation-mediated control of the mitochondrial folate cyclehttps://
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1097276525008196
Congratulations @bensahralab.bsky.social !!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1097276525008196
Congratulations @bensahralab.bsky.social !!
Reposted by Can Senkal
Proud to share a preprint of our paper on how bridge-like lipid transport protein VPS13C senses lysosomal membrane tension in anticipation of membrane lesions to initiate net ER-to-lysosome lipid transfer for efficient lysosomal repair www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
VPS13C/PARK23 initiates lipid transfer and membrane remodeling for efficient lysosomal repair
Perturbations in lysosome integrity are tightly linked to neurological disorders and ageing, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are incompletely understood. Using an unbiased proteomic approach,...
www.biorxiv.org
October 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Proud to share a preprint of our paper on how bridge-like lipid transport protein VPS13C senses lysosomal membrane tension in anticipation of membrane lesions to initiate net ER-to-lysosome lipid transfer for efficient lysosomal repair www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Many thanks to all the trainees in our laboratory for their dedication and hard work. I represent their success.
cmgm.vcu.edu/news/faculty...
cmgm.vcu.edu/news/faculty...
October 22, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Many thanks to all the trainees in our laboratory for their dedication and hard work. I represent their success.
cmgm.vcu.edu/news/faculty...
cmgm.vcu.edu/news/faculty...
Reposted by Can Senkal
🧠 The Lipid #Brain Atlas is out now! If you think #lipids are boring and membranes are all the same, prepare to be surprised. Led by @lucafusarbassini.bsky.social with Giovanni D'Angelo's lab, we mapped membrane lipids in the mouse brain at high resolution.
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
October 16, 2025 at 6:23 AM
🧠 The Lipid #Brain Atlas is out now! If you think #lipids are boring and membranes are all the same, prepare to be surprised. Led by @lucafusarbassini.bsky.social with Giovanni D'Angelo's lab, we mapped membrane lipids in the mouse brain at high resolution.
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
Our efforts at the Massey in training the next generation of oncology leaders was highlighted in the ACCC-Oncology Issues:
journals.accc-cancer.org/view/buildin...
journals.accc-cancer.org/view/buildin...
journals.accc-cancer.org
October 16, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Our efforts at the Massey in training the next generation of oncology leaders was highlighted in the ACCC-Oncology Issues:
journals.accc-cancer.org/view/buildin...
journals.accc-cancer.org/view/buildin...
Reposted by Can Senkal
Many observers view Anthony Letai’s appointment as part of a series of hopeful events that followed months of reductions in force, proposed reorganizations, and efforts to cut intramural and extramural spending.
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
Anthony G. Letai to be named NCI director The Dana-Farber and Harvard physician-scientist is an inspired choice, colleagues say - The Cancer Letter
Anthony G. Letai, a physician-scientist at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute whose research is focused on apoptosis and functional diagnostics, has been tapped by the Trump administration to become the 18th director of the National Cancer Institute. To access this subscriber-only content please log in or subscribe.If your institution has a site license, […]
cancerletter.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Many observers view Anthony Letai’s appointment as part of a series of hopeful events that followed months of reductions in force, proposed reorganizations, and efforts to cut intramural and extramural spending.
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
Reposted by Can Senkal
We want to congratulate our President, Dr. Tony Letai, on his appointment as Director of the NCI. This announcement marks an historic moment for cancer research. Dr. Letai has been a tireless advocate and visionary leader for functional precision medicine 🧵
www.nih.gov/news-events/...
www.nih.gov/news-events/...
Secretary Kennedy Swears in Dr. Anthony Letai as Director of the National Cancer Institute
Dr. Letai will serve as NCI’s 18th director.
www.nih.gov
September 29, 2025 at 10:00 PM
We want to congratulate our President, Dr. Tony Letai, on his appointment as Director of the NCI. This announcement marks an historic moment for cancer research. Dr. Letai has been a tireless advocate and visionary leader for functional precision medicine 🧵
www.nih.gov/news-events/...
www.nih.gov/news-events/...
Reposted by Can Senkal
thank you to all the NIH staff who stand by their duty and put in heroic efforts to get it done. I'll never forget it and will be eternally grateful.
The fiscal year ends tomorrow.
Here are results from NIH Reporter downloaded an hour ago.
The total amount of funding committed for FY2025 at this point is 99.0% of that for FY2024. The same difference could be due to a variety of technical factors.
1/3
Here are results from NIH Reporter downloaded an hour ago.
The total amount of funding committed for FY2025 at this point is 99.0% of that for FY2024. The same difference could be due to a variety of technical factors.
1/3
September 29, 2025 at 6:31 PM
thank you to all the NIH staff who stand by their duty and put in heroic efforts to get it done. I'll never forget it and will be eternally grateful.
Reposted by Can Senkal
SPECIAL REPORT: Anthony G. Letai to be named NCI director
The Dana-Farber (@danafarber.bsky.social) and Harvard physician-scientist is an inspired choice, colleagues say
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
The Dana-Farber (@danafarber.bsky.social) and Harvard physician-scientist is an inspired choice, colleagues say
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
Anthony G. Letai to be named NCI director The Dana-Farber and Harvard physician-scientist is an inspired choice, colleagues say - The Cancer Letter
Anthony G. Letai, a physician-scientist at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute whose research is focused on apoptosis and functional diagnostics, has been tapped by the Trump administration to become the 18th director of the National Cancer Institute. To access this subscriber-only content please log in or subscribe.If your institution has a site license, […]
cancerletter.com
September 25, 2025 at 8:38 PM
SPECIAL REPORT: Anthony G. Letai to be named NCI director
The Dana-Farber (@danafarber.bsky.social) and Harvard physician-scientist is an inspired choice, colleagues say
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
The Dana-Farber (@danafarber.bsky.social) and Harvard physician-scientist is an inspired choice, colleagues say
https://cancerletter.com/nci/20250925_1/
Reposted by Can Senkal
A huge shoutout to all the dedicated grants management specialists at the NIH who are working around the clock to push grants out before the Sep 30 deadline. And also to the POs responding to frantic emails.
Not an easy job under the best of circumstances and right now it's the pits.
Thank you!
Not an easy job under the best of circumstances and right now it's the pits.
Thank you!
September 15, 2025 at 8:17 PM
A huge shoutout to all the dedicated grants management specialists at the NIH who are working around the clock to push grants out before the Sep 30 deadline. And also to the POs responding to frantic emails.
Not an easy job under the best of circumstances and right now it's the pits.
Thank you!
Not an easy job under the best of circumstances and right now it's the pits.
Thank you!
Reposted by Can Senkal
Very excited to share new work out today in @natchembio.nature.com on a new approach - FACES - for selectively imaging of phospholipids and other biomolecules at spatial resolutions down to individual membrane leaflets (1/n) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Leaflet-specific phospholipid imaging using genetically encoded proximity sensors - Nature Chemical Biology
An approach combining bioorthogonal chemistry with genetically encoded fluorogen-activating proteins enables subcellular imaging of phospholipids and glycans, as well as the visualization of lipid tra...
www.nature.com
September 15, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Very excited to share new work out today in @natchembio.nature.com on a new approach - FACES - for selectively imaging of phospholipids and other biomolecules at spatial resolutions down to individual membrane leaflets (1/n) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Some happy news to share: We received the NOA of our R01 today.
September 12, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Some happy news to share: We received the NOA of our R01 today.
Reposted by Can Senkal
Excited to share our new review with @depaceraffa.bsky.social, @saikat2025.bsky.social, and Chad Williamson on the BLOC-1 and BORC complexes—key regulators of endolysosomal processes and linked to several genetic diseases. #NIH #Lysosomes #RareDiseases authors.elsevier.com/a/1lg4i8jWWJ...
August 26, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Excited to share our new review with @depaceraffa.bsky.social, @saikat2025.bsky.social, and Chad Williamson on the BLOC-1 and BORC complexes—key regulators of endolysosomal processes and linked to several genetic diseases. #NIH #Lysosomes #RareDiseases authors.elsevier.com/a/1lg4i8jWWJ...
Reposted by Can Senkal
Quite a week for #lipidtime: phenomenal study using bifunctional lipid probes to quantify intracellular lipid transport from @nadlerlab.bsky.social and colleagues is now out @nature.com! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Quantitative imaging of lipid transport in mammalian cells - Nature
Directional, non-vesicular lipid transport is responsible for fast, species-selective lipid sorting into organelle membranes.
www.nature.com
August 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Quite a week for #lipidtime: phenomenal study using bifunctional lipid probes to quantify intracellular lipid transport from @nadlerlab.bsky.social and colleagues is now out @nature.com! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Can Senkal
The goal of a PhD is not to learn some facts or read a few papers or learn a bunch of techniques. The goal of a PhD is to learn independence, problem solving, how to finish things you start, resilience, & gain the ability to adapt & think creatively. Learning these things is hard.
August 13, 2025 at 5:28 PM
The goal of a PhD is not to learn some facts or read a few papers or learn a bunch of techniques. The goal of a PhD is to learn independence, problem solving, how to finish things you start, resilience, & gain the ability to adapt & think creatively. Learning these things is hard.
Reposted by Can Senkal
Ray Blind (@blindlab.bsky.social), an associate professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center & @vumedicine.bsky.social, investigates how ligands bind & change the activity of two nuclear receptor 5A, or NR5A, family members called steroidogenic factor-1 & liver receptor homomlog-1, or LRH-1.
Find out how lipids and sugars in the cell nucleus are involved in signaling and gene expression and how these pathways could be targeted to identify therapeutics for diseases like #cancer ⏯️: youtu.be/KO_Z9rJmN2M?....
➡️More info: ow.ly/fHs050WELyB
#ASBMBBreakthroughs #asbmbJLR #cancersky #sciencesky
➡️More info: ow.ly/fHs050WELyB
#ASBMBBreakthroughs #asbmbJLR #cancersky #sciencesky
Nuclear second messenger signaling
YouTube video by American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
youtu.be
August 12, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Ray Blind (@blindlab.bsky.social), an associate professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center & @vumedicine.bsky.social, investigates how ligands bind & change the activity of two nuclear receptor 5A, or NR5A, family members called steroidogenic factor-1 & liver receptor homomlog-1, or LRH-1.
Reposted by Can Senkal
This was a labor of love requiring lots of teamwork over years, repeating in 3 locations! Thanks to all the lab over the years, giving their time generously to this team project, & our wonderful collaborators. The source of fat matters for anti-tumor immunity 🐄🐖🧈🌴🫒🥥
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
The source of dietary fat influences anti-tumour immunity in obese mice - Nature Metabolism
This study shows that animal-based high-fat diets accelerate tumour growth and impair anti-tumour response to melanoma in obese mice, whereas plant-based high-fat diets do not.
www.nature.com
July 28, 2025 at 3:02 PM
This was a labor of love requiring lots of teamwork over years, repeating in 3 locations! Thanks to all the lab over the years, giving their time generously to this team project, & our wonderful collaborators. The source of fat matters for anti-tumor immunity 🐄🐖🧈🌴🫒🥥
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reposted by Can Senkal
Microbial riboflavin inhibits ceramide synthase 3 to lower ceramide (d18:1/26:0) and delay colorectal cancer progression: Cell Metabolism www.cell.com/cell-metabol...
Microbial riboflavin inhibits ceramide synthase 3 to lower ceramide (d18:1/26:0) and delay colorectal cancer progression
This study identifies C26 ceramide and CERS3 as critical factors in colorectal cancer
progression, which is modulated by microbial metabolite riboflavin. C26 ceramide directly
activates EGFR, and the ...
www.cell.com
July 3, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Microbial riboflavin inhibits ceramide synthase 3 to lower ceramide (d18:1/26:0) and delay colorectal cancer progression: Cell Metabolism www.cell.com/cell-metabol...
Reposted by Can Senkal
@cityofhope.bsky.social launches AI tool to reduce burden of cancer care
https://cancerletter.com/clinical-roundup/20250627_8b/
https://cancerletter.com/clinical-roundup/20250627_8b/
City of Hope launches AI tool to reduce burden of cancer care - The Cancer Letter
City of Hope is using generative artificial intelligence to create operational efficiency, enable AI-driven patient personalization, improve access to clinical trials, and empower breakthrough research. To access this subscriber-only content please log in or subscribe.If your institution has a site license, log in with IP-login or register for a sponsored account.**Not all site licenses are […]
cancerletter.com
July 1, 2025 at 8:00 PM
@cityofhope.bsky.social launches AI tool to reduce burden of cancer care
https://cancerletter.com/clinical-roundup/20250627_8b/
https://cancerletter.com/clinical-roundup/20250627_8b/