News and Updates | Department of Cell & Developmental Biology

Cancers in Distant Organs Alter Liver Function

Tumor cell-derived EVPs induced accumulation of lipid droplets in the mouse liver. Green, lipid droplet. Blue, DAPI. Credit: Gang Wang, Jianlong Li, David Lyden.

May 24, 2023

Cancers often release molecules into the bloodstream that pathologically alter the liver, shifting it to an inflammatory state, causing fat buildup and impairing its normal detoxifying functions, according to a study from investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. This discovery illuminates one of cancer’s more insidious survival mechanisms and suggests the possibility of new tests and drugs for detecting and reversing this process.

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Dr. David Simon Wins Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research Studying Melanoma

a man in a white coat posing for a picture in a lab

May 16, 2023

Dr. David Simon, the Fernholz Foundation Research Scholar in Neuroscience and an assistant professor of biochemistry at Weill Cornell Medicine, was awarded the 2023 Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research on May 16.

The prize, now in its 10th year, is given annually to at least six early-career scientists based in the New York City area by The Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance....

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Dr. Tobias Meyer Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

May 10, 2023

Dr. Tobias Meyer, the Joseph C. Hinsey Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Founded in 1780, the academy is one of the nation’s oldest honorary societies. Dr. Meyer joins the likes of more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners, as well as other distinguished members including the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Barbara...

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Obesity May Exacerbate Breast Cancer Risk in Women with BRCA Mutations

March 21, 2023

Obesity may spur DNA damage in the breast tissue of women who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, possibly contributing to breast cancer development in this already high-risk group, according to new multi-institutional translational research led by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists.

The study, published in the Feb. 22 issue of Science Translational Medicine, suggests that weight management and medications...

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Study Shows How Cells Prevent Harmful Extra DNA Copies

illustration of double helix and chromosomes

January 24, 2023

A protein that prepares DNA for replication also prevents the replication process from running out of control, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The work, published Jan. 5 in Molecular Cell, solves a mystery that has long puzzled biologists.

The cells of humans and all other higher organisms use a complex system of checkpoints and “licensing” proteins to...

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Enzyme That Protects Against Viruses Could Fuel Cancer Evolution

December 28, 2022

An enzyme that defends human cells against viruses can help drive cancer evolution towards greater malignancy by causing myriad mutations in cancer cells, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The finding suggests that the enzyme may be a potential target for future cancer treatments.

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Stem Cell-Based Genomic Study Yields Insights on Viral Infection Susceptibility

immunofluorescent image of Zika infecting brain organoids

October 6, 2022

A mitochondrial gene plays a crucial role in genetic susceptibility to Zika, Dengue, and SARS-CoV-2 infections, a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators showed.

The study, published Oct. 6 in Cell Stem Cell, provides proof of principle that cell-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS) could be a valuable tool for studying genetic susceptibility to infections and other diseases. Genome-wide...

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Circadian Clocks Play a Key Role in Fat Cell Growth

illustration of a person's head with a circadian clock

August 8, 2022

Disruption of the circadian clocks that keep the body and its cells entrained to the 24-hour day-night cycle plays a critical role in weight gain, according to a pair of studies by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

One study, published June 27, in Cell Reports revealed that stress caused by chronically administering glucocorticoid stress hormones and disturbing the normal daily cycle of release...

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COVID-19 Virus Can Cause Inflammation in Infected Placentas

May 31, 2022

SARS-CoV-2 infections of women in late pregnancy frequently spread to their placentas and led to inflammation, according to a study from investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. The findings suggest that further research is needed on the virus’s effects in pregnancy and underscore the current recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that pregnant women continue to take precautions, such as masking, social distancing and vaccination, to...

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Advance in Understanding Cell Division Could Lead to New Cancer Treatments

May 4, 2022

A protein called CDC7, long thought to play an essential role early in the cell division process, is in fact replaceable by another protein called CDK1, according to a study by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The finding represents a fundamental advance in cell biology and may lead to new cancer therapies, since cancers frequently alter the molecular machinery of cell division to sustain their rapid growth.

The...

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