Elizabeth Szymanski

Breakthrough publication! Our recent paper in Nature Communications explains the novel structure-function mechanism by which cholesterol promotes colon cancer.  From a functional perspective, Wnt factors organize to form specialized plasma membrane (PM) domains. Dysregulation of Wnt domain structure can promote oncogenic Wnt signaling.  Here, we describe an intricate Wnt signaling-associated mechanism involving oncogenic truncated APC and the loss of PM cholesterol homeostasis, which alters the organization of Wnt signaling nanoassemblies (biomolecular condensates) and drives aberrant Wnt signaling and CRC tumorigenesis.  These highly significant findings are relevant to the nascent field of “membrane therapy”. 

Jennie P. Kim, a Nutritional Sciences major working on her Undergraduate Research Scholars Thesis in the Chapkin Lab (https://chapkinlab.tamu.edu) was recently awarded second place for her poster presentation in the Agricultural and Life Sciences category at the Texas A&M Student Research Week competition (https://srw.tamu.edu). Student Research Week is the largest student-run research symposium in the nation, spotlighting student research conducted at Texas A&M University. Currently, her research focuses on the effects of short-chain fatty acids (e.g., butyrate) on colonic organoid stem cell homeostasis and gene expression in high vs. normal glucose conditions. She plans to continue her involvement in undergraduate research in the Chapkin Lab and hopes to provide important contributions related to the expanding field of Precision Nutrition.

The Chapkin Lab is pleased to announce the award of a $6 million grant from Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas – TREC funding to support research in “Gene – environment – lifestyle interactions in cancer”.   Dr. Robert Chapkin to serve as Deputy Director of the grant, Dr. Kenneth Ramos to serve as Director.  As part of this effort, we will establish a single-cell data science (SCDS) core at Texas A&M University in Bryan/College Station.  The SCDS core will serve as a Texas A&M Shared Resource Facility.  In terms of the complementary CPRIT grant and the SCDS core, Drs. James Cai and Yang Ni will serve as Director and co-Director, respectively.

https://www.cprit.texas.gov/grants-funded/grants/rp230204