Ubellacker Lab
The Ubellacker Lab leverages metabolic vulnerabilities in metastasizing cells to target and treat cancer, with a focus on exploiting lipidomic dependencies of cancer cells. We are working to discover mechanisms that explain how lipid availability in the tumor microenvironment promotes cancer cell progression at different metastatic stages. We aim to capitalize on connections between cancer cells and the lipid microenvironment to reduce cancer progression, thus addressing a significant unmet clinical need to develop therapies to prevent the spread of metastatic cancers.
665 Huntington Ave
Building 2, Room 123
Boston, MA 02115
Publications
Selected publications below:
Prospects for ferroptosis therapies in cancer.
Ubellacker JM, Dixon SJ. Nat Cancer. 2025 Aug;6(8):1326-1336. PMID: 40826242
Activation of lysosomal iron triggers ferroptosis in cancer.
Cañeque T, Baron L, Müller S, Carmona A, Colombeau L, Versini A, Solier S, Gaillet C, Sindikubwabo F, Sampaio JL, Sabatier M, Mishima E, Picard-Bernes A, Syx L, Servant N, Lombard B, Loew D, Zheng J, Proneth B, Thoidingjam LK, Grimaud L, Fraser CS, Szylo KJ, Der Kazarian E, Bonnet C, Charafe-Jauffret E, Ginestier C, Santofimia-Castaño P, Estaras M, Dusetti N, Iovanna JL, Cunha AS, Pittau G, Hammel P, Tzanis D, Bonvalot S, Watson S, Gandon V, Upadhyay A, Pratt DA, Freitas FP, Friedmann Angeli JP, Stockwell BR, Conrad M, Ubellacker JM, Rodriguez R. Nature. 2025 May 07. PMID: 40335696
Hotspots of escape: Oxidative niches prime tumor cell dissemination.
Palma M, Sabatier M, Ubellacker JM. Cancer Res. 2025 Apr 09. PMID: 40202827
Selenoprotein O Promotes Melanoma Metastasis and Regulates Mitochondrial Complex II Activity.
Nascentes Melo LM, Sabatier M, Ramesh V, Szylo KJ, Fraser CS, Pon A, Mitchell EC, Servage KA, Allies G, Westedt IV, Cansiz F, Krystkiewicz J, Kutritz A, Schadendorf D, Morrison SJ, Ubellacker JM, Sreelatha A, Tasdogan A. Cancer Res. 2025 Mar 03; 85(5):942-955. PMID: 39700395; PMCID: PMC11873727.
High Glucose Contribution to the TCA Cycle Is a Feature of Aggressive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Patients.
Cai L, Hammond NG, Tasdogan A, Alsamraae M, Yang C, Cameron RB, Quan P, Solmonson A, Gu W, Pachnis P, Kaur M, Chang BK, Zhou Q, Hensley CT, Do QN, Martins Nascentes Melo L, Ubellacker JM, Kaushik A, Clare MG, Alcazar IN, Kurylowicz K, Marcuccilli JD, Allies G, Kutritz A, Klode J, Ramesh V, Rogers TJ, Rao AD, Crentsil HE, Li H, Brister F, McDaniel P, Xu X, Evers BM, Zacharias LG, Sudderth J, Xu J, Mathews TP, Oliver D, Minna JD, Waters J, Morrison SJ, Kernstine KH, Faubert B, DeBerardinis RJ. Cancer Discov. 2025 Apr 02; 15(4):702-716. PMID: 39960461; PMCID: PMC11962397.
Deep imaging of LepR+ stromal cells in optically cleared murine bone hemisections.
Ni Y, Wu J, Liu F, Yi Y, Meng X, Gao X, Xiao L, Zhou W, Chen Z, Chu P, Xing D, Yuan Y, Ding D, Shen G, Yang M, Wu R, Wang L, Melo LMN, Lin S, Cheng X, Li G, Tasdogan A, Ubellacker JM, Zhao H, Fang S, Shen B. Bone Res. 2025 Jan 13; 13(1):6. PMID: 39800733; PMCID: PMC11725602.
Lymphatic collection and cell isolation from mouse models for multiomic profiling.
Sabatier M, Solanki A, Thangaswamy S, Lei PJ, Zhou H, O’Melia M, Menzel L, Mitri S, Ubellacker JM. Nat Protoc. 2025 Apr; 20(4):884-901. PMID: 39779897.
Aging-induced changes in lymphatic muscle cell transcriptomes are associated with reduced pumping of peripheral collecting lymphatic vessels in mice.
Lei PJ, Ruscic KJ, Roh K, Rajotte JJ, O’Melia MJ, Bouta EM, Marquez M, Pereira ER, Kumar AS, Razavi MS, Zhou H, Menzel L, Huang L, Kumra H, Duquette M, Huang P, Baish JW, Munn LL, Kurpios NA, Ubellacker JM, Padera TP. Dev Cell. 2025 04 07; 60(7):1118-1133.e5. PMID: 39731913; PMCID: PMC11981864.
Cancer immunotherapy response persists after lymph node resection.
Zhou H, Menzel L, Baish JW, O’Melia MJ, Darragh LB, Specht E, Effiom DN, Czapla J, Lei PJ, Rajotte JJ, Liu L, Nikmaneshi MR, Razavi MS, Vander Heiden MG, Ubellacker JM, Munn LL, Karam SD, Boland GM, Cohen S, Padera TP. bioRxiv. 2024 Dec 11. PMID: 37781599; PMCID: PMC10541098.
Lymphatic system regulation of anti-cancer immunity and metastasis.
Lei PJ, Fraser C, Jones D, Ubellacker JM, Padera TP. Front Immunol. 2024; 15:1449291. PMID: 39211044; PMCID: PMC11357954.
Activation of lysosomal iron triggers ferroptosis in cancer.
Rodriguez R, Cañeque T, Baron L, Müller S, Carmona A, Colombeau L, Versini A, Sabatier M, Sampaio J, Mishima E, Picard-Bernes A, Solier S, Zheng J, Proneth B, Thoidingjam L, Gaillet C, Grimaud L, Fraser C, Szylo K, Bonnet C, Charafe E, Ginestier C, Santofimia P, Dusetti N, Iovanna J, Sa Cunha A, Pittau G, Hammel P, Tzanis D, Bonvalot S, Watson S, Stockwell B, Conrad M, Ubellacker J. Res Sq. 2024 Apr 08. PMID: 38659936; PMCID: PMC11042398.
ASO Visual Abstract: Discordant Breast and Axillary Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.
Flores R, Roldan E, Pardo JA, Beight L, Ubellacker J, Fan B, Davis RB, James TA. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 12; 30(13):8467-8468. PMID: 37644246.
Leptin receptor+ cells promote bone marrow innervation and regeneration by synthesizing nerve growth factor.
Gao X, Murphy MM, Peyer JG, Ni Y, Yang M, Zhang Y, Guo J, Kara N, Embree C, Tasdogan A, Ubellacker JM, Crane GM, Fang S, Zhao Z, Shen B, Morrison SJ. Nat Cell Biol. 2023 12; 25(12):1746-1757. PMID: 38012403; PMCID: PMC10709146.
Lympathic muscle cells are unique cells that undergo aging induced changes.
Lei PJ, Ruscic KJ, Roh K, Rajotte JJ, O’Melia MJ, Bouta EM, Marquez M, Pereira ER, Kumar AS, Arroyo-Ataz G, Razavi MS, Zhou H, Menzel L, Kumra H, Duquette M, Huang P, Baish JW, Munn LL, Ubellacker JM, Jones D, Padera TP. bioRxiv (2023). PMID: 38014141
Leptin receptor+ cells promote bone marrow innervation and regeneration by synthesizing nerve growth factor.
Gao X, Murphy MM, Peyer JG, Ni Y, Yang M, Zhang Y, Guo J, Kara N, Embree C, Tasdogan A, Ubellacker JM, Crane GM, Fang S, Zhao Z, Shen B, Morrison SJ. Nat Cell Bio (2023). PMID: 38012403
Cancer immunotherapy responses persist after lymph node resection.
Zhou H, Baish JW, O’Melia MJ, Darragh LB, Specht E, Czapla J, Lei PJ, Menzel L, Rajotte JJ, Nikmaneshi MR, Razavi MS, Heiden MGV, Ubellacker JM, Munn LL, Boland GM, Cohen S, Karam SD, Padera TP. bioRxiv (2023). PMID: 37781599
Dynamic lipidome alterations associated with human health, disease and ageing.
Hornburg D, Wu S, Moqri M, Zhou X, Contrepois K, Bararpour N, Traber GM, Su B, Metwally AA, Avina M, Zhou W, Ubellacker JM, Mishra T, Schüssler-Fiorenza Rose SM, Kavathas PB, Williams KJ, Snyder MP. Nat Metab (2023). PMID: 37697054
Advancements in melanoma cancer metastasis models.
Nascentes Melo LM, Kumar S, Riess V, Szylo KJ, Eisenburger R, Schadendorf D, Ubellacker JM, Tasdogan A. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res (2023). PMID: 36478190
In vivo isotope tracing reveals a requirement for the electron transport chain in glucose and glutamine metabolism by tumors.
Pachnis P, Wu Z, Faubert B, Tasdogan A, Gu W, Shelton S, Solmonson A, Rao AD, Kaushik AK, Rogers TJ, Ubellacker JM, LaVigne CA, Yang C, Ko B, Ramesh V, Sudderth J, Zacharias LG, Martin-Sandoval MS, Do D, Mathews TP, Zhao Z, Mishra P, Morrison SJ, DeBerardinis RJ. Sci Adv (2022). PMID: 36044570
Emerging metabolomic tools to study cancer metastasis. Nascentes Melo L.M., Lesner N.P., Sabatier M., Ubellacker J.M.*, Tasdogan A.*. Trends in Cancer (2022). PMID: 35909026.
Lymph protects metastasizing melanoma cells from ferroptosis.
Ubellacker J.M., Tasdogan A., Ramesh V., Shen B., Mitchell E.C., Martin M.S., Gu Z., McCormick M.L., Durham A.B., Spitz D.R., Zhao Z., Mathews T.P., Morrison S.J. Nature. 585:113-118 (2020). PMID: 32814895.
Metabolic heterogeneity confers differences in melanoma metastatic potential.
Tasdogan A., Faubert B., Ramesh V., Ubellacker J.M., Shen B., Solmonson A., Murphy M.M., Gu Z., Gu W., Martin M., Kasitinon S.Y., Vandergriff T., Mathews T.P., Zhao Z., Schadendorf D., DeBerardinis R.J., Morrison S.J. Nature. 577(7788):115-120 (2019). PMID: 31853067.
A mechanosensitive peri-arteriolar niche for osteogenesis and lymphogenesis.
Shen B., Tasdogan A., Ubellacker J.M., Zhang J., Du L., Murphy M., Hu S., Yi Y., Kara N., Liu X., Guela S., Jia Y., Ramesh V., Embree C., Mitchell E.C., Hu Z., Zhao Z., Crane G.M., Morrison S.J. Nature. 591:438-444 (2020). PMID: 33627868.
Metabolomic profiling of rare cell populations isolated by flow cytometry from tissues.
DeVilbiss A.W., Zhao Z., Martin-Sandoval M.S., Ubellacker J.M., Tasdogan A., Agathocleous M., Mathews T.P., Morrison S.J. eLife. Jan 20 10.7554/eLife.61980. (2021). PMID: 33470192
The unresolved role of systemic factors in bone metastasis.
Ubellacker J.M., McAllister S.S. J Bone Oncol. 5(3):96-99. (2016) Invited review. PMID: 27761365.
Zoledronic alters hematopoiesis and generates breast tumor-suppressive bone marrow cells.
Ubellacker, J.M., Haider, M.T., DeCristo, M.J., Brown, N.J., Silver, D.P., Holen, I., McAllister, SS. Breast Cancer Research. 19(1), 23 (2017). PMID: 28264701.
CDK4/6 inhibition triggers anti-tumour immunity.
Goel, S. & DeCristo, M.J., Watt, A.C., BrinJones, H., Sceneay, J., Li, B., Ubellacker, J.M., Xie, S., Ramm, S., Kim, HJ., Krop, I.E., Winer, E.P., Roberts, T.M., McAllister, S.S., Zhao, J.J. Nature. 548(7668), 417-475 (2017). PMID: 28813415.
Modulating bone marrow hematopoietic lineage potential to prevent bone metastasis in breast cancer.
Ubellacker JM, Baryawno N, Severe N, DeCristo MJ, Sceneay J, Hutchinson JN, Haider MT, Rhee CS, Qin Y, Gregory WM, Garrido-Castro AC, Holen I, Brown JE, Coleman RE, Scadden DT, McAllister SS. Cancer Res. Sep 15;78(18):5300-5314 (2018). PMID: 30065048.
For a full list of publications, visit Google Scholar.
The Ubellacker Lab is grateful for the following sources of funding that make our work possible.
