Identifying epigenetic vulnerabilities in metastatic adaptation to the brain

Jun Nishida, PhD
Instructor
Department of Medical Oncology
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Department of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, USA

This conference is hosted by Michel Cayouette, PhD, Director of the Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit.

About this conference
Brain metastasis is one of the most lethal forms of cancer dissemination with limited treatment options. Successful metastatic outgrowth in the brain requires adaptation to the brain microenvironment, where cellular stress serves as a key selective pressure. In this seminar, I will showcase my recent findings on an epigenetic driver of metastatic adaptation in the brain, uncovered by multi-omics analyses of experimental models and multiplex spatial protein profiling of clinical samples. Specifically, my research identified KDM2A, a histone H3 lysine 36 dimethyl (H3K36me2) demethylase, as a key mediator of cellular stress adaptation and metastatic outgrowth in breast cancer brain metastases, together with the underlying molecular mechanisms. I will also share my perspective on how to identify novel vulnerabilities in brain metastases shaped by cancer cell epigenetic programs and brain region-specific microenvironment.

About Jun Nishida
Dr. Jun Nishida is a cancer metastasis researcher with expertise in both experimental and computational biology. He obtained his PhD from the University of Tokyo under the supervision of Dr. Kohei Miyazono. His graduate research focused on the role of TGF-β signaling in kidney cancer metastasis and on how epigenetic alterations in cancer cells during metastatic progression shape a tumor immune microenvironment that supports metastatic outgrowth. Currently, as an instructor in Dr. Kornelia Polyak’s laboratory at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, he aims to elucidate the ecosystem of breast cancer brain metastases to identify more effective therapeutic strategies. Dr. Nishida recently received the Susan G. Komen Career Transition Award for his work to identify epigenetic and regional heterogeneity in breast cancer brain metastases.

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