Yana Zavros, PhD

Yana Zavros, PhD

Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine

Associate Head, Research

Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP

The Zavros lab studies of the mechanisms that drive gastric epithelial regeneration and Helicobacter pylori-induced disease using in vitro and in vivo organoid systems. The lab has also developed patient-derived gastric and pancreatic cancer organoids from tumors and biopsies, which are used in personalized drug screens to predict individual therapy response. Organoid/immune cell co-cultures and humanized mouse models are specifically used to identify the mechanisms by which cancer and immune cells foster an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Molecular Medicine Grad Program:

Yes

Bibliography

2022

Chakrabarti, J., R. Pandey, J. M. Churko, J. Eschbacher, S. Mallick, Y. Chen, B. Hermes, P. Mallick, B. N. Stansfield, K. W. Pond, et al., "Development of Human Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumor Organoids to Facilitate Effective Targeted Treatments of Cushing's Disease.", Cells, vol. 11, issue 21, 2022 Oct 23. PMCID: PMC9659185 PMID: 36359740

2021

Watson, A. W., A. D. Grant, S. S. Parker, S. Hill, M. B. Whalen, J. Chakrabarti, M. W. Harman, M. R. Roman, B. L. Forte, C. C. Gowan, et al., "Breast tumor stiffness instructs bone metastasis via maintenance of mechanical conditioning.", Cell Rep, vol. 35, issue 13, pp. 109293, 2021 Jun 29. PMID: 34192535

Rico, K., S. Duan, R. L. Pandey, Y. Chen, J. T. Chakrabarti, J. Starr, Y. Zavros, T. Else, B. W. Katona, D. C. Metz, et al., "Genome analysis identifies differences in the transcriptional targets of duodenal versus pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours.", BMJ Open Gastroenterol, vol. 8, issue 1, 2021 Nov. PMCID: PMC8576490 PMID: 34750164

2019

Wroblewski, L. E., E. Choi, C. Petersen, A. G. Delgado, B. M Piazuelo, J. Romero-Gallo, T. L. Lantz, Y. Zavros, R. J. Coffey, J. R. Goldenring, et al., "Targeted mobilization of Lrig1 gastric epithelial stem cell populations by a carcinogenic type IV secretion system.", Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 116, issue 39, pp. 19652-19658, 2019 09 24. PMCID: PMC6765285 PMID: 31488717

Capurro, M. I., L. K. Greenfield, A. Prashar, S. Xia, M. Abdullah, H. Wong, X. Zoe Zhong, N. Bertaux-Skeirik, J. Chakrabarti, I. Siddiqui, et al., "VacA generates a protective intracellular reservoir for Helicobacter pylori that is eliminated by activation of the lysosomal calcium channel TRPML1.", Nat Microbiol, vol. 4, issue 8, pp. 1411-1423, 2019 08 01. PMID: 31110360

Holokai, L., J. Chakrabarti, T. Broda, J. Chang, J. A. Hawkins, N. Sundaram, L. E. Wroblewski, R. M. Peek, J. Wang, M. Helmrath, et al., "Increased Programmed Death-Ligand 1 is an Early Epithelial Cell Response to Helicobacter pylori Infection.", PLoS Pathog, vol. 15, issue 1, pp. e1007468, 2019 01 01. PMCID: PMC6380601 PMID: 30703170

Bertaux-Skeirik, N., J. Centeno, J. Gao, J. Gabre, and Y. Zavros, "Oncogenic Transformation of Human-Derived Gastric Organoids.", Methods Mol Biol, vol. 1576, pp. 205-213, 2019 01 01. PMID: 27539460

Steele, N. G., J. Chakrabarti, J. Wang, J. Biesiada, L. Holokai, J. Chang, L. M. Nowacki, J. Hawkins, M. Mahe, N. Sundaram, et al., "An Organoid-Based Preclinical Model of Human Gastric Cancer.", Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol, vol. 7, issue 1, pp. 161-184, 2019 01 01. PMCID: PMC6279812 PMID: 30522949

Noto, J. M., K. L. Rose, A. J. Hachey, A. G. Delgado, J. Romero-Gallo, L. E. Wroblewski, B. G. Schneider, S. C. Shah, T. L. Cover, K. T. Wilson, et al., "Carcinogenic Strains Selectively Dysregulate the Gastric Proteome, Which May Be Associated with Stomach Cancer Progression.", Mol Cell Proteomics, vol. 18, issue 2, pp. 352-371, 2019 02 01. PMCID: PMC6356085 PMID: 30455363

2018

Teal, E., N. G. Steele, J. Chakrabarti, L. Holokai, and Y. Zavros, "Mouse- and Human-derived Primary Gastric Epithelial Monolayer Culture for the Study of Regeneration.", J Vis Exp, issue 135, 2018 05 07. PMCID: PMC6101118 PMID: 29782013

Zavros, Y., "The Novel Role of as a Regulator of Cell Homeostasis and Disease of the Gastric Oxyntic Mucosa.", Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol, vol. 5, issue 4, pp. 645-646, 2018. PMCID: PMC5924750 PMID: 29713667

Chakrabarti, J., L. Holokai, LJ. Syu, N. G. Steele, J. Chang, J. Wang, S. Ahmed, A. Dlugosz, and Y. Zavros, "Hedgehog signaling induces PD-L1 expression and tumor cell proliferation in gastric cancer.", Oncotarget, vol. 9, issue 100, pp. 37439-37457, 2018 Dec 21. PMCID: PMC6324774 PMID: 30647844

Chakrabarti, J., L. Holokai, LJ. Syu, N. Steele, J. Chang, A. Dlugosz, and Y. Zavros, "Mouse-Derived Gastric Organoid and Immune Cell Co-culture for the Study of the Tumor Microenvironment.", Methods Mol Biol, vol. 1817, pp. 157-168, 2018. PMID: 29959712

Teal, E., N. Bertaux-Skeirik, J. Chakrabarti, L. Holokai, and Y. Zavros, "Establishment of Human- and Mouse-Derived Gastric Primary Epithelial Cell Monolayers from Organoids.", Methods Mol Biol, vol. 1817, pp. 145-155, 2018. PMID: 29959711

2017

Zavros, Y., "Initiation and Maintenance of Gastric Cancer: A Focus on CD44 Variant Isoforms and Cancer Stem Cells.", Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol, vol. 4, issue 1, pp. 55-63, 2017 Jul. PMCID: PMC5439237 PMID: 28560289

Bertaux-Skeirik, N., M. Wunderlich, E. Teal, J. Chakrabarti, J. Biesiada, M. Mahe, N. Sundaram, J. Gabre, J. Hawkins, G. Jian, et al., "CD44 variant isoform 9 emerges in response to injury and contributes to the regeneration of the gastric epithelium.", J Pathol, vol. 242, issue 4, pp. 463-475, 2017 08. PMCID: PMC5591948 PMID: 28497484