Research in the Varelas lab is focused on gaining insight into molecular mechanisms that direct cell fate decisions during animal development, homeostasis, and disease. The lab is particularly interested in understanding the functions of the transcriptional regulators YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ), which are key effectors of Hippo pathway signaling, and uses molecular and genetic approaches to study these factors across various aspects of biology.
Major study themes include Lung Epithelial Biology, Cancer Biology, Immune Cell Regulation, and Tissue Regeneration and Fibrosis.
Visit the Varelas lab website for more info
Representative Publications
Complete List of Published Work in
MyBibliography
- Convergence of YAP/TAZ, TEAD and TP63 activity is associated with bronchial premalignant severity and progression. Ning B, Tilston-Lunel AM, Simonetti J, Hicks-Berthet J, Matschulat A, Pfefferkorn R, Spira A, Edwards M, Mazzilli S, Lenburg ME, Beane JE, Varelas X.
J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2023 May 8;42(1):116. doi: 10.1186/s13046-023-02674-5.
PMID: 37150829
- Polarity in respiratory development, homeostasis and disease. Tilston-Lunel AM, Varelas X.
Curr Top Dev Biol. 2023;154:285-315. doi: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.02.004. Epub 2023 Mar 15.
PMID: 37100521
- Inactivation of LATS1/2 drives luminal-basal plasticity to initiate basal-like mammary carcinomas. Kern JG, Tilston-Lunel AM, Federico A, Ning B, Mueller A, Peppler GB, Stampouloglou E, Cheng N, Johnson RL, Lenburg ME, Beane JE, Monti S, Varelas X.
Nat Commun. 2022 Nov 28;13(1):7198. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34864-8.
PMID: 36443313
- Yap/Taz inhibit goblet cell fate to maintain lung epithelial homeostasis. Hicks-Berthet J, Ning B, Federico A, Tilston-Lunel A, Matschulat A, Ai X, Lenburg ME, Beane J, Monti S, Varelas X.
Cell Rep. 2021 Jul 13;36(2):109347. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109347.
PMID: 34260916
- Aberrant epithelial polarity cues drive the development of precancerous airway lesions. Tilston-Lunel A, Mazzilli S, Kingston NM, Szymaniak AD, Hicks-Berthet J, Kern JG, Abo K, Reid ME, Perdomo C, Wilson AA, Spira A, Beane J, Varelas X.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 May 4;118(18):e2019282118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2019282118.
PMID: 33903236
- Targeting the Hippo pathway in cancer, fibrosis, wound healing and regenerative medicine. Dey A, Varelas X, Guan KL.
Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2020 Jul;19(7):480-494. doi: 10.1038/s41573-020-0070-z. Epub 2020 Jun 17.
PMID: 32555376
- Yap suppresses T-cell function and infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. Stampouloglou E, Cheng N, Federico A, Slaby E, Monti S, Szeto GL, Varelas X.
PLoS Biol. 2020 Jan 13;18(1):e3000591. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000591. eCollection 2020 Jan.
PMID: 31929526
- Yang CS, Stampouloglou E, Kingston NM, Zhang L, Monti S, Varelas X. Glutamine-utilizing transaminases are a metabolic vulnerability of TAZ/YAP-activated cancer cells. EMBO Rep. 2018 Jun;19(6). pii: e43577. doi: 10.15252/embr.201643577. Epub 2018 Apr 16. PMID: 29661856.
- The Hippo pathway effector YAP is an essential regulator of ductal progenitor patterning in the mouse submandibular gland. Szymaniak AD, Mi R, McCarthy SE, Gower AC, Reynolds TL, Mingueneau M, Kukuruzinska M, Varelas X.
Elife. 2017 May 11;6. pii: e23499. doi: 10.7554/eLife.23499. PMID: 28492365.
-
Crumbs3-Mediated Polarity Directs Airway Epithelial Cell Fate through the Hippo Pathway Effector Yap. Szymaniak AD, Mahoney JE, Cardoso WV, Varelas X.
Dev Cell. 2015 Aug 10; 34(3):283-96. PMID:
26235047.
-
A YAP/TAZ-Regulated Molecular Signature Is Associated with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Hiemer SE, Zhang L, Kartha VK, Packer TS, Almershed M, Noonan V, Kukuruzinska M, Bais MV, Monti S, Varelas X.
Mol Cancer Res. 2015 Jun; 13(6):957-68. PMID:
25794680.
-
The Hippo pathway effectors TAZ and YAP in development, homeostasis and disease. Varelas X.
Development. 2014 Apr; 141(8):1614-26. PMID:
24715453.
-
The transcriptional regulators TAZ and YAP direct transforming growth factor ß-induced tumorigenic phenotypes in breast cancer cells. Hiemer SE, Szymaniak AD, Varelas X.
J Biol Chem. 2014 May 9; 289(19):13461-74. PMID:
24648515.
More information in my BU Profiles
