Speaker: Wu-Min Deng, professor in biochemistry and molecular biology at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans

Title: Drosophila models for tumor initiation, progression, and tumor-host interactions

Abstract: My laboratory uses genetically tractable Drosophila models to investigate fundamental mechanisms underlying tumor initiation, progression, and evolution, with a particular focus on how systemic physiology and the local tissue microenvironment shape these processes. We have identified tissue-specific “tumor hotspots” in which unique cytoarchitectural traits and signaling environments promote neoplastic transformation, in contrast to “coldspot” regions that suppress tumor growth. Our recent studies further uncover systemic interactions between tumors and host organs. For example, we show that gut bacteria translocation activates innate immune responses that damage the renal system, modeling paraneoplastic glomerulopathy. We also find that sex-dimorphic factors, including the leptin homolog Upd2, regulate tumor growth and genome instability through systemic signaling pathways. In addition, we demonstrate that polyploid cell divisions—via both polyploid mitosis and depolyploidization—generate chromosomal instability and intratumoral heterogeneity, key drivers of tumor evolution. Together, these studies establish Drosophila as a powerful system for dissecting conserved genetic, cellular, and physiological mechanisms that govern tumor behavior and tumor–host interactions, providing new insights into cancer progression and potential therapeutic strategies.

Host: Ping Kang, adjunct assistant professor in genetics, development and cell biology