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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · 20d

Thanks to all speakers, including bsky users @winklerlab.bsky.social @claudiakleinman.bsky.social @nelander-lab.bsky.social @gocastelobranco.bsky.social, the Ragnar Söderberg foundation, and co-hosts @remeseiro-lab.bsky.social, @maawim.bsky.social, and Fredrik Swartling.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · 20d

Had a blast hosting the Brain Tumor Plasticity symposium at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences this week! Here's @leilaakkari.bsky.social with an outstanding talk on the evolving brain tumor microenvironment 🤩

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Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab

Monica Olcina @m-olcina.bsky.social · Jul 24

Thrilled to share our latest work - we describe a novel and therapeutically relevant mechanism underlying dysregulation of innate immune receptor C5aR1 in the tumour microenvironment. Thanks and congratulations to all authors!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab

LizdelaGarzaG @lizdelagarzag.bsky.social · Jul 22

To this day, even the strongest treatments fail when the brain’s own healing turns against it. Flunarizine, a migraine drug, may help stop astrocytes from nurturing #glioblastoma back to life.

Read ⤵️

Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma

Radiotherapy is part of the standard-of-care for glioblastoma, yet tumors invariably recur as incurable lesions post-treatment. Recent studies suggest that radiation-induced astrocyte reactivity foste...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab

Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma

Radiotherapy is part of the standard-of-care for glioblastoma, yet tumors invariably recur as incurable lesions post-treatment. Recent studies suggest that radiation-induced astrocyte reactivity foste...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab

bioRxiv Cancer Bio @biorxiv-cancer.bsky.social · Jul 18

Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.12.664538v1

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

#Glioblastoma #GBM #AstrocyteReactivity #DrugRepurposing #Radiotherapy #NeuroOncology

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

…the Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund, Ollie & Elof Ericssons foundation, the Crafoord foundation, the Swedish Brain Foundation, the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund, Stiftelsen Cancera, @embo.org, and the Fondation Bettencourt-Schueller.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

This work was spearheaded by Pauline Jeannot with crucial contributions from collaborators @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social @lundstem.bsky.social @ahleniuslab.bsky.social , and supported by @erc.europa.eu, Mrs. Berta Kamprad's Cancer Foundation, the Ragnar Söderberg Foundation…

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

Our findings position Flunarizine as a clinically viable repurposed drug to target RT-induced astrocyte reactivity, delaying recurrence in preclinical models.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

Importantly, Flunarizine showed no direct cytotoxicity to tumor cells, emphasizing its unique action on the microenvironment rather than the cancer cells themselves.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

In preclinical mouse models, combining Flunarizine with RT significantly prolonged survival, reduced fibrosis, and mitigated astrocyte reactivity, specifically targeting the irradiated microenvironment.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

Mechanistically, Flunarizine reduced astrocytic activation of TGF-β signaling—a key driver of fibrosis—without directly harming GBM cells.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

Flunarizine, an existing migraine medication, emerged as a potent inhibitor of RT-induced astrocyte reactivity, working effectively in vitro and in vivo.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

We developed a novel, automated, image-based assay to quantify astrocyte reactivity in human astrocytes and iPSC-derived astrocytes, and screened >1,700 small molecule compounds.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

Our goal: Identify compounds that selectively block astrocyte reactivity triggered by radiotherapy, potentially delaying GBM recurrence.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

Reactive astrocytes can initially protect brain tissue but, when chronically activated (as seen after radiation), they alter the microenvironment by promoting fibrosis and inflammation.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

GBM remains one of the deadliest cancers due to inevitable recurrence after standard treatments, including radiotherapy (RT). We believe that microenvironmental adaptations to RT, including astrocyte reactivity, fosters a tumor-supportive environment.

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · Jul 18

📣 Preprint alert! Happy to share our latest work, in which we identify Flunarizine as an inhibitor of astrocyte reactivity with therapeutic potential in glioblastoma (GBM). Details in 🧵:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Phenotypic Screening Identifies Flunarizine as an Inhibitor of Radiotherapy-Induced Astrocyte Reactivity with Therapeutic Potential in Glioblastoma

Radiotherapy is part of the standard-of-care for glioblastoma, yet tumors invariably recur as incurable lesions post-treatment. Recent studies suggest that radiation-induced astrocyte reactivity foste...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab

Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · May 15

🌍 Join us in a supportive, international lab within a vibrant cancer research hub! Strong local bioinformatics community + a high quality of life in the Malmö/Lund region. Great science, great people, great place to live. 💻🧬🏡

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Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab

Silvia Remeseiro Lab @remeseiro-lab.bsky.social · May 21

📣 New pre-print from the lab:
👉 “Gene regulatory networks linked to GABA signalling emerge as relevant for glioblastoma pathogenesis” #Glioblastoma #GB #GRNs #multiomics #GABA #CancerNeuroscience #ML #GBM

📝 Read the #BioRxiv here:
doi.org/10.1101/2025...

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Reposted by Alexander Pietras Lab

Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · May 15

🚨 We’re hiring a bioinformatics-focused PhD student for our ERC-funded project on recurrent GBM! Focus: tumor-supportive microenvironment 🔬 Experience with scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics & Python/R a plus. Must be self-motivated & driven. DM for details! Repost=❤️ lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

Doctoral Student in Tumor Biology

Description of the workplace The research group conducts experimental research on brain tumors and is led by Associate Professor Alexander Pietras. The group consists of a bioinformatician, two postdo

lu.varbi.com

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · May 15

🌍 Join us in a supportive, international lab within a vibrant cancer research hub! Strong local bioinformatics community + a high quality of life in the Malmö/Lund region. Great science, great people, great place to live. 💻🧬🏡

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · May 15

🚨 We’re hiring a bioinformatics-focused PhD student for our ERC-funded project on recurrent GBM! Focus: tumor-supportive microenvironment 🔬 Experience with scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics & Python/R a plus. Must be self-motivated & driven. DM for details! Repost=❤️ lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

Doctoral Student in Tumor Biology

Description of the workplace The research group conducts experimental research on brain tumors and is led by Associate Professor Alexander Pietras. The group consists of a bioinformatician, two postdo

lu.varbi.com

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Alexander Pietras Lab @pietraslab.bsky.social · May 12

Just a few spots left for this exciting symposium on brain tumor plasticity—grab yours (free of charge!) before they're gone! 🚨

Silvia Remeseiro Lab @remeseiro-lab.bsky.social · May 12

🎫 Exclusive event: One-day symposium on #Brain #Tumor #Plasticity
🕣September 16, 2025. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm @scienceacademyswe.bsky.social

Few spots available. Register here: ui.ungpd.com/Events/ed387...

Brain Tumor Plasticity

A growing body of evidence emphasizes the presence of significant intra-tumoral phenotypic diversity and plasticity within brain tumors. Inherent plasticity introduces an additional layer of intricacy...

ui.ungpd.com

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