Bruno Di Stefano, Ph.D.
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Bruno Di Stefano, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research
Positions
- Assistant Professor and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research
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Molecular and Cellular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States
- Assistant Professor and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research
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Center for Cell and Gene Therapy (CAGT)
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
- Member
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The Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center (STaR)
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
- Member
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Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
- Member
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Center for Cancer Epigenetics
MD Anderson
Houston, Texas United States
Addresses
- Office (Lab)
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One Baylor Plaza
N1020.01
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-7771
- Lab (Office)
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One Baylor Plaza
N1020
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Education
- Postdoctoral Training at Harvard Medical School
- Boston, Massachusetts United States
- PhD from Centre for Genomic Regulation and Pompeu Fabra University
- 06/2014 - Barcelona, Spain
- MSc from University of Pavia
- Pavia, Italy
- BSc from University of Pavia
- Pavia, Italy
Professional Interests
- Stem cell biology
- Cellular reprogramming
- Development
- Post-transcriptional regulation
- Cancer biology
- Epigenetics and chromatin regulation
Professional Statement
During development and lineage specification, pluripotent and adult stem cells generate the diverse arrays of specialized cells of the adult body.Once a cell type is specified, the mechanisms that restrict and maintain cell fate are important in ensuring tissue integrity, and their dysregulation often results in disease, particularly cancer.
Our current research aims to understand the post-transcriptional & epigenetic mechanisms that govern stem cell potency and cell fate decisions, and determine how to exploit these mechanisms to develop new therapeutic strategies.
Towards this goal, our lab employs diverse approaches and tools including human and mouse embryonic stem cells, adult stem and progenitor cell cultures, 3D organoids, cellular reprogramming, transdifferentiation, in vivo mouse models, genome editing with CRISPR-Cas nucleases, and genome-wide techniques (e.g. scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, CLIP-seq).
Websites
Selected Publications
- Di Stefano B, Luo EC, Haggerty C, Aigner S, Charlton J, Brumbaugh J, Ji F, Jiménez IR, Clowers KJ, Huebner AJ, Clement K, Lipchina I, de Kort MAC, Anselmo A, Pulice J, Gerli MFM, Gu H, Gygi SP, Sadreyev RI, Meissner A, Yeo GW, Hochedlinger K. "The RNA helicase DDX6 controls cellular plasticity by modulating P-body homeostasis.." Cell Stem Cell. 2019 Nov 7; Pubmed PMID: 31588046
- Di Stefano B, Ueda M, Sabri S, Brumbaugh J, Huebner A, Sahakyan A, Clement K, Clowers KJ, Erickson AE, Shioda K, Gygi SP, Gu H, Shioda T, Meissner A, Takashima Y, Plath K, Hochedlinger K. "Reduced MEK inhibition confers a growth advantage and preserves genomic stability in naïve human ES cells.." Nat. Methods. 2018 Aug 20; Pubmed PMID: 30127506
- Brumbaugh J*, Di Stefano B*, Wang X, Borkent M, Forouzmand E, Clowers KJ, Ji F, Schwarz BA, Kalocsay M, Elledge SJ, Chen Y, Sadreyev RI, Gygi SP, Hu G, Shi Y, Hochedlinger K. "Nudt21 Controls Cell Fate by Connecting Alternative Polyadenylation to Chromatin Signaling.." Cell. 2018 Jan 11; Pubmed PMID: 29249356
- Di Stefano B*,§, Collombet S*, Jakobsen JS*, Wierer M, Sardina JL, Lackner A, Stadhouders R, Segura-Morales C, Francesconi M, Limone F, Mann M, Porse B, Thieffry D, Graf T§. "C/EBPa creates elite cells for iPSC reprogramming by upregulating Klf4 and increasing the levels of Lsd1 and Brd4.." Nature Cell Biology. 2016 Apr; Pubmed PMID: 26974661
- Di Stefano B, Sardina JL, van Oevelen C, Collombet S, Kallin EM, Vicent GP, Lu J, Thieffry D, Beato M and Graf T. "C/EBPa poises B cells for rapid reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells.." Nature. 2013 Dec 15; Pubmed PMID: 24336202
- Di Stefano B "Cell identity and plasticity uncoupled." Nature Cell Biology. 2022 Sep 8; Pubmed PMID: 36075977
- Wang D, Wu W, Callen E, Pavani R, Zolnerowich N, Kodali S, Zong D, Wong N, Noriega S, Nathan WJ, Matos-Rodrigues G, Chari R, Kruhlak MJ, Livak F, Ward M, Caldecott K, Di Stefano B, Nussenzweig A. "Active DNA demethylation promotes cell fate specification and the DNA damage response.." Science. 2022 Dec 2; Pubmed PMID: 36454826
- "RNA sequestration in P-bodies sustains myeloid leukaemia." Nat Cell Biol.; Pubmed PMID: 39169219
- "Chemical reprogramming takes the fast lane.." Cell Stem Cell.; Pubmed PMID: 37028396
Funding
- Investigating Post-Transcriptional Mechanisms Governing Cancer Stem Cell Self-Renewal And Differentiation Grant funding from Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
- Role of RNA sequestration in hematopoiesis Grant funding from The Nancy Chang, Ph.D. Award for Research Excellence
- Role of RNA Sequestration in Hematopoiesis. Grant funding from American Society of Hematology Scholar Award
- Defining the Role of RNA Sequestration in Mammalian Cell Fate. - #1R35GM147126-01 NIH
- Deconvoluting Contributions of Clonal Evolution and Epigenetic Drift to Aging and Rejuvenation. ( Milky Way Research Foundation Investigator Award
- Role of the RNA helices DDX6 in AML (01/01/2024 Worldwide Cancer Research Foundation
- Role of RNA condensates in pediatric leukemia (01/01/2024 B+ Foundation
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