Eti Cukierman
Native nameאתי קוקיירמן
Birth nameEdna Cukierman
Birth placeMexico City
WorkplacesNational Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Alma materTechnion – Israel Institute of Technology
FieldsTumor microenvironment
Cancer associated fibroblasts
Extracellular matrix
Pancreatic cancer
Desmoplasia[1]
Thesis urlhttps://worldcat.org/en/title/870842990
Thesis year1997
Doctoral studentsJaye Gardiner

Edna "Eti" Cukierman (Hebrew: עדנה "אתי" צוקירמן) is a Mexican biochemist who is a professor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.[1][2] She serves as co-director of the Marvin & Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, and co-leader of the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program at Fox Chase. Her research investigates pancreatic cancer and the tumor microenvironment.

Early life and education

Cukierman was born in Mexico City.[3] She emigrated to Israel in 1986.[3] She joined Technion – Israel Institute of Technology for her doctoral research, where she studied ARF directed GTPase.[4][5]

Research and career

After her PhD, Cukierman was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship in 1997, and joined the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.[3] She developed a multilayered fibroblastic cell-derived extracellular matrix, which became widely used in biomaterials research.[6][7]

Cukierman joined the Fox Chase Cancer Center in 2002.[3] She studies pancreatic cancer, with a specific focus on the tumor microenvironment and the identification of strategies that can change the tumor microenvironment.[8] Desmoplasia, which is the growth of connective tissue, shows similarities to wound healing pathologies (e.g. chronic inflammation).[9][10] She believes it will be possible to stall the growth of tumors by transforming the microenvironment into one which harnesses anti-tumor functions.[11]

In 2005, Cukierman demonstrated that desmoplastic extracellular matrices could induce a myofibroblastic phenotype on naïve fibroblastic cells.[12] This work involved the realization of a human mimetic three-dimensional stroma system, which allowed Cukierman to understand the extracellular factors that determine the function of fibroblasts.[12] Through multi-cellular culturing, Cukierman has shown how cancer-associated fibroblasts impart immunosuppressive influences, communicate and provide nutrition to cancer cells.[12] She identified that cancer communication involved the TGF beta signaling pathway, extracellular matrix and integrin signalling pathway and the reorganization of cytoskeletal elements.[13] She demonstrated that the glutamatergic presynaptic protein Netrin G1 promoted tumorgenesis by providing nutritional support and immunity to cancer-associated fibroblasts.[14] She has shown that anti-Netrin G1 antibodies can halt tumorgenesis.[9]

Cukierman joined the American Gastroenterological Association in 2010.[8] At the time, this was considered novel because the association is mainly a medical association, and Cukierman is not a physician.[8] In 2017, she established the Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute.[15]

Awards and honors

Academic service

Cukierman has supported the development of early career researchers, and has developed a philosophy around teaching and mentoring. She is a member of the American Cancer Society, and on the editorial board of Matrix Biology.[19]

Selected publications

  • Taking cell-matrix adhesions to the third dimension[20]
  • Modeling tissue morphogenesis and cancer in 3D[21]
  • A framework for advancing our understanding of cancer-associated fibroblasts[22]

References

  1. ^
  2. ^
  3. ^ "Edna Cukierman Elected to Council of the American Society for Matrix Biology". foxchase.org. 2020-01-07. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  4. ^ "איפיון וניקוי של חלבון ממברנת הפלסמה של הטפיל ליישמניה דונובני | WorldCat.org". worldcat.org. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  5. ^ "Molecular characterization of an ARF directed GTPase activating protein | WorldCat.org". worldcat.org. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  6. ^ "3-D Vision Brings New Perspectives". American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  7. ^ Madhusoodanan, Jyoti (2019-02-26). "Matrix mimics shape cell studies". Nature. 566 (7745): 563–565. Bibcode:2019Natur.566..563M. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-00681-1. PMID 30809069. S2CID 71147041
  8. ^ "Cukierman Named Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association". foxchase.org. 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  9. ^ "Edna (Eti) Cukierman". foxchase.org. 2015-11-03. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  10. ^ "Exploring how a tumour's environment helps it grow". Worldwide Cancer Research. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  11. ^ "Fox Chase Researcher Receives Grant for Study of Biology of Pancreatic Cancer". foxchase.org. 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  12. ^ Amatangelo, Michael D.; Bassi, Daniel E.; Klein-Szanto, Andrés J. P.; Cukierman, Edna (August 2005). "Stroma-derived three-dimensional matrices are necessary and sufficient to promote desmoplastic differentiation of normal fibroblasts". The American Journal of Pathology. 167 (2): 475–488. doi:10.1016/S0002-9440(10)62991-4. ISSN 0002-9440. PMC 1603576. PMID 16049333
  13. ^ Franco-Barraza, Janusz; Francescone, Ralph; Luong, Tiffany; Shah, Neelima; Madhani, Raj; Cukierman, Gil; Dulaimi, Essel; Devarajan, Karthik; Egleston, Brian L; Nicolas, Emmanuelle; Katherine Alpaugh, R; Malik, Ruchi; Uzzo, Robert G; Hoffman, John P; Golemis, Erica A (2017-01-31). "Matrix-regulated integrin αvβ5 maintains α5β1-dependent desmoplastic traits prognostic of neoplastic recurrence". eLife. 6. Ivaska, Johanna (ed.). doi:10.7554/eLife.20600. ISSN 2050-084X. PMC 5283834. PMID 28139197
  14. ^ Francescone, Ralph; Barbosa Vendramini-Costa, Débora; Franco-Barraza, Janusz; Wagner, Jessica; Muir, Alexander; Lau, Allison N.; Gabitova, Linara; Pazina, Tatiana; Gupta, Sapna; Luong, Tiffany; Rollins, Dustin; Malik, Ruchi; Thapa, Roshan J.; Restifo, Diana; Zhou, Yan (2021-02-01). "Netrin G1 Promotes Pancreatic Tumorigenesis through Cancer-Associated Fibroblast–Driven Nutritional Support and Immunosuppression". Cancer Discovery. 11 (2): 446–479. doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-0775. ISSN 2159-8274. PMC 7858242. PMID 33127842
  15. ^ "Edna Cukierman: How Fox Chase is Becoming a Hub for Pancreatic Research". foxchase.org. 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  16. ^ "Edna Cukierman". Nikon's Small World. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  17. ^ "Pollen grains | 2005 Photomicrography Competition". Nikon's Small World. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  18. ^ "Officers". asmb.net. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  19. ^ "Dr. Edna Cukierman, PhD - Editorial Board - Matrix Biology - Journal - Elsevier". journals.elsevier.com. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  20. ^ Wikidata item Q29615214
  21. ^ Wikidata item Q34667330
  22. ^ Wikidata item Q92932998