Daniel Heller
@danielheller.bsky.social
Head of the Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medicine. All opinions are my own.
Optimized SORT LNPs enable precise and long-lasting base editing in dual organs in a disease mouse model go.nature.com/3HC9EHt rdcu.be/feuwr
Dual SORT LNPs for multi-organ base editing - Nature Biotechnology
Optimized SORT LNPs enable precise and long-lasting base editing in dual organs in a disease mouse model.
go.nature.com
Quantum defects make carbon nanotubes better! A massive expansion of quantum well defect chemistry that can enable quantum nanosensors for cancer and many other applications. Congratulations Stanislav Piletsky, Erin Keblish, Alec Goffin and collaborators! Open access! www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Handle-free attachment of small molecules on single-walled carbon nanotubes - Nature Synthesis
Aqueous nanotube-catalysed Fenton chemistry enables handle-free attachment of chemically diverse small molecules to single-walled carbon nanotubes, generating tunable sp3 quantum-well defects and reds...
nature.com
Now online and open access: Article by Daniel A. Heller & co-workers @danielheller.bsky.social @hellerlab.bsky.social Handle-free attachment of small molecules on single-walled carbon nanotubes www.nature.com/articles/s44... #Chemsky
Handle-free attachment of small molecules on single-walled carbon nanotubes - Nature Synthesis
Aqueous nanotube-catalysed Fenton chemistry enables handle-free attachment of chemically diverse small molecules to single-walled carbon nanotubes, generating tunable sp3 quantum-well defects and reds...
nature.com
Stand Up for Science is excited to announce Rob Weissman, Public Citizen (@publiccitizen.bsky.social) as a speaker at the Official No Kings 3 Virtual & Accessible Rally, on Saturday March 28th, 12:30 - 2:00pm. Sign up here: tr.ee/nk3ar #NK3AR #NoKings3 #NoKings #Virtual #Accessible
Where did carbon nanotubes go? Were they just hype? No! They’re in your lithium ion batteries and more! “Industrial Adoption of Carbon Nanotubes” - Nano Letters - Open access! pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
I’m pleased to share our lab’s first paper (a review), highlighting new insights into macrophages, their mechanobiology, and cancer therapeutic potential through both genetic and non-genetic approaches. @jacobsschool.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Engineering macrophages for cancer immunotherapy: emerging insights and therapeutic potential - npj Biomedical Innovations
npj Biomedical Innovations - Engineering macrophages for cancer immunotherapy: emerging insights and therapeutic potential
nature.com
On the cover of this month's issue of Nature Nanotechnology! Our nanosensor + AI-based liquid biopsy (blood test) for brain tumors that also enables the discovery of new biomarkers. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A rev in Ther Adv Med Onc highlights the unique challenges of early breast cancer in young BRCA carriers-covering surveillance, risk‑reducing surgery, PARP‑based therapy, fertility considerations, and survivorship needs. 🔗https://buff.ly/6fj4pvT #BreastCancer #BRCA #Oncology #YoungPatients
Analysis of 346 BCBM cases from the GEICAM RegistEM registry reveals faster CNS progression and poorer survival in TNBC and HER2+ subtypes, with major differences between de novo vs subsequent brain metastases. 🔗 buff.ly/74yHwuH #BreastCancer #BrainMets #HER2 #TNBC #RealWorldEvidence
279 postdoctoral fellowships! Download freely our database of postdoctoral fellowships and grants. For each entry, we provide eligibility criteria, $ amount, deadline, etc. Good luck! Here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-...
New preprint on technologies to scale up CRISPR screens. We use them to map 665,856 pairwise genetic perturbations and outline a path to comprehensive interaction mapping in human cells. We also introduce an approach for cloning lentiviral libraries with billions of elements.
We've all heard of EVs for drug delivery, but what about intracellular vesicles? Small intracellular vesicles outperform small extracellular vesicles in uptake, drug delivery and retinal neuroprotection | Nature Biomedical Engineering share.google/xWrOtYU4ElbJ...
Small intracellular vesicles outperform small extracellular vesicles in uptake, drug delivery and retinal neuroprotection - Nature Biomedical Engineering
A protocol to isolate small intracellular vesicles from human cells is reported; these are molecularly distinct from small extracellular vesicles and show superior therapeutic potential in retinal deg...
share.google
Thanks to MSKCC for supporting and explaining our work to detect brain cancers earlier with nanosensor/AI “machine perception” so that they are easier to treat, and hopefully cure! www.mskcc.org/news/new-liq...
New Liquid Biopsy Uses AI and Nanosensors To Diagnose Brain Tumors
Learn about a blood test using carbon nanotubes that could potentially detect brain tumors.
mskcc.org
Thanks Arde for highlighting our paper!!
@ardemisprime.bsky.social · 7mo agoGroundbreaking study by @danielheller.bsky.social et al. uses nanotube sensors and machine learning to identify tumour type and detect intracranial tumours with 98% accuracy. Welcome to the future of diagnostics! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
2. A new publication in 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 from Dr. @danielheller.bsky.social's team at @mskcancercenter.bsky.social on their work on nanoparticle drug delivery to improve the pharmacologic properties of PROTACs. Dr. Heller is past ACS Research Scholar Grantee! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Tumor microenvironment–targeted PROTAC nanoparticle self-assembly broadly predicted by structural descriptors
Nanoparticles targeted to solid tumor vasculature improve the pharmacologic properties of PROTACs.
science.org
Congrats to our team on building a technology that enables virtually all PROTAC protein degrader drugs to be delivered to tumors! “Tumor microenvironment–targeted PROTAC nanoparticle self-assembly broadly predicted by structural descriptors” | Science Advances www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Tumor microenvironment–targeted PROTAC nanoparticle self-assembly broadly predicted by structural descriptors
Nanoparticles targeted to solid tumor vasculature improve the pharmacologic properties of PROTACs.
science.org
Congratulations to former lab members Chen Chen, @anamarieperea.bsky.social, and colleagues who found that nanoparticles can take advantage of the lysosome to sequester drugs to control/prolong their release into the cell and increase anti-tumor efficacy! pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
I’ve already highlighted this landmark #lipidtime paper by @nadlerlab.bsky.social & colleagues, but ICYMI, do read André’s thread — this study is a huge leap forward in understanding the logic of intracellular lipid flux & is a phenomenal example of #chembio probes 🤝 quantitative imaging 🤝 modeling!
André Nadler@nadlerlab.bsky.social · 12mo agoOut today in @nature.com: Together with the Honigmann, Shevchenko, Drobot and Hof labs, we present a general workflow for imaging the localization and transport of individual lipids in cells and mapping their metabolism. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Read this, read it again, breath the words into your lungs, and then go live them. This is our mission. www.thenation.com/article/acti...
On the Power of Small Acts of Noncompliance
At a moment when large-scale resistance can feel futile, there are other ways to oppose, engage, and fight back.
thenation.com
Congrats to recent grad Stephen Ruiz and colleagues on our lab’s paper describing a new cancer target, and a new nanotherapeutic strategy to use it to treat patients! pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Phospholipase PAFAH2 Mediates Ferroptosis Surveillance and Lipid Remodeling to Promote Resistance in KEAP1 Mutant Cancers
Although ferroptosis resistance is prevalent among many cancer cell types, precisely how ferroptosis surveillance mechanisms are induced remains elusive due to the heterogeneity of the cellular mutational status and metabolic states. Here, we find that phospholipase PAFAH2 regulates ferroptosis through its unique ability to specifically detoxify membrane-bound oxidized phospholipids in KEAP1 mutant and NRF2-active cancer cells. We show that the genetic or chemical perturbation of PAFAH2 is sufficient to sensitize KEAP1 mutant lung adenocarcinoma cells to ferroptosis. Lipidomic analyses reveal that PAFAH2 inhibition shifts the cellular lipidome to a distinctly ferroptosis state characterized by the enrichment of key phospholipids previously identified to be important in ferroptosis, like ether-linked phosphatidylethanolamines. Finally, we comparatively assessed the antitumor efficacy of PAFAH2 inhibitor monotherapy versus cotreatment with a nanoparticle-stabilized GPX4 inhibitor formulation. Our findings support that the broad applicability of PAFAH2 inhibition can be used in ferroptosis induction and abrogation of ferroptosis resistance across cancer types.
pubs.acs.org
EU augments opportunities for scientists around the world to launch or re-launch their careers in Europe.
Ursula von der Leyen@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · last yr.Europe’s choice is clear. To put science at the heart of its economy. To become the home of scientific freedom and collaboration. And to welcome talent from all over the world. I’m glad to present the first elements of our Choose Europe Initiative. → europa.eu/!TTbWbJ
The current administration’s narrative that Harvard (and all universities) feel “entitled” to federal dollars misleads the public. Nor are these funds a “privilege” 1/n
Yamuna Krishnan@krishnanyamuna.bsky.social · last yr.Harvard may have a lot of issues, but none of the accusations in this acid-tripping letter are it. Don't know whether to laugh or cry as I watch monkeys tear up pearl strings.
Important message. Also important to remember that federal funding for science isn’t “given” to university laboratories - it is awarded based on highly competitive process, profs spend months/years on proposals that are reviewed by experts, most are rejected. www.young.senate.gov/newsroom/pre...
Young, Pottinger Op-Ed: Funding for R&D Isn’t a Gift to Academia. It's Vital to U.S. Security. - Senator Young
The following column by Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Matthew Pottinger, Former Deputy National Security Advisor of the United States, was published in The Washington Post on March 24, 2025. By Sena...
young.senate.gov
🧪 ICYMI: $25,000 bridge funding for terminated NSF grants. Major props for to the Spencer, Sloan, W. T. Grant, and Kapor Foundations for their swift action, even though we (and they) know this is a band-aid fix. Due May 30. Applications are brief: a 2-3 page memo of 6-month plans & other docs.
Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program
In the face of recent abrupt shifts in federal funding for education research, including large-scale terminations of National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant awards, we have developed a rap...
spencer.org
Oh and we still have a scientist role open at our Encapsys location in Wisconsin doing encapsulation chemistry! #chemsky #chemjobs
Scientist, Encapsys
Scientist, Encapsys
careers.milliken.com
Phil Knutson, PhD@philknutson.bsky.social · last yr.I got to fly on the company PJ yesterday! We flew to our Encapsys business unit for an internal conference. Not something I ever thought I’d do while in the trenches of grad school ✈️ #chemsky
Choose Science. Choose Europe. A new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 call is now open. With a budget of €404.3 million, it will support around 1,650 researchers from Europe and beyond. Apply by 10 September → europa.eu/!fBTMgF
“The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas — hardly a partisan institution — finds that nondefense government R&D yields long-run economic returns of 150% to 300% …“Our findings therefore point to a misallocation of public capital, and substantial underinvestment in nondefense R&D.”
The NSF Is Being Dismantled — With Broad Implications For The American Economy
The economic consequences of cuts to the National Science Foundation and restricting scientific inquiry on this scale could be far-reaching.
forbes.com
The pact of the federal govt with universities was not a handout. It was a strategic decision to boost US leadership in technology, defense, and health. And it paid dividends. In tech, internet, in cancer drugs (for example), No other sector has invested in high risk high reward ideas like US govt.
