DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
@rjdlab.bsky.social
I still like small data but I'm not opposed to big data. We study #metabolism, #genetics, #pediatric inborn errors & cancer. Views are my own.
Pinned
NUDT5 regulates purine metabolism and thiopurine sensitivity by interacting with PPAT
Cells generate purine nucleotides through de novo purine biosynthesis (DNPB) and purine salvage. Purine salvage represses DNPB to prevent excessive purine nucleotide synthesis through mechanisms that ...
www.science.org
1/New paper from Zheng Wu, Phong Nguyen et al. @cri-utsw.bsky.social shows how cells balance the two pathways that produce purine nucleotides: de novo purine biosynthesis (DNPB) and purine salvage. The surprising mechanism involves NUDT5, a Nudix hydrolase
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A true legend.
www.bcm.edu/about-us/lea...
www.bcm.edu/about-us/lea...
In Memoriam: Bert W. O'Malley, M.D.
In Memoriam: Bert W. O'Malley, M.D....
www.bcm.edu
November 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A true legend.
www.bcm.edu/about-us/lea...
www.bcm.edu/about-us/lea...
Reposted by DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Regulated decay of microRNAs plays a critical role in controlling body size in mammals! Check out our new paper in @genesdev.bsky.social and see thread previously posted with our pre-print 👇 for more info. Congrats to Collette LaVigne, Jaeil Han, and all authors!
genesdev.cshlp.org/cgi/content/...
genesdev.cshlp.org/cgi/content/...
November 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Regulated decay of microRNAs plays a critical role in controlling body size in mammals! Check out our new paper in @genesdev.bsky.social and see thread previously posted with our pre-print 👇 for more info. Congrats to Collette LaVigne, Jaeil Han, and all authors!
genesdev.cshlp.org/cgi/content/...
genesdev.cshlp.org/cgi/content/...
Here's the beautiful paper from @chembiohub.bsky.social reporting NUDT5's role in purine synthesis. I cannot emphasize enough how gracious and open these authors were when we all realized we were working on the same mechanism.
New in @science.org 🧬
What if an enzyme you thought you knew turned out to control metabolism in a completely new way?
We found that NUDT5 acts as a molecular handbrake on purine synthesis, reshaping how cells make DNA building blocks and respond to cancer drugs.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
What if an enzyme you thought you knew turned out to control metabolism in a completely new way?
We found that NUDT5 acts as a molecular handbrake on purine synthesis, reshaping how cells make DNA building blocks and respond to cancer drugs.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A non-enzymatic role of Nudix hydrolase 5 in repressing purine de novo synthesis
Folate metabolism is intricately linked to purine de novo synthesis through the incorporation of folate-derived one-carbon units into the purine scaffold. By investigating chemical and genetic depende...
www.science.org
November 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Here's the beautiful paper from @chembiohub.bsky.social reporting NUDT5's role in purine synthesis. I cannot emphasize enough how gracious and open these authors were when we all realized we were working on the same mechanism.
1/New paper from Zheng Wu, Phong Nguyen et al. @cri-utsw.bsky.social shows how cells balance the two pathways that produce purine nucleotides: de novo purine biosynthesis (DNPB) and purine salvage. The surprising mechanism involves NUDT5, a Nudix hydrolase
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
NUDT5 regulates purine metabolism and thiopurine sensitivity by interacting with PPAT
Cells generate purine nucleotides through de novo purine biosynthesis (DNPB) and purine salvage. Purine salvage represses DNPB to prevent excessive purine nucleotide synthesis through mechanisms that ...
www.science.org
November 6, 2025 at 7:01 PM
1/New paper from Zheng Wu, Phong Nguyen et al. @cri-utsw.bsky.social shows how cells balance the two pathways that produce purine nucleotides: de novo purine biosynthesis (DNPB) and purine salvage. The surprising mechanism involves NUDT5, a Nudix hydrolase
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Excited to share our work @nature.com! Postdoc @mariopalma.bsky.social, with major contributions from @retickerflynn.bsky.social and collaborators, discovered melanoma cells in lymph nodes gain a targetable FSP1 dependency that limits progression. #TeamFSP1
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Lymph node environment drives FSP1 targetability in metastasizing melanoma | Nature
www.nature.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Excited to share our work @nature.com! Postdoc @mariopalma.bsky.social, with major contributions from @retickerflynn.bsky.social and collaborators, discovered melanoma cells in lymph nodes gain a targetable FSP1 dependency that limits progression. #TeamFSP1
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Identification of a new, autosomal dominant form of familial partial lipodystrophy from Abhimanyu Garg and team. This disease is caused by a recurrent variant in ACAA2, which encodes an enzyme in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
JCI -
A recurrent ACAA2 variant causes a dominant syndrome of lipodystrophy, lipomatosis, infantile steatohepatitis and hypoglycemia
www.jci.org
November 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Identification of a new, autosomal dominant form of familial partial lipodystrophy from Abhimanyu Garg and team. This disease is caused by a recurrent variant in ACAA2, which encodes an enzyme in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
www.jci.org/articles/vie...
We moved the RJDLab potluck to Halloween this year. Thanks to Gaby Cano for organizing! (And decorating).
November 1, 2025 at 12:21 AM
We moved the RJDLab potluck to Halloween this year. Thanks to Gaby Cano for organizing! (And decorating).
Congrats to all Damon Runyon's SPARK Scholars, including our own scholar Imani Williams who is studying cancer metabolism. Thank you Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation @damonrunyon.org for supporting this great initiative.
www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries...
www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries...
Damon Runyon announces newest class of SPARK Scholars
www.damonrunyon.org
October 21, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Congrats to all Damon Runyon's SPARK Scholars, including our own scholar Imani Williams who is studying cancer metabolism. Thank you Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation @damonrunyon.org for supporting this great initiative.
www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries...
www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries...
❤️
This is beautiful! 🥲
October 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
❤️
Remarkable new human proteome-wide effort to predict protein-protein interactions using coevolutionary signals and deep learning. From Qian Cong in the Eugene McDermott Center at UT Southwestern.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Predicting protein-protein interactions in the human proteome
Protein-protein interactions (PPI) are essential for biological function. Coevolutionary analysis and deep learning (DL) based protein structure prediction have enabled comprehensive PPI identificatio...
www.science.org
September 25, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Remarkable new human proteome-wide effort to predict protein-protein interactions using coevolutionary signals and deep learning. From Qian Cong in the Eugene McDermott Center at UT Southwestern.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thank you @cri-utsw.bsky.social postdocs!
We have the best postdocs! We appreciate you being a critical part of our CRI team to help discover the treatments of tomorrow. #npaw2025 #npaw #relentlessdiscovery 🧪
September 19, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Thank you @cri-utsw.bsky.social postdocs!
Reposted by DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
I’m thrilled to share that I have been awarded an NIH/NIGMS K99 Pathway to Independence Award. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way, especially
@rjdlab.bsky.social @cri-utsw.bsky.social
@rjdlab.bsky.social @cri-utsw.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 1:41 AM
I’m thrilled to share that I have been awarded an NIH/NIGMS K99 Pathway to Independence Award. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way, especially
@rjdlab.bsky.social @cri-utsw.bsky.social
@rjdlab.bsky.social @cri-utsw.bsky.social
Reposted by DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
🍹 @walterwchen.bsky.social et al show that PEX39 cooperates with PEX7 in the peroxisomal import of proteins containing a PTS2 site and uncover an (R/K)PWE motif in PEX39 and PEX13 that binds to PEX7 and facilitates the import of PTS2-containing proteins.
bit.ly/4lmjv2l
bit.ly/4lmjv2l
PEX39 facilitates the peroxisomal import of PTS2-containing proteins - Nature Cell Biology
Chen et al. show that PEX39 cooperates with PEX7 in the peroxisomal import of proteins containing a PTS2 site and uncover an (R/K)PWE motif in PEX39 and PEX13 that binds to PEX7 and facilitates the im...
bit.ly
August 14, 2025 at 8:30 PM
🍹 @walterwchen.bsky.social et al show that PEX39 cooperates with PEX7 in the peroxisomal import of proteins containing a PTS2 site and uncover an (R/K)PWE motif in PEX39 and PEX13 that binds to PEX7 and facilitates the import of PTS2-containing proteins.
bit.ly/4lmjv2l
bit.ly/4lmjv2l
Reposted by DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Congrats! 👏👏👏 Two CRI scientists named 2025 Pew-Stewart & Pew Scholars — Javier Garcia-Bermudez, Ph.D. &
@hrshin.bsky.social — to advance cancer, biomedical research 🧪 Read more about their #relentlessdiscovery ⬇️ cri.utsw.edu/two-children... @pewtrusts.org
@hrshin.bsky.social — to advance cancer, biomedical research 🧪 Read more about their #relentlessdiscovery ⬇️ cri.utsw.edu/two-children... @pewtrusts.org
Two Children’s Research Institute scientists named 2025 Pew Scholars - Children's Medical Center Research Institute (CRI) | Dallas Texas
Javier Garcia-Bermudez, Ph.D., Hijai Regina Shin, Ph.D., selected to advance cancer, biomedical research DALLAS – Aug. 12, 2025 – Two Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern fa...
cri.utsw.edu
August 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Congrats! 👏👏👏 Two CRI scientists named 2025 Pew-Stewart & Pew Scholars — Javier Garcia-Bermudez, Ph.D. &
@hrshin.bsky.social — to advance cancer, biomedical research 🧪 Read more about their #relentlessdiscovery ⬇️ cri.utsw.edu/two-children... @pewtrusts.org
@hrshin.bsky.social — to advance cancer, biomedical research 🧪 Read more about their #relentlessdiscovery ⬇️ cri.utsw.edu/two-children... @pewtrusts.org
1/New paper on peroxisome assembly, reporting the detailed mechanism of PEX39, a new peroxin involved in PTS2 protein transport. Fantastic work by @walterwchen.bsky.social and a dream team of collaborators, as explained below. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
PEX39 facilitates the peroxisomal import of PTS2-containing proteins - Nature Cell Biology
Chen et al. show that PEX39 cooperates with PEX7 in the peroxisomal import of proteins containing a PTS2 site and uncover an (R/K)PWE motif in PEX39 and PEX13 that binds to PEX7 and facilitates the im...
www.nature.com
July 30, 2025 at 2:04 PM
1/New paper on peroxisome assembly, reporting the detailed mechanism of PEX39, a new peroxin involved in PTS2 protein transport. Fantastic work by @walterwchen.bsky.social and a dream team of collaborators, as explained below. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
1/Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are used in preclinical testing of cancer therapies, including metabolic therapies. We determined which metabolic properties are retained, and which are lost, when melanomas from patients are implanted and passaged as PDXs in mice.
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Conservation and divergence of metabolic phenotypes between patient tumours and matched xenografts - Nature Metabolism
Rao and Cai et al. perform a detailed metabolic comparison between primary tumours from patients and their matching xenografts, which identify conserved as well as divergent metabolic patterns.
www.nature.com
July 29, 2025 at 2:56 PM
1/Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are used in preclinical testing of cancer therapies, including metabolic therapies. We determined which metabolic properties are retained, and which are lost, when melanomas from patients are implanted and passaged as PDXs in mice.
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
If Ozzy Osbourne could write Crazy Train, I can write one more paragraph of a research summary.
July 22, 2025 at 8:02 PM
If Ozzy Osbourne could write Crazy Train, I can write one more paragraph of a research summary.
Thanks Nature Cancer for the chance to reflect on some factors that led me to study cancer metabolism. For the trainees and other young scientists: the critical events that shape your career might not be obvious while they are happening. Keep an open mind and trust your instincts.
rdcu.be/evi4I
rdcu.be/evi4I
An unexpected career in cancer metabolism
Nature Cancer - Ralph DeBerardinis obtained an MD and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, then trained in Pediatrics and Medical Genetics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He moved...
rdcu.be
July 8, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Thanks Nature Cancer for the chance to reflect on some factors that led me to study cancer metabolism. For the trainees and other young scientists: the critical events that shape your career might not be obvious while they are happening. Keep an open mind and trust your instincts.
rdcu.be/evi4I
rdcu.be/evi4I
Welcome back Pei-Hsuan! (Front row, 2nd from right.) Pei was one of my first PhD students. She stopped by on a visit to Dallas to say hello. I am not sure anyone in the lab has generated quite as much data as Pei. Her remarkable paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31564558/
July 3, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Welcome back Pei-Hsuan! (Front row, 2nd from right.) Pei was one of my first PhD students. She stopped by on a visit to Dallas to say hello. I am not sure anyone in the lab has generated quite as much data as Pei. Her remarkable paper: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31564558/
I still use them; I'm OK with people knowing I went to college.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | This punctuation mark is semi-dead. People have thoughts.
No other bit of punctuation causes such a fuss.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 29, 2025 at 2:47 PM
I still use them; I'm OK with people knowing I went to college.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Reposted by DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
Today in @dallasnews.com by @sodendritic.bsky.social: "Dallas researchers find cancer’s secret weapon to defeat death" ⬇️ read more www.dallasnews.com/news/2025/06...
🧪 #relentlessdiscovery @rjdlab.bsky.social
🧪 #relentlessdiscovery @rjdlab.bsky.social
Dallas researchers find cancer’s secret weapon to defeat death
Cancers use lipids to build a shield with vitamin E. Stripping that shield could lead to new treatments.
www.dallasnews.com
June 27, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Today in @dallasnews.com by @sodendritic.bsky.social: "Dallas researchers find cancer’s secret weapon to defeat death" ⬇️ read more www.dallasnews.com/news/2025/06...
🧪 #relentlessdiscovery @rjdlab.bsky.social
🧪 #relentlessdiscovery @rjdlab.bsky.social
Excellent news for a fantastic young scientist and colleague. Congrats @walterwchen.bsky.social !
Momentous day for CRI @rjdlab.bsky.social postdoc & UTSW Neonatologist @walterwchen.bsky.social 🎉 recipient of a 2025 @bwfund.bsky.social Career Award for Medical Scientists! 👏👏 He will continue his #relentlessdiscovery studying uncharacterized organellar proteins 🧪 ⬇️ cri.utsw.edu/deberardinis...
DeBerardinis Lab postdoc awarded prestigious Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists - Children's Medical Center Research Institute (CRI) | Dallas Texas
UTSW Neonatologist Walter W. Chen to receive $700,000 in funding to continue studying uncharacterized organellar proteins, their connections to disease When his twin daughters were born prematurely, W...
cri.utsw.edu
June 18, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Excellent news for a fantastic young scientist and colleague. Congrats @walterwchen.bsky.social !
GAGs regulate LDL uptake and protect cells from lipid oxidation - new from Javier Garcia-Bermudez.
ONLINE NOW in @natureportfolio.nature.com 🧪 CRI's Garcia-Bermudez Lab has discovered tumors can tap a nontraditional pathway [sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)] to acquire lipoproteins & enrich cancer cells with an antioxidant shield to survive stress. Read more ⬇️ #relentlessdiscovery
Garcia-Bermudez Lab uncovers unique pathway tumors use to acquire antioxidant lipids - Children's Medical Center Research Institute (CRI) | Dallas Texas
CRI researchers find cancer cells use sulfated glycosaminoglycans to draw in lipoproteins, gain antioxidant protection from vitamin E DALLAS – June 11, 2025 – Scientists have discovered tumors can tap...
cri.utsw.edu
June 11, 2025 at 7:58 PM
GAGs regulate LDL uptake and protect cells from lipid oxidation - new from Javier Garcia-Bermudez.
Reposted by DeBerardinis Lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center
🎥 Now On Demand! Catch the Keystone Symposium: Metabolic & Nutritional Control of Development and Cell Fate—featuring top researchers at the intersection of metabolism, diet & development.
🎓 Stream now: keysym.us/KSMetabDev25OD
#KSMetabDev @rjdlab.bsky.social @lydiafiney.bsky.social
🎓 Stream now: keysym.us/KSMetabDev25OD
#KSMetabDev @rjdlab.bsky.social @lydiafiney.bsky.social
May 27, 2025 at 9:38 PM
🎥 Now On Demand! Catch the Keystone Symposium: Metabolic & Nutritional Control of Development and Cell Fate—featuring top researchers at the intersection of metabolism, diet & development.
🎓 Stream now: keysym.us/KSMetabDev25OD
#KSMetabDev @rjdlab.bsky.social @lydiafiney.bsky.social
🎓 Stream now: keysym.us/KSMetabDev25OD
#KSMetabDev @rjdlab.bsky.social @lydiafiney.bsky.social
Thanks Shuyuan Zhang and Biochemistry PhD students for inviting me to Case Western Reserve University for the Harlan G Wood lecture. It was an honor and pleasure. See you all soon!
April 25, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Thanks Shuyuan Zhang and Biochemistry PhD students for inviting me to Case Western Reserve University for the Harlan G Wood lecture. It was an honor and pleasure. See you all soon!