Nancy E. Hynes

Nancy E. Hynes

The molecular basis of breast cancer

The correct interpretation of extracellular signals is essential for proper developmental and proliferative responses. Failure may lead to malignant growth. Receptors of the tyrosine kinase family play pivotal roles in these processes. In breast cancer the ErbB receptor family, in particular ErbB2 has an important role in ~20% of tumors. Other receptors, including members of the FGF receptor family and the Ret receptor are also aberrantly expressed in breast cancer. We are studying these receptors to understand how they contribute to cancer development using in vitro and in vivo tumor models.

A. Gattelli, M.E. Garcia Sola, T.C. Roloff, R.D. Cardiff, E.C. Kordon, L.A. Chodosh, N.E. Hynes (2018) Chronic expression of wild-type Ret receptor in the mammary gland induces luminal tumors that are sensitive to Ret inhibition

Oncogene. Jul;37(29):4046-4054

M.B. Moor, S. K. Ramakrishnan, F. Legrand, S. Dolder, M. Siegrist, F. Durussel, G.Centeno, D. Firsov, N. E. Hynes, W. Hofstetter, O. Bonny (2018) Redox-dependent bone alkaline phosphatase dysfunction drives part of the complex bone phenotype in mice deficient for Memo1

JBMR Plus. 2018 Jul;2(4):195-205

C.Y. Ewald, J.M. Hourihan, M.S. Bland, C. Obieglo, I. Katic, L.E. Moronetti Mazzeo, J. Alcedo, T.K. Blackwell, N.E. Hynes (2017) NADPH oxidase-mediated redox signaling promotes oxidative stress resistance and longevity through memo-1 in C. elegans

Elife. 2017 Jan 13;6. pii: e19493

T. Smirnova, L. Bonapace, G. MacDonald, S. Kondo, J. Wyckoff, H. Ebersbach, B. Fayard, A. Doelemeyer, M.-M. Coissieux, M. R. Heideman, M. Bentires-Alj, N.E. Hynes (2016) Serpin E2 promotes breast cancer metastasis by remodeling the tumor matrix and polarizing tumor associated macrophages

Oncotarget. Oct 26, 2016

A.Bottos, D. Gotthardt, J.W. Gill, A. Gattelli, A. Frei, A. Tzankov, V. Sexl, A. Wodnar-Filipowicz, N.E. Hynes. (2016) Decreased NK-cell tumour immunosurveillance consequent to JAK inhibition enhances metastasis in breast cancer models

Nat Commun. Jul 13;7:12258

MacDonald G, Nalvarte I, Smirnova T, Vecchi M, Aceto N, Doelemeyer A, Frei A, Lienhard S, Wyckoff J, Hess D, Seebacher J, Keusch JJ, Gut H, Salaun D, Mazzarol G, Disalvatore D, Bentires-Alj M, Di Fiore PP, Badache A, Hynes NE (2014) Memo is a copper-dependent redox protein with an essential role in migration and metastasis

Sci Signal 7:ra56

Haenzi B, Bonny O, Masson R, Lienhard S, Dey JH, Kuro-o M, Hynes NE (2014) Loss of Memo, a novel FGFR regulator, results in reduced lifespan

FASEB J 28:327-336

Hynes NE, Ingham PW, Lim WA, Marshall CJ, Massague J, Pawson T (2013) Signaling change: signal transduction through the decades

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 14:393-398

Gattelli A, Nalvarte I, Boulay A, Roloff TC, Schreiber M, Carragher N, Macleod KK, Schlederer M, Lienhard S, Kenner L, Torres-Arzayus MI, Hynes NE (2013) Ret inhibition decreases growth and metastatic potential of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells

EMBO Mol Med 5:1335-1350

Issa A, Gill JW, Heideman MR, Sahin O, Wiemann S, Dey JH, Hynes NE (2013) Combinatorial targeting of FGF and ErbB receptors blocks growth and metastatic spread of breast cancer models

Breast Cancer Res 15:R8

Heinrich C, Keller C, Boulay A, Vecchi M, Bianchi M, Sack R, Lienhard S, Duss S, Hofsteenge J, Hynes NE (2010) Copine-III interacts with ErbB2 and promotes tumor cell migration

Oncogene 29:1598-610

Boulay A, Breuleux M, Stephan C, Fux C, Brisken C, Fiche M, Stumm M, Lane HA, Hynes NE (2009) The Ret receptor tyrosine kinase functionally interacts with the ER-alpha pathway in breast cancer

Cancer Res 68: 3743-3751

Fayard B, Bianchi F, Dey J, Moreno E, Djaffer S, Hynes NE*, Monard D* (2009) The serine protease inhibitor protease nexin-1 controls mammary cancer metastasis through LRP-1-mediated MMP-9 expression

Cancer Res 69:5690-8
*joint senior authors

Hynes NE, Dey JH (2009) PI3K inhibition overcomes trastuzumab resistance: blockade of ErbB2/ErbB3 is not always enough

Cancer Cell 15:353-355

Hynes NE, MacDonald G (2009) ErbB receptors and signaling pathways in cancer

Curr Opin Cell Biol 21:177-184

Hynes NE, Stoelzle T (2009) Key signalling nodes in mammary gland development and cancer: Myc

Breast Cancer Res 11:210

Matsuda Y, Schlange T, Oakeley EJ, Boulay A, Hynes NE (2009) Wnt signaling enhances breast cancer cell motility and blockade of the Wnt pathway by sFRP1 suppresses MDA-MB-231 xenograft growth

Breast Cancer Res 11:R32

Meira M, Masson R, Stagljar I, Lienhard S, Maurer F, Boulay A, Hynes NE (2009) Memo is a novel cofilin interacting protein that influences PLCg1 and cofilin activities, and is essential for maintaining directionality during ErbB2 induced tumor cell migration

J Cell Sci 122:787-797

Stoelzle T, Schwarb P, Trumpp A, Hynes NE (2009) c-Myc affects mRNA translation, cell proliferation and progenitor cell function in the mammary gland

BMC Biol 7:63

PhD students

Anna Frei (2011-2015)
Hansruedi Mathys (2012-2014)
Barbara Haenzi (2006-2012)
Ivan Schlatter (2007-2011)
Constanze Heinrich (2009-2010)
Julien Dey (2005-2010)
Tina Stoelzle (2005-2009)
Ivana Samarzija (2005-2009)
Yutaka Matsuda (2004-2009)
Maria Meira (2002-2008)
Patrick Kaeser (2003-2007)
Ilja Boschke (2002-2005)
Na Li (2000-2005)
Romina Marone (2000-2004)
Nicole Schick (1999-2004)
Thomas Holbro (1999-2003)
Andrea Barretto Motoyama (1998-2002)
Kay Horsch (1997-2002)
George Keto (1996-2001)
Monilola Olayioye (1997-2000)
Iwan Beuvink (1997-2000)
Richard Neve (1995-1999)
Nathalie Cella (1993-1998)
Roger Beerli (1992-1997)
Diana Graus Porta (1994-1997)
Christian Jannot (1992-1997)
Barbara Marte (1991-1994)
Daniela Taverna (1989-1994)
Ina-Maria Harwerth (1989-1993)

Postdoctoral fellows

Tatiana Smirnova (2010-2016)
Alessia Bottos (2011-2016)
Albana Gattelli (2009-2015)
Richard Heideman (2012-2015)
Shunya Kondo (2009-2014)
Jason Gill (2010-2013)
Ivan Nalvarte (2010-2013)
Amine Issa (2009-2012)
Berengere Fayard (2008-2010)
Anne Boulay (2004-2009)
Thomas Schlange (2003-2008)
Regis Masson (2004-2007)
Patrizia Sini (2002-2006)
Susan Jacob (2005-2006)
Ali Badache (1998-2005)
David Cappellen (2001-2005)
Magdalena Koziczak (2001-2004)
Gianluca Civenni (1999-2002)
Niels Torring (2000-2001)
Heidi Lane Egli (1997-2000)
Agnes Wong (1996-1999)
Giorgio Merlo (1992-1996)
Markus Wartmann (1994-1996)
Daniela Taverna (1995)
Winfried Wels (1989-1993)
Jurgen Schlegel (1989-1990)

Technical/Research associates

Francisca Maurer (1993-2015)
Susanne Lienhard (2003-2013)
Paul Hofer (1993-1996)
Diana Graus Porta (1992-1993)
Urs Stiefel (1988-1992)

Undergraduates

Patrice Zeis (2013-2014)
Aafke Aartse (2013)
Vanessa Ueberschlag (2010-2011)
Anna Frei (2009-2011)
Jakub Zmajkovic (2007-2008)
Collin Ewald (2005-2007)
Sven Falk (2005)
Alexandre Huber (2004-2005)
Silke Gerboth (2002)
Michael Schneider (2002)
Samantha West (1998-1999)
Aine Martina Sheahan (1995-1996)
Eichler Claudia P. Beck (1994-1995)
Martin Wiese (1992-1993)
Peter Hellmann (1991-1992)
Caitriona NicMhuiris (1989-1990)

Visiting scientists

Aleksandra Wodnar-Filipowicz (2010-2016)
Christopher Benz (1997)
Roger Chammas (1991)
Michele De Bertoli (1991)
Elena Kornilova (1989-1990)

Education

1975
PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA
1970
BSc, St. Francis College, Loretto, Pa., USA

Positions held

2016-
Emeritus Senior Staff Scientist, Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel
1988-2016
Senior Group Leader, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel
1983-1988
Group Leader, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Bern
1980-1983
Group Leader, Institute for Genetics, Nuclear Research Center, Karlsruhe
1977-1980
Postdoctoral Fellow, Swiss Cancer Institute, Lausanne
1975-1977
Postdoctoral Fellow, Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin

Honors

2009
Chair, ERC Advanced Grant Evaluation Panel LS4
2009
German Cancer Prize
2008-
Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee, Breakthrough Breast Cancer
2008
Member, Scientific Council, Ludwig Bolzmann Gesellschaft, Vienna
2003
Swiss Cancer Prize, Krebsliga Schweiz
2003
Titular Professor, University of Basel, Basel
2001-2006
Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds
2000
Swiss Nominee for the UNESCO-L'Oreal Prize for Women in Science
1998
EMBO Member
1995
Dora Seif Prize from the Kantonspital Basel
1994-2000
Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Swiss Cancer League
1993-1999
Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Cancer League of Canton Basel Stadt /Basel Land
1989
Swiss Cancer League Robert-Wenner-Prize