Antonio Iavarone, MD

Academic Appointments

Professor of Neurology
Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology (in the Institute for Cancer Genetics)

The research program pursued by Antonio Iavarone seeks to unravel the biologic and genetic alterations driving subgroups of malignant brain tumors and exploit this information for rational therapeutic stratification. The Iavarone group identified master regulators of cancer initiation and progression in distinct sub-groups of brain tumors. They discovered the first example of oncogenic and tumor addicting gene fusions in glioblastoma (FGFR3-TACC3) and reported that FGFR3-TACC3 fusions trigger tumorigenesis through activation of oxidative phosphorylation. These fusions are among the most frequent chromosomal translocations across all types of human cancer and the FDA approved the targeting of these chromosomal translocations with FGFR inhibitors. Antonio Iavarone chaired the Pan-Glioma ATLAS-TCGA Working Group and the Neurofibromatosis 1 synodos that united international researchers to formulate guidelines for accurate diagnosis and prognosis of glioma patients. By using all the computational and experimental tools at disposal, they combine innovations in both areas to continue making transformative mechanistic discoveries and provide personalized therapeutics to increasing number of patients with deadly tumor types.

Departments and Divisions

Department of Pathology & Cell Biology
Department of Neurology

Centers / Institutes / Programs

Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Institute for Cancer Genetics

NIH Grants

THEHUWE1 UBIQUITIN LIGASE REGULATES MITOSIS, GENOMIC STABILITY AND ONCOGENESIS (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2019 - Jun 30 2024
MECHANISMS OF ID2 REGULATION IN GLIOMA (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2019 - Mar 31 2024
DISSECTING THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT OF GLIOMA FROM NEUROFIBROMATOSIS 1 PATIENTS BY SINGLE CELL ANALYSIS (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2020 - Jun 30 2023
DISSECTING THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT OF GLIOMA BY SINGLE CELL ANALYSIS (Private)
Apr 1 2020 - Mar 31 2022
LICENSE PATHWAY AGREEMENT (Private)
Dec 1 2017 - Nov 30 2021
TOPOLOGY OF CANCER EVOLUTION AND HETEROGENEITY (Federal Gov)
May 19 2015 - Apr 30 2021
THE ROLE OF THE LZTR1 UBIQUITIN LIGASE IN STEM CELLS AND CANCER (Federal Gov)
May 15 2015 - Apr 30 2021
DETERMINING THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF SCHWANNOMATOSIS THROUGH IDENTIFICATION OF LZTR1 SUBSTRATES (Private)
Jul 1 2019 - Jun 30 2020
TOPOLOGY OF CANCER EVOLUTION AND HETEROGENEITY (Federal Gov)
May 19 2015 - Apr 30 2020
THE ROLE OF THE LZTR1 UBIQUITIN LIGASE IN STEM CELLS AND CANCER (Federal Gov)
May 15 2015 - Apr 30 2020
TOPOLOGY OF CANCER EVOLUTION AND HETEROGENEITY (Federal Gov)
May 19 2015 - Apr 30 2020
THE ROLE OF THE LZTR1 UBIQUITIN LIGASE IN STEM CELLS AND CANCER (Federal Gov)
May 15 2015 - Apr 30 2020
IDENTIFICATION OF MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE AND COMPOUNDS WITH DUAL INHIBITORY ACTIVITY AGAINST FGFRTACC FUSIONS (Private)
Jan 1 2018 - Dec 31 2019
CANCER CENTER SUPPORT GRANT (Federal Gov)
Jul 1 2014 - Jun 30 2019
THE MECHANISMS DRIVING BRAIN ONCOGENESIS BY FGFR-TACC GENE FUSIONS (Federal Gov)
Jul 2 2014 - May 31 2019
THE MECHANISMS DRIVING BRAIN ONCOGENESIS BY FGFR-TACC GENE FUSIONS (Federal Gov)
Jul 2 2014 - May 31 2019
(PQB5) RECONSTRUCTION OF EVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS USING CROSS-SECTIONAL GENOMIC DATA (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2014 - Apr 30 2019
ESTABLISHING THE GENOMIC AND EPIGENOMIC LANDSCAPE OF SCHWANNOMATOSIS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS OF DISEASE (Private)
Mar 1 2017 - Feb 28 2019
IDENTIFICATION AND MODELING OF DRIVER GENETIC MODULES IN GLIOBLASTOMA (Federal Gov)
Dec 10 2013 - Nov 30 2018
IDENTIFICATION AND MODELING OF DRIVER GENETIC MODULES IN GLIOBLASTOMA (Federal Gov)
Dec 10 2013 - Nov 30 2018
IDENTIFICATION,FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION AND THERAPEUTIC EXPLOITATION OF THE INTEGRATED LANDSCAPE OF GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS IN GLIOMA FROM PATIENTS WITH NF1 (Private)
Oct 1 2015 - Sep 30 2018
(PQB5) RECONSTRUCTION OF EVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS USING CROSS-SECTIONAL GENOMIC DATA (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2014 - Apr 30 2018
(PQB5) RECONSTRUCTION OF EVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS USING CROSS-SECTIONAL GENOMIC DATA (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2014 - Apr 30 2018
(PQB5) RECONSTRUCTION OF EVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS USING CROSS-SECTIONAL GENOMIC DATA (Federal Gov)
Apr 1 2014 - Apr 30 2018
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND MODELING OF FGFR-TACC FUSION IN BRAIN CANCER (Private)
Mar 1 2017 - Feb 28 2018
IDENTIFICATION OF MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE AND COMPOUNDS WITH DUAL INHIBITORY ACTIVITY AGAINST FGFR-TACC FUSIONS (Private)
Jan 1 2016 - Dec 31 2017
SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF TUMOR PROGRESSION AND DRUG RESISTANCE (Federal Gov)
Jun 1 2012 - Apr 30 2017
SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF TUMOR PROGRESSION AND DRUG RESISTANCE (Federal Gov)
Jun 1 2012 - Apr 30 2017
EFFICACY STUDY OF TAS-120 IN PRIMARY GBM CELLS HARBORING FGFR-TACC FUSIONS (Private)
Nov 5 2015 - Nov 4 2016
IDENTIFICATION OF DRUG SENSITIVITY OF GRADE IV ASTROCYTC TUMOURS BASED ON GENETIC LESIONS (Private)
Jul 1 2014 - Jun 30 2016
THE ROLE OF CTNND2 INACTIVATION IN MESENCHYMAL GLIOBLASTOMA (Private)
Jul 1 2014 - Jun 30 2016
IDENTIFICATION OF CTNND2-ASSOCIATED TRANSFORMATION PATHWAYS IN MESENCHYMAL GLIOBLASTOMA USING INSERTIONAL MUTAGENESIS (Private)
Jan 1 2014 - Dec 31 2015
COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF HIGH-GRADE GLIOMAS (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2009 - Aug 31 2015
THE ROLE OF ID PROTEINS IN TUMOR DEVELOPMENT AND ANGIOGENESIS IN THE BRAIN (Federal Gov)
Jun 1 2003 - Jul 31 2015
FGFR COMPOUND AZD4547 IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EFFECTS ON GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME (Private)
Oct 17 2013 - Oct 16 2014
THE UREB-1 UBIQUITIN LIGASE IN NEURAL STEM CELLS AND CANCER (Federal Gov)
Sep 1 2008 - Jul 31 2014
DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALIZED ANTI-GLIOMA THERAPEUTICS AND ELUCIDATION OF MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ACTION (Private)
Jan 1 2012 - Dec 31 2013
MECHANISMS AND REGULATION OF POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS OF ID PROTEINS (Federal Gov)
Dec 1 2007 - Nov 30 2013
IDENTIFICATION AND VALIDATION OF NEW GENETIC ALTERATIONS IN PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS (Private)
Jun 1 2011 - Jul 30 2013
THE ROLE OF ID PROTEINS IN DEVELOPMENT AND CANCER OF THE NER VOUS SYSTEM (Private)
Jan 1 2007 - Dec 31 2012
SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF TUMOR PROGRESSION AND DRUG-RESISTANCE (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2009 - Aug 31 2012
INHIBITOR OF DIFFERENTIATION- 2 IN CELL CYCLE REGULATION AND CANCER (Federal Gov)
Sep 30 2006 - Jul 31 2012
THE HUWE1-N-MYC TRANSCRIPTIONAL NETWORK AS A NEW THERAPEUTIC TARGET IN MALIGNANT GLIOMA (Private)
Jan 1 2010 - Dec 31 2011

Publications

Proline Hydroxylation Primes Protein Kinases for Autophosphorylation and Activation
Lee SB, Ko A, Oh YT, Shi P, D'Angelo F, Frangaj B, Koller A, Chen EI, Cardozo T, Iavarone A, Lasorella A
Mol Cell. 2020.
PMID: 32640193, DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.06.021
ARS2/MAGL signaling in glioblastoma stem cells promotes self-renewal and M2-like polarization of tumor-associated macrophages
Yin J, Kim SS, Choi E, Oh YT, Lin W, Kim TH, Sa JK, Hong JH, Park SH, Kwon HJ, Jin X, You Y, Kim JH, Kim H, Son J, Lee J, Nam DH, Choi KS, Shi B, Gwak HS, Yoo H, Iavarone A, Kim JH, Park JB
Nat Commun. 2020.
PMID: 32532977, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16789-2
Clinical, molecular and radiomic profile of gliomas with FGFR3-TACC3 fusions
Di Stefano AL, Picca A, Saragoussi E, Bielle F, Ducray F, Villa C, Eoli M, Paterra R, Bellu L, Mathon B, Capelle L, Bourg V, Gloaguen A, Philippe C, Frouin V, Schmitt Y, Lerond J, Leclerc J, Lasorella A, Iavarone A, Mokhtari K, Savatovsky J, Alentorn A, Sanson M
Neuro-oncology. 2020.
PMID: 32413119, DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noaa121
The molecular landscape of glioma in patients with Neurofibromatosis 1
D'Angelo F, Ceccarelli M, Tala , Garofano L, Zhang J, Frattini V, Caruso FP, Lewis G, Alfaro KD, Bauchet L, Berzero G, Cachia D, Cangiano M, Capelle L, de Groot J, DiMeco F, Ducray F, Farah W, Finocchiaro G, Goutagny S, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Lavarino C, Loiseau H, Lorgis V, Marras CE, McCutcheon I, Nam DH, Ronchi S, Saletti V, Seizeur R, Slopis J, Suñol M, Vandenbos F, Varlet P, Vidaud D, Watts C, Tabar V, Reuss DE, Kim SK, Meyronet D, Mokhtari K, Salvador H, Bhat KP, Eoli M, Sanson M, Lasorella A, Iavarone A
Nat Med. 2019.
PMID: 30531922, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0263-8
The combination of neoantigen quality and T lymphocyte infiltrates identifies glioblastomas with the longest survival
Zhang J, Caruso FP, Sa JK, Justesen S, Nam DH, Sims P, Ceccarelli M, Lasorella A, Iavarone A
Commun Biol. 2019.
PMID: 31044160, DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0369-7
Pharmacogenomic landscape of patient-derived tumor cells informs precision oncology therapy
Lee JK, Liu Z, Sa JK, Shin S, Wang J, Bordyuh M, Cho HJ, Elliott O, Chu T, Choi SW, Rosenbloom DIS, Lee IH, Shin YJ, Kang HJ, Kim D, Kim SY, Sim MH, Kim J, Lee T, Seo YJ, Shin H, Lee M, Kim SH, Kwon YJ, Oh JW, Song M, Kim M, Kong DS, Choi JW, Seol HJ, Lee JI, Kim ST, Park JO, Kim KM, Song SY, Lee JW, Kim HC, Lee JE, Choi MG, Seo SW, Shim YM, Zo JI, Jeong BC, Yoon Y, Ryu GH, Kim NKD, Bae JS, Park WY, Lee J, Verhaak RGW, Iavarone A, Lee J, Rabadan R, Nam DH
Nat Genet. 2018.
PMID: 30262818, DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0209-6
Diffuse gliomas with FGFR3-TACC3 fusion have characteristic histopathological and molecular features
Bielle F, Di Stefano AL, Meyronet D, Picca A, Villa C, Bernier M, Schmitt Y, Giry M, Rousseau A, Figarella-Branger D, Maurage CA, Uro-Coste E, Lasorella A, Iavarone A, Sanson M, Mokhtari K
Brain Pathol. 2018.
PMID: 28976058, DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12563
A metabolic function of FGFR3-TACC3 gene fusions in cancer
Frattini V, Pagnotta SM, Tala , Fan JJ, Russo MV, Lee SB, Garofano L, Zhang J, Shi P, Lewis G, Sanson H, Frederick V, Castano AM, Cerulo L, Rolland DCM, Mall R, Mokhtari K, Elenitoba-Johnson KSJ, Sanson M, Huang X, Ceccarelli M, Lasorella A, Iavarone A
Nature. 2018.
PMID: 29323298, DOI: 10.1038/nature25171
Clonal evolution of glioblastoma under therapy
Wang J, Cazzato E, Ladewig E, Frattini V, Rosenbloom DI, Zairis S, Abate F, Liu Z, Elliott O, Shin YJ, Lee JK, Lee IH, Park WY, Eoli M, Blumberg AJ, Lasorella A, Nam DH, Finocchiaro G, Iavarone A, Rabadan R
Nat Genet. 2016.
PMID: 27270107, DOI: 10.1038/ng.3590
Molecular Profiling Reveals Biologically Discrete Subsets and Pathways of Progression in Diffuse Glioma
Ceccarelli M, Barthel FP, Malta TM, Sabedot TS, Salama SR, Murray BA, Morozova O, Newton Y, Radenbaugh A, Pagnotta SM, Anjum S, Wang J, Manyam G, Zoppoli P, Ling S, Rao AA, Grifford M, Cherniack AD, Zhang H, Poisson L, Carlotti CG, Tirapelli DP, Rao A, Mikkelsen T, Lau CC, Yung WK, Rabadan R, Huse J, Brat DJ, Lehman NL, Barnholtz-Sloan JS, Zheng S, Hess K, Rao G, Meyerson M, Beroukhim R, Cooper L, Akbani R, Wrensch M, Haussler D, Aldape KD, Laird PW, Gutmann DH, , Noushmehr H, Iavarone A, Verhaak RG
Cell. 2016.
PMID: 26824661, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.028
Detection, Characterization, and Inhibition of FGFR-TACC Fusions in IDH Wild-type Glioma
Di Stefano AL, Fucci A, Frattini V, Labussiere M, Mokhtari K, Zoppoli P, Marie Y, Bruno A, Boisselier B, Giry M, Savatovsky J, Touat M, Belaid H, Kamoun A, Idbaih A, Houillier C, Luo FR, Soria JC, Tabernero J, Eoli M, Paterra R, Yip S, Petrecca K, Chan JA, Finocchiaro G, Lasorella A, Sanson M, Iavarone A
Clin Cancer Res. 2015.
PMID: 25609060, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-14-2199
The integrated landscape of driver genomic alterations in glioblastoma
Frattini V, Trifonov V, Chan JM, Castano A, Lia M, Abate F, Keir ST, Ji AX, Zoppoli P, Niola F, Danussi C, Dolgalev I, Porrati P, Pellegatta S, Heguy A, Gupta G, Pisapia DJ, Canoll P, Bruce JN, McLendon RE, Yan H, Aldape K, Finocchiaro G, Mikkelsen T, PrivÃ© GG, Bigner DD, Lasorella A, Rabadan R, Iavarone A
Nat Genet. 2013.
PMID: 23917401, DOI: 10.1038/ng.2734
Transforming fusions of FGFR and TACC genes in human glioblastoma
Singh D, Chan JM, Zoppoli P, Niola F, Sullivan R, Castano A, Liu EM, Reichel J, Porrati P, Pellegatta S, Qiu K, Gao Z, Ceccarelli M, Riccardi R, Brat DJ, Guha A, Aldape K, Golfinos JG, Zagzag D, Mikkelsen T, Finocchiaro G, Lasorella A, Rabadan R, Iavarone A
Science. 2012.
PMID: 22837387, DOI: 10.1126/science.1220834
The transcriptional network for mesenchymal transformation of brain tumours
Carro MS, Lim WK, Alvarez MJ, Bollo RJ, Zhao X, Snyder EY, Sulman EP, Anne SL, Doetsch F, Colman H, Lasorella A, Aldape K, Califano A, Iavarone A
Nature. 2010.
PMID: 20032975, DOI: 10.1038/nature08712

For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov