At the core of our research is a fundamental belief: every cancer cell leaves behind a metabolic signature- a blueprint of its altered biology. By decoding these signatures, we can uncover metabolic vulnerabilities that could be used to outsmart aggressive brain tumors. Our work centers on the premise that a deep, mechanistic understanding of how oncogenic events rewire cellular metabolism opens the door to targeted, effective therapies.
We use advanced mass spectrometry, including bulk and spatially resolved techniques, to map metabolic activity in detail. This allows us to visualize not just what metabolites are present, but exactly where in the tumor they emerge, revealing how certain oncogenes reshape metabolic pathways in specific regions. Through this approach, we aim to identify distinct metabolic dependencies that can be therapeutically exploited, offering a path to precision medicine tailored to the tumor’s molecular makeup.
Relevant publications:
- Udutha S, Taglang C, Batsios G, Gillespie AM, Tran M, Hoeve JT, Graeber TG, Viswanath P. Combined inhibition of de novo glutathione and nucleotide biosynthesis is synthetically lethal in glioblastoma. Cell Reports, 2025, 44(5):115596. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115596. PMID: 40253695.
- Udutha S, Batsios G, Taglang C, Gillespie AM, Viswanath P. The 1p/19q co-deletion induces targetable and imageable vulnerabilities in glucose metabolism in oligodendrogliomas. biorxiv, 2025, doi: 10.1101/2025.05.20.655097. PMID: 40475477.