Guilherme P.F. Nader

In This Section

Guilherme Nader, PhD

Assistant Professor

Dr. Nader is an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at CHOP. His research topics are focused on the nuclear mechano-sensing of cells that grow and move within dense microenvironments such as tumor microenvironment, interstitial space, or densely packed tissue.

AddtoAny

Bio

Dr. Guilherme Nader investigates cellular mechanisms underlying different migratory strategies, with focus on cytoskeleton and cytoskeleton-associated motors, adhesion receptors/focal adhesions, endocytic trafficking, and nuclear mechanotransduction.

During his postdoctoral research at Institut Curie in Paris, Dr. Nader adopted a variety of microfabricated tools and different 3D assays to more closely recapitulate in vivo microenvironments. He found that the nucleus ruptures when cells experience physical confinement when migrating or growing within tight spaces. Dr. Nader observed that repeated nuclear envelope rupture led to chronic DNA damage and caused healthy cells to become senescent while malignant cells became more invasive. He identified TREX1 as the exonuclease responsible for DNA damage following nuclear rupture. He showed that TREX1 depletion prevented tumor progression in a mouse model of breast cancer.

After completing his postdoctoral studies, Dr. Nader started his own lab in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. His research focuses on nuclear mechanosensing in cells that grow and move within dense microenvironments, constantly imposing physical stresses that impact cell behavior, function, and fate.