Date/Time
Date(s) - 26/03/2026
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Categories
Do you like scientific discussion? And how about Pizza?
If we gained your attention with ‘scientific’, or at least with ‘Pizza’, then you are already looking forward to the right event!
Pizza Club is a regularly held Journal Club event co-organized by The Representatives of the Doctoral Programme in Systems and Molecular Biomedicine, part of the Doctoral School in Science and Engineering (DSSE); and the Uni.lu student association ISCB RSG Luxembourg.
In short, Students (PhD candidates) present a scientific paper (+- 20 mins) they find interesting or that inspired the development of their individual PhD project (doesn’t need to be authored by the speaker).
There will be an open discussion round after each scientific presentation (2-3 students per event), followed by informal and fun chatting with some pizzas around!
We will have 2 presentations, the information of which is available below.
Gianmarco Metta
Short description of the paper
Mutations in the metabolic enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1) are common and occur early in a subset of adult gliomas. These mutations alter the enzyme’s function, promoting the production of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate and disrupting both metabolic and epigenetic processes. However, the full impact on the epigenetic landscape and its role in tumor development remains unclear.
In this study, the authors use high-dimensional single-cell analysis to investigate chromatin changes driven by mutant IDH1. They find widespread chromatin remodeling, characterized by a rapid loss of histone acetylation and increased epigenetic heterogeneity. These alterations, particularly at enhancer regions, are closely linked to the metabolic changes in IDH1-mutant cells, highlighting a strong connection between metabolic dysfunction and chromatin regulation in glioma.
Personal Description
My name Gianmarco, I am 27 years old and I am from Italy. I am currently a PhD student in the CREG group at the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), within the Department of Cancer Research (DOCR).
My project focuses on IDH1-mutant gliomas, where the R132H mutation leads to production of the oncometabolite 2-HG and epigenetic alterations. I study metabolic vulnerabilities of these tumors using a multi-omics approach. By comparing mutant and wild-type gliomas, I aim to identify key metabolic and epigenetic differences.
Camilla Ferrari
Paper summary
This paper investigates how the RNA-modifying enzyme METTL3 influences glioblastoma (GBM) progression through its effects on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The authors found that METTL3 levels are significantly reduced in macrophages from GBM patients, and that loss of METTL3 in these cells accelerates tumor growth and shortens survival in mouse models.
Mechanistically, METTL3 deficiency alters macrophage metabolism, particularly by increasing lipid (fat) synthesis. This occurs through an indirect pathway: loss of METTL3 increases IFN-β signaling, which in turn upregulates ISG15. ISG15 binds to and stabilizes the enzyme FASN, a key driver of fatty acid synthesis, by preventing its degradation. As a result, macrophages accumulate more lipids and adopt a tumor-promoting, immunosuppressive phenotype.
These metabolically reprogrammed macrophages suppress the activity of CD8+ T cells, which are normally responsible for killing tumor cells, thereby creating an environment that favors tumor progression. Importantly, inhibiting either ISG15 or FASN reverses these effects, restoring immune function and reducing tumor growth.
Overall, the study identifies a METTL3–ISG15–FASN pathway that links RNA modification to immune metabolism and tumor progression, and suggests that targeting this axis could be a promising therapeutic strategy for glioblastoma.
Personal description
My name is Camilla, I am 26 years old and originally from Italy. I am currently a PhD researcher in the CREG group at LIH. My work focuses on understanding how m6A RNA methylation regulates metabolic crosstalk in glioma. Through my research, I aim to uncover how epitranscriptomic modifications influence tumor biology and the tumor microenvironment, with the broader goal of identifying new therapeutic strategies.
Moreover, each presentation of peer-reviewed papers will be rewarded by 0.5 ECTS!
If we attracted your interest by now, feel free to join the monthly Pizza Club, either as part of Audience or as a registered Speaker. For the latter, please kindly use this form to sign up as an upcoming Speaker, by choosing your category of paper and desired month to present. Looking forward to seeing you at the next Pizza Club!