WHAT CONTROLS STEM AND CANCER CELL BIOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR? We are analyzing how the pluripotency control machinery goes awry during cancer. Our lab studies the molecular programming of embryonic and neural stem cells as well as cancer stem cells. We are studying the genomic and epigenomic events that inflence pluripotency and tumorigenicity. We are particularly interested in pediatric nervous system tumors, but also glioblastoma.

For more information please visit the Knoepfler lab homepage at: http://www.ipscell.com/about

Representative Publications

Knoepfler PS, Cheng PF, Zhang XY, Gafken P, McMahon SB, and Eisenman RN. Myc regulates global chromatin structure. Embo J 2006. 25(12): 2723-34.

Zindy F*, Knoepfler PS*, Xie S, Sherr CJ, Eisenman RN, Roussel MF. N-Myc, p18Ink4c and p27Kip1 coordinately regulate cerebellar development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006, 103(31):11579-11583. (*co-first authors).

Hatton BA*, Knoepfler PS*, Kenney AM, Rowitch DH, de Alboran IM, Olson JM, and Eisenman RN. N-myc is an essential downstream effector of Shh signaling both during normal and neoplastic cerebellar growth. Cancer Res. 2006, 66 (17): 1-7. (*co-first authors).

Knoepfler PS. Myc goes global: new tricks for an old oncogene. Cancer Research 2007. 67(11):5061-3.

Knoepfler PS. Stem cells on the brain. Arch Neurology. 2008. 65(3):311-315.

Knoepfler, PS. Why Myc? an unexpected ingredient in the stem cell cocktail. Cell Stem Cell 2008. 2(1):18-21.

Martins RA, Zindy F, Donovan S, Zhang J, Pounds S, Wey A, Knoepfler PS, Eisenman RN, Roussel MF and Dyer MA. N-Myc coordinates retinal growth with eye size during mouse development. Genes and Development 2008. 22(2):179-93.

Cotterman R, Jin VX, Krig SR, Lemen JM, Wey A, Farnham PJ and Knoepfer PS. N-Myc regulates a widespread euchromatic program in the human genome partially independent of its role as a classical transcription factor. Cancer Research 2008. In press.

Laurenti E, Varnum-Finney B, Wilson A, Ferrero i, Blanco-Bose WE, Ehninger A, Knoepfler PS, Cheng PF, MacDonald R, Eisenmann RN, Irwin D Berstein ID, Trumpp A. Hematopoietic stem cell function and survival depend on c-Myc and N-Myc activity. Cell Stem Cell 2008. In press.

Knoepfler PS. Journal Club. A cell biologist looks at the risk and promise of a new insight into stem cells and cancer. Nature 2009. 457(228):361.

Knoepfler PS. Deconstructing stem cell tumorigenicity: a roadmap to safe regenerative medicine. Stem Cells 2009. 27(5): 1050-1056.

Cotterman R and Knoepfler PS. N-Myc regulates expression of pluripotency genes in neuroblastoma including lif, klf2, klf4, and lin28b. PLoS One 2009 4(6): e5799.

Varlakhanova, NV, and Knoepfler PS. Acting locally and globally: Myc's ever-expanding roles on chromatin. Cancer Research 2009 69:7487-90.

Chen D, Pacal M, Wenzel P, Knoepfler PS, Leone G, and Bremner R. E2F-dependent division and E2F-independent survival in the developing retina. 2009 462(7275):925-9.

Knoepfler PS and Bush KM. Software for the efficient management of mouse colonies. Dis Model Mech. 2010 Jan-Feb;3(1-2):9-10.

Kuwahara A, Hirabayashi Y, Knoepfler PS, Taketo MM, Sakai J, Kodama T, and Gotoh, Y. Regulation of basal progenitors by Wnt-N-Myc signaling in the developing neocortex. Development 2010 137(7):1035-44.

Wey A. and Knoepfler, PS. c-myc and N-myc in brain development. 2010 Aging 2(5): 261-2

Varlakhanova NV, Cotterman RF, deVries WN, Morgan J, Donahue LR, Murray S, Knowles BB, and Knoepfler PS. myc maintains embryonic stem cell pluripotency and self-renewal. 2010 Differentiation 80(1): 9-19.

Wey, A. and Knoepfler PS. c-myc and N-myc promote active stem cell metabolism and cycling as architects of the developing brain. OncoTarget 2010 (2):120-30.

Wey, A., Martinez Cerdeno V., Pleasure D., and Knoepfler PS. c-myc and N-myc regulate neural precursor cell fate, cell cycle, and metabolism to direct cerebellar development. 2010. Cerebellum. (4):537-47.

Knoepfler PS. Arrestin' the hedgehog: Shh limits its own signaling via B-arrestin1. 2010 Cell Cycle 9(21):4260-1.

Dominguez-Frutos E., Lopez Hernandez I., Vendrell V., Gallozzi M., Gutsche K., Sharpe J., Knoepfler PS, Eisenman RN, Trumpp A., and Schimmang T. N-myc controls proliferation, morphogenesis and patterning of the inner ear. J. NeuroSci. 2011 31(19):7178-89.

Barrilleaux B. and Knoepfler PS. Overexpression of oncogenes in human cells using ecotropic lentivirus for enhanced biosafety. J Vis Exp. 2011 Jul 24;(53).

Knoepfler PS. My year as a stem cell blogger. Nature. 2011 Jul 27;475(7357):425.

Barrilleaux B. and Knoepfler PS. Inducing iPS cells to escape the dish. Cell Stem Cell. 2011 Aug 5;9(2):103-11.

Varlakhanova NV, Cotterman RF, Bradnam K, Korf I, and Knoepfler PS. Myc and Miz-1 have coordinate genomic functions including targeting Hox genes in human embryonic stem cells. Epigenetics& Chromatin. 2011 Nov 4;4(1):20.

Pshenichnaya I, Schouwey K, Armaro M, Larue L, Knoepfler PS, Eisenman RN, Trumpp A, Delmas V, and Beermann F. Constitutive gray hair in Mice induced by Melanocyte-specific deletion of c-Myc. 2012 Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2012 Mar 15.

Recent/Current Teaching

CHA 402, Cell and Tissue Biology

CHA 199, Undergraduate Research

NSC 290C, Research Conference in Neuroscience

NSC 299, Graduate Research

Teaching and Research Awards

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Special Fellowship, 2002-2005

Howard Temin Award, NCI, 2005-2010

Brain Tumor Society Award: 2007-8 Steven C. Higgins Leadership Chair of Research

March of Dimes Basil O'Conner Starter Scholar Award, 2008-9.

CIRM New Faculty Award: 2009-2014

Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D.

Recent/Current Research Funding

Graduate Group Affiliations

Research Interests

Representative Publications

Recent/Current Teaching

Teaching and Research Awards

Recent/Current
Research Funding