Stephen Weiss Lab

We investigate how cells remodel the tissue around them — which helps illuminate how cancer grows and spreads.

Our Research

Normal and neoplastic cells are surrounded by a dense, fibrillar composite of extracellular matrix molecules that not only serve as a platform for cell adhesion, but also exert complex effects on cell differentiation, fate and function.

Our laboratory focuses on the characterization of both the proteolytic enzymes and the transcriptional programs that control extracellular matrix remodeling during growth and development, inflammation and cancer.

Publication Highlights

Mmp14-dependent remodeling of the pericellular-dermal collagen interface governs fibroblast survival

Sabeh F, Li S-Y, Olson AW, Botvinick E, Kurup A, Gimenez LE, Cho J-S, Weiss SJ, J Cell Bio (2024)

A Zeb1/MtCK1 metabolic axis controls osteoclast activation and skeletal remodeling

Zhu L, Tang Y, Li X-Y, Kerk SA, Lyssiotis CA, Feng W, Sun X, Hespe GE, Wang Z, Stemmler MP, Brabletz S, Brabletz T, Keller ET, Ma J, Cho J-S, Yang J, Weiss SJ, EMBO Journal (2023)

Divergent regulation of basement membrane trafficking by human macrophages and cancer cells

Bahr JC, Li X-Y, Feinberg TY, Jiang L, Weiss SJ, Nature Communications (2022)

Snail1-dependent p53 repression regulates expansion and activity of tumour-initiating cells in breast cancer

Ni T, Li XY, Lu N, An T, Liu ZP, Fu R, Lv WC, Zhang YW, Xu XJ, Grant Rowe R, Lin YS, Scherer A, Feinberg T, Zheng XQ, Chen BA, Liu XS, Guo QL, Wu ZQ, Weiss SJ, Nat Cell Biol (2016)

MT1-MMP-dependent control of skeletal stem cell commitment via a β1-integrin/YAP/TAZ signaling axis

Tang Y, Rowe RG, Botvinick EL, Kurup A, Putnam AJ, Seiki M, Weaver VM, Keller ET, Goldstein S, Dai J, Begun D, Saunders T, Weiss SJ, Dev Cell (2013)

A Wnt-Axin2-GSK3beta cascade regulates Snail1 activity in breast cancer cells

Yook JI, Li XY, Ota I, Hu C, Kim HS, Kim NH, Cha SY, Ryu JK, Choi YJ, Kim J, Fearon ER, Weiss SJ, Nat Cell Biol (2006)

A pericellular collagenase directs the 3-dimensional development of white adipose tissue

Chun TH, Hotary KB, Sabeh F, Saltiel AR, Allen ED, Weiss SJ, Cell (2006)

Administrative Assistant Sarah Thurmond
Room 5115
Life Sciences Institute
Mary Sue Coleman Hall
210 Washtenaw Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2216