About the research:
Liposarcomas are malignant tumors derived from adipocyte precursors. The undifferentiated form (DDLPS) is particularly aggressive, with high recurrence, metastasis, and few therapeutic options. This project will investigate how extracellular RNAs produced by the tumor participate in communication with other tissues and promote its progression. We will use a murine model that allows selective labeling of newly synthesized RNAs by tumor cells, enabling us to track their distribution in plasma, adipose tissue, liver, and lungs. Sequencing will allow us to construct a map of the “RNA secretome” of DDLPS and identify candidates associated with tumor progression and metastasis. Selected RNAs will be functionally tested in vitro and in vivo and validated in patient samples, seeking to identify new mechanisms, biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets for liposarcoma.
Awards and honors:
🏆 “Outstanding in Science” Award, Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (ABESO), Brazil (2025)
🏆 Speaker at plenary session, Pan-American Association for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PABMB), Montevideo, Uruguay (2024)
🏆 Young Investigator Award, Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM), Brazil (2023)
Selected publications:
Rocha AL, Godoi R, de Lima TI, de Moraes D, Brandão BB, Pinto AFM, Braz-de-Melo HA, da Silva FC, Gonçalves TT, Figueiredo LS, Mazzi JP, de Lima Junior NC, Sousa SML, Miyamoto JE, Leiria LO, Kornfeld JW, Magalhães KG, Moraes-Vieira PM, Saghatelian A, Mori MA. DICER-driven regulation of lipid metabolism and macrophage-adipocyte crosstalk in partial lipodystrophy. Biomed Pharmacother. 2026 Jul;200:119548. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2026.119548.
Huang C, Park JH, Altıntaş A, Stanic N, Kyle de Leon K, Isacson S, Kalogeropoulos P, Topel H, Madsen T, Zanner S, Ruppert PM, Valdebenito R, Havelund J, Larsen BDM, Chien YT, Huang WC, Budi YP, Jiang YF, Rocha AL, Lima-Junior NC, Szczepanowska K, Lackmann JW, Trifunovic A, Hejbøl EK, Detlefsen S, Jepsen IE, Kolstrup SH, Laguna-Barraza R, Martin-Gonzalez J, Khodosevich K, Færgeman NJ, Mori MA, Friedländer MR, Öst A, Barrès R, Kornfeld JW. Male obesity causes adipose mitochondrial dysfunction in F1 mouse progeny via a let-7-DICER axis. Nat Commun. 2026 Feb 24;17(1):3125. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-69686-5.
Vergani-Junior CA, Moro RP, Pinto S, De-Souza EA, Camara H, Braga DL, Tonon-da-Silva G, Knittel TL, Ruiz GP, Ludwig RG, Massirer KB, Mair WB, Mori MA. An Intricate Network Involving the Argonaute ALG-1 Modulates Organismal Resistance to Oxidative Stress. Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 9;15(1):3070. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47306-4.
Mori MA, Ludwig RG, Garcia-Martin R, Brandão BB, Kahn CR. Extracellular miRNAs: From Biomarkers to Mediators of Physiology and Disease. Cell Metab. 2019 Oct 1;30(4):656-673
Thomou T, Mori MA, Dreyfuss JM, Konishi M, Sakaguchi M, Wolfrum C, Rao TN, Winnay JN, Garcia-Martin R, Grinspoon SK, Gorden P, Kahn CR. Adipose-derived circulating miRNAs regulate gene expression in other tissues. Nature. 2017 Feb 23;542(7642):450-455. doi: 10.1038/nature21365.
