Mona Nazemi
Cell biologist in Elena Rainero's lab at the University of Sheffield who studies how the collagen-rich matrix around tumours feeds cancer cells when nutrients run short
School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Elena Rainero lab (affiliation on PubMed papers from 2020 to 2026)
Mona Nazemi is the first author of NAZ2026. Breast and pancreatic tumours are packed in collagen I, the main protein of scar-like tissue, and the blood supply in them is poor, so cancer cells are often short of amino acids. The study found that cancer cells sitting on collagen I use their collagen receptor, alpha2beta1 integrin, to switch on mTORC1 and its target S6, and to bring the amino acid transporter LAT1-4F2hc to the cell surface. More transporter at the surface means more essential amino acids get in, and the cells survive. In patient data, high LAT1-4F2hc levels in basal-like breast and pancreatic tumours went with a worse outlook. This links the tumour's surroundings directly to mTORC1, the cell's nutrient sensor.
Nazemi has worked with Elena Rainero at Sheffield since at least 2020, when they wrote a review on how the tumour matrix and cell metabolism talk to each other. In a 2024 PLoS Biology paper, also as first author, Nazemi showed that invasive breast cancer cells starved of amino acids can swallow pieces of the surrounding matrix, break them down in lysosomes and use the released tyrosine and phenylalanine to keep growing.
No official profile was found, so training and current role are given only from the publication record.
Milestones in the Atlas
A selection, not a full bibliography: only papers that meet the Atlas inclusion criteria.
| Year | Evidence | Study |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | M | Collagen I promotes cancer cell survival via amino acid import and mTORC1/S6 activation NAZ2026 First author: showed that collagen I activates mTORC1/S6 and brings the LAT1-4F2hc amino acid transporter to the cell surface, helping cancer cells survive nutrient shortage. |
Co-authors in the Atlas 1
People with a profile here who share at least one study with Mona Nazemi.
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- Elena Rainero Studies how cancer cells use the extracellular matrix as a nutrient and signaling source; senior author on a 2026 study linking collagen I to mTORC1 activation in cancer cells
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