ASIP Neoplasia, Tumor Microenvironment, and Metastasis SIG

02/20/2026

ASIP SIG SPOTLIGHT

The NTMM SIG welcomes the ASIP CARDIAC & VASCULAR PATHOBIOLOGY SCIENTIFIC INTEREST GROUP (SIG). The primary mission of the Cardiac and Vascular Pathobiology Scientific Interest Group (SIG) is to shed light on novel mechanisms of vascular function, inflammation and cellular repair mechanisms. In addition, a major focus of the Cardiac and Vascular Pathobiology Scientific Interest Group (SIG) is to investigate complex mechanisms that govern vascular health, angiogenesis, and repair, as well as the impact of vascular dysfunction on diseases that affect the heart, lungs, and blood. It acts as a scientific hub for researchers, clinicians, and trainees who are passionate about vascular biology, vascular inflammation, and the pathophysiology of vascular-related diseases. We hope that the activities of the Cardiac and Vascular Pathobiology SIG will foster interdisciplinary collaborations and exchange of ideas across the vascular research community.

Please like/follow the ASIP Cardiac and Vascular Pathobiology SIG
https://www.asip.org/membership-community/scientific-interest-groups/cardiac-vascular-pathobiology/

02/12/2026

NTMM SPOTLIGHT:
Dr. Anirban Maitra joins NYU Langone Health
The Neoplasia, Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis (NTMM) Scientific Interest Group (SIG) congratulates Dr. Anirban Maitra for becoming the new director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University (NYU) Langone Health. Recently, he was appointed as the co-director of the Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Center, Associate Director of Translational Research at the Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health. Dr. Maitra is one of the leading physician-scientists in the field of pancreatic cancer research. The arc of Dr. Maitra’s career has been defined by contributions made in the spheres of genetics and molecular pathology of pancreatic cancer and its precursor lesions, mouse models of pancreatic neoplasia, and experimental therapeutics in pancreatic cancer. The primary focus of his research has been to develop methods for early detection of pancreatic cancer, discover novel biomarkers/drug targets and evaluate the role of tumor microenvironment in the progression of this lethal malignancy.
Dr. Maitra is the co-chair of the NTMM SIG at the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP). We congratulate Dr. Maitra and wish him all the best in his new endeavors.

02/09/2026

We are excited to sponsor this session at !

These speakers at will present cutting-edge applications that combine these tools such as, AI-guided spatial transcriptomic analysis to map clonal architecture, tumor-immune niches, and therapy-induced remodeling! See the full program at pathobiology2026.asip.org

Sponsored by ASIP Neoplasia, Tumor Microenvironment, and Metastasis SIG

02/06/2026

Late-breaking research? There is still time to share at ! Accepted abstracts will be programmed for poster presentation pathobiology2026.asip.org

02/05/2026

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Danyelle Townsend
Dr. Danyelle Townsend is Professor and acting Chair of the Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She is the Director of Functional Metabolomics and Redox Bioenergetics Facility at MUSC. She also serves as the co-director of the Administrative Core for the Redox COBRE at MUSC. The focus of Dr. Townsend’s research program centers on elucidating how redox signaling governs protein function and cellular resilience to environmental stressors, with a particular focus on S-glutathionylation as a dynamic and regulatory post-translational modification. She and colleagues identified glutathione S-transferase pi (GSTP) as an active thiolase that catalyzes the forward reaction of S-glutathionylation, overturning the long-held assumption that this modification occurs spontaneously and establishing GSTP as a principal gatekeeper of redox-dependent protein regulation. Building on this foundation, we demonstrated that polymorphic variation in GSTP profoundly alters its catalytic efficiency, contributing to inter-individual susceptibility to oxidative injury, inflammation, and chronic disease. Leveraging the redox proteomic platforms my laboratory developed, we have defined GSTP-dependent S-glutathionylation networks across cellular compartments, including within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) emerges as a major regulatory node controlling protein folding, ER stress signaling, and ER–mitochondrial crosstalk. Dr. Townsend has been consistently recognized among the top 2% of scientists cited globally in biology and biochemistry. She holds pending patents on novel therapeutics and redox biomarkers, reflecting her ability to perform bench-to-bedside research

Apart from her research Dr. Townsend is enthusiastic about mentoring students, postdocs and junior faculty to become future biomedical researchers. She serves as Director of the Drug Discovery Program within the College of Graduate Studies. Through DoD supported programs, she has played a role in mentoring underrepresented students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The NTMM SIG wishes her all the best in her multifaceted research career reflects her leadership in translational cancer research and scientific mentorship.
To learn more about Dr. Townsend’s research, please visit
https://education.musc.edu/muscapps/facultydirectory/Townsend-Danyelle

12/04/2025

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Lalita Shevde-Samant is Endowed Professor of Experimental Cancer Therapeutics in the Department of Pathology and Senior Scientist in the NCI designated O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She obtained her Ph.D. in Cancer Immunology at the Tata Cancer Research Institute, University of Bombay, India. Subsequently, she completed her postdoctoral fellowship (in the field of cancer metastasis) in the laboratory of Dr. Danny Welch at the Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University.
Dr. Shevde-Samant’s research program at UAB is focused on studying the molecular interactions between breast tumor cells and their microenvironment. Her laboratory has been continuously funded by extramural grants from federal agencies (National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense) and scientific foundations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Metavivor. She has a well-documented record of accomplishments, with 120 peer-reviewed research publications and book chapters. Aligned with leading a vibrant research program, Dr. Shevde-Samant is enthusiastic about educating, mentoring, and helping diverse trainees and early-stage faculty chart their career course. She is the Associate Director of the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) at the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer. Her educational efforts have been funded by the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society. She is an elected Board member of Cancer Biology Training Consortium (CABTRAC), the national consortium that interfaces with institutions in the United States and the NCI’s Cancer Training Branch to develop innovative and multidisciplinary training mechanisms needed to produce the highest quality cancer scientists. Her pioneering vision led to the development of the Early Career Ambassadors of Metastasis Research (ECAM) program in the Metastasis Research Society (MRS) to train and mentor the next generation of metastasis investigators. Please click on the following link to learn more about research projects in the Shevde-Samant Lab.
https://sites.uab.edu/lsamant/home/

11/26/2025

MICROSCOPE IMAGE IN FOCUS
We would like thank Dr. Neha Dinesh, McGill University, Canada for this outstanding immunofluorescence image. Dr. Dinesh’s PhD research focused on uncovering the physiological role of fibronectin in skeletal development and skeletal dysplasia. In exploring how fibronectin is organized within developing cartilage and bone, Dr. Dinesh captured this immunofluorescence image of a mouse paw section (extracted from one day old mouse pup), showing fibronectin (red), connective tissue (green) and nuclei (blue). The striking matrix architecture revealed how fibronectin acts as a structural “glue” that supports and shapes developing tissues. This image was selected as one of the winners in the 2024 American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB) Image Contest

11/21/2025

ASIP SIG SPOTLIGHT

The TMM SIG welcomes the ASIP INFECTIOUS DISEASE SCIENTIFIC INTEREST GROUP (SIG). The primary mission of the Infectious Disease Scientific Interest Group
is to further our understanding of multiple infectious diseases from the perspective of both the host and the pathogen. It is well established that infectious diseases affect all organs of the body and include prokaryotic and eukaryote pathogens, viruses, as well as complex dysbiotic communities. One of the objectives of our SIG is to facilitate the communication of multidisciplinary with the aim of highlighting the molecular pathways which contribute to the infectious disease pathogenesis. The SIG also serves as a platform to enable scientific collaborations and networking between microbiologists, virologists, parasitologists, mycologists, immunologists, pathologists, and physiologists. We hope that the new knowledge generated by such interdisciplinary alliances will foster the hope of improved diagnostics and therapy of infectious diseases.

Please like/follow the ASIP Infectious Disease SIG

https://www.asip.org/membership-community/scientific-interest-groups/infectious-disease/

04/27/2025

Check out our new SIG pins at !

04/25/2025

EVENT IN FOCUS:

PATHOBIOLOGY 2025

Pathobiology 2025 is the annual conference of American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP). The ASIP conference this year showcases cellular and molecular mechanisms of disease. An important emphasis of this year’s conference will be trainees and early-career investigators. The majority of the symposia will include abstract-driven short talks by young investigators to compliment the presentations delivered by invited speakers. The range of topics include translational research in Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Liver disease, Inflammation, Infectious Disease, Neuropathology and Mucosal Pathobiology. The Conference will also highlight cutting edge development in fundamental Cell biology, Gene Expression and Immunology.
We hope that all attendees have a great scientific experience at this conference

04/18/2025

WELCOME TO MATRIX RELOADED:
Our featured paper today in American Journal of Pathology (https://ajp.amjpathol.org/) sheds light on how Laminin-332 may regulate breast cancer microenvironment..
Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer, accounting for about 80% of all breast cancer cases. IDC begins in the milk ducts of the breast and spreads into the surrounding breast tissue. Dense fibrotic regions is one of the hallmarks of IDC. Such fibrosis may represent the alteration of the tumor microenvironment preceding tumor invasion. Kim et al., (2011) classified IDC tissue into a tumor zone, a normal zone, and the novel interface zone (IZ). The IZ zone comprises of a 5-mm-wide belt that circles the tumor margin and overlaps with normal tissue and this zone shows dense fibrosis. The ECM protein laminin-332 was specifically overexpressed in the IZ. The IZ zone shows changes (analogous to EMT) which include overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 3, membrane type 1−matrix metalloproteinase, snail, and zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1, and the gain of N-cadherin expression, as well as the downregulation of miR200c. These molecular events facilitate the formation of myoblasts from epithelial cells in the IZ zone. The myofibroblasts (isolated from the IZ) expressed robust levels of laminin-332 and membrane type 1−matrix metalloproteinase overexpression. The densely fibrotic IZ zone may provide a unique tumor microenvironment for guiding tumor invasion in human IDCs.
Read the full paper at
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3069863/