Sheila Stewart, PhD

Medical School Department Cell Biology and Physiology
Research Program Mechanisms of Cancer Biology Program
Sheila Stewart

Researcher Background

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, WashU Medicine

Training

  • 1996 - 1998: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1998 - 2003: Postdoctoral Fellow, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA

Education

  • 1996: PhD, Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Research & Selected Publications

Research Interest

Cellular immortality is one of the defining characteristics of malignant growth. Therefore, understanding how cellular lifespan is controlled at the molecular level is a central theme in the laboratory. The telomere, a DNA-protein structure located at the termini of linear chromosomes, plays a central role in controlling cellular mortality. Therefore, we are particularly interested in understanding how it is maintained. In addition, delineating the signal transduction machinery that is responsible for monitoring the telomere and eliciting modifications of the telomere is of critical importance to understanding how incipient cancer cells obtain immortality

Research Publications

Chemotherapy-induced adipo-lineage cell senescence drives bone loss.
Authors:

Raut GK, Malachowski T, Melam A, one or more additional authors omitted Stewart SA

Journal & Year:

Nat Commun • 2025

Stromal senescence contributes to age-related increases in cancer.
Authors:

Ye J, Melam A, Stewart SA

Journal & Year:

Nat Rev Cancer • 2025

Age-related mesenchymal stromal cell senescence is associated with progression from MGUS to multiple myeloma.
Authors:

Plakhova N, Panagopoulos V, Cantley MD, one or more additional authors omitted Stewart SA, one or more additional authors omitted Vandyke K

Journal & Year:

Leukemia • 2025

Multi-omic and spatial analysis of mouse kidneys highlights sex-specific differences in gene regulation across the lifespan.
Authors:

Chen S, Liu R, Mo CK, one or more additional authors omitted Stewart SA, one or more additional authors omitted Chen F

Journal & Year:

Nat Genet • 2025

Stroma-derived Dickkopf-1 contributes to the suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity in breast cancer.
Authors:

Lee S, Ricci B, Tran J, one or more additional authors omitted Stewart SA, one or more additional authors omitted Faccio R

Journal & Year:

Nat Commun • 2025

Senescent cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic adenocarcinoma restrict CD8+ T cell activation and limit responsiveness to immunotherapy in mice.
Authors:

Assouline B, Kahn R, Hodali L, one or more additional authors omitted Stewart SA, one or more additional authors omitted Ben-Porath I

Journal & Year:

Nat Commun • 2024

Senescent CAFs Mediate Immunosuppression and Drive Breast Cancer Progression.
Authors:

Ye J, Baer JM, Faget DV, one or more additional authors omitted Stewart SA

Journal & Year:

Cancer Discov • 2024

Senescence Defines a Distinct Subset of Myofibroblasts That Orchestrates Immunosuppression in Pancreatic Cancer.
Authors:

Belle JI, Sen D, Baer JM, one or more additional authors omitted Stewart SA, DeNardo DG

Journal & Year:

Cancer Discov • 2024