My research goal is to enrich our knowledge how stem cells and their progeny, of the female reproductive tract, contribute to carcinogenesis. For my scientific work, I use numerous sophisticated advanced techniques, such as single cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics employing the 10x Genomics platform. I have extensive expertise in genetically modified mouse models for carcinogenesis and cell lineage tracing studies. Mouse and human material are used in our laboratory for organoid cultures, in situ hybridization and gene editing with Lenti-virus infections and CRISPR-CAS9 system applications.

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• BS, Private Technical College, Duisburg, Germany
• PhD, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
• Post Doc, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA

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1. Flesken-Nikitin, A., Hwang, C.-I., Cheng, C-Y., Michurina, T. V., Enikolopov, G., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2013). Ovarian surface epithelium at the junction area contains cancer-prone stem cell niche. Nature 495: 241–245. DOI 10.1038/nature11979 (Highlighted in News & Views Nature 495: 183–184, 2013, doi:10.1038/nature11962; Nature Reviews Cancer, Cancer Discovery, The Journal Biology of Reproduction, F1000 Prime, Cancer Research UK, Stem Cells Freak, TopNews.US, Cornell Chronicle, EurekAlert!, Ithaca News). PMID: 23467088. PMCID: PMC3982379.
2. Cheng, C-Y. Hwang, C.-I., Corney, D. C., Flesken-Nikitin, A., Jiang, L., Öner, G. M., Munroe, R. J., Schimenti, J. C., Hermeking, H., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2014). miR-34 cooperates with p53 in suppression of prostate cancer by joint regulation of stem cell compartment. Cell Reports: 6, 1000–1007 (Highlighted in Oncology Central (www.oncology‐central.com, Cornell Chronicle). PMID: 24630988 PMCID: PMC3988786.
3. Flesken-Nikitin, A.*, Harlan, B. A., and Nikitin, A. Yu.* (2016). Transplantation into the mouse ovarian fat pad. JoVE, Issue 115; DOI: 10.3791/54444 (Equal corresponding author).
4. Schmoeckel, E., Odai-Afotey, A. A., Schleißheimer, M., Rottmann, M., Flesken-Nikitin, A., Ellenson, L. H., Kirchner, T., Mayr, D., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2017). LEF1 is preferentially expressed in the tubal-peritoneal junctions and is a reliable marker of tubal intraepithelial lesions. Modern Pathology 30:1241-1250. PMID: 28664938. PMCID: PMC5604248.
5. Fu, D.-J., Miller, A. D., Southard, T. L., Flesken-Nikitin, A., Ellenson, L. H., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2018). Stem Cell Pathology. Annu Rev Pathol. 13:71-92. doi: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-020117-043935. PMID: 29059010. PMCID: PMC5857951.
6. Cheng, C. Y., Zhou, Z., Stone, M., Lu, B., Flesken-Nikitin, A., Nanus, D. M., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2020). Membrane metalloendopeptidase suppresses prostate carcinogenesis by attenuating effects of gastrin-releasing peptide on stem/progenitor cells. Oncogenesis 9:38 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41389-020-0222-3. PMID: 32205838 PMCID: PMC7090072. (previously pre-print: bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2019.12.23.887356).
7. Rose, I. M., Bidarimath, M., Webster, A., Godwin, A. K., Flesken-Nikitin, A., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2020). WNT and inflammatory signaling distinguish human Fallopian tube epithelial cell populations. Sci. Rep. 10:9837. PMCID: PMC7300082 doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66556-y PMID: 32555344. (previously pre-print: bioRxiv doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.15.908293). (Equal corresponding author).
8. Yamulla, R. J., Nalubola, S., Flesken-Nikitin, A., Nikitin, A. Yu., and Schimenti, J. C. (2020). Functional screen of common mutated genes in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma reveals TP53, PTEN and RB1 as core tumor suppressors in ovarian surface epithelial stem cells. Cell Reports, 32: 108086. (Highlighted in Cornell Chronicle). PMID: 32877668 PMCID: PMC7545232 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108086 (previously pre-print: bioRxiv 2020.01.27.921718; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.27.921718).
9. Fu, D.-J., De Micheli, A., Bidarimath, M., Ellenson, L. H., Cosgrove, B. D., Flesken-Nikitin, A., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2020). Cells expressing PAX8 are the main source of homeostatic regeneration of adult endometrial epithelium and give rise to serous endometrial carcinoma. Dis. Model. Mech. 2020 Oct 30;13(10):dmm047035. doi: 10.1242/dmm.047035. (Equal corresponding author). PMID: 32998907 PMCID: PMC7648606 (Equal corresponding author).
10. Flesken-Nikitin, A., Ralston, C. Q., Fu, D.-J., De Micheli, A. J., Phuong, D. J., Harlan, B. A., Ashe, C. S., Armstrong, A. P., McKellar, D., Ghuwalewala, S., Ellenson, L. H., Schimenti, J. C., Cosgrove, B. D., and Nikitin, A. Yu. (2024). Pre-ciliated tubal epithelial cells are prone to initiation of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Nat. Commun. 15:8641. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52984-1.

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