Teenager Blocks Key Metastasis Pathway, Halting Cancer Cell Spread in Lab
Eighteen-year-old Jonathan Yan of Irvine used computational analysis of 479 cancer cell lines to identify the transsulfuration pathway as a driver of metastasis and showed that inhibiting it stopped cell spread.
Jonathan Yan, an 18-year-old student from Irvine, California, analyzed data from 479 human cancer cell lines to compare metastatic and non-metastatic behavior. Using a custom computational pipeline, he identified the transsulfuration pathway as highly active in cancers that spread to other organs. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that pharmacologically blocking this pathway halted the migration of the cancer cells in vitro.
Yan’s project, titled “Bioinformatic Discovery of the Transsulfuration Pathway in Metastatic Cancer,” earned him a finalist spot in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search, where he received $25,000 and will compete for a $250,000 top award. He attends Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, plays ice hockey, performs on the flute, and leads the school’s DreamCatchers Foundation chapter, which fulfills hospice patients’ end-of-life wishes. Yan has also developed a cyclist-safety app and hardware prototype.
Why it matters
The discovery points to a potential new target for therapies aimed at preventing cancer metastasis.
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