Mathew Yates

Mathew Yates at the Broad Institute contributed to the landmark discovery that WRN helicase is a synthetic lethal dependency in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) cancers, opening a new therapeutic target for MMR-deficient tumors. His functional genomics work used CRISPR screens to identify WRN as specifically essential in MSI-H cells, providing a rationale for WRN helicase inhibitor development. This discovery extends the reach of synthetic lethality beyond DNA repair defects to replication stress vulnerabilities associated with MMR deficiency. His research supports the development of WRN inhibitors now in early clinical trials.