Nada Jabado

Nada Jabado discovered recurrent histone H3 K27M mutations in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and other diffuse midline gliomas, a breakthrough that revealed histones themselves can be mutated to drive cancer -- the concept of oncohistones. She demonstrated that the K27M mutation in histone H3.3 or H3.1 acts as a dominant-negative inhibitor of PRC2, causing global loss of H3K27me3 and profound epigenetic reprogramming. Her discovery fundamentally changed the classification of pediatric brain tumors and led to the WHO designation of diffuse midline glioma, H3 K27-altered as a distinct entity. Her ongoing work aims to develop epigenetic therapies targeting the consequences of oncohistone mutations.