By Xoel Cardenas, Sr. Communications Specialist, Office of the Vice President for Research
How do cells talk to each other, and what happens when those conversations go wrong?
That question drives University of Utah biochemist Dr. Amy Barrios, whose research is uncovering how a family of enzymes called protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) regulate cell signaling. These enzymes act like on/off switches that control how cells grow, divide, and respond to their environment. When those signals misfire, diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders can result.
With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Barrios and her team are developing a molecular toolkit that could help scientists decode and manipulate these complex signaling pathways. The project builds on years of collaboration and a surprising discovery: compounds found in jack-o’-lantern mushrooms can precisely inhibit the same enzymes her lab studies.
Working with Dr. Brian Popp of West Virginia University, Barrios is now using these naturally derived compounds to design new research tools—tools that could ultimately guide the development of first-in-class drugs targeting PTPs, a long-standing challenge in biochemistry and medicine.
“Our cells communicate within our body,” said Barrios. “The enzymes that we study play really important roles in those cellular communication pathways.”
Beyond the lab, Barrios is also passionate about mentorship and training. She partners with the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) to strengthen mentoring practices for students and postdocs, developing workshops that improve research experiences and outcomes.
Barrios credits the University of Utah’s collaborative environment as a key ingredient in her team’s success.
“We just have an amazing collaborative supportive environment here,” she said. “People are so willing to share resources, to share ideas, to collaborate and push things forward. The U is unique and special.”
Looking ahead, Barrios sees tremendous potential in bringing these molecular insights from the lab bench to the clinic.
“We’re on the cusp of a really exciting sort of Renaissance in the phosphatase field where we’ll get the first tyrosine phosphatase targeted drug on the market,” she said. “There will be really important additions to our medicine cabinet to target diseases like cancer, metabolic disease, neurological disorders.”
To learn more about this research, contact Dr. Barrios.
