Pavel Metalnikov

Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Mount Sinai Hospital

Papers

Total Citations

228

H-Index

About

Pavel Metalnikov is a cell biologist whose research has advanced our understanding of lipid metabolism and cancer cell invasion. His most influential work, "Carboxylesterase 3 Is a Major Adipocyte Lipase" (152 citations), challenged the prevailing dogma that hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) was the sole mediator of lipolysis in white adipose tissue. By demonstrating robust HSL-independent triglyceride hydrolysis, Metalnikov helped establish carboxylesterase 3 as a key player in energy homeostasis, reshaping the field’s view of adipocyte biology. In a second highly cited study (76 citations), Metalnikov developed an elegant method to purify pseudopodial protrusions from invasive Moloney sarcoma virus-transformed MDCK cells. This work provided a direct biochemical window into the molecular machinery driving cell motility and invasion, identifying critical phosphoproteins enriched in these leading-edge structures. Together, these contributions—spanning metabolic regulation and tumor cell dynamics—demonstrate Metalnikov’s versatility and impact. His pseudopod purification technique, in particular, remains a valuable tool for researchers studying metastasis, while his lipase work continues to inform obesity and metabolic disease research.