18-year-old California student Jonathan Yan studied 479 human cancer cell lines and found that blocking the transsulfuration pathway stopped cancer cells from spreading

An 18-year-old California student has identified a biological pathway that could offer new clues into how cancer spreads from one part of the body to another.

Jonathan Yan, a student at Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, California, studied 479 human cancer cell lines as part of his computational biology and bioinformatics research. His work found that the transsulfuration pathway was highly active in cancer cells capable of metastasizing, or spreading to other organs.

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Yan then investigated what happened when the pathway was blocked. In the cancer cell lines he studied, blocking the transsulfuration pathway stopped the cells from spreading.

The findings formed the basis of Yan's project, “Bioinformatic Discovery of the Transsulfuration Pathway in Metastatic Cancer,” which was selected as a finalist project in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

How Yan studied cancer spread

Cancer metastasis is one of the major challenges in treating cancer because cells can leave the original tumor and establish themselves in other parts of the body.

Yan wanted to understand what separated cancer cells that could spread from those that could not. He developed a data integration and analysis workflow that brought together information from hundreds of human cancer cell lines.

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His analysis pointed to the transsulfuration pathway as a potential factor in metastatic cancer.

The pathway is involved in how cells process amino acids and contributes to the production of antioxidants that help protect cells from damage. Yan's research found that this biological process was particularly active in cancers with the ability to metastasize.

He then examined whether interfering with the pathway would affect cancer cell movement.

When the pathway was blocked in the cancer cell lines studied, the cells stopped spreading, according to the research.

The work does not establish a cancer treatment, but it highlights a biological pathway that could be studied further to better understand metastasis and potential ways of limiting cancer's ability to spread.

From cancer research to a national science competition

Yan's project earned him a place among the top 40 finalists in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search. The finalists receive $25,000 each and compete for a top prize of $250,000, with a total of $1.8 million in prizes available.

“It is such a great honor to have been recognized as a Regeneron STS Scholar. It also encourages me to continue working hard and growing my knowledge in the field.”

Yan presented his research at events including a public event in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2026.

Outside the laboratory, Yan plays ice hockey and flute. He has played hockey for more than nine years and participated in over 300 games. He is also president of his school's DreamCatchers Foundation chapter, which helps fulfill end-of-life wishes for hospice patients.

His interests also extend to cyclist safety. Yan developed an app and hardware prototype intended to alert cyclists to potential dangers, including vehicles approaching from blind spots.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search, organized by the Society for Science, recognizes high school students for original research, scientific creativity and potential real-world impact. Yan's research places the transsulfuration pathway among the biological processes that warrant further investigation in understanding how cancer spreads.